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(05/09/03 4:31am)
Throughout my four years in Bloomington, IU has been propelled into the national spotlight many, many times. Whether it was with Bobby Knight, former President Myles Brand, the Princeton Review No. 1 party school ranking or pornography, someone has always been quick to pick out IU as the shining example of a college system gone wrong.\nThis past week, Time magazine published a column that harped once again on IU's "drinking problem." They talked to students in bars and included statistics about the increase in arrests on the campus. They cited cheap drink specials and the proximity of the bars to campus as possible reasons for the binge-drinking epidemic plaguing IU.\nThis is not the first story about the issue, and it probably won't be the last. But there are several things about this story that are problematic.\nFirst of all, this whole story broke about eight months ago. Time is a weekly publication, therefore one would think a national newsweekly would be able to pick up on the story a little sooner. \nAnd if you are going to make generalizations about the drinking habits of IU students, it would probably be a good idea to talk to people outside of the bars. Will Loy's four-bar, 12-drink night, as reported by Time, is not a typical evening for anyone I know. It is safe to say that few college students can physically or financially afford to go to four bars and drink 12 drinks every night. \nBut what kind of perspective can be expected from people at the bars? Obviously they are at the bar for one reason -- alcohol (unless some really good band is playing, then they might have two reasons to be at the bar). \nWalk five blocks from Nick's English Hut in any direction, and you will find IU students studying, playing music, reading poetry, playing Frisbee or doing any number of activities that, shockingly, do not involve binge drinking. Admittedly, IU students do drink. But to say we party "too hard" and to single us out as the only example of college alcohol abuse is completely unfair. \nArrests for underage consumption have increased because the police have been cracking down, not because more students are drinking. In fact, there were far fewer arrests and citations during this Little 500 weekend than there were three years ago.\nBut gross generalizations and old news aside, the timing of this story is what really makes it a low blow, particularly to graduating seniors.\nMany of the people graduating this week are fighting an already antagonistic job market, and another news outlet discounting the value of our degrees doesn't help. Surely the article is a help to the guy in Human Resources who is trying to weed through hundreds of resumes, because as Tyson Picken said in the Time story, "Companies won't want to hire a guy who comes from the biggest party school -- they'll think all I did was drink."\nWe might have a few "clap-for-credit" classes here at IU, but I know IU doesn't grant degrees for alcohol consumption. Everyone who is going to shift their tassel to the left Saturday had to do some serious work in order to get their diploma.\nStudents are doing amazing things at this University. We have the No. 2 student newspaper in the country, as reported by The Princeton Review. Our MFA and BFA students are some of the best young artists in the industry. We have people doing groundbreaking research in almost every department. \nIt is funny that the same university Time once called the No. 1 research university in the country is now just a sad mess of drunken coeds. \nThat assumption is simply unacceptable. The thousands of students who will be accepting diplomas tomorrow are the same people who are going to be running the world in a few years. Maybe when we are successful doctors, teachers, reporters, businesspeople and politicians, people won't be so quick to second guess the quality of our IU education.
(04/24/03 4:00am)
Punk rock heroes really do age gracefully. More than 25 years after their establishment as one of the leaders of the British Punk revolution, the Buzzcocks are still making music that lives up to their legend. We should be grateful these guys didn't put down their instruments for good when the band split up in 1981. Fortunately, over the past 10 years, bassist Tony Barber and drummer Philip Barker were able to keep the punk rock spirit alive with original members Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle. The latest eponymously titled release is a nice departure from the everyday pop-punk album. They incorporate an updated rock sound to their signature drum-smashing punk vibe of the past. The songwriting styles of Shelley and Diggle balance each other out; Shelley's songs have a slightly less melodic feel than Diggle's, but this serves to create a very well-rounded record. Though the songs never slow to more than a quick jog, Shelley's "Jerk" came from a drastically different place than Diggle's "Sick City Sometimes." But whether it is Shelley or Diggle doing the songwriting, be assured that from beginning to end, this album makes listeners want to jump around the room and nod their head.
(04/24/03 4:00am)
It's hard to leave a Dar Williams concert without a rose-colored outlook on life, and Monday's concert was no exception. Her brand of genuine folk-rock appeals to all sexes and several generations left the packed house smiling and dancing. Opening performances by Jenny DeVoe and the Ben Taylor Band were the tiny roses on the seven-layer cake Williams created with her act.\nBen Taylor, son of folk music deity James Taylor, was a physical and auditory replica of his father. It was difficult to figure out what Ben was trying to do with his music. There were songs with a gospel-soul-rock edge, a folk-rock feel or those that incorporated a jazzy-free-style-rock. He has the potential to become a great artist, but his music now is so jumbled that it seems immature. A chiseled face and a unique-sounding voice were still good entertainment, even if he did pull out some crazy raver dance moves during the guitar solos. \nBy the end of Taylor's set the crowd was anxious for Williams. One of the great things about Williams is that she is such a real person. She didn't need flashy sets or elaborate costumes to make her set amazing. She and her band just happen to be extremely talented.\nWilliams played mostly tracks from her new album Beauty of the Rain, which are a little slower than most of her classics but reproduced just as well. Williams' performance of "The World's Not Falling Apart" became an instant favorite. It was uptempo but not too fast and made Williams work to keep hitting the high notes, which she seemed to do with ease. Her duet with Ben Taylor was beautiful as their voices mixed into a refined melody, but unfortunately, Taylor looked like he was trying hard not to break into his normal hip-hop stage personality.\nAlthough my first Williams experience was a solo acoustic show, the band at this show was a welcome addition. Each musician was exceptionally talented and the electric guitar work, keyboards and percussion gave the music layers and made for an enjoyable and different experience.\nAny Williams experience is a good experience, especially if she plays some of the greatest songs in her repitoire and tells crazy stories about her life. The audience was treated to some hilarious anecdotes between the songs. Not only did she sing "Are You Out There?" and "Spring Street," she peeled the audience from the chairs with a crazy two-song encore of "Iowa" and "As Cool As I Am." \nEven though the night might have been just another day in the life for Williams, she gave a performance that was just as good as any flashy rock band.
