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(11/26/02 4:11am)
Inhaling and exhaling with their stomachs pulled tightly into their spine, 27 students were hard at work at the SRSC's Monday night Pilates class. Doing a series of exercises founded in the 1920s by Joseph H. Pilates, these IU students have joined this revolutionary workout and realized it is much more than a contemporary trend. \nColleen McMahon, program director for fitness and wellness, coordinates mind-body programs, including Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi and Kung Fu at IU. \n"We just began the Pilates sessions at IU a year ago. All of our instructors are certified to teach Pilates," McMahon said. \nMisty Schneider, Group Exercise Coordinator for Fitness Activities, said Pilates classes have been full this year. \n"Both waitlists were filled and people were waiting outside to sign up at 8 a.m.," she said. \nPilates classes through the SRSC require an additional fee of $25 for seven weeks or $40 for the entire semester. This fee allows students to participate in all mind-body programs. \n"Pilates offers a balance of both back and abdominal strengthening exercises," said Camilla Saulsbury, a Pilates instructor at the SRSC. \nThere are several pilates exercises that lengthen the hamstrings, which aids in releasing the lower back, she said. \n"One of the most basic exercises is to work on the neutral pelvis," Saulsbury said.\nThe neutral pelvis focuses on keeping the natural curves of the spine throughout the exercises. Participants support this placement by keeping their navel to the spine, a phrase you hear throughout all Pilates classes. This means pulling the stomach in and breathing while keeping the stomach flat and letting the ribs rise and fall. Scooping the abdominal muscles deeper to the spine allows for more efficient use of all layers of the muscles and protects the lower back.\nEmily Bogard, IU professor of Structural Anatomy and owner of the pilates studio Pilates Annex, offers a variety of levels of classes Monday through Thursday mornings and evenings. There is also a class offered Saturday morning. \n"Awareness of self-use, inhibition of poor postural habits and strengthening the abdominal and spinal muscles are vital to maintaining a healthy body. Learning to move intelligently is a conscious process facilitated by most mind-body disciplines," Bogard said.\nKnown benefits of this work include a firmer, sleeker body; increased muscle flexibility and joint mobility; improved coordination, posture, balance and alignment; decreased fatigue and pain. \nSenior Courtney Sutter is a student at the Pilates Annex. \n"Pilates helps me feel more balanced. It does so physically, but it also clears my mind when I finish," she said. "When I don't go, my body craves that time. Even doing it on my own time makes me feel revived"
(11/22/02 5:01am)
National statistics were released Monday that ranked IU seventh among research institutions for the number of students going abroad. With spring around the corner, potentially 500 IU students are planning a trip to study abroad. \nIU's Office of Overseas Study helps these students make the transition from studying at IU into studying abroad.\nThe office offers many support services to students studying in another country. According to their Web site, services include "academic advising, pre-departure orientation, peer counseling with students who have studied abroad, group flights, and assistance with visas, housing, health insurance, and registration on your home campus for the semester after your study abroad."\nSenior Sara Egli, studied abroad in Wollongong, Australia last fall. She said she wanted to go abroad since her freshman year at IU, and the Office of Overseas Study was helpful for her throughout the process of planning her time abroad. \n"The student workers were very knowledgeable about the variety of programs and the staff made sure I was prepared both academically and personally," Egli said. "While I was in Australia, I was not left in the dark by the Overseas Office. They were still a large part of my abroad experience. Even when I came back home, they had follow-up meetings, advice about reverse culture shock and provided guidance with course credits." \nThrough IU, students can choose between more than 60 overseas study programs in 15 languages and many fields of study. The most common programs are in Italy and Spain, with England and Australia falling shortly behind. However, all programs are taken advantage of. \nIU has financial aid to help with program costs. \n"Scholarships are available for students from nonresidential campuses, minority students and qualified students on selected programs," according to the Office of Overseas Study.