Region

Angelou wows crowd

At the age of 7, Maya Angelou lost her voice. Four days after her disclosure that her mother's boyfriend had raped her, two policemen entered the parlor of her grandmother's house in St. Louis. Their very presence jarred her. But it was what they said that shocked her into mute silence -- the rapist, released after one night in prison, had been found dead, apparently kicked to death.

Bloomington bubbles

An ice-less skating rink, a beautiful sunny day and the smell of good old liquid soap were the perfect ingredients for a fun-filled Bloomington summer afternoon. Last week, over 2,000 participants flocked to Frank Southern Ice Center, 1965 South Henderson St., to experience a day of bubble fun for the seventh annual Bubblefest. A joint effort by WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology and the Bloomington Department of Parks and Recreation, the six-hour adventure is modeled after a California science hall publication.

Adoption ban wrong

"Child ID: 1277 Name: CARLOS Age: 14 year(s) old Description: Carlos is handsome, athletic, and competitive, and he loves outdoor activities. He would love an older brother. He responds positively to a structured environment and needs a two-parent family." If one were to go on the adoption section of Health and Human services site for Florida, he or she would find that hundreds of children, just like Carlos, are awaiting adoption. They are mostly young teenagers, and most of their descriptions next to their pictures ask for a "loving home" or a "two-parent family." But not all two-parent families are permitted to adopt and care for a child, according to Florida law that has recently been upheld.

Missing girl's father receives note about disappearance

Elizabeth Smart's father said Wednesday he received a letter that he suspects may have come from someone with knowledge of his 14-year-old daughter's disappearance.

How sweet it is

SACRAMENTO -- With just more than 46 seconds left in Saturday night's game in Arco Arena, junior Kyle Hornsby made a layup and drew a foul, giving the Hoosiers a seven-point lead on North Carolina-Wilmington. This was after IU had burned two timeouts trying to get the ball past half-court against the Seahawks' trapping press. As Hornsby pumped his fist, IU coach Mike Davis slid down into his courtside chair, legs and arms extended, palms open to the sky and a big smile on his face, as if to say "Finally."

Redford old but still cool

Saddam cuts oil to protest Israel

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Arabs who have demanded deeds to protest Israel's assault on Palestinian towns got action Monday: Iraqi President Saddam Hussein cut off oil supplies. The chants from the street grew increasingly militant, however, with protesters in Sudan and Jordan calling on Osama bin Laden to strike Israel.

Former IU student recently quit job at World Trade Center

Michael Weichman, who quit his job at New York's World Trade Center Friday, could have been dead had he kept his position. Weichman, who graduated from IU in May, moved to Manhattan in July. His apartment, which is near the Empire State Building, is only 30 blocks from the twin towers. His office was located on the 81st story in tower one.

Red hot

Graduates explore alternatives to entering challenging job market

A lagging job market and President Bush's call to volunteer service during the State of the Union address has made volunteer service an attractive alternative to traditional employment for graduating students. More and more IU grads are finding their way to the Peace Corps and other service oriented job opportunities.

D.C. interns gain experience

Interns in Washington, D.C., engage in a variety of activities, both at their internships and on their own time in our nation's capital city. But whatever menial or exciting their experiences at the office are, several recent interns from IU agree that Washington is where it's at. And scandals involving interns and politicians had little effect on their experiences, with only the occasional friend making a snide remark about former White House intern Monica Lewinski, whose relationship with former President Bill Clinton eventually lead to his impeachment. Senior Ben Piper, who interned for Congressman Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), said "the Lewinski and Levy matters have hurt the images of politicians, not interns."

Davis negotiates for salary raise

IU Men's Basketball Coach Mike Davis will be getting a pay raise soon. Director of Athletics Michael McNeely, Davis and his agent are currently negotiating the raise and the final announcement will be made by the end of the week, said Terry Clapacs, IU vice president and chief administrative officer.

Thompson's best a mixed bag

Richard Thompson has recorded more than two dozen rock and folk albums since his career began in 1968, but many have never heard of him until now. Though he is supported with a small but enthusiastic group of fans, Thompson has never taken the steps to further his musical career to a wider commercial level, always sticking to his guns when it comes to artistic expression. But this expression which Thompson chooses to communicate through his music is really nothing out of the ordinary. Like most music of popular form, Thompson writes chiefly about love, and rarely avoids the common cliches that are littered throughout pop music today.

Faith-based partnership helps homeless to succeed

At a time when the president has made faith-based initiatives a national priority, Bloomington is home to a unique collaboration between a church and a secular nonprofit organization. If successful, the Shalom Center could serve as a model on the national scale, director Joel Rekas said. Operating out of the basement in the First United Methodist Church, it provides assistance to the poor and homeless in Bloomington. Staff and volunteers do their best to make visitors feel welcome. The center is more than a stopping place for people who are homeless; staff and volunteers help visitors connect with the resources they need to reintegrate them to the community.

Around The Region

ISU student dies after collapsing at football game

Take me out to the ball game

One of my favorite advertisements I have ever laid my eyes upon in a magazine was for a then-new Major League Baseball video game. It had a Wrigley Field worker looking out onto the field from inside the monstrous green scoreboard that sits behind the centerfield bleachers. Under the worker in the picture the type says, "If heaven were anything like Wrigley Field on a Saturday afternoon, then death wouldn't be so bad." We should adopt that as our national motto.

Bloomington takes new approach to tourism

More gay and lesbian visitors traveling to Bloomington may be the next facet of the tourism business in the community. The city is now considering the welcoming atmosphere for the sexual minorities as business opportunities. "(We are reaching out to sexual minorities) because of the potential economic impact," said Rob DeCleene, services manager at the Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau. "(They) typically have more discretionary income because of (having less) children. They travel throughout the year."

NATO: U.S. has proven bin Laden tie

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The United States gave its NATO allies clear evidence Tuesday that "conclusively" links Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network to the Sept. 11 terror attacks, NATO's secretary-general said. In response, the alliance has "fully invoked" Article 5 of its charter, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all, Secretary-General Lord Robertson said, though he added that the decision did not necessarily mean an armed response was imminent.

Hoosiers sweep weekend match

The IU wrestling team finally got a win Friday night after dropping its previous six matches. The Hoosiers dominated Eastern Illinois in a 31-9 victory.

I'm the one behind the lighter

I remember the first time I lit one up. I was sitting behind the wheel of my fire-red Ford Explorer. Sitting beside and behind me were a hoard of guys I was desperately trying to impress. The victim of my ridiculous huffing and puffing: a Marlboro Light. Failing to inhale, I embarked on my journey of nicotine addiction that more than 30,000 Marlboro miles later has led me to seemingly 59-year-old lungs and a habit I just can't seem to break. I have always argued with nonsmokers concerned for my health that I am not and could not be addicted to smoking. Only in recent days when I have for the first time truly tried to quit realized how addicting this nicotine has become.