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(02/23/12 5:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU faculty has seen it. IU students have seen it. College students are surrounded by the constant pressure to succeed. GPA, job and internship pressure and competition can ultimately drive students to cheat. In 2010-11, there were 366 cases of academic misconduct at IU. Associate Dean of Students and Director Jason Casares said the number is likely to increase this year.Casares said he’s not sure how much higher the amount will grow, but the number of academic misconduct cases is already close to 366 halfway through this semester.In one case that took place in November 2011, IU student Adam Justin was reportedly charged with scheming to defraud, falsifying business records and criminal impersonation for being paid to take the SAT or ACT for current high school students.“It can be anywhere from cheating off an exam, plagiarism, you name it,” Casares said. “It can be all over the place.”This semester at IU, Casares and the Office of Student Ethics and Anti-Harassment Programs are piloting a new initiative to educate students about values and integrity at IU. Students found guilty of academic misconduct will attend an eight-hour seminar to explore their values.Casares said the seminar focuses on students found responsible for cheating for the first time.“Whatever the number is, we’ve recognized that, and our response is let’s not assume students are coming in here with academic knowledge, and we need to educate,” Casares said.As a result of the course, Casares said he hopes students can walk away with an understanding of the academic policy at IU and how to research and cite. He said he hopes students realize how their personal values align with the academic integrity statement of the University. According to the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, disciplinary action is meant to provide fairness and equality for students, while also having concern for students involved. “I have had serious conversations with several students over the years when I was certain they were plagiarizing,” English Professor Linda Charnes said.Charnes said plagiarizing is the most common form of cheating in papers. She said she looks for changes in writing style compared to earlier papers and even passages within the same paper.“This must be handled with care because we do not want to accuse someone unfairly,” Charnes said. “It’s a delicate issue.”Consequences at the college level can include a failing grade, disciplinary probation, suspension or even expulsion, according to the IU academic misconduct procedures. Casares said he doesn’t assume students are coming into college with the academic knowledge. He said instead of being punitive, students could walk away with learning outcomes as a result of attending the seminar.“We hope to decrease the amount of academic integrity cases,” Casares said. “We also hope to reduce the repeat offenders.”Other departments also come across cheating in their classrooms. Mathematics Professor William Wheeler said every syllabus in the department includes a paragraph about cheating and its consequences.“I believe that all mathematics instructors discuss the value we place on academic integrity and the penalties for academic misconduct in class during the first week of the semester,” Wheeler said.Many teachers make their stances on cheating and plagiarism known during the first weeks of class, warning students of the consequences. “I find that when I announce to my classes what the University’s policy on plagiarism is, they usually take that quite seriously,” Charnes said. “Students should realize that it’s usually obvious to professors when they are plagiarizing.”Charnes said when students cheat, it is usually because they’ve waited too long to get started on a paper and they panic. Samantha Weiner, a senior and undergraduate teaching assistant in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, said she has friends who have cheated before.“I think they cheat because there is a lot of pressure on them to do well, whether it’s from their parents, teachers or just the pressure they put on themselves,” Weiner said. As a student, Weiner said she has never cheated, but she said people have switched exam versions or kept a cheat sheet on their laps in lecture halls. “They feel like the chances of getting caught are extremely small,” Weiner said.As a teaching assistant, Weiner said she has never had to deal with a student cheating. She said it is not in her authority to deal with students cheating, but she has passed information along to the professor.“I think that because of Indiana University being a very competitive school, the current situation of the job market for students graduating and just the need to succeed in our generation is why people feel they need to succeed and will go to any measure to do it,” Weiner said. The new academic seminar in values, ethics and academic integrity will begin March 3 and will be fully implemented in the fall. “Pressure can drive people to disregard what is right and wrong, and they just focus on doing whatever they can to succeed, whether that means going against the rules and cheating,” Weiner said. “As they say, desperate times call for desperate measures.”
