IUSA

Take a ride with The Subways

By Alyson Brodsy and Evan Ross · Wednesday, March 1,2006 6:50 p.m.

It's always hard to be the 'next big thing.' Every year, it seems like the music press places that honor on at least half a dozen young bands. Out of those six, usually all but one fail to live up to the lofty expectations placed before them. The newest phenomenon slotted into this role is the British indie rock group The Subways. Their debut album, Young for Eternity, topped out at No. 32 on the British music charts. They've already landed two of their songs on "The OC." But can they really be the 'next big thing,' or are they destined for the dustbin of obscurity?

Dark, quirky and kinky

By -Kehla West and Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, March 1,2006 6:47 p.m.

The world may have lost track of Ray Davies, but fortunately, Davies hasn't lost track of the world. Other People's Lives, Davies' first solo album, is a testament to an aging genius. Once a great songwriter, it seems, always a great songwriter. The former frontman of the weirdest and quirkiest of the British Invasion bands, The Kinks, Davies took his time making a solo album. It's worth the wait. Even while writing for The Kinks, Davies was always the most British of Brits, and on Other People's Lives, he stays with what works. The first track on the disc has him sounding as British as the Queen.

Magic, farts and a Doogal?

By Alyson Brodsy and Derek Kagemann · Wednesday, March 1,2006 6:43 p.m.

Americans are drooling idiots. At least, that's what the Weinstein Company seems to believe. What other explanation can there be for the movie "Doogal?" "Doogal" is based on a stop-motion television series called "The Magic Roundabout," which first originated in France and went on to become a hit in Great Britain during the '60s and '70s. The movie was screened in the U.K. and then retooled for American audiences by the newly formed Weinstein Company. Don't let the film's Anglo-Franco origins fool you. Every ounce of wit and dry English humor has been painstakingly sucked from the film, with dated slang and scatological humor spewed into the resulting void.

Please run away from this film

By Alyson Brodsy and Greg Schoenbaechler · Wednesday, March 1,2006 6:38 p.m.

Paul Walker is back on the big screen with yet another new fast and furious action movie. However, unlike many of his past adrenaline pumping successes, "Running Scared" is a complete and utter failure. Its trailer suggests that it is an exciting thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat through the long haul, but it's quite the contrary. Walker stars as temper mental Joey Gazelle, a mob flunkie whose only role is to get rid of hot weapons that are used in murders. However, Gazelle doesn't always plan on ditching the weapons right away. Instead of tossing the firearms into the river he hides them in his basement with the intention of nobody knowing they are down there.

Record breaking performance

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Wisner · Wednesday, March 1,2006 6:32 p.m.

One would swear that films depicting the triumph of mankind are formulaic and boring. How many times can you tell the story of some sports team who overcomes racial prejudices or comes back from a 30-point divide to win the trophy and still wow audiences? "The World's Fastest Indian" has nothing to do with sports. It has to do with setting world records and making people believe the unbelievable. Burt Munro (Anthony Hopkins in yet another role showcasing his versatility) is a Kiwi and old codger who lives in a dirty garage, never mows his lawn and wakes up at the crack of dawn with only one interest: his 1920 Indian motorcycle.

Oscar hopeful fails to impress

By Alyson Brodsy and Ash Cartwright · Wednesday, March 1,2006 6:26 p.m.

The premise of "Transamerica" is Sabrina Osbourne's ("Desperate Housewives" Felicity Huffman) need to tie up the loose ends left over from her life as a man before her sexual re-assignment surgery. Sabrina or "Bree" as she calls herself, thinks she has all her affairs in order until she gets a call from a troubled teen claiming to be the son of Stanley, the man she was in her past. This sets in motion the cross country road trip from which the film derives it's play on words title. As the film follows Osbourne and her son from New York, where she bails him out of jail, to California where she hopes to arrive in time for her surgery, we are given a window into the emotional, and physical elements of her sexual identity and her struggle to adapt to the unexpected possibility of parenthood.

Update: Grand jury to investigate Jill Behrman case

By Michael Zennie · Wednesday, March 1,2006 3:32 p.m.

MARTINSVILLE - Investigators announced today that they are requesting a grand jury investigation into the May 2000 disappearance of IU sophomore Jill Behrman. After nearly six years of investigation by multiple state agencies, Morgan County Prosecutor Steve Sonnega said he will present the case to a grand jury to hear testimony from about 90 witnesses. The grand jury has the power to subpoena witnesses and require them to testify under oath. It also has the power to issue a criminal indictment of suspects. The grand jury is slated to begin work between March and April and could continue for up to two years, Sonnega said.

IU Student Apathy

By Michael Zennie · Wednesday, March 1,2006 3:31 p.m.

