IUSA

Wanted: Alert, vocal readers

Seldom in life do we get a second chance to make a first impression, or so the shampoo commercial goes. Well, I'm going to give it my best shot. The ombudsman column -- for those unfamiliar with it -- is a space for discussion and dialogue about the IDS, media ethics and journalism in general. Some of the topics this column dealt with last semester include the IDS sponsorship of coach Bob Knight's farewell speech; an IDS reporter receiving -- courtesy of an advertiser -- an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City; the difficulties involved in reporting a student's suicide; and the news media's highly suspect coverage of Election 2000.

Cloning: The wave of our future

The future is here, and quite frankly, I'm a little disappointed. It's 2001 and things haven't turned out for mankind as I'd hoped. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't care less about flying cars and meals in pills, but I do want to know what went wrong. I was supposed to be driving around in a hot rod, wearing dirty leather pants, eating dog food out of a can and shooting motorcycle gangs over gasoline. Where's the bleak future I was promised?

Recruiting for a new millennium

Cheers rang out around campus Sunday as women stepped off buses and into their new homes following the culmination of this year's sorority recruitment. Beginning in mid-November, about 1600 women participate in recruitment each year. Women visit all 19 houses in November, and use Scantron sheets to choose houses of their preference.

Health Center sets up walk-in flu shot clinics

Flu shots are available to students starting today. The Health Center is offering the shots through walk-in clinics set up around campus, as well as by appointment at the Health Center. The cost is $8, charged to bursar bills, and vaccines are available to all students.

Comeback try ends up short

Coming into Sunday's home game against sixth-ranked Purdue, the women's basketball team was white hot. After two consecutive losing seasons, it stood atop the Big Ten. The Hoosiers' only losses came at the hands of undefeated Ole Miss and perennial powerhouse Louisiana Tech, which was ranked eighth at the time.

Wrestlers poised for intense conference play

At 5-0, IU wrestlers have their best team start since 1995-96, but the competition will intensify as conference play approaches. Following a victory against Missouri, the Hoosiers have dominated their opponents to maintain an undefeated dual meet record. The last time the Hoosiers posted a 5-0 record, the team finished as Big Ten runner-up. Saturday in Charleston, Ill., Indiana defeated Eastern Illinois 37-9 and Franklin and Marshall 47-9. In the tri-match, three Hoosiers pinned both of their opponents, including senior Gabe Cook (149 pounds) who improved to 12-2 on the year. Junior Viktor Sveda (184) earned his seventh and eighth pins to move to 14-4. Redshirt freshman Coyte Cooper's two pins make him 8-4 overall with four pins.

Hoosiers cruise past competition in home meets

Members of the men's swimming and diving teams came back to Bloomington early to compete in the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center. The men's swim team finished with a 151-90 victory against Cincinnati, while the diving team fell short to Ohio State.

Clark Co. judge to hear lawsuit

Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard appointed Clark County Judge Cecile Blau Dec. 13 to hear the lawsuit accusing IU of violating Indiana's open meetings law.

Downtown jewel heist ends safely

What had been a quiet Friday afternoon at Victor Settle's downtown jewelry store became a nightmare for the store's owners, when two young men stormed through the front door at 3:50 p.m. brandishing 9 mm semiautomatic handguns.

Women fail to upset rival

IU had its hand on the gun, ready to pick off a top-10 team. But unlike the men's basketball team, which upset No. 1 Michigan State just hours earlier, the women's squad couldn't pull the trigger.

Hoosiers topple No. 1 Spartans

Thousands of fans -- many of them IU students -- stood in the bleachers screaming and waiting for the final 8.3 seconds of Sunday's game. Going into the final time out, IU was down by two, 58-56. Security guards and ushers held yellow ropes across the baseline to prevent fans from storming the court.

Coach reinvents team

When coach Kathi Bennett took over the women's basketball program last spring, athletics director Clarence Doninger expected a turnaround. Just not so fast. In only 14 games in her first season, Bennett has transformed a bottom-dweller in the Big Ten to one of the conference's best. While campus was empty last month, IU has continued to enact tough defense on its opponents, sprinting to a 12-2 start.

Bush cabinet an unwelcome Christmas gift

Welcome back! I bet you thought Christmas was over, that Hanukkah was kaput and Kwanzaa finally finished. Oh no, my friends. I said I wanted a president for Christmas, and George W. Bush is the gift that keeps on giving. And giving.

Kiss 'politically correct' goodbye

The new year, century and millennium are here -- time to bring out the resolutions. My own resolution, which I always keep, is not to make any resolutions. But I have one to suggest to everyone else: it's long past time to put the meaningless phrase "political correctness" out to pasture.

Lawsuits: An American tradition

Now that President-elect George W. Bush is all set to move into the White House, we can look forward to some culminations from his visions. Take, for instance, his ideas for tort reform. Did you know that America would save billions of dollars a year if only we made it harder for people to sue? I know, I know. That is about as un-American as SUVs that get more than 20 miles per gallon. But Bush claims he saved his state more than $3 billion by doing it and, by George, he is going to do it for us, too.

A fond farewell to The Gables

While we were away celebrating holidays and enjoying some time off, a longstanding IU tradition came to an end. The Gables Restaurant, 114 S. Indiana Ave., is now closed. Both levels of the establishment were covered with Hoosier memorabilia dating back to the 1930s, when Hoagy Carmichael and Herman B Wells frequented one of several previous incarnations of The Gables. The most recent version opened four years ago under the supervision of Linda and Max Wildman, who cited irregular business as their reason for closing.

Local newspapers launch 'Sunday Hoosier Times'

The turn of a new year is always a time for change and growth. The Bloomington Herald-Times seems to be keeping that in mind.

Leaders prepare for slowing economy

The slowing U.S. economy and risk of a recession have world leaders at the edge of their seats. The United States' $8.2 trillion economy is the major engine fueling many other countries' strong growth, including progress in Mexico, Japan and Southeast Asia. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is attempting to end such worries. Greenspan unexpectedly lowered short-term interest rates Wednesday. Although this is usually seen as a positive sign, some interpret it as an ominous harbinger of things to come. A lowering of rates means people can borrow money at cheaper rates, and is usually expected to stimulate spending because loans cost less.

Correspondence gets more costly

Throughout December, a plain flier stood out among the cluttered bulletin boards at the post office, 206 E. Fourth St. In large, bold-faced type, it advised patrons to "stock up on one-cent stamps now."

NBA fines Mavericks' owner $250,000