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(12/08/03 5:24am)
Candlelight filled the air and smells of warm apple cider sifted through the Wylie House Museum, 307 E. Second St., Saturday, as the home was showcased for the annual "Wylie House by Candlelight" open house.\nThe Wylie House, built in 1840 by Andrew Wylie, the first IU president, has had an annual open house for about 13 years, Museum Director Jo Burgess said.\nUpon arriving at the house, guests were welcomed by costumed hostesses dressed in clothing styles from the 1840s. Sherry Brunoehler, an IU staff member and volunteer at the museum, was one of those greeters.\n"This is my fourth year working the open house, and it's been very pleasant," she said.\nHer mother, Carol Wise, who assured that the costumes were warm enough to brave the weather, accompanied Brunoehler. \n"I'm wearing a dress, a wool petticoat, cotton petticoat, drawers and a cape interlined with wool," she said. "We're staying very warm."\nInside, visitors were treated to a candlelight atmosphere with a wide assortment of cookies and warm apple cider. The house, which is one of Bloomington's oldest structures and is listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places, showcased furniture and displays from the 1840s.\nVisitors ranging from faculty and staff to Bloomington residents and students streamed in to see the festive sights of the interior of the house.\nWhile live music accompanied the atmosphere, volunteers like Cindy Smith, who teaches public speaking at IU, were on hand to show visitors around.\n"I love this," she said. "Last year I saw the report about the event after it happened and was so disappointed I missed it."\nSmith, who also took part in the atmosphere by dressing in costume, said Wise made many parts of her costume.\nSenior Erica Kendall, an intern at the Wylie House Museum, also dressed up in costume and said they were "quite comfy" for the atmosphere inside. \nThe open house, which lasted from 5 to 8 p.m., is an annual tradition, but not the only one. The Wylie House also features events like antique quilt exhibits, an heirloom garden, plant sales and recitals. Guided tours are available November through March, when the upper floor can be seen. \n-- Contact staff writer Rachel Ward at raward@indiana.edu.
(11/19/03 5:16am)
To some students, copying and pasting some information here and there into the usual English paper doesn't seem like such a big deal. These students question how professors will ever know.\nBut with the new software, TurnItIn, that IU faculty and staff are test-running in classes, those few stolen words could turn into a plagiarism dilemma.\nTurnItIn, the new software available to universities across the country for catching plagiarism, has found its way into IU's computer systems.\n"This software is available nationally for universities to subscribe to, and we've been using it in a limited way, making it available to faculty," said Pamela Freeman, associate dean of students and director for the Office of Student Ethics.\nThe new software, which matches a student's paper with the entire publicly accessible Internet, millions of published works and every student paper ever submitted to TurnItIn, is available to IU faculty for a test run.\nWilliam Wheeler, a professor of mathematics and a member of the Bloomington Faculty Council, brought the issue of TurnItIn to the council meeting Tuesday, offering a resolution for the University to make it available to all students and instructors.\nDuring the meeting, Wheeler brought up the concern of student rights in using this software. \n"One of the issues that has arisen is the protection of students' intellectual rights," he said. "Two ways of going about that are getting written permission from the students, or letting the University have control of the databases."\nWhile it was a concern for faculty to have student permission, about 40 professors and instructors signed up to use the new software. Now that written permission from the student isn't needed anymore, about 80 have signed up to use the program.\nAnother issue brought up at the meeting was the proposal in the resolution to make TurnItIn available to students.\n"The thought here is that students will be able to submit their own papers to TurnItIn," Wheeler said. "It will educate them on what plagiarism is and they will have that option of direct feedback."\nWheeler is proposing that students will be able to directly submit their work to TurnItIn, see if anything they have written is plagiarism and learn from their mistakes.\nWhile it seems bold, he said that it would be up to the instructor whether to offer it to the students for use or not.\nWhile the resolution was a compilation of three parts, only the third portion was voted on and favored unanimously. \nThe third part, which states, "The Office of Instructional Support Services, in consultation with the Educational Policies Committee and the Student Affairs Committee, should continue the current pilot test of the TurnItIn software," was approved by the BFC; while the other parts, which would make it available to all students and instructors, were set aside for the next meeting.\nAlthough it's not fully instituted yet, the test run of TurnItIn will continue to be available for faculty to try out.\n-- Contact staff writer Rachel Ward at raward@indiana.edu.
