Longform

I'm a Coke man, Britney

Oops, she did it again. Sitting in the movie theater, I grew more and more perturbed. The movie had started 20 minutes late. And to add insult to injury, they still took precious time to show the Pepsi ad featuring Britney Spears and her dancing crew.

Football and a flat tire; my North Carolina vacation

Never go to North Carolina. I'm not going back. Until November. Twice. Even then, I'll venture back with the same enthusiasm shared by a sumo wrestler going ice skating. Men's basketball games at Charlotte and Chapel Hill force me to head back to the Tar Heel State. Or shall we call it the "Tar Hell State."

Georgia's points are unconsitutional

The University of Georgia's admissions policy, which gives bonus points to non-white applicants, was ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court panel in late August.

Brand: 'University has moved on, I've moved on'

A lot has changed since IU President Myles Brand fired former basketball coach Bob Knight Sept. 10, 2000. IU hired a new athletics director. Knight found a new job 1,100 miles away. IU's spokesman during the firing, Christopher Simpson, left to start his own business. The student at the center of the firing, Kent Harvey, transferred to IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis.

Season of change

The men's basketball team continues to wear red- and white-striped warm-ups. But underneath the pants, longer shorts and the Nike swish are telltale signs that something has changed in Assembly Hall. When former men's basketball coach Bob Knight said his good-byes to the student body last September, he forecasted advertising in Assembly Hall as one of the many changes the basketball team would experience. Although that prediction did not come true, other changes mark IU and a post-Knight era.

Inside the 'IDS' newsroom: The story behind the stories

What a night. The firing of former men's basketball coach Bob Knight sparked discussion and debate on a national level. Closer to home, it caused rioting and divisiveness in Bloomington. In the newsroom, it caused IDS reporters, editors, designers and photographers to take on new roles and hit the ground running.

Shaw, Harvey have moved on

Mark Shaw received a special package in Thursday's mail. It contained the first copy of the former radio personality's new book, "Miscarriage of Justice: The Jonathan Pollard Story." Exactly one year after former men's basketball coach Bob Knight physically grabbed Shaw's stepson, Kent Harvey, Shaw thumbed through the volume's pages with a sense of irony. "For that book to arrive on that day -- it's a sign of new start, that everything was kind of meant to be," Shaw said.

Waiting for the phone to ring

Mary Ann Davis, a secretary who spent 24 years alongside former men's basketball coach Bob Knight, spent her last months at IU answering a phone that never rang. "Whenever I came in there, she'd be asking someone, 'Is there something I can do,'" her son Eric, now a junior at IU, said. "She just sat there. Every day, she called me and she said she wasn't happy. She was miserable."

Men's soccer team pulls Washington upset, falls to Portland

For the second consecutive weekend, the men's soccer team split a pair of matches, this time in the Portland adidas Classic. Both matches ended 1-0, continuing the Hoosier trend of strong defense, and a nagging inability to put the ball in the back of the net. IU was on the winning end of the score in the first game against No. 2 Washington, and then fell to Portland in the Classic's final game.

Doninger remembers days leading up to Knight's firing

For former athletics director Clarence Doninger, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2000 was one of the most difficult days in his 10-year tenure in Bloomington. The day started off with the IU-N.C. State football game in Bloomington that the Hoosiers lost in the final minutes 38-41. By the end of the day, the loss was the last thing on Doninger's mind. It was during that game that IU President Myles Brand approached Doninger about the possibility that then-men's basketball coach Bob Knight could be fired.

Following the two lawsuits

Alumni lawsuit Indianapolis Star lawsuit

New chief no stranger to enforcing the law

Jim Kennedy has never enjoyed sitting behind a desk. As chief of the Bloomington Police Department, Kennedy used to patrol with his officers. In the classroom, he captivates students with stories from his career. At home, he tinkers with classic cars.

Simpson recalls role as IU's voice

A year ago, former men's basketball coach Bob Knight likened Christopher Simpson, then-vice president for Public Affairs, to a "puppet" and a "spin doctor." Nine months later, Simpson resigned from his position and left the University. He has no regrets about the Knight firing or his resignation.

Haston doesn't regret decision

Basketball standout Kirk Haston made a big decision by foregoing his senior year of eligibility and entering the NBA draft. Haston, who was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 16th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, said he still thinks about his times as a Hoosier. "I still have days and nights were it would be nice to see my friends at school," Haston said. While reflecting on the past, he said he is still content about his decision and his future.

IU finishes last at tourney despite junior's heroics

Last week, head coach Mike Mayer made the decision to put junior Mike Miller into the team's top slot. The move paid dividends this weekend as Miller shattered his three-round tournament record by six shots after putting together a three-over par total of 219, finishing in 25th place at this weekend's Badger Intercollegiate in Madison, Wis. Unfortunately, Miller's heroics were not enough to save the Hoosiers, who finished the tournament in the 15th and final position.

First game shows plenty of holes in Randle El switch

It won't work. Lee Corso says so. So do I. Moving Antwaan Randle El to wide receiver seemed like a good idea. He'd keep defenses on their toes. They wouldn't know what to expect when he switched from receiver to quarterback and back to receiver. But North Carolina State knew exactly what to expect Thursday. The Randle El experiment failed, and it failed early.

Stanford holds off Hoosiers

A thunderstorm ripped through Bloomington last Friday afternoon, but Mother Nature wasn't the only force in town. Before the first overtime began, someone from the Hoosier field hockey team huddle yelled, "There's a storm coming, and it's Indiana." Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, their efforts fell just short as they were defeated by Stanford University squad 3-1 in extra strokes following 70 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime scoreless play.

IUPD Blotter

Freshman appears on 'Millionaire' show

Matthew Stevenson skipped a day of high school last spring for the chance to go after a million dollars. Sunday, the country learned of Stevenson's fate as a contestant on the ABC game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." Stevenson walked away with $1000. He watched the show Sunday with family and friends.

Knight was better

So far, men's basketball coach Mike Davis has an all-time record of 21-13. He took the role of the interim head coach, and produced a winning season. He should have never had the chance. Davis is more than 700 victories short of catching Knight.