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(03/19/12 1:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Nine Stone Belt clients, in cooperation with the Bloomington Playwrights Project, showed Bloomington that people with disabilities deserve to be treated like everyone else with their annual production of “I AM YOU” on March 10 and 11.Stone Belt is an organization that provides services for individuals with developmental disabilities in south-central Indiana. With the help of Stone Belt Lifelong Learning Curriculum Developer and IU alumna Michelle Davenport, the clients wrote and produced a collection of dramatic monologues.For each monologue, the clients incorporated one of Stone Belt’s seven core values: self-determination is essential; learning creates empowerment; all people have contributions to make; positive supports provide the best long-term results; home life must be self-directed; employment is a fundamental part of adult life; and social life and relationships help create quality of life. “It was really amazing to see them choose,” Davenport said. “I thought (client) Jonathon (Hendrix) was going to choose ‘learning creates empowerment,’ but he chose ‘all people have contributions to make,’ so he knew something deeper than I did.”In performer Troy Stewart’s piece, “Beautiful Mother,” Stewart was recorded reading a letter he wrote to his mother telling her how much he appreciates her. The piece served as a reminder to appreciate the simple things in life, like “a big box of animal crackers” or “going out to lunch at Hardee’s,” two things Stewart mentioned in his letter. “My mom is very special to me,” Stewart said.Chris Rohrig, another performer, produced a piece called “Puzzles” in which he cut out pictures of his favorite people and things, glued them on large foam puzzle pieces and stuck them to a magnetic board. He used the board as a prop while he discussed each piece’s significance with Davenport and the audience. Rohrig included pictures of his parents and siblings and said he hopes his little sister, Mary Beth, is accepted to Duke University so he can go to the basketball games. Pictures of the Duke basketball team were also included, along with his favorite band, Buckcherry, and his favorite food, pepperoni pizza. He said he hopes to attend a Buckcherry concert next year.Davenport said she believes everyone has a story that can be told.One client, Vicky Smith, discussed her longing for heaven.“I can’t hardly wait to get up there,” she said, bouncing up and down excitedly.The audience laughed with the performers and sympathized with their difficulties.“I thought it was great,” audience member Gladys DeVane said. “I thought they did a wonderful job planning the program as such that they could represent a broad level of abilities.”
(02/29/12 4:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The MCAT, the national medical school entrance exam, is undergoing its fifth revision since it was first developed in 1928, said Dr. Jeff Koetje, director of Pre-Health Programs with Kaplan Test Prep.“There have been such significant advances in the last 20 years,” Koetje said. “It’s no longer about just treating the organ that ails the patient. Doctors are going to have to treat the patient holistically.” Changes in the MCAT exam will start in 2015. The exam will be expanded by one hour, pushing its current five-and-a-half-hour completion time to about seven.Some additional requirements, such as an upper-level biology component, which includes biochemistry, have been added, Koetje said.“Most pre-med students will wait until their late junior year or early senior year to take biochemistry, but with these new changes, students will want to have had biochemistry before they take the MCAT, late junior or even early sophomore year,” he said.A behavioral and social sciences section, which will test introductory knowledge of psychology and sociology, will also be included.Rachel Tolen, assistant director and premedical advisor with IU’s Health Professions and Prelaw Center, said the office is taking the MCAT changes into account. “We are preparing information for this fall’s incoming freshman class that will include additional coursework that we will recommend students complete in biochemistry, psychology, sociology and other areas.”The center’s MCAT prep course will be revised to meet the new requirements, Tolen said.Tolen said a number of the students from fall’s incoming freshmen class will be the first to take the revised MCAT test. Marisha Miskus, who will pursue a biology major at IU this fall, said she intends to plan her schedule accordingly.“I’m definitely going to have to structure my schedule around more psychology and sociology classes if I know that these specific changes are going to be made,” Miskus said. “I guess I’m going to have to be selfish and study a lot more than I would if they weren’t making these changes. I want to go into the test prepared and knowing that I have an advantage.”The writing portion will also be removed from the test in 2015.“Med-school admissions officers told the AAMC that they did not use the writing sample as a significant portion of the admissions process,” Koetje said. “Most people, such as med-school admissions officers, pre-health advisers and those of us at Kaplan, believe these are the right changes to make because these changes are going to help them to be trained holistically.”
