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(09/25/02 6:09pm)
A college student's first experience in renting a house or apartment might seem like an exciting first taste of freedom, but a student's naivete can easily create potentially expensive and stressful problems. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that most students are young and inexperienced with renting procedures, which can cause some landlords to take advantage of them. \nChristopher McNeely, a graduate student at IU, knows the potential problems a bad renting situation can cause. \n"Our landlord took over our lease in the middle of the year, after we had signed with the previous owners. He refused to inform us of any changes in policy and used classic 'good old boy' behavior to make us think that everything was OK when we moved out," McNeely said. "His final words on move-out day were: 'I'll get back to you in a couple of days with what you owe.' Well, 44 days later, we get sued."\nSince most of the $1,300 in damages McNeely and his roommates were being sued for was caused by former tenants, they took their landlord to court with the help of Student Legal Services. \nAfter eight long months of investigation they had a solid case against the landlord and managed to settle out of court the day before the trial by letting the landlord keep their damage deposit. \n"There are people in this community who resent IU while making a living off its students, and their resentment assumes that all IU students have deep parental pockets that will bail them out of situations like the one I went through," McNeely said. "SLS is an invaluable service for those of us who do not fit that description."\nLandlords are always looking out for their best interests so students should as well. Making smart, well-researched decisions and having detailed knowledge of tenant laws, housing codes and how your lease works are the best ways to insure fair treatment.
(08/05/02 4:08am)
Daniel Farahan, an IU student and Carmel, Ind. native, was in the cafeteria of Hebrew University in Jerusalem with his cousin just moments before a bomb exploded at lunch time Wednesday. \nOnly minutes after he left, an explosion unleashed by a member of Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, left seven people dead, including 5 Americans, and more than 70 injured. \nAlthough Farahan, who is studying Hebrew at the university, witnessed a very frightening and traumatic event Wednesday, he believes the event strengthened his resolve to stay in Israel despite the danger. \n"I encourage other people (to stay in Israel)," he said. "I really encourage other people to come visit and learn here. The fact that people are still coming shows that the terrorists aren't winning."\nFarahan said Americans should view these attacks as somewhat connected to those of Sept. 11.\n"It is the same people who are trying to destroy the United States, who are trying to destroy Israel. It is the same ideology," Farahan said. "We should do everything in spite of them."\nSylvia Farahan never wanted her son to go to Israel, but she never told him not to go or to come home.\n"We worry about him, but sometimes you need to let people do what they need to do, and that's what I think about, especially as a mother. Hamas doesn't have the right to take this experience away from my son," Sylvia said.\nAlthough she fears for her son's safety, she knows this is something he really wants.\n"He's really happy there," Sylvia said. "Earlier that day my son had been with with an old Palestinian man on a hill overlooking an Arab city talking about peace."\nThe desire for peace was pushed even further away with Wednesday's bombing. Originally thought to be a suicide bomber, investigations later revealed the device to be a bag containing a bomb and other metal objects left on a table and detonated remotely by cellular phone. \nFor the time being, many students at Hebrew University say they will stay.\n"If we felt strong enough to come now, I don't think this is going to be a deterrent," Catherine Chochin, a student from Ottawa, told The Indianapolis Star. "I don't know what's going to happen if more incidents happen on campus. I can't stay I am staying no matter what."\nNot much has seemed to keep Farahan away from Israel, despite the constant turmoil. His presence, along with other foreigners, is inspiring for some. \n"I have a lot of family here, and they say it is good that I came at a time like this," he said. "Everyone here knows I am not an Israeli because of my accent. I get a really good response from them."\nFarahan has been to Israel six times in the past. He came in June of this year to do an internship at The Jerusalem Post and is now studying at the University. He is majoring in Jewish studies and political science and has founded a student group called Indiana Students for Israel while at IU. Rather than return to IU, Farahan hopes to pursue his degree at Hebrew University and join the Israeli army after graduating. Farahan said he doesn't have any future plans to return to IU and expressed concern over the IU Overseas Study Program's cancelation of its summer program at Hebrew University. \n"I am going to try and get my degree from this University," he said. "I am disappointed in IU; they gave into terror when they cancelled their trip here"
(08/05/02 1:08am)
It is a day we dream about from the time we are little girls until the day a ring is slipped on our finger. The real event is never as perfect as the fantasy, and the bride and groom rarely live happily ever after. The purpose and meaning of marriage has been changing rapidly in the last 100 years. Why we still hold such a deep connection to what is left of this institution is often a mystery to me. \nHistorically, marriage was a bum deal for a woman. In Euro-American culture, marriage was a contractual arrangement where a man gave up financial responsibility for his daughter, making her the property of another man. In the past, women could not vote, own property or work -- so marriage was a way of gaining access to the tools necessary for survival. In order to get married, a woman was also expected to be a virgin in order to be a respectable marriage partner, but with a man, that was not necessarily as important or easily proven. \nNow there are fewer clear benefits to marriage for women since we no longer rely on men for financial well-being and a proper reputation, and few of us manage to "save ourselves" for marriage whether we ever believed we would or not. \nAlthough women supposedly have social and political worth that is equal to a man's, the trappings of our days as property still remain when we marry. In addition to the vows and promises made by both the husband and the wife, the wife usually makes an additional sacrifice. She must give up her last name and technically become a different person. In this fair world, a man has to make no such sacrifice.\nNow we tell ourselves that we marry for love and that love has no boundaries so we no longer have to marry someone of a certain class or background. This may be true, but there are still restrictions regarding who can be legally married. If two men or two women are in love, they cannot be legally married (in most places). People have often denied and hid who they really are and whom they really love because a legal marriage excludes homosexuals.\nMany people rush into marriage to please the standards of others or in hopes that it will right a wrong. A friend of mine got married because her boyfriend thought it was wrong for them to be living together although they were engaged. They got married after living together for over a year. They were only 19- and 20-years-old, and less than a year after being married, they grew apart emotionally and divorced.\nWhen my boyfriend and I chose to move in together last May, we both knew that some of our family members didn't approve of us living together before getting married. We have known each other for five years and have been dating for two, but we are in no rush to get married. We want to get married and have children in the future, but we realize that it's no fairy tale. We are both young and constantly growing and changing, and we don't need the finality and responsibilities of marriage to keep us from growing as individuals and pursuing our dreams. \nMarriage is a bond that should be entered into for love and companionship after you know who you really are. It should not be rushed into to please a cultural ideal that was never so ideal in the first place.
