Region

Sororities join in prayer

Many people have donated to the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks and their families. Some have given money; others, blood. The women of the Phi Mu, Delta Gamma and Kappa Delta sororities are giving their prayers. At 7 p.m. Thursday at Phi Mu, the three sororities combined and held a candlelight vigil called "Project Linking Together Hope." Initiated by Michelle Speziale, a senior member from Phi Mu, the event brought the sisters together to pray for the people who have lost their lives in the attacks or sacrificed themselves while trying to save the lives of others in the rubble.

Investigtion of attack continues

A 17-year-old freshman was attacked at Lamda Chi Alpha fraternity, 1210 E. Third St.., Saturday night, IU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger said. Minger provided the following account of the attack: The male student said he was leaving a party at 12:15 a.m. when he was approached by another male student. The second student refused to let him leave, the victim said.

Tests show 'anthrax' at Wright was talcum

An on-campus test of a white powdery substance found at Wright Quad shows no indication of anthrax or any other biohazard, IU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger said. "It was a type of talcum powder," he said. A test on the substance by the state health department will take longer, because the state has been inundated with suspicious substances to test. The on-campus test took 24 hours to complete. Further testing will take longer, Minger said.

Focus on female leaders

This weekend, females from the IU campus and community will come together to discuss their role in a "changing world." Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Office for Women's Affairs and the Student Activities Office will co-sponsor the 8th Annual Women's Leadership Conference in the Devault Alumni Center.

Hilly Hundred rides into town

The 34th Annual Hilly Hundred Weekend, a three-day bicycle event, will be held this weekend in scenic areas in Brown, Monroe and Morgan counties. Bicyclists interested in entering the event, sponsored by The Central Indiana Bicycling Association Inc., can choose between two different cycling routes. Saturday, the paths are a 40 or 50 mile route that runs through the Morgan-Monroe State Forest. Sunday, the paths are a 30 or 50 mile route through Brown County, including the Lake Lemon and Nashville areas.

West Nile virus found in Indiana

The presence of dead birds in several Indiana counties has led to warnings of the West Nile virus. The Indiana State Department of Health reports that birds infected with the deadly virus have been found in Lake, Clark, Vanderburgh, Marion and Floyd counties. No cases of West Nile encephalitis in humans have been reported in Indiana.

City, county work together to support animal shelter

The Bloomington City Council unanimously approved an agreement with the Monroe County Animal Shelter Wednesday. The deal requires the county to compensate Bloomington $133,396 for the space it provides to the county and for services, such as the Monroe County Animal Shelter, which the city provides for the county.

Old schoolhouse new home for sculpture students

Oct. 12, IU's sculpture department celebrated the grand opening of The Fuller Projects, an alternative installation space in the McCalla Sculpture Center on the corner of 10th Street and Indiana Avenue.

Third time might be the charm for Emmys

LOS ANGELES -- The Emmy Awards are giving it another try. The show, delayed twice by last month's terrorist attacks, has been rescheduled for Nov. 4 at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and CBS said Wednesday. Ellen DeGeneres will remain as host. The Emmys won't have a satellite studio in New York City, as was planned for earlier this month.

CBS staffer, postal worker contract anthrax

WASHINGTON -- A CBS employee who opens Dan Rather's mail and a postal worker in New Jersey were added Thursday to the troubling roster of Americans infected with anthrax. As many as three more people reported telltale skin lesions that may signify additional cases. "Our labs are working around the clock to try and get clarity," said Dr. Julie Gerberding of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disclosures brought the number of confirmed cases of anthrax nationwide to six since Oct. 4 and complicated the Bush administration's effort to reassure an anxious nation it was working aggressively to combat bioterrorism and other threats.

Turn it off, just for the moment

It is a sad day when a 55-minute class involves much more than attempting to stay awake and taking notes. Instead of merely listening to the monotone drone of whichever professor is unlucky enough to have me at that moment, I am on my Palm Pilot checking the status of my Phillip Morris stock upon which I am depending to pay off college loans. With a lifestyle that involves much more than daily college curriculums, I spend time scheduling interviews and hopeful career possibilities in a memory bank that is already filled to the brim.

