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(09/24/10 3:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Reporter Allie Townsend spoke with Chrisine Schelhas-Miller, IU graduate and professor of adolescent development at Cornell University, about the mistakes parents came make when sending their child off to college. Schelhas-Miller is the co-author of "Don't Tell Me What to Do, Just Send Me Money: The Essential Parenting Guide to the College Years."Q What do you want parents to take away from your book?A I think the biggest message is in the first chapter. It’s that your role as a parent is changing dramatically when your child is in college. It doesn’t mean that you’re not still an influence, but that you should switch to more of a mentoring role where you raise questions and suggest alternatives, but you’re no longer telling them what do to. You’re still a parent, but you’re adding the mentor role. It’s more of an advising relationship.Q What do you think is the biggest mistake parents can make in the first few months of their children being a college student?A I think it’s not making their expectations clear before their child goes to college. People don’t make their expectations clear about what kind of communication they want to have and are then upset or angry because their child is not meeting their expectations. It’s the same thing with money. Making expectations clear with money is important, too. The big problems arise when expectations are not clear.Q What do you think is the most important thing parents should know or read about before they send their children off to college?A I think they should definitely read the first chapter, which describes their new role. It explains the change in the relationship. And, I think they should read the second chapter, which deals with getting them off to college. After that, the book is not particularly chronological. They don’t have to read it cover to cover. They can pick and choose which sections to read based on what their child is going through.
(09/17/10 7:58pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At midnight following graduation day, seniors storm Showalter Fountain outside the IU Auditorium to go for a late-night dip. Why?It’s tradition.It something that gets passed down from class to class and usually ends in security guards kindly looking the other way and asking students to stay quiet.And, unless students are told, they probably wouldn’t know that student organizations wishing to promote an event paint the Jordan Avenue bridge nearly every week. It is an unspoken practice that could be considered defacing University property, but it continues because that’s the tradition.Though it’s not always clear where they come from, it’s apparent that these traditions continue year to year, passing from class to class. IU professor of history and philosophy of science Jim Capshew has made IU traditions not just a part of his life, but a part of his career. He is one half of the teaching duo responsible for creating X112: Traditions and Cultures of IU, a two-credit-hour, eight-week course offered online to help teach students about the IU community.To Capshew, teaching the course is telling a story, exposing students to the history of IU that makes it such a special place, he said.Perhaps the most well-known of IU’s traditions is Little 500, a bike race started in 1951. But Capshew reveals there are more traditions than just Little 500.One of IU’s most romantic traditions is the 100-year-old Rose Well House, located on campus between Maxwell and Wylie Halls. According to a manuscript in the IU Archives called “Traditions of IU” by Marvin Shamon, a custom at the Rose Well House is that a woman is not a true college “coed” until she is kissed at midnight under the dome of the House. Today, students propose or even get married at the Rose Well House.“This campus in some ways really is a work of art,” he said.IU also holds a strong arts tradition. One such example is the Benton Murals.“Many people don’t know that the Benton Murals in the auditorium were commissioned for just $20,000,” Capshew said. “Now, nearly 70 years later, they are worth millions.”Capshew likes to talk about the great limestone buildings built with rock pulled from the area and how the green spaces on campus, such as Dunn Meadow and the Arboretum, were incorporated to be outdoor meeting places for staff and students.“The more you know about the University, the more you appreciate the tremendous resources you have around you,” he said. “It’s a very different place than it was 100 years ago, but its core beliefs remain intact.”Originally published in Orienter: June 15, 2009
(06/17/10 3:40pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Reporter Allie Townsend spoke with Christine Schelhas-Miller, IU graduate and professor of adolescent development at Cornell University, about the mistakes parents came make when sending their child off to college. Schelhas-Miller is the co-author of "Don't Tell Me What to Do, Just Send Me Money: The Essential Parenting Guide to the College Years."Q What do you want parents to take away from your book?A I think the biggest message is in the first chapter. It’s that your role as a parent is changing dramatically when your child is in college. It doesn’t mean that you’re not still an influence, but that you should switch to more of a mentoring role where you raise questions and suggest alternatives, but you’re no longer telling them what do to. You’re still a parent, but you’re adding the mentor role. It’s more of an advising relationship.Q What do you think is the biggest mistake parents can make in the first few months of their children being a college student?A I think it’s not making their expectations clear before their child goes to college. People don’t make their expectations clear about what kind of communication they want to have and are then upset or angry because their child is not meeting their expectations. It’s the same thing with money. Making expectations clear with money is important, too. The big problems arise when expectations are not clear.Q What do you think is the most important thing parents should know or read about before they send their children off to college?A I think they should definitely read the first chapter, which describes their new role. It explains the change in the relationship. And, I think they should read the second chapter, which deals with getting them off to college. After that, the book is not particularly chronological. They don’t have to read it cover to cover. They can pick and choose which sections to read based on what their child is going through.