(02/14/12 3:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>We all use the bathroom at some point in the day, but what if we decided to never come out?The Bloomington Playwrights Project’s newest musical production, “The Boy in the Bathroom,” that will be performed Feb. 16-18, tells the story of David, a college student with obsessive-compulsive disorder who refuses to come out of his bathroom. “I didn’t necessarily want to produce a play about OCD, but I read the script and I was just so taken by it that I thought it would make a wonderful play,” Producing Artistic Director Chad Rabinovitz said. The production focuses on the fragile world David, played by IU musical theater major Evan Mayer, builds in his bathroom as a result of the crushing grip the disorder takes on his life. The play depicts the emotional toll a psychiatric disorder like OCD can take on the person diagnosed and his or her loved ones.As David struggles to graduate from college within the confines of his bathroom, his mother, played by Lisa Kurz, tries to help by passing food through the inch-wide crack under the door three times a day.But when Julie, played by theater major Maddie Shea Baldwin, enters the house, David’s world starts to change. Julie, hired to assist in cleaning the house after David’s mother breaks her hip, slowly befriends the boy who refuses to open up to the world. Julie gets to know David at his most vulnerable. At one point, Julie dares David to stick his fingertips underneath the doorway and touch hers — as David breaks down in panic, Julie sits on the other side sitting and listening. “It’s all in your head, what you’re scared of, the whole world,” Julie tells David in the play.By staying with David on the other side of the bathroom door, Julie proves to David that in life, no matter how afraid you are, sometimes you have to let love in.“I thought it was great,” graduate student Naomi Eskin said. “I think it’s important to talk about mental issues that aren’t normally part of our dialogue.”
(02/03/12 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Children with disabilities are not typically featured as the lead on modern TV shows, but now, thanks to ABC Family’s new drama “Switched at Birth,” times have changed. “Switched at Birth,” airing at 8 p.m. Tuesday nights, details the lives of two teenage girls, Bay Kennish, played by Vanessa Marano, and Daphne Vasquez, played by Katie Leclerc. The girls were switched at birth and taken home by the wrong families, only to find out years later who they really are. Now, in addition to the stress of high school and adolescence, the girls and families are meeting for the first time. However, Daphne is deaf. The show also stars Sean Berdy as Bay’s boyfriend, Emmett, who is also deaf, along with hearing-impaired actor Lucas Grabeel of Disney’s “High School Musical.”“The show is bringing deaf culture to the frontlines, making sure that hearing people understand what life is like when you are deaf,” IU student Amberle Baker said. “I think the show will cultivate an interest in learning (sign) language.”Baker is “severely hard of hearing,” and she said she sees it as an advantage. She said she believes it makes her more flexible to life’s demands. Baker also said she believes the show has given her the confidence to know she “can still do anything.” Elizabeth Forsythe is a junior taking classes in American Sign Language, and she said she was surprised by the quality of the show. “It’s really inspiring to see a show working so hard to break stereotypes and barriers,” Forsythe said. “My favorite part about the show is actually watching the ASL. Obviously, I think it’s an incredible language.”Daniel Smith, a professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences who is “very deaf” did have one bit of criticism regarding the show’s portrayal of deaf communication.“She (Daphne) should pick one method of communication and stay with it,” Smith said. He said he believes that if Daphne is truly deaf, then she should use ASL more.However, Smith said ”Switched at Birth” is an excellent show and a great opportunity to learn more about deaf culture.“I know many hearing people are very ignorant about deaf culture,” Smith said, adding that the ignorance is not always their fault. But a program such as “Switched at Birth” provides an opportunity for the hearing to learn more about the culture. “The ASL and deaf community is thrilled to have this kind of show,” Smith said.
(02/02/12 2:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Most college students are familiar with the concept of living in a dorm or apartment, but for Ivy Tech Community College sophomore Kameron Breedlove, who has been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and lives with his parents, it took the help of Design for the Senses interior design company to have that same experience when he enters his bedroom.“It’s set up so that Kameron can do a lot of things in one room,” his mother Melissa Breedlove said.During Christmas break about a month ago, members of Design for the Senses remodeled Breedlove’s room to fit his needs. The company specializes in designing and building rooms for kids with special needs, especially those diagnosed with autism. Melissa Breedlove said the first thing people notice in the new room is the bed, which was moved from the middle of the room to the corner with plenty of padding to make it easier for her son to sleep at night.“It’s like having a nest,” she said, smiling.To the right of his bed, designers Janell Yonkman and Becky Gavin added a reading space that includes a swivel chair and a red bookcase where Breedlove can easily access his books.“I like red,” he said. “It’s one of my favorite colors.”Off to the left is Breedlove’s study area.”It’s been easier for me to organize stuff,” Breedlove said. “I didn’t have a whole lot of organization tools at my disposal when I was in my old room.” The room was customized to fit Breedlove’s interests so that, even though he’s living with his parents, he can have his own space.“He really likes war planes, so they kept that theme going throughout the room,” Melissa Breedlove said. “There are lots of planes hanging on the walls.”For the room, Yonkman and Gavin chose specific tones — blues and greens — since the room used to be all white. Breedlove said he did not want wallpaper because he recalled a time when he had to strip wallpaper in his house and it was “a really big hassle.” Breedlove is still getting used to the change, but his mother said they may consider adding a sheepskin rug so that he can feel the soft texture right before he goes to bed.“We all deserve to have a space we can call home and enjoy retreating to,” Yonkman said. “And kids with disabilities sometimes require unique design concepts to make their spaces relaxing for them.”Yonkman has been providing outpatient occupational therapy for several years.“I always thought the spaces kids spend the most time in is where changes could be most beneficial,” she said.Yonkman hired Gavin, who had done some design work in her own home, after finding out that she was a licensed speech therapist. With Gavin’s background in speech therapy and hers in occupational therapy, Yonkman launched Design for the Senses in fall 2010.A typical interior design project can take anywhere from several weeks to just a few days, depending on the goals of the family and child, Yonkman said.Breedlove said the greatest gain he has received from his new room is “being able to live a little bit more independently and having a little more confidence.”“I like it all pretty much,” Breedlove said. “I mostly like the thought of being more independent so I can live somewhere like Louisville or Indianapolis someday.”
