Region

Swing and a miss

By Brian J. McFillen and Jessica Andrews · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

Person Pitch, the second solo album from Animal Collective member Noah Lennox (a.k.a. Panda Bear), has been getting tremendous amounts of critical love. As I was writing this, its score from review-averaging Web site Metacritic.com stood at a formidable 87 out of 100, tying it with Arcade Fire's Neon Bible and Patty Griffin's Children Running Through for second-highest-rated album of 2007. And thanks to a very early leak, it has received rapturous praise on message boards for months. Clearly, it must be excellent! Only a fool wouldn't like it!

Police, firefighters, EMS deserve praise

By Abra Oliver and Alicia Graves · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

Did you know more than 100 firefighters are killed in the line of duty every year? Did you know a law enforcement officer is killed somewhere in America every 53 hours? Did you know EMS workers have an occupational fatality rate that is comparable with that of firefighters and police? Every time I hear an ambulance, fire truck or police car with its lights on going to where help is needed, I think about them not having a national day of appreciation. But we are able to honor TV dinners every March, catfish every June and ice cream every July. We need to designate a national day in honor of our first responders. This is a simple – yet extremely powerful – gesture that Congress can make to recognize their contributions, sacrifices and dedication to public service. The First Response Coalition is working to give first responders their national day of recognition by collecting 25,000 signatures on their online petition. Please consider signing this petition by going to www.aliciagraves.com/firstresponders. Thank you to all first responders! Alicia Graves Bloomington City Council candidate

Treading through adversity

By Tom Kir · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

For most IU seniors, their life perspectives change after graduation. For one IU women’s water polo player, it changed before her senior year even started. In August 2005, Emily Schmitt was preparing for her senior year of college, just a few months before the start of her last water polo season. She set out for a bike ride in an attempt to make the most of one of the last remaining days of summer. While traveling down an unfamiliar road, she was hit by a van and blacked out. “I don’t remember the few minutes before it happened,” Schmitt said. “I had no recollection of the impact or sound. The first real recollection of that night was being in the hospital.”

China to ban embarrassing English

By Abisalom Omolo and Stephen Wade · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

BEIJING – Along with spitting, run-down housing and bad manners, add unintelligible English to the list of things organizers of the 2008 Beijing Olympics want to ban.

23 reported killed in 2 bombings in Algeria’s capital

By Abisalom Omolo and Aomar Ouali · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

ALGIERS, Algeria – Bombs heavily damaged the prime minister’s office and a police station Wednesday, killing at least 23 people and wounding about 160, Algeria’s official news agency said. Al-Qaida’s wing in North Africa claimed responsibility.

NASCAR criticism unconstructive

By Abra Oliver and Sonya Huser · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

In response to “Go to hell, NASCAR (and stay there)” (IDS, April 3): Mr. Shaffer, there are so many aspects of the sport of NASCAR that could have been editorialized in a thoughtful and insightful manner. You could have talked about how many tires or gallons of gasoline are used up in a single weekend or the controversies surrounding the Car of Tomorrow and the points system. However, you don’t talk about any of this in any depth if you even mention it at all, which really begs the question: How much do you actually know about any of these things? Instead of addressing anything which might be considered a legitimate concern, you take a low and base approach by attacking of all things, the fans. To attack a sport for its fan base is simply irresponsible writing on your part. It’s rude and cruel and a low blow to say the least. You lump 75 million American fans into one of two types. Either we’re Brick Tamlands or indulging in incest in the infield. Yes, thank you so much for your oh-so-creative linking of NASCAR to white trash. We’re all so glad someone’s finally found a new way to make fun of us. How clever. I’m not entirely sure that America’s “problem” has much of anything to do with NASCAR, sports or reality TV at all. Maybe the problem has more to do with indulging in stereotypes as if they are facts and the “my way or the highway” mentality, which you sum up so well in the title of your column. I suppose I could tell you to take your column on with you to hell (and just stay there), but I won’t, and that’s giving you a heck of a lot more respect than you’ve given me. Sonya Huser Senior

Not so Secretly Canadian

By Brian J. McFillen and Shannon Dahmer · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

In June, the soulful chamber pop group Antony and the Johnsons, winners of the 2005 U.K. Mercury Music Prize for best album of the year by a British or Irish act, will launch their summer tour across Europe. Meanwhile, Austin, Texas, folk-rock band Okkervil River is working on the follow-up to their critically lauded 2005 album, Black Sheep Boy, and preparing to play the May All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Somerset, England, alongside a host of indie rock heavyweights. And Saturday, WIUX's Culture Shock festival will feature, among its roster, Catfish Haven, Richard Swift and David Vandervelde.

ARTiFACTS

Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

What: Fiesta mask from Loiza Aldea, Puerto Rico.

Ironically named album

By Kristi Oloffson · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

I knew full well before listening to this album that Hilary's voice is more like talking than actual singing (think Mary-Kate and Ashley in the "Brother for Sale" days). Still, I was really, really hoping she'd be able to put something together that would show more maturity than her previous hits like "So Yesterday" and "Come Clean" (which was probably only a hit because it was the "Laguna Beach" theme song). I mean the girl is 19, after all. But her fourth album is just as teen-pop and childish as the first three. What makes this one even worse is the lack of improvement in however many years she's been singing.

