Longform

Teams compete to have best float

By Jordan Cohen · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 9:15 p.m.

Homecoming at the university level is a bit different than in high school. For one, there is no dance, but at 5:30 p.m. Friday, parade spectators will see one tradition live on -- the floats.

Students ready to 'Yell Like Hell'

By Andrea Knapp · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 9:13 p.m.

ns that ensue with annual events, Yell Like Hell offers a unique opportunity for students to show Hoosier pride. Yell Like Hell is a competition for student groups to show their IU spirit by dancing, lip-syncing, performing a comedy skit or other various acts and was held at Thursday night at Alumni Hall of the Indiana Memorial Union.

Bush signs bill authorizing fence along U.S.-Mexico border

By Alyson Brodsy and Deb Riechmann · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 9:11 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- President Bush signed a bill Thursday authorizing 700 miles of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, hoping to give Republican candidates a pre-election platform for asserting they're tough on illegal immigration. "Unfortunately the United States has not been in complete control of its borders for decades and therefore illegal immigration has been on the rise," Bush said at a signing ceremony. "We have a responsibility to enforce our laws," he said. "We have a responsibility to secure our borders. We take this responsibility serious." He called the fence bill "an important step in our nation's efforts to secure our borders."

Redsteppers gear up for weekend performances

By Emily Brooks · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 9:11 p.m.

It takes more than just looking cute in a short skirt to be a part of the IU Redsteppers.

Hep, former players look back on homecoming experiences

By Jake Brown and Jacob Brown · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 9:04 p.m.

For former and current IU football players, homecoming means something more than just another football game. It's about returning home, having family visit and enjoying the festivities throughout the weekend. Current IU football players use homecoming as a time to reflect on where they've been in their careers and soak up the atmosphere one last time. For them, it's an annual event that carries special meaning.

IU grad Tavis Smiley tells what he 'knows for sure' in his memoir

By Alyson Brodsy and K. A. MacDonald · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 8:48 p.m.

Tavis Smiley has accomplished a lot by the age of 40, and a good number of his accomplishments were achieved by the help of people at IU. After high school, Smiley showed up in Bloomington with a letter of acceptance but nothing else. No money. No financial aid. Nowhere to live. And the best part is that a good 20 percent of the book is about his experiences here at IU, including the names of professors we have access to -- people who helped inspire his greatness. Smiley is the host of "Tavis Smiley" on PBS and "The Tavis Smiley Show" from Public Radio International. He has also been a commentator and host on Black Entertainment Television and numerous other stations. Smiley has interviewed many of the world's leaders, including Cuban President Fidel Castro, and was granted the first one-on-one interview with Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Freeway, local acts perform to launch new student organization

By Shannon Valentine · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 8:47 p.m.

While growing up in Columbus, Ohio, senior Kiwan Lawson performed hip-hop with his brother in different venues for fun. As they began to perform more and more, they started developing relationships with record labels such as Bad Boy Entertainment and artists like Yung Joc. Now, Lawson is using those connections to get artists discovered around IU. Lawson, a member of IU's track and field team, developed the student organization SoundProof last year through his company and recording studio, Depth Productions Inc., in an attempt to bring record companies and contacts to Bloomington. The first SoundProof event, "Celebrity All Star Party," will kick off at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Willkie Auditorium. The event, which costs $10 in advance and $20 at the door, will be hosted by hip-hop artist Freeway and student artists.

Beach Boys return for IU homecoming after 25 years

By Zack Teibloom · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 8:45 p.m.

Charles Manson. John Stamos. The IU Auditorium. By the end of the Oct. 28 homecoming, all will have shared a stage with The Beach Boys -- a band that rock music professor Andy Hollinden argues is the greatest American rock band of all time. While the band is most famous for surfer pop hits such as "Surfin' U.S.A." and "California Girls," Hollinden said that in the '60s the California quintet had an enormous impact on rock music, in addition to having a fascinating story. The Beach Boys befriended Manson and recorded music with him before eventually testifying at his trial, spent time in India with the Maharishi and even jammed with Stamos, who starred as Uncle Jesse, on "Full House."

The star in you

By Alyson Brodsy and Stefania Marghitu · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 8:40 p.m.

Whether you idolize or ignore celebrities, it's hard to deny their impact on society. They determine everything from fashion trends to charity donations. Celebrities are held on a huge pedestal, and they are constantly being emulated. Females go through countless hours and dollars trying to look like the next "it" girl, but it's hard to have lips like Angelina Jolie's and hips like Shakira's. This leads me to believe that modern women have serious self-esteem issues. So instead of running on that treadmill or blogging your blues away, I would like to propose visiting www.myheritage.com. Just submit your snapshot and find out which celebrity you most resemble. Ladies, I strongly urge you to submit a good one because there's nothing more discouraging than a possible match-up with Courtney Love's mug shot.

Freedom of listen

By Alyson Brodsy and Jacob Stewart · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 8:34 p.m.

Thus far in my position as assistant Opinion editor of the Indiana Daily Student, I've had the opportunity to view the news cycle in an interesting manner. News is covered by reporters and published in our newspaper. The voices on the Opinion page then comment on that news. Soon, readers respond in our form of public sphere: the Jordan River Forum. I take it as a great honor that I'm the first one to see what you, the reader, have to say. Wonderful arguments are many times expounded, and inadequacies in our reporting or commentary revealed, for which we are very grateful. However, it's far too often that I'm privy to certain responses (which you, as the reader, sometimes are and sometimes are not allowed in on) that are far less helpful to theconversation.

