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(09/22/09 3:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the Kelley School of Business’ Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship Finance class, students listen with intent as professor Gerry Hays, an entrepreneur himself, talks of the new big idea he has been working on with IU graduates Jared Golden and Amish Tolia.Golden, Tolia and Hays said Apparel Media Group, which uses apparel as a medium for advertising, seeks to change the face of the custom apparel industry. Organizations would be able to purchase T-shirts at a much lower cost by carrying a corporate sponsor’s logo or slogan on the shirt as well.“Apparel Media Group helps brands pay for consumers’ custom apparel in return for branding via the apparel,” Golden said. “With apparel media, you can bring a different kind of interaction and engagement with consumers.”Golden and Tolia first entered the custom apparel industry in October 2005 with Campus Threadz, a custom apparel utility for students. “Alongside being full-time entrepreneurs, we were members of the Investment Banking Workshop, and we both knew we were headed toward the finance world,” Golden said. “I was going to work with Deutsche Bank and Amish with HSBC. I had the entire spring to devote to the business and to explore the opportunities before going to Wall Street.”Golden and Tolia had taken Hays’ class in the business school and developed a mentor relationship with him. The three plan to build several brands in addition to Campus Threadz underneath Apparel Media Group, they said.Babies Threadz, for example, could be a possibility for parents looking for cheaper apparel options for their toddlers.During the last few months, Golden and Tolia fine-tuned the idea alongside working 80 hours a week on Wall Street, Hays said. Golden and Tolia have now quit their jobs to work-full time on the idea.“We are, nevertheless, carrying forward the IBW theme of growing to become principals of your firm,” Tolia said. “Maybe this is the quickest jump you’ve seen from analyst to CEO. I think it is safe to say that if we did not have the experience of the corporate finance world, we would not be able to run our business as professionally.”Golden and Tolia believed in their idea strongly enough to quit what a lot of students would consider dream jobs.“I prepared to get a job on Wall Street throughout my college career,” Golden said. “The first step was for me to convince myself that this was a good idea.”Tolia and Golden researched and spoke to existing clients and partners to validate the merit of their idea.“Brands are having a harder time than ever reaching consumers in a meaningful way,” Golden said. “People have ruled out TV ads through TiVo, our generation has learned to ignore banner ads on the Internet and who listens to radio anymore?” With a growth level of 20 to 30 percent annually, new media is the fastest growing category within the estimated $145 billion to $160 billion advertising industry, Golden said.“Without Jared and Amish, marketing through custom apparel was just an idea,” Hays said. “Now it has become a business opportunity. I was very impressed with the drive, intelligence and thought that they had put into Campus Threadz. Over the last eight months, they have brought the same level of insight to Apparel Media Group.”Hays said he realized that Golden and Tolia had created something very special in Campus Threadz.“I recognized their talent and realized that these are people who are going to make it big in life,” he said.Golden, Tolia and Hays have filed a patent for their idea of branding via custom apparel and already have a provisional patent. They have completed the initial round of funding, and within a 60-day period have secured enough to help their company reach cash-flow sustainability, they said.“The crux of our value is in our measurement system, which will help measure the impact custom apparel marketing will have on buyers’ preferences,” Gerry said. The three will be conducting some pilots on the Bloomington campus, they said.“Our message to students is that if you’ve got an idea, don’t shy away from it. Start it, see where it takes you,” Tolia said. “When we started Campus Threadz in October 2005, nobody would have thought it would grow to be a fully established business.”A year after Tolia and Golden graduated, Campus Threadz is functioning at full capacity, and it will soon be providing custom apparel for organizations at lower prices than before with the help of sponsorships from corporate advertisers, Tolia said. “This could be a platform for philanthropic organizations and other campus groups to connect with corporate sponsors and build new relationships,” Hays said.Relationship-building has been integral to Tolia and Golden’s personal and professional growth.“It has been very helpful for us to talk to our professors outside class, in their office hours. We have received so much support from the entire Bloomington campus, and we can’t thank everyone enough,” Golden said.Golden and Tolia want their story to be seen as an inspiration to other students who want to take the entrepreneurship route but are hesitant to take the dive.“Don’t block out good advice as criticism,” Golden said. “Be diligent, and be willing to take the risk if you are passionate about something.”
(09/18/07 4:12am)
For many students, classes are an obligatory part of the college experience. For seniors Jared Golden and Amish Tolia, though, a class paved the way for their prosperity as young entrepreneurs. The result? Campus Threadz, a full service custom apparel and promotional item printing company the two started in October 2005.\n“We met in our (business technology) class, and that’s when we came up with this idea,” Golden said. “We were both interested in starting our own business.”\nGolden and Tolia decided on starting Campus Threadz, whose T-shirt prints range from the “Sampsonite” shirts for IU men’s basketball fans to Big Man on Campus.\n“Three weeks were more than enough for us to trust each other,” Tolia said. “Prior to meeting we were both looking for someone who was committed, good at academics and good socially.”\nGolden and Tolia took a little over a month to get all their operations started.\n“It was a learn-as-we-do process where we had a picture of what we wanted the business to be and had to make it happen,” Golden said. \nCampus Threadz provides custom printed apparel to organizations. The business specializes in bulk ordering with student groups, and the greek community forms its largest customer base.\n“We tried to create this one-stop shop for apparel business,” Tolia said. “Eight months ago we were officially licensed by the University to print University trademarks.”\nCampus Threadz has a steady base of customers from various universities. Apart from IU, it caters to Southern Methodist University, Princeton University and Ohio State University. Golden and Tolia employ more than 24 students across these campuses. \n“Our operations are so seamless that the only thing we need at any other university is a reliable manager, and they pretty much run their own business,” Tolia said. “Our mission has been to set up a company that is legitimate and independent that could function without us.”\nTheir mission remains the same as their business develops organically, Golden said.\n“It has been very enjoyable working with Campus Threadz,” said Mark Nagrodzki, an MBA student and friend of Golden and Tolia. Nagrodzki said the two were looking for fraternity house representatives, and he decided to represent his house, Sigma Alpha Mu. “Campus Threadz provides an excellent quality of customer service, especially for their IU clientele.”\nWhile they compete on price, they beat their competition on quality, Golden and Tolia said.\n“We have a unique, low-cost business model and a supplier network that is unmatched.” Tolia said.\nGolden and Tolia balance studying for tests, going to football games, attending cookouts with friends and managing their business with skill. Friends form their support system, they said, though they are appreciative of the support they’ve received from faculty as well.\n“As you progress through the business school, you begin to spend more and more time with your professors. You begin to develop relationships with them even outside the scope of the B-school,” Golden said. “And that’s when the B-school becomes a whole different world.”\nFaculty and staff at Kelley commend the initiative taken by Golden and Tolia.\n“Both are terrific students and individuals,” said Geoffrey B. Sprinkle, associate professor of accounting. “Campus Threadz is a fabulous organization that reflects positively on Kelley and IU. We support their entrepreneurial endeavors wholeheartedly.”\nWhile Tolia and Golden give 25 to 30 hours a week to their business, their college experience is the foremost of their priorities, they said. Tolia, a finance-real estate and entrepreneurship major and Golden, a finance major, are both members of the Mitte Business Honors Program and the Investment Banking Workshop.\n“If we put in the investment banking hours to Campus Threadz, we could be Fortune 500 in a year,” Tolia said.\nFor now, they are committed to the development of their local communities. They have broken down barriers within IU by catering to every section of the community, Golden said. \n“There are a lot of students out there who are very entrepreneurial,” Tolia said. “We want our example to encourage other students to go with their ideas.”\nBeing full-time students and full-time entrepreneurs at the same time adds to the experience, Golden said.\n“Kelley is a set of resources that we are lucky enough to have. What determines your likelihood to succeed is your drive,” he said. “In the end, all we did was take an idea and transform it into something real.”
