Longform

Hoosiers recognized with top awards

After taking the Big Ten Outdoor Championships two weeks ago, the women's track team captured seven All-American honors at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., with three coming on the final day. It's the most since 1990 and a tie with the most All-Americans IU's women's team has had at an outdoor championships at once. The number brings the total number of women's outdoor All-Americans to 28.

Davis named coach of Big Ten squad

Just a couple months ago, Mike Davis was wondering whether or not he would be the next head coach for IU's men's basketball team. Not only will he be leading the Hoosiers into action next season, he will be the leader for the conference's best as he heads up the Big Ten foreign tours team in August. The trip will feature games in England and Ireland Aug. 8-19.

Coverage of Jenna Bush justified

Last week, Jenna Bush, one of President George W. Bush's 19-year-old twin daughters, was cited for attempting to purchase alcohol with a fake ID at a restaurant in Austin, Texas. This is the second time in a little more than a month that the Bush daughter has been busted by the police in connection to alcohol. She was issued a ticket for underage drinking at an Austin nightclub April 27th.

Employees purchase Worm's Way

What started started ten years ago as a bait shop by Lake Monroe has become an interstate enterprise and is now officially owned by its employees. Worm's Way Garden Center, which sells hydroponic growing equipment and home brewing supplies, is now 30 percent owned by its employees after a stock transfer from majority owner and founder Martin Heydt. It is billing itself as the first company in its industry to be employee-owned. Bloomington Worm's Way general manager Claude Eastridge said the employees don't actually have to pay for the stock -- rather the stock will become part of their benefits package through the employee's work equity. The stock is divided among Worm's Way's 50 full-time employees according to their percentage of the payroll. The more they're paid, the more stock they get.

Penske dominates race

INDIANAPOLIS -- As the remaining laps dwindled, rookie driver Helio Castrovenes threaded his way through traffic and widened his lead at the Indianapolis 500. A wave of relief came over owner Roger Penske, a longtime 500 legend who won for a record 11th time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday in the 85th running of the "Greatest Spectacle of Racing." After a six-year hiatus, Penske returned in a triumphal fashion. Castrovenes and teammate Gil de Ferran swept the top two positions in Penske's first visit back to Brickyard since 1994.

IUPD chief resigns

In a 1988 protest at the University president's office, students demanded that black officers be hired for the IU Police Department. The department had none at the time. Already a lieutenant for IU's Indianapolis campus police force, Paul Norris transferred to IU in 1989 and became IU Bloomington's only black officer.

Student robbed in Fine Arts computer lab

IU police report a female IU student was robbed Sunday at knife point. The student called police to report the robbery, which took place at about 2:15 a.m. in room 215 of the Fine Arts Building computer lab.

Controversial study says homosexuality is 'a choice'

When Chris Mandeville was 24, he made a confession. Following his college graduation, the LaPorte, Ind., native found "home" at a church in Chicago. Shortly thereafter, he divulged the secret of his homosexual feelings to a Christian counselor. That counselor referred him to Overcomers, an "ex-gay ministry" designed to assist individuals in resolving homosexual tendencies. Though cynical at the outset, Mandeville regularly attended weekly meetings of the group. Encouraging participants to develop "normal" relationships with men and establish support groups to hinder them from "acting out," or engaging in homosexual relationships, Overcomer's leaders lauded the ability of prayer, fellowship and the Holy Spirit to modify homosexual behavior.

IU endowment ranked high nationally

Emerging as a testament to a recent six-year endowment campaign, IU has claimed a place among the top 2 percent of colleges and universities in the nation in terms of private and philanthropic support. According to a national study conducted by the Council for Aid to Education, IU's endowment now ranks in the top 15 among public universities. The honor also places IU in a position to better lure both students and faculty away from smaller private universities, who often have larger privately-funded endowments said IU spokesperson Sue Dillman.