Despite intense IU Student Association campaigning Tuesday, many students said they didn't feel like they knew enough about either party to vote.

COAS search committee meets with faculty, staff

By Peter Stevenson · Wednesday, March 1,2006 12:58 p.m.

Members of the College of Arts and Sciences dean search committee met with faculty members and staff Tuesday to discuss criteria for a new COAS leader. Notably absent though, were students, who were encouraged to voice their opinions at the meeting.

DMX, Wilco to perform Little 500 week

By Adam Aasen · Wednesday, March 1,2006 1 a.m.

Two Grammy-nominated musical acts -- Wilco and DMX -- will be performing at IU during the week of Little 500.

2 Hoosiers get taste of NFL life

By Matt Mattucci · Wednesday, March 1,2006 12:12 a.m.

Former IU offensive lineman Isaac Sowells quickly discovered the perks that the 2006 NFL combine had to offer its players -- interviews with head coaches, recognition from talent scouts and, unexpectedly, free room service. The combine is the NFL's annual pre-draft rating camp, where college prospects look to improve their draft status -- and their rookie paychecks -- by impressing scouts in numerous football skills tests.

Coulter speech still drawing complaints

By Adam Aasen · Wednesday, March 1,2006 12:12 a.m.

Conservative author Ann Coulter spoke at the IU Auditorium on Thursday, but students on campus are still talking about her controversial speech. E-mails, Facebook groups and even a student-led petition have questioned Union Board for bringing such a "divisive" speaker -- and at such a high cost.

Celebrating the Peace Corps

By Jamie Ward · Wednesday, March 1,2006 12:02 a.m.

Rex Casey, an IU graduate student and returned Peace Corps volunteer, experienced first-hand what volunteers nationwide refer to as "The Peace Corps Experience." "It's somewhat like you are dying in the states and starting over again in another country. And when you come back, you have to be reborn again," Casey said. In celebration of the organization's 45th anniversary March 1, returned volunteers at IU and across the nation will carry out the Peace Corps' third and possibly most lasting goal: "helping to promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of all Americans."

Blood or oil

By Alyson Brodsy and Mark Weinberg · Wednesday, March 1,2006 12 a.m.

I'm coming to believe that while money may be the root of all evil in many fields, when it comes to foreign policy, oil is the root of most of today's evil. During a Feb. 19 speech at Marian College in Indianapolis, Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., noted that getting Iran to abandon its nuclear programs would be very difficult because Iran has received support from such nations as Russia and China. While talking about the upcoming U.N.

Trash Title IX

By Alyson Brodsy and Adam Sedia · Tuesday, Feb. 28,2006 11:59 p.m.

Nearly a year ago, the U.S. Department of Education relaxed its stringent adherence to Title IX.

Must love dogs

By Alyson Brodsy and Amanda Dorman · Tuesday, Feb. 28,2006 11:57 p.m.

With all honesty, I can finally say I found the perfect guy. He misses me when I'm gone, he'll sit through "Harry and Sally" without complaint, he doesn't mind morning breath and he understands what the word "No" means. Unfortunately he only weighs 20 pounds, drinks out of the toilet and eats socks. His name is Bubba, my 3-year-old Shih Tzu.

One day, but not today

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Feb. 28,2006 11:56 p.m.

In a bull-headed legal move that could have frightening implications for three Midwestern states, including Indiana, last week the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an important case concerning the free press rights of college journalists. It should have taken up the case and turned this unsettling issue around.

Citizens rally against toll road

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Feb. 28,2006 11:56 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Hundreds packed the Statehouse on Tuesday for a rally designed to build momentum for Gov. Mitch Daniels' "Major Moves" highway initiative. But as some cheered support, others shouted jeers that sometimes drowned out the governor and other speakers.

New Hindu temple draws Midwest followers

By Roy Maurer · Tuesday, Feb. 28,2006 11:54 p.m.

Since its opening Feb. 5, Indianapolis' new Hindu temple has provided Bloomington-area Hindus with a place to worship only an hour away. The Hindu Temple of Central Indiana, located on the city's eastside, is Indiana's only Hindu temple. Its continuing construction and expansion underscores the growth of the Hindu community in Indianapolis, which has reached nearly 3,000 families, according to the HTCI.

Hockey team drops tournament game

By Josh Sacks · Tuesday, Feb. 28,2006 11:51 p.m.

Going into last weekend's Great Midwestern Hockey League Tournament game against Miami University, (Ohio) held in Grand Rapids, Mich., the IU hockey team was 8-1-3 in its last 12 matches, had earned a berth for the national tournament and had beaten Miami twice already.