Longform

Season opener offers Hoosiers a tough test

Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz has a good thing going -- two Conference USA titles in the last three seasons, three consecutive post-season appearances and a NBA lottery pick. But Lutz could have a better thing going, if not for that lottery pick, Rodney White.

Committee considers cutting miss-a-meal program

The Meal Plan Committee is expected today to decide the fate of the often contentious miss-a-meal program. Facing increased discontent in the way the funds are distributed to charity, the committee might vote to terminate the program. Presently, students participating in miss-a-meal donate $7.50 of their meal points by swiping their ID card. Of that $7.50, 40 percent goes to charity while the remaining 60 percent goes toward Residential Programs and Services overhead costs. Because the majority of the donations never make it into the hands of the charity involved, the miss-a-meal program is not an effective fund-raiser, many say.

Discussion examines workplace inequality

At a panel discussion Wednesday, students were given a glimpse into a world where women are often treated unequally in the workforce of America. "Even though women are moving into male dominated professional positions, they\'re not getting paid the same money," Jean C. Robinson, dean of the office of Women's Affairs, said. Robinson chuckled at the facts and figures given by her fellow panelists and displayed contempt for a film clip shown.

NTSB: Turbulence caused crash

NEW YORK -- American Airlines Flight 587 twice ran into turbulence left by a jumbo jet, including a blast of air that sent it careening sideways seconds before it crashed, investigators said Thursday. The doomed plane's flight data recorder indicates the Airbus A300 had two turbulent "wake encounters" during its three-minute flight, said Marion Blakey, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Deficit proposal unveiled

INDIANAPOLIS -- Gov. Frank O'Bannon addressed Hoosiers by television Thursday from his office at the Statehouse. He unfolded his proposed tax plan, which he said would balance the budget if passed by the Indiana legislature. While Republican lawmakers agreed to work with the governor to achieve a balanced budget, their approach would be fundamentally different.

O'Bannon promises cuts

Gov. Frank O'Bannon's televised speech Thursday, which promised more cuts into higher education spending, will force IU to carefully examine how each dollar is spent, Interim Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations Bill Stephan said. "We expect there will need to be additional belt tightening," Stephan said. "I think (IU President Myles) Brand has asked everyone to prepare for that."

Hoosiers hit the road in weekend series

The IU hockey team will hit the road this weekend for their second weekend series of Great Midwest Hockey League conference play. Tonight the Hoosiers are in Rochester, Mich. for a game against Oakland University. They will then head south to Ann Arbor for a Saturday night showdown against the University of Michigan. The 6-2 Hoosiers are coming off a big weekend where they beat both GMHL opponents Ferris State and Michigan State.

Hoosiers begin season on road

The wrestling team opens its season Sunday in Columbia, Mo., for the Missouri Open. More than 20 teams and 400 individuals were involved in the meet last year. Many of the individuals in this year's open are ranked nationally.

Team to defend title at invitational

IU looks for morale-boosting win

The Hoosiers return home today following a road loss to Michigan Nov. 2, hoping to transform solid performance into a victory. Head coach Kris Kirchner said that, despite the 160-82.5 loss to Michigan, the team is swimming well.

Women sign 2 for next season

The Hoosiers have begun to prepare for the 2002-2003 volleyball season with the signing of Ashley White (St. Charles, Ill.) and Mandy Eberle (Sussex, Wisc.). The two high school seniors signed national letters of intent to play volleyball for Indiana.

Davis says he is nervous about this season

Yes, this is a new season for men's basketball coach Mike Davis and his Hoosiers. IU no longer feels like they are playing for Davis' job now that he is their coach without the interim label. But Davis said he will feel the same as last year when he opens his second season directing the Hoosiers as IU travels to Charlotte to take on the 49ers 7:30 p.m. Sunday night.