(09/18/07 4:07am)
The Kelley School of Business offers students an opportunity to hone their business skills and develop citizenship skills through Civic Leadership Development. The program gives students volunteer opportunities as well as nonprofit internships, and the group will hold its first general meeting of the year at 8 p.m. Wednesday.\n“This is the 20th year of CLD,” the group’s director Helen Ingersoll said. “When it started, it was a very small idea ... so (students) could learn things in the community that we couldn’t teach them in the classroom. From then, the program has evolved tremendously.”\nCLD is open to students who have been selected for admission and are currently pursuing a Kelley degree, she said.\n“Students benefit in a variety of ways from the CLD,” Ingersoll said. “They develop their own leadership style, whether it is through the student executive board ... or volunteering at different places.”\nThe organization’s internship partners include the American Red Cross, Junior Achievement of Central Indiana and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, according to the groups’ Web site.\n“We have had tremendous partnership with the CLD program,” said Christy Gillenwater, president and CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. “(CLD) provides great resources to local organizations that they can use internally.”\nStudents often tell their story about how and why they volunteered through the program to recruiters, Ingersoll said. \n“Through CLD, I have been involved with Family Nights at the SRSC and am now on their advisory board,” said sophomore Steve Bennewitz. “CLD gives you a lot of options to get involved in the community and does not place a commitment requirement over you.”\nCLD is something that all Kelley students should consider, to see the range of activities that they want to be involved in, said Becky Verstein, co-president of the program. \n“The first thing that struck me about CLD was the opportunity to do something beyond the classroom,” Verstein said. “We are hoping to generate a lot of interest and get people excited about involvement.”\nA new feature in CLD this year is the creation of four Society Interest Groups, or SIGs.\n“We have four different SIGs – Youth, Elderly, Environment and Urban Issues,” Verstein said. “Through the SIGs, we are trying to create events where people can learn about an issue, register to volunteer as long-term volunteers and meet other like minded people.” \nKelley students interested in working with CLD can begin by registering at the group’s Web site, she said. More than 850 students have registered with CLD and have chosen different involvement levels.\n“Kelley school is preparing students to go out in the world and be good citizens as well as become big players in the corporate world,” Ingersoll said. “I think it is amazing that a school cares enough to do that.”
(09/11/07 5:25am)
After seeing a man on a street holding a gun, people remember the gun vividly, but they forget the details of the street. \nA new psychological study shows why this happens. According to the study, published in the August issue of the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science, people remember the bad times better than the good.\nIn the study, Boston College psychologist Elizabeth Kensinger and her colleagues explain when emotion is likely to reduce our memory inconsistencies.\n“We know that any event that has emotional quality to it is going to involve a variety of brain circuits that could be positive or negative,” said David B. Pisoni, chancellor’s professor of psychology and director of the speech research lab at IU. “These are now well known to be involved in encoding memory.”\nA strong memory of particular events is called flashbolt memory, Pisoni said. \n“We generally remember things that we attend to,” said Richard M. Shiffrin, Luther Dana Waterman Professor of Psychology at IU. “The study stands for itself, but as long as events are equally noticeable and attended to, then there is no reason to expect one kind of events to have an advantage over the other.”\nFunctional Magnetic Resonance Imaging studies have shown increased cellular activity in emotion-processing regions of the brain at the time that a person experiences a negative event, according to the release.\nKensinger argues in the study that recognizing the effects of negative emotion on memory may save our lives by guiding our actions and allowing us to plan for similar future occurrences.\nAccording to the release, this line of research has far-reaching implications in understanding autobiographical memory and assessing the validity of eyewitness testimony. \n“We know of people who have a strong memory of particular events,” Pisoni said. “These are events with strong emotional and personal relevance and they are retrieved much better by our memory.”
