Longform

Nice guys finish last

Ever since the 1999 song “Nice Guys Finish Last” by Green Day, a pivotal issue was posed to our generation, and we can take it seriously because this is right before Green Day completely sold out. The question hangs in the head of every kind-hearted boy – must they really finish last?

Slander now, secede later

For those of you who watched the presidential debate last Friday, you no doubt witnessed firsthand the “Straight Talk” slandering express that is the McCain campaign. The event was more of a long-running succession of campaign attack ads than it was a debate. A poster child for tax breaks to big oil, McCain once again showed the nation just how out of touch and out of date he is in respect to running this great country of ours.

VP candidates play to strengths

Joe Biden managed to not look like a sexist jerk and had a sensitive moment in which he nearly broke out in tears. Sarah Palin stumbled on the word nuclear and said “maverick” close to a thousand times but came off fairly competent. Yes, it looks like most of the pundits got this debate wrong. The candidates played mostly to their strengths – Biden seemed articulate and knowledgeable, Palin seemed folksy and sometimes down to earth.

Unlimited texts, limited social skills

Unlike you, I’ve never had an unlimited texting plan. My parents are under the laughable impression that texting is unnecessary and not something they should pay for. So I’ve been on a plan called “unlimited texting until Dad notices.” It took a couple years, but he did. So now I am trying to limit myself to sending and receiving 250 texts a month. This might sound reasonable, especially when you consider all the things that most people in this world are forced to live without. But this means I can only send and receive eight texts per day.

‘Pop, drop and lock’: Break Dancing Club promotes voter registration

Break dancing, or breaking, is the original hip-hop dance performed throughout the country, from the streets of New York to the warehouses in Los Angeles to its newest home on the curbs outside Ballantine Hall.

Obama’s version of free speech

If Barack Obama needs to send any legal papers my way after reading this column, he can find me in Read Residence Center, floor 5, Curry wing. After all the disruptions, smear campaigns and legal threats that Obama’s campaign has pursued against his critics, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he had something for me as well. Obama has a disturbing record this election season of trying to silence critics with Chicago-style tactics.

2 distinguished professors reflect on President’s Medal for Excellence

Aside from each holding the title of distinguished professor emeritus at IU, Denis Sinor and Harvey Phillips have little in common. But now, both are getting used to being recipients of one of the University’s highest honors.

Cyclists ride in Bucket 100 to raise money for Habitat for Humanity

The third annual Bucket 100 Bike Tour, sponsored by the IU and Purdue University Habitat for Humanity chapters, is an event where cyclists from both schools travel from Bloomington to West Lafayette in hopes of raising awareness and money for their local chapters.  

Vote Boat cruises to IU

“Arrrghhhh you registered to vote?” he bellowed, clipboard and pen in hand. The pirate, senior Brendon Liner, was just one of many volunteers throughout campus registering students to vote before Monday’s deadline.

U.S. to build new, more secure embassy in London

The United States says it plans to sell its landmark London embassy and build a more secure facility on industrial land south of the river Thames.

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg to seek third term

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he’s going to ask the City Council to change the city’s term-limits law so he can run for a third term.

Amish school shooting’s anniversary to be ‘normal’

Nickel Mines, Penn.Empty pasture is all that’s left on the site of the one-room Amish schoolhouse where a gunman left five girls dead and five others wounded two years ago, and the anniversary of the massacre was expected to pass quietly Thursday.

Bush on bailout: ‘A lot of people are watching’

President Bush and congressional leaders lobbied furiously Thursday for enough House support to push the troubled $700 billion financial industry bailout bill to the finish line, and the measure won converts from both parties on the eve of a showdown vote.

Runners compete in 72nd Jamboree

Looking to make long strides forward in their season, the IU men’s and women’s cross country team will travel to Stillwater, Okla., this weekend, home to the nation’s oldest cross country race.

Allenspach, men's golf team return to Windy City

Senior Drew Allenspach helped the IU men’s golf team to its best finish since 1980 at the NCAA Championships last season.

Classic brings tough women's tennis teams to Bloomington

Halfway through season, field hockey coach gives team ‘B’ on midterm

With nine games down and at least nine to go, IU field hockey coach Amy Robertson gave a simple midterm assessment of her team.

Urgency strikes volleyball team after 3 consecutive losses

The IU volleyball team will finally get the luxury of facing an unranked team in the Big Ten.

Reeling women's soccer team heads for conference road games

The IU women’s soccer team comes off a weekend where it was unable to pick up its first Big Ten win, losing two at Bill Armstrong Stadium by a 1-0 count in each.

Up and down No. 20 men's soccer team look to build on win

Whirling. Tumbling. Soaring. Dropping. The IU men’s soccer team has been on a wild ride, and only halfway through the regular season, it can’t get off yet.