(11/28/11 1:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Every person has his or her own way of celebrating the holidays, and some are more traditional than others. At 8 p.m. Dec. 6, Rachael’s Cafe will have a madrigal, or medieval, dinner party with entertainment, including singing, acting and a court jester. ”The ceremonial music is a set of traditional songs that introduce different parts of the feast,” Musical Director Eric Anderson said. “There’s a different tune for the wassail, the boar’s head and the pudding.”A traditional medieval meal will be served at the main event, along with the acting and singing. Two audience members will also be selected to sit with the king and queen at the head of the table.Anderson said the musical selections will be divided into two different types: ceremonial and concert. The concert music will be later in the evening. “After a couple different plays and some comedic bits, there’s a chunk of the program just for our head table and a cappella vocal sextet to sing a few pieces I’ve selected,” he said.The event will serve as the dress rehearsal for Monroe County Civic Theatre’s Madrigal Dinner, which will be Dec. 8 and 15 at KRC Banquets and Catering. The dress rehearsal will begin at 8 p.m., and donations will be taken to benefit the theater.Assistant Costume Coordinator Becky Underwood said she enjoys singing this type of music, especially at this time of year. “It reminds me of my childhood,” she said. “Listening to the Robert Shaw Chorale doing old madrigals and Christmas carols. It’s great to be preparing this music with a diverse bunch of students from the high school, University and community.”
(11/02/11 3:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Technology has made an early and lasting impression on self-confessed nerd Lizzi Pomeroy’s life. “I started gaming when I was 7 or 8, and I found that I really clicked with the people who spent a lot of time playing video games,” she said.Now a senior in informatics, Pomorey has decided to make a career out of her love for technology, and she isn’t the only one.Suzanne Menzel, instructor for introductory-level computer science course C211, said the enrollment for the course has increased. “This fall, we had 40 women enroll in C211,” Menzel said. “Eighteen months ago, when we committed to doubling the numbers in both computer science and informatics, we had 24 women enrolled.”Technology degrees have become increasingly appealing to women, said Maureen Biggers, assistant dean for diversity education in the School of Informatics. “We are helping spread the word that (Information Technology) is important and can be used to solve pressing business and social problems in a variety of fields,” she said. “IT’s absolutely team-oriented. IT’s creative.”Biggers said IU’s School of Informatics is a member of the Pacesetter’s Group at the National Center of Women in Information Technology. These companies are working to raise the visibility of women in computer science and bring 1.2 million women to the industry by 2020.Biggers said 75 percent of informatics students have jobs when they graduate, and 90 percent do within nine months.Menzel said she expects to see this trend continue.“Dean (Robert) Schnabel is committed to continuing and expanding the student support programs, and we fully anticipate further improvements in this critical area,” she said.
(10/12/11 1:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While selling T-shirts, sophomore business major Adam Swartz decided he wanted to create change and do something positive instead of putting money in his pocket.So, last year Swartz launched Green Dream Clothing Company.Swartz’s company has a different spin from the typical clothing vendor: his company plants a tree in Africa for every item sold.Rhino’s All Ages Music Club has teamed up with Swartz for a concert at 8 p.m. Friday.In keeping with Green Dream’s business model, Rhino’s has pledged to plant a tree for every ticket sold.Swartz partnered with a company called Plant It 20/20 that will take the money earned from his clothing and ticket sales to fund the planting of trees. “I thought it’d be a good idea to plant trees because our generation is environmentally aware,” Swartz said. Friday’s concert will feature several rap artists,including Chris Webby of Connecticut, rap group The Cranberry Show and solo artist S-preme with local rapper JMP as the opening act. JMP will perform songs from his new mix tape, “Indiana; the Mix Tape.” “I feel really good about performing,” JMP said. “I’m excited to be performing at a venue that’s all ages instead of just 21 and up. I’m excited to see the turnout and open up for another big name.”Freshman Brett Bassock, who has been handling the promotional efforts for Swartz, said he and Swartz have designed posters to put up all over campus.“I’m pledging Sigma Alpha Mu, so I’ve been trying to spread the word around there,” Bassock said. “Word of mouth is huge.”Bassock expressed excitement about his role in promotions for the event and future local music events.“IU has one of the largest student-concert-promoting aspects of any university in the country,” he said. “I’m just really excited to get involved with that over the next four years.”Tickets at the door are $15. However, students who wear their Big Man on Campus shirts to the show will receive $3 off admission. Students can also visit “Green Dream Presents Chris Webby” on Facebook for a link to pre-sale tickets priced at $12.From 5 to 7 p.m. Friday there will also be a meet-and-greet with Chris Webby and other performers at Green Bananas Clothing, located at Third and Lincoln streets. There will be free soda, and students can meet the performers and have their pictures taken with the performers.