(04/23/03 8:35pm)
It's hard to leave a Dar Williams concert without a rose-colored outlook on life, and Monday's concert was no exception. Her brand of genuine folk-rock appeals to all sexes and several generations left the packed house smiling and dancing. Opening performances by Jenny DeVoe and the Ben Taylor Band were the tiny roses on the seven-layer cake Williams created with her act.\nBen Taylor, son of folk music deity James Taylor, was a physical and auditory replica of his father. It was difficult to figure out what Ben was trying to do with his music. There were songs with a gospel-soul-rock edge, a folk-rock feel or those that incorporated a jazzy-free-style-rock. He has the potential to become a great artist, but his music now is so jumbled that it seems immature. A chiseled face and a unique-sounding voice were still good entertainment, even if he did pull out some crazy raver dance moves during the guitar solos. \nBy the end of Taylor's set the crowd was anxious for Williams. One of the great things about Williams is that she is such a real person. She didn't need flashy sets or elaborate costumes to make her set amazing. She and her band just happen to be extremely talented.\nWilliams played mostly tracks from her new album Beauty of the Rain, which are a little slower than most of her classics but reproduced just as well. Williams' performance of "The World's Not Falling Apart" became an instant favorite. It was uptempo but not too fast and made Williams work to keep hitting the high notes, which she seemed to do with ease. Her duet with Ben Taylor was beautiful as their voices mixed into a refined melody, but unfortunately, Taylor looked like he was trying hard not to break into his normal hip-hop stage personality.\nAlthough my first Williams experience was a solo acoustic show, the band at this show was a welcome addition. Each musician was exceptionally talented and the electric guitar work, keyboards and percussion gave the music layers and made for an enjoyable and different experience.\nAny Williams experience is a good experience, especially if she plays some of the greatest songs in her repitoire and tells crazy stories about her life. The audience was treated to some hilarious anecdotes between the songs. Not only did she sing "Are You Out There?" and "Spring Street," she peeled the audience from the chairs with a crazy two-song encore of "Iowa" and "As Cool As I Am." \nEven though the night might have been just another day in the life for Williams, she gave a performance that was just as good as any flashy rock band.
(04/23/03 8:24pm)
Punk rock heroes really do age gracefully. More than 25 years after their establishment as one of the leaders of the British Punk revolution, the Buzzcocks are still making music that lives up to their legend. We should be grateful these guys didn't put down their instruments for good when the band split up in 1981. Fortunately, over the past 10 years, bassist Tony Barber and drummer Philip Barker were able to keep the punk rock spirit alive with original members Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle. The latest eponymously titled release is a nice departure from the everyday pop-punk album. They incorporate an updated rock sound to their signature drum-smashing punk vibe of the past. The songwriting styles of Shelley and Diggle balance each other out; Shelley's songs have a slightly less melodic feel than Diggle's, but this serves to create a very well-rounded record. Though the songs never slow to more than a quick jog, Shelley's "Jerk" came from a drastically different place than Diggle's "Sick City Sometimes." But whether it is Shelley or Diggle doing the songwriting, be assured that from beginning to end, this album makes listeners want to jump around the room and nod their head.
(04/10/03 4:00am)
Anyone who ever doubted the strength of the Bloomington music scene obviously hasn't been listening hard enough. Although a few of the songs on the CD fall short of the standards set by the outstanding tracks on the disc, the great tunes certainly outweigh the less-than-pleasing songs. This is one CD that will leave you with that rare warm, fuzzy feeling you get only from listening to young talent destined to leave their mark on the industry.\nBut the album creates somewhat of an anomaly. The bands that make the CD worth listening to are those who rarely make regular appearances in local venues.\nAlthough Bloomington might not be the most nurturing environment for hip hop, Divine Definition is proof that you should never underestimate what this town has to offer. Divine Definition flexes its musical muscles with poetic rhymes and an original beat that sets it somewhere near the Mos Def/Talib Kweli section of the genre. It would not be surprising if the group develops a following in town after the release of this track.\nKonolu and Krista Detor should also be regular names to throw around when talking about Bloomington music. The lyrics in Konolu's "Dubya" are hilarious, and its unique mix of electric guitars and a Jew's harp makes you hungry for a live Konolu show. Krista Detor's strong grasp on a mellow folk-rock sound encapsulates the feeling of a warm summer night in Bloomington. \nI doubt this town full of cover-band-loving college kids would have a hard time warming up to these three niche bands. Their music is so good you don't need to understand their genres to appreciate the talent.\nThere were other great displays of rock music on the disc by bands that are slightly more exposed, particularly by Blue Moon Revue, Extra Blue Kind, Homonculos, Verge on Dirty, handbookforwilliam and Cardboard. Though all six of these bands represent drastically different genres of rock, their ability to capitalize on their strengths, keeps them from being categorized as purely college rock.\nThe incorporation of several bluegrass, jazz and fusion tracks proves the music scene in Bloomington extends far beyond frat-basement music. Code Blue's rich vocals and layered instrumentals takes you to bluegrass country with "Monon Train." Tundra's "Spoken" is one satisfying piece of jazz music that is so well balanced, no one instrument outshines the other. Flip Down South also did its fair share of shining with a smooth melody and solid drum beat in its blues-jazz-rock fusion track. But again, where are these guys, and why haven't we seen more of them in the clubs? \nThree regular bands on the bar circuit, Three Minute Mile, Laborius Clef and The Tribute did not live up to the standards set by the lesser exposed talent on the disc. Three Minute Mile's "Bad Time for Love" sounds like typical college band music that rarely gets further than the Bluebird. Laborious Clef's "Sandwich" has no meat to it. The group has its instruments down to a science, but it drops the ball on the vocals. The Tribute's "The First Night of the Rest of My Life," was equally disappointing. The band is comparable to The Anniversary with less vocal harmony and more screaming.\nSlipping further down the slope was The Decanter's "If Only You Were Free." The lead vocalist has some great pipes but I couldn't latch on to the wavering guitar sounds and whiny melody. The disc fizzles at the end with The Bumps "Dirt Leg (You Need A)." Their attempt at a Hives-like sound falls flat. That guitar-string-breaking-drum-smashing feeling simply does not come through on this song. That leaves five tracks on the disc that could have been replaced by some other stronger local talent. There are numerous bands in Bloomington that, like the real stand-outs on the disc, may be just below the radar of exposure, but are bastions of developing musical talent. If the goal of the CD is to expose a wide audience to everything Bloomington has to offer, Union Board should have made sure to take a very critical look at what bands may be eluding the mainstream.\nDespite its weaknesses, LFB 2003 is still a worthwhile addition to anyone's collection, even if you are simply purchasing it to help the Hoosier Hills Foodbank. Hopefully, it will motivate people in Bloomington to perk up their ears to the music that might not be playing right in front of them.
