IUSA

Hunting with a stylus

By Alyson Brodsy and David Antognoli · Wednesday, April 5,2006 8:32 p.m.

One of the longest awaited Nintendo DS titles, "Metroid Prime: Hunters" dates back to an early tech demo shown when the DS handheld debuted in 2004. Improved substantially from that early version, the game still serves to demonstrate the capacity of the DS, boasting some of the best 3-D graphics and online capabilities of any title on the system. "Hunters" utilizes the DS touch screen to ape the popular and precise mouse aiming control configuration of PC first-person shooters, as opposed to the more sluggish "dual analog" controls most console shooters employ. While this precision aiming signifies a departure from the classic "Metroid" recipe, it truly works well in "Hunters'" fast paced multiplayer bouts, which feel more in the vein of "Quake 3: Arena" or "Unreal Tournament" than anything "Metroid" related.

All About Me:

By IDS staff and Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 5,2006 8:31 p.m.

Billy Lockman, a junior studying economics, is also the lead singer of one of Bloomington's local rock 'n' roll bands, The Red Label. Other members of the band include Ty Schrock on guitar, Wyatt Legrand on guitar, Chris Seleski on bass and Joey Shepard on drums. While the band prides itself on its original songs, written primarily by Lockman and Schrock, it will throw an occasional cover into the mix from bands such as The Rolling Stones, Velvet Underground or The Strokes. "I just don't see why you would want to be in a cover band and not make your own music," Lockman says. "If you wanted to be an actor, would you want to be an Elvis impersonator?"

The key is moderation

By Alyson Brodsy and By Maggie Bozich · Wednesday, April 5,2006 8:29 p.m.

Last week, I had a conversation with a friend who, like me, is also graduating in May. She asked me how I was enjoying my last couple of weekends in college. I told her they'd been great. She then asked what I'd been doing to make them so great. I told her that last weekend I watched the whole third season of "The Sopranos," (among other things). She seemed shocked that I had spent one of my last college weekends watching 13 back-to-back episodes of "The Sopranos," let alone any show. But I explained to her that I couldn't help it; seasons of shows on DVD are addicting, kinda like Pringles, "once you pop the fun don't stop." Once you start watching and you don't have to wait until next week to see what happens next, you feel the need to feed the addiction.

Where everybody knows your name

By Alyson Brodsy and Bryan Lufkin · Wednesday, April 5,2006 8:24 p.m.

Almost everyone is familiar with the classic NBC sitcom, "Cheers." Back in the '80s, audiences related to the show's colorful cast: a group of Boston locals who frequented a bar (the show's primary setting) to indulge in bubbly libations, shoot the breeze and have some fun. If the fictitious bar were an actual place, it would be hard to visit and not find the same customers drinking the same thing every time you dropped by -- and in some cases, they'd be sitting in the same seats.

Mr. Ford on Mr. Lincoln

By Alyson Brodsy and John Barnett · Wednesday, April 5,2006 8:12 p.m.

John Ford made several undeniable masterpieces during his half-century of directing from 1917 to 1966. "Young Mr. Lincoln" is not one of those masterpieces, but it is a great film in its own right. Concerning the life of Abraham Lincoln during his tenure as a lawyer in mid-1830s Illinois, Ford's film is based much less on historical fact than on a mythologized view of the man who would come to be one of our greatest presidents.

'Memoirs' is a memorable experience

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Wisner · Wednesday, April 5,2006 8:10 p.m.

If "King Kong" was the greatest visual spectacle in the digital world last year, then "Memoirs of a Geisha" would be its non-digital counterpart -- a wonderful creation that takes the viewer into a long forgotten world of absolute beauty and artistic splendor. Based on the best-selling fiction novel by Arthur Golden, "Geisha" tells of Sayuri, a fisherman's daughter sold to a geisha house after her parents can no longer support her. At first known to us as Chiyo (a promising debut by 12-year-old Suzuka Ohgo), her struggles with this new lifestyle seem an impossible task to achieve.

