Women's Golf

Traffic fatalities falling

By Alexandra R. Moses and Mark Jewell · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 11:22 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Traffic deaths in Indiana are on pace to drop nearly 23 percent this year compared with 2001, further boosting the state's ranking as one of the nation's safest places to drive. Several factors are believed to be behind what could turn out to be the biggest one-year decline in Indiana traffic deaths since record keeping began around World War II -- more people using seat belts, tougher traffic law enforcement, stricter drunken driving laws and favorable driving weather last winter.

Grad student dies in fire

By Kristen Utrecht · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 2:28 a.m.

An apartment fire early Tuesday morning resulted in the death of an IU graduate student. The incident began when members of the Bloomington Fire Department were called to an apartment complex at 407 S. Grant St. at 5:21 a.m. Tuesday to investigate the smell of burning rubber. Upon arrival at the scene, firefighters found smoke coming from around the door of Apt. 3 of the 12-unit complex, officials said. Bloomington Fire Department Chief Jeff Barlow said the incident was then upgraded to a structure fire response and more emergency units were dispatched.

GradPact 'broken' by faculty

By George Lyle IV · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 2:08 a.m.

Seven years ago, a national crisis was mounting -- students seemed to be unable to graduate from state schools on time. To combat this, IU created GradPact, a University program to help students graduate in four years. Now it seems much of the program, which IU President Myles Brand once called "a key to our building of 'America's New Public University,'" was, and is unnecessary.

Hoosiers survive last-second scare, win in OT

By Aaron Beard and Matt Pera · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 2:08 a.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The rematch began sloppy. It ended with an NCAA tournament feel. IU exacted revenge Tuesday night beating Maryland 80-74 in an overtime thriller that was a rematch to last year's NCAA championship. "It was a match up between two teams who are really good and wanted to win," said freshman guard Bracey Wright, who finished the game with 19 points. "It was a dogfight the whole way." IU called a 30-second timeout with 36.1 seconds remaining in the game after scratching back from a double-digit first half deficit.

Dorm porn investigation in hands of IU

By George Lyle IV · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 2:08 a.m.

The IU Police Department has completed its investigation into the reported pornographic filming at Teter Quad, and has turned their report over to IU officials. IU spokeswoman Jane Jankowski said the chancellor and the Dean of Students will be in charge of the next steps in the process. "When looking at matters involving student discipline, you want to make sure you have all the facts in order," Jankowski said.

Baseball closers

By Aaron Beard and Nancy Armour · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 1:53 a.m.

CHICAGO -- Dumping yet another big salary, the Oakland Athletics traded closer Billy Koch to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday in a six-player trade. In exchange for Koch and two minor leaguers, the Athletics will get White Sox closer Keith Foulke, catcher Mark Johnson, minor league right-hander Joe Valentine and cash. "Keith Foulke and Mark Johnson did a tremendous job for us, and we appreciate their contributions to our success, but this trade made sense for us in the short- and long-term," White Sox general manager Kenny Williams said.

Cubs pitcher signs on for 3 years

By Aaron Beard and Jason Strait · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 1:52 a.m.

CHICAGO -- Mike Remlinger doesn't see why his string of playoff appearances has to end with the Chicago Cubs. The left-handed reliever finalized a $10.65 million, three-year contract with Chicago on Tuesday and will bolster a Cubs' bullpen that blew numerous leads last season and squandered 25 saves. "I've had the luxury of going to the playoffs for four straight years with Atlanta, and I don't look at this as anything other than a chance to keep that winning tradition going," Remlinger said Tuesday.

Bye-bye, bye

By Benjy Ekhaus · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 1:51 a.m.

This season's unprecedented level playing field, coupled with its new division alignment, is proof that the National Football League needs to adjust its playoff structure. A quick glance at the current standings shows that, in the AFC, three teams are tied for the top seed, while five are within one game. Since only six teams make the playoffs, this means that two teams within one game of the best record in the entire conference won't even get in.

Relishing success of streak

By Aaron Beard · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 1:50 a.m.

Just two weeks ago, IU was 4-5-0 overall, 0-2 in conference play, and looking up at an 8-point deficit in the Great Midwest Hockey League. Coming off a pair of conference losses, the Hoosiers could have easily let the season start to slide.

FSU outscores, outplays

By Aaron Beard · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 1:48 a.m.

The IU women's basketball team lost 58-47 to Florida State Tuesday night in Tallahassee, Fla. IU was outscored by 15 points in the first half. IU's previous low total in a half this year was 27 against Eastern Kentucky in the second half of the Nov. 26 game. "We missed a lot of opportunities early in the game," coach Kathi Bennett said. "Obviously, success early always helps. I feel that we get affected too easily when we're not playing well individually and that is what happened tonight."

IU's big men large in win

By Sara Meinecke and Sarah Meinecke · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 1:48 a.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The IU men's basketball team needed all its big men. Coach Mike Davis made that quite clear after Sunday's win against North Texas. In addition to senior forward Jeff Newton and freshman forward Sean Kline, junior center George Leach needed to get over his rotator cuff injury that kept him on the bench Sunday, and quick. Because if No. 10 IU was going to contend with No. 9 Maryland Tuesday night, the frontcourt had to be ready to play.

More than one 'King of the Blues'

By Seth Forster · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 1:31 a.m.