(09/04/07 2:31am)
John Ramey and Evan Hareras, friends and partners, have now spent eight months developing an idea that could potentially revolutionize the advertising industry. Their idea is soon to take the form of isocket.com, an interactive social marketing Web site. \n“We saw a news story about a college student using marketing to pay for a laptop and we realized it was a very powerful idea,” Ramey said. “We wanted to figure out what we could do to improve the advertising industry. (The idea) just kept growing.”\nIsocket, a marketing platform, is an attempt to make advertising easier and more effective for everybody. Ramey and Hareras would not disclose the specific details of the site, as it has not yet been released.\nRamey, an entrepreneurship major, and Hareras, an economics major, would have entered their senior years at IU this fall, but decided to drop out of school to pursue their venture. \n“We both know that education is very important, but this is one of those opportunities that comes once in a lifetime,” Hareras said. “We are both young and it is a risk, but if it doesn’t work out, we can go back to school.”\nRamey and Hareras said it is hard to teach entrepreneurship and creativity in a classroom, and that someone can only learn by failing and trying again.\n“At the same time, the faculty has been great. (Donald) Kuratko and Joe Denekamp, both entrepreneurship professors, are very excited about it,” Ramey said. “I think they are on the entrepreneurship faculty because they like to see entrepreneurship, they like to see young people come up.”\nIU faculty, in turn, has shown appreciation for Ramey and Hareras.\n“John is extremely determined and I believe that his idea is excellent,” Kuratko said. “He has every indication that his concept will be a success.”\nDean of Students Dick McKaig has expressed that IU, as a family, will always be there for them, Hareras said.\nThis is not the first entrepreneurial experience for Ramey and Hareras, they said. As sophomores, they set up a real estate business, working especially on foreclosures. \n“When we were into real estate, we did it partly because it was easy to work around our schedules,” Ramey said. “But now with the Internet startup, it is almost impossible to balance. We wouldn’t have dropped out of school unless we believed isocket would be successful. ”\nRamey and Hareras said they know the stakes are high and are putting in their best to make isocket a success.\n“Three weeks ago, we were working on a demo and we spent 20 hours a day for one week working,” Evan said. “We literally slept on our desks and lived on Red Bull. That’s what it’s like with startups.”\nComing up with the idea was a roller coaster, but it turned out to be worth it when during their pitch at the end of the week they had an executive from General Electric tell them their idea was the best thing he had seen, Ramey said.\nRamey and Hareras are currently in the process of getting funding for isocket and are looking to raise $4 to $5 million.\n“We have gone around to angel investors and are now approaching executives (and) venture capitalists,” Ramey said.\nRamey and Hareras have had few disagreements in the process and have become the support system to each other.\n“Sometimes it gets hard for our friends to understand as we go on working even though we are our own bosses,” Hareras said. “But when Friday comes, we don’t get any pay checks but we go on with it as we believe in it.” \n“We believe we can make advertising more effective through isocket. There’s a lot of invasive advertising around. Come to think of it, it’s 2007 and people still get pop-ups,” Ramey said. “We are taking a different approach, we love what we do and hopefully it will pay off.”
(09/04/07 2:26am)
IU’s Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation has distinguished itself as one of the best in the world. Fortune Small Business magazine has praised the center’s programs as well as its director, Donald F. Kuratko.\n“With legendary professor Donald F. Kuratko at the helm of the entrepreneurship center, Indiana is one of the few schools to award Ph.D.s in the topic for those with a scholarly bent,” the magazine said. \nThis is Kuratko’s fourth year at IU, and he said he is living his dream.\n“My goal when I came here was to take entrepreneurship to number one,” Kuratko said. “I am honored on behalf of IU because I think this recognition truly reflects our great faculty and our great students. To me, an honor like this is a shared honor.”\nKuratko said what sets the Johnson Center apart are its research faculty – the largest and most prolific in the world, experiential programs and world-class curriculum. \n“All of the books and research articles that come out from the faculty are used all over the world, making the center very powerful,” said Kuratko, or “Dr. K” as his students call him.\n“Dr. K is my nickname. It was given by students who had trouble pronouncing my name and asked me if they could call me Dr. K. It just picked up from there,” he said.\nKuratko has authored 22 books; he said his book “Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process and Practice” is now in its seventh edition and is the leading book in entrepreneurship. It has been translated into four different languages and is used all over the world. Kuratko said the book recently received an award in Australia for the best publication in entrepreneurship education.\nKuratko has finished co-authoring a new book on corporate entrepreneurship as well. \n“A book I have written with Professor Jeff Covin on corporate entrepreneurship will be the first of its kind to be published,” said. “We think it’s going to be a best-seller.”\nDr. K’s enthusiasm is not only evident but also infectious. \n“It has been a great experience working with Dr. Kuratko,” said Travis J. Brown, a former student of Kuratko and now Entrepreneurial Innovations Lab Manager at the Johnson Center. “With just a handful of staff, it is amazing what he accomplishes.”\nKuratko started in the field 25 years ago. \n“It has been a tremendous journey over the last 25 years, to see everything begin and explode. I didn’t cause it but I was one of the pioneers and it is amazing to look back,” Kuratko said. “I take it upon myself, here at IU, to innovate and take the field forward.”\nBehind Kuratko’s success is his wife, a fitness consultant who teaches aerobics at the Student Recreational Sports Center and the YMCA, and two young daughters. Apart from work, he exercises and likes to go for walks. \nHis passion for his work permeates his surroundings with ease and brings out the best in those who work with him.\n“The best words that describe him would be that he’s a trailblazer,” said Kelli S. Conder, entrepreneurial corporate relations manager at the Johnson Center. “He is passionate about what he does. He is an inspiration to faculty, staff and students.”\nM. Sue Artmeier, who is the assistant director of the Johnson Center and has worked with Kuratko since 2005, can attest to his enthusiasm and passion.\n“The Center is much more focused on helping students and providing new business leaders for the state of Indiana,” she said. “Dr. Kuratko just gets more excited with the possibilities of spreading opportunities across campus.”\nKuratko’s vision has given life to several cross-campus initiatives like the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Medical Life Science Innovation, the Entrepreneurship Law Clinic and the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Science Innovation; as well as collaborations with IU School of Music, School of Informatics and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. \n“One of the major initiatives that we have been developing is the entrepreneurship campus of the 21st century,” Kuratko said. “It is our dream, we will take Kelley School and entrepreneurship to everyone on campus and that is a pretty neat goal. It is very far-reaching.”
(08/04/07 4:00am)
After a name shortening (from Common Sense to Common), six albums and 15 years in the industry as an "alternative" rapper, Finding Forever could be the cultivation of Chicago's Common. But it's not. \nAll the elements of a classic are here: superb production by Kanye West (who produced pretty much all of 2005's Be) and Will.i.am plus guest vocal appearances by the sensual Lilly Allen and the always-smooth D'Angelo. Common himself is on top of his game -- his rhythmic delivery contrasts well with the aforementioned jazzy production.\nYet the album doesn't bring anything new to the table or to Common's career. Be was a comeback album of sorts, after the '60s psychedelic-inspired Electric Circus alienated some listeners. On Finding Forever, we find Common content with his career one ladder rung from the top.\n"Start the Show" and "The People" get the album started and are the strongest tracks musically. "Start the Show" would have a much better impact on the listener if it opened the album (instead the album starts with a one-minute intro that should have been scrapped). "The People" is infectious and jazzy, reminiscent of '70s soul music that has been updated for the hip-hop generation. Common turned in an impressive live performance of this song with a live band on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" last week.\n"Drivin' Me Wild" is the album's most disappointing track. It plays like an excuse to get Lilly Allen on the album. Allen's falsetto is primarily used in the chorus, and in the background of Common's flows about those women he just can't understand. \nCommon is at his best lyrically toward the middle of the album. On "The Game," Common explains his path through the rap industry using a boxing metaphor. "They try to box me in like Cassius Clay/Hey I'm like Muhammad when he fasted/opposing the fascist." Flexing his high-culture muscle, Common compares himself to literary icon James Baldwin on "Southside."\nStill, this is all familiar territory. If you want Common at his very best, download 1994's Resurrection. Better yet, fans of alternative underground rap should wait until Tailb Kweli's Eardrum drops August 21.