(03/31/10 12:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At midnight following graduation day, seniors storm Showalter Fountain outside the IU Auditorium to go for a late-night dip. Why?It’s tradition.It something that gets passed down from class to class and usually ends in security guards kindly looking the other way and asking students to stay quiet.And, unless students are told, they probably wouldn’t know that student organizations wishing to promote an event paint the Jordan Avenue bridge nearly every week. It is an unspoken practice that could be considered defacing University property, but it continues because that’s the tradition.Though it’s not always clear where they come from, it’s apparent that these traditions continue year to year, passing from class to class. IU professor of history and philosophy of science Jim Capshew has made IU traditions not just a part of his life, but a part of his career. He is one half of the teaching duo responsible for creating X112: Traditions and Cultures of IU, a two-credit-hour, eight-week course offered online to help teach students about the IU community.To Capshew, teaching the course is telling a story, exposing students to the history of IU that makes it such a special place, he said.Perhaps the most well-known of IU’s traditions is Little 500, a bike race started in 1951. But Capshew reveals there are more traditions than just Little 500.One of IU’s most romantic traditions is the 100-year-old Rose Well House, located on campus between Maxwell and Wylie Halls. According to a manuscript in the IU Archives called “Traditions of IU” by Marvin Shamon, a custom at the Rose Well House is that a woman is not a true college “coed” until she is kissed at midnight under the dome of the House. Today, students propose or even get married at the Rose Well House.“This campus in some ways really is a work of art,” he said.IU also holds a strong arts tradition. One such example is the Benton Murals.“Many people don’t know that the Benton Murals in the auditorium were commissioned for just $20,000,” Capshew said. “Now, nearly 70 years later, they are worth millions.”Capshew likes to talk about the great limestone buildings built with rock pulled from the area and how the green spaces on campus, such as Dunn Meadow and the Arboretum, were incorporated to be outdoor meeting places for staff and students.“The more you know about the University, the more you appreciate the tremendous resources you have around you,” he said. “It’s a very different place than it was 100 years ago, but its core beliefs remain intact.”Originally published inOrienter: June 15, 2009
(06/16/09 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At midnight following graduation day, seniors storm Showalter Fountain outside the IU Auditorium to go for a late-night dip. Why? It’s tradition.You’d never know how or why, but it gets passed down from class to class and usually ends in security guards kindly looking the other way and asking that students remain quiet.And unless students are told, they probably wouldn’t ever know that the Jordan Avenue bridge is painted nearly every week by student organizations wishing to promote an event. It is an unspoken happening that could be considered defacing of University property, but it stays on the bridge because that’s the tradition.Though it’s not always clear where they came from, it’s apparent that they continue year to year, passed from class to class. IU professor of history and philosophy of science Jim Capshew has made IU traditions not just a part of his life, but a part of his career. He is one half of the teaching duo responsible for creating X112: Traditions and Cultures of IU, a two-credit-hour, eight-week course offered online to help teach students about the IU community.Started in the fall of 2000, X112 has now reached more than 1,400 students. To Capshew, teaching the course is telling a story, exposing students to the history of IU that makes it such a special place, he said.“This campus in some ways really is a work of art,” he said.Perhaps the most well-known of IU’s traditions is Little 500, a bike race started in 1951. Teams of three and four enter after months of training for a shot of glory on the track. In mid-April, visitors pour into Bloomington in droves to cheer the racers on, but Capshew reveals there are more traditions than just Little 500.“Many people don’t know that the Benton Murals in the auditorium were commissioned for just $20,000,” he said. “Now, nearly 70 years later, they are worth millions.”For Capshew, IU’s artistic tradition is the richest one of all. He likes to talk about the great limestone buildings built with rock pulled right from the area and the respected opera program still performing to packed houses. He also likes to talk about how the green spaces on campus, such as Dunn Meadow and the Arboretum, were incorporated to be outdoor meeting places for staff and students.“The more you know about the University, the more you appreciate the tremendous resources you have around you,” he said. “It’s a very different place than it was a hundred years ago, but its core beliefs remain intact.”One of IU’s most romantic traditions is the 100-year-old Rose Well House, located on campus between Maxwell and Wylie Halls. According to a manuscripts in the IU Archives called “Traditions of IU” by Marvin Shamon, a custom at the Rose Well House is that a woman is not a true college “coed” until she is kissed at midnight under the dome of the House. The tradition has since evolved – students propose or even get married at the Rose Well House.