(07/29/02 1:20am)
"With all this carrying on you would think we were at the opera," proclaims the Eisenstiens' chamber maid Adele, played by Shelia Murphy, when she hears a man singing outside of her mistress' window. "At the opera they go on and on usually until somebody dies. That can be arranged you know."\nThis subtle dig on traditional operas marked the first laugh of many for the audience during a humorous and original Austrian opera. \nSaturday marked the first performance of the the IU Opera Theater's last opera of the summer season, an English version of Johann Strauss' 1874 comedic opera "Die Fledermaus" ("Revenge of the Bat"). \nThe first act begins in the Eisenstiens' beautiful living room, where the main characters are introduced, and the mayhem that will unfold in the next two acts is set up. Rosalinda Eisenstein's old flame, an opera singer named Alfred played by Nicholas Coppolo, comes to visit and is mistaken for Rosalinda's husband by the warden who takes him to jail to serve Eisenstein's sentence. Meanwhile Rosalinda (Reyna Carguill), Adele and Eisenstein (Creighton James) are all invited to Prince Orlovsky's ball and are told to pretend they are specific characters of a more courtly stock. \nThe act begins with a powerful solo by Murphy whose soprano soars and trills masterfully as she sings about the terrible world that has made her a chambermaid. The rest of the act features songs sung by several cast members. The songs are masterfully woven with humorous and engaging physical humor and connected with short comedic dialogue. \nWhen the drama escalated and the orchestra crescendoed it was often hard to hear the voices of the singers, especially those that were in the lower registers. The only singer that could not be overpowered by the orchestra was Carguill. Although her soprano is not as high as Murphy's, her range is vast and her voice possesses a captivating power that demands attention. The weakest singer of the ensemble was Frank the Warden, played by Erik Friedman, who could barely be heard over the orchestra when he was singing alone. \nThe energy of the first act was dramatically increased during the second act at Prince Orlovsky's Ball. \nThe act begins as the beautifully dressed ensemble cast of 24 are dancing along with Prince Orlovsky (Jennifer Gill) and Eisenstein's best friend Dr. Falke (Jeffrey Monette). Falke then explains to Prince Orlovsky that he is playing a trick on his friends for his amusement. Gill's soprano contrasted well with Monette's lower range. \nThe farce begins when Adele is introduced as an actress named as Olga and Eisenstein is introduced as Marquis Renard. The funniest part of the second act takes place when both Eisenstein and Frank the Warden are pretending to be Frenchmen and pretend they are speaking French to each other by reciting various French words. When Eisenstein accused Adele of looking like a chamber maid he knows she breaks out into song and convinces everyone she could never be a chamber maid. Murphy pulls off another soaring solo without a hitch as she uses her seductive moves on the men at the ball. \nWhen Rosalinda arrives she is disguised with a mask and introduced as a Hungarian Countess, and her husband, pretending to be a Marquis, tries to seduce her. When Rosalinda is asked to prove that she is Hungarian, Carguill delivers the largest and most stunning solo of the evening. Carguill shows off her talent and the size of her range as she delivers fast lyrics and riveting scales and taps on a tambourine. \nThe act draws to an end as the cast sings, dances and drinks the night away.\nThe play concludes at the jail house and theatrical comedy is employed by Frosh the drunken Irish jailer (Matthew Holzfeind) and the drunken warden returning from the party who deliver hilarious dialogue and masterful physical humor. The play concludes as accusations and confusion mount until Dr. Falke shows up reveal his farce and its meaning.\nAll in all the IU opera theater's production of "Die Fledermaus" is masterful in song as well as physical humor in this most usual and engaging humorous opera.\n"Die Fledermaus" will also be performed Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Musical Arts Center. Tickets are $12 to $22.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Since 1995 Hot Lips Records has put out a Best of College A Cappella CD, and it has become a major competition among college a cappella groups. Tracks on the album are selected from the nearly 200 college a cappella cds that are produced each year. This year both of Indiana University's award winning a cappella groups, Straight No Chaser and Ladies First, made it onto the album. \n"It's very gratifying to know that part of the hard work we put into our new album, "Thank You," is on BOCA," said Ryan Ahlwardt, director of Straight No Chaser. "Not only are there a lot of great groups from all over the country on the album, but a lot of people potentially hear our music with this exposure."\nThe tracks on the album cover a wide variety of male, female and mixed a cappella groups and represent what the president of Hot Lips Records refers to as a new type of college a cappella.\n"Along came the human beatbox in the 80s, and some new ideas about how to sing (alternative) rock without guitars. Suddenly a cappella was expanding beyond elite colleges, appearing at places like UCLA, University of Wisconsin and University of Michigan," Don Gooding, the President of Hot Lips, said in a press release.\nThe majority of the tracks on the album are vocal arrangements of recent pop songs. Tracks include recognizable songs like "Limp" by Fiona Apple, "Here With Me" by Dido and "Rhythm Nation" by Janet Jackson. Straight No Chaser's arrangement of Lenny Kravitz's "I Belong to You" was chosen along with the Ladies First's arrangement of "Independent Woman Part I" by Destiny's Child. \n"Ladies First makes an effort to perform songs that are not typical of a collegiate female a cappella group. We do a lot more R&B like Toya, Destiny's Child and Mary J. Blige," Nora Colwell, the group's director, said. "I think the song was a great representation of the R&B/pop style Ladies First has become known for. The arrangement, done for us by Walt Shilanskas, is extremely creative, and the tight harmonies and intricate vocal percussion really showcase the group." \nAhlwardt also feels the arrangement on the album is a good representation of Straight No Chaser's style.\n"I believe that 'I Belong to You' exhibits the combination of the simplicity and fullness of our arrangements," he said. "Mike Luginbill has a great solo on it and the vocal percussion jams. It's a very chilled tune that people can enjoy in their car, while studying or even at a party." \nThis achievement is just one more on a long list for both groups. Formed in 1996, Straight No Chaser won two College A Cappella Recording Awards for their album "Last Call," Best Male Album and Best Collegiate Male Song. They have performed all over the country, appeared on the CBS Morning Show, and released five albums. Formed in 1998, Ladies First received College A Cappella Recording Awards for Best Female Collegiate Album of 2001 for "Ticket to Run" and runner up for Best Female Collegiate arrangement for the song "Ready to Run." \nThey have toured all over the country and released two albums during their two year career.\nAs well as recognition, both groups have a lot in common. Both recorded their albums at the same studio with the same engineer, which might be why they both made it on to the BOCA CD.\n"I think both groups have an amazing work ethic. I also think that our recording engineer, Dave Weber at Airtime Studios in Bloomington, has an awesome ear and talent for mixing and mastering a cappella music," Colwell said. "Also, with several members for each group being music majors, our success is a compliment to the IU School of Music"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
"Afterdark," a new play by Kara Manning, premieres in Bloomington tomorrow night at the Bloomington Plawrights Project. One of the first plays of its kind, "Afterdark" is set in New York City in December 2001. The play depicts everyday urban dwellers including a radio deejay, a drummer, a coffee shop owner and a teenage girl among others who are dealing with their personal lives three months after the Sept. 11 tragedy. \nManning's plays have been produced and read at the BPP and many other respected play houses in the United States and Europe. As a resident of New York, Manning examines the effects that the attacks on New York had on its citizens as well as other events that took place afterward like the death of former Beatle, George Harrison. However it was only a coincidence that the play happened to be written for the BPP. \n"She was writing a play for the BPP on commission last year and she was thinking of doing something about New York and then Sept. 11 happened and she incorporated that into the play," said Candace Decker, Director of Marketing at BPP.\nDirector Sue Kim directed the former BPP play "Sunflower Town" as well as other plays and musicals in New York. She believes that although the play is set in New York, anyone can relate to the personal interactions of the people in the production.\n"In the instance of the mother and daughter in the play, it shows how they deal with the return of their father who reenters their lives after being only in the periphery. It raises issues of how to be close and how to reconcile differences," Kim said. "It shows how people's perspectives change in the aftermath of an enormous tragedy."\nActress Maria Dahman, who plays Jessie, the mother and coffee shop owner in the play, says she is excited about acting in "Afterdark" because it's "from the horse's mouth."\n"Afterdark" was written and directed by artists who intimately know New York and New Yorkers. And when the initiators are passionate about a personal production, it can't help but contaminate the cast," Dahman said. \nThe BPP only features original plays and has become well known in theater communities throughout the country as the host of the Reva Shiner playwriting contest. This national recognition helps the BPP draw in playwrights and directors from New York and elsewhere in the country. \n"It's a retreat for them; in big cities it is harder to be a working artist. People at the theater also get to see what directors from other parts of the country are like," she said. "This also exposes Bloomington to something new. It is a great town and people are really open here," Decker said.\nThe BPP's Literary Manager Eric Pfeffinger said that he has recently read several original plays about the events of Sept. 11 but in his opinion none of them have been able to capture the effect of the event on the lives of real people like "Afterdark." \n"The others have been setting out to capture the enormity of the event … they tend to turn their characters into pale imitations of that experience and deal with the same type of stories we see in the news media," Pfeffinger said. "This play is different because these people are living their lives which are not summed up by this horrible experience. It is not aimed to be a remembrance of what happened to the city."