(11/11/03 5:57am)
The credit hour has long been a staple to the university system, but that stability has been challenged lately.\nIn a collection of essays entitled, "How the Student Credit Hour Shapes Higher Education," the validity and feasibility of the credit hour is being questioned as alternatives like "student assessments" are studied carefully.\n"We've looked at all the ways the credit hour measures things in the university comprehensively and we've decided that learning should be an outcome, not a measure of time," said Jane Wellman, a senior associate at the Institute for Higher Education. "We need to stop measuring learning in this way."\nWellman, who is co-editor of the essays with Thomas Ehrlich, said this issue has been gaining increasing attention in the last few years. \n"With students cross-transferring credits from high school, transfer students and distance learning, there has been more discussion on how the credit hour works," she said.\nThat discussion is centered on creating a different way of measuring a student's wealth of knowledge. Wellman said universities and education programs should be looking more at competency-based programs rather than depending on the credit hour.\n"Rather than defining a student's degree as a curriculum sequence of classes, it starts on the other end," Wellman said. "Rather than counting time, they award credits to competency levels."\nWhile many higher education systems and officials are in favor of a new "competency-based system," some students at IU have different opinions.\n"I don't think it's a very good idea at all," sophomore Heather Wilson said. "It would be harder for everybody because a lot of structure would be gone. If students are in a class where they are barely getting by, it seems like they wouldn't be competent enough to receive credit with this plan."\nOther students, like sophomore Elizabeth Gibson, agree with the idea.\n"Since I have been at Indiana University, I have never felt that credits were standards for how much students have learned. That is what we have letter grades for," she said. "I do, however, enjoy the structure of our current credit system. I think that credits, along with a proper GPA, are efficient standards of judgment to determine when a student is ready for graduation."\nWhile it looks like a new system like this would be a drastic change for both the students and the school, Wellman assures that it wouldn't have to be a huge change.\n"It would be like changing from credit hours to units," she said. "We're no longer going to pretend that three hours equals three units of credit. If you read the material, take the tests and do the work appropriately, then you are competent in that subject."\nWhile Wellman suggests that a change for the University can be big or small, she is certain on one thing.\n"It's a change in the way we're thinking, but I think it could be a very healthy change," she said.\n-- Contact staff writer Rachel Ward at raward@indiana.edu.
(11/04/03 5:21am)
As students struggle through the halfway point of what seems to be a never-ending semester, a break is something wanted by all.\nHere at IU, however, the concept of fall break is a mere thought among students and staff, as it doesn't exist here -- at least yet.\nThe Bloomingon Faculty Council is weighing the pros and cons of instituting fall break. The proposal for extending Thanksgiving break, which was made two years ago, is still being discussed by the council.\nR. Gerald Pugh, professor and associate dean of continuing studies, said scheduling the academic year is all about trade-offs and making each semester a full 16 weeks.\n"The calendar has to be constructed as a totality of trade-offs, all of which have to equal 52 weeks," he said. "The goal is to keep the quality and quantity of the academic calendar the same, if not more than it has always been."\nPugh, chair of the scheduling and calendar committee for the Faculty Council, said the main goal of the committee and council is to keep academics as the number one priority in the academic year.\n"Because of increasing tuition costs to cover salaries and other expenses, you don't want to decrease the academic time in the calendar because that is exactly what students are paying for," he said.\nThe solution to these issues came with a proposal two years ago made by the committee to the Bloomington Faculty Council. The proposal set up a way for the calendar to allow a full 16 weeks of school while still creating a fall break.\nTo achieve this solution and to have no "broken weeks," which would hinder the science department's use of lab scheduling days, the committee proposed to incorporate the two days before Thanksgiving as a "fall break," which would in turn make Thanksgiving an entire week.\nBecause many students skip out Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving and faculty find them as lost days, the committee thought it would be best to mark them as fall break. \n"There's merit in the idea of a fall break, but Thanksgiving is where students, by virtue of their actions to have a full week, have placed it," he said.\nTo have that week off, Pugh said, the academic calendar must add one more week to the semester while letting Labor Day be off to create the full 16 weeks.