(11/08/11 4:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Whether studying by daylight, turning off the water while brushing teeth or using a drying rack for laundry, students involved in the Green Dorm Room Certification Program are working to live sustainably. The new program aims to provide students in dorms with a model to live more sustainably. To be certified, students must satisfy 20 actions from the Self Certification Form on the program’s website.Senior Bridget Flynn is the First Year Experience intern for the program. She has been working to develop, market and get people excited about being green on campus.“The reason why students should do it is because sustainability is really important for everybody,” Flynn said. “We’re dependent on the environment.”The actions lie within nine categories: energy, water, transportation, food, resource use and recycling, computing, laundry, involvement and other. Flynn said there are small steps to get students proactive about reducing their ecological footprints. Some criteria include unplugging electronic items not in use, using scrap paper and walking or biking to and from class.Sophomore Hannah Coots, director of environmentalism for Read Center, recently created the Greenest Floor Competition in the center. The winning floor received a pizza party.“I think that this challenge has created so much excitement for green living,” Coots said. Coots said she hopes to see the challenge in other dorms as well. “The certificates that are up on my floor show me that people are proud of what they’ve achieved,” Coots said. “They are happy to show that they are taking care of our planet.”Emilie Rex, assistant director of sustainability for the Office of Sustainability, said Coots has been one of the biggest advocates for the program. “We’re hoping it is educational, but at the same time challenging enough that (students) can change,” Rex said. “We don’t want students to feel like it is insurmountable, but we want it to have meaning.”Rex said students across campus are participating.“We’re really trying to build a community with students who are trying to be green,” Rex said.Students are also encouraged to take sustainability-related classes and get involved in sustainable groups on campus. Coots has met 27 of the criteria and said the certification challenges students to make more environmentally friendly choices. “Taking part in the Green Dorm Room Certification Program, or even the Greenest Floor Competition, makes a bold statement that IU is moving in a more sustainable direction,” Coots said.
(10/12/11 2:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the heart of Rome, senior Kelsey Bidwell spent two weeks uncovering ancient artifacts with the Monte Testaccio archaeological project. Monte Testaccio is one of the world’s largest archives of ancient Roman commerce and is located in one of the most popular areas of the city center, next to the shore of the Tiber River.Bidwell worked with ArchaeoSpain, an educational field school and archaeological organization. “I think it’s really important that people who are interested in archaeology participate in a field school,” Bidwell said. “There are a lot available at IU, even for people who are just curious about archeology.”Bidwell worked six hours on site each day, six days a week, for two weeks. “The team from the University of Barcelona excavates this every year and invites people from ArchaeoSpain to help them,” Bidwell said. “We do the same thing archeologists do, but we’re volunteers.”Bidwell said she was working with artifacts from the third century when she discovered pottery from 200 A.D. Ancient Romans painted many of the pieces with writing, and a high percentage of the writing was in Latin, describing where the product came from with specific dates, she said.“Ninety-nine percent of the pottery on the site is amphorae shards,” said Antoni Pugi, Monte Testaccio’s team leader. “This is because the place was a specific dump for the trade of olive oil, used just for the amphorae from some specific port facilities related with that trade.”Pugi said the writing on the amphorae, a type of ceramic vase, revealed the weight of the container, the oil inside and the name of the trader, altogether giving an archive of economic documents dealing with Roman trade.“It was pretty magical when you put things together and you had every piece in the same place,” Bidwell said. “When you put it together, you’re able to see the shape of the vessel and learn more about it.”Bidwell said she single-handedly put together beautiful pieces of an amphora at the site, which was one of her most memorable experiences.“We can only learn about what (ancient Romans) were importing based on the trash they left behind,” Bidwell said. “This has exposed a lot more about commerce in ancient Rome.”Bidwell said her dream job would be to work in a museum, which is one of the best ways to work with artifacts from ancient Rome. She is currently a double major in Latin and classical civilizations with a minor in archaeology.“As an ArchaeoSpain program member, Kelsey has been involved in all the tasks the rest of the University volunteers are, involving the classification of the pottery, the labeling of the shards and the reconstruction of some of the better preserved pots,” Pugi said. “She has been working alongside the professionals and team volunteers doing and learning how to do exactly the same tasks.”ArchaeoSpain director Mike Elkin said students could only benefit from working with the program.“Students who join ArchaeoSpain programs not only learn about how an archaeological project works, but they are immersed in a new culture and language,” Elkin said. “And for archaeologists, context is everything.”