(07/12/07 4:00am)
The noughties' reunion tide keeps a-rollin'. Now, more than two years after leader Billy Corgan's dramatic plea to his former bandmates via a full-page ad in the Chicago Tribune, The Smashing Pumpkins are back -- uh, sort of. \nActually, its two original members -- Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin -- are back, plus three new, little-known recruits. But that qualifying "sort of" is due less to their roster than to the sound of their new album "Zeitgeist." Perhaps it's in response to the unfavorable reception of the Pumpkins' last two albums -- 1998's quiet acoustic/electronic "Adore" and 2000's hyper-produced, high-concept prog-rock "Machina/The Machines of God" -- but with "Zeitgeist" the band seems content to churn out fairly standard, top-40 alt-rock, distinguished from the pack only by the presence of Corgan's familiar vocals.\nNot that it's a bad listen, per se -- it, after all, generally sticks to proven formulae. The Pumpkins push their instruments to 11 on almost every track -- especially on standouts such as "Doomsday Clock," "Tarantula" and "(Come On) Let's Go." The main problem, instead, is that not much of "Zeitgeist" is particularly memorable -- which is disappointing, given that Corgan's ability to pen a sharp, hook-laden tune was what elevated the band above their '90s heavy-rock peers in the first place. \nAnd then there's the lyrics. Coming from the guy who wrote the brilliant chorus "For all of my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage," the lyrics for many of Zeitgeist's songs are shockingly uninspired. Take, for example, "That's The Way (My Love Is)": "they say that life ain't easy/they'll say your love's a crime/destroy up all your reason/how I'm alive," then "they'll say that nothing matters/not even your will to survive/of course I love you baby/'cause I'm alive." Or the (requisite) anti-war tune "For God And Country": "for God and country, I'll fight/for God and country, I'll die/for God and country, my soul is so alive." Yawn.\nIf you want a more exciting fix of "new Pumpkins," do yourself a favor -- pick up Silversun Pickups' 2006 album "Carnavas." You won't be disappointed.
(07/05/07 4:00am)
Director Craig Brewer knows the South. There's something to be said about a man who makes his viewers feel every ounce of sticky humidity as if they were in the dirty bars or on the long dirt roads he depicts so clearly. Brewer's first film "Hustle & Flow" was a damn fine directorial debut, and "Black Snake Moan" only goes to show this guy is going places. \nRae (Christina Ricci) has a sickness -- call it a sexual appetite -- that intensifies when her boyfriend Ronnie (Justin Timberlake) heads off to boot camp. She doesn't want to cheat on him; rather, she becomes possessed to do so. When one of Ronnie's "friends" tries to make his move and Rae denies him, he beats her up and leaves her for dead in the road until an old bluesman named Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) finds her. After Rae awakens, Lazarus soon realizes he's got something ferocious on his hands, someone who needs to be exorcised -- so what better way of doing it than chaining a half-naked woman up to his radiator?\nRisque? You bet it is, but we need more filmmakers like this with original ideas worth bringing to light. These are all fascinating characters portrayed with skill and passion. Samuel L. Jackson's Lazarus is an old ghost of a man, surely one of the better roles he has taken in recent times. Ricci handles the accent well and has no trouble becoming a sexpot. Even Timberlake is beginning to become a decent actor. The problem with these characters, though, is that we don't get enough interaction between them to build a solid story. There needed to be more exposition and conflict to truly sell it all the way home. \nThe supplements of "Moan" are pretty standard fair. A commentary by Brewer laments the struggles it took to bring his picture to the big screen and why the blues is so great -- both topics further commented on in a 30-minute making-of documentary and featurettes on the music. A handful of deleted scenes and still photographs round out the disc. \nBrewer narrowly missed his sophomore slump with "Black Snake Moan." Perhaps in time it'll grow on me, but for now I'll stick with "Hustle & Flow"
(04/05/07 4:00am)
God knows how many hours I spent as a kid playing through "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game" on the NES.\nSure, the graphics and sound sucked compared to the actual arcade game, but in the early '90s it was a damn fine port of an arcade game.\nNow, the arcade game has come to Xbox Live, and without having to be squeezed onto an 8-bit system it's an absolutely perfect translation … at least offline.\nIt's hard to call yourself a real gamer if you haven't played "TMNT" in the arcades before. It's a basic yet extremely enjoyable game. Pick a turtle, and go through a series of sidescrolling levels taking out hundreds of Foot Clan soldiers --and eventually Shredder himself -- to rescue April O'Neill and Master Splinter. One button jumps, one button attacks. It's almost Zen-like in its simplicity, and it's an absolute blast with three other friends … offline.\nThe real draw of this port, in theory, is the ability to go through the game with your friends via Xbox Live. \nIn reality, it's a giant mess as the usually smooth animation is reduced to a slideshow. The music, which let's face it, is really only great as nostalgia, is reduced to, as one person I played with put it, the sounds of "a robot shitting."\nHow "TMNT" has so many problems yet much more complicated modern games such as "Gears of War" do not boggles the mind.\nNot every game suffers such problems, but in my experience online, only about one in 10 Live games had little to no slowdown.\nThe basic game is still as much fun as it was nearly 20 years ago, but the online portion really needs to be patched ASAP to make it run at an acceptable speed. Still, it's only $5 to download an arcade-perfect version of "TMNT" at long last, and offline co-op is just as good as you remember, so it's not a total bust.