(10/03/11 1:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The night started with two mimes huddled under blankets, asleep on stage, who were suddenly awoken by the deafening sound of a bomb detonating and war footage playing on the production screen. This was the start of the Bloomington Playwrights Project’s new series of all-original plays titled “Bomb/Shell,” which features eight plays, each lasting no longer than ten minutes and drawing from the theme “Making War Making Peace.”Playwrights put their own spin on the topic of war and peace with diverse play themes, such as an alien takeover of the popular students at a school, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a water balloon fight.At the beginning of the show, audience members Chris and Allie Kocsis said they were most looking forward to “seeing the diversity of the reactions of the different award-winning playwrights.” Among the guest writers were Academy Award Nominee Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Daniels and three-time Writers Guild Award Winner Tami Sagher.Junior Amanda Casey attended the sold-out show with her parents, who were in town for Parents Weekend. “I really like it so far,” Casey said. “I’ve never been here before, so I thought I’d come and check it out. It’s awesome.” Casey said her favorite parts were the mimes between each skit. “I like how they kind of add some comedic relief to the subject of war,” she said.Maureen Priog also attended the production and said she was hoping for “a few laughs after a very long week.” Both Priog and the Kocsises said they left the theater happy. “Bomb/Shell” will run Sept. 30 to Oct. 15. Tickets are $18 for general admission and $15 for students with valid student IDs. For more information, visit www.newplays.org.
(09/23/11 1:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The arrival of fall brings the arrival of cold weather. There are few better ways to fight the cold than warming a belly with a bowl of soup. A Bloomington restaurant specializing in soup will be open for its first fall season this year. After Bloomington Sandwich Co. moved from its old location at 107 N. College Ave., Nels Boerner, former chef at Bloomington’s Uptown Cafe, said he wanted to open his own restaurant in the vacant space. On March 16, Darn Good Soup officially opened its doors to Bloomington residents.“I like cooking food, and I like serving food, but I don’t like having to make a lot of fuss about it,” Boerner said. “I saw a need for a place downtown that served tasty, healthy food fast.”The restaurant features 10 to 12 different soup options per day, such as ginger pork, potato poblano and zucchini pesto.Boerner said he creates his recipes out of dishes he’s made in the past that he knows “people like a lot.”He said he likes making soup from something that’s easily recognizable as another dish, such as his Philly cheese steak and chicken pot pie soups, which are current projects.Shea Selby, a sophomore who works as a cashier at the restaurant, said Darn Good Soup has broadened her cuisine horizons. “I’ve opened my eyes to trying different soups,” Selby said. “I was used to your basic broccoli cheddar because I’ve never really tried different soups before, but now I’m trying them, and I like it a lot.”Boerner said the top three sellers at Darn Good Soup are the lobster chowder, chicken tortilla and boeuf bourguignon.Dax Razzano, a Bloomington resident and Darn Good Soup employee, said the chicken tortilla soup is probably his favorite on the menu. Bloomington resident Ali Sultan said he frequents the restaurant once or twice a week. When asked why, he said simply, “The soup. It’s good.”
(09/15/11 2:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>High textbook prices have caused junior and sociology major Kate Lavery to struggle in her classes. “I have a $200 textbook that I haven’t purchased yet just because I don’t have that kind of money,” Lavery said. “I’ve gotten C’s in classes just because I can’t afford to buy them. A lot of students are going without their textbooks because they can’t afford them.”
Lavery, a student intern with Indiana Public Interest Research Group , and other students protested Wednesday at 10th Street and Fee Lane as part of a national campaign against high textbook prices. The protest kicked off INPIRG’s fall campaign against textbook prices. Lavery and
Hannah Brown , campus organizer for INPIRG , said they hoped to get 1,000 petition signatures protesting textbook prices throughout the semester.
“The purpose of the protest is to let students know why textbooks are so expensive and what we can do about it,” said Brown.
Brown said a five -company monopoly of the textbook industry has forced many students to pay high prices for textbooks.
Lavery said textbook prices are climbing at four times the rate of inflation, and additional components can tack on extra costs.
“Often, textbooks require CDs or DVDs in addition to the books, in which case, the bookstores have to order the latest edition of the books,” said Tim Lloyd , textbook manager for T.I.S. College Bookstore .
While Lloyd said he believes textbook prices are too high, he recognizes that faculty are trying to minimize costs for students. He said the math and psychology departments and the business school have been particularly good at getting older
editions of books.
