WEB ONLY: This week in review
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For how much everyone seems to complain about Onestart, Oncourse and Webmail (including your esteemed editorial board), we were fairly surprised when the results of a University Information Technology Services survey came out last week that claimed 94 percent of users are satisfied with Webmail and 85 percent are happy with Oncourse. The inconsistencies between the UITS survey and the grousing you can overhear on any given day (especially during registration) in any campus building piqued our curiosity. After all our naysaying of IU’s technology, have we actually been wrong? Not likely.\nWhen reviewing statistical muster, the UITS survey results seem extremely fishy. The survey was structured like the class evaluations students do at the end of every semester, by ranking the level of agreement with questions like, “How satisfied are you with the following e-mail services?” on a scale of one to five, one being “not at all satisfied,” five being “very satisfied.” With such a structure, any response of three or higher was considered satisfied, despite three being “neither agree nor disagree.” \nUpon calculating the actual numerical averages of the results (which was not reported by the Indiana Daily Student), a much more believable picture emerges. When looking at average calculations, the average respondent was, in actuality, barely satisfied with both Webmail and Oncourse, with average responses at 3.86 and 3.74 respectively. It looks to us like UITS is guilty of spinning generally unflattering numbers to make it seem like the student body is happier with our technology than it actually is. Considering these factors, we seriously question the results of the UITS survey.\nOne thing, interestingly enough, that everyone seems to be able to agree on is that Onestart is absolutely terrible. Those who remember the pre-PeopleSoft days of INSITE, recall fondly an extremely user-friendly system that allowed for logical browsing while registering for classes, something prominently lacking from Onestart. Sadly a leak of 3,100 social security numbers in 2001 began a realignment of technology at IU. The old system was infiltrated. Onestart is infuriatingly confusing. Though there are fancy widgets in Onestart that consolidate various utilities into a single site, we prefer the registration ease of INSITE and, if possible, continued utility of Onestart – avoiding pesky security breaches of course. Can such a program be found and, if so, can we have it?\nWhether last week’s survey was legitimate or not, we still assert that it would be in everyone’s best interest if some sly UITS techie “accidentally” spilled coffee on the proverbial motherboard and we could start from scratch. There simply must be something out there better than Onestart, and it’s beginning to look like a complete meltdown might be the only thing to persuade IU to get rid of it. Also, as compulsive Internet junkies, we will never stop advocating the outsourcing of Webmail to Gmail. A final word to the 94 percent who think Webmail is so great, we can only think that you’re terribly misinformed, and after a good dose of Google-y goodness, you’ll understand.
There's a single scene in Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof" that's worth the entire price of admission to the 200-minute experience that is "Grindhouse." Hanging out on the back porch of Guero's, an Austin, Texas, dive where Joe Tex and Pacific Gas & Electric are jukebox regulars, Kurt Russell's Stuntman Mike sizes up his nubile, young female victims by sweet-talking one of them into a lap dance. The dialogue is pure Tarantino, and the mood is so tense that you could hear a car start in the theater parking lot. Later, when Mike dismembers and shaves the faces off the ladies with his death-proof stunt car, it's shocking not because of the gore but because the first half-hour of "Death Proof" actually made us care about Mike's doomed victims. \nHerein lies the success of "Death Proof." Tarantino's homage to car chase and slasher films is not populated with cardboard cutouts of women but women so real you can almost smell their perfume after an extended diner scene reminiscent of the opening shot in "Reservoir Dogs." You might be hearing stories of people walking out of "Death Proof's" early scenes after 100 minutes of Rodriguez's zombies, tits, testicles and explosions, and all I can say is that those folks clearly missed both the point and the boat. "Death Proof" hits the brakes after the explodo-fest that is "Planet Terror," only to punch the gas time and time again as its heroines are stalked by and eventually stalk Stuntman Mike. Consider Kurt Russell made relevant again, as were John Travolta in "Pulp Fiction" and Pam Grier in "Jackie Brown," with a performance that starts off coyly demonic and devolves into one of the most alarming breakdowns I've ever seen on-screen. The ladies turn in fine efforts, too. Sydney Tamiia Poitier is compulsively watchable as Jungle Julia, and Vanessa Ferlito is tortured eye candy as Arlene, a.k.a. Butterfly. Tracie Thoms and Zoe Bell, as a couple of stuntwomen on break from their film set, are the picture of female empowerment as they turn the tables on Mike after an un-CGI'ed, how-the-hell-did-they-do-that car chase sequence. \nThe two fake trailers immediately preceding "Death Proof" are Edgar Wright's hilarious "Don't" and Eli Roth's gloriously gory "Thanksgiving." Wright, the director of "Shaun of the Dead" and the upcoming "Hot Fuzz," imagines an even campier "House on Haunted Hill" where the constant repetition of the title admonition is useless in stopping the doomed characters from meeting their fate. Roth, hot off "Hostel," packs "Thanksgiving" with so much blood, nudity, fellatio and rape that one can't help but wish he'd make it into an actual "Grindhouse" feature. \n"Death Proof" might be minor Tarantino, but it's certainly better than anything else clogging the multiplex during this year's stagnant post-awards season period. As opposed to Rodriguez's "Planet Terror," which is content to simply honor grindhouse cinema by being another superbly entertaining addition to the canon, Tarantino aims a few feet higher, adding his own brand of snappy dialogue and ability to coax memorable performances out of has-beens and relative unknowns. The result is the best car chase movie since the '70s and another gold star on Quentin's career report card.