(04/01/03 5:25am)
Former student body president Keith Parker had barely stepped into office when he started receiving death threats.\nIt was May 1970. Nixon had just given the order to invade Cambodia, and four students at Kent State had been shot after protesting the war. Parker and other student leaders knew the community response to these events would manifest in some sort of large assembly. \nStudent leaders had two responsibilities -- making sure the protest happened and making sure it happened safely. They did not want a repeat of Kent State, nor did they want to put Parker in any sort of danger. \nMike King, student body vice president at the time, said he and Parker talked about calling the whole thing off because of the threats, but then realized they "couldn't just back down."\nSoon enough, word got around that there was going to be a protest for peace in Dunn Meadow, and 10,000 people from the Bloomington community covered the field.\n"The protest was so large, it was unprecedented," King said. "Students and faculty surrounded Keith during the march, so he was protected."\nKing said they had originally planned to march through town, but thought it better to stay in a smaller radius because of the amount of people.\nIU student protesters marched themselves right into the history books. From chaining up the administration building to forming picket lines outside classrooms, students on the IU Bloomington campus knew how to make their position known.\n"It was certainly the most active place in Indiana," Professor Glen Gass said, who was still in high school in Greencastle, Ind., when things started to pick up in the '60s. "It was the center of counter-culture."\nAmidst tuition hikes, a controversial war in Vietnam and the civil rights movement, IU developed a reputation for being one of the most active campuses in the country.\n"The issues back in the '60s and '70s had the potential to affect everybody," former student body president Paul Helmke said. "More and more people were being drafted." \nHelmke points to the draft as one of the reasons that students might have been more vocal during the Vietnam conflict. \nCurrent IU Student Association Vice President Judd Arnold said the draft is probably the primary reason why students today are not protesting in the same numbers they once were.\n"I know a lot of people in my Dad's generation that were in college to avoid the war," Arnold said. \nHelmke also said that many of the issues surrounding the war in Iraq are seen as affecting only a small group of people, and thus do not draw the same kind of reaction.\nDuring the Vietnam conflict, student leaders were highly involved in the opposition movement. They submitted "demands" to the University, asking, among other things, that it denounce American involvement in Southeast Asia. They also asked the University to commit to minority recruitment in order to make the racial makeup of the student body more representative of the racial makeup of Indiana.\nThe University did not submit to the demands, although it did make a commitment to minority recruitment. To this day, it is working to attract minority students, but the percentages still do not reflect Indiana population.\nWhereas current IUSA leaders recently declined to take a position on the war, Helmke believes that student government should not be afraid to take a position during times of conflict, he said.\n"I think it is appropriate to take positions on things like that," Helmke said. "Sometimes the only way to help influence people is to join with others in speaking out … it doesn't need to be a unanimous position."\nHe said when he was student body president, students often held more than one position when they got together for large rallies or meetings. \nArnold said that if the student position on the war was as apparent now as it was during Vietnam, IUSA would have no problem coming up with a resolution about the war. There is a large difference between the 500 signatures collected by the Coalition to Oppose the War in Iraq and the 10,000 students that protested in Dunn Meadow after the invasion of Cambodia. \n"It is a very divided campus," he said. "We think it is best that students voice their opinions through their own means."\nAnd with thousands of protesters willing to march, Parker said the activism in Bloomington during Vietnam was not limited to one group of people.\n"There was a wide cross-section of students and people in Bloomington, not just radical students or hippies," Parker said. \nBut Gass notes that even within groups that would normally protest the war, the lines are blurred when it comes to deciding on the war in Iraq.\n"I think it is a lot less black and white today," he said. "We were attacked, and that changes everything."\nParker said he agrees the threat of terrorism definitely sets this war apart from Vietnam.\n"We did not have to worry about Vietnamese terrorists," he said.\nAnother major difference between the anti-war protests today and those that happened more than 30 years ago is the time frame in which the protests took place. The demonstrations Parker participated in occurred at the height of the movement, which reached its peak after the United States had been involved with the conflict for more than five years.\n"Here you have enormous opposition to the war before it began," Parker said. \nInternational protest against the war also sets this peace movement apart from the Vietnam protests. Today, millions of people across the globe have flooded the streets of major cities to express their opposition to the Bush administration's decision to use force in Iraq.\nGass said the current administration reminds him of the administration during Vietnam.\n"We have another president who doesn't care if he fights a war with or without the people," he said.\nBut even though IU students are not protesting like they used to, there are still some, like the students who make up the Coalition to Oppose the War in Iraq, that are working to keep the fire of opposition alive.\n"I think in general, if you live in a democracy, part of that is taking an active role in the decisions that are being made in your name," COWI member Lauren Taylor said. "It is really important that people on this campus ... be vocal about how they feel about the war"
(03/24/03 6:04am)
While many students were able to escape the pressure of class and homework over spring break, there was one reality they could not put out of their minds. Time ran out for Saddam Hussein, and American and Allied forces began dropping bombs in Iraq. News of the war was everywhere -- on TV, on the radio and on every front page.\n"Every place we went to had the news on at all times," said sophomore Jon Greene. Greene and his friend drove to Toronto, Canada for the break. Border security was beefed up when Greene and his companion returned from their trip towards the end of the week, but Greene said they were practically the only car trying to get back into the U.S.\nGreene said he noticed more of an anti-France sentiment than a pro-U.S. feeling. \n"Every time you told somebody you were from the states, they wanted to talk about the war," Greene said.\nSenior Christian Larson said he got a different reaction from the Canadians living in Montreal, where he spent his spring break. Larson spent the break volunteering at a cancer research center.\n"They are really upset in Montreal," he said. "They have very anti-American views."\nLarson said many Canadians in Montreal feel like Canada gets pushed around by the U.S., which creates resentment.\n"I spent more time paying attention to (the war) than I initially intended," he said.\nIn Las Vegas, sophomore Amy Chenoweth and her spring break group had a hard time peeling themselves away from the television reports about the news. Every time they were in the hotel, they had the television on, she said. \n"It was definitely a big part of the vacation," she said.\nChenoweth said it was interesting to see the contrast between the action "on the strip" and what was going on in the world.\n"It was like there wasn't a war going on," she said. "People down there were just in it for the entertainment." \nJunior Dan Shapiro did not travel to an exotic location, but venturing home to the Washington, D.C. area put him right in the middle of the action. Shapiro said he tried to stay as far away from the coverage as possible, only checking for updates when necessary.\n"People in D.C. are quite frightened," he said. "They are afraid they are going to be the first target."\nShapiro said he overheard people talking about where they could purchase a gas mask, and possible escape plans in case of an emergency.\nAs war broke out in Iraq last week, anti-war protests broke out in many major cities on across the U.S., including San Francisco, Chicago, New York, New Orleans and Washington D.C.\nShapiro said one of his spring break activities was participating in one of the D.C. protests that marched downtown and around the White House.\n"This trip was definitely atypical," he said.\nSophomore Jennifer Zengerling also chose to travel home for a few days over break, and watched the war unfold with her family.\n"I was sort of afraid to travel from one place to another," she said.\nZengerling said she has a friend in the Army who is presently overseas, but has not been in contact with him since the war started. She said she was very attached to the television coverage before the war started, but tapered her media consumption as the week went on.\n"It definitely brought my mood down," she said.