Sophomore Marcus Thigpen makes switch from receiver to running back

By Tim O Brien and Tim O'Brien · Wednesday, April 5,2006 8:02 p.m.

Marcus Thigpen is in a transition phase. Not a difficult phase, the sophomore said, but a transition nonetheless. After finishing the 2005 season as IU's second-leading receiver, the coaching staff asked Thigpen how he felt about moving back to his natural position -- running back. "It's been pretty easy because it's just something I'm used to doing," said Thigpen, who played running back in high school. "Just learning the plays, that's the hardest part. Receivers are a little fancier. As a running back, you've got to be a bruiser, be able to hit and take hits so I work harder, I lift harder." After redshirting as a freshman in 2004, Thigpen had a breakout year last season. He pulled down 32 receptions for 432 yards with two touchdowns, even though he originally signed with IU as a running back. For the upcoming 2006 season, the Hoosiers will need to replace their two leading rushers, Chris Taylor and Yamar Washington, who combined for 1,271 rushing yards. But that was only part of the reason for Thigpen's switch from wide receiver to running back, the coaching staff said. "We made the move knowing Marcus is an explosive player," said IU assistant coach Gerald Brown, the running backs and special teams assistant. "We feel like if he gets enough touches, that with his speed and explosive play, he can make big plays for us. That was a lot of it,

UPDATE: Mike Davis interviews with UAB, according to report

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 5,2006 8:01 p.m.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Former IU coach Mike Davis interviewed with UAB officials for the vacant head coaching job, according to The Birmingham News.

Student dies in bed, police say

By Audrie Garrison · Wednesday, April 5,2006 7:58 p.m.

Junior Nichole Birky, 21, died Wednesday morning in her Delta Zeta bedroom due to causes unknown at this time, said IU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger.

Indie rock band a true phenomena

By Alyson Brodsy and Will Hernandez · Wednesday, April 5,2006 6:57 p.m.

Many of the New York based indie rock pioneers of the last five years, such as The Strokes and Interpol, broke ground with their debut releases, which were then followed by extensive hiatuses and sophomore albums that fans, for the most part, believed hardly compared to their debuts. However, comparing debuts with follow up albums is never a good thing, and the disappointment that fans face after expecting another, Is This It leads to a cautious approach whenever their favorite band releases a new album.

IDS CLASSIC ALBUMS:

By Alyson Brodsy and Ryan McLaughlin · Wednesday, April 5,2006 6:55 p.m.

I hate listening to 40-year-olds constantly tell me that there is no such thing as good music anymore. Part of the reason is, unfortunately, I kind of agree with them. Although modern music still shows glimmers of hope, more often than not, every time I turn on the radio (which is increasingly rare) all I hear is generic rip-offs and cookie-cutter bands that completely lack any artistic creativity or integrity. But there is still hope. There are still a select group of bands today that are "artists" in the true sense of the word. And one band that is leading the charge is Radiohead.

King of what?

By Alyson Brodsy and Mark Perlman-Price · Wednesday, April 5,2006 6:53 p.m.

"And the prophecy read, that one day, like the phoenix that rose from the ashes, that a boy would be born unto a family in the slums. This boy would go on to use the knowledge he gained, while fighting for survival in the streets, to become a great leader. And in time that boy would grow to become king!" This is the first thing you hear on Tip "T.I." Harris' new album, King. Apparently in T.I.'s opinion he's reached the pinnacle of rap. With 18 new tracks producing over 70 minutes of music, it's clear that T.I. definitely put a lot into the project. And with his starring role in the new film "ATL," it's clear T.I. had a busy year.

Fagen 'Morphs,' buys a thrill

By Alyson Brodsy and Patrick Hurley · Wednesday, April 5,2006 6:52 p.m.

Donald Fagen's first solo release in 13 years plays like several stories. The former Steely Dan member does not disappoint in Morph the Cat. The album leads off with its self-titled track whose reprise closes the album as well. Fagen incorporates some good old muted trumpet and sax as part of the solos on Morph. The album's first single, "H Gang," tells the story of a band trying to make it in showbiz. The rise and fall of the band eventually resorts to becoming associated with a movie in production that you may recognize.