Immigration continues to be a hot topic for lawmakers across the country, particularly when it comes to services or resources that illegal immigrants are supposedly unjustly “stealing.” For example, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, lawmakers in at least 22 states are considering legislation that would affect in-state tuition at public institutions for illegal immigrants. Some states want immigrants – legal or not – who graduate from high schools to pay in-state tuition. Other state legislatures hope to ban that benefit.\nIn Arizona last November, voters approved a law that not only denies children of illegal immigrants in-state tuition at public colleges, but also restricts access to adult education and state-assisted child care. The state also established proposals making English the official language, banning illegal immigrants charged with a felony from posting bail, and blocking undocumented immigrants from receiving punitive damages in civil suits.\nWhile in our Jan. 11 editorial “Residential zone” we supported the slow implementation of these proposals, further examination has led us to change our beliefs on the matter. Sadly, many voters and lawmakers fail to recognize the humanity of illegal immigrants. And on the other side of the same coin, they fail to see how inhumane (and un-American) many of these laws are; some of these measures only cause unjust suffering for fellow humans. For example, a three-year-old whose parents brought him to the United States illegally should not be denied basic child-care services simply because we want to punish his parents. Restricting opportunities for innocent children and punishing them for their parents’ choices doesn’t seem particularly “American,” does it?\nThese measures won’t stop illegal immigration, although they will make life more difficult and unjustly punish children. We need to stop making immigrants permanent outsiders and villains whose humanity we cannot even recognize. We should stop treating them as nothing more than pesky vermin forced to live in the shadows, crevices and margins. Our legislators’ time and our voting power would be better directed toward solutions that would help these immigrants become productive citizens who could contribute positively to their communities and the country.
When news of the 2007 commencement speaker selection seeped through campus, neither enthusiasm nor eye rolls occurred to any large extent.\nQuite to the contrary: “Who’s that?”\nThe “Who’s that?” is Tavis Smiley. The “What’s he do?” is hold a respectable position in the media world, publish and contribute to a handful of books, and has a School of Public and Environmental Affairs degree on his wall.\nWe like Tavis Smiley. His speech will undoubtedly be engaging, enjoyable and will certainly not disappoint our bright-eyed, bushy-tailed seniors heading out to conquer the world with their uncomfortable graduation attires mom made them buy.\nAt the same time, we here at the editorial board found we had a fair amount of other candidates in mind. \nFirst and foremost? Subway’s Jared Fogle. We’re visual people. Who isn’t inspired by a skinny Jewish man holding up a pair of size-28 pants next to a 34-inch waist with a David Blaine flourish? Jared could turn his inspirational advice-giving into a big parallel about getting our metaphorical “morbidly obese” lives down to a similarly metaphorical “heart-healthy” level. We could read into it however we wanted and infer anything, from “Maybe I should stop pounding down that whole box of 30 ’stones every weekend” to “Perhaps the job market won’t be as impressed with my 90-second keg stand as those freshmen girls were last night.” Regardless of your inference – your life’s on its way up. \nNot into the whole speech thing? What about an interpretive dance done by Bobby Knight? Just imagine our beloved Robert on stage in his crimson sweater, swinging a chair around at alarming velocities, screaming on occasion about weak-side rebounds and filling gaps in your 2-3 zone.\nOr maybe take the aggression idea off the basketball court and into the stock market? Jim Cramer was just here at Assembly Hall. Surely he wouldn’t mind coming back in May. “Mad Money” is already like “Monday Night Football” meets I-banking – construing phrases like “Know your IPO” as lifelong graduation-pertaining advice just makes everything so much more entertaining. (And let’s be honest: Cooking Uncle Ben’s rice on an investment show with Ben Bernanke’s face on the rice box is hilarious.) The econ department would be happy; the rest of the people in attendance could learn the difference between a “Don’t Buy” and a “Risky.”\nAnd if still none of these is seeming appealing, we decided to just apply pragmatism as a last resort. No one likes painfully long graduations. No one likes hot gyms. No one likes droning speakers at those graduations in those hot gyms. Why not get Dick Cheney? It’s sad but true: We’re just not sure how long his ticker would last up there – at least we wouldn’t be stuck in there too long.\nOn the other hand, we could just pay Fergie and Shakira to get up there and shake it for three hours.
HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. – A fire destroyed the lakeside home of the late country singer Johnny Cash on Tuesday.\nThe fire started around 1:40 p.m. CST in this suburb about 20 miles northeast of downtown Nashville. Fire trucks arrived within five minutes, but the house was already engulfed in flames, Hendersonville Fire Chief Jamie Steele said.\nJust a few hours later, there was almost nothing left except brick chimneys and the steel frame.\nThe cause is unknown, but Steele said the flames spread quickly because construction workers had recently applied a flammable wood preservative to the exterior of the house. The preservative was also being applied inside the house.\nNo workers were injured, but one firefighter was slightly hurt while fighting the fire, Steele said.\nCash and his wife, June Carter Cash, lived at the home from the late 1960s until their deaths in 2003.\nThe property was purchased by Barry Gibb, a member of the Bee Gees, in January 2006. Gibb and his wife, Linda, had said they planned to restore the home on Old Hickory Lake and hoped to write songs there.\nGibb’s spokesman, Paul Bloch, said the singer and his family are “both saddened and devastated by the news.”\nWhile the Cashes lived there, the 13,880-square-foot home was visited by everyone from U.S. presidents to ordinary fans.\n“So many prominent things and prominent people in American history took place in that house – everyone from Billy Graham to Bob Dylan went into that house,” said singer Marty Stuart, who lives next door and was married to Cash’s daughter, Cindy, in the 1980s.\nStuart said the man who designed the house, Nashville builder Braxton Dixon, was “the closest thing this part of the country had to Frank Lloyd Wright.”\nWhen Cash moved there, the road was a quiet country lane that skirts Old Hickory Lake. Kris Kristofferson, then an aspiring songwriter, once landed a helicopter on Cash’s lawn to pitch him a song.\nIn later years, Cash did a lot of recording in the home and in a studio on the property. The landmark video for his song “Hurt” was shot inside the house.\n“It was a sanctuary and a fortress for him,” Stuart said. “There was a lot of writing that took place there.”
You don’t like them and neither do we, but it’s OK because they don’t like anyone, either. Still, if we’re allowed to publicly denounce the Ku Klux Klan, stopping only short of libel, then they have to be allowed to march in downtown Bloomington.\nIt’s an annoying and unfortunate trade-off, but the cost of protecting progressive, enlightened thought is to also protect ignorant, hate-filled garbage – such as the kind that seeps from the mouths of the United Northern and Southern Knights. The KKK faction wants to hold a rally in Bloomington this summer.\nBut just because Bloomington is obliged to entertain these disgusting, bottom-feeding racists doesn’t mean you have to attend the rally. And it doesn’t mean the local media need to give them the attention they desperately crave. All we have to do is put up with a couple dozen sheet-clad racists hollering and carrying on like the grade-school dropouts they are. It’s not like Indiana hasn’t seen that before – the Klan has long been found in this state.\nThe real question, though, is not simply whether the Knights will be allowed to protest in Bloomington. Mayor Mark Kruzan, Safe and Civil City Program Director Beverly Calendar-Anderson and Bloomington Police Department Capt. Mike Diekhoff have all made statements in support of free speech. So long as the Klan informs the city before the march and observes the city’s laws and codes, they will be allowed to walk on city sidewalks.\nThe next question is whether the Klansmen must remove their hoods – their anonymity – while marching.\nThe pointy white sheets are synonymous with burning crosses and mob lynching. Out of context, the sheets look like a third-grader’s Halloween costume, but the brutally violent history that the hoods have come to symbolize is enough to make any normal person’s blood run cold.\nThe mayor and Safe and Civil City Program director have suggested Bloomington adopt anti-mask laws. The theory is that exposing the faces of KKK loyalists will prevent many of them from attending the rally for fear of future backlash. Mayor Kruzan told The Herald-Times: “I’m sure that a proud Klansman who is truly from our community has enough pride in his KKK membership to march without a hood for his neighbors to see.” The KKK’s convictions in that regard are laughable.\nSo, Imperial Wizard Phil Lawson, do you and your dying horde have the courage? Are you brave enough to march in Bloomington without your hoods? Marching with your hoods on will only show the world how weak and pathetic your beliefs are. The old days are gone, Mr. Wizard. The KKK doesn’t frighten us anymore, especially if its members are too chicken to put a face next to their beliefs
It is often said that there are only two things in life that are certain: death and taxes. Although we at the Indiana Daily Student Editorial Board agree that there is no escaping the Grim Reaper or the inevitable panic of the ides of April, we have found another unassailable certainty in the life of a college student: no matter what happens, as time drags on, our tuition and fees will continue to rise. Period. \nSo guess what, folks? You only have a week left to get your 1040s in. Oh, and your student fees are going up, too. \nCome on, are you really that surprised? \nActually, last year student fees went down, due to the removal of the $30 athletics fee, but there are still a considerable number of Hoosiers left recovering in area hospitals from the initial shock of paying less. But for those touched by the sudden change, it should be sufficiently reassuring to know that fees may possibly increase by 5.2 percent next year and another 3.7 percent for the 2009 academic year. \nWe kid, we kid, but we do not see the projected increase as anything out of the ordinary. In fact, we’ve been expecting something of the sort for awhile. In our economy, market forces drive inflation – it’s a fact of life, and no amount of well-placed editorial columns attacking it is going to convince our economy to behave otherwise. \nAnd as much as we hate shelling out extra dinero, this increase barely keeps the pace with the current inflation rate (which averages about 3 percent), and it seems to be fairly legitimate. In the process of pushing for this change, the University has been fairly transparent and has actually specified where the extra cash flow would go. Primarily, the funds would go to the health center, transportation operations and the Indiana Memorial Union, which has been struggling to make ends meet recently. Student health? Sure, we like our peers to be healthy. As for transportation, we would rather generate revenue for it through increased student fees than by having more parking tickets issued – we get enough of those already! So why not cough up a few extra bucks to cover increasing costs? \nAs for the IMU’s share of the additional revenue, we are a bit more skeptical. While it’s a cool place to hang out, grab lunch, go bowling or do pretty much anything else you can imagine on a college campus, we would like to remind the administrative powers to make sure this new cash flow is used constructively. We’re definitely all for building maintenance (we don’t want something that size collapsing on us) and for subsidizing student organizations’ rent for their offices in the Union. Still, we ask that you don’t do anything too far-fetched with it. As much as we love the musical clock towers that remind us hourly that “You Are My Sunshine,” even when it’s raining, we would hope that the administration leaves such things to alumni gifts and uses the new revenue for something a bit more constructive.
