Longform

Wanted: clear communication

I've had it. I have finally had the last straw. I'm done with it all. I am done trying to figure out women. This is not to say I'm done with women, just done trying to figure them out. Women are harder to figure out than this year's basketball team.

Tough love for political whiners

\"He's blurring the lines between church and state!" "He's taking government funds to aid religious organizations!" "He's a theist!" Blah, blah, blah.

Life condensed to a collection of phrases

Construction issues prompt support for gas tax hike

INDIANAPOLIS -- Not long ago, Indiana's rising fuel prices prompted Gov. Frank O'Bannon to suspend the state's sales tax on gasoline.

Probe into student's death intensifies

The investigation into the death of freshman Seth Korona intensified Tuesday, when a preliminary report from the coroner indicated he might not have died of natural causes. Police said the investigation is ongoing. Korona died Sunday after several days in a coma. He was transported Jan. 29 by ambulance from his Foster Quad room to Bloomington Hospital. Indications of blunt force trauma to the brain were revealed during a preliminary autopsy, said Monroe County Coroner David Toumey. Toumey said he has not determined the cause of death and he won't conclude the report until he has more information, including the results of the investigation.

Team looking for quick start

For softball coach Diane Stephenson, there is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding her squad this year. On top of the fact that her roster is dominated by underclassmen -- six freshmen and four sophomores -- poor weather has prevented the team from practicing outdoors, which has made it difficult for Stephenson to gauge her team's improvement.

Trustees officially deny skirting open door laws

Lawyers for the IU Board of Trustees filed their response to a request for admissions submitted by a group of 46 plaintiffs. The plaintiffs accused the board of violating Indiana's Open Door Laws by meeting in two groups of four the day before IU President Myles Brand fired former men's basketball coach Bob Knight. In a brief dated Jan. 16, the trustees claim many of the plaintiffs' 99 requests are irrelevant, including ones for Brand's private conversations with Knight, information regarding an executive session meeting May 14 and communications between Brand and various trustees.

Player of year to sign with soccer team

Ned Grabavoy Jr., the national high school soccer player of the year, plans to sign with the five-time national champion Hoosiers early next week, his father said Tuesday night. Grabavoy, a senior from Lincoln-Way High School in New Lenox, Ill., has chosen IU instead of Virginia, UCLA and professional teams in Holland and Germany.

Hawkeyes on rise; Hoosiers slumping

IOWA CITY, IOWA -- The Hoosiers crossed paths with Iowa Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Both teams are headed in different directions, as evidenced by the Hawkeyes' 83-56 blowout.

Local project gives new life to old bikes

Grease fills the small room in Harmony Elementary School. Fifteen bikes sit in plain sight -- some of them ready to go, some not. Used seats are piled in the corner, and, across the room, tires sit neatly aligned. Standing in the center of the room with grease-covered hands, repairman Sasha Land inspects one of the bikes.

Transfer to don Hoosier jersey

After not being able to score against the Hoosiers earlier in the season, sophomore midfielder Kara Bryan will now try to score for the Hoosiers in the 2001 season. Bryan transferred to IU after spending two seasons with Butler. Bryan transferred after the fall semester and is attending classes in Bloomington. She plans to sign a scholarship to play for coach Joe Kelley's Hoosiers Wednesday, the first day of the signing period.

Senior lets game speak for itself

If you want to find a quiet leader who lets his game speak for itself, look no farther than senior Mike Pinger. With IU's men's club volleyball team resting at the top of the standings in the Midwest (7-0), Pinger, a co-captain, is the one player who can remember just a few years ago, when the team was winless.

NHL set to begin second half of season

Sunday's NHL All-Star Game bore more resemblance to a game of NHL '93 for the Sega Genesis than a real game, as the North American team dropped the World squad by a 14-12 tally. Fun and games aside, though, the players are ready to get back on the ice for the real action as they push to make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in April. And while things will shape up as the season moves on, it must be noted that the first half provided a number of surprises, and also allowed us to see who the top contenders for the Cup will be.

Around The Campus

Center on Congress receives grant for Internet program The Center on Congress has received a two-year, $200,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. The money will go toward improving public understanding of the U.S. Congress through a new interactive, Web-based program.

Employees honored for saving life

The American Heart Association honored two campus employees Tuesday for their work in saving a student's life last semester.

IUSA elections commissioner: SCUM ticket ineligible to run

The race to win control of the IU Student Association became one ticket smaller this week after an IUSA declaration. The elections commissioner declared the Students Concerned with University Matters (SCUM) ticket ineligible Monday. The group has decided to remain involved in the election under the auspices of the Optimistic New Energy (ONE) ticket. IUSA declared SCUM ineligible because a congressional candidate was needed to complete the ticket, according to an e-mail sent by the IUSA elections commissioner.

Symphony orchestra to perform at MAC

Going into a symphony orchestra performance, one wouldn't normally expect music that can be described as "weird," "grotesque" or "unusual." But when the IU Symphony Orchestra takes the stage at 8 p.m. today at the Musical Arts Center, the music will be just that, at least according to the people who will be playing it.

House votes to lower legal blood-alcohol level

After a decade, it appears likely that Indiana will lower its legal drinking limit. Monday, the house overwhelmingly voted -- 89-6 -- to bring the legal blood-alcohol level down from .10 to .08. Under the bill, no further evidence of impairment would be required for a drunk driving conviction. "We're not going after the social drinkers or even the heavy drinkers," said state Rep. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington, who sponsored the legislation. "But you should not be driving, if you're impaired. At 0.08, you're impaired."

Medicinal useful enough to be legalized

My dad is a psychiatrist. He is 54 years old. And he believes in the legalization of marijuana. If you saw him, you'd never believe it. He sports the gray-turning-white beard, and every time I do anything, he is quick to remind me why, psychologically, I must have done it. But the man, a lifelong Presbyterian and elder, believes marijuana should be legal. He doesn't smoke it, but he sure doesn't knock it.

Marriage doesn't define my relationship

The gay drug of choice isn't Ecstasy, it's equality, and lots of it. This choice has been confirmed in the last couple of years with the battle over marriage rights. I missed my mailing from Queer headquarters, lost somewhere among the HH Gregg advertisements and the weekly offer of platinum credit cards. The one that said, "We must be married! Now!"