Longform

Companies vie for West Baden casino rights

By Jessica Levco · Friday, Dec. 12,2003 12:09 a.m.

By a 2 to 1 margin, Orange County residents voted Nov. 18 to bring a riverboat casino to the waterway between hotels in French Lick and West Baden Springs. Within a year, the Indiana Gaming Commission plans to choose a riverboat casino operator that is financially stable, experienced and has a clean criminal history. The operator must impress a seven-member committee of county residents and historic preservationists.

Dive team heads to Florida for training

By Chris Hopper · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 2:05 a.m.

The first half of the season is over for the women's swimming and diving team. Now, preparations begin to travel to Florida for its annual training trip.

Around The Arts

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:57 a.m.

What do Jesus, Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, a leprechaun, some disgruntled elves, a lonely woman in a bar and prison inmates all have in common? Bloomington Playwrights Project seems to know. The BPP brings them all together to celebrate the holidays in the twisted production of "The Twelve Plays of Christmas."

Holiday season brings sports treats

By Colin Nowling · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:52 a.m.

As the fall semester comes to a close and semester break nears, the sports world is just priming for a loaded plate of great games and storylines to follow into the new year. Of course, all the college bowl games will have been played out and the BCS controversy could be settled or have been fueled even more by the time we return to Bloomington, but there is much more going on in the sports scene over the next four weeks.

Players want to win for Yeagley

By Zack Eldridge · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:50 a.m.

What an emotional week it has been for the IU men's soccer team. First, it was announced early last week that IU coach Jerry Yeagley had the most wins in Division I soccer history, due to a recently discovered records error. Then Saturday, the No. 8 seed Hoosiers traveled to UCLA and toppled the No. 1 seed and defending National Champion Bruins, 2-1. As a result, IU will play in the College Cup this weekend in Columbus, Ohio. It will meet Santa Clara (16-3-4) 7:30 p.m. Friday at Columbus Crew Stadium.

Tapak and Kline have career night as IU beats Notre Dame

By Tyler Hoeppner and Tyler V. Hoeppner · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:50 a.m.

SOUTH BEND -- Entering the game Wednesday night, IU junior guard Ryan Tapak had only seen five minutes of action all season. Against Notre Dame, Tapak had a career night to help lead the Hoosiers (3-3) to a 66-63 win over the Irish (2-3).

First edition Potter books sell big

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:46 a.m.

NEW YORK -- Four first edition copies of Harry Potter books inscribed by author J.K. Rowling to her father have been sold for nearly $90,000.

Chicago fan? Don't miss 'Royko'

By Brittany Ausmus · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:45 a.m.

Corrosive, vitriolic, insightful. All were words used to describe Mike Royko, the late Chicago Tribune columnist who was described as the best journalist of his time by many of his peers.

Sale showcases various pottery styles

By Jenica Schultz · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:44 a.m.

Colorful mugs, plates, vases and bowls line the shelves between Fine Arts Rooms 173 and 174. Students make their purchases and go home with handcrafted ceramics from the IU Ceramic Guild's pottery sale, which began Tuesday and continues until 3 p.m. today.

Dance troupe to present annual concert

By Jessica Dalsing · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:43 a.m.

The Indiana Dance Theater will perform "Holiday Magic: A dance concert for the whole family" at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and free for children under five.

Artist attempts to define nature of memory

By Olivia Morales · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:41 a.m.

As Dana Sperry was watching TV a couple of days ago, he saw a piece about the fires in Southern California. The first thing survivors looked for were photographs, he said.

Battling Stereotype

By Lynndi Lockenour · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:41 a.m.

What is a gamer? Is it a man, a woman, a geek? Do they have glasses? Tousled hair? A pocket protector? Gamers are much more than this popular stereotype. Still, stereotypes exist in almost every hobby and participants learn to live with it. But role-playing games are being banned from schools, clubs and libraries, according to the Web site www.TheEscapist.com. Cultural assumptions make it challenging for gamers to engage in their hobby.