"It’s like bringing the Rolling Stones to campus times 100.” \nWhat is it that has IUSA President Betsy Henke so enthused? Why would she sacrifice IU’s chances at having Mick Jagger scream relentlessly into a microphone while hoping his skin stays on his skull (it’s been looking kind of baggy lately)?\nIUSA and Bloomington have submitted a proposal to hold one of the three debates for the 2008 U.S. presidential election at IU. Spending $7,500 on the application (a significant amount of which was paid for by the office of Michael McRobbie), the immediate cost of such a venture would be an estimated $1.3 million, most of which would be shouldered by the University.\nPossible “Team America” references aside, it will surprise few that we are excited about the prospect of such a venture. To hold such an internationally important event at IU would not only be one of the most beneficial academic endeavors IU has held in its history, it would also increase national and international exposure for the University. But that does not mean that we are without concern, both for the economic status of IU and Bloomington and the difficulties associated with holding the event in Bloomington that may hinder our chances.\n$1.3 million is an immediate cost that seems very large. But with the assistance of McRobbie, who claims that if funding is needed it will be available, the University can bear the brunt of this cost. Possible returns from international exposure might also help share the load of the costs. Local expenditures from an estimated influx of 5,000 people, combined media and security, will assist as well.\nAnother concern is that Indiana is not the best venue for a presidential debate considering its strong right-wing bias. But since IU is a liberal hub in the middle of a blood red state, we think that the number of party supporters will be relatively balanced.\nDespite these two issues being relatively simple to cast aside, there are two large hurdles Bloomington faces in its proposal.\nFirst, the size of Bloomington may discourage the national Commission on Presidential Debates from selecting IU. There is a logistical concern that the city will not be able to lodge all those necessary. However, Indianapolis is within legitimate driving distance, and the state’s capital might help share the load.\nSecond, Bloomington has an awful road system. With the maze of one-way streets, stop lights and traffic signs that are our city streets, the number of vehicles such a large event would bring is a scary thought.. Parking for those vehicles will also be a difficult issue.\nSo with these worries in mind, we keep tentative hope that Bloomington will be selected to hold a debate for the 2008 presidential election. And, as Henke said, we would be very glad to give up Mick Jagger for the likes of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Rudolph Giuliani
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Elizabeth Edwards said Tuesday that she got some good news: She has a type of cancer that is more likely to be controlled by anti-estrogen drugs.\nMrs. Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, expressed frustration with reports that she’s likely to die within five years. She said doctors can’t give her a reliable life expectancy and even if they could, the information would be of no comfort to her.\n“I don’t care,” she said in an interview with The Associated Press as she campaigned with her husband. “I’m going to fight exactly as hard if they tell me that I’ve got 15 years or if I’ve got 30 years. I’m still going to fight to get rid of this – if they tell me I’ve got 15 minutes I’m still going to fight. It doesn’t matter what the prognosis is. So it’s not an important piece of information to me.”\nThe Edwardses announced nearly two weeks ago that her breast cancer had returned and spread to her bone. They said they had no intention of ending his bid because doctors told her that although she’s likely to die from the disease eventually, the campaign wouldn’t interfere with her treatment.\nMrs. Edwards had her first post-diagnosis doctor’s visit Friday and emerged encouraged. She said her doctor expected she had the most aggressive “triple-negative” cancer, but testing found that she had two of the three key hormonal receptors – estrogen and progesterone. She said her original diagnosis was “slightly estrogen heavy,” but this time it’s a strong marker and she also has the second progesterone marker.\n“I consider that a good sign,” Mrs. Edwards said in an interview in an art classroom before appearing with her husband at the Prairie High School gymnasium. “It means there are more medications which I can expect to be responsive.”\nMrs. Edwards, pointing out a large bruise on the back of her hand and another on her forearm from her IV, said she got an initial course of a bone-building drug. She’s also taking Femara, an aromatase inhibitor, but is not undergoing chemotherapy treatments.