(02/20/03 5:00am)
I magine yourself sitting in a tiny apartment in the artsy part of Brooklyn, sun streaming in the window, cars passing by, splashing dirty water onto day-old snow. You are forced to contemplate getting a real job because you were just dissed by your label for not coming up with a "hit single." What kind of music would you write?\nYou would probably write something similar to Nada Surf's latest release, Let Go. This album is what happens when musicians are left to their own devices after a rumble with the music industry. This afterglow from their music industry battles helped Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca and Ira Elliot create a perfect equilibrium on the album. Just when the rock is about to get hard, Nada Surf balances it out with a deliciously depressing tune. The lyrics are wonderfully abstract and the instrumentals are equally expressive. The distant guitar sounds in "Paper Boats" send the listener downstream into some higher musical plane. The months of anticipating the U.S. release of this album were well worth the wait. Nada Surf has proven that it can rock no matter the circumstances.
(02/19/03 4:55pm)
I magine yourself sitting in a tiny apartment in the artsy part of Brooklyn, sun streaming in the window, cars passing by, splashing dirty water onto day-old snow. You are forced to contemplate getting a real job because you were just dissed by your label for not coming up with a "hit single." What kind of music would you write?\nYou would probably write something similar to Nada Surf's latest release, Let Go. This album is what happens when musicians are left to their own devices after a rumble with the music industry. This afterglow from their music industry battles helped Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca and Ira Elliot create a perfect equilibrium on the album. Just when the rock is about to get hard, Nada Surf balances it out with a deliciously depressing tune. The lyrics are wonderfully abstract and the instrumentals are equally expressive. The distant guitar sounds in "Paper Boats" send the listener downstream into some higher musical plane. The months of anticipating the U.S. release of this album were well worth the wait. Nada Surf has proven that it can rock no matter the circumstances.
(01/31/03 3:56pm)
The evening started off with a simple question.\n"Does America owe African-Americans reparations for the slavery of their ancestors?" Delta Sigma Theta chapter member Cheneel McNutt asked.\nBy the end of the night, there was no simple answer.\nAs a part of their week of "Jabberwock" events sponsored by the sorority, Delta Sigma Theta held a program Wednesday night entitled "Reparations for African-Americans: Governmental Obligation or Unjustifiable Compensation?" \nAlong with brief lectures encompassing different viewpoints about reparations, people expressed their feelings about the subject in song and poetry.\n"I think it comes across people's minds," McNutt said. "I think people don't discuss it and they wait until catastrophe happens to talk about it."\nMcNutt was inspired to plan a program on reparations after watching the reparations rally in Washington D.C. on Marcus Garvey's birthday this past summer, she said.\nThe three speakers McNutt petitioned to speak at the event represented viewpoints from across the reparations spectrum. Although they all agreed that something should be done to correct the racial wrongs in American society, there was no clear consensus among the three.\nLong-time civil rights activist and chairman of the National Black United Front Dr. Conrad Worril presented a strong case for reparations in its most traditional sense. \nWorril said the reparations movement has deep roots in the "40 acres and a mule" proposition that was a part of post-civil war reconstruction. The nature of how African-Americans were brought to the country also adds fuel to the reparations fire.\n"Other people had a choice (to come to America)," he said. "African people had no choice. They were captured."\nWorril is an advocate of a plan that would provide reparations internally and externally for the African-American community. He said that in addition to the work that must be done to repair the damaged innerworkings of the African- \nAmerican community, the government and corporations that benefitted from slavery should take responsibility for their actions as well. \n"The reparations movement is not going away," he said.\nIU professor Lawrence Hanks also said he believes in the push for reparations but would like to see them materialize in the form of an education program. Hanks talked about a system that would allow African-Americans to receive free education for 40 years. Hanks referred to Randall Robinson's concept of "institution building" as a way to equalize the races in society.\n"Everyone would have a chance at equal education," he said. "African-Americans would get two generations of free education … which answers the question of how much and how long." \nHanks said he is troubled that African-Americans cannot even get an apology for slavery.\n"Forget about the money," he said. "What about an apology?"\nIU law professor Kevin Brown said he would also like to see something positive come out of such a negative experience, but he said he believes asking for any sort of monetary compensation is somewhat of a pipe dream.\nThere are two fundamental problems in asking for a large sum of money, Brown said. First, the politics behind procuring such funds would be difficult. Brown said there is no historical precedent to indicate that Congress would be prepared to approve such legislation. Even if Congress did accept some sort of financial compensation, Brown said the next obstacle would be getting the legislation through the courts.\n"I can't imagine a scenario where reparations are going to be paid to African-Americans," he said.\nBrown said the key to unlocking the problem of reparations is to look at the issue from a psychological standpoint. He said that talking about unattainable funds will only "increase the sense of injustice."\nThe way to start the healing process is to talk about the strengths and accomplishments of African-Americans, Brown concluded.\nFreshman Alexis Carter, freshman Sean Warsaw and sophomore Ueline Newmon expressed both frustration and hope through song and poetry.\n"We need, we want, we deserve reparations. The truth is there will only be a 'Uh, I am sorry,' but we haven't received that yet. I guess it happened a long time ago to them, so it's easy to forget," Newmon read in his poem.\nEven though the crowd was smaller than she hoped for, McNutt said she was pleased with the evening. \n"I wish the crowd had been more diverse," she said. "I wish more people would have come out to see how they felt."\nMcNutt said it is important to talk about these issues before they escalate into a more difficult situation, as evidenced by the fallout that occurred after the Horowitz advertisement ran in the Indiana Daily Student two years ago.\nSophomore Mark Osborne had not planned on attending the event until he noticed the reception set up in the IMUG, he said.\n"I liked it a lot," he said. "When you think of reparations normally you think of big bags of money. But that is not really what the issue is. I think if more people were educated about it there would be better discussions."\nSenior Delali Dagadu said she got a better idea about the lasting effects of slavery.\n"The impact that slavery had on people in this country is a sore that will never be healed," she said.