(06/14/09 10:05pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Thursday night’s show by The Pink Mountaintops at the Russian Recording studios was a great way to kick off the weekend – as long as you had time to spare. Local band Tammar opened with an impressive-sounding set followed by Canadian band Quest for Fire. By the end of Quest’s set, fans were growing anxious to see the main event. Stephen McBean and the rest of the members of The Pink Mountaintops hopped on the stage just before midnight, and the studio filled up instantly. They kicked the show off with “Axis: Thrones of Love,” the lead track from the band’s new album “Outside Love,” which was released May 5. Armed with an acoustic guitar, McBean and band played their way through most of “Outside Love,” exciting a few eager dancers with up-tempo tunes like “Holiday” and “The Gayest of Sunbeams.” With “Outside Love” came the band’s first dip into a more raucous sound, which sounds just like a blissful rock-out between friends. The sound of the record was overall positive, and I was curious to see how it would translate to the live performance. After a cluster of upbeat songs, McBean nailed the beautiful “Vampire” with raspy vocals and lo-fi guitar. The band joined in for lines “Oh, creatures in flight, let’s be creatures of the night,” creating a beautiful chorus surrounding semi-haunting lyrics. It was gorgeous. Unfortunately, after the tempo slowed, so did the dedication of the audience. Fans trickled out as the clocked approached 1 a.m. For a show that started off strong, the ending sure was somber. Only a fraction of the audience remained as the band seemed to cut the set short, ending somewhat abruptly with “And I Thank You,” another track from the new album. Few would disagree that the show was great, but there was a lot of talk of it being too lengthy. (I think the Mountaintops’ set suffered from long openers and even longer setup breaks.) Still, their sound is a foggy kind of beautiful, and still clandestine to most. Do yourself a favor and discover them.
(06/11/09 12:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Franz Ferdinand has remixed their latest album “Tonight.” What I don’t understand is why. First off, “Tonight” wasn’t exactly a total triumph. It had plenty of good moments – even a few almost-great ones – but “Blood” has even fewer. The concept of this dub-experimentation/this-is-what-we-wished-our-album-sounded-like-backward is clever, but the execution is way off. Singer Alex Kapranos’ vocals sound like snippets of a drug-induced dream sequence set to bad techno. Also, “Tonight” has been out for months – the window for nifty electronic spins has passed. None of “Blood’s” newly dubbed tracks surpass their original counterparts. Instead, you’re left with minutes of vocally empty, over-synthesized beats that only make you wish you were listening to “Tonight” instead. The hardest part is that the tracks would be decent if reined in. I’m no electronic authority, but I know that cringing usually isn’t a desired reaction unless you’re producing disturbing-sounding avant garde. A big part of the brilliance of electronic dance music is the precise layering of different sounds that vibrate a song onto the dance floor, but in this case, precise layering has become a synthesized slaughter. But let’s be fair. The record does reach some nice points. “Die on the Floor” is a pretty great mix of “Tonight’s” “Can’t Stop Feeling,” and “Katherine Hit Me” (a dubbed version of “No You Girls” and “Katherine Kiss Me”) might not be what I’d call good, but they’re intriguing at least. A few of the mixes would have made great bonus tracks or even an all right EP, but the effect of “Blood” was lost in the overwhelming presence of “the concept, man.” Still, my biggest problem with this album is that I lack the patience to even get through most of it. Even with all that extra, unnecessary and over-done electric hooking, the record is a bore.
(06/11/09 12:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If you weren’t a full-fledged Grizzly Bear fan, you became one after Tuesday night’s show at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. There’s no use in pretending otherwise.The band played to a sold-out crowd of more than 600 fans, a hip group who looked like it was there to see and be seen (I would love to know how long it takes the average hipster to achieve the patented I-spend-no-time-on-my-appearance look). As soon as the doors opened, adoring fans rushed in to fill the space in front of the stage.The opening act, Here We Go Magic, garnered respect – especially considering the band ran from its van to the stage to kick the show off on schedule. High points in the short set included “Tunnelvision” and “Only Pieces.” Between the two sets, every available bit of floor space filled with groups of anxious fans, and cheers erupted like a chorus of alarm clocks, set to the exact time the band took the stage. After exchanging a few witty remarks for shrieks from audience members, Grizzly Bear made short work of entrancing the crowd. The boys opened with “Southern Point,” the first track from their new record “Veckatimest,” which was released May 26. Cheers continued between songs as lead singer Ed Droste thanked audience members for coming, remarking that the last time the band played a show in Bloomington four years ago, only eight people watched. They continued to play a set list full of songs from the new album with a few older tracks mixed in. Shouts erupted during the first few unmistakable bars of “Two Weeks,” but fans really went wild for favorites from the last album, “Yellow House.” “Knife” and “On a Neck, On a Spit” sent some into a frenzy, including one girl who danced like she was possessed, with arms flailing and head swaying as she shouted incoherently at the stage. But more impressive than any experimental dance moves were Grizzly Bear’s energy and sound. The performance was polished and more powerful than any record player could transmit. Bassist Chris Taylor showed virtuosic skill as he switched from the flute to the clarinet to bass clarinet effortlessly. “Veckatimest” tracks “Ready, Able” and “Foreground” heightened the end of the show, but not before the band could send out love for its friend and graphic designer Ben Tousley, a 22-year-old IU student who has designed all of the band’s visual materials since “Yellow House.” Taylor praised Tousley, saying, “He’s a very talented graphic designer, and he’s studying right here.” After just more than an hour and a half, the band said its final thank yous, and fans piled out onto the street, gathering in front of the tour bus with stars in their eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of the foursome. It was easy to feel the euphoric high out on the sidewalk, and if the dazzled crowd wasn’t evidence enough, take note: Grizzly Bear’s live show is a must-see.