Has college life got you down? Are classes rough? Are you having trouble making friends? When you make any big life change – especially one that involves moving to a new place and throwing yourself into a mosh pit of 40,000 students – that can happen.\nSo, suck it up! Stick it out and it should work itself out. And if it doesn’t, then transfer.\nWait, you already did that? You mean you feel like IU just isn’t making you feel welcome?\nA March 29 Indiana Daily Student report revealed that though some orientation programs are geared specifically toward transfer students, some students are not happy with how they were introduced to IU.\nWe hate to break it to transfer students, but these are some of the same complaints incoming freshmen have. They too have to take placement tests. Not everyone is able to make it to all of the orientation events. Freshmen have to put up with the same paperwork and other commitments that keep transfer students from being able to attend all the seminars and table fairs. \nThe University isn’t keeping anything from transfer students. There is no secret to IU survival, and even if there were, certainly it wouldn’t be revealed to freshmen. That’s for them to figure out themselves. It builds character!\nWhen we look back on our own orientation experiences, nothing really stands out as being particularly beneficial. We do, however, recall the central lessons of that day: Drugs are bad. Class is hard. Dorms are kind of shady. And honestly, that’s pretty much it. Transfer students have probably already heard all that at their former, yet obviously inferior, institutions of higher learning. Trust us, you aren’t missing out.\nMany of those who transfer to IU come from smaller institutions. It’s understandable they’re going to feel overwhelmed. No amount of orientation could possibly prepare someone accustomed to small, intimate classes for huge lecture halls or the constant stampede of foot traffic in front of Ballantine. Freshmen feel similarly overwhelmed, no doubt.\nBut if there are issues with the orientation programming at IU (and we aren’t saying there are), adjustments should be made. Basically, transfer students can make great friends and have successful careers at IU. But what transfer students, as all students, take out of their college career is completely rendered by their willingness to put in the effort to learn about the IU and Bloomington community.\nSo, transfer students, the next time you feel a little uneasy, talk to your professors and the students you meet in class, who will be willing to share with you their knowledge of the campus. Besides, there is a silver lining to every cloud. Look on the bright side. Things could be much worse – you could have transferred to Purdue!
Everyone loves IU. We love the beautiful campus; we love Hoosier basketball; we love Little 500 weekend and we love Bloomington. \nWait, who says IU automatically equals Bloomington?\nApparently the other seven campuses in the IU system beg to differ. And who’s their ringleader? \nIU-Purdue University at Indianapolis of course. \nThe election of former Interim Provost Michael McRobbie to the position of University president has served to highlight the seemingly ever-present power struggle between IU’s two biggest campuses, IU-Bloomington and IUPUI.\nIn fact, the President of the IUPUI Faculty Council, Bart Ng, has called McRobbie’s reign as president “critical” to the future of relations between the two campuses. \nIUPUI has been gaining increased national respect due to its strengths in research and the sciences, especially at the university’s medical school.\nFaculty discontent at IUPUI allegedly stems from a 2005 report in which IUB was named as the flagship campus.\nNg has gone so far as to say that even though IUPUI is hopeful that McRobbie’s tenure will help give it the recognition it deserves, if it does not, the school might break off from IU within the next 15 years. (We wonder if this will be comparative to South Carolina’s secession from the Union). \nWe believe that IUPUI does deserve a significant amount of recognition and respect. \nHowever, we also feel that they are already given that recognition and respect. Everyone across the IU system is well-aware of IUPUI’s contributions. \nRosalie Vermette, IUPUI Faculty Council vice president, said that IUPUI doesn’t “want to be superior” but that it wants to be “a contributor.” \nWell then, what’s the problem? We’re sorry that IUPUI has gotten so worked up about IUB being called a flagship campus, but that’s what IUB is – a flagship campus. \nIt should also keep in mind that the “P-U” in its name stands for “Purdue University.” IUPUI is collaboration between two separate universities, how can it possibly be angry over not having flagship status? Why hasn’t it gone crying to Purdue? \nAt the end of the day, there can only be one captain and one first mate, one Marcia Brady and one Jan; one Michael Jackson and one Tito; OK, scratch that last one.