Miserable miles

By Alyson Brodsy and Natalie A. Avon · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 8:29 p.m.

After searching many years for the most ridiculous thing a person could possibly do, my hunt abruptly halted in Columbus, Ohio, where I ran a marathon. That's right, a full marathon, 26.2 miles of pure pain and chafing galore. I'm sure we have all heard the cliché lines about life: Life is like a box of chocolates, life is like a roller coaster, life is like a big game of nude paintball, etc. I would like to add to this list: Life is like a marathon.

Big Brother's watching who?

By IDS staff and Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 8:28 p.m.

The American Civil Liberties Union released documents Oct. 12, obtained via a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, showing that the Department of Defense has been monitoring antiwar activities on U.S. college campuses. These documents were collected from a Pentagon database known as the Threat and Local Observance Notice, or TALON, intended for collecting information on potential terrorist threats. Included are reports on various collegiate antiwar protests, such as an April 2005 incident in which 300 students and activists disrupted a University of California at Santa Cruz career fair attended by military recruiters and vandalized the recruiters' vehicles, and activities by a group called Students for Peace and Justice, which blocked the entrance to a recruitment office with two coffins draped with an American flag and an Iraqi flag, respectively.

Online Only: Pitiful in Paris

By Alyson Brodsy and Ayesha Awan · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 4:14 p.m.

There's a disturbing new psychological disorder out there; one that's affecting the lives of everyday people like you and me.

Lessons from the turf

By Alyson Brodsy and Jonathan P. Rossing · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 4:13 p.m.

After an ugly, college football brawl on Oct. 14 between players from the University of Miami and Florida International University, the public outcry and hasty judgments from several sports reporters was almost as disconcerting as the fight itself. The bench-clearing brawl included a player swinging a helmet at an opposing player, another swinging his crutches and plenty of cleat-stomping and fist-swinging in the tangle of bodies. The scene was certainly disturbing -- an embarrassing absence of sportsmanship. Undoubtedly, those who participated should be held accountable for their actions.

Poke me, woo me

By Alyson Brodsy and Colin Dugdale · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 4:12 p.m.

Once upon a power-hour, a thirsty group of students pregamed before attending the lavish ball -- otherwise known as sorority formal. Thanks to a magical fairy godmother named Natty Light, the evil stepmother of sobriety was defeated, all with a couple swigs of bippity boppity booze. Oh, yes, beer makes everyone feel like a princess.

Lost in the stacks

By Alyson Brodsy and Megan Robb · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 4:11 p.m.

OXFORD, England -- The Herman B Wells Library stacks might seem like large prison cells. The buzzing of its fluorescent lights might make students twitch. The 11th floor might be haunted. But IU Bloomington's main library offers more than what any library at Oxford University can: access -- and plenty of it.

One week till Borat -- I like!

By C. Warner Sills and Michael Mellini · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 3:31 p.m.

One Week! In one week's time, I shall finally bask in the comedic glory that will be "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan." As a college student, you're probably familiar with Borat, the character from comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's HBO show "Da Ali G Show." For those of you who somehow managed to live in the dorms and never had a 2 a.m. viewing, Borat is a fake professional journalist from Kazakhstan sent to America to learn about our culture. Oh, and he's extremely anti-Semitic, chauvinistic and will violate any social norm we have in our society. Telling people how he keeps his wife in a cage, searching for a place to buy slaves in the south and butchering the National Anthem are among some of the stunts he's pulled.

5 'Rocky Horror Survival tips from a 'Sweet Transvestite'

By C. Warner Sills and Kasey Hawrysz · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 3:29 p.m.

It's not every day a grown man can wear leather underwear and flash his genitalia in public. Even on Halloween, that stunt might not fly. But at the Buskirk Chumley's showing of the cult classic "Rocky Horror Picture Show," people just laugh. Of course, that is probably because the rest of the audience is dressed just as outrageously. Once a play in London -- called the "Rocky Horror Show" -- the show was turned into a movie in 1975, says Randy White, artistic director for the Bloomington performance group Cardinal Stage Company. The movie's story follows a couple stranded in an unfamiliar place and forced to take refuge in a freak house run by transvestites. But as a mainstream film, the movie was a flop.

Mr. Paranormal

By C. Warner Sills and Chris Freiberg · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 3:25 p.m.

One of the strangest phone calls George Noory has ever received on his radio program was from a doctor who claimed he once delivered a fully formed 10-pound clown. But right up there is the woman who says she makes love to reptiles. And the guy who every now and then gets picked up by aliens and taken for a quick joyride to Saturn. Noory, 56, is the week night host of the nationally syndicated late-night radio show "Coast to Coast AM," a program that regularly deals with tales of the paranormal, conspiracy theories and the occasional story of clown pregnancy.

Crikey!

By C. Warner Sills and Zack Teibloom · Thursday, Oct. 26,2006 3:23 p.m.

When Elaine Raines grew up in the 1950s, Halloween costumes consisted of ghost costumes cobbled together from sheets and pillowcases and scarecrows formed from flannel, hay and straw hats. Popular costumes for guys were Mickey Mouse, Popeye and Frankenstein. She says she never had a store bought costume and had to rely on whatever was around the house. "It was whatever you could make up at home," she says. "You really just had to make your own. You had to use your imagination."