(09/19/02 4:00am)
There is something about a shave and a haircut that can completely change the attitude of any given individual. This might be one of the reasons barbershops throughout the country are more than just places of business. They are more like clubhouses, centers of the community where men can go to get in a little bonding time. \nTim Story's "Barbershop" tells the story of Calvin (Ice Cube), who is trying to live out his dream of economic prosperity amidst his responsibilities to the family barbershop that bears his name. "Calvin's Barbershop" is more than a place of employment to the host of characters who work there, including Cedric the Entertainer, Eve, Sean Patrick Thomas and several others. Throughout the movie, Calvin tries to save the shop from economic despair.\nMeanwhile, the audience is privy to an ATM robbery (yes, two guys actually steal an ATM) that takes place in the convenience store right across the street from the shop. The relevance of this robbery does not come through until the end of the film, but it is worth the wait.\n"Barbershop," while not a groundbreaking film, does what movies are supposed to do. This film has everything -- humor, love, anger and conflict all rolled into one. The atmosphere of the shop reminds me of "My-T-Sharp" from "Coming to America" -- anyone can say anything, with or without consequences. I am also completely convinced of the authenticity of the characters, although they might have been somewhat exaggerated versions of their real-life counterparts.\nIce Cube did a fantastic job with his role. He had no problem convincing me that he was the third in a line of barbers who loved their job and that shop. I wonder if he thought back to a childhood barbershop of his own in order to get motivation for the role.\nEve's performance was also a great surprise. I always tend to be overly critical of musicians who crossover to movies, because despite popular belief, being able to make a music video is nothing like acting. But Eve did a fantastic job in her role. She fit right into that barbershop and had no problem being the only girl amongst a shop full of men with perfectly-trimmed egos.\nThe real star of film however, was Cedric. I don't have enough good words for him. He was a great patriarch and source of comic relief when situations got tough. He was the voice of wisdom that constantly reminded everyone that the barbershop was less about razors and clippers and more about the people who sat in the chairs.\nEveryone needs a quasi-cheesy feel-good movie every once in a while, and if you are craving that, "Barbershop" is the way to go. Definitely go see it in the theater, it is a film better watched with a rowdy crowd of moviegoers.
(09/19/02 12:58am)
There is something about a shave and a haircut that can completely change the attitude of any given individual. This might be one of the reasons barbershops throughout the country are more than just places of business. They are more like clubhouses, centers of the community where men can go to get in a little bonding time. \nTim Story's "Barbershop" tells the story of Calvin (Ice Cube), who is trying to live out his dream of economic prosperity amidst his responsibilities to the family barbershop that bears his name. "Calvin's Barbershop" is more than a place of employment to the host of characters who work there, including Cedric the Entertainer, Eve, Sean Patrick Thomas and several others. Throughout the movie, Calvin tries to save the shop from economic despair.\nMeanwhile, the audience is privy to an ATM robbery (yes, two guys actually steal an ATM) that takes place in the convenience store right across the street from the shop. The relevance of this robbery does not come through until the end of the film, but it is worth the wait.\n"Barbershop," while not a groundbreaking film, does what movies are supposed to do. This film has everything -- humor, love, anger and conflict all rolled into one. The atmosphere of the shop reminds me of "My-T-Sharp" from "Coming to America" -- anyone can say anything, with or without consequences. I am also completely convinced of the authenticity of the characters, although they might have been somewhat exaggerated versions of their real-life counterparts.\nIce Cube did a fantastic job with his role. He had no problem convincing me that he was the third in a line of barbers who loved their job and that shop. I wonder if he thought back to a childhood barbershop of his own in order to get motivation for the role.\nEve's performance was also a great surprise. I always tend to be overly critical of musicians who crossover to movies, because despite popular belief, being able to make a music video is nothing like acting. But Eve did a fantastic job in her role. She fit right into that barbershop and had no problem being the only girl amongst a shop full of men with perfectly-trimmed egos.\nThe real star of film however, was Cedric. I don't have enough good words for him. He was a great patriarch and source of comic relief when situations got tough. He was the voice of wisdom that constantly reminded everyone that the barbershop was less about razors and clippers and more about the people who sat in the chairs.\nEveryone needs a quasi-cheesy feel-good movie every once in a while, and if you are craving that, "Barbershop" is the way to go. Definitely go see it in the theater, it is a film better watched with a rowdy crowd of moviegoers.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
If you have been searching for that sound that hasn't quite hit mainstream America, all you need is a little G. Love. And a little Special Sauce.\nG. Love & Special Sauce has created a following of its own during the past seven years, and it continues to produce a unique sound. The band released its fifth album, The Electric Mile, Tuesday and has been touring around the country for weeks to promote the record. \nFor G. Love, this is a far leap from playing on the streets of Boston.\nG. Love, born Garrett Dutton, started playing guitar after his mother sent him to guitar lessons when he was 8. Years later, after only one year of college, G. Love decided to go to Boston to pursue his interest in music.\n"The reason I wanted to go to Boston was because, you know I was 19, and I just wanted to go off on my own and figure out who I was and see if I could make it playing music," G. Love says in an interview with Andy Garrigue for www.plan9music.com.\nG. Love soon found the people that would become Special Sauce. While he was playing shows in Boston, he teamed up with drummer Jeffrey "The Houseman" Clemens and later bassist Jim "Jimi Jazz" Prescott. \nWhen you listen to the deep soft sound of his voice, it is hard to put this musician in the typical mile-a-minute rock star lifestyle. Despite his calm demeanor, G. Love confesses that he is good when it comes to getting all of the work done on the album.\n"We all have a really good work ethic and can really plug away at things," G. Love says in a phone interview.\nLife on the road this time around has not been too bad either for the band. It has already done 18 shows and has three more scheduled after its Friday appearance at Notre Dame in South Bend.\nA few things make the good show into a great show. G. Love says it is a matter of everything working together, from the audience right down to his own heads.