Battle for the Monon Spike

Tonight is an important and emotional night for the Hoosiers, as the women's volleyball team takes on the Purdue Boilermakers at 7 p.m. in the annual match for the Monon Spike. It will also be the last time seniors Laurie Gardner, Crecia Keithley and Meghan Stout play on their home court at the University Gymnasium.

Hoosiers to play Stanford tonight

The season couldn't get too much more difficult for the women's basketball team after tonight. The Hoosiers open the regular season against No. 9 Stanford in the Stanford Tournament 8 p.m. today in Palo Alto, Calif. IU (20-11, 9-7 Big Ten last season) didn't schedule a game against a higher ranked team for this season.

Take a moment to reflect on life

He stood in the woods on a lonely Sunday night. Only 15 feet from the home where he grew into a man, he stood still, alone, for the last time. Moments later, he loaded the handgun bought for his family's protection from all of the harm that this crazy world can bring. He gripped a cordless phone in the other hand, although he never made a final call. As the trees quivered and the wind blew, his single shot to the head shattered the serenity around him and his body went cold. He would be found hours later by his brother, coming to see how he was doing as he retreated into the woods at his parents' house -- hiding from a shaky relationship with a wife he adored and a son who was his best friend.

Singer/songwriter not taking risks

Former bandmates Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy have proved to be two of the most volatile personalities in popular music these days. First, they couldn't get along together in Uncle Tupelo, forcing that band's breakup. Now, almost every original band member has left Tweedy's new group Wilco. Jay Farrar's Son Volt is on hiatus now, and he refuses to give a definite answer about the future of that group.

Grateful for grounding friends

Iwas a little uncomfortable sitting there in the cafe. I've always known that I wasn't a cafe kind of guy. For me, cafes conjure visions of small portions, croissants and teas with all sorts of fruit flavorings in them. Like boysenberry. Or kiwi. Or prune. But I also try to be open-minded (I swear), so I figured I'd give this place a go. And in the end, it wasn't that bad. I ordered a chicken wrap type of thing, and it was actually fairly big. They also let me drink Diet Coke instead of a hot beverage. And the men's bathroom was so nice it looked like a women's bathroom. Not that I would know what a women's bathroom looks like.

Hoosier players claim victory

Throughout Wednesday night\'s game, men's basketball coach Mike Davis was smiling, then glaring, then laughing and finally showing exasperation by slouching back in his chair. Davis' reactions might be misleading. The Hoosiers won their second and final preseason game last night, beating Nike Elite, 98-76, in front of 11,238 fans at Assembly Hall. Junior guard Tom Coverdale led the Hoosiers with 18 points and eight assists. Senior guard Dane Fife had 15 and junior forward Jeff Newton added 14. Sophomore forward Jared Jeffries pitched in 13 points and nine rebounds. But Davis managed to find some flaws in his team's effort, pointing to the start of each half in particular and the Hoosiers' defense.

Brehm hosts civil liberties forum

It's no surprise that the U.S. has been forever changed in the wake of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, and as a result, an important set of freedoms and rights previously embraced by American citizens is now under constant scrutiny -- American civil liberties. "Your Rights vs. National Security" was the topic Wednesday night during a panel discussion presented by Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm, the second in a series to address many of the issues regarding the terrorism attacks that face not only the country as a whole, but IU.

Prepare for Service

Wing Fitness Commander Micah Jones has wanted to fly since he was 5-years-old. As a boy, his father took him to air shows. He remembers being impressed with the loud noise of the engines and the pilots in their uniforms. "When you're a little guy, anybody in uniform gets your attention," Jones, a junior in Air Force ROTC said. "I remember one guy actually took me up in the cockpit and pointed out things to me. When you're a little guy that's just the coolest thing on the Earth and I was just hooked." Many students become 'hooked' and join the Air Force and Army ROTC for various reasons. Some want to become leaders, defend their nation, fulfill a family legacy or experience the thrill of flight in an F-15. Others just want to graduate debt free.