\n"With this proposal, you can get Labor Day off, you can get a fall break a little later, and you can have a full week off for Thanksgiving by starting one week earlier," he said.\nWith this proposal, the first semester would be symmetrical to the second semester, with Labor Day equaling Martin Luther King Day, and Thanksgiving equaling Spring Break.\nAlthough the proposal still conflicts with some, Pugh said it is the most positive way to incorporate the wishes to have a fall break, a longer Thanksgiving, and Labor Day off while keeping academics as the highest priority.\n"When you put a proposal like that in place and put it in the public, you look for discussion and opinions on whether it will work for students and faculty or not," Pugh said. "So far there has been very limited discussion."\nWhile Pugh said that every year around October students speak out and wish they had a fall break, it dies down.\nAlthough many students think that adding a week to the beginning of school would make the semester longer than other schools, they are wrong.\n"Purdue has a fall break, but look at when they start," Pugh said.\nWith Purdue's start date set at Aug. 20 and its fall break two days long, IU would have an almost identical calendar year to Purdue, therefore not having a longer year than other schools.\nSo while the proposal is with the BFC and the effects would create a balanced semester with a full 16 weeks like it should be, Pugh said that it has been the most unexplored option by students.\n"No one has come and written a proposal that they would like to start a week earlier," he said.\n"Students and faculty need to know that this is a trade off, and that it will only work if there is a trade off so that we have a full, 52-week calendar year."\nDespite starting school earlier, some students would still like a break.\n"It bothers me that other schools get a fall break while we don't, but in the end I think we all have the same amount of school as anyone else," sophomore Areta Ljubicic said. "At least it would give us a break though."\n-- Contact staff writer Rachel Ward at raward@indiana.edu.
(10/24/03 6:10am)
With Halloween just around the corner, IU student and faculty groups are gearing up for philanthropies, fun and a good old scare.\nLambda Chi Alpha and Delta Zeta are holding their annual haunted house tonight and Saturday to benefit the Bloomington chapter of Big Brothers, Big Sisters.\nThe chapters are putting on the haunted house at Lambda Chi, 1210 E. Third St.\n"The entire house is being transformed into a haunted house," said junior Brian Houlihan, philanthropy chairman for Lambda Chi. "Many of the scenes require a lot of building, and we're even converting one room into an evil carnival."\nWhile Houlihan said preparation has taken them several months, he is excited to see the hard work pay off.\n"We feel that the house this year is the best it's ever been, and we expect a huge turnout," he said. \nResidents and students alike are invited to the haunted house, although Houlihan warned the festivities might be a bit too scary for the youngsters.\nOn the less-spooky side, other greek groups like the Interfraternity Council, IU Panhellenic Association, Multicultural Greek Council and the Order of Omega are putting on Safe Halloween later in the week. The event is in its fourth year.\n"The first year we had about 400 kids, the second we had over 1,200, and last year we had about 2,200," said junior Ryon Wolski, philanthropy chair for IFC. "It's been increasingly growing, and we're really excited about the turnout."\nSafe Halloween, which runs from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, will give kids a chance to trick-or-treat with their parents up and down North Jordan Avenue and the extension at different chapters.\nOrange Halloween bags, sponsored by T.I.S. Bookstore, will be provided to families at "home base," which is at the parking lot of St. Paul Catholic Center, 1413 E. 17th St.\nOther organizations will also be putting on programs for Halloween.\nThe IU Organ Department and the Bloomington Chapter of the American Guild of Organists is putting on "Pipes Spooktacular," a concert of live, scary music for Halloween.\nThe concert, set for 9 p.m. Oct. 31, is free for all students and residents who attend.\n"This concert has been going on for two years, and we went from about 30 people the first year to a standing-room crowd of about 200 last year," said Vince Carr, co-coordinator of the event.\nThe concert will feature spooky music, including Toccata Fugue in D minor, and all are welcome to come dressed in costume.\nWhile IU departments are preparing for their Halloween plans, residence halls are planning dances, contests and much more to celebrate.\nMcNutt Quad will hold a Halloween costume contest and pizza party Friday in the McNutt Formal Lounge. Sponsored by the McNutt Student Government, contestants will be judged on "freakiest, coolest and most creative costumes" by McNutt President Joe Reid, a resident assistant and a custodian from the building.\nAcross the street, Foster Quad will show movies for students starting at 7 p.m. Thursday. The movies will be projected onto Foster-Harper, and students are encouraged to bring a blanket and some lawn chairs to enjoy the movies. Free pizza and drinks will be provided.