(06/04/09 12:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Grizzly Bear has really hit its stride. It’s been two years since the release of the band’s last record, EP “Friend,” but the confident sound of its latest attempt, “Veckatimest,” is an effortless listening experience. As one of the most anticipated summer releases, “Veckatimest” creeps into motion with track “Southern Point,” which starts off mellow and jumps slightly up-tempo, beginning the album’s iron grasp on your attention. The record’s first single, “Two Weeks,” continues the album’s introduction with crisp, pseudo-pop appeal on the surface, but listen closely. The intricate musical threads and trance-like vocals are something much more beautiful than just any old pop tune. The guys really hit a high point with “Fine for Now,” which ends in an exquisite minute-long jam and leads into punchy “Cheerleader.” It’s obvious that the placement of each track was no simple job, no matter how relaxed the record sounds. These songs are meant to be heard in their proper order, so illegal downloaders beware. Each tune seams perfectly with the next, giving “Veckatimest” a clean, tidy feel. After a few listens, I nailed down “Ready, Able” as my favorite – sticking out because of its lively sound and beautiful, wintery lyrics: “Tissue and bone it was tryst / This isn’t a gunfight, checking it off my list / Unable to rewrite.” Great stuff. “While You Wait for the Others” is catchy over some pretty gritty guitar riffs, but it’s “I Live With You” that really soars with a mesmerizingly full sound that descends only to build up again. End track “Foreground” is light and airy, and it finishes the record with a gorgeous chorus of voices. The studio work on this album is nearly flawless – there’s not a note out of place. (note: Bassist Chris Taylor also doubles as the band’s producer and engineer.) But talented production is not what makes this a brilliant album. It’s the honest, natural sound. And though few would call the album’s sound rousing, if you love it for what it is – stunningly pure music – it’s damn near perfect.
(06/04/09 12:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Twenty-two-year-old Ben Tousley is an IU student from Zionsville, Ind., but he’s also the go-to (art) guy for indie rock darlings Grizzly Bear. Q: When did you first know you were an artist? A: I was really into journalism in high school. I was the editor of our school magazine, and we were in charge of designing our sections as well. And as much as I was obsessed with journalism, I realized that what I really enjoyed doing was designing. By the time I got to IU, I knew I really wanted to design. I had a drive for it, and I just started doing design projects. Q: When did you start producing artwork for Grizzly Bear? How did you meet them?A: In high school, I started doing projects for myself or for friends. I did the packaging for a friend’s band, and I made a Web site. During my freshman year here at IU – I was 18 – the band was repackaging their first album, “Horn of Plenty,” and that’s when Ed (lead singer) contacted me. They were also recording “Yellow House” and asked if I’d work on it as well. Since then, I’ve done most of their stuff. Ed, has become a really good friend of mine. I talk to him about every day. Just after I finished that first poster for them, they played here, and it was awesome. Any time they’ve come to Chicago or nearby, I’ve come to see them. But I talk to them all them time. Q: Had you been a fan before you began to design for them?A: I used to work at a record store in Indianapolis before college, and we had it on the wall. When Ed had contacted me, I remembered it. I hadn’t heard the music, but Ed sent me songs from “Yellow House” as they were recording, and I know this will sound silly in print, but their stuff totally changed my life. Q: Could you talk a bit about the creative process for the “Veckatimest” cover? It’s a little different than your previous work with them. A: During mid-recording of the album, about a year ago, we started working on it. They had a friend William J. O’Brien, and he offered us 60-some drawings that he was doing. We thought they were perfect, and that this was what we were going to use for sure. After that, it was about making those drawings work with the design and making the design work with the music. Another artist, Amelia Bauer, redrew everything I laid out because we wanted to have this old, human element to match the drawings, so I would write out on a computer, and she would scan it back in after drawing it. It was a different process, but with Grizzly Bear, they usually have an idea of where they want to go. Q: Does their music inspire your artwork? If so, what did it sound like to you? A: It more than inspires me. It completely directs the work. This is what people will see representing their music on the Internet. The album is much more direct, much more matured, much more confident in the way it was written and recorded, and I thought we needed colors and strong typography to reflect that. Whereas with “Yellow House,” it was very dense and very dark, and we wanted the colors and typography to reflect that as well. I’m a designer more than an artist. A lot of my teachers would probably be upset with me for saying that, but I feel like what I do is a communication in a literal sense. You’re trying to get something across.Q: What are your plans after you leave Bloomington? Will you continue your work with the band?A: I decided to stay in Bloomington until December. I’m finishing up classes. After I’m finished, I’d like to go far from Indiana for a while, not because I dislike it, but because I’ve been here my whole life. I definitely want to design in a kind of place that will challenge me.As for working with the band, I’m not sure. They’re so huge now; I’m surprised they still wanted to work with me. Whether or not we’ll keep working together, I don’t know. But they’re important people in my life. That won’t change.