\nSince the play focuses on real people's lives, it weaves in elements of pop culture that surround them. Manning is a senior producer and writer for MTV and has written for "MTV News" and "Rolling Stone" magazine.\n"There is a lot of humanity, a lot of comedy, and a lot of pop culture awareness in the play," Pfeffinger said. "The playwright definitely knows what is going on in the realm of popular culture."\n"Afterdark" will be showing on May 10-12, 16-19, and 23-26, Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Bloomington Plawrights Project is located at 312 S. Washington Street at the intersection of 3rd and Washington, next to Boxcar Books.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Are wigs, headgear, combs, pins and barber shops signs art? "Hair in African Art and Culture," a new exhibit that opens at the IU Art Museum today, has successfully proven just that. \nFirst organized by the Museum for African Art in New York in 2000, the exhibit was touted as one of the museum's most popular exhibits. Organized by late IU Professor Emeritus of art history, Roy Sieber, and Frank Herrman, director of exhibitions at the museum, the exhibit explores the role of hair in communicating social roles, symbolic gestures and status in African countries with artwork and photographs that span a 100 year period.\n"The variety and creativity of hairstyles depicted in the exhibition's artworks and photographs is tremendous," Diane Pelrine, curator of African Art at the IU Art Museum, said. "Hair has different associations in different areas, and even in the same area, it can be regarded in different ways depending on the particular circumstances. Hair may be associated with death and disease, on the one hand, or with sexuality, fertility, and vitality, on the other."\nHair style can also convey status, political power or serve as a sign of beauty.\n"In traditional African cultures, hair can convey several different meanings," Pelrine said. "Depending on the culture, particular styles and ornaments may indicate whether a youth has undergone initiation (rites and ceremonies that mark the transition from childhood to adulthood), whether a person is married or belongs to a particular group, or whether a person is in mourning. \n"Hairstyles can also be associated with political offices, and, of course, hairdos frequently reflect an individual's sense of personal aesthetics. Carefully styled hair -- or, in some areas, a smoothly shaved head -- is a criterion and symbol of health and beauty. Africans admire beautiful, well-done hairstyles and they are a source of pride for their wearers, just as they are in the U.S." \nThe exhibit will feature more than 60 objects including masks and figures with elaborate coiffures, as well as objects for dressing and adorning hair, like pins and beads, wigs and other headgear, and colorful barber and beauty shop signs as well as photographs that span form the early 20th century to the present. The works in the exhibit showcase the constant change of hairstyle over time. \n"The exhibition shows that hairstyles have been important in sub-Saharan Africa for a very long time," Pelrine said. "Styles have changed, to be sure, but the the basic idea that hair can tell you something about an individual and/or his or her culture remains constant."\nIU is the permanent home of many of the pieces featured in the exhibit. Some of the pieces were acquired by Sieber as well as by IU professor William Itter and some of the pieces are from the permanent collection of the IU art museum as well as from other private collectors.\nSieber was the first person in the United States to receive a Ph. D. in African art history in 1957. In 1962 he came to IU and helped found IU's now renowned African Studies program and propelled the development of the African art display at the IU Art Museum during his forty year association with the University. \n"For decades he was interested in exploring African art beyond the carved wooden objects that most people think of when they think of African Art. So this is a continuation of a long like of those sorts of exhibits," Ellen Sieber, Sieber's daughter, said. \nSieber was instrumental in opening the eyes of collectors and curators to the artistic beauty of the useful mediums of African textiles, head rests, and jewelry. He did this by pioneering exhibitions that featured everyday objects made and used by African people as art, namely "African Textiles and Decorative Arts" (1972) and "African Furniture and Household Objects" (1980).\n"I think there were some initial questions about that approach, but once the exhibit opened and people saw how beautiful the objects were they were convinced," Ellen Sieber said. "After his textile show in the 1970s, African motifs started showing up in commercial clothing. The exhibit really inspired designers. There was some resistance at first, but the art itself convinces people as soon as they see it."\nParallels between African and African American hairstyles can also be seen. \n"Africans see hairstyles worn by African Americans, and vice versa. Aspects of hairstyles, or entire coiffures may be borrowed, modified, or recombined," Pelrine said.\nTraveling to Africa isn't necessary to see how this type of artwork relates to individuals' everyday lives. Maybe that is why this exhibit was so popular when it opened in New York.\n"Hair is something everyone deals with, so it might seem less distant to them than other forms of art. Because everyone has to think about it, it doesn't seem so abstract. It is lively and inviting so you can go in and relate to it," Ellen Sieber said.\nAlthough African art is often comprised of utilitarian items, Patrick McNaughten the Chancellor's Professor of African Art History, believes that African artworks give viewers powerful insight as objects of contemplation.\n"African societies and art traditions are full of ideas and life experiences that involve thinking about what it is to be a responsible, successful and satisfied person. Very often African art deals with these kinds of ideas by emphasizing people's carefully designed appearance as a window into their character and accomplishments. The Hair show illustrates that, and in the process offers Americans all sorts of 'food for thought.'"\nTonight's opening will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the first floor Atrium of the art museum and feature a gallery talk by Diane Pelrine at 6 p.m. and a performance of African Music by the local band Afro Hoosier International. The event is free and open to the public. The exhibit runs from May 24 to July 28.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Tonight the Bloomington Playwrights Project invites the audience to take part in one-of-a-kind experience that will explore the detours of life through song. Washington D.C. performer Colin James' original one man cabaret "Detour Ahead" will be held tonight and tomorrow at the BPP at 8 p.m.\nThe performance is part of the BPP's Cabaret Nouveau Series and will be the first time the series has featured a male artist. The songs in the show are familiar tunes but they are used to illustrate a story about the performer's life.\n"It is personal because each cabaret can only be done by that person. Each cabaret is about a personal journey and usually has a theme," said Candace Decker, Marketing Director at the BPP, who is also a cabaret artist.\n"I look at it as sharing your life. You are the host and the audience is your guest."\nThe show James has prepared is not only deeply personal but also appeals to a broad audience by revealing the lessons of life.\n"The show is called "Detour Ahead" and it touches on many things in my life that are current and lessons that I have learned in my life. I think that I have learned that things don't always turn out how we plan and life sends us detours from time to time," James said.\nJames' decision to pursue a career in cabaret is an example of one of his detours. He has his Master of Music degree in Opera performance from the University of Maryland but his opera path took a turn in a new direction. Two years ago when attending a cabaret symposium at The Eugene O'Neil Theatre in Waterford Connecticut he fell in love with cabaret.\n"It changed my life ... I am very grateful for my training in Opera performance but Cabaret suits my personality much more. Sometimes it takes a singer a while to find his or her voice," James said.\nCabaret relies on a shared experience and culture between the artist and audience to achieve a connection.\n"I hope the audience will enjoy themselves and hear the songs and connect with what the lyrics are saying and connect with me as well. That intimate connection is what Cabaret is all about," James said. \nIt is the personal nature of cabaret that makes it intimate as well as challenging for many performers.\n"Because it is generated from the individual instead of hiding behind a character it is much more risky to get up on stage and be yourself. You can't blame it on the writer," said BPP artistic director, Richard Perez. \nCabaret is unique because it combines elements of comedy, theater, musicals, and stand-up. This small art form is common in many large cities but not in the midwest. The BPP is the only place in Bloomington where cabaret is performed regularly. \n"It gives people a chance to be introduced to cabaret because it is not as common here as it is in big cities. It gives us a chance to work different types of artists we don't usually work with," Perez said.\n"It is important for us as a theatre company to not rest on our laurels and experiment with different theatrical forms."\nIn order to give the BBP's cabaret performances more of the air of big city cabarets that take place in a bar-like atmosphere a reception with wine and food will be held before the performances.\nPerhaps it is not necessarily atmosphere but a special type of performer that is needed to make a winning cabaret.\n"I think it takes someone who is willing to be honest and real as a performer. There is no fourth wall between the performer and the audience ... There are specific skills one needs to learn to be successful in cabaret," James said. One of the elements of cabaret is patter, that is where the performer talks with the audience. Not everyone is willing to do that."\n"Detour Ahead" will run on June 17 and 18 at 8 p.m. at the BPP at 312 S. Washington St. Tickets are $15. Student and senior tickets are $10. Reservations are encouraged.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Space 101, a little known alcove above Blimpie's is becoming a haven for budding young artists looking for outlets for their work. Anyone interested in having a show at the space may rent it out from Dave Britts, the owner of the Collective Chaos record shop. This week the "gallery" will host a show featuring three artists from New Mexico.