(10/06/11 3:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The total of first-time graduate enrollment dropped by 1.1 percent nationally, according to a recent report from The Chronicle of Higher Education. However, the number of students in IU’s Graduate Program continues to increase. This year, enrollment of students seeking graduate degrees is up by about 1 percent, Associate Dean for the University Graduate School David Daleke said.“In an economic downturn, applications go up,” he said. “Enrollment is dependent on the ability of a school to fund its grad programs.”Daleke said IU has not experienced the drop in enrollment. IU’s enrollment has actually gone up, and overall, he said the change nationwide was not significant. He said IU has been stable overall and has not experienced any significant changes in comparison to the Chronicle’s research.The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that the first-time graduate enrollment across the nation has increased 3.8 percent on average per year since fall 2000.“As a public university, Indiana University is facing difficult financial times, but graduate programs are still finding ways to support their students in their academic endeavors,” said LaNita Campbell, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Organization.The report was completed by the Council of Graduate Schools and said the decrease between fall 2009 and fall 2010 was the first in first-time graduate enrollment since fall 2003. First-time graduate enrollment decreased in five fields including education, public administration services, business, social and behavioral sciences and a category called “other,” according to the CGS report. “Many of the graduate programs, including master’s, doctoral and professional degree programs, are academically competitive and nationally ranked,” Campbell said. The School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IU is currently ranked as one of the top Masters of Public Affairs programs by the U.S. News and World Report magazine. It is tied for second with the Kennedy School at Harvard University.IU SPEA graduate student Nicholas Belongie said he did not start his college career thinking about attending graduate school, but with the struggling job market, Belongie decided graduate school was what he needed to make him more competitive in the job market. He said Indiana has programs such as SPEA that can compete with the Ivy League.“This is what makes Indiana University a beacon for students who want a first-class education without the price tag of an Ivy League School,” Belongie said. In the article from the Chronicle of Higher Education, Debra Stewart, president of the council, said it’s all about money.Belongie said graduate school can be costly, and that may be why graduate schools have dropped enrollment in the downturn in the economy. He said it is difficult, if not impossible, to pay for at times.“I have had to turn to my family and loans to maximize my opportunities during grad school and lift some of the wight of the financial burden,” Belongie said.The GCS report states that this year’s decline was greater in public institutions than private, not-for-profit institutions. Campbell said the appeal of IU is widespread and the number of graduate students will continue to increase. “Indiana University attempts to make the adjustment from undergraduate to graduate student easier with groups, events and support for their students,” Belongie said. “I believe that it is for this combination of reasons that Indiana University remains attractive to graduate students, compared to other universities.”
(10/03/11 1:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Shark, pirate, Flintstone and Willy Wonka were the themes of boats made of duct tape and cardboard that raced down the length of the IU Outdoor Pool on Friday. “It’s a wonderful way to bring the campus and the community together in an event that really supports health, wellness and coming together,” said Deb Getz, director of the Center for Student Leadership Development.The Council for Advancing Student Leadership’s 11th annual Cardboard Boat Regatta raised money for student scholarships. Each boat held two contestants, each with an oar to paddle through the 50 meters of water.Thirteen-year-old contestants Jocelyn Kuh and Samantha Lu said they would not be happy if they ended up in the water. Fortunately, no one fell in.Kelley School of Business faculty member Steve Kreft and his son Vincent created their boat, The Blue Shark, using cardboard from the bin behind Subway and 12 rolls of duct tape. “We are up for the challenge, and we think we can take home first prize because we’ve been working out,” Kreft said.The boat that actually took first, Wonkatania, was modeled after Willy Wonka’s boat that sailed on the chocolate river. Participants Bailey Catt and Katie Kapelsohn said it took three weeks and too many hours to build. It was their third time racing but their first time winning. CASL is housed within the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation but serves the entire University, Getz said.The HPER interim dean, Mohammed R. Torabi, said students are highly encouraged to be involved.“This event does two things,” Torabi said. “One is building a sense of community for our students and our community, and the second is encouraging healthy physical activity and celebrating public health.”The sidelines were filled with fans, family and friends cheering for each boat. The regatta draws all types of people, including fraternities, IU Clubs, faculty, high school students and college students.“It’s a good cause and a lot of fun,” Kreft said. “Why not, right?”
