IUSA

Don't waste your minutes

By Joanna Borns · Wednesday, Jan. 26,2005 12:06 a.m.

Watching Kim Basinger waste some guy's cellular minutes by calling him with a desperate plea for help might sound boring, but that's only because it is. "Cellular" confuses suspense with monotony by waiting until the very last minute to become an action-thriller.

'Nightbird' better off erased

By -Nate Bethea · Wednesday, Jan. 26,2005 12:01 a.m.

I hate admitting it, but Erasure has become as marginalized as Sting. Rather than crooning to world music/chakra/yoga enthusiasts, Vince Clarke and Andy Bell's sugary '80s synth ballads and dance numbers are listened to only by pop eccentrics and gay bar attendees; their new album Nightbird does very little to change this.

These Moaners will surprise you

By Nate Gowdy · Tuesday, Jan. 25,2005 11:59 p.m.

The Moaners will no doubt be likened to the White Stripes for the fact that their monochromatic blues-rock is impressive and created by a twosome. True, Jack and Meg do it better, but singer/guitarist Melissa Swingle and drummer Laura King are just out to make some noise -- noise that's deceptively complex, despite its simple components: one voice, two instruments. Their debut album, Dark Snack, amounts to twelve ballads -- 35 minutes long -- of forward-moving estrojam, punctuated with a raw yet controlled, locomoting guitar sound and drums as crashing as a Fat Albert-topped human pyramid.

Real b-ballers get MTV twist

By Doug Evans · Tuesday, Jan. 25,2005 11:55 p.m.

Similar to last year's "Friday Night Lights" and to a much more legendary extent "Hoosiers," "Coach Carter" is based on real life events surrounding a high school sports team and its new coach who turns around the team's losing past. However, unlike its predecessors, this film has obvious MTV overtones (MTV handled production), most notably the fact that Ashanti stars in the lead female role.

The gang war of words

By Elisha Sauers · Tuesday, Jan. 25,2005 11:45 p.m.

Don't blame the messenger, even if his message is derogatory, misogynistic or violent. This age-old proverb eludes the media and skeptical public when the messenger is Eminem.

Dance links Native American's roots

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Jan. 25,2005 11:39 p.m.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. -- His arms stretched out like wings, Rudy Vallejo begins his dance to honor the eagle. His feet, clad in soft leather shoes, pound to the drumbeat and chant from a friend. His words, reverent and soft, give honor to a creature whose existence was threatened.

Show pays tribute to Johnny Carson

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Jan. 25,2005 11:38 p.m.

BURBANK, Calif. -- Jay Leno turned back the clock on "The Tonight Show" with a touching hour-long tribute to Johnny Carson that mixed warm memories from the former host's friends with the more outrageous moments from Carson's three-decade reign as the king of late-night comedy.

'The Aviator' gets a leading 11 Academy Award nominations

By Alyson Brodsy and David Germain · Tuesday, Jan. 25,2005 11:37 p.m.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- The Howard Hughes epic "The Aviator" led Academy Awards contenders with 11 nominations Tuesday, including best picture, plus acting honors for Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett and Alan Alda and a directing slot for Martin Scorsese.

Fish out of water

By Karen Green · Tuesday, Jan. 25,2005 11:37 p.m.

Talking to Jenn Cristy is like talking to any other 25-year-old. Still working on completing her degree, it would be easy to assume that, like most 20-somethings, she hasn't really decided on her future. However, with a John Mellencamp tour and a solo album on her resumé, this former IU alumna has more options than the average 20-something.

South full of IU recruits with Georgia defensive back signing with Hoeppner

By Dan Click · Tuesday, Jan. 25,2005 11:30 p.m.

Bloomington has long been known as a basketball town, but that is not preventing defensive back Austin Thomas from committing to the football team. The native of Canton, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta, played defensive back for Sequoyah High School while leading the Chiefs to an 11-2 record and a top-5 finish in AAAAA, Georgia's highest classification.

Forum discusses race, civil rights

By Eboni Gatlin · Tuesday, Jan. 25,2005 12:44 a.m.

Acting, discussion and open opinion characterized a forum assembled Monday to discuss four major civil rights movements and their continued relevance. The forum was one part of "Unity in Love," a week-long event for the Gamma Nu chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority in conjunction with the multicultural sorority Theta Nu Xi and the Office of Diversity Education, which all sponsored the gathering. The four movements discussed at the forum were related specifically to African Americans, Latinos, Asians and Native Americans.

State budget could freeze IU funding

By Tony Sams · Tuesday, Jan. 25,2005 12:44 a.m.

IU President Adam Herbert and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels don't exactly see eye to eye on the state's funding for IU. Herbert would like $80 million more for the University in the 2005-2007 Indiana state budget. Daniels would like IU and other public state universities to hold steady and receive the same amount of state funding they received two years ago.

Getting A Second Chance

By Gavin Lesnick · Tuesday, Jan. 25,2005 12:44 a.m.

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. -- Eric walks slowly with a stutter in his gait and a cane at his side. If he lifts his black pant legs, there are clear plastic braces wrapped around both shins, but he does not hobble, and he is not visibly tattooed with any permanent scars. He does not look like a man who has suffered two broken vertebrae, two fractured femurs, two dropped feet, a shattered right knee, a bruised heart and a punctured and deflated lung.

Initiative focuses on apathy, civic engagement

By Kye Lee · Tuesday, Jan. 25,2005 12:14 a.m.

A new project at IU is looking to reverse a decline in local civic engagement and participation. The project is part of a national effort to promote democracy. The American Democracy Project, which is co-sponsored by The New York Times and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, will encourage professors to incorporate community participation into their courses.

Jordan River Forum

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Jan. 24,2005 11:51 p.m.

Students don't deserve better seats Having attended many of this season's men's basketball home games as a fairly recent IU graduate, I was very disturbed by what I heard in the Michigan game emanating largely from the main student sections. Whenever Mike Roberts or Sean Kline were about to get up from the bench and check in for the game, the students loudly sent cascades of boos down from the seats. This has happened in other games as well.

Freshman Ahlfeld cited for alcohol

By Lori Geller · Monday, Jan. 24,2005 11:50 p.m.

Adam Ahlfeld, a walk-on freshman basketball player, was cited this weekend for illegal consumption of alcohol at Foster Quad.

Artest returns to practice for Pacers

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Jan. 24,2005 11:49 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Ron Artest practiced with the Indiana Pacers Monday for the first time in more than two months since he was suspended for fighting with Detroit fans.

Year after upset, Hoosiers done with Oregon Ducks

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Jan. 24,2005 11:49 p.m.

If the Oregon Ducks were looking for revenge after last season when the Hoosiers ended their 21-game home winning streak, they won't get it. Yesterday IU exercised an option to drop the proposed second game against Oregon that would have been played in Bloomington Sept. 10, IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan said.

Win it for the fans in Philly?

By Ryan Phillips · Monday, Jan. 24,2005 11:48 p.m.

It's been a good year for sports in Massachusetts. The Red Sox finally won the World Series, and now the Patriots are in position to win back-to-back Super Bowls and their third in four years.

There's no cramping in Alabama

By Josh Weinfus and Josh Weinfuss · Monday, Jan. 24,2005 11:47 p.m.

After freshman D.J. White played only a short time in the second half of Saturday's game because of cramping in his legs, IU coach Mike Davis was surprised to see that happen to a southerner.