How will you remember this academic year? Some may see the transition of president from Adam Herbert to Michael McRobbie as noteworthy. Others may point to the news of the Jill Behrman murder trial that consumed the campus and the community. Maybe it will be a bittersweet memory, such as James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul,” gracefully performing at IU in September 2006 before his surprising death in December. It’s possible that some will remember the Wade Steffey tragedy above all.\nAs notable as those and other events are, the editorial board can’t help but reflect on how one topic has recurred in this newspaper. We see the topic of outsourcing recurring all too often – in national news pieces, opinion columns, even our own editorials. Today’s editorial marks the fourth time we’ve addressed the idea of outsourcing since the beginning of the year. And we suspect it won’t be the last, especially given IU’s potential outsourcing of both the bookstore and residential dining.\nBut don’t blame IU. Our administrators, who are employees of the state, are merely taking the lead from their big boss, Gov. Mitch Daniels.\nIt’s not surprising that Daniels has sought to outsource the state’s services, such as the Hoosier Lottery and now portions of the Family and Social Service Administration. As the founder of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Daniels knows how to properly meld the roles of public and private organizations. Before assuming the governorship, Daniels headed the Office of Management and Budget, overseeing the assembly of the federal budget. A similar office has since been implemented in Indiana’s government for budget management and fiscal responsibility.\nWe take all of these as positives in endorsing the new plan to privatize the FSSA as well as compliment Daniels for his initiative in reforming Indiana’s budget.\nHowever, we offer the governor and the rest of the state the same advice we gave IU’s board of trustees when considering their own outsourcing agenda: Proceed with caution.\nOutsourcing portions of the state’s welfare system – which the FSSA works with – may lead to budgetary gains and cost savings, but no net gain in state surpluses is worth the loss in one’s livelihood that can result when outsourcing goes awry. In this instance, public employees are slated to resume work with a private firm, Dallas-based Affiliated Computer Services. We hope this trend continues if outsourcing remains on the state’s agenda.\nAdditionally, let’s not forget the essential services the FSSA provides. About 600,000 Hoosiers receive food stamps through the state’s welfare programs, and 1.1 million residents total receive benefits from the FSSA. No family or individual must be affected by this transition, lest our endorsement be retracted.\nWhile cost savings and efficiency gains are positives for Daniels’s outsourcing agenda, any damage done to the welfare of our residents is not acceptable. We anxiously await the results.
Forgive the cliche, but with great power comes great responsibility. In accordance with incoming President Michael McRobbie’s new contract, with a substantial pay-hike comes greater accountability. The details of McRobbie’s contract were made public last week, complete with some changes from President Adam Herbert’s contract including a $40,000 pay increase (making his salary about average among similarly-sized schools) and basic annual reviews by the board of trustees. Every five years, McRobbie will be put through an even more rigorous review. According to Indiana Daily Student reports, the faculty are pleased with these developments since all the faculty are required to go through annual reviews, it’s only fair that their leader is also held accountable.\nThe editorial board also believes that both the pay raise and the heightened accountability for our new president are excellent decisions for the future of IU. With as big a responsibility as running a major research institution and with the size of the salary he can expect, a yearly review to ensure that his goals and actions align with those envisioned by the trustees is a logical decision. This annual check-in with the trustees would be greatly beneficial in streamlining the administrative process. Oversight can only be good for everyone affected by the president’s decision-making.\nWe do not want the presidency to be a nominal position, with McRobbie being some sort of idle figurehead. Rather, we desire that the head of our University – especially in consideration of the substantial salary McRobbie will receive – to be a leader who serves the University and conducts himself in a manner that best facilitates the goals of the University as a whole. In solidarity with this vision for our president, it appears that the framers of McRobbie’s contract have inserted this “annual review” clause to monitor his commitment to University objectives closer than presidents in the past.\nThis is an admirable step toward better communication between University bureaucrats, promoting a unified vision for the future of the University, facilitating greater transparency in the bureaucratic process, and lessening the potential for power abuse by institutionalizing presidential accountability. These annual reviews don’t have to be a brutal process, but should be effective as a friendly check-in, as the contract states, consider “the achievements and the accomplishments of the president in meeting or making progress toward the goals, objectives and priorities” of the University.\nThe fact that the intensive review will occur every five years, coinciding with the potential renewal of McRobbie’s contract, is also a fair and logical decision for the relationship between the president and trustees. The occasional deep bureaucratic audit is vital to running a smooth operation, but by not doing it every single year, it prevents the trustees from lording an inordinate amount of power over the president.\nUnder this novel policy of reviews, we hope that this unprecedented amount of communication and the fresh energy McRobbie brings to the position will help his tenure as president be a dynamic time of great growth and advancement for the University.