(09/27/11 2:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The different smells filling the air Saturday shifted from basil to espresso within a couple of feet. From pumpkin and eggplant to coffee and iced tea, the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market sells an abundance of fresh, organic, locally grown produce every week on Morton Street. Vendors can sell their products from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday until November. Customer Sarah Roberts said she has been attending the Bloomington Farmers’ Market for years, traveling from New Jersey just to visit the market. “They have such an incredible variety of produce, and it’s all good,” Roberts said. “They have a market in New Jersey, and I try to go there, but it’s not nearly as nice as this.”Market vendor John McMahan sells spicy and bell peppers, as well as other organically grown produce each week. McMahon said the market is a family tradition.“My dad used to come here to the market, so he got me into it,” McMahan said. “I took over for him, so I do some of my own plus take care of the stuff that he started.”The popularity of the market’s organically grown produce can help discourage other non-organic farmers from polluting the soil and the air with toxins, McMahan said.“I feel much more comfortable eating organic produce than I do something that’s been sprayed,” McMahan said. Bloomington resident Katy Graessle said she came to see what the market had to offer.“I moved here in 2010, so I’ve always wanted to come and just never have, but I’m really impressed with what I see,” she said.Each week, the market provides entertainment including art fairs and music. Gift certificates for the farmers’ market can be purchased at the market, or at the Department of Parks and Recreation main office inside the City Hall-Showers building.“I knew it was large and local,” Graessle said. “This is fantastic.”Busy on Saturdays?There are other ways to experience the flavors found at the Farmer’s Market.The market supplies a number of recipes for customers on the webpage, bloomington.in.gov/farmersmarket, under Flavors of Farmers’ Market Recipes. There is also a Tuesday Market for customers to attend each week through the end of September, from 4p.m. until 7 p.m. at Sixth and Madison streets.
(09/14/11 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Athletics Department has joined forces with the Office of Sustainability to attempt to become the “greenest” Big Ten athletic department in the nation.It’s the Greening Cream and Crimson initiative.During the football tailgate this weekend, the Greening Cream and Crimson volunteers will be in white T-shirts, handing out trash bags and promoting sustainability. The program began in spring 2010 and continues to educate fans about what they can do to help the environment. Senior John Hageman is an Office of Sustainability intern working with IU Athletics, and he said he knows the initiative will be a challenge. “Students are not thinking, ‘Let’s ecycle this beer can,’” Hageman said. “They are thinking, ‘Let’s get wasted,’ and we know it will be a process.”Hageman and other volunteers passed out clear trash bags for recycling and black trash bags for garbage at the tailgate Saturday while telling fans what they can and can’t recycle. Greening Cream and Crimson also encourages alternate forms of transportation for fans by offering a bike valet on the East Concourse near gates E1 and E2. For their first event of the year Saturday, Hageman said the volunteers did well. The fans were encouraged to recycle and then leave their bags in the tailgate fields for the volunteers to pick up. Hageman picked up many full bags in the fields toward the end of the game. “This year we’re really trying to target those tailgate fields because that is where most of the recyclables that aren’t captured are located,” Hageman said.Senior Kara Gentry has attended tailgates and said she has seen the aftermath.“After the game, the tailgate fields are absolutely disgusting, and it is embarrassing,” Gentry said. “If you drive past an hour later, there are mounds of trash everywhere.”Greening Cream and Crimson attempts to educate students to help increase the amount of recycling. Hageman said IU is trying to promote and implement sustainable efforts, and the athletic department needs to lead this goal of being sustainable.Chris Reynolds, senior associate athletics director for regulatory affairs, coordinates the sustainability efforts for the athletics department. Reynolds said the athletics department is a highly visible unit on campus.“This presents a unique opportunity for our sustainability practices to gain recognition, not only within the IU community, but also on a conference and national level,” Reynolds said.Student volunteers are what make this program possible, Reynolds said. That is why Greening Cream and Crimson has created a new student organization this summer for dedicated students to work directly with the athletics department. “Without the support of the students, we’re not able to reach our goals and become the greenest athletics department in the Big Ten,” Hageman said.The student organization is for people who are really looking to get heavily involved on a leadership level, Hageman said. It was launched to directly reach out to the undergraduate base. “I think IU is already pretty environmentally aware, so it makes sense for this to be the next step,” Gentry said.Reynolds said the Athletics Department aims to preserve Bloomington’s habitat. This is done by implementing sustainable practices, but Reynolds said it goes even further than that. “It also strives to help others preserve our environment by providing the information and the tools to equip people to become better stewards of our natural resources,” Reynolds said.Gentry said she thinks recycling at tailgates will be a difficult task for Greening Cream and Crimson, but she said it could really help.“If there was an option to throw a cardboard box of Natty Ice in the recycling, I can’t guarantee students would do it, but it would really help to show that we are making the effort,” Gentry said.Greening Cream and Crimson volunteers will be visible at the tailgate Saturday. There are volunteers in the field as well as inside the stadium during the game to promote recycling. “For the next tailgate, we’d really like to increase student volunteers that come out,” Hageman said.