Busy library to extend hours for final exam study crunch

By Matt Mattucci · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:34 a.m.

With final exams quickly approaching, students are frantically making their way to the nearest quiet setting to study. Tomorrow through Dec. 18, they'll have an even longer opportunity to do so at the Main Library. The research side of the facility will be open for an additional two hours until 2 a.m.

Tapak seals 66-63 win with 3 pointer

By Natalie A. Trout · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:14 a.m.

SOUTH BEND -- It was a team effort for IU (3-3) in its 66-63 victory over Notre Dame (2-3) at the Joyce Center, Wednesday night. Nine players from the IU roster scored in the contest, and the team had a total of 15 assists. IU coach Mike Davis tried yet another new starting lineup consisting of sophomore guards Bracey Wright, and Marshall Strickland, junior guard Donald Perry, sophomore forward Sean Kline and junior forward Mike Roberts -- who saw his first collegiate start. "I told Roberts that it was time for him to have confidence and step up," Davis said. "He played well." Wright was IU's top scorer with 19 points as he also improved his consecutive free throw streak to 15. He said the team was focused in the game, and it was obvious the players are finally buying into the team concept.

From glory to gone

By Mike Malik · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:09 a.m.

Fifty years ago, the Von Lee Theater offered a movie and hot popcorn. Today, it offers bare walls and dusty air. According to the Cinema Treasures Web site, the theater was built by local investors in 1928 as The Ritz. The theater was reopened in 1948 by the Vonderschmitt family, who renamed the building the "Von Lee." The Vonderschmitts also opened the Indiana Theater on Kirkwood Avenue, which currently operates as the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.

City council opens garage

By Lindsey Jancek and Lindsay Jancek · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:09 a.m.

The Bloomington Common Council unanimously voted to approve a lease with Mercury Development Group LLC Wednesday night at City Hall. The vote will enable the downtown Regester parking garages to open to the public. The council also questioned, for the third meeting in a row, the lack of a hotel across from the parking garage on the corner of Ninth Street and College Avenue.

Dean nears decision on fate of Sigma Nu

By Brian Janosch · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:09 a.m.

The Greek Judicial Board has made a recommendation to Dean of Students Richard McKaig to punish the fraternity Sigma Nu for a hazing incident that occurred last year. McKaig said he will make the final decision about the fraternity's fate sometime next week. McKaig declined to reveal the punishment the judicial board recommended until he makes his final decision.

Professor elected president of ACS

By Chris Freiberg and Warren Christopher Freiberg · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:09 a.m.

Adjunct Chemistry Professor William Carroll has been elected president of the American Chemical Society. The ACS, founded in 1876, is the world's largest scientific association, boasting more than 163,000 members.

War crimes court established for Iraq

By Alyson Brodsy and Christopher Torchia · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:07 a.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq's U.S.-appointed interim government established a war crimes tribunal Wednesday to try former members of Saddam Hussein's regime, and two U.S. soldiers were killed and four wounded in a northern city. Guerrillas also struck at an Air Force C-17 transport plane with a ground-fired missile, forcing it to return to Baghdad early Tuesday, a senior Pentagon official said. In Baghdad, the U.S. military said the plane reported an engine explosion on takeoff and one of the 16 people on board was slightly injured.

IU researchers' findings aid in fight against E Coli bacteria

By Jun Chung · Thursday, Dec. 11,2003 1:05 a.m.

A recent study conducted on spontaneous mutations in microorganisms by IU researchers Patricia Foster and Jill Layton may help the effectiveness of antibiotics. Their study indicates that although spontaneous mutations in microorganisms under adverse circumstances are common, the rise in adaptive mutations in Escherichia Coli, a common bacterium found in molecular biology laboratories, is a direct response to a lack of nutrients. At times, mutations in bacteria can cause a resistance to antibiotics. The newfound research provides scientists with more knowledge about mutations in bacteria, which could benefit the effectiveness of drugs in the future.