“A lot of the faculty are very aware, and they’re doing the best they can,” he said. “But they can’t sacrifice something they feel is necessary.”
(08/30/11 3:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>What do Leo Tolstoy and the Bloomington Playwright’s Project have in common? War and peace. In conjunction with IU’s Themester of “Making War, Making Peace,” sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, the BPP is kicking off its 2011 season with “Bomb/Shell,” which begins Sept. 30 and runs until Oct. 15. Tracy Bee, director of academic initiative at the College of Arts and Sciences, said the college works with several community organizations, including the BPP, to put on events that are related to the theme.“Bomb/Shell” is a series of eight plays, each under ten minutes in duration, which will draw on the topics of war and peace. The production also features big names, like Academy Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg, as guest playwrights. This will be Eisenberg’s first professionally produced play. “We hope it ends up to be an incredibly entertaining and thought-provoking evening of theater,” BPP Managing Director Gabe Gloden said.Gloden said that even though “Bomb/Shell” was chosen because it ties in with IU’s Themester, it defines what the BPP is and how it engages with the students and the University.The playwrights were allowed an open interpretation of each mini play, which feature “everything from a post-apocalyptic world to post-traumatic stress disorder,” BPP Producing Artistic Director Chad Rabinovitz said. He said the Themester theme was well-suited for theater.“It was one of the most theatrical themes they could have picked. As soon as that was announced, I was thrilled,” he said.There will be a pre-show reception opening night featuring appetizers and a performance from local a cappella group Kaia. The BPP also offers a student rush rate, meaning that if a student arrives five minutes before a show, they can purchase a $5 ticket.Additionally, the night of Oct. 13, the BPP will join with Theater Communications Group for “Free Night of Theater.” Drinks and appetizers will be provided before the show and admission is free. The BPP is located at College Ave. and 9th St.“We’re trying to get people to go to the theater who wouldn’t normally go,” Gloden said.
(08/24/11 2:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>During a week’s vacation to visit New York’s prolific art museums, an artist from southwestern Indiana picked up a book for the plane ride home titled “Originals: American Women Artists.” Her name is Deb Spanger, and she had discovered Alice Neel.Years later, Spanger said Neel appeared to her in a dream. Because of this, she delved further into the life of the artist she had read about years earlier. She toured Neel’s home. She contacted Neel’s son, and he helped her plan a lecture.Later, a grant-funded project would allow her to give a presentation about Neel to the women of the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis in October 2010. Spanger repeated her presentation for an audience at an Arts Work Indiana meeting Tuesday in Bloomington City Hall. This organization helps disabled artists gain employment and support for their work and creativity. Spanger, who was diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury after being involved in a car accident, interwove details of her life with Neel’s story, discussing how they both had fallen for Latin boyfriends and were surrounded by musicians. Spanger showed several paintings at the presentation that Neel had done throughout her life, including one she had done of a Puerto Rican boy named Georgie Arce.“I think when she saw Georgie, she must have seen something in his face that spoke to her about someone that’s had a hard life and convinced her to look after him,” Spanger said.Spanger said her presentation was well-received by her audience Tuesday just as it was at the women's prison and that one person was even “moved to tears” by Arce’s story and Spanger’s efforts to assist him in his freedom.Arce has spent the majority of his adult life in prison for murder. Spanger contacted him to ask for help with her research and later wrote a letter of recommendation for his release to the parole board. However, even though she said Arce should have been free as of last July, Puerto Rico has since invalidated all birth certificates. This has caused him continued incarceration.Spanger considered the presentation’s material and audience and decided against presenting to student groups.“Alice Neel was someone who had to deal with a very complex life, and that was something I felt they may not understand, versus a woman in prison,” Spanger said.This story was corrected and clarified on Aug. 29.
(07/20/11 11:29pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For 22 years, an organization has been turning people across 50 states and six continents into best buddies. The group, aptly named Best Buddies International, will be at IU from July 22 through 25 for its annual International Leadership Conference.Created in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, the Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization that creates a global volunteer movement to foster one-on-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.Shriver, the son of Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver, will speak at this year’s conference, Director of Programs Mia Noller Mulholland said.Participants should expect to hear from a number of speakers, as well as have a chance to discuss important issues amongst themselves, she added.“There will be opening and closing ceremonies featuring speakers and performers with IDD, leadership development forums and round table sessions with fellow global leaders, and an awards ceremony celebrating outstanding chapters and leaders for the year,” Mulholland said.Additionally, there will be a special performance by the Kandoo Band. The Connecticut-based group features members from five different states — all with a developmental disorder called Williams syndrome. The conference’s opening and closing ceremonies will be open to the public, Mulholland said. Opening ceremonies will take place from 8 to 10 p.m. July 22 at the IU Audituorium. Closing ceremonies will be from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. July 24.The opening ceremonies, as well as additional portions of the conference, including the Saturday morning education trainings and the Sunday evening closing ceremonies, will be streamed live at www.bestbuddies.org/lc2011.Three student leaders will be honored at the event. K Scarry, Sarah Blais and Sam Civitae, all Waynesburg University students, will end their 78-day, 36-state “Spread the Word to End the Word” tour at the conference.“We were traveling the country to promote social acceptance for people with disabilities,” Scarry said. “It’s an educational campaign that talks about celebrating people for their abilities and informs people about the hurtful use of the word ‘retard’ in everyday speech.”Scarry added that what she most enjoyed about the trip is something that can also be found at the upcoming conference, which will feature 1,200 participants from all over the world.“My favorite part was getting to know people all around the USA and hearing their stories,” Scarry said. “Just finding what made them beautiful was such a joy.”