\nNew Bloomington resident Sarah Atlee graduated from the University of New Mexico in the spring of last year and afterward moved here with her mother. She hopes this show will help her meet other Bloomington artists and lay the ground work for a future exhibition. \n"I had the idea to have a show here in part because Bloomington is so supportive of the arts," Atlee said. "I had seen shows at Space 101 and admired the general (do it yourself) ethic of the scene. I'm hoping that people will come to the show to see things they haven't seen before."\nAlso exhibiting at the show are two of Atlee's friends, Paho Mann and Leigh Merrill, who also graduated from art school at the University of New Mexico. They hope to bring the show to Chicago, where Mann now lives, and to New York City, Merrill's new home.\nAtlee will be showing work a series of small acrylic paintings on canvas.\n"I'm taking a step back from more intricate work that I've been doing," Atlee said. "These paintings are a series of fictional portraits entitled 'The Goth Girls.' They're meant to be amusing. I'm enjoying making work outside the realm of art school and the freedom of not having to be deep and meaningful all the time."\nThe goal of Mann's photography is to capture the uniqueness develops out of contact with the mass produced products of our everyday lives.\n"With my photography, I document the physical manifestation of our individuality," Mann said. "The most efficient way to do this is through repetition of objects that are seemingly alike. Using precisely repeated compositions further reinforces this repetition. \n"Eliminating as many formal variables as possible emphasizes the differences imparted by the individual owner or user of an object. Examples of this documentation in my work include medicine cabinets, junk drawers, wallets, tract housing, playgrounds and old Circle K markets."\nMerrill, who works in the mediums of photography, sculpture and drawing, will be displaying a series of charcoal drawings of body parts.\nAlthough the artists feel their work does not have much similarity, they feel they have a lot in common concerning their inspirations and feelings about art education. \n"Paho and I were in a lot of classes together, and we spent a lot of time looking at each others work," Merrill said. "And the professors that influenced us both are the same."\nAtlee said she shares common experiences with Mann and Merrill rather than a common artistic goal.\n"I think all three of us are deeply aware of the flaws inherent in an art education. We talk all the time about what it's like to try and be artists completely on our own, with little or no support except from each other." Atlee said.\nMerrill feels that being from New Mexico has affected her work.\n"I think any experience I have had comes into play in my artwork," she said. "I'm not sure what to attribute to experiences in my life or being from New Mexico."\nThe show will run from July 3 until July 7. Gallery hours are from noon to 6 p.m. Space 101 is located at 6th and Walnut, above Blimpie's.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Last Sunday at McNutt Formal Lounge Senator Richard Lugar spoke to a diverse crowd of high school students and teachers from around the world about issues facing agriculture today.\n"Farming in America is a precarious business and mildly profitable at best," Lugar said.\nThe Republican senator from Indiana was speaking to participants in the IU Center for Global Change's summer institutes. The center is currently hosting three different institutes, The International Summer Institute for High School Students; the International Studies Summer Institute for grades 7-12 teachers; and International Agriculture Education institute for grades 9-12 teachers. The institutes will house 50 high school students and 30 teachers from 15 states and 14 countries for two weeks.\n"He is the minority leader of agriculture in the Senate; he also has influence in foreign policy," said Ken Steuer, associate director of the center for global change at IU and director of the summer institute. "We try to provide a range of prospectives. He represents a liberal economic approach to economic issues."\nIn his hour long speech, Lugar, who is responsible for his family farm, discussed the many changes in farming since his father's days of farming during the Great Depression. \nHe touched briefly on many subjects including the new farming bill, the increased surpluses of food, increased agriculture productivity, the problems of feeding the world, the advantages of GMOs (genetically modified organisms), free trade of agricultural products and the need for less waste of food surpluses. \n"By and large the productivity of American agriculture has increased by threefold since the 1930s," Lugar said. \nHe credits pesticides, science, planting rows closer together and GMOs for these developments. "The only way everyone in the world can have minimal nutrition is by breakthroughs," he said.\nHe then commented on such breakthroughs as genetically modified plants that are protected from disease and pests. He said genetically modified produce makes up 74 percent of soybeans, 25 percent of corn and 60 percent of soybeans. He also expressed his agitation at European countries for banning GMO food.\n"European parliament said it won't buy half of one percent of GMO food. They believe we are tampering with nature. They see it as an emotionally wrought poisoning of a few crops that were relatively pure before. They see it as American imperialism," Lugar said.\n"I think it is a lot of old wives tales and politically motivated by pleas of their constituents," he said.\nLugar not only expressed his concern for feeding people abroad but also a concern for filling food banks in the U.S. as well.\n"(There are) more people coming to food banks and food pantries than ever before. Supermarkets give their surplus and get a tax deduction. Deductions should be given to farmers and restaurants for contributing to surpluses to food banks. Only one percent of surplus food gets to the food banks. For lack of organization and transportation lots of food is wasted," Lugar said.\nLugar, who encouraged the audience to embrace free trade, also noted that to be successful in today's competitive modern market farmers must pay attention to more than weather and science.\n"Whether they are young or old, they (farmers) must understand the best of sciences and they must have an understanding of what is happening in other countries," Lugar said.\nAfter the senator spoke, Chancellor Sharon Brehm thanked him for coming to speak.\n"You may be one of the most marvelous senators in the Senate but I think that you are a college professor in your heart," Brehm said.\nWhile at the international institute, students and teachers study the topics of international politics, global environmental change, populations at risk, and international economics and trade.\n"It exposes students to college education, they can earn college credit for attending and it helps teachers add an international component to the curriculum," said Steuer.\nChristine Lu, a high school student from Taiwan, decided to come to the institute after seeing it on the Internet. \n"I am expecting to learn more about other cultures and the environment and discuss about those problems more in-depth than what I have learned in school"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Alma Molina works quickly, squeezing the brown henna paste onto the hand of the young woman sitting across from her like an artist painting on a canvas. About 13 people are watching with awe, pining for their turn as she expertly crafts a freehand dragonfly design on freshman Stacee Griffith's hand and wrist. Once the paste is dry, it will leave a red stained design that will last between three and 15 days.\n"I have never seen anything like this before. I can't wait to get home and show all of my friends," Griffith said. \nMolina, a graduate student studying graphic design at IU, was hired to give free henna tattoos during the two weeks of orientation at IU. She first discovered henna six years ago when she told her father she wanted a tattoo and he suggested she try a temporary henna design first. At that time, henna had not yet been introduced to the western world by celebrities, and it was difficult for Molina to find henna powder in Mexico, where she is from.\n"A lot of people tried to do it because they saw it on Madonna or Gwen Stefani, then after they did it and learned about it and they saw how deep the traditions were, then they liked it more for the traditional side of it than for the fashion side of it," Molina said.\nThe origins of henna designs, often called by the Indian word mehndi, are estimated to travel back in time at least 5,000 years. A paste using henna powder and water or oils was thought to be first used by ancient people to cool their hands and feet. First it just dyed the areas red and later developed into the use of designs. \n"I like the tradition behind it a lot, but I also like it because it looks cool. This is more traditional," said Molina of the intricately detailed Indian inspired design on her hand. "I am not doing this kind of work here. I am only doing stuff from the design book; things like this take a lot more time, and here we want to do as many people as possible."\nThe countries that use henna have their own styles and symbolic meaning in their designs. According to the Lohana Online, Middle-Eastern designs feature large floral patterns, while Indian designs are lacy floral and paisley that cover entire hands, feet and palms; Africans use large bold geometric designs. In these parts of the world Henna designs are often filled with meaning and are typically used to celebrate betrothals, weddings, births, circumcisions, religious holidays and national festivals. \n"Meanings vary depending on the region and country the design is from. Mainly it is to keep away the evil eye, but they have designs for fertility, good luck, and for happiness," Molina said.\n"It is a way to celebrate and show that you are happy and to bring happiness into your life." \nTraditionally only women, girls and young boys wore henna designs on their hands and feet. Now it is being used in the US and all over the world by women and men. Henna artists use every type of design imaginable and do their designs on legs, arms, backs, bellies and necks. \n"Henna was meant to be on the hands and feet. The bride will get sometimes up to the elbows or up to the knees. In some places it won\'t even stain or it will last less time, but people still want it because they want the tattoo feel," Molina said.\nSome henna artists, looking to create the perfect temporary tattoos, use other dyes to make colorful henna. Although most of the colored dyes are safe one type, made by mixing henna with Bigen hair dye, has a dangerous chemical called PPD (phenylenediamine) that when left on the skin for a long time can cause lesions on the skin as well as kidney problems. For this reason, the Black Henna Web site warns that users ask about the contents at henna booths advertising black henna because many henna artists do not know that what they are using is potentially dangerous. \nTraditional henna is very safe and uses all natural ingredients but sometimes causes mild allergic reactions in some people. For traditional henna, the powder is mixed with warm water, hot coffee or tea; some type of oil; and often some lemon juice.\nHenna powder also has many medical uses such as healing skin diseases and thickening hair. It is also drunk to cure headaches and stomach aches.\n"Henna can be used on the hair also as a conditioner to make your hair thicker, and it colors it a shade of red," said Molina, who also warns that if it is used when chemicals or dyes are on the hair it turns it green.\nIn the six years since Molina has been doing henna, it has become very popular among young people in the United States as it is used by celebrities and featured in magazines. She has also met people at IU and on the Internet who use henna in the traditional way who have mixed feelings about the new Western popularity of henna body art.\n"There are two sides to every story. I have met people (for whom) it is a family tradition for them and some people say it is not good because Americans take everything and they mess everything up. Like the fact that they call it a tattoo and it is not a tattoo. Some people get upset by that," Molina said. "Other people say that it a really really good thing and that it is a way to show people a little bit of their culture."\nAnyone interested can see more of Molina's work at her Spanish Web site hennaritual.8m.com.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