(06/04/09 12:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If you’re a Grizzly Bear fan, you’ll need to be at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Tuesday night. If you’re not, seriously consider converting. The Brooklyn-based quartet is coming to town and bringing with them what promises to be one hell of a live show. With the release of its new album, “Veckatimest,” the band makes a stop in Bloomington, along with opener Here We Go Magic, whose self-titled debut contains single “Tunnelvision” – a hazy pop-inspired folk tune, a sound that will nicely complement Grizzly Bear’s songs.Though the opening act looks promising, the main event consists of singer-songwriter Ed Droste, drummer Christopher Bear, bassist Chris Taylor (also the band’s producer and sound engineer) and singer-songwriter-guitarist Daniel Rossen. Though the band got its start in 2004 with the release of “Horn of Plenty,” it was 2006’s “Yellow House” that really debuted its signature sound. The anticipation alone of new release “Veckatimest” was enough to secure Grizzly Bear’s place in music lovers’ hearts, but take note: The album really delivers. Currently, lead single “Two Weeks” is the most-played song on IU’s student-run radio station, WIUX, FM channel 99.1. Tickets are on sale at the Buskirk-Chumley’s box office, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., for $15 each. The opening act takes the stage at 9 p.m.
(01/29/09 5:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Every Tuesday and Thursday night from 7 to 9 p.m. in the fall of 2008, loud guitar riffs float out of Ballantine Hall. A round of applause sounds every time Glenn Gass enters the room, and as the lights go down, the 60s pop up through the music of the four gents from Liverpool.Gass started the class in 1982 as a course for the Collins Living-Learning Center, his first taste of teaching rock appreciation. As an associate instructor teaching composition to music students, Gass’ Beatles course jump started the first rock ‘n’ roll history program in the country, now thriving with classes on the history of music of all different genres and a few specific rock icons: Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles.“It’s a cross between a music appreciation and a cultural appreciation class,” Gass said about the course. “The Beatles mirrored the times of the 60s so well that it’s as much history as it is music.”Through the semester (the class is usually offered in the fall), students will study the history of The Beatles’ personal lives, the formation of the band and each of the 12 Beatles albums. Students are tested over Beatle history and their ability to identify Beatles songs by hearing only a few bars of music. But Gass says the point of the class lies in what students take away from it personally.“What I hope students take away is a love for The Beatles that they have for the rest of their lives,” he said. “They’re timeless in the best sense. I don’t expect my students to become long-haired hippies from the 60s, but this is music that lasts beyond the times.”Senior Lizzie Whobrey took the class in the fall after she heard other students raving about it.“I knew I just had to take this class,” she said. “Everyone I knew who had taken it said it’s the best class they’ve ever had.”A music minor, Whobrey said she didn’t grow up with The Beatles, but fell in love with them after studying their music. Her favorites are albums “Rubber Soul” and “Revolver” and band member Paul McCartney.“The class exceeded my expectations,” she said. “My parents didn’t raise me on The Beatles, so I didn’t know if I’d love them, but I’ve been transformed into a Beatle fanatic.”Whobrey said the most attractive part of The Beatles’ music is its ability to relate to every aspect of life, which she said she realized through Gass’ in-depth lectures.“He treated us not like a class, but like a bunch of buddies who were getting together to talk about The Beatles,” she said. “It’s so personal to him. I’ve never been so emotionally affected by a class before.”Aside from teaching The Beatles class each fall, Gass has also turned the course into a special summer travel experience. Every few years in the summer, a Beatles class is offered that will travel to England together and tour famous Beatle spots. The group spends two weeks in London and one in the band’s hometown, Liverpool. Although the class will not be offered this summer, Gass said he’s hoping to take a group in summer 2010. He’d go every summer if he could, he said, because he’s never tired of The Beatles or the class.“I’ve taught the class for 27 years and I’ve never gotten tired of it,” Gass said. “I’ve never said, ‘Oh no, not Beatles class.’”