In England, King Arthur’s legend lives on at Tintagel

By Daniel Lovering · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

TINTAGEL, England – Storms and gusting winds have chiseled away at this corner of southwestern England for centuries, but the legends that inhabit the area still loom large. The rocky headland near the village of Tintagel has become so entwined with the legend of King Arthur that its true history seems almost incidental, despite a collection of rough stone foundations and listing walls that hint at its rich past. According to various poems, stories and popular myths, it was here, at the fortress of a Cornish duke, that King Arthur was conceived. Later versions of the story say Arthur was born at the site and may have lived here for a time.

Stick to producing

By Wes Jakacki · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

Why is it that hip-hop producers have such a difficult time making a good album of their own? Whether its Pharrell or P. Diddy, great hip-hop producers just seem unable to make something worthwhile on their own. Maybe that's why Timbaland, last year's "It" producer, recruited a ridiculous guest arsenal for Shock Value, featuring Justin Timberlake, 50 Cent, Missy Elliott, Fall Out Boy, Elton John (!?) and many, many more. By taking almost all the attention off himself, it seems like Shock would be just a first-class album of Timbaland-produced tracks, but that's simply not the case. In fact, Shock Value turns out to be quite the mess.

Dugdale matures with latest piece

By Abra Oliver and Dave Klein · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

Most of the times I find Colin Dugdale’s column incredibly juvenile and silly (a typical Dugdale column can be paraphrased as follows: “I’m gay! Here’s a penis joke. By the way, I’m gay. My penis is gay, too. Penis joke.”). His April 5 column, “Man pickles,” represented quite a remarkable maturation of Mr. Dugdale’s typical formula. Yes, he still used his shtick of homosexuality and penis jokes, but he did so in a refreshingly mature way (if a penis joke can be considered “mature,” that is) and found the right balance of comedy and heartwarming anecdote. After finishing today’s column, I found myself thinking, “Well done, Colin! Why aren’t all your columns like this?” Here’s to hoping this trend continues in his future work. Dave Klein Graduate student

Just TurnItIn

By Edward Delp · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

Four teenagers from McLean High School in Virginia have filed suit against anti-plagiarism Web site TurnItIn.com. The basis for their suit? The students claim their homework papers are personal work products that deserves the same copyright protections most authors enjoy.

Culture Shock '07

By Ryan Corazza and Zack Teibloom · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

Seniors Zach Pollakoff and Brian Kerr remember a scarcely attended Culture Shock from two years ago. Only six or seven dedicated concertgoers made it to the headlining band playing behind the radio station. Pollakoff says Culture Shock wasn't nearly as good in the past because it was full of bands he didn't want to see, but both he and Kerr said they are excited to see every band on the lineup this year. Major improvements last year saw a big increase as an estimated 1,000 fans filled Dunn Meadow and this year looks to expand even more as Culture Shock expands into a new venue filled with national acts, adds an indoor after party and delivers a day filled with music for free.

Almodovar returns

By Jacob Stewart , Olivia Morales and Jake Stewart · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

"Volver" is a Spanish word that literally means "to return" but is used here to mean "coming back." Indeed, this whole film is a kind of coming back for its makers; Pedro Almodovar returns to his roots as a man of La Mancha, and Penelope Cruz returns to the cinema of her origin where she is obviously most at home. Almodovar's films are often lively, celebratory visions of the world. He is noted for his liberal use of the color red and his subtle object metaphors that give silent clues to the motivations of his characters. (Watch for Cruz's use of knives.) Perhaps most importantly, he is known for his deep, empathetic understanding of women.

Student calls Peace Corps ‘life-changing’

By Heather Haemker · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

When Brett Kuhnert was a Peace Corps volunteer, he was assigned to a remote area of Morocco with no running water or electricity. But the village did have satellite TV, so he was able to watch “The Jerry Springer Show” in French. Still, Kuhnert said the trip was one of the greatest experiences of his life. Kuhnert, who is now IU’s Peace Corps campus representative, led a panel Tuesday night to give students more information on volunteering with the organization.

ACC to demonstrate hula dance

By Vivian Huang · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

The Asian Culture Center will inspire aloha spirit and teach hula moves this Friday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. as part of ACC’s Asian Cultures Around Campus program. The hula lesson will feature Carol Reynolds and guest Ed Hiram, both native Hawaiians, demonstrating Hawaii’s native dance. Hula is best known today as a dance usually performed at luaus and celebrations. But the hula was originally performed as a religious ceremony to honor and worship Hawaiian gods such as Pele, the goddess of volcanoes. “Hula is the folkdance of the Hawaiian people,” Reynolds said.

Columnist has bright future ahead

By Abra Oliver and John T. Stuckey · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

In response to “Analysis: IU building should not be named after a racist,” April 10: This was an extraordinarily well-written and compelling column. I had no idea of the history behind this story. I find it impossible not to agree with the writer. Andrew Shaffer has quite a future ahead of him. Good luck in the effort. John T. Stuckey Alumnus

Better concept than album

By Chris Freiberg and Megan Robb · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

I want terrible things to happen to Trent Reznor. It's not that I have anything against the man. In fact, he's one of my favorite artists, but he clearly does his best work when he's incredibly depressed and abusing drugs to excesses that would make Keith Richards blush. Year Zero marks the second Nine Inch Nails album since Reznor has gone sober, and much like 2005's With Teeth, it's a fine album but fails to live up to the high quality of his earlier work.

Around the World

By Abisalom Omolo · Thursday, April 12,2007 12 a.m.

The operator of a cruise ship that struck a reef and sank off a popular Mediterranean resort, leaving two people missing, said Wednesday that human error was to blame.