\nKathleen Sideli, associate director of IU's Office of Overseas Study, said the events of Sept. 11 impacted the study abroad program at IU. \n"Our numbers were down 5 percent overall in 2001-2002 since parents got skittish in the spring and summer of 2002 about having their children abroad," she said. "And the trend continued through this fall with a decrease, although we still have 248 students abroad right now."\nStudents can chose to use these services for a full academic year, a semester or a summer abroad. Summer programs can begin as early as freshman year, but full academic-year and semester programs require junior standing. The most common study abroad time is the summer, but spring is nearly equal as a popular time.\nThe Overseas Study Information Center is another source that students can turn to for complete details about IU's study abroad programs. Information includes student evaluations, course descriptions, financial aid resources, videos and photographs of program sites, housing descriptions and contact information of students who have studied abroad. \nJuniors Patti Murphy and Margaret Emerson leave for Florence, Italy in just a few short months. Emerson and Murphy are traveling through other universities on two separate programs. \n"The Overseas Office has helped even though I'm not going directly through them. They helped me pick a program and decide what courses to take," Emerson said.\nMurphy said the office has been an invaluable resource.\n"They definitely made the process easier. With so much information available there, you can turn to them with any type of questions about going abroad"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Gathered in a tight clump in the center of the dance floor, the 25 members of dance company In Motion press their bodies together, forward, around and sharply back to the front again during a rehearsal.\nThis formation is one of many in the company's opening piece, "Music," which they will perform in an upcoming performance at Willkie Auditorium. \nChoreographed by company directors senior Alisha Pedigo and sophomore Alice Cockrum, the piece sets the stage for the 20 dances that follow.\nThe pieces range from hip-hop and jazz to modern and lyrical forms of movement, and have been choreographed by different dancers in the company. Some are solos. Others are duets. Most are group pieces of five or more. All use bodies to create a moment of art. \nThe group began as an independent study and research project by Margaret Larkey, a former graduate student of Associate Professor of Kinesiology Gwen Hamm, and continues in the hands of students. \nHamm, also a professor of dance in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, said the program began several years ago after Larkey's project was accepted by her faculty director.\n"The students perform their own choreography, although in previous years funding had been obtained to bring in guest choreographers," Hamm said.\nAs a student-run, nonprofit organization, financial struggles sometimes trouble the company. But the dancers find a way to make the show possible every year. Sophomore Megan Allen has been a member of In Motion for two years and said company members pay for their own costumes.\nCockrum said In Motion directors apply for funding every year.\n"But we must also raise our own funds by way of voluntary donations and business advertisements in the show program," Cockrum said. "IU has provided us with superior outlets and resources to make all of this happen."\nAllen was on the panel of judges for the 2001 company. The audition for In Motion consisted of a four-hour-long series of short dances and technique exercises, such as pirouettes and leaps. The judges used a set standard of requirements for acceptance into the 2001 In Motion dance company, based on "technique, attitude, style and memorization skills," Allen said.\nThis year, there were about 60 dancers at the audition and 25 were chosen, which Allen said, "creates a mixture of styles that add variety to the company."\nPedigo's involvement with the company began three years ago as a freshman, although she already had 16 years of training under her belt. Her responsibilities include coordinating company meetings, auditions and advertisements; scheduling a place for the performance and dress rehearsal; booking a production crew; organizing practices; fundraising; managing the treasury; communicating with the company's sponsor; and designing programs and costumes. \nPedigo said her two biggest goals as director are keeping the company alive and putting together an annual show. \nCockrum said it takes a significant time commitment for she and Pedigo to keep the company running.\n"Basically, if Alisha and I didn't feel like running In Motion anymore, there would be no one to hold us back from just quitting," Cockrum said. "There is no one looking over our shoulder making sure we are getting the job done. So one must be a very responsible and hard worker to be in charge of a student-run organization." \nIn Motion will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Willkie Auditorium. Admission is free.