(05/24/08 3:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“You live in Collins?” “Yes” “Really?”I’ve had this conversation at least 30 times in the past three years – the one where the person I’ve just met looks at me and thinks, “How could you live in Collins? You look normal.” “That’s because I am normal. You’re the one who’s being weird.” Before I came to IU, I remember being told that Collins dorm was the place for lesbians and stoners – and you know what? It is. It’s also a place for people who love to read, dance, laugh, skip class, take naps, watch ridiculous reality television with 10 other people packed on their bed, go out, stay in and enjoy college. If that doesn’t scream “Freaks!” I don’t know what does. I moved into Collins in October of my freshman year after a not-so-enjoyable experience in a dorm that shall remain nameless, and I never looked back. I was amazed at how different living there could be. I no longer had to deal with intoxicated freshmen stumbling in at all hours of the night. Instead, I got to know people almost right away. They were friendly, smart, interesting and fun. I felt comfortable instantly. And as far as the freaks go, I’m still searching for them. Instead I found a beautiful fashionista, a bleeding-heart feminist, a girl trying to save the world, an economics major with a hip-hop addiction, the friend you could always count on, the one with enough stories to keep you laughing for hours and that one person so different from you, she changed your life. You’ll find stereotypes all over campus, but the worst thing you can do in your first few months here is take them as unquestionable truths. Yes, you will see the kids from Collins all out on the lawn, possibly gathered around a bonfire at night or laying on blankets in the courtyard on warm afternoons, so why not come and see what all the fuss is about? The truth of the matter is that Collins has a student-run coffee shop, a library, a music practice room and beautiful formal lounges in a building everyone says looks like Hogwarts. (I wouldn’t go that far, but it is nice.) If you’re undecided about your living situation, give Collins a serious look. Its quirky charm will surprise you. And as for the freaks, don’t worry. They’ll be too stereotyped to set foot inside the courtyard.
(05/24/08 3:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At midnight following graduation day, seniors storm Showalter Fountain outside the IU Auditorium to go for a late-night dip. Why? It’s tradition. You’d never know how or why, but it gets passed down from class to class and usually ends in security guards kindly looking the other way and asking that students remain quiet. And unless students are told, they probably wouldn’t ever know that the Jordan Avenue bridge is painted nearly every week by student organizations wishing to promote an event. It is an unspoken happening that could be considered defacing of University property, but it stays on the bridge because that’s the tradition.Though it’s not always clear where they came from, it’s apparent that they continue year to year, passed from class to class. IU Professor of history and philosophy of science Jim Capshew has made IU traditions not just a part of his life, but a part of his career. He is one half of the teaching duo responsible for creating Traditions and Cultures of IU (X112), a two-credit-hour, eight-week course offered online to help teach students about the IU community. Started in the fall of 2000, X112 has now reached more than 1,400 students. To Capshew, teaching the course is telling a story, exposing students to the history of IU that makes it such a special place, he said.“This campus in some ways really is a work of art,” he said. Perhaps the most well-known of IU’s traditions is Little 500, a bike race started in 1951. Teams of three and four enter after months of training for a shot of glory on the track. In mid-April, visitors pour into Bloomington in droves to cheer the racers on, but Capshew reveals there are more traditions than just Little 500.“Many people don’t know that the Benton Murals in the auditorium were commissioned for just $20,000,” he said. “Now, nearly 70 years later, they are worth millions.” For Capshew, IU’s artistic tradition is the richest one of all. He likes to talk about the great limestone buildings built with rock pulled right from the area and the respected opera program still performing to packed houses. He also likes to talk about how the green spaces on campus, such as Dunn Meadow and the Arboretum, were incorporated to be outdoor meeting places for staff and students.“The more you know about the University, the more you appreciate the tremendous resources you have around you,” he said. “It’s a very different place than it was a hundred years ago, but its core beliefs remain intact.” One of IU’s most romantic traditions is the 100-year-old Rose Well House, located on campus between Maxwell and Wylie Halls. According to a manuscripts in the IU Archives called “Traditions of IU” by Marvin Shamon, a custom at the Rose Well House is that a woman is not a true college “coed” until she is kissed at midnight under the dome of the House. The tradition has since evolved – students propose or even get married at the Rose Well House.