(06/26/11 10:35pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Virtually every college student in America can remember being in junior high or high school and having to read Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird.”To this day, I have memorized the opening line of the book: “When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.” It had that profound effect on me. In “Hey, Boo: Harper Lee and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’” the latest feature presented by Bloomington’s Ryder Film Series, director Mary Murphy delves into the story behind the printed pages of “Mockingbird,” exploring Lee’s childhood in the town of Monroeville, Ala. and asking famous authors and celebrities to talk about their reaction to the pivotal novel. In addition, the film provides insight on the inspiration for some of the most famous characters in literature: Atticus Finch, Scout Finch, Dill Harris and the town recluse, Boo Radley.“I fell in love with Scout. I wanted to be Scout. I thought I was Scout,” Oprah Winfrey said in the movie, speaking about her favorite character.According to the film, Dill was based on her childhood playmate and next-door neighbor Truman Capote, author of “In Cold Blood.” Lee drew on Capote’s mischievous yet polite manner to create the All-American little boy growing up in a small rural town.One of the most interesting vantage points into Lee’s life came from one who was quite close to her: Lee’s sister, Alice Finch Lee. Finch Lee commented throughout the feature on things like Lee’s approach to sudden fame and her use of imagination. Lee reportedly shied away from the cameras and preferred to keep to herself. Although she was a gifted storyteller even as a child, “Mockingbird” was her only novel. “She didn’t think it would sell 500 copies,” Joy Brown said in the movie, who took Lee in after she moved to New York City with her husband to work as a flight attendant. At one point toward the end of the film, Lee said in a radio interview, “All I wanted to be is the Jane Austen of south Alabama.”The film also explores the impact the book had on the racial tensions of the 1960s. The novel was published in the summer of 1960, before the civil rights movement gained momentum. “This was a very brave book to have written at that time,” novelist Scott Turow said. The fact that a book written by a woman discussed racial issues so candidly was a direct slap in the face to the social hierarchy of the 60s. “Little ol’ Harper Lee,” Winfrey said, “that’s pretty damn brave.”Even the town historian said pointedly in the movie, “When people come (to Monroeville), we know what they are coming for.”- anassim@indiana.edu“Hey, Boo: Harper Lee and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’” The film can be viewed at 7 p.m. on July 1, 2, 8 & 9 in the upstairs area of the Fine Arts building.Tickets for all shows are $5. Summer passes are available as well. For $20 you can see all films shown through Sept. 1.
(06/20/11 12:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Each year, IU offers a wide variety of chances to learn not only outside of the classroom but also outside of the country. Here are just a few of the places to which students are traveling this summer.1. HAWAIISophomore Hannah Smith’s “International Reporting” class was originally scheduled to visit Japan. Just hours before the students’ departure, however, a massive earthquake struck the country’s coast, resulting in a devastating tsunami and a nuclear disaster. “We started calling and emailing sources just to see if they were okay,” Smith said. Plans were changed, and the trip was postponed until the summer. There was a change in destination, too — the students were sent to Hawaii, instead. On the island of Honolulu, they had to find a story relating to some aspect of Japan, do interviews and necessary research, submit a story on their chosen topic and create an audio slide show. Smith chose to write about Hawaii’s most popular dish, the plate lunch, which consists of a scoop of macaroni salad, a scoop of rice and some sort of protein, usually Japanese. “It was a weird mix of cultures in one Styrofoam box,” she said. The island’s mix of nationalities and histories was not only found in its food, but also in every aspect of its culture, Smith said. “It was absolutely amazing — my favorite trip I’ve been on by far, including trips abroad,” she said. “Even though it was in the same country, we had to keep reminding ourselves that it was because it felt so different.”2. GREECELizzy Colle said her favorite reason to travel to Greece is because of a small island called Aeigna. “There, we visited a local pistachio farm and spent the rest of the day touring the island and living life as a local,” Colle said. “The sail boats docked from all around the world were so cool.”Colle recently travelled to the country with her class “The Business Cultures of Greece.” “We got to hear from all types of businesses — small businesses, corporations, multi-nationals, entrepreneurs, family businesses and politics,” she said. “The trip truly gave me a better perspective of doing business abroad and encouraged me to continue my international business co-major.” Colle said Greek classes seemed to be much more laid back than those in the United States. The group attended a small business class at a local university, and students were walking in throughout the length of the lecture. One student made a business presentation in street clothes. 3. THAILAND A group of 11 doctoral students from the School of Education traveled to Bangkok, Thailand in June to learn about postsecondary education in Southeast Asia.The course, “International Service Learning in Thailand,” paired the students with other students from six Thai institutions to work on various projects.While the course provided the students with an understanding of education in Asia, its designer and teacher, professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs Nancy Chism, said she hoped it would also provide a better understanding of how the system works in the United States.