\nAshton Quad will hold "Fright Night" Wednesday in the Barnes Lounge of Ashton-Stempel. The party runs from 8 to 11 p.m., and activities include a costume contest, pumpkin carving contest (pre-carved and speed-carve), a mummy wrap using industrial sized toilet-paper, a piñata and a candy corn guess contest. "Scary Movie" also will be shown at midnight.\nAshton President Kyle Campbell said he's excited for the turnout.\n"Last year we recorded about 150 students, and this year we see no reason why we shouldn't have more," he said. "The word is out and people are fired up about the program."\nAdmission is $1, which goes to Middle Way House, or two canned goods that will be donated to the Ashton food drive.\nTeter Quad will hold its annual "Teter Treat," a program where children from Bloomington can play games, win prizes and trick-or-treat through the hallways.\nRunning from 6 to 8 p.m. on Halloween, there will be a hall decorating contest for the kids to enjoy as they travel to the dorm rooms.\nRead Center also will participate in Halloween festivities. Residents will play classic Halloween horror movies Wednesday, open their doors for kids to come and trick-or-treat Thursday, and on Halloween they will put on a haunted house in the Read basement from 7 to 10 p.m. Donations are welcome.\nWith all the activities coming up next week, students and residents should have plenty to do for a "spooktacular" Halloween.\n-- Contact staff writer Rachel Ward at raward@indiana.edu.
(10/15/03 5:23am)
While most students don't worry about little details such as what cologne to wear or how white their teeth are before going into an interview, Michelle Martin Colman says it can make the difference between whether or not the interview goes well.\nColman, a certified protocol consultant who teaches personal and business etiquette to clients such as professors, people on trial and doctors at the Protocol Institute of Mid-America in Bloomington, gave a lecture Monday night at the Virgil T. Devault Alumni Center. \nAs the first of her business etiquette seminar series, Colman introduced "Business Interview Etiquette: What you need to know to put you in front of the next candidate" to a group of 26 students, faculty and staff.\n"I think when you practice good manners and good etiquette, it frees up your thought process, and you can concentrate on the business at hand," she said.\nRanging on topics from what type of scent to wear to how to give the correct handshake, Colman discussed various issues of preparation and interviews with the audience.\nColman began the seminar with some advice on being polite.\n"When you learn more about manners, you will be amazed at the amount of rude people you encounter," she said.\nFor those rude people, Colman suggested a simple "Well, bless your heart," would suffice.\nFocusing on everything one should do to prepare themselves for that interview or networking day, Colman had specific advice.\nSome of Colman's most important points were the most basic things that many students forget to do before an interview.\n"Intend to eat and breathe before you go," she said. "It's easier to be a nice person when you've eaten."\nTo prepare physically, Colman stressed that students should be well-groomed, meaning they should look manicured and have a nice scent. \n"When you're healthy, you smell good," she said\nColman also advised students not to drink or smoke before the interview because both will leave a lasting odor that many employers aren't looking for. \n"I've had clients where I could smell them in the waiting room," she said.\nAs for the sound of one's voice, she advised students to be authentic in their answering machine messages, so if employers call back, they get the real person. She also advised students to yawn beforehand as much as they could to find their voices. \n"The way you sound directly affects the way people want to listen to you," she said.\nAs for personal appearance, Colman suggested wearing well-fitted clothes that help a person look groomed. She also mentioned that white teeth are important.\n"We're big into teeth in this culture; everybody wants you to have white teeth," she said.\nFor those on a tight budget with no money to spend on expensive whitening kits, Colman suggested an inexpensive tube of whitening peroxide from the dentist and a football mouth guard from the drugstore would work just fine.\nShe also said men with no facial hair in interviews have a better tendency to get the job.\nAside from her advice, Colman had students actively participate in the seminar by practicing the correct handshake and asking questions whenever they felt necessary.\nSenior Jeff Pietryla, an economics major, said he was excited about the seminar.\n"I'm starting to interview with companies, and I'm going to be going out into the real world soon, so this is beneficial," he said. "The little things played a big role, like how to sit and what to say to people."\nThe next session, which will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., Oct. 21 in the Devault Alumni Center, will focus on "Telling the Truth, and Letting Go of the Outcome."\nStudents are encouraged to bring a thank you note that means something to them for the next seminar.\n-- Contact staff writer Rachel Ward at raward@indiana.edu.