(04/05/07 4:00am)
One of the biggest criticisms of Xbox Live Arcade has been that much of the content is either repackaged shareware games or half-assed ports of 20-year-old games at ridiculous prices.\nThose are valid criticisms, too. My ass still hurts from the realization I plopped down five bucks apiece for the whiz-bang high-definition versions of "Frogger" and "Pac-Man," especially in light of the proper remake treatment given to Rare's "Jetpac Refueled."\nReleased on home computers in the '80s, the original "Jetpac" was a simple one-screen game where an astronaut dodged aliens to gather the pieces of his spaceship and then fuel for it to blast off to another planet (that looked exactly the same) and repeat the process.\nIt was simple fun back then, and not a bad bonus game when it was included in 1999's "Donkey Kong 64," but asking gamers today to pay $5 for just that on Xbox Live would be a little much.\nLuckily, Rare wisely-decided to completely remake "Jetpac Refueled" from the ground up with 128 all-new levels and some truly awesome graphics that, while 2-D, show off the power of the 360. \nDevilishly intelligent enemies and the inclusion of power-ups absent from the original almost make this feel more like Xbox Live Arcade favorite "Geometry Wars" than the old "Jetpac," which is included in the download.\nAnd just like "Geometry Wars," this is one very tough game. There are checkpoints you can restart from every few levels, but don't expect to see the last level or get an easy 200 achievement points here unless you seriously brush up on your skills.\nA basic two-player mode where you and another player race against each other to get off each planet rounds out the package. It's decent fun, and runs without lag, but I almost prefer the more in-depth single-player game.\n"Jetpac Refueled" is everything an Xbox Live Arcade game should be. It's got a great nostalgic game here, as well as an awesome remake that stands up well against its competitors, all for the low price of 400 Microsoft Points ($5). Its gameplay stands up well in small doses and in marathon sessions. There's no reason not download this one.
(03/07/07 5:00am)
It's hard to believe, but in less than a year there have been two movies starring Samuel L. Jackson with the word "Snake" in the titles. Both have featured gimmicks so goofy that most viewers can't wait to fast-forward to the "good part." In this case, it's seeing Christina Ricci chained to Jackson's radiator while a bewildered observer states: "A half-naked white woman chained up in your house?!" While "Black Snake Moan" doesn't disappoint when it comes to delivering this scene, it does on almost every other level.\nRicci plays Rae, a sex-addicted, drug-abusing maniac with a dark and shadowy past. When she is left for dead on the side of the road after being attacked by her boyfriend's brother, she is discovered by Lazarus (Jackson), a deeply religious Southern farmer who hopes to "cure" Rae of her "sickness" by chaining her up in his house until she changes.\nJackson gives a spirited performance as Lazarus, pulling off the stereotypical Southern character costume of a thick accent, gold teeth and religious devotion with credibility. He also plays his own guitar parts in the film, which are passable. \nThe bond that forms between Rae and Lazarus is forced and isn't given the time it really needs to build up. Anyone who woke up chained to a radiator in a stranger's home wouldn't cozy up to her captor as quickly as Rae does. Other themes, such as Lazarus' past life as a bluesman or Ricci's history of abuse, are never built on and leave the viewer wanting more. When Ricci is first chained up, she attempts to seduce Jackson in a struggle between Jackson's good character and Ricci's evil, which would've been an interesting concept to expand upon, but after that scene it is never discussed again.\nThis film does not have the same passion as writer/director Craig Brewer's "Hustle & Flow." None of these characters possess the richness and depth of the characters in that film, making this experience much less engaging. It is obvious, however, that one thing Brewer knows very well is Memphis, Tenn. Its lush green landscape and rural dirt roads are shot with such passion that you can almost feel the Southern sun beating down on your neck. Although these backdrops are very enjoyable to watch, it would've been nice if Brewer focused more on the plot. The music also appears carefully chosen and brings authenticity to the film.\nJust like the other "Snake" movie, "Moan" is built around a corny gimmick that is more fun to talk about than to watch. When snakes were on a plane, however, the campy element was played up to a tee, but the tone of this film is much too serious and preachy to even joke about. Here's to hoping that this is just a sophomore slump for Brewer and that the era of "Snake" movies with Sam Jackson comes to an abrupt end.
(02/28/07 5:00am)
There was complete silence as American University professor Gershon Greenberg narrated the anecdote of a sergeant who had to amputate his own child’s limbs to save him.\n“It brought unbearable grief,” Greenberg said. “But there is a difference between the soul and the body, and to save the soul, one sometimes needs to save the body.”\nThe anecdote was first cited by Ephraim Sokolover in his Hebrew book, “The Face of Ephraim.” Sokolover was one of the many thinkers and writers whose work Greenberg cited in advocating the religious nature of the deaths at the time of the Holocaust.\n“(The anecdote) is applying to the sacred deaths of the Holocaust to show that they were transcended by souls reaching God in purity,” he said.\nGreenberg addressed IU students and faculty on “Sacred Death During the Holocaust: On the Christian Implications” in the Oak Room of the Indiana Memorial Union on Monday night in a presentation organized by the Jewish Studies program. \n“There are deep common grounds to the religions despite different concepts of God; one such ground is the understanding of martyrdom and sacred death,” Greenberg said. “There are sources which indicate that ultra-Orthodox Jews during the Holocaust shared views which are reminiscent of the church fathers in three ways.”\nFirst, the belief that in martyrdom, the soul flees from a profane body and the human will abdicates itself to sacred death, Greenberg said.\nThe second tenet held is “that physical suffering is imbued in love between God and man,” he said. “And that physical pain is transcended.”\nThe third tenet is comprised of the religious associations of sacred death such as the Biblical story of God telling Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. \n“Both religions associate sacred death with the bringing of Isaac on Mount Moriah,” he said.\nAs Greenberg presented his ideas, the audience not just heard him with interest, but also took notes on what he said, prompting, a host of questions at the end of the talk. \nOne person asked if consciousness of death is necessary for that death to be considered sacred, citing that millions of Jews did not know they were going to die when they walked into showers or were gunned down by bullets.\n“The line between actual death and consciousness is transparent,” Greenberg said in response.\nSome, however, did not ascribe to the view of sacred death.\n“I had no expectations from the talk before I came here,” said Don Lichtenberg, professor emeritus in physics. “Now I think that there were a lot of religious nuts who took a catastrophe and try to take something sacred out of it, but they utterly fail to do so. They may convince themselves, but they cannot convince me.”\nGreenberg insisted that “sacred death” during the Holocaust, held both individual and collective implications of salvation.\n“It is relevant to us today because Jews and Christians are trying to come to an understanding of each other in the wake of the Holocaust and it turns out there are very important grounds of religiosity,” he said. “But saying the deaths were sacred doesn’t diminish the evil of the murderers. You could serve an ultimately good purpose but remain evil while you are doing it.”