(05/24/08 3:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Members of the IU Men’s Club Soccer Team don’t need to be called “varsity” to be a real team – and neither do the other more than 80 club and intramural teams on campus. For many students, the dream of athletic sportsmanship seems to end with a high school diploma, but IU Recreational Sports has proven otherwise. When IU alumus Andrew Thomson first visited Bloomington the summer before his freshman year, he had every intention of making an attempt to walk onto IU’s famed men’s varsity soccer team, but when he stopped to talk to a group of guys playing a pickup game of soccer in Woodlawn Field, his plan changed. The students told Thomson about their experience with club sports and that fall he joined their team. Although he said it’s difficult to pick a favorite aspect of playing on the team, the camaraderie and friendships would have to top the list.“Playing soccer in college on any level is great, but if I can talk about our seasons 10 years from now with friends that were on the team with me, then I couldn’t ask for more,” Thomson said. Junior Steven Smith has been playing soccer since he was 5 years old, and like Thomson, counts club soccer as one of the most significant parts of his experience at IU. “The best part of being on the team is the combination of great guys to play with and the high level of talent and competition,” he said. “I love going away to tournaments and being on one of the best teams in the nation.” Some club sports require a try out and do a significant amount of traveling, but with teams in everything from sailing to wiffleball, more than 1,800 students find a place every year. Students looking for something shorter-term can turn to the lengthy list of intramural sports. With thousands of students participating annually, intramural leagues are one of the largest programs on campus, according to a Recreational Sports brochure. Teams can sign up together or individuals can be placed in groups looking for more members.Most intramural seasons last for three weeks plus playoffs and offer men’s, women’s and co-ed teams. Most intramural teams are seasonal – deadlines are at the beginning and middle of each semester.For more information about club and intramural sports, visit www.recsports.indiana.edu.
(05/24/08 1:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>You’re 18. College is exciting, friends are new and your significant other is 100 miles away. You spend two hours a night on the phone, make it a point to avoid members of the opposite sex and still all you hear is “What were you doing? Who were you with?” Right now, I know what you’re thinking. That would never happen to you. Your sweet pookums-babycakes is the most amazing girlfriend/boyfriend there ever was and you just know the two of you will live happily ever after. Allow me to introduce you to reality. Most likely, you won’t. I know it sounds harsh, but if you don’t love someone enough to go to the same college, then why do you think you love them enough to stop flirting with the most attractive person you’ve ever seen sitting across from you in biology? In three years, I have never seen one long-distance relationship that started in high school work out. Not one. I’ve seen so many friends get or make phone calls that start with “We need to talk” and end with “I should have ended it long before I let that happen.” People get hurt when the feelings run deep, and don’t forget to cue the Boyz II Men and bring on the guilt. Why put yourself through that? This time of your life is about growing into the person you’ve always wanted to be, and sadly enough, most of the time, your high-school self leaves the room pretty quickly. And when your ideas change, so does the relationship. I know it’s a difficult situation to be in, but trust me, it gets much worse when jealousy and interrogation are involved. There is no reason to hold yourself back for months only to end things in a much worse way than if you just would have broken up in the first place. Take the time to get to know the people around you now – on your floor and in your classes. If you stay together at first and end up breaking up, you’ll be glad you took the time to make friends that are still there. Save your self some time, some heartache and some phone minutes by hanging up on your high school romance and returning the wink from the person across the room. It could be the start of a whole new you – or at least, a fun detour.
(05/18/08 10:27pm)
After a 15-year affiliation, the National Park Service awarded IU’s Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands with its first ever Excellence in Partnership Award at a ceremony last week. \nThe award, which came as a surprise to the Eppley staff, was given due to Eppley’s contributions to the National Park Service in teaching software development, staff and volunteer training and research, said Betsy Dodson, National Park Service park facility management training manager. \n“Eppley has reflected a very strong partnership, not just with the Facility Management division but with others as well,” Dodson said. “They have worked with such a broad audience that they’re really on a national level as far as contribution is concerned.”\nThe Eppley Institute is part of the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation’s Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Studies. It provides continuing education through classroom and online courses for resource protection and environmental training for organizations on national, state and local levels. \n“They have allowed us to accomplish more by providing support for our Web site and grading written portions of exams in our training programs,” Dodson said. “It has been a strong and balanced partnership.” \nAlthough expansion was always the mission of Eppley Executive Director Steve Wolter, he admits he didn’t foresee a level of progress this noteworthy. \n“When I first started as assistant director in 1997, we had only two full-time employees,” he said. “Now we have 15 full-time faculty and staff, 30 to 35 hourly positions and four graduate assistants working for us. It is a little amazing.” \nWolter, who took over the executive spot in 2003, expressed his pride in the new honor, which came unexpectedly at a graduation ceremony for National Park Service certification recipients. With attendees thinking the ceremony was over, the members from the National Park Service began to thank Eppley for it’s contributions and then announced they received the award.\nDodson, who has worked directly with Eppley for the past eight years, said it was no surprise who the recipient of the first Excellence in Partnership Award would be. \n“(The award) was initiated primarily through our office,” she said. “The Chief Facility Manager and myself worked together to come up with an idea to honor the supportive partnership we’ve had with them all this time. We moved forward to make the award happen.” \nDodson also credits Wolter as a key proponent behind the success of the Eppley-National Park Service association. \n“He brings 12 years of experience in the field,” Dodson said. “His understanding of where we are going is great. We didn’t have to educate him. He came in fully trained. What he did was to find the right place Eppley can support National Park Service. Every (Eppley) staff member has been a wonderful addition to our program.” \nThe award comes at a great time for Eppley, Wolter said, as the Institute has begun to further its research in environmental protection. Projects such as studies on the effect of off-road vehicles on beaches and collaboration with communities surrounding the Indiana Dunes are part of this summer’s focus. \nWith the recent energy crisis, mining for fossil fuels has come dangerously close to national parks – something Wolter said is just a fraction of the threat against the environment. \n“Environmental resource pressure will continue to grow,” he said. “All that we can hope to do is help the management and policy makers of these parks come up with responses for these pressures and expand their protection.”
