Longform

There's fun in the sun all summer long

As the dog days of summer drag on, and the infamous southern Indiana humidity rises, you may find the temptation to kick back in your La-Z-Boy, soak up the air conditioning and catch up on cable television's brain-draining smorgasbord of entertainment nearly impossible to resist. But a summer spent in Bloomington without enjoying her considerable natural resources is a summer wasted indeed, and the Parks and Recreation Department has prepared a tempting array of free entertainment that will keep your weekends booked from now until the leaves begin to turn.

'Lantana': A grown-up mystery

Train

A morning without news

ZANESVILLE, Ohio -- Sometime around 9 p.m. Tuesday eastbound at about 75 mph on I-70, headed to a job interview in Maryland, my alternator belt broke. The Mercury Mountaineer I was driving overheated quickly, but not as fast as my power steering went out.

From Indiana to Iowa

Even Dane Fife would have booed Luke Recker. And he didn't feel sorry for his former teammate. Fife didn't have to boo. He played defense, and just about every one of the 17,456 fans in Assembly Hall Tuesday night took care of the jeering for him -- loudly, critically and without mercy. Recker's misses were cheered -- during warm-ups. Every time the he touched the ball, fans booed. Every time he looked into the stands, he saw signs with the phrases "Traitor," "Luke Who?" and "Luke Sucks." Every time he looked toward the scoreboard, his Iowa Hawkeyes fell further and further behind the Hoosiers until IU finished a 79-51 winner. It was Recker's first game in Assembly Hall since helping IU beat Iowa Feb. 27, 1999. It was about as bad a homecoming as Recker could have ever dreamed.

Talk to strangers

Under the strange, Transylvania-red glow of Second Story's wall lights, my friend asked me quite facetiously, "What do you want to destroy tonight?" I knew his question was unloaded and lobbed up in metaphorical jest, but considering his greasy mohawk and affiliations with well-known anarchists, I warned him, "You know, there are men sitting in covert vans as we speak, just waiting for some barb like you to say that. They're the local henchmen of Bush's campaign weeding out 'The Evil.' They're Tom Clancy fans and God-fearing Catholics to boot. They will bust in here within seconds if you keep muttering things like that."

Annual Well House event graces Art Museum

The IU Art Museum collaborated with the Well House Society to host the fifth annual Wine, Wisdom & Song. On the first and third floors of the IUAM, members of the Well House Society and other IU supporters gathered for a night of wine tasting, socializing and fun. The event was open to the public at a cost of $20 for non-members.

Bush asks Israel to withdraw forces

President George W. Bush called on Israel Tuesday to withdraw its forces from Palestinian areas of the West Bank "as quickly as possible." Bush's statement at the White House eased a State Department demand for an immediate pullout.

Ribbons of Concrete

Interstates are an institution. Being the largest public works program ever undertaken in the world, the American Society of Civil Engineers have named these "ribbons of concrete" -- as an online source cheerfully called the system -- one of the "Seven Wonders of the United States" (other accredited wonders include the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge).

Mother's birthday makes for realization

Ah, a nice rain-soaked July day. Well, at least rain-soaked for the 15 minutes or so that I needed to be outside in transit places. Got to love how that works out, don't ya? So as I sit, soaked from the rainstorm and my umbrella's pathetic attempt to keep me dry, a realization comes over me. Today is July 22, my mom's birthday. For the first time in my life, I am not there with my mom to celebrate her birthday. Now, before everyone out there labels me a bad son, please understand my absence on this day. Because of my employment situation, I was unable to get home for this weekend, which my mom understands and has no problem with. She and my dad will be coming here in a few weeks to celebrate it then. But the point is, it is different not being there, especially this year. For this year is the year my mom turns 50 (sorry mom, but I had to say it).

IU administrator candidate for top university post

Charlie Nelms, IU's vice president for student development and diversity, has emerged as a frontrunner for the presidency of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Fla. The Tallahassee Democrat reported that, according to Carolyn Collins, Florida A&M National Alumni Association president, Nelms is the only candidate that appears to meet the expectations of the association and the search committee. Although all of the frontrunners have doctoral degrees, only Nelms has been a campus Chief Executive Officer.

The paradise of plazas

Having neither the money nor the glamour to spend my nights prancing around Madrid's discotheques like a peacock, I often can be found sitting in a plaza, talking with a kaleidoscope of people until sunrise.

Conference favorite?

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The scene looked ominous for the Hoosiers and perfect for Iowa. Senior guard Dane Fife stood outside IU's team huddle, head slumped and eyes toward the parque floor in Carver-Hawkeye Arena Sunday. The 6-foot-4 Hoosier guard had just picked up two fouls in 13 seconds and was relegated to the bench with 16:17 remaining in the first half. Last season, Fife picked up two early fouls, and his defensive assignment, Hawkeye guard Luke Recker, went nuts, scoring 27 points and erasing a 17-point halftime deficit that carried Iowa to a 71-66 victory.

T-shirt protest should be civil

A recent controversy over several Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirts hit home recently. A new line of shirts the clothing company produced portrayed Asians and Asian-Americans in an unfavorable light. One T-shirt even displayed the phrase: "Two wongs can make it white," -- a slight modification from the old "two wongs can't make a white" racial joke, Asian Student Union senior chairperson Christopher Chan said.

'80s throwback fails to impress

Workshop promotes awareness

Freshmen participated in an interactive presentation on rape awareness Sunday at the McNutt Quad Flame Room. The presentation showed a male student slip drugs into a female partygoer's drink. Then, a couple discussed unprotected sex. The audience saw one girl tell her resident assistant she'd been raped. All before the first week of classes. For 45 minutes, these students were part of a program subsidized by the Commission on Personal Safety. "Surviving the Best Four Years of Your Life," the scenario-based presentation, focused primarily on personal choices and responsibilities and their effect on situational outcomes.

Club Night a 'success'

The 16th annual Live From Bloomington Club Night featured a variety of bands at a variety of clubs. While the total amount of proceeds going to the Bloomington Food Bank still has not been tallied, the organizers of the event agree that it was a success. "I think it went really well. There were a lot of people out at the bars and the clubs," senior Kristin Holtz, assistant director of Union Board's Live From Bloomington committee, said. "I would say it was definitely successful. We heard from the bands -- they were having a good time. The volunteers had a lot of fun. And the club owners thanked us afterward."

Mellencamp, Matthews steal Farm Aid spotlight

Bloomington was well represented at Saturday's 16th Farm Aid, as local rockers John Mellencamp and Three Minute Mile were onstage at the Verizon Wireless Music Center to benefit farmers across the country. Only a week after performing to nearly 30,000 fans over a two-night stint at the same venue, Mellencamp stole the show again at Farm Aid 2001 with another solid performance.

WHAT A DRAG

Angie Stevens stands in front of a massive powder-smeared mirror, staring at her thickly glossed pout. Running her hands through her artificial, but stunning, hair, she sways her hips to the beat pulsating through the dressing room floor. Upon realizing a reporter and photographer are in the room, she bellows for security. "Angie" is one of the five drag queens getting ready to perform Monday night at Bullwinkle's, 201 S. College Ave. The dressing room is a whirlwind of last-minute efforts to primp, spray, tape and tuck everything perfectly into place.

Still our neighbor