About three months ago, Phil Kasper, Bloomington resident and volunteer at both the Bloomington Playwrights Project and the Community Kitchen decided he would try to pull together a benefit event that would help both of the needy not-for-profit agencies.\n"We both recognize the need for it because we both need a great deal of support. I am constantly aware of the needs of the community kitchen. We are in a time of some economic distress and arts organizations are very hard hit when it comes to government funding," Kasper said.\nThe event, called "Acting Against Hunger," will take place at the BPP Sunday evening. A $25 donation will grant patrons access to a wine and cheese reception followed by a theater performance. The performance will include selections from some well known poems that deal with the issues of homelessness and hunger, as well as dramatic selections from "A Long Days Journey into Night" by Eugene O'Neil and from Shakespeare's "King Lear."\n"This is a joint benefit to show that two seemingly different organizations with different missions can work together," Kasper said. "It is important for us to work together for those missions, to come together to accomplish our goal instead of pitting ourselves against each other."\nThe teamwork of a collaborative effort has prevailed throughout the planning of the event. \n"Everything has been planned jointly. The Community Kitchen handled the mailing, provided the dishes and steam tables and we at the BPP have got the cooks and the food donations," said Sonja Johnson, Development Director at the BPP. "Phil Kasper has been the most active because he represents both of us."\nBoth groups are also pulling together their manpower and volunteers to put on the event. BPP staffers, including Johnson and Julio Alonso, Director of the Community Kitchen, and other volunteers will be cooking. BPP Marketing Director Candie Decker will be acting along with local actors Mark McIntyre, Mike Price, Blake Magnusson, and Alan Burnett. Kasper will be directing. Some local businesses are also lending a hand. Butler Winery is donating the wine, Kroger Supermarket is donating a cheese tray, and Flora restaurant is donating dessert.\nThe combination of arts and charity has already been a successful fundraising strategy for both groups. The Community Kitchen has an annual silent auction and participates in the Soup Bowl that benefits the Hoosier Hills Food Bank. The BPP holds an annual "Preformathon," silent auction and garage sale. If successful, both groups hope to make "Acting Against Hunger" an annual event. \n"Specifically in Monroe County we have an arts community that is very generous and have been very generous to support the Community Kitchen," Alonso said, as he went on to explain why this partnership works. \n"An artist can provide a sculpture or piece of art that is tangible. (When bought) it supports the arts and the donor is more likely to purchase the art when they know that the money is going to a good cause. They are receiving something tangible for their donation," Alonso said.\nBoth agencies provide needed services to the community and have many needs that are met with government funding as well as with charitable donation dollars.\n"We have paid staff, the artistic and marketing director, directors, and playwrights are paid. We hope to have a part time paid education director, rent every month, utilities, accountants, (and) marketing. We are a business but we don't have to turn a profit," said Johnson, who volunteers her time at the BPP.\nJohnson believes that the services provided by the BPP are vital to the local arts community.\n"First of all we believe that all plays are new at one time and if no one devotes themselves to new plays the body of dramatic literature will become stale. People need to produce new plays to ensure the future of the American theater. We believe that theater is an important part of our culture and people who live in Bloomington deserve the right to enjoy theater just as much as people who live in New York or San Francisco. Also, there are lots of people who are theater artisans and we provide a means for them to uses their skills and crafts," Johnson said.\nThe Community Kitchen is a hunger relief agency that has a paid staff of 11 and a volunteer staff of 80. \n"In June we provided 524 meals a day, six days a week. Any one can come in to our two kitchens and receive a free meal, no questions asked. We served 111,000 meals last year. We also take part in the Feed our Future campaign. We provide meals to other agencies that feed kids, Boys and Girls Club and the Banneker Center. In the summer we have a summer breakfast program that provides sack breakfasts for low income children around the community."\nAlonso and Kasper both believe that partnerships between not-for-profit agencies have the possibility of being very beneficial for all involved.\n"I think that you may see some level of pairing together in the community in the future ... we are competing in the same arenas for support. Any organizations that have events where they can introduce their supporters to each other's organizations are opening themselves up to more support opportunities," Alonso said.\n"Acting Against Hunger" will take place at 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 21 at the BPP. The cost is $25. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP by Friday, July 19 by calling the BPP at 334-1188 or the Community Kitchen at 332-0999.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
When Doug Booher volunteered as an usher at the IU Auditorium during is college years at IU he never imagined that auditorium would play such a large role in his life. Now after seven years of service, he has been named the director of the auditorium. \n"It is very exciting to get the chance to work in such a great community and at a place where I strongly believe in the value of what we do," Booher said.\nThroughout his time at the auditorium, he has served as a student usher, the supervisor of the usher corps and full-time house manager. Winston Shindell, the executive director of the Indiana Memorial Union and the IU Auditorium believes Booher's experience is a very valuable asset. \n"Well I think we are very fortunate from the stand point that his whole life has revolved around the IU Auditorium," Shindell said. "He has seen all facets of the auditorium and IU, and he is highly respected and liked. He is also very capable. He has been a part of fashioning a vision we have for (the auditorium). \n"It is always nice to be in a position to reward someone for their service and promote from within. Doug was certainly deserving of that opportunity."\nWhen he began as an usher, auditorium long time co-worker and Box Office Coordinator Joal Jacobus never imagined Booher would have such a long career at IU. He didn't think Booher would stay with the auditorium.\n"We have hundreds of people who go through this auditorium every year, and the general operating scheme is that people tend to graduate and leave. Well, except for me, I have been here forever. It is a very transient job environment," Jacobus said.\nIn addition to his responsibilities of working with the professional, hourly and 400-member volunteer staff, planing the seasons and budgeting and finalizing performances, Booher is also looking forward to building stronger ties with the arts organizations on the IU campus and in the Bloomington community.\n"He has a great understanding of the Bloomington community and the IU Auditorium, so I think he is the perfect person to expand our partnerships with other arts organizations like the School of Music," Shindell said. "He is also going to work with the Union Board Concert Comity. It is something that he is enthusiastic about and enjoys doing and the energy shows."\nBooher is working directly with the School of Music and the Department of Theatre and Drama to program events that will meet the educational needs of their students. \n"We hope to broaden this effort by encouraging partnerships with other academic units on campus and arts groups in the community," Booher said. "These partnerships will include opportunities for young people to interact and learn from their experiences of seeing the professional artists we bring to Bloomington."\nAlthough the Auditorium does not work with local acts, Booher believes the Auditorium still plays an important role in the local arts community.\n"We are one of the few organizations who bring national professional events to Bloomington, so I believe that distinguishes us from some other arts groups," he said. "However, our staff is committed to helping these other groups grow and prosper. Many of our staff members serve as volunteers, board members and informal consultants for campus and community arts groups." \nBooher believes that variety and listening to the community are the keys to making the IU Auditorium a viable resource for both the campus and the community.\n"I listen to everything from Blues to classical, and enjoy Cirque du Soleil as much as much as a Broadway show or opera," he said. "I believe that our community has the same kind of tastes, so we spend time and resources asking the students and community members what kind of events they would like to see at the Auditorium." \nEach Fall the auditorium conducts a survey on its Entertainment Network e-mail list that allows recipients to vote for the shows they would like to see the following season. Anyone can join the list at http://iuauditorium.com. IU students who want to volunteer at the Auditorium can sign up to be a member during the first week of classes in the fall at the Auditorium from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or they can e-mail housemgr@indiana.edu.