(02/27/07 5:00am)
Last semester, an IU-South Bend student was visiting the Bloomington campus and jumped from the third floor of Ashton Johnston in a suicide attempt.\n“Several girls on the second floor heard the window breaking and saw him falling,” Ashton Student Government President Dan Sloat said. “They were very traumatized.”\nThe student told his friends that he would jump from the window but was not taken seriously, Sloat said.\n“He was probably going through some hard times,” Sloat said. “Because you cannot be thinking rationally when you do something like that.”\nCases such as this are not uncommon on college campuses. Relationship problems, followed by general stress and anxiety, are the most common mental health problems among college students, said Nancy Stockton, director of Counseling and Psychological Services.
(02/27/07 5:00am)
If you are the person your friends turn to for cheering them up when they are going through relationship or break-up troubles, you might be a good candidate to represent IU as its “Date Master.” \nYou could even be awarded a scholarship for your social skills. \nThe dating site \nwww.MyCampusDates.com announced last week that it will award up to $5,000 in scholarships to students from IU, Butler University, Purdue University, Ball State University and Indiana State University. A student from each university is eligible to receive a $1,000 scholarship.\n“We want to look for someone educated, of course, but also someone who pays attention to detail and is social,” said Terry Ballantini, director of MyCampusDates.com.\nAccording to a press release from the site, the “Date Master” will represent his or her university on MyCampuDates.com as the “go-to” person for advice on dating and social issues and the Web site itself, while creating buzz on campus for other students to join. \n“We want to get a perspective from college students to help with our marketing strategy,” said Erica Wanous of MyCampusDates.com. \nThe “go-to” person would be there to support college students after he or she received extensive training from MyCampusDates.com, Ballantini said. \n“We really exist for college students,” he said. “We are trying to create a multi-point program in Indiana which is both entertaining and educational. It is a process extending six months – we give a scholarship and then pass it onto someone else.”\nThe deadline for submitting applications is March 31, and several applications have already been received.\n“We think that the scholarship is unique and it’s fun and it’s totally different from anything that’s there,” Ballantini said. “We want that the “Date Master,” or the CEO for MyCampusDates.com (as the “Date Master” would be called), come back to us and tells us what we should do on the campus.”\nHearing about the “Date Master” scholarship for the first time, most students responded with a gasp at the idea.\n“It would be a great idea,” freshman Kasey Keller said. “A lot of students have relationship problems and they need somebody to go to.”\nKeller insisted that he would make a very good “Date Master.”\n“The ‘Date Master’ needs to be open-minded, which I am,” he said. “And I have been in many relationships and I’d know what to do.”\nFreshman Mike Lang, however, felt indifferent toward the idea. \n“A majority of the college relationship problems are no different from the ones found in Cosmo or other pop-culture magazines,” Lang said. “A majority of the problems stem from communication difficulties, time-management issues and a lack of prioritization.”
(02/20/07 5:00am)
If you have ever thought about skipping class or a huge assignment for a game of beer pong, you’re not alone. The IU Facebook network has more than 130 groups dedicated to the game. The largest, Beer Pong Indiana Chapter, has more than 1,100 members.\nA recent study led by researchers at Loyola Marymount University indicates that both male and female college students participate in drinking games regularly, and that participation in drinking games leads to increased consumption of alcohol.\n“While previous research indicates that women play drinking games at lower frequencies than men ... women may be playing games at rates similar to college men,” according to the study. \nThe researchers worked with a sample of 105 college men and women during a three-month period. While playing drinking games, men binge-drank 94 percent of the time, averaging 7.95 drinks, and women binge-drank 87 percent of the time, averaging 6.29 drinks.\nThe study defined binge-drinking as “four drinks in a row” for women and “five drinks in a row” for men.\n“Game playing is associated with a wide range of alcohol-related problems,” according to the study. “These range from personal problems such as missing a class or having a hangover, to legal problems, such as driving under the influence or being in trouble with authorities. The goal of intoxicating others during games can lead to negative consequences as well, including date rape.”\nStill, such consequences do not seem to deter students from playing drinking games.\n“Most people who drink play drinking games,” freshman Rita Troyer said. “Because that’s the atmosphere at the parties. I try not to get drunk to the point where I black out, but I end up drinking a lot more when I am playing a drinking game.”\nTroyer said she has friends who often miss classes because they are too drunk the night before. This is especially the case with Friday morning classes.\n“But I only party on the weekends because school is my top priority,” she said. “I have never missed a class because of drinking. I have, however, woken up the next morning to regret events of the night before.”\nQuick to catch the trend, even local businesses are seeing students wanting to play drinking games. Jake’s Nightclub recently organized a beer pong tournament for Wednesday that will benefit Hurricane Katrina relief.\nStill, officials point out the dangers that might be associated with binge drinking as result of drinking games. Alcohol-related incidents in which the police have been called have changed little over time, said IU Police Department Capt. Jerry Minger, but for many, their drink of choice has changed.\n“The only difference has been the consumption of beverages with higher concentrations of alcohol,” Minger said. “In the past, people would have gone to social functions and drank a lot of beer; now it seems people are drinking more of beverages such as rum, whiskey and vodka. They don’t rationally stop in time. In fact, their alcohol concentration is still going up when they are unconscious.”\nThe same dosage of alcohol has a greater impact on women than men, said Sean O’Connor, professor of psychiatry at the IU School of Medicine and scientific co-director for the Indiana Alcohol Research Center.\n“Women, on an average, are smaller than men,” O’Connor said. “Therefore, the volume of alcohol that water gets diluted in, which is the total body water, is smaller in women than in men. If men and women have the same dose of alcohol, women will have a higher concentration of alcohol in their body.” \nSome male students have different perceptions of women’s behavior when they’re intoxicated.\n“It’s like this,” said freshman Craig Sanford, “when a girl gets really drunk, she gets really horny and so she makes decisions she wouldn’t make otherwise. If girls remember what happened the night before, they usually regret it.”\nThere is a safety hazard to anyone who drinks, particularly to a state where they become unconscious, Minger said.\n“In the last two sexual assaults that we have had reported to us, the victim was so inebriated that she really did not know whether or not she was sexually assaulted, because she kept passing in and out of consciousness,” he said. “When you are so unconscious that you cannot remember what happened in the last 12 hours, that is definitely a safety hazard.”\nMost women said they feel equally safe whether they are sober or intoxicated.\n“I don’t like the taste of alcohol, but I like to get drunk. So it’s nice how drinking games speed up the process,” said freshman Rachel Factor. “I have never had any legal trouble for drinking, but I have missed classes. I actually showed up to a Friday morning class drunk from the night before. But, I never regret anything.”