(10/13/03 5:33am)
Thousands of cream and crimson-clad Hoosier fans, students and alumni took over Bloomington over the weekend to celebrate IU's Homecoming. Despite a disappointing football loss, fans demonstrated their IU pride during a weekend full of tradition.
(10/06/03 6:11am)
When Chris Hammer comes to IU in search of new employees at career fairs, he's looking for students that stand out professionally from the crowd.\nHammer, assistant client manager for the Kraft-Miller team at AC Nielsen, a Chicago marketing firm, comes to the fairs with only 13 slots for interviews, and he usually sees about 150 to 170 hopeful students.\n"We're walking away from students with a five minute impression of them, so we're looking for students that do a really nice job relating their experiences to what our jobs entail," he said.\nSenior David Standa is one of those students who attends career fairs.\n"It's good to be able to network, find a face to identify with a company, and have information provided by each company," he said.\nStanda, a finance major, has been working with Mark Brostoff, the associate director of undergraduate career services for the Kelley School of Business. \n"Mark has helped me with networking and preparing my resume," he said. "He has also assisted with my preparation for career fairs."\nBrostoff advises students on career choices and preparation, but also teaches workshops for students. \n"It's a great opportunity for students to introduce themselves to recruiters and to pick up material from companies," he said of the workshops.\nBrostoff said students should take advantage of the Business Placement Office Undergraduate Career Services Web site, which has pages like "How to Make the Most of A Career Day" and lists of career workshops.\nOther departments on campus also organize career fairs and workshops to help students in their job search.\nThe Arts and Sciences Placement Office, commonly known as ASPO, is located in the Career Development Center. Serving a wide variety of job fields through the CDC, ASPO puts on career fairs each fall like, Biology and Chemistry Career Day, set for Wednesday, the Indiana Multicultural Job Fair, Oct. 31, and a Government and Social Services Career Fair, planned for Nov. 12. \n"Anyone from any discipline can use our services to find an internship or career anywhere," said Arlene Hill, associate director of ASPO. "I advise any student looking for a career to take advantage of the fairs." \nOther schools like the School of Informatics, the School of Education and the School of Journalism post career fairs and job opportunities on their Web sites. The School of Informatics will hold workshops, which will start at 5:30 p.m., Tuesdays, in the School of Informatics, Room 107.\nThe School of Journalism holds Work It!, career workshops for journalism students, which take place Fridays in Ernie Pyle Hall, Room 207. Also, the School of Journalism sends out "Deadline," an e-mail newsletter that posts job and internship opportunities.\nTo find complete lists of career fairs and job opportunities, check department Web sites. Career fairs will usually be listed under career opportunities, or through placement offices. \nFor more information on business career fairs, visit the BPO Web site, http://bpo.indiana.edu.
(10/06/03 6:10am)
Sitting at her desk freshman year with a vanilla cappuccino in hand, Kasey Nussmeier stared at her empty computer screen. Wishing she had started her English paper earlier, she prepared to stay up all night to finish it. \nNights like these were frequent for Nussmeier, now a junior. After five or six all-nighters, she realized how tired and cloudy her thinking was the next day.\nAccording to the National Sleep Foundation, college students average 6.8 hours of rest per night, but many college students alter this average when they stay up all night to study.\nSophomore Bridgette Mehl recalls the days after staying up all night freshman year to study for G100, Business in the Information Age, usually with the help of some much needed caffeine. \n"I was really tired the next day, it was hard to concentrate, and I had trouble remembering what I had gone over the night before," she said.\nMehl never pulled all-nighters in high school, but they were a common part of her freshman year. \nFor some students, such as freshman Andre Vaughn, all-nighters are not new phenomena. \n"I pulled a few all-nighters in high school because I would wait until the last minute to write important papers," he said. "I plan on not having to do that again."\nWhether students are pros or beginners at staying awake all night, Anne Reese, director of Health and Wellness Education at the IU Health Center, said all-nighters can seriously affect studying.\n"When students stay up all night studying, it just doesn't take learning to a higher level," she said. "They don't think clearly, and it counters the plan they originally had."\nReese said the effects never turn out the way the student thought they would.\n"What you're doing to study is not ideal study style," she said. "It is crammed information, and most likely that information might not be retained for later use."\nMany students don't realize the effects staying awake all night can have on their bodies.\n"It's not exactly a health risk, but when students get in the habit of staying up late every night, they are chronically tired, and they drag through the semester," Reese said. "Also, the next day when students are driving drowsy, it's similar to being intoxicated, and can be a serious issue. There have been many accidents due to drowsy drivers."