“I hope that there is that sense of civic engagement, that you are a global citizen and that you have a sense of empathy and camaraderie with colleges and universities throughout the world,” Chism said.4. KENYAStudents in the class, “Reporting on HIV/AIDS in Africa,” spent two weeks learning about and reporting on one of the planet’s deadliest diseases and the people who must face it. After weeks of preparation in Bloomington learning about the culture of western Kenya, the basic pathology of HIV/AIDS and the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, the students traveled to Eldoret, Kenya. While there, students worked in two-person teams with Kenyan partners to report from Eldoret and rural villages in the area. Each team wrote feature stories about health provisions in the Eldoret area, before heading to Nairobi to learn more about health reporting from international correspondents. 5. RWANDAAs a part of the IU Books & Beyond Project, four IU students, as well as four IU staff members, will deliver 2,100 books to the Kabwende Primary School in Rwanda. “They will travel for two weeks, spending one week at the Kabwende Primary School delivering the books, conducting teacher trainings and hosting a community dialogue,” said Lauren Caldarera, assistant director of the IU Global Village Living-Learning Center. The Project pairs IU students with students from other schools. Together, they write and illustrate children’s stories. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, students at the Kabwende Primary Center work with mentors from a neighboring school to create their own stories. The students in the Project then raise money to publish the books before making the June trip to deliver them to the students at Kabwende, where they are used as English language learning materials and to help combat the Rwandan book famine.6. INDIAAt the end of July, students in the class, “Business in the Flat World,” will travel to India to learn about globalization and emerging economies, as well as the economy and businesses specifically in the country. “The itinerary for this year is pretty exciting,” said Tia Trueblood, assistant director of International Programs at the Kelley School of Business. “They will spend four days in New Delhi, where they will do a number of business and cultural visits, including a Suzuki manufacturing plant and meeting with an important political figure. They will do a day trip to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. Then, they will fly to Bangalore, where they will visit local and multinational businesses.” The students will also take a day trip to Mysore, a city that recently made national headlines after two wild elephants went on a rampage in June. “I trust the students will be safe, though,” Trueblood said
(06/09/11 12:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>By age 18, a child in the U.S. will have seen 16,000 simulated murders and 200,000 acts of violence.Those statistics are according to the American Psychiatric Association, but their level of attraction for young viewers might be overrated. A study published in the current issue of “Media Psychology,” conducted by IU assistant professor of telecommunications Andrew Weaver, suggests the amount of violence in television and movies does not increase a child’s interest in them.“One of the reasons there is so much violence in children’s cartoons is because producers assume it’s what kids want and that violence sells,” Weaver said.Researchers used a sample of 128 school children from ages 5 to 11 and varied the amount of violence in a children’s cartoon found on YouTube. They then tested their identification with, as well as overall liking of, the characters.Ultimately, it was determined that males responded more to characters when they were nonviolent as opposed to when they were engaged in violence, Weaver said. Furthermore, females identified more readily with violent characters than males did, according to the study.Results also showed males preferred the high-action version of the cartoon to the low-action.“One of the reasons kids might like violent shows is because of the action, and not the violent content, per se,” Weaver said.Sherri Stover is a licensed clinical social worker and a child and adolescent development specialist in Louisville, Ky. As a mother of two children, ages 3 and 4, she will not allow her children to watch programs that contain violence. She said kids don’t have the capability to distinguish reality from fantasy. “When kids are exposed to violent behavior they tend to have a lot more aggressive behavior,” she said. “I have seen kids as young as five and six who play ‘Halo’ and ‘Call of Duty,’ and they are getting in trouble at school for hitting people and they wonder why.”However, there’s an age threshold for parental surveillance. “Parents usually control the remote until about age five. After that, kids are watching whatever they want,” said David Kleeman, president of the American Center for Children and Media.While these results may not show a decrease in children watching violent programs, there are programming alternatives.“At PBS we don’t have any violent programs, but I would hope these results would have an effect on what parents and caregivers would allow their children to watch,” Phil Meyer, station manager at WTIU, said.Weaver said violence is sometimes an easy way for the media to close a storyline. “It’s easy to use violence to convey action or suspense or justice-restoring outcomes. It takes a bit more creativity to represent these things in nonviolent ways,” Weaver said. “It’s certainly possible and could be worthwhile both from a parent’s and a producer’s point of view, but old habits are hard to break.”
