Longform

on the Sidelines

Junior Chad Andrews placed 89th out of 244 in his second national cross country championships. The event was held at Furman University on the Paladins' golf course. Andrews said his goal was to finish in the top 45, but fell about 30 seconds short.

How to fix baseball in a few easy steps

Much of the talk since the greatest World Series in recent memory concerning baseball has been about contraction. Is it a viable solution? Does it actually solve any of baseball's problems? Can the league actually do something like this? Well, while these are all good questions that should be answered, I think Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is on the right track towards solving baseball's problems with his suggestion. Yet, he's not going far enough.

Oaken Bucket back after 5 years

The Old Oaken Bucket is back in town. With the 13-7 win against rival Purdue, IU returns the trophy to Memorial Stadium for the first time in five years. And the win was so good for the Hoosiers. For senior defensive end Kemp Rasmussen, a first-time victory against the Boilermakers was sweeter than beating his younger brother, Kyle Rasmussen, at Michigan State earlier this season.

The next great novel

Is it a Dickens novel we're living in? The Washington Post reports that every year, 1.6 million mentally ill Americans are housed in jails because there aren't enough hospital beds, group homes or shelters to accommodated them.

Political strategies reemerge

The beast did not die. You may have been wondering where it went after Sept. 11, but slowly it's making a come back. Like a bear awakening from hibernation, it's still soft and quiet, but if you listen closely enough, you\'ll hear it. It's the sound of politics.

Letters to the Editor

Bush signs air security into law

WASHINGTON -- The government began taking charge of airport security Monday at the start of the holiday travel season. President George W. Bush signed legislation that will have more screeners peering in passengers' bags and more sky marshals flying on planes.

Bush meets with world Muslims

WASHINGTON -- Reaching out to the world's Muslims, President Bush hosted a Ramadan break-the-fast dinner Monday at the White House.

Hoosiers gear up for N.C. State match

They've generated intensity, stuck with a high-caliber foe and produced a potent offense. But the women's basketball team still has to enhance its defensive rebounding before it tests another highly ranked team with a talented frontcourt.

Volleyball team shortens holiday break for road trip Hoosiers cut break short to tackle 2 games on road

The players on the volleyball team have their work cut out for them as the season concludes this weekend. After quick Thanksgiving celebrations, IU will tackle Michigan and Michigan State. The Hoosiers enter the break following a win against rival Purdue and regaining possession of the Monon Spike.

Around The World

FDA approves use of controversial gel for pelvic surgery Powell: Roadblock to peace in Mideast is Israeli occupation Poll suggests Kernan not well known to Indiana voters Bush pardons turkey in annual ceremony for Thanksgiving

NTSB continues to investigate crash

WASHINGTON -- Neither the pilots' conversations nor any background noises in the cockpit of American Airlines Flight 587 show any evidence that a terrorist attack or sabotage brought down the plane, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday.

Lawmakers won't override veto of proposed public access bill

INDIANAPOLIS -- Legislative leaders Monday called off plans to consider overriding the governor's veto of a bill that would exempt lawmakers from the state's open-records laws.

Professor reports $3,000 for foreign travel stolen from desk in Ballantine Hall

An IU professor reported Friday that $3,000 for a trip to South America was missing from his Ballantine Hall office, the IU Police Department said Monday.

'Vagina Monologues' intimate, engaging

It was like the tampon section at Kroger: nothing but women and a few sparsely scattered men, looking like deer caught in the headlights. Performing for an estrogen-packed house, Eve Ensler\'s "The Vagina Monologues" took the Buskirk-Chumley stage by storm last week as it succeeded in bringing many closeted women\'s issues to light. Beautifully performed, the show sparkled with energy, emotion and integrity, leaving the audience whooping for more.

You are not your khakis

It was my junior year of high school. I was the public relations officer on student council. She was a cute freshman cheerleader, also on student council. She had volunteered to stay after school to help me with some publicity. Though we had only recently met, we seemed to really be hitting it off. She needed a ride home, and so I offered to take her.

Thanksgiving's healing power

I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to Thanksgiving. It is, in my opinion, the greatest holiday that does not involve my birthday. Between food, football, friends and family, it is everything that a holiday should be. It is one of the highlights of what I consider to be the best stretch of the year: Halloween to the last day of winter break.

Sticking it to the terrorists

I had finally begun to relax a little bit about flying to Florida this Saturday. Then I woke up Tuesday morning to yet another plane crash, which did nothing to assuage my fears. I'm a tense flier under the best of circumstances, so the crash this week, combined with those in September, have ensured that I am going to jump right out of my skin every time two men on my plane stand up to go the restroom simultaneously or there is the slightest change in engine noise.

Civil liberties violated again

In yet another attack on civil liberties, President George W. Bush issued a military order last Tuesday that allows noncitizens accused of crimes of terror to be tried by a military tribunal. According to Bush's order, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is to be responsible for deciding all rules of such trials, including who to appoint to the military commission and whether to keep any or all of the procedures secret.

Elizabeth Dole tells student crowd about vision of 'an America we can be'

The Sept. 11 attacks have given the United States an opportunity to recognize its blessings and strive toward improving character and public policy, former American Red Cross president and Senate hopeful Elizabeth Dole said at the IU Auditorium Friday. Dole's main message was that Americans should be appreciative of what they have and help the less fortunate through public service. "Look at us here today -- all of the wonderful opportunities we have," Dole said in her speech. "We've received that we might give. We don't fully appreciate this great right, this great freedom. We need to be cognizant of all of these wonderful blessings."