\n"If you get to the right energy level, the show can just glide," G. Love says.\nBut if you can't make it to the next show, the new album does a good bit of gliding itself.\nG. Love & Special Sauce's new 13-song release is a combination of all of the band's favorite musical forms, according to a press release. Hip-hop, blues, jazz, reggae, folk and a touch of country all come together in perfect harmony. \n"Any time we get to put out a record, it is like a victory. When you get a record deal, it is a blessing," G. Love says. "You are getting paid to pursue your art -- to get to take the thing you love and just focus on that."\nMany guest artists are featured on the album, including percussionist Billy Conway from Morphine and Jasper, who was featured on the band's self-titled debut album.\nG. Love's favorite tracks on the CD include "Night of the Living Dead," "Parasite" and "Sarah's Song."\nG. Love says he wrote "Sarah's Song" in high school and has never gotten around to putting it on an album. The 'Sarah' was a girl he had a relationship with in high school.\n"The relationship was not too profound," he says. "I am just really happy it made it onto the record."\nThe name of the album, The Electric Mile, has little story behind it, G. Love confesses. \n"One night, Jim ("Jimi Jazz") just pulled the title out of his head," G. Love says.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
When I was a little girl, all I wanted to do was change the world. In my earliest pieces of creative writing, I imagined working in a research lab in a rainforest where I found the cure for every imaginable disease. My best friend provided the funds for the research through her powers as president of the United States.\nIn middle school, all I wanted to learn about were the civil rights protests and Vietnam. I envied those people in the black and white photographs who burned their draft cards and marched screaming with their fists in the air. I could not understand how so many ills could exist in the world when there was so much opportunity for change. If people banded together once before, certainly they could do it today.\nI wanted to see people on the streets, standing up for what they believed in. Nothing is more noble than sacrificing yourself for the greater good, and I thought it strange that people were constantly complaining about things and never doing anything about the problems.\nUnfortunately, I started to understand why no one was protesting our current social ills when I got to high school. Apathy was cool. If it doesn't directly affect you, it must not make a difference. Only the dorks were passionate and outspoken about their beliefs. The cool people kept their opinions in check, so as not to let their friends know they have more worldly interests than the opposite sex or the next big social event. Without realizing it, the screaming protester inside of me was quieted by my surroundings.\nWhen I came to IU, I was ready to break free from the constraints of high school conformity and finally find a way to speak up. During the next four years, I would be a part of a campus that had a long tradition of activism.\nThis fall, I was amazed when students showed up by the thousands to protest the firing of an athletic icon. Bob Knight was a part of the IU experience, and we were not going to let his firing go quietly into the night. The administration was not acting in a manner the students found appropriate, so we spoke out against "The Man." \nFinally, people who are willing to stand up for what they believe in, I thought. People who recognize that change can only happen when they make their voices heard.\nBut when it came to environmentalism, rape or even gay rights, apathy, conformity and general laziness again reared their ugly heads. \nTracy "Dolphin" McNeely and Mary Demkovich, two current tree sitters, should be receiving more support for their efforts. They are giving up their lives, their very right to walk on solid ground, for something in which they believe. Some people have gone to visit McNeely, and people have brought her necessary food, water and blankets. \nAnd then there are those who think McNeely should get out of the tree. They think she is wasting her time, because they will cut down the forest anyway. Why would she want to spend her time doing something if she knows she will lose?\nBut the truth is a protest against something is not always about winning or losing. It is about raising awareness. I am sure that when Mahatma Gandhi decided to start his movement of non-violent protest in South Africa, success was an impossibility. The British and the Afrikaaners had oppressed Indians in Africa for so long, how could one person have the audacity to think he could change that? The white man had always been triumphant in South Africa; why would Gandhi want to waste his time trying to protest that?\nGandhi set off a spark that set loose a fire that spread throughout India and South Africa. The people in power began to realize that they could no longer turn a deaf ear to the cause, and change followed. The road was not easy, it was not logical and it was not expected. But that is why it worked.\nSo maybe I can change the world. But I can't do it alone, and neither can anyone else. Gandhi's movement was successful because people shed their shells of apathy and fear. Like those people who refused to talk for an entire eight hours in support of gay rights, they decided that a cause was greater than themselves. \nWhen you put down the efforts of one person trying to make a statement, you limit yourself and others around you. You are putting limits on the change that could come about if you simply showed support. You are putting limits on the world that our children will grow up in. Don't settle for what we have now. The next time someone is brave enough to stand up for what he or she believes in, try lifting that person up instead of shooting him or her down.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
When I was 12 years old, my concerns were pretty simple. What to wear to school the next day, how to get that new boy I was crushing on to like me, remembering to stretch every day before ballet class, and, oh yeah, doing well on my next science test. I went to a small private school, and drugs, alcohol and sex were only things I saw on TV. I don't think I even knew what marijuana smelled like at that point. I had never had a drop of alcohol except for the weekly sip of wine from my parents on Friday nights. As for kissing boys, well, I kept my lips pretty well sealed. My weekends were consumed with going to the movies and having sleepovers.\nToday, this is not the case for many 12 year olds. This year I had the privilege of working with some amazing kids at a summer camp. It was not a summer camp for drug abusers or victims of sexual abuse. It was a plain old regular fresh air camp with lots of kids from warm, loving homes. What was interesting about them is how many had already had experience with drugs, alcohol and sexual activity.