Kelley School of Business graduate Stanley Benecki recently made a decision that takes the definition of the phrase “hands-on learning” to a whole other level. \nBenecki has donated $1.95 million dollars of beachfront property on a Florida island to the Kelley School.\nHis intention with this generous gift was for students to have the “opportunity to play developer by getting out there and figuring out ways to market and increase” the value of the land. Any of the profits made by the students’ ventures on the island will be given back to the Kelley school and regarded as a creative donation from Benecki, who earned his degree in real estate. \nBoth undergraduate and graduate students in the real estate club will also be allowed to participate in whatever projects Kelley decides to undertake, expanding the experience to those who may not be in the business school. \nThe island is mostly owned by a group called the Nature Conservancy, which works with the government and other groups to protect nature. The waters around the island contain many shipwrecks from colonial times, and it used to be a hide-out for pirates and smugglers. Today, fewer than 100 Florida residents live on the island, which can only be reached by plane or boat. \nWe here at the Indiana Daily Student editorial board believe this was a very unusual – but very generous – gift. Echoing the sentiments of Jeffrey Fisher, director of the Benecki Center for Real Estate Studies, it’s nice to know that IU has influenced Benecki’s life enough for him to give back to the school in this way. \nWe do urge the Kelley School, however, to tread with caution. This property could indeed be a valuable learning tool if used carefully. Kelley should make sure that only a select group of students and the right programs have access to this resource. The students should also remember that although it will indeed supplement their educations, having an island lab rat to experiment on is by no means fundamental to their educations. Students who don’t have an opportunity to “play developer” might also have the tools needed to achieve a great career in real estate. \nIn addition, they should remain highly considerate of the fact that there indeed people who live on the island and that they should be aware of the consequences any of the Kelley School’s actions may have on these people and their lives. \nAs mentioned before, the majority of the island is a nature preserve of sorts. If it can, Kelley should remain aware of this and try to maintain as much of the environmental integrity of the place as they can, out of respect to its ecosystem, history and residents.\nEco-tourism might be an unconventional yet extremely profitable measure to take. \nWith that, we sincerely wish the good folks over at the business school the best of luck in this venture. We hope it is both a fun and enriching experience. And if pillaging is on your agenda, cheers, mates. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
As of writing, "300" has made almost $130 million and within the span of its opening weekend made more than $70 million -- that means it made its money back in the span of three days. All these big numbers means three things: That comic book genius Frank Miller's work will continue to be turned into big-screen eye candy due to the success of "Sin City" and "300;" that director Zack Snyder, who made an incredible debut with his "Dawn of the Dead" remake, could possibly be the next big man on the studio lot; and plenty of people are ready to see R-rated movies making their way back to the cineplex. \n"300" is the story of a fraction of Spartan soldiers who would battle the million men of the Persian army led by Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro, "Lost"). The Spartans are led by Leonidas (Gerard Butler, "The Phantom of the Opera"), one of the toughest SOBs in all of Greece, who dares not succumb to the threats of Xerxes and would rather die a glorious death with all of his men. At the Battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas and his men would get that wish, but not before taking down countless enemies.\nOf course the numbers are greatly exaggerated, as historical evidence shows about 7,000 Greeks fought the millions of Persians, but who really cares? Those numbers are just as impressive. Both Miller's book and Snyder's film are absolutely brutal as limbs fly, heads are chopped off and the battlefield is painted with numerous coatings of blood. Where "Sin City" imitates the panels of the books, "300," utilizing green/blue screens, makes every panel become a moving painting, a great example being when the great tempest smashes hundreds of Persian ships on the rocky shore as the Spartans cheer while Leonidas remains dead silent. It becomes a true work of art, unlike the prequel trilogy to "Star Wars," which appears far too digitized and just plain ugly. \nGerard Butler is spot-on; thankfully he never bursts into song as "The Phantom of the Opera" first made me think he was dreadful. Somehow David Wenham, who plays Delios and serves as our faithful narrator, has become a cinematic chameleon, looking like a puny wimp in "The Propostion" yet becoming a muscular beast for this flick. Santoro's Xerxes is kind of a joke though, oddly looking like a Persian RuPaul with a vocal processor to make him sound more intimidating. Oh well, he's supposed to be a "God-King" right?\nPlain and simple, "300" is destined to make more millions and go down in history as being one of the most successful comic book adaptations, as well as showing that CG will have a major impact on the future of cinema, especially when done this well.
Richard Cooper (Chris Rock) has it all -- the important investment banking job, the corner office, a house with a white picket fence and a loving wife and kids. The only problem, as said by Richard in a voiceover in couple's therapy: "I'm bored out of my f***ing mind!"\nRichard is tested when a seductive friend from his past, Nikki Tru (Kerry Washington), walks into his office one morning. Nikki makes no attempt to hide her attraction to Richard, which makes for some humorous situations in the office. But the closer Richard gets to Nikki, the closer he comes to losing his job and family.\nThe contrast of married life and single life is smart and provides lots of laughs. Watching Richard and his wife (Gina Torres) eating dinner with another married couple is not inherently funny. But when Richard tells the audience (via voiceover) how boring married couples are and how they always talk about the same things and then we see the veiled disdain on Richard's face during the scene, suddenly, it is laugh-out-loud funny.\nThis marks Chris Rock's second outing as a film director, and he does a great job. In the beginning of the movie, the direction and editing was lucid and unambitious. Instead of using fancy editing and camera angles, Rock was more focused on letting the actors tell the story. But by the end of the movie, Rock was using editing techniques and camera angles to help convey emotion through the film. It was as if he were gaining confidence in himself as a director while he was behind the camera.\nThis movie is billed as a romantic comedy, but it could also be called a morality tale. "I Think I Love My Wife" is the funniest movie I have seen this year and also one of the smartest. This is an ideal date movie; both parties will not only enjoy the movie but take something away from it as well.