(02/20/07 5:00am)
At first, they expected her to get over it. Then they told her to act like a boy.\nAt an age when she was expected to play with cars, guns and G.I. Joes, Ashley liked to play with Barbie dolls and wear skirts and high heels. Today she is a happy, little 7-year-old girl, though she was born a boy. “Ashley” is a pseudonym. Because of the nature of the topic, Ashley’s mother, Shannon, wished her daughter’s real name not be used.\n“I discovered that my child was transgender between the age of 18 months and 2 years,” Shannon said. “My child never played with anything that would be considered a stereotypical male toy.”\nShannon will be joined by a mother of a transgender adult at 7 p.m. today in a session called “Transgender Translation: A Parent’s Perspective” in meeting Room 1B of the Monroe County Public Library.\nLocal members of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, a national nonprofit organization with more than 200,000 members and supporters according to the group’s Web site, has been instrumental in organizing the event.\n“Part of the mission of PFLAG is to provide education and advocacy on transgender issues,” said Kathryn Brown, a health educator at the IU Health Center. “I am on the board of the Bloomington chapter of PFLAG and we decided locally that we wanted to have a program on transgender issues.”\nThe program intends to give people a real-life perspective on gender issues, organizers said.\n“In our society, gender issues have become more talked about in the media but this would give people a chance to talk to real people and hopefully learn from them,” Brown said.\nThere is a recognized need to spread awareness about transgender issues, said Carol Fischer, assistant at the IU Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services office.\n“The high rate of physical assault on transgender individuals demonstrates that (more awareness is needed),” she said. “The anti-harassment team at IU is invaluable in safeguarding against cases of verbal or physical abuse. IU is a sort of oasis in that students here are educated on a lot of issues that the general public doesn’t know about.” \nFischer said she hopes the program will further public education about transgender issues.\n“Given that there is still lack of education, hopefully this program would eliminate some of the myths about transgender individuals and the reality of their existence – that they are normal people just like the rest of us.”\nTransgender individuals form about 5 percent of the student population at IU, Fischer said. Many of them choose to live their lives without taking to activism, she added.\nBrown hopes that those who attend the program realize gender variance is not uncommon.\n“I sought professional help for my daughter but never realized there was a word for it,” Shannon said.\nHer family went through several stages before realizing it had a transgender child, she said.\n“At first, we thought it was a phase that would go away,” Shannon said. “Once we realized that wasn’t going to happen, we tried to change the way she behaved, but that only led to anger and depression. We took to counseling, and for over a year our child was allowed to be herself at home, but in school she was still a boy.”\nGradually, however, the family was able to make the transition.\n“It can be very troubling and confusing for parents,” said Jennifer Bass, communications director at the IU Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction.Through the difficulties that Shannon and her family faced, she became acquainted with other parents of transgender children. The result was TransYouth Family Advocates, a nonprofit organization formed to educate and advocate for gender variance and transgender individuals ages 3 to 18.\n“Families have a difficult time finding support for their transgender children, finding professionals who are educated on gender variance in children and society in general has a hard time understanding gender variance,” Shannon said.\nAshley is in first grade and is aware and understands that she is transgender.\n“We have given her the vocabulary to understand that she has a female brain and a boy’s body,” Shannon said. “She understands that she is different and we have explained to her that we are all different. ... Difference is not bad, difference just is.”
(02/19/07 5:00am)
Tired soldiers formed a distinct sight at Camp Atterbury’s Range 13, as part of the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency on Sunday. They marched for five hours in battle dress uniform and safety gear, carrying at least 15 pounds per person. \nThe award is given out by the German armed forces to ROTC participants who had to complete a set of qualifications during the two-day competition. \nIU Army ROTC cadet and sophomore Andrew Baer said achieving the honor was something that would follow cadets throughout their careers.\n“It is a very high honor. Should you receive the award, you are allowed to wear it on your uniform for the rest of your life,” Baer said. “It’s a fairly prestigious award given out to the German military as well as others who have earned it.”\nTheir pride and sense of accomplishment overpowered the cadets’ fatigue after two strenuous days, said IU Army ROTC cadet and junior Ryan Shields. \n“The best part was crossing the finishing line of the 18-mile road march,” Shields said. \nShields covered the 18 miles in four hours and eight minutes in addition to receiving the badge. \n“To be able to do something with the Allied forces is a major honor,” Shields said. “Yes, it was very tiring and very challenging. It hurts to just walk and move after running and walking for 18 miles. But it feels great. I have accomplished something that not many people accomplish.”\nThe two-day event involved IU cadets and several volunteers, many from the University. Cadets from schools as far away as the upper peninsula of Michigan competed at the event. \nWhile most IU students were involved as competitors, others helped to run the event and handled many small yet necessary details. Volunteers did everything from helping track contestants’ scores to traffic control to acting as safety personnel. \nVolunteer and senior Adam Buehler said he was happy to lend his time and be involved with the event. \n“Before I joined ROTC, I was a medic with the Indiana Army National Guard and they needed a medic on site here today,” Buehler said. “That’s how I got involved. The response has been amazing; about 130 people have contested for the badge.” \nBuehler was appreciative of the commitment of the cadets who participated. \n“There were athletic events all day yesterday including swimming, running, long and high jumps and shot put, as well as first-aid tests,” he said. “The contestants very much enjoyed it; they put in a lot of effort, they accomplished a lot and are rightfully proud of it. They have blisters all over their feet, and I am sure they just want to go off to bed.”\nThe two-day event began at 8 a.m. Saturday. The swim event and the first-aid tests took place at the IU School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. \nTrack-and-field events took place at the Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse, before contestants were moved back to the HPER for the five-kilometer run. \nSunday’s program included the pistol event, in which soldiers had to successfully shoot each given target at least once with a 9 mm pistol. The second day finished with the road march.\n“Five foot-sore hours” later the cadets formed a tired site in full uniform, crossing the finish line as snow swirled around them, Capt. Bruce D. Baltis, IU ROTC training officer, said in an e-mail. \nAfter completion of the road march, successful cadets received the badge from the overseer of the event, the German sergeant major. \n“It’s a great experience,” Shields said after winning the badge. “To be a part of something that’s so international is just great. It’s a great morale booster for all the soldiers that participated.”