\nI was shocked to discover that some had already smoked marijuana several times. Part of my surprise came from the fact that I saw these kids as innocent. I know some of their parents, and I know the schools they go to. I just assumed that they do the same stuff I used to do on the weekends. \nBut I guess it's not like that anymore. According to The Department of Health and Human Services, 8 percent of students in 7th and 8th grade reported using marijuana and 4 percent reported using other illicit drugs. These are 12 and 13 year old kids. They are not even old enough to get a good minimum wage job, and yet they somehow find the resources to buy drugs. Four percent of 7th to 8th grade students report regular alcohol use. One in 16 kids.\nA few girls also found out that one of their mutual friends had started cutting herself and almost committed suicide. Again, this is a 13 year old girl using razor blades to release her pain. I have trouble trying to sort this out, and I am almost 20. Imagine the reaction from a 12 year old. The study from the Department of Health and Human Services also found that 11 percent of 7th to 8th graders have had suicidal thoughts, and 4 percent have attempted to kill themselves.\nThis is stuff they should not have to deal with. Yes, the world is oftentimes an ugly place filled with pain, but they have their whole lives to figure that out. There is a reason why sex offenses against children carry harder punishments. Innocence. It is one thing you have and can never restore. \nBut lets face it, these kids do have a much harder world to grow up in than we did. Maybe by encountering the hard experiences early on, they will be more prepared to deal with them when they grow up.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
During my internship at the Ann Arbor News, I had the privilege of getting to know the court reporter pretty well. He told me a lot of his stories from the field. I could not believe that people actually stand up in the middle of court and say "Objection, leading!" How cool. \nOne day, he asked me if I wanted to go to a preliminary hearing for a murder trial. A preliminary hearing is a hearing before the actual trial where the judge determines if there is enough of a case to send it on to court. Of course, I jumped at the chance. \nI knew all the background behind the case. The whole scene went down at a party in an apartment complex near Eastern Michigan University. The music was loud, there were about 100 people there, and the keg was flowing. \nAllegedly, the accused murderer walked in and started to get into a fight with a bunch of the guys at the party about the volume of the music. Words were exchanged, testosterone levels rose, and the man took out his knife. \nAs he was swinging, the crowd tried to restrain him. He broke free from the crowd, stumbled forward, stabbed one person, then another, and left the apartment. It was one thing to read the police report on newsprint, quite another to hear it out of one of the victim's mouths.\nThe court room was small and tightly packed with witnesses, friends, family, and reporters. Witness after witness poured out their versions of the story. Each identified the defendant in his bright orange prison uniform. The defense lawyer was on top of his game. He got each witness to admit that they had discussed their stories with the other witnesses prior to the trial, a good argument to document for a possible appeal. \nNothing said in the trial hit me harder than the testimony of the surviving assault victim. He was more enraged than anyone in the courtroom. He described the pain in his chest he felt as the knife pierced his flesh. How he felt he was going to die when he was lying in the hospital with a punctured lung. Then he pulled up his shirt, and showed the wound to the courtroom. That was it for me. I felt that little tingle creep up and down my spine about 20 times in that one second he peeled off the bandage.\nWhen the session ended that day and I walked out of the courthouse, it took a minute for me to recover. I just stood there, feeling the hot breeze of a summer afternoon whipping my face. I looked at the grass and the trees and the squirrel running across the lawn. I felt like I wanted to cry and scream and throw up all at the same time.\nThis was real life. Real pain. The real stuff at the heart of the justice system. It wasn't glamorous or sexy. There were no commercial breaks. Someone was dead. In a matter of weeks, the man that sat just feet away could be thrown into prison for the rest of his life.\nThis was not an episode that ended with credits.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Workmen were on their hands and knees Wednesday afternoon, smoothing cement on the last few blue-green tiles to secure them to the floor of the new Theatre/Neal-Marshall Education Center.\nThe smell of finished wood and fresh paint filled every corridor of the building, from the glass-lined staircases to the top row of the theater. \nFriday, the quiet hallways and silent atriums will be filled with people for the center's official inauguration.\nThe formal dedication ceremony begins at 2 p.m. at the center's Ruth N. Halls Theatre. Accomplished actors, authors and activists Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee will be the keynote speakers.\n"I couldn't be happier to have somebody that represents the best in American theater here to help us \ninaugurate this new building," said Leon Brauner, chairperson of the Department of Theatre and Drama.\nDirector of University Ceremonies Robin Gress said plans for the event began 18 months ago. A steering committee made up of members of the Department of Theatre and Drama and the black culture center participated in choosing Davis and Dee as the speakers.\n"They are people of theater and great social activists," Gress said. "They bring so many elements in just two people."\nDavis and Dee will also give a master class at Willkie Quadrangle from 9:30 a.m.-11 p.m. and an informal lecture in the Auditorium 7:30 p.m. Friday.\nThe ceremony will be "a traditional IU ceremony," Gress said.\nParticipants including Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm and IU President Myles Brand will be robed, and music will be provided by the African American Choral Ensemble. Brauner and Charlie Nelms, vice president for student development and diversity and students in both the Afro-American studies and theatre departments, will speak. \n"A University ceremony is not something students think about often," Gress said. "It will really be an interesting thing to see."\nTwo honorary degrees, the highest awards one may receive from the University, will also be presented at the ceremony to R. Keith Michael, professor Emeritus of theatre and drama, and Herman C. Hudson, Martha C. Kraft professor Emeritus of Afro-American studies.\nBrehm is looking forward to the opening of the center. She said the opportunities the new facilities provide will be beneficial for everyone.\n"It is absolutely consistent with, and a tremendous contribution to, the goal of increasing diversity on this campus," she said. "Having this center will make an enormous impact on that goal…but that does not mean we can be complacent…it is something that we have to keep focused on and keep working on."\nBrehm said her favorite part of the new facility is the dance studio, which is outfitted with light-colored hardwood floors, large mirrored walls and skylights.\nIris Rosa, director of the African American Dance Company, said the new studio is a far cry from the basement facilities the company first used when it was formed in 1974.\n"We are very excited about the space," she said. "We hope that people do notice what we do here and come support our programs."\nBrauner said opening a theater is a unique event for any community.\n"Theaters are not built often," he said. "You have a once in a lifetime opportunity to come celebrate with us an occasion that is going to add richness to our community"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