Shaolin's finest returns

By Alyson Brodsy and Jeff O'Reilly · Wednesday, April 5,2006 6:51 p.m.

As one-tenth of Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah's latest solo release Fishscale is undoubtedly going to draw comparisons to the hip-hop super group. But where many have failed, Ghostface has succeeded, creating a name for himself outside of the gig that forever immortalized his unique lyricism. Ghostface's talent speaks for itself, and with the release of Fishscale, he continues to prove that he is one of hip-hop's premier musicians with or without Wu-Tang at his back. Beginning with a rather customary affirmation of how real his shit is, "Shakey Dog," kicks off the album in appropriate fashion.

Scares, laughs, a fleet of alien slugs

By Alyson Brodsy and Rob O'Connor · Wednesday, April 5,2006 6:49 p.m.

How refreshing it is to see a horror film that isn't about sexy hip teens being hip and having sexy teen sex. Instead the makers of "Slither" thought that they could cover their lack of teen sexiness with intelligent, if slightly dark, humor. People have attempted the comedy horror before, usually they are parodies of the horror genre like "Shaun of the Dead" or "Scream," but "Slither" is different. It doesn't parody anything. It is just funny.

Ice Age 2: The environment strikes back

By Alyson Brodsy and Josh Garfinkel · Wednesday, April 5,2006 6:47 p.m.

A family film should be good for the family (and maybe for a date, as well), and "Ice Age: The Meltdown" is certainly that. Very impressive animation is presented in this film, which will impress the older viewer and dazzle the younger viewer. However, as a legitimate, enjoyable movie, "Ice Age 2" unfortunately falls short of the standards that the first "Ice Age" set. The first film is filled with funny, often hilarious moments and the characters are all incredibly differentiated and fun. In the sequel, the three new major characters are missing the complexity of the three original main characters. There is Ellie (voiced by Queen Latifah), the female mammoth who is convinced she is a possum, and her two brothers, Eddie and Crash (actual possums).

Just some 'Basic' shit

By Alyson Brodsy and Greg Shoenbaechler · Wednesday, April 5,2006 6:43 p.m.

Sharon Stone is back in the sequel to the thriller that sent her to stardom. Hollywood is also back. Back to making absolutely absurd movies that shouldn't be found anywhere near a movie theater. The need to make a sequel to every single success just boggles my mind. Hollywood should simply learn to put out a good movie and leave it at that. "Basic Instinct 2" is nothing but trash, similarly to many recent sequels. The opening scene has some action and is somewhat amusing making audiences think that this could be a decent movie, but quite frankly the best part of the movie was the transition to the closing credits.

Sports writers get chance in big leagues

By Sam Nissen · Wednesday, April 5,2006 5:22 p.m.

IU junior and Indiana Daily Student Sports Editor Eamonn Brennan paid $15 for courtside seats and locker room access to the NCAA National Championship game in Indianapolis tonight. Brennan was chosen from a pool of sports writers from IU and other schools that attended Thursday's U.S. Basketball Writer's Association's Full Court Press Seminar in Ernie Pyle Hall.

Homeland Security official arrested for seducing 'teen'

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 5,2006 1:22 p.m.

MIAMI -- The deputy press secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was arrested Tuesday for using the Internet to seduce what he thought was a teenage girl, authorities said. Brian J. Doyle, 55, of Silver Spring, Md., was arrested on charges of use of a computer to seduce a child and transmission of harmful material to a minor. The charges were issued out of Polk County, Fla.

IU scores big in U.S. News and World Report rankings

By Zachary Osterman · Wednesday, April 5,2006 1:21 p.m.

The latest U.S. News and World Report graduate school rankings placed several IU graduate schools among the best in the country. Programs in library and information science, business and education all received impressive marks from the report. The School of Library and Information Science tied for seventh in the country, receiving special attention for its specialty programs. IU was fourth in law librarianship and eighth in digital librarianship, information systems and school library media.