(06/13/02 3:40am)
A comment about his teeth when he was in seventh grade spurred retired IU Professor Emeritus Dominic Spera to take up playing the trumpet. Now, years later, the accomplished professor is being honored with a concert for his 70th birthday with the Jazz Fables concert series at Bear's Place tonight at 5:30 where he will be among the performers.\n"I was living with an aunt and uncle at the time. My uncle was and orthodontist. He said I had pronounced upper front teeth. He told me I had a choice. Get braces or play the trumpet," Spera said.\nAlthough he attended Chicago Musical College, University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the Manhattan School of Music in New York, Spera earned all of his degrees from IU. However, he "hit the big time" before finishing his undergrad degree. When he was only 15 credits away from earning his undergrad degree from IU he got his big break and took off for New York.\n"When I was in the army I met a fabulous trumpet player named Don Jacoby, he got me my big break with Fred Waring. I passed up a contract with Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra a few weeks before and then I got the call. My family and I packed up and went to New York and we stayed for 10 years," Spera said.\nAlthough Spera headed for New York before finishing school he doesn't usually advise his students to do the same, especially if they are starting out 'cold,' without a job or a gig to go to. \n"When I taught my pedagogy class I gave a lecture called "So You Want to Go to the Big City." It was about what to do and what not to do. It really helps if someone has that information before they dive into the deep water," Spera said.\n"I would tell them to finish their undergraduate degree and get as good as they can first, then get an apprenticeship and save their money because they're going to need it. Then go to New York. In New York there is always room for another musician, it is one of the only cities where musicians can make a living and get the bills paid playing their chosen instrument without making 'the big time.''\nToday is not Spera's birthday. The concert was originally scheduled for April 18, Spera's actual birthday. That comming weekend he was scheduled to preform with the Bloomington Pops. Then the pops performance was cancelled so Spera decided to postpone coming up from Florida to perform at Bears. \n"We are very fortunate that we are able to celebrate his birthday," said Jazz Fables organizer and creator David Miller. "He has played with many great jazz artists, big band artists and vocalists in history. He is a Bloomington treasure and it is always a pleasure hear him play in a smaller group and play his own original arrangements. He is very accomplished at composing and arranging."\nAmong the musicians Spera will be preforming with tonight are his former student and IU school of music professor Tom Walsh, who plays the baritone sax, and long time friend and fellow jazz musician Al Cobine, who plays the saxophone.\n"It is always a pleasure to play with Dominic. We are very compatible together and we know a lot of the same songs. He knows many songs in many styles of music," Cobine said of his friend. \nAlthough many of the songs being played are original compositions and arrangements by Spera and Cobine, they are not rehearsing before their performance.\n"We don't need to. We never do. We know the songs," said Cobine of rehearsing for the performance.\nCobine met Spera in 1955 when he approached him to play trumpet in his big band. Of all the big name acts he has preformed with Spera marks his experiences preforming with Cobine as some of his most memorable. \n"One of my biggest performances with Frank Sinatra was a highlight and any time I preform with Al Cobine is always a great experience. Especially when I played with The Al Cobine Big Band, that was great too."\nAlthough Spera retired from IU in 1997 his commitment to music has stayed the same.\n"I do the same things I did before, I just retired from the establishment. I still do solo clinics, performances and write music. Just the usual."\nSpera has been playing the trumpet since junior high. He began teaching the trumpet at the age of 16. In high school he composed for the jazz band. Since then he has preformed, taught, written and arranged music. At the age of 70 he doesn't plan on stopping any time soon.\n"I'll stop playing when I can't play well," said Spera.
(06/03/02 2:28am)
Quilting is an art form like no other. Hundreds of tiny pieces of fabric are "pieced" together to create images of pinwheels, birds, portraits of people, flowers, tea pots, kittens, rabbits, and a myriad of startling and colorful abstract designs. Once the pieces are sewn together, borders, batting and backing fabric are added and then the entire piece is quilted, sewn over with a design either by hand or by machine, to complete the laborious process. \nA full range sampling of the possibilities of this art form and the innovations it has incurred over time is exactly what you can expect to find at the Brown County Historical Society's annual Quilt Show. On May 31 through June 2 the auxiliary of The Brown County Historical Society, called the Pioneer Women's Club, held their 24th annual quilt show. \nFour dollars granted patrons entrance to view the 138 quilts and quilted clothing on display as well as access to a free luncheon catered by the club. The event also included a raffle for a quilt made as a group effort by the club members, a gift shop area where items made by the club members were for sale and demonstrations of activities the club members engage in like quilting and weaving rugs on a large loom. \n"Someone stays at the historical society building overnight to make sure the quilts are safe and no one comes in and steals them," said Daren Pitts Redman, president of the Pioneer Women's Club. \nSecurity measures are necessary because the hours of labor involved in making the quilts makes them very valuable. The quilts are often appraised at well over $1,000 and the price only increases as the quilt gets older. Like other works of art, the quilts are given titles and are one of a kind. Most are designed by the creators themselves and are handled with great care. \n"The quilts belong to someone else and the oils from your hands can deteriorate the fabrics. There are people walking around with white gloves on to show the back of the quilt," Redman said.\nSome of the quilts were judged the day before and winners received a $50 dollar prize. There was also a contest for making a small block of a quilt and a viewer's choice award to be judged by the audience. There were also quilts with children's drawings on them made by Nashville elementary students with the help of Pioneer Women's Club members. Other quilts were prized possessions and family heirlooms on display. \nThe long process of making a quilt indicates there is often a specific meaning behind the quilt's design or purpose. Many of the quilts had stories attached to them. Some were made during the mourning of a deceased family member and one was a portrait of a high school graduate made by her mother as a gift to mark her passage into adulthood. \n"The function of quilt making has changed, now we are hanging them on the wall but before they were bedding for the family. Quilt makers were the original recyclers, they had limited fabrics available and used old clothes to make quilts," said quilt show chairperson Mary George Kipp.\nAlthough the group does not use recycled materials for their quilts it continues the tradition of recycling by making rugs out of recycled blue jean. \nThe Pioneer Women's Club is dedicated to preserving and teaching activities from the past such as quilting, weaving, spinning, knitting, crocheting, and embroidery. Redman aims to have demonstrations of "old time" activities every month for the groups' meeting. \n"Why shouldn't future generations (learn how to quilt)? It is like a distinct animal, once it's gone, it's gone," Kipp said.\nKay McLeod, Vice President of the Pioneer Woman's Club, has been sewing all her life. She earned extra income by making and designing wedding and prom dresses in the past, but did not begin quilting until 1998. She designed and cut out the piece work for the quilt now being made by the group. \n"I like designing the quilts, choosing the colors and doing the quilting," said McLeod, who was hand quilting at the function. "Machine quilting is OK if you are in a hurry but I prefer the hand."\nCindy Westchester traveled from Franklin to attend the quilt show. McLeod and Westchester both said their female relatives had been very excited when they took up quilting. They are both happy to be carrying on a family tradition although they did a lot of learning outside the family.