(03/18/08 4:00am)
On Dec. 6, 1977, 200,000 members of the United Mine Workers Union went on strike after contract negotiations with the Bituminous Coal Operators Association failed. As the strike surged into 1978, coal supplies began to vanish, pushing a university largely dependent on its coal supply to the nail-biting edge. State officials declared emergency energy cutbacks, and IU administrators had no choice but to close the school, giving students the first three-week spring break in IU history – and leaving the campus in the dark. Thirty years later, IU still remembers.
(01/08/08 6:11am)
It was no more than 10 feet below the water’s surface that an IU underwater archaeology team discovered not a pirate’s treasure, but a pirate’s history.\nUnder a blanket of corrosion, the remains of the Quedagh Merchant rested in Caribbean waters, undisturbed for 400 years. The cannons of the massive ship lay strewn across the ocean floor as plants clung to the wreckage. It was every captain’s nightmare and every diver’s dream.\nOn Dec. 13, the IU archaeologists announced the discovery of a ship they believed to have been abandoned by notorious pirate Captain William Kidd. According to legend, Kidd was accused of stealing the ship, which was rumored to have held riches from East India. After allegations naming the captain as a pirate reached authorities, Kidd fled the Merchant and raced to clear his name. The ship was left in the care of Kidd’s crew.\nWhen Kidd left the deck of the Merchant, it was the last time he or anyone else would see the ship intact. The men left behind reportedly looted the cargo hold and then burned the vessel, sending it to a fiery grave. \nFritz Hanselmann, a doctoral student in anthropology, was one of the first divers to the site, along with Charles Beeker, director of the IU Academic Diving and Underwater Science Programs.\n“The initial dive was fascinating due to the quantity of cannons and their placement,” Hanselmann said. “But once we had an idea that we were diving on the Quedagh Merchant and the artifacts we were examining could possibly have belonged to Captain Kidd, the historical context of the ship made further dives that much more breathtaking.”\nThe site was spotted by a native of the Dominican Republic, and officials contacted IU to investigate. IU has been working in the region for 11 years, but the untouched condition of the Merchant is a rarity. \n“This wreck could possibly solve the mystery of what actually happened to the Quedagh Merchant, the ship that Captain Kidd abandoned,” Hanselmann said. “We hope that this shipwreck will yield information that will allow us to determine if the ship is actually the Quedagh Merchant, analyze its wrecking process to understand how it arrived at the area and obtain a greater understanding of the maritime cultural landscape and piracy during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.”\nAnthropologist Geoffrey Conrad, director of IU’s Mathers Museum of World Cultures, looks for the wreckage to provide an accurate view of Captain Kidd’s life, which wasn’t one of a pirate, he said.\n“There are a lot of misconceptions about Captain Kidd,” Conrad said. “People believe him to be the arch pirate, but he wasn’t really a pirate at all. Hopefully, the development of a park around the site of the Quedagh Merchant will make the facts more widely known.”\nThrough the study of samples taken from the ship, Conrad hopes to determine the origins of the materials used to make the ship, which will make the likelihood that the ship is in fact the Quedagh Merchant much higher. The wood should be from around the Indian Ocean in order to match the legend, Conrad said.\nThe majority of the wreckage will remain in the Caribbean as an underwater history museum, paying homage to the life of Captain Kidd and the time period.
(12/06/07 4:47am)
In his first fictional novel, IU journalism professor Michael Robert Evans finds the spirit of youth and the sea. “68 Knots” is the story of eight teenagers who find themselves in command of a sailboat after their captain commits suicide. Over the 68 remaining days of their summer, the teens find out more about life, each other and most importantly, themselves. \nEvans’ whimsical tale has all the lure of a pirate adventure with the sarcasm of today’s younger generation. Written to be an improvement on many contemporary reading choices for high school English classes nationwide, “68 Knots” is no less of a page-turner for those who have moved past their ninth-grade book reports.\nThe diverse group of characters, ranging from privileged east coast overachievers to inner-city orphans, is one in which everyone will be sure to find their teenage parallel. The complications of inexperience are hilarious as the crew of the Dreadnought become lobster thieves, infamous harbor pirates, lovers, friends and true sailors. \nWho couldn’t love a book that takes them back to the summer when they were 16 years old? Only this time, instead of that horrible job at the pizzeria down the street, readers will relive it sailing the Atlantic Ocean.