Babies having babies

In a few weeks, I'll be driving up to South Bend to visit one of my old undergraduate roommates. It's been more than two years since I've seen Chad, and a lot has happened to both of us in the last 29 months. Well, that's not entirely true. Nothing has really happened to me. I'm still the same wiener I always was, and I'm still drifting in a sea of confusion and aimless, uh, drifting. But Chad, yeah, a lot has happened to him. Namely that he had a baby.

Don't let falling temperatures stop you from camping

City prepares response plans

The City of Bloomington and local emergency agencies are prepared to handle potential anthrax threats, Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez said Wednesday in a press conference at City Hall. Local police, fire and utilities departments are on a heightened state of alert because of recent reports of potential anthrax contamination, city officials said. Police and fire units are ready to handle future calls for substances people fear might be anthrax. The utilities department, which processes campus and city water, has doubled its daily water quality inspections to 40, utilities officials said.

Hoosiers close to threats

Since the closing of the House side of the Capitol Wednesday, a dark cloud has descended upon the mood in Washington, D.C. A city where Americans are trying to mend from Sept. 11 is now consumed with the ever-present threat of more terror. Tension, stress, and apprehension of "what's next?" are governing factors in everyday moods and thoughts. Newly erected chain-link fencing surrounds the Capitol now. It is a necessary precaution, but nonetheless has dealt a definitive blow to the mood and moral of Washingtonians, Hoosiers and Americans alike.

Women's volleyball team loses to Illinois

The women's volleyball team traveled to Illinois Wednesday to take on Illinois. Their efforts weren't enough to pull of a win against the Fighting Illini. IU was dominated by Illinois who had 20 team blocks over IU's four. Hitting percentages hurt the Hoosiers as well. Illinois boasted a .279 while IU was at .036. The first game the Hoosiers lost 25-30. Winning the second game again was Illinois. The two teams fought back and forth with tie scores until the very end. The Hoosiers gave a good fight that ended in a close game, 33-35.

Playoffs mean action for bats

The importance of pitching in the Major League Baseball playoffs has never been more evident than in this season. The remaining teams all boast strong pitching staffs and were able to eliminate clubs such as Houston and Cleveland, who "snuck" into the post -season with their bats. Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling's performances thus far have been mind-boggling (combined 3-1, 1.03 ERA). The Yankees and Mariners had two of the top three American League pitching staffs during the regular season. But now, with such talent remaining and so few games left to play, it will be the hitters who make the difference for their teams.

Battling it out at the inaugural Corn Bowl

Iowans like corn. (Do you call them "Iowans?" Is that how you spell it?) They have an Iowa Corn Office, the Iowa Corn Promotion Board and the Iowa Corn Growers Association. You'd think Saturday's game between IU and the University of Iowa would be played in a big silo. (Do they put corn in silos?) So, what does that have to do with the price of corn in Iowa? Or football, for that matter? Well, not a thing, except that we should start calling the Hoosier-Hawkeye match-up the Corn Bowl. Here're the vital signs concerning corn. • Iowans (we'll call them that, no matter how you spell it) grew 1.7 billion bushels -- bushels check in at 56 pounds each -- of corn last year.

Offense hopes to fix slip-ups

In the 1970s, the Minnesota Vikings defense returned a fumble 70 yards. Except it was in the wrong direction. In 1986, Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner could have made a routine play during game six of the World Series. Instead, the ball went between his legs, and the New York Mets won the title. In the mid-1990's, then-Texas left fielder Jose Conseco got a brilliant idea that he was going to pitch. He threw out his arm instead and was out for a season. In 2001, the Hoosier offense scored the most points to date in the Big Ten with 63 points against Wisconsin and had 631 total yards. The offense followed that performance by scoring 14 points and gaining 359 total yards in last week's 35-14 loss against Illinois.

A glowing good time in Bloomington