(05/16/02 4:00am)
(05/16/02 2:18am)
Since the debut of her best-selling novel "Clan of the Cave Bear" in 1980, author Jean Auel has won the hearts of readers and archeologists alike with her intensely researched prehistoric fiction series, "Earth's Children." Now on a book tour for her long awaited novel "Shelters of Stone" that was 12 years in the making, Auel will making a special stop at IU's Alumni Hall tonight at 6 p.m. to give a presentation for the craftsmanship lecture series which is featured by the Center for Research into the Anthropological Foundations of Technology (CRAFT) annually. \n"It does take some time to gather the research and develop it into the story line, and it took some time to finally finish an origin myth poem that I had been working on for twenty years," Auel said in a press release in response to the 12 years it took for her to complete "Shelters of Stone." \n"It also took time to work out the background details: the climate and the way the landscape looked then, the site and localities before some of them collapsed and were irrevocably changed, and the way the ones still existing related to such things as rivers and each other. \n"But I also have a family…Some times life gets in the way of writing." \nHer continuous and in-depth research that has continued throughout the writing of all of the novels in the series as well as her communication with archeologists is what endears her to the archeological community, including friends Kathy Schick and Nick Toth, the husband and wife archeology team who head the CRAFT research center here at IU.\n"She's not an archeologist but she talks a lot with other archeologists, she has an amazing library, she has taken classes on foraging and how to make stone tools and she travels to the places in her books," Schick said of Auel, whom she has known for 15 years since she and her husband, Toth, met her at a conference on human evolution at the American Museum in New York. \n"She wants to make her books as thoroughly steeped in archeological evidence as possible. Then she has to take an imaginative leap and fill in all the gaps of what we don't know." \nThe "Earth's Children" series takes place when Cro-Magnons, the first people we would recognize as modern humans, appeared in Europe during the Ice Age and encountered an older race of man called Neanderthals. The epic follows the story of a young Cro-Magnon woman named Ayla who was rescued by Neanderthals after being injured as a child who then returns to her own people and learns to live among them again. \n"Cro-Magnon 'cave man' was not the stupid savage of Hollywood, but rather fully modern humans who lived in a different time and earned their living in a different way," Auel said in a press release. "Neanderthals are still unknowns, but far more advanced than most of us imagine, and both lived at the same time. When we first appeared we had to share our world with another advanced kind of human. The idea fascinated me." \nAlthough her novels are intensely researched and realistic Auel is still writing fiction. She takes sides and speculates on major debates and unknown factors in archeology.\n"She takes necessary artistic liberty to develop her story," Schick said. "The language issue is still hotly debated. She does make you think about it in a solid realistic way. She can help prehistorians think more thoroughly about their ideas in a fuller and more vibrant way." \nAlthough the people in the story lived long ago, Toth and Schick believe modern people are still basically the same and can relate to their lives.\n"It lets people know that it was real and we have not changed that much. Only 10,000 years ago every human was part of the Ice Age," Toth said.\nSchick agreed, saying everyone in today's day and age can relate to those characters involved in the story.\n"A lot of aspects of their lives are very familiar to our lives today, like their family groups and relationships, although we have technology and more material culture," she said. "It shows people a lot of continuity with the stone age past."\nRather than promote false or parodied ideas about the past as many Hollywood representations do Schick feels Auel's books spark genuine interest in archeology in readers.\n"It gets people interested in the reality of the archeological record through fiction. People will then be more inclined to pick up an archeology book and learn more," she said. "Many of my students say they first got interested in archeology though her books."\nOne such example is IU paleoanthropology graduate student Leslie Harlacker who credits Auel with fueling her interest in human evolution.\n"I first started reading her books when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I was fascinated how she could combine fiction with scientific knowledge with fiction. Ever since then I have really enjoyed reading her books," said Harlacker, who also admires the accuracy of Auel's series. "Taking it seriously improves the portrayal so people who read the books be can more assured that it is based on truth which it makes more believable. \n"I really doubt the "Flintstones" ever inspired any one to become an anthropologist like her books did for me." \nThe power of Auel's books and Hollywood to spark people's interest in archeology caused Toth and Schick to examine these portrayals in a class that is sometimes offered at IU.\n"We sometimes teach a course called Life in the Stone Age. The first part is text book information about the Stone Age and the rest of the course examines Hollywood versions of the Stone Age," Toth said. "We often have a conference call with Jean at her home in Portland and students can ask her how she came up with the ideas for her novels." \nTickets are free and available at CRAFT and Barnes and Noble.
(11/29/01 3:58am)
Deep in Yellowwood State Forest in Brown County on a gravel road built for logging stands a red oak ner a steep ravine. At the base of the tree is a yellow line marking it to be cut, and high above on a platform is 18-year-old Rebecca Bowman, her brown hair unruly, her legs wrapped in a sleeping bag. She simply goes by Rebecca. \nRebecca is one of about 20 people who have made their home in this tree they call Prometheus. Although Prometheus and 77 other trees have already been sold to Tagget Hill Sawmill for $6,867, the tree sit has prevented them from being cut down for nearly eight months. This group, who calls itself the Yellowwood Tree Huggers, aims to save not only Prometheus and the other trees at the site from logging, but all the trees in Indiana's state forests.\n"This place is supposed to be here as a natural place for people to enjoy," Rebecca said. \nFor years, there has been an ongoing debate in Indiana between government officials and environmental activists about whether logging should be allowed on public lands. Government agencies support logging as necessary and unharmful, as long as it is done in a responsible way that allows sustainability and regeneration. But environmentalists question whether forestry practices are actually sustainable and healthy for the forest and say there are far more beneficial reasons to leave the land alone. \n"Selling trees to private corporations for profit overshadows environmental concerns," said Joshua Martin, a volunteer at Indiana Forest Alliance, who has a graduate degree in environmental policy from IU. "(Government agencies) think they are turning loggers into good loggers, but that is debatable because they see the land as something to be used for profit, not as a living, breathing ecosystem."\nTwo tree-sits have taken place in Bloomington this year. These are the first tree-sits not on the west coast. The first started in March when Tracy "Dolphin" McNeely took up residence in a tree on Bloomington's west side in an attempt to stop an apartment complex from being built in Browns Woods. Supporters, not including McNeely, were arrested in July. All charges were dropped in September.\nTen days after McNeely began her tree-sit, Mary Demkovich, a former IU student, took up residence in a tree on a logging site in Yellowwood forest. Since April 1, there has been someone staying on the two adjacent platforms covered with blue tarps 24 hours per day, rain or shine.\nRebecca and the Yellowwood Tree Huggers say there are many reasons logging on public land is unnecessary\n"If we reuse what we've already produced, use alternative products, and stop consuming so much, there would be no need (for logging)," Rebecca said, while drinking tea high above the ground in Prometheus. \nRebecca said she realizes that consumer behavior is also a part of this issue. She said that there are other materials that can be used to build in place of wood. Used timber can be salvaged and used again. The need for paper products, the biggest cause of wood consumption, can be met with recycled paper, hemp and banana paper, which are made from fibers that can be renewed quickly. Rebecca said she has learned to change her old habits and adopt new ones like these.\nRebecca sings, writes, draws, reads, plays her drum or the recorder, cooks, listens to her headphones or just watches the leaves fall when she is staying in Prometheus. Although she does not have all the comforts of home, everything she needs is in the tree with her. Extra water, food, warm clothes and climbing gear hang in buckets underneath the platform. At night her only sources of light are a few candles and a flashlight. She also has a cell phone to keep in touch, because there is not always someone on the ground for help and support. \nThe Department of Natural Resources removed branches to lessen the risk of injury to the tree-sitters and prevent them from building another platform. \n"The only thing that gets to me at times is when it is raining and raining and will not stop and I'm cold and wet," Rebecca said. \nDuring hunting season, Rebecca and the other tree-sitters became used to hearing gunshots near by -- being awakened by the sound of shotgun and rifle fire. They also know winter will bring obstacles more challenging than rain and gunshots. The group now has a small heater and an all weather tent to keep out snow for the winter.\nAside from the money gained for the tree-sit from benefit concerts and food from Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, a local food donation center, the people involved donate money out of their own pockets to keep the tree-sit going. Juila Flowers, who often helps with ground support at the tree sit, is taking a semester off from graduate school in northern Indiana to help with the tree-sit. Other people and groups, like Indiana University's Student Environmental Action Coalition, come out to bring hot meals or just to visit. \n"We will stay as long as we can do it, we put all our love and energy into (the tree-sit)," Rebecca said.