\nWhile it's potentially harmful and just plain tiring to stay up all night, Reese assures students that there are no long-term health dangers unless drugs like stimulants come into play.\n"Health risks become an issue when students start using products to stay up late," she said.\nThe drugs to which Reese is referring are stimulants -- amphetamines like speed that keep a person alert and awake. Some examples of these drugs are Ritalin and Adderall, which are used to treat Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.\nAccording to the IU Heath Center Web site, "Ritalin is a central nervous system stimulant similar to amphetamines, typically used to treat narcolepsy and ADHD. It is addictive and has a high potential for abuse."\nAlthough it is a prescription drug and is said to be under close regulation by federal and state laws, many students at IU and other universities are finding ways to get Ritalin.\nSteve Tatterson, now a sophomore, said he used Ritalin to stay awake his freshman year. \nTatterson used the drug to help him sit down and pay attention during finals week. He said he experienced no negative side effects other than having trouble falling asleep after he had taken it. \n"It was really easy to concentrate on my work, and it made me a little hyper," he said.\nWhile Tatterson didn't experience many side effects, Ritalin is known to make people nervous and can cause appetite and sleep disturbance, according to the IU Health Center Web site. \n"Reactions could be from feeling jittery and nervous to having cardiovascular problems," Reese said.\n"The drug is prescribed to people who have trouble concentrating, and it acts differently on students who have normal concentration levels. It is a serious drug; therefore it is a controlled substance."\nEven though Ritalin might have side effects ranging from minor to serious, some students are not afraid to take it to get the job done. \n"I don't worry about the side effects because it is a drug that is prescribed," Tatterson said. \nSome heed the warnings and won't go near the drug. \nReese strongly advises students to develop habits to kick all-nighters before they become a problem.\n"There's nothing that says in college you have to pull all-nighters," she said. "For students that haven't started this behavior, I would advise to stay away from it. It's not beneficial."\n-- Contact staff writer Rachel Ward at raward@indiana.edu.
(10/06/03 6:03am)
Senior marketing major Brandon Hunt has been preparing for his career through internships since his sophomore year. Now, he's preparing for the real thing -- finding a job.\nWith career fairs and recruiting visits around the corner, seniors are realizing they will soon have to interview with prospective employers. \nFor those preparing for interviews, placement offices and professionals across campus are there to help.\n"The first thing is to make sure your documents are error free," said faculty lecturer Jeanette Heidewald, who teaches X104, a business presentations course. \nWhile working in human resources at IU, Heidewald once interviewed Rich Macek, who works for human resource services. \n"He told me that with all the applicants he gets, if he saw just one error on their documents, he discarded them immediately," she said.\nHeidewald, who advises students on their resumes, cover letters and follow-up letters, remembers a student who gave out 50 resumes at a career fair only to discover later she had made an error in her objectives section.\nOnce students' documents -- resume and cover letter -- are impeccable, it's time to start preparing for how to handle questions and answers about themselves and the company they might work for.\nMost professionals and advisers will say that preparation is the single most important part of the interview process. \n"There's nothing worse than recruiters spending time and company dollars on a student who's not prepared for the interview," said Mark Brostoff, associate director of Undergraduate Career Services for the Kelley School of Business.\nBrostoff and other professionals like Arlene Hill, associate director of the Arts and Sciences Placement Office, advise students to know the company they are interviewing with, so that when the time comes, students will be able to take a keen interest in conversation about the company and what it has to offer.\n"Know who you are interviewing with, know trends in the field, and be certain to know names and job titles," Hill said.\nStudents might think that recruiters won't notice if they don't know the company, but Chris Hammer, associate client manager for the Kraft-Miller team for ACNielsen, a marketing firm in Chicago, is confident that they do. \n"We are basically choosing who to bring back for interviews at career fairs, and since there is limited time at the fairs, it's nice when students know our company and can introduce themselves instead." Hammer said when students don't know the company, the few minutes recruiters have with them at fairs are spent explaining the company rather than focusing on the potential employee.\nBrostoff said students should take that first minute to introduce themselves and find a common ground with the employer.\nWhile knowledge of the company is extremely important, another key part is getting ready to answer and ask questions in the interview.