Supreme Court Decision on Martin issue correct

A ruling came down Wednesday from the Supreme Court that rocked the professional golfing world and got everyone talking again -- and it had nothing to do with Tiger Woods for once. The Court ruled 7-2 that the PGA had to allow for Casey Martin to use a golf cart in tournaments because of his disability, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In the infield

The Indianapolis 500 was like "Hee Haw" on crank. It was a frenzied drunken sprint from beer to beer, port-a-potty to port-a-potty, boob show to boob show. The scene was set the Thursday before Memorial Day, when sweaty, red plow pushers began entrenching themselves, their trucks and their light beer in the otherwise modest and pleasant brick and mortar suburb of Speedway, Ind. Then, as the sun set, the flag went up on the drunkest driving spectacle in racing.

Stewart's feats show true heart

Joe Harding was sitting back with a few of his friends, watching the Indianapolis 500 on TV last Sunday like many others across the nation when all of the sudden, Tony Stewart comes walking in the door during the 10 minute delay for rain on lap 155. Even though Harding -- an Indianapolis native -- is a worker at the medical center inside the garage area, right on gasoline alley, he was caught off guard by the surprise appearance. He and his co-workers were not aware of Stewart's need for medical assistance, especially since he was not one of the five cars involved in accidents in the 85th running of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing."

Early wrecks take out favorites

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis 500 pole-setter Scott Sharp attended the 7:30 a.m. IRL Ministries church service on the first floor of the Worldcom media center on race day. Greg Ray and Sharp were in the congregation when minister Mark Wingler prayed for the safety of the drivers. Sharp and others might be wishing they had also prayed for a warmer race track. Skies were cloudy and the temperature was 56 degrees at the start of the race, a far cry from the mild temperatures of time-trials and qualifications. The temperature change plagued the race's beginning as many big names found themselves eliminated early.

Fake interviews for fun and profit

Last week it was revealed that an Esquire magazine profile of rock and/or roller Michael Stipe contained numerous intentional fabrications by the author, apparently intended as some sort of post-modern "deconstruction" of the celebrity profile. "How marvelous," I thought as I read the news. "In the past, I have written articles by contacting sources and obtaining facts, like a sucker. Now, here in the space-age 21st century, all bets are off!" I then set about to write my own profile of Mr. Stipe, which appears below. Please note that I did not actually talk to him, or indeed anyone, for this profile. None of the information in the article is even the slightest bit true.

Columnist uninformed on marijuana issue

It is obvious that Mr. Boyd did little more to prepare for writing his article "Pothead's High a Lost Utopia" than skim the headline of The Herald-Times Tuesday and watch "Dazed and Confused." The Supreme Court's ruling did not make medicinal marijuana illegal. Individual states still have control over that issue, nine of which currently deem medicinal marijuana a valid and extremely useful means of treatment.

Historical accuracy tossed aside

Around the Region

CHESTERTON, Ind. -- A chapter of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union wants the Duneland School Board to change its plan to charge parents $2,000 to send children to an all-day kindergarten program.

Blame California

The lights are on, but nobody seems to be home in California. Our friends out West are complaining about the lack of energy ("Dear God, we might not be able to shoot the season finale of 'Friends!'") and who can blame them? They use more of it than any of the rest of us.

Bloomington to hold conference with Cuban city

For the last 40 years, the U.S. has maintained a comprehensive economic embargo on Cuba. The embargo was established in 1960 shortly after the fledgling communist leader, Fidel Castro, came to power in a country 90 miles off the Florida coastline. Since then, relations between the United States and Cuba have been frozen in a contentious stalemate. In search of a creative way to overcome the impasse, Jack Hopkins, a retired IU professor and former Bloomington City Council member, helped found CUBAmistad -- the Bloomington-Santa Clara Sister City Project in the fall of 1998.

Sound Tribe Sector 9 brings sound to Bluebird

In one of their first Indiana appearances, Sound Tribe Sector 9 proved that, even lacking the additional percussion of Jeffree Lerner, these boys from Atlanta definitely know how to put on one hell of a show.