(09/07/11 2:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Grease from the fryers is used to power a greenhouse in Bloomington. Old
doors from the original building were used to make the bar.For local restaurant FARM Bloomington, being sustainable and supporting Bloomington business has been the goal since the beginning. “We reuse as much as we can, and you will even see the kitchen guys drinking out of mason jars,” General Manager Harry Shafer said.FARM recycles everything from glass to cardboard. Bloomington Pedal Power, a local bicycle delivery service, removes FARM’s recycling in rain or snow to save resources. “We source local foods because it’s environmentally good for several reasons,” Shafer said. “Food doesn’t travel as far, using a lot less resources and reducing the likelihood of hormones.”By using the leftover food tips cut off during preparation, Shafer said FARM delivers a minimum of five tons of compost a year to local community farms to use for their soil.Even the staff is encouraged to be environmentally friendly by biking to work and carpooling. Carly Baynes started working at FARM a year and a half ago. She said she has always liked local produce and been interested in the environment.“FARM raises awareness because a lot of customers don’t come because we’re green, but it opens their eyes to sustainability,” Baynes said.The staff learns about herb gardens, compost and other environmental topics. Baynes said FARM helps support local farmers and other businesses. Chef Daniel Orr is an environmentalist that worked around the world before he opened FARM. Shafer said Orr wanted to showcase Bloomington’s great produce.“We let people know where we get our food, including Bloomingfoods and the farmer’s market,” Shafer said.Whatever is fresh is what will be on the menu at FARM, Shafer said. Diners will currently find many dishes with tomatoes; in the winter there will be more root vegetables, such as pumpkin. Customers Terrie and George Purdy have been coming to FARM for years and said they have always enjoyed the food and the environmental aspect of the business. “We love the whole atmosphere, and there are always different types of foods,” Terrie Purdy said.
(09/06/11 1:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For students in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, campus volunteer groups can be an outlet to gain an edge.“I think we bring a unique perspective to the community,” said Joe Popely, president of SPEA Undergraduate Student Association. He said students join the organizations to create opportunities and contribute something to the broader community.“We’d like to offer people the chance to have fun with education and also further opportunities to advance their careers,” Popely said. “We don’t forget that we’re in Bloomington, and it is a very vibrant community. One of our goals is to absolutely give back.”Volunteers in Sustainability is a group of students working to make IU a sustainable campus through activities including a campus-wide campaign to educate students about energy issues and projects to preserve plant life in Dunn Woods.“We try to connect students to other opportunities not necessarily created by our group by collaborating with others,” Senior Campaign Manager Julia Denison said. Popely said SPEA USA and ViS will add new volunteer opportunities this year.ViS also has ongoing projects that students can be a part of. Denison said a large focus for ViS this fall will be bringing energy sources into discussions on campus.“I think it’s especially critical on a campus of this size to have groups that focus on environmental health,” said sophomore Rachel Geiger, director of events and projects for ViS.Popely said SPEA USA would like to do more with sustainability in Bloomington this year.“The more you do, the more you’ll get back,” Popely said. “The more people that come out and join us, the better it will be.”Geiger said the environmental groups on campus can have a major effect on the environment and Bloomington as a community. “I think it’s important to know that all of the sustainability groups are extremely welcoming, and that there are a lot of different ways to get involved that suit all different personalities and interests,” she said.There will be call-out meetings this week for SPEA USA at 7:30 p.m. today and Wednesday in the SPEA undergraduate lounge.To volunteer with ViS, go to the “get involved” page on its website, indiana.edu/~sustain/VIS.