\n"I ask students in my classes to know what skills and qualities distinguish them from other applicants in the job position," Heidewald said. \nShe said students should come up with specific examples to explain why they are a leader, or how they know how to handle difficult situations. \n"You'll look at your resume and see you've waited tables at Applebee's, but that's not all you did. You learned how to deal and interact with difficult situations and people," Heidewald said.\nHunt is getting ready for crucial interviews.\n"I research, research, research on the company and my personal characteristics. In interviews, you just have to be yourself."\nAfter students are prepared and ready to answer the most difficult questions, the next thing they should do in an interview is make sure they know what the recruiter is looking for.\n"Don't focus entirely on academics, because when you go to an interview, recruiters are looking for people who've lived," Heidewald said. "Make sure to have a diverse background."\nBrostoff advises students to mold themselves to the needs of the company and cater to what the recruiter is looking for. \n"Mark (Brostoff) has helped me by guiding me in choosing what companies fit my personality as well as how I need to go about making contacts," Hunt said.\nThese invaluable pointers are a great starting point for students, but some still find themselves on the timid, defensive side in interviews. \n"You may classify yourself as someone who is shy, but you have to be able to reach out to people and redefine yourself," Heidewald said. "Build a strong communication background throughout your years at IU, and when the interviewer asks what your weakness is, think of it not as a weakness, but as a challenge you have to overcome."\nHammer, who has first-hand experience in interviewing students, assures them that being confident is essential. \n"Students who come into the interview with something on their resume that might show they are weak tend to be apologizing for themselves the entire interview," he said. "They should take that time to explain themselves instead, because usually there is good reason for what went wrong."\nHill said students should be prepared and confident about going into the interview.\n"It's sort of like being on a first date; you always have to present the best part of yourself," she said.\nFor those last minute questions like what to wear or what body language to use, err on the side of professional but not uptight. \n"Ladies, no mini-skirts. 'Ally McBeal' is not the real world," she said.\nThe last thing to remember is that the first impression students give the potential employer is important. \n"You are being interviewed when you're waiting in the reception area for the employer," Brostoff said.\nWhether students are ready or not, they should make sure to sell themselves on the first impression, because it will stick with the employer throughout the interview. \n"In that first impression, they will not decide to hire you, but they may decide not to hire you," Heidewald said.\nHunt, who has been preparing for interviews, is ready to tackle the challenge of finding a job.\n"The anxiety is always unknown, but there is much to be excited about," he said. "It's a turning point in your life, and it's time to be totally independent"
(09/23/03 6:01am)
For any college student preparing for a career, table manners and etiquette at business lunches and dinners are an integral part of success. That's why on Oct. 13 and Oct. 21, the IU Alumni Club of Monroe County and the Student Alumni Association are teaming up to host seminars focusing on etiquette and manners needed in the demanding and competitive business world. \n"There's really no class that teaches business etiquette or table manners, and when students go out to interview for jobs; it's an intangible part of the job process," said John Laskowski, vice president of marketing and membership for the Alumni Association. \nThe two seminars, both of which will be held in the Kelley Dining Room at the Virgil T. DeVault Alumni Center, 1000 E. 17th St., will be managed and run by Michelle Martin-Colman, a certified protocol consultant who specializes in business etiquette in these types of settings.\n"The seminars sound really appealing because etiquette is important for success in business since first impressions are so crucial," said Megan Miller, a senior marketing major.\n"Business Interview Etiquette: what you need to know to put you in front of the next candidate" is the topic of discussion on Oct. 13, while "Manners that Mean Business: everyday manners in a competitive world" will be discussed on Oct. 21. Both sessions run from 5 to 7 p.m.\nThere will be a discussion and lessons on how to use special utensils, how to navigate food gracefully from plate to mouth and how to engage in interesting conversation. Students should bring a bag lunch for each session.\n"Our main hope is to educate students and make them feel comfortable in a business dinner setting since recruiters will be taking students out for interviews," said senior Maggie Brozio, president of the Student Alumni Association. "The seminars are geared towards business students, but are most certainly open to all students."\nTickets are $5 for SAA members and $10 for non-members. Students can attend one or both of the seminars.\nAfter the sessions, students can test their new skills at a four-course dinner Nov. 4 at the Tudor Room in the Indiana Memorial Union.The formal dinner comes at an additional price and students should dress in proper business attire.\nSeating for each event is limited to 50 people, and an R.S.V.P. is required by Oct. 3. Contact Rachael Crouch at 855-2263 or rlcrouch@indiana.edu to secure a spot. \n-- Contact staff writer Rachel Ward at raward@indiana.edu.