(05/25/11 11:19pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Camp Riley, an outreach program of Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, holds five one-to-two week long sessions serving children ages 8 to 18 with physical disabilities. Some common diagnoses seen at the camp include muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, spina bifida and cerebral palsy.“There’s Christmas, and then there’s Camp Riley, many of them tell us that it’s the place,” Shay Dawson, Director of Bradford Woods said. Dawson said Camp Riley is like any other camp. “Our campers go swimming, do archery, high ropes course, arts and crafts, etc., except everything is adapted. We use adaptive bows and arrows for archery instead of real bows and arrows and water ski with sit skis.”The campers appreciated the camp because it allows them to set aside their disabilities.“My favorite thing about camp is horseback riding because I feel like I am in a different world sometimes,” camper Veronika “Anika” Lunde said.12 year-old Lunde lives with T7 T8 paralysis, which means she’s paralyzed from about the waist down.“I love seeing the joy on her face before she leaves and when she comes home,” Dawna Lunde, Anika’s mother, said. “I love that they work on individual goals with the kids.”Additionally, the camp offers three specialty sessions specifically for children with blood disorders, Down’s syndrome and crainial-facial differences. Riley campers also experience Challenge Day, in which they do something they have never done before or that might prove difficult for them, like swimming across the lake or climbing to the top of Cardiac Hill, a very steep hill.“I love Camp Riley because it gives me a break from being a full-time caregiver,” Cheryl Adams said. Her daughter, Julia, is a camper at Camp Riley.“I know that where she’s going they are going to have all the training they need to take care of a child with special needs,” Adams said.Parents have found the camp to be helpful with building the campers’ self esteem. “Camp Riley is a stepping stone for promoting independence and social acceptance,” Dawson said. “They come here and they know this is ‘one place where I can just be myself.’”
(05/22/11 9:54pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The words that guided Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address in 1863, “of the people, by the people, for the people,” are the same ones that guided IU alumni Hannah Moss and David Nosko when they founded the local nonprofit theater company, Theatre of the People.Moss said while TOP has offered performance art opportunities to both experienced and inexperienced participants, it has especially developed into a refuge for theatre artists who have been overlooked and undervalued or who are “tired of backstabbing backstage politics.” “TOP strives to provide a family atmosphere that most anyone can call home if they so choose,” Moss said.Since 2008, TOP has served more than 125 IU students, Bloomington residents and other Hoosiers.Any person can participate in a TOP project. TOP’s IU student group, the TOP Artistic Collaborative Troupe Players, is open to any major or any level. “The only prerequisite is that participants are not total jerks,” Nosko said.Elizabeth Forsythe, a sophomore double majoring in theater and drama and creative writing, said her favorite part of being involved with TOP as a TOP ACT Player is without a doubt getting to work with the rest of the company. She has found her IU family in this organization.TOP is an entirely volunteer-based program whose productions primarily consist of “modern interpretations of classic works, original adaptations of worldwide folklore and new plays by local playwrights,” according to its website.Senior Patrick French, the program’s technical director, heard about TOP from a friend who mentioned that the company needed a stage manager. Now, thanks to the “incredibly supportive” environment at TOP, he said he has been able to evolve from stage manager to lighting designer. Also due to his current position as tech director, he is gaining experience he may not have obtained anywhere else. “TOP is like triple-A baseball in a local theatre market of all professional teams,” Nosko said. “Not only does TOP offer developing actors and talented artists the opportunity to hone their craft on a small town field, TOP’s minimal budget enables TOP to relish in the fun of play instead of worry about signing a first round pick or how many ‘W’s’ are in the win column.” TOP is preparing for its upcoming fourth season.
(05/10/11 8:32pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This summer, nine students from Bloomington High School North along with one teacher, Molly Jeon, a Japanese instructor at BHS North, and one chaperon, will board a plane and fly to Japan. They will spend June 20 to July 4 immersing themselves in the Japanese language and culture they have studied throughout their years at BHS North. “The trip has actually been trying to come together for the past few years,” said Joan Manning, mother of one of the students.She said despite the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster in Japan, all of the parents met and decided they wanted their kids to go and have the experience of travelling outside of the United States. “The opportunities outweighed the risk,” Manning said. She added that the parents have talked with people who live in the area where the children will be visiting and that they have told the parents that the area is safe to visit. Jeon said she also spoke with a local and he informed her “there is more radiation on a daily basis in Denver, Colo. than in the areas where they will be going.”The students have planned to start off in Tokyo and visit Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, and Gunma, as well as taking “smaller day trips” during the two weeks they spend there, Jeon said.There will be a fundraiser at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the BHS North auditorium to help the group pay for the cost of the trip. The school’s former music teacher — who is Japanese — will play the shamisen, a traditional Japanese instrument, and Jeon will sing. The cost is $10.00 for adults and $7.00 for students — including those enrolled at IU. A valid student ID is required.“We talk about temples and shrines and festivals and things like that,” Joen said, “but it’s a lot different to understand and just experience that.”