(11/15/10 5:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The sound of chanting IU Dance Marathon participants filled the gymnasium moments before 8 a.m. Sunday, repeating “F-T-K” — “For The Kids.”Moments later, it was announced that the 20th anniversary of IUDM raised a total of $1,602,713.20 for the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis — the highest amount in the marathon’s history, surpassing last year’s total by more than $80,000.IUDM President Eric Davis spoke to the tired dancers at the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation in the last minutes of the event, acknowledging their dedication.“It’s such a positive weekend,” Davis said. “So much hard work has been put in to this event, and it definitely paid off.” But Davis also stressed that IUDM is a lot more than just the money.“It’s not necessarily about the money raised, it’s about having people that know and support your story,” said Davis, who is also a former Riley patient. Although this is Davis’s last year participating in IUDM as a student, he said he will be back.Dancers for the marathon stood without sleep this weekend in honor of the children at Riley Hospital. Throughout the event, Riley kids and their families told their stories about the hours they were unable to stand.“The most important part is going to the Riley tent and hanging with them,” said sophomore Jessica Sidebottom, a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. “You can tell they enjoy hanging out with older kids.”Nick Murphy, IUDM director of fundraising, said 15 more Riley families than last year were invited and attended the event, which made for slightly more than 50 families in attendance.As a former Riley patient and mother of Riley kids, Heather Dawes said the event gave her peace of mind.“It is incredible, and it is unimaginable how far they will take this,” Dawes said.Dawes said this weekend was her seventh year participating in IUDM and said she is amazed every year by how many people work to help the kids at Riley.“My oldest has Asperger syndrome and pediatric bipolar disorder,” Dawes said. “When we come here, he’s accepted, and the dancers give him undivided attention.”
(10/22/10 3:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Anti-homosexual harassment continues to be a major topic of interest among the IU community following recent teen suicides.Rick Stark, president of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Equality, said he notices the IU community is more understanding than others, but verbal abuse is still the most prevalent form of bullying.“Name calling can be taken very hard,” Stark said. “Especially when you don’t have a good strong support.”Stark said IU has a great nondiscrimination policy and takes issues based on sexual orientation very seriously. However, during the 2008-09 academic year, there were 46 reported case of harassment on campus, according to a report from the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Anti-Harassment Team.“IU students are definitely above average,” Stark said. “But there are a lot of people who don’t even mean well. I’ll be coming back from parties, and I’ll be called fag. I usually laugh it off, but that doesn’t mean everyone does.”He said for him, being gay is part of his identity, and it can hurt when people lash out against it. The more support people have, the less bullying will affect them, Stark said.Sophomore Chris Iacullo said he doesn’t feel he has ever personally been bullied on campus.“I know it’s out there, and it is an issue that needs to be addressed,” Iacullo said. “But as far as personal experience, I’ve been pretty lucky to not experience it first-hand here.”Iacullo said above all, it comes down to ignorance, but IU is open to diversity.“There is a fairly large gay population in Bloomington, and I think IU does a pretty good job at diversifying the campus,” Iacullo said. GLBT Student Support Services Office Director Doug Bauder said he recently noticed a huge response to a YouTube video, “It Gets Better,” posted by Dan Savage. The video shows older gay men speaking to a younger crowd and telling them to have hope. Bauder said he sees IU students responding to this and wanting to make a difference.“There are ways you can take individual action to help people,“ Bauder said. “Think about standing up for your friends when you hear faggot jokes.” He said IU is a pretty accepting campus; however, he said he still recognizes harassment. “I think your generation has gone a long way to make this just a non-issue,” Bauder said. “Having said that, just last year some guy had his door pissed on time and time again in the residence halls, and it was basically harassment because he was gay.”Bauder said he sees harassment from students in several ways. “It’s verbal, it’s everything from writing on dry erase boards to cyber bullying,” he said.Students who are gay face some form of discrimination, Stark said, but having that support makes a difference.“By and large, the students are just really open to other world views,” Stark said. “I get the feeling that people are really open to approach people as people and not just a stack of labels.”
(10/15/10 1:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The game marks the finale of IU Homecoming events. After Big Man On Campus, the parade, the pep rally and Hoosier Hysteria, the football team takes the field. IU coach Bill Lynch said he knows it means a lot to