When Oyibo Afoaku arrived in the U.S. from Nigeria and began her studies at Washington State University, she immediately saw that something was missing from her history classes. She saw that there were gaps in the information and despite the fact that America was a very diverse place, people were not taking time to embrace diversity.\n"The United States is a very international country," she said. \nOne of the ways we could bridge the gap is to bring people together to celebrate their culture."\nThis belief quickly became her philosophy and the tenet around which she builds both her life and career.\nAfoaku, the recently-appointed head of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, was born in Nigeria and grew up with many brothers and sisters. Although by American standards she has only four brothers that were born of her mother and father, she explained that in Nigeria, cousins are also considered to be siblings. \nShe was in elementary school when civil war broke out in Nigeria during the late '60s, but she looks back at the experience positively. She remembers being taught to be prepared for an enemy infiltration.\n"I learned a lot from it," she said. "I can relate to people (who have been in similar situations)…we had to learn how to survive."\nShe left Nigeria in 1986 to join her husband at Washington State University; he had moved there just a year earlier. They started their family just two years later and now have four children 5-13-years- old. \nWhen Afoaku was appointed as assistant director of the Marcus Garvey Cultural Center at the University of Northern Colorado in 1996, she knew she had her work cut out for her. According to the 2000 census, the black population of Weld County Colorado, home to UNC, was a mere 0.3 percent.\nAnn Heiman, currently a member of the Greenley school board and human relations committee for the city, remembers how Afoaku's appointment opened the door for diversity programming between the university and the community. \n"The first thing that struck me about her was that she was very warm and welcoming," Heiman said. "She had so many ideas about the diversity issues."\nWith the help and vision of Afoaku, the University and the city benefited from the creation of the now-annual World Festival that features food vendors, music and dance groups and many others who share their culture.\n"I wanted to bring people together," Afoaku said. "I am a good bridge builder."\nHeiman said the festival has grown since its first public appearance three years ago, adding that the community has benefited greatly from Afoaku's accomplishments. \n"We are sorry that we lost her," she said. "She has a warmth, knowledge and the ability to work with people to expand the understanding of (different) cultures."\nAfoaku's husband, Osito, remembers being attracted to her warmth when he first met her. On a professional level, he said the secret to her success is her hardworking attitude and creativity.\n"She is not an 8-to-5 person," Heiman said. "If she is dedicated to something, she never looks at the clock."\nAfoaku will reach out to as many people as necessary to accomplish her goals, Heiman said. \nIU professor of Afro-American studies, A.B. Assensoh, said Afoaku's own cultural experience is an important part of what makes her the right woman for the job. \n"As an American of continental African descent, Oyibo has a lot to bring to all of us in cultural awareness and as a towering intellectual bridge between Africa and America," he said.\nAfoaku is eager to begin her work as director of the new center and said she is already enjoying Bloomington and IU. \n"People here are very enlightened and open-minded," she said.\nAfoaku's first goal at IU is to plan a celebration in June that will include a unity parade. \nAlthough she had to leave her husband and her two eldest children behind, she is hoping that her husband will be able to secure a teaching position at IU soon so the family can reunite.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
After a year of persistent pursuit, Director of the Black Film Center Archive Audrey McCluskey finally got her man. The esteemed actor, director and writer Melvin Van Peebles agreed to be the first official Artist-in-Residence for the center.\nIn addition to participating in a student workshop, Van Peebles will give a presentation called "Kickin' Science: An Evening with Melvin Van Peebles," 8 p.m. Friday night in Jordan Hall A100. Van Peebles said the title is simply a "slang term" for "talking about life."\n"Mr. Van Peebles has had experience in various aspects of the arts…he is really kind of a multimedia master," said Tyrone Simpson, coordinator of special projects for the film center. "His success is particularly unique because he was able to break into the industry at a time when it was extremely difficult for African Americans to get a foothold."\nIn 1967, when riots were breaking out in Detroit and Cleveland elected their first black mayor, Van Peebles' first feature film, "Story of a Three Day Pass," came out.\nMcCluskey, a fan of all Van Peebles's work, said this movie stands out from the rest.\n"Because it was done back in the late 60s, it was so innovative," she said. "It cast African Americans in a different light than what we had been used to seeing."\nVan Peebles said he hopes to give students an accurate picture of the industry and the necessary skills for making a successful career. He will also help students deal with every screen writer's most difficult task.\n"I am trying to explain how to deal with your muse…and when faced with a blank page how to overcome the blank page and how to get it done," he said.\nVan Peebles is perhaps most well-known for his film "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song," (1971) which is one of the top grossing independent films of all time. "Sweetback" tells the story of a pimp who leaves town after killing two police officers that beat up another black man.\nDespite its controversial X rating, people still came out in droves to see the film. According to www.hollywood.com, this film established Van Peebles as a "folk hero."\n"That (film) changed everything, not just for the black filmmakers," he said. "Sweetback is the father of Shaft and also is the father of the Blair Witch Project."\nA lot has changed in the film industry since "Sweetback" graced screens all over America. Black filmmakers, actors, writers and producers face less opposition than Van Peebles had to deal with during the 60s.\nAnd, according to Van Peebles, there has been a change in audience attitude as well. Although Van Peebles once said the American public needed to watch black films with a "little bit of humility," he now said he thinks they have progressed.\n"Now there is such an awareness of difference of culture," he said. "People now have more of a tendency to understand or to accept the diversity of America"