(04/24/03 4:11am)
With the recent fall of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan comes freedom for the country and its people. And with that freedom comes the chance to rebuild a torn culture. Here at IU, faculty and staff are taking that chance to rebuild Afghanistan through assisting education in its schools. \nBranching off from a higher education assistance project IU carried out in the 1960s in Afghanistan, faculty and staff are in the midst of developing new assistance to its education system.\nSupported by the U.S. Agency for International Development, IU's educational assistance program in Afghanistan during the 1960s was directly associated with Kabul University. The purpose of the assistance was "to provide advice to the executive and management staff at Kabul University in the development of more effective operations," according to a semi-annual report of the project.\nWhile in Afghanistan, IU worked to create better funding, research programs, student affairs and much more. The project was completed in 1971.\nFrom the time IU completed its assistance project until now, Afghanistan has been the center of heated wars and political unrest, which has meant damage to its education system. \n"The higher education system was totally destroyed because of wars, and many Afghan professors were leaving the country," said Professor of Anthropology Nazir Shahrani, a native of Afghanistan who attended Kabul University during IU's involvement there.\n"I stepped into a classroom last year I had sat in as a freshman that had been modern in my time, and it was painful for me," Shahrani said. "There were no lights, the blackboard was gone, and there were broken chairs everywhere. Students were sitting in the dark."\nKhwaga Kakar, a graduate student at IU from Afghanistan, also recalls the deterioration of schooling before she left Kabul, where she lived. \n"The education system was going down because boys were fleeing the country so they wouldn't be recruited for war, and the motivation level for them was low because of it," Kakar said.\nBecause of the damage to the educational system, Shahrani, who is the director of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at IU, has begun an initiative to help in the reconstruction of higher education in post-Taliban Afghanistan. He said he felt the need for assistance in a much broader aspect.\n"This project is broader because we are assisting in the strategic planning of national higher education assistance in general, not just at Kabul University," he said. "We want to encourage the development of regional universities in different areas, and our idea is to include both Afghans and non-Afghans who will be able to assist in the planning."\nThe project in works, which began with a strategic planning conference on Oct. 6 and 7 of 2002, is geared toward the hope of developing a blueprint for higher education.\n"The conference participants decided to undertake two important steps in helping educational reconstruction in Afghanistan: to form the Foundation for Afghanistan Higher Education and the Afghanistan Studies Association," Shahrani said.\nAmong the supporters of the endeavor is Dean of International Studies Patrick O'Meara.\n"This project brings together people who have lived in Afghanistan who have hopes for its future," he said.\nWhile the project has not been implemented in all aspects yet, Shahrani has been working toward it with a different project called "Roundhouses for Refugees."\n"Roundhouses for Refugees" is a project started by retired professor Alan Knox of the University of Wisconsin and his wife, Linda. Together through the Madison Community Foundation they bought 25 "roundhouses" developed by Robert Leslie, an Australian inventor. These "roundhouses," which look like the typical yurt used in the Afghanistan area, are one-room wooden dwellings with 200 square feet that can withstand harsh conditions. The original plan was to somehow get help to the Afghanistan people during the U.S. bombings there.\nNot knowing what exactly to do with the houses, the Knoxes contacted Shahrani. Being a native of the province Badakhshan, he put forth the idea of donating the houses to Badakhshan Medical School in Faizabad.\n"They could serve as medical clinics where students would have a chance to learn and provide medical services to rural areas," he said. "My idea is that this is a very practical application of this education assistance project."\nShahrani sees the roundhouse project as a way to give assistance to other areas of education in Afghanistan. He said they are a good lead to the project developing at IU.\nTogether with Leslie, the inventor, Shahrani plans to visit Badakhshan this summer to help with assembly and implementation of the roundhouses, in hopes of starting this type of assistance all over Afghanistan.