(02/13/07 6:46am)
This Valentine's Day, you can dance and have a ball, all while benefiting elderly people who have been restricted to their homes.\nThe Area 10 Agency on Aging is organizing an event called the "Have a Heart for the Homebound Valentine's Day Swingdance and Dinner" at Players Pub on Wednesday.\nThe benefit will combine a romantic night of dinner and dancing with door prizes and a silent auction at Players Pub, 424 S. Walnut St., according to a news release from the agency.\nTickets to the event, which will feature live music by the Stardusters Swing Band, cost $20 and include cover charge, dinner and dancing."\n"This is the first time that we are having the dinner and dance," said Caroline Clay, deputy director of Area 10 Agency on Aging.\nShe said they've had fundraisers in the past but not in the form of a dinner or dance.\nClay said her team noticed how the Stardusters, who play at Players Pub every other Wednesday, are popular with older people and thought it could be a good venue for the fundraiser.\n"At first, $20 does seem a lot to the student population," she said. "But it includes a meal, dessert and dancing. The funds go to help elderly people who are homebound, who cannot leave their homes. They need, for example, someone to go shopping for them, and repairs for their home."\nLast year, repairs were made to the homes of 129 elderly people thanks to the agency, Clay said. At the event, the meal costs $12 and the cover is $5 per person.\nAbout 65 people have either purchased tickets or made reservations for the evening, Clay said\n"In our first year, we just want to generate interest in our programs. We don't expect to make too much money," she said. "Yes, we are always seeking donations; we are always in need of donations for food pantries. Over the years, several students have helped us with grocery shopping, and currently a lot of students have been volunteering."\nPlayers Pub seemed as excited about the event as the Area 10 Agency on Aging.\n"The Area 10 Agency on Aging liked the atmosphere as well as the music (at Players Pub) and contacted us if they could do the program with us," Gerald Bonds, chef at Players Pub, said. "Normally in Bloomington you have a lot of places to go, but Players Pub has found its niche in the Bloomington community for the elderly; we provide a laid-back environment, especially with the Stardusters playing."\nClay said the event targets all age groups above 21 years of age "since Players Pub is a bar," but especially to the older people. It's hard to find things that bridge the gap between the different age groups, she said.\nOne thing that helps, however, is the music of the Stardusters\n"I haven't finalized my play list yet," said Jerry Jerome, music director of the Stardusters. "So I can't tell you what I am going to play. We play a wide variety of styles but we are mainly a swing band. You have to recognize the band for the style it represents."\nThe Stardusters have been playing in Players Pub for a year and a half now. \n"They have excellent food, nice setting and a nice crowd," Jerome said. "... It's a pleasant atmosphere."\nOn Valentine's Day, the band will gear its songs to suit the occasion, he said.\n"Everyone who comes in as a couple would have a great time," Bonds said. "And anyone who comes in would have a blast."\nFor tickets or reservations, contact the Area 10 Agency on Aging at 876-3383.
(02/12/07 5:20am)
The reaction of the plungers as they came out of the pool at Friday's Polar Bear Plunge could best be summarized in one word -- "freezing."\n"I am as cold as they are in Siberia on a cold day," senior Patrick Burns said as he came out of the near-freezing pool outside the Student Recreational Sports Center, "with a slight breeze blowing from the north." \nAccording to a news release from Special Olympics Indiana, the Bloomington Polar Bear Plunge is one of five such events to be held throughout the state in 2007. Presented by Edy's Grand Ice Cream, the event showcased just what the organizers expected -- which was, according to the release, "dozens of brave souls turning out for a gutsy plunge into a temporary outdoor swimming pool to raise funds for Special Olympics Indiana." \n"Polar Bear Plunge has existed in Bloomington for five years as part of a nationwide fundraiser," said Joy Mahoney, public relations coordinator for Special Olympics Indiana.\nMahoney was excited at the turnout of more than 100 plungers from the IU campus and the Bloomington community. To participate, plungers had to raise at least $60 in pledges.\nThe group is still taking donations, but as of Saturday, the event raised more than $8,000, said Ben Smith, one of the organizers.\n"People take the plunge for several reasons," Mahoney said. "One, it's crazy and people can say they did it. Two, it gives people a great conversation starter. Sometimes, they do it for bets. But most importantly, knowing that it would fund sports and the satisfaction they get from a good cause."\nThe Polar Bear Plunge was part of IU's Spirit of Sport festivities until this year, when the annual event was retired.\n"This year, with the retirement of Spirit of Sport, IU's faculty and staff have taken initiative," Mahoney said. "Last year we raised more than $120,000 statewide. We hope to exceed the figure this year."\nThe event began at 6 p.m. with the presentation of the Spirit of Special Olympics Award to the Bloomington-based McGovern family -- Ron, Diana, Billy and Steve.\n"We are very appreciative and very happy," Diana McGovern said. "You can enjoy Special Olympics as an adult or a child."\nDiana McGovern volunteers for the Special Olympics, while her husband Ron is a coach and the treasurer for the local program.\nSpecial Olympics empowers athletes and gives them a chance to develop self-confidence, Mahoney said.\n"It helps the intellectually disabled the chance to develop an 'I can' attitude, when the world is saying, 'You can't.' It draws the community together and promotes integration," she said.\nBecky LaPadula, treasurer for Monroe County Special Olympics, said she prepared for the freezing water by dressing in a Hawaiian costume.\n"I am feeling like I am insane and I am wondering how cold it would be," LaPadula said as she waited to take the plunge. "We are dressed fairly well and we are going to imagine we are on a Hawaiian beach."\nAt the same time, the feeling remained unparalleled.\n"It is a natural high," said freshman Samantha Leone, who took the plunge with her sisters. "You'll never relive the same feeling that you did."\nThe observers found themselves freezing, as well.\n"I got soaking wet just standing there and I am freezing," sophomore Ashley Novotney said. "I give anybody credit who will come in that water"