(03/02/01 4:34am)
Ready-to-use vegetable broth, Hello Kitty Ramen noodles, ready-to-serve chai tea and meatless bologna weren't items one could just find on the shelves of a supermarket, until recently.\nBut these things have long been available in Bloomington's specialty groceries. \nSpecialty markets have catered to a wide range of palates and people in Bloomington for many years. \nBloomingfoods Market & Deli, a community owned co-op, was Bloomington's first specialty market. Founded in a back alley shop at 419 E. Kirkwood Ave., 25 years ago, it has been growing ever since. \nThe Kirkwood store has been in business since 1976, and Bloomingfoods has since expanded, opening a second larger store on Third Street.\n"The Third Street Store was a po-folks restaurant, but we've done our best to turn it into a grocery store," said general manager George Huntington.\nThere are many specialty groceries in Bloomington, and each has its own personality and areas of interest. Bloomingfoods is no different.\n"Our focus at Bloomingfoods is on what is called certified organic food," Huntington said. "Of the products in the store, 95 percent are certified organic products -- conventional items are available if no organic alternative is available." \nFor food to be certified organic, farmers must meet specific regulations. Certified organic food must be produced without using residual toxic chemicals at any time before food is sold, according to the Certified Organic Web site.\nBut organic foods still contain agricultural chemicals from rain and groundwater. Processed and dairy food must also meet certain standards. Organic foods must be inspected annually by independent certification organizations, although the USDA is now proposing to set national standards for organic products.\n"Bio-regionalism" is another one of Bloomingfood's concepts. The store carries locally grown produce, soap when in season.\n"The concept is simple," Huntington said. "It is silly to be buying lettuce from California when it is in season here." \nThe store has a deli and tables, so customers can eat in the store or take things home; the store also serves coffee to drink while shopping. \nThe store carries socks, underwear and other clothing made from organic cotton, as well as vitamins, cleaning products and toiletries made from recycled materials.\nNot all specialty markets focus on organic and health foods. Others, such as Sahara Mart and The Oriental International Market, also have unique focus and atmosphere.\n"This is what a store used to be. What your parents and grandparents went to," said Jon Nilsen, an employee of Sahara Mart, 106 E. Second St. "People go to the malls and supermarkets now and can grow up never knowing what a real store is like." \nBut the Sahara Mart has more exotic fare than the mom and pop stores of old, Nilsen said.\n"There are not many places that sell African dried fish and the latest vitamin supplement in the same store," said Nilsen. "I'm sure you could find many of these things on the Internet, but when (customers) come in here, (they) are greeted and we have a knowledgeable staff that can answer questions, give recipes and help them use the food." \nAlthough it does carry some organic and natural food, Sahara Mart carries a wide variety of ethnic foods from Greece, France and Bulgaria. The store also sells about 100 gourmet coffees in bulk and has an ethnic deli with items such as dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), baklava, falafel, spinach pie and samosa. \nThe store also sells dietary supplements, shampoos, massage oil and incense. \nOther specialty stores, such as The Oriental International Market, 408 E. Fourth St., carry many ethnic foods but focus on specific ethnic groups.\n"We carry many items from other countries. We have Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Middle Eastern, African, Vietnamese and Mexican foods," said store manager Sonia Akhras. "We carry food from several different countries, but about 70 percent is Asian food."\nThe Oriental International Market carries uncommon produce items such as tomatillos, avocados, plantains, chayote, cassava and persimmon. It also has a deli with many Middle Eastern dishes and tables so customers can eat in the store.\nBecause of its largely foreign clientele, owner Ali Akhras and manager Sonia Akhras benefit from knowing several languages. Ali Akhras speaks Arabic, English and some Chinese and Spanish, while Sonia Akhras speaks Bahasa Indonesia and English. \nOther stores have a variety of customers, as well.\n"You would be amazed at the broad range of customers that we have," Huntington said. \nIn addition to people interested in organic and vegetarian foods, Huntington said many customers have special dietary needs, are looking for specialty items or just like shopping at a community-owned co-op. \nBloomingfoods customer Janine Boer shops at the store once a week because "it has healthy organic foods. \n"(I also like) bulk foods because I can bring my own containers. That is very important for recycling." \nA wide range of bulk foods, including nut butters, oils, honey, spices, beans, lentils, rice, flour, hummus mix, cereal and dried fruit are available in plastic bins in the back of the store. Food that isn't pre-packaged is less expensive, and customers can use and reuse the store's containers or bring their own. \n"They (Bloomingfoods) also give the farmers (space) to have their own farmers market out in the parking lot. You don't see that at Kroger," Boer said. \nFrequent customer Frank Young does most of his shopping at Bloomingfoods. He said he enjoys "being able to get organic foods and have a nice selection of organic and health foods." \n"We do have several customers who buy all of their groceries here," Huntington said. \nBut most specialty customers are what Huntington calls "cross shoppers," who only buy some specialty groceries. \nAnd it might not be possible for people to do all their shopping at specialty markets. \n"Generally we do not carry a lot of meat and produce, so it is hard for people to do all of their shopping here (at Sahara Mart)," Nilsen said. \nBut most of Sahara Mart's customers shop frequently for many reasons. \n"I think you don't have to have stuff in here that appeals to everyone; people who buy whole bean coffee have tastes for things besides Folgers and Wonder Bread," Nilsen said.\nDavid Junkins shops at Sahara Mart about once a month. \n"Right now we are shopping for cholesterol-free products to bring my cholesterol down," he said. "There's a lot more variety here."\nAlthough specialty stores have specific niches, they must compete with each other and with supermarkets. \n"We want to run a successful business, but we don't want to be all things to all people," Huntington said. "If we don't carry an item a customer wants, we will send them to other specialty stores." \nBloomingfoods' newest competitor -- the new Marsh across the street from the Third Street store, which has a larger organic and natural food section than any of the other Marsh stores in town -- doesn't worry Huntington, either. \n"The impact from Marsh has not been dramatic," he said. "There are people in this world who like to shop in a smaller environment where they don't have to put on hiking boots to go shopping. Marsh does carry several products we do, but if people have questions about those products they're more likely to find the answer here."\nBut the chain stores are picking up on the act.\nMr. D's, 512 S. College Mall Road, added organic and vegetarian items only five years ago, and specific items such as sushi were added after its remodeling this year. Mr. D's now carries 70 to 80 kinds of organic produce.\n"(The organic food market) is booming on the East and West Coast …" said Rick Griffith, a produce counselor stocking organic products at Mr. D's. "The Midwest is always the last behind all other markets but college towns are a niche market." \nOrganic products are more expensive than non-organic produce because no pesticides are used -- bugs eat much of the crop, so farmers must charge more. \n"Until that price point goes down, I don't think it will ever really pick up in the Midwest," he said.\nMr. D's also has a healthy choice program that labels the most healthy foods to help people who have health problems or are on restricted diets.\n"We have a nutritionist on our payroll who gives tours, lectures and explains healthy food choices," said Martha Smith, store director. \nAs local groceries continue to expand, specialty stores have some advantages, such as lower overhead, which allows for greater profit. And many specialty markets save money by buying in bulk from wholesale markets in Chicago.