Haven't heard about "The Host" yet? Well, it's time to get educated. \n"The Host" comes from director Joon-ho Bong, whose "Memories of Murder," alongside "Oldboy," is possibly the greatest film to come out of Korea. It's the story of a small, dysfunctional family that owns a food stand next to the Han River. One day crowds of people along the shoreline happen to notice a giant creature hanging under the bridge. Suddenly it drops into the water and swims over; the people obviously think it is friendly and start tossing food at it. Turns out the only food it craves is humans as it bursts out of the river and begins devouring everyone in its path and managing to capture little Park Hyun-seo, the littlest member of the Park family. Now it is up to her father, brother, sister and uncle to save her from the monster, that is if she's still alive. \nOne word alone can describe "The Host:" fun. As other critics have already said, the film is practically a mixture of "'Godzilla' meets 'Little Miss Sunshine,'" which is an easy comparison to make if you've seen either of those movies. Sure, at times it is rather terrifying, but most of the time I was laughing my ass off at the ridiculous antics of the Park family and the drastic measures they're willing to go to save little Hyun-seo. \nThe CG monster, while not the best looking digital creation, is certainly disturbing enough in appearance with its five mouths and thousands of teeth. The way it barrels through everything in the landscape, how it does countless backflips underneath the bridge and even swallows its prey, this beastie is impressive to watch. And just like Godzilla was Japan's post-atomic bomb parable on why we should avoid using nuclear weapons, "The Host" is Korea's answer to why we need to stop polluting our world. It carries the message well and is entertaining as hell, so what more reason do you need to go see it?
The Fratellis' debut album, Costello Music, was just released in the United States last week, but you've probably already heard them without knowing it. The Scottish band's "Flathead" has been accompanying Apple's latest iPod commercial -- a job for which the song, with its alternation between a loping swing and pogo-inciting bursts, is ideally suited. But, infectious as "Flathead" is, you could reasonably wonder whether the rest of the album is any good. Apple advertising has a bit of a reputation for cherry-picking great singles from otherwise mediocre albums -- most famously Caesars' "Jerk It Out," but also The Living Things' "Bom Bom Bom" (for an iTunes-compatible phone) and U2's "Vertigo." So, if you like "Flathead," is Costello Music worth your hard-earned lucre?\nYes, actually. Indeed, one might ask whether Apple actually used the album's best track, as other up-tempo numbers such as "Henrietta" and "Chelsea Dagger" could have sold iPods just as easily. But, no matter -- the point is that Costello Music is a sustained burst of straight-forward hand-clapping, hip-shaking, club-hopping garage-punk fun very much in the vein of The Strokes' Is This It?, The Libertines' Up The Bracket or Hot Hot Heat's Make Up The Breakdown. \nNow, you may be thinking: "So what? There were a gazillion bands like that in the early noughties." And you'd be right -- but what sets The Fratellis apart is that they blend their late-'70s punk with elements harkening back even earlier, to the '50s rockabilly of Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent, Carl Perkins and (of course) Elvis Presley. They're not revivalists like The Stray Cats, but they do utilize the simple song structure, bouncing beat and sing-along choruses to terrific effect -- there's a reason songs like Vincent's "Be-Bop-A-Lula" still get people dancing, after all. \nSure, it's a little derivative -- and sure it gets a little samey as the album goes on -- but in an indie rock world that has been trending toward the painfully serious lately, Costello Music is a breath of fresh air. When you need a break from Neon Bible, give it a spin.
Welcome to the big kids table, Joss Stone. On her third album, Introducing Joss Stone, the 19-year-old with golden pipes takes the songwriting reins and creates an outstanding record. The album is filled with soul, R&B, hip-hop, rock and enough Motown overtones to make the listener wonder whether Berry Gordy woke up one day and decided to produce a new album.\nStone, who has emerged as one of the best female voices on the music scene, is backed by the beats of producer Raphael Saadiq on the disc, and the two do a great job of bringing a ton of energy to each track. However, like any novice songwriter many of the tracks include themes of love and sexuality, with lyrics such as "Baby I'm hungry/ I want and I need/ Bring me your sugar/ And pour it all over me baby."\nThe album's single, "Tell Me 'Bout It," features girl group-style harmonies that only bring Stone's voice further to the forefront. The track serves as a perfect example to demonstrate how so many different music styles were combined to create a fresh pop sound. "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now" features hip-hop great Common. The track is a duet about a couple and is highlighted by Common rhyming a verse and Stone delivering in the chorus. Lauryn Hill is also featured on the track, "Music," a song in which Stone does a great job of describing her passion for her art.\nThis album, which is a long way from Stone's two previous albums, does a great job living up to its title. This is what we've all been waiting for: the girl with the booming voice showing the world what she's made of. The disc has the 'wow' factor necessary for an artist's third release, telling the world that Joss Stone is here and going to stay for a long, long time.