If rock music has proven that dying young offers fame, then blues has proven the opposite for many of its great performers. Your best hope for post-mortem fame is to have a slightly androgynous English band from the '60s or '70s cover some of your songs and hope that they are around well after most people retire. But since the Stones didn't really do a lot for the two lesser known Kings of the blues, I figured it couldn't hurt to get out my scarf, grab a beat up Gibson and see where it takes me...or maybe I'll just write about them.

Top 10: A documentary of my Thanksgiving holiday

By Michael Tapscott · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 1:30 a.m.

1) The Thanksgiving Party and Dinner Thanksgiving in my parents' house was spent in some ulterior time frame. A large portion of my family was there, and I avoided eye contact all night. Questions like, "So, when are you graduating?," etc... 2) Faith Hill Special on ABC, Thursday Night As Thanksgiving dinner broke and the fam exited to the living room, the television was turned on to this moronic schlock-fest. It was a surreal experience, in a way. I thought about how it might be funny to gut myself while sitting on the couch, replacing order with chaos and finally giving everyone a purpose.

Kick it with 'FIFA 2003'

By C. Warner Sills and Mike D’Avria · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 1:20 a.m.

Every updated EA Sports game in 2002 made huge leaps from its 2001 predecessor. Now, with a new onslaught of 2003 versions, EA has improved on its formula, but just by tweaking an almost perfect model anyway. This is no different with "FIFA 2003." EA did not create a new game, and the game is played almost exactly like "FIFA 2002," but there are some little extras that make it worth owning. There is the always-impressive season mode, playable with more than 350 teams, and even more impressive are the 8,000 real players on these teams. There are also a bunch of different tournaments that can be played with the 16 different leagues, and an international tournament that is pretty much the World Cup without the licensing.

Two words: Dragon fighting

By Jake Bilinski · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 1:14 a.m.

People often question me when I say I really like "Reign of Fire." I mean, true, it's not exactly what I'd call a "good film," but when I want a movie to entertain me, it doesn't get much better than 102 minutes of humans and dragons doing everything they can to kill one another. Dragons awake and occupy themselves by killing off all things living. Enter Quinn (Bale), fire chief and protecting leader of a small community of struggling survivors. Then enter Van Zan (McConaughey), hardcore freelance dragon slayer who hunts down the beasts via a modern arsenal. Together, the two men set out to reclaim mankind's place atop the food chain. It's one hell of a show.

Metroid prequel lives up to hype

By Mattew Seremet and Matthew Seremet · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:58 a.m.

The naysayers and skeptics can grab a controller and shut up -- "Metroid Prime" lives up to the hype. This brilliant mix of next-gen, first-person-shooter and the old-school, platforming "Metroid" games is an amazing triumph. This is the best reason to own a Gamecube, and even the most hardcore "Metroid" fans will be impressed by the series's evolution. "Metroid Prime" puts players in the role of bounty hunter Samus Aran in a prequel to "Super Metroid." The game begins with Samus responding to a distress beacon on a ship, where she fights an old enemy and crash lands on nearby planet Tallon IV. The story unfolds slowly as Samus explores the planet. The game is not driven by the plot, and much of the details in the storyline depends on how involved you become in the gameplay.

Dylan's collection a holiday bonus

By Michael Tapscott · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:56 a.m.

In 1975, Bob Dylan toured the Northeastern states and parts of Canada in a medicine-show spectacle he called the Rolling Thunder Revue. Traveling like a circus with Dylan were such characters as T-Bone Burnett (producer of the "O Brother" soundtrack), Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Roger McGuinn and Allen Ginsberg. In retrospect, '75 was seen as a year Dylan returned to form; he released his heartbreaking Blood On the Tracks album, came back to protest with "Hurricane" and generally seemed happy and engaging on stage.

The two sides of Conor Oberst

By Michael Tapscott · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:54 a.m.

New albums by Desaparecidos and Bright Eyes are two very different experiences masterminded by the same boy wonder, Conor Oberst of Omaha. Oberst has been drawing praise for years now and continues to do so with Desaparecidos' debut album and Bright Eyes' fourth album, Lifted. For the record, as of 2002 he is a veteran at the ripe old age of 22. Bright Eyes is an emo-type outfit that Oberst fronts like a folk troubadour. On the band's latest album, his words and acoustic guitar are moved to the front. Instead of the usual rock band accompaniment, Lifted... is rounded out with old-world instruments and '60s pop arrangements.

Dredging up new psychedelic, concept album

By -Val Tsoutsouris · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:43 a.m.

Concept albums make me cringe. Bands with pretentiously misspelled names like Dredg make me wince. After listening to Dredg's El Cielo, I may need to reconsider. Part of the problem is that the first thing that comes to mind when the words "concept album" come up are, "Domo arrigato, Mr. Roboto." Ugh. The second thing is wailing about how dragons will take over the Earth by the year 10,000. Double ugh.

Some attractions never get old

By Seth Forster · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:39 a.m.

It's that time again, folks. Elvis Costello's new series of reissues has been released. But here's a warning: those of you looking for the album with the charging elephants on the cover will be confused. The cover art is just unreadable splatter paint, so it will be harder to show off your tasteful CD collection to new acquaintances than you might have thought. But given that the original art is in the booklet, and even more importantly, that this is a great album, all is forgiven...even if the raw versions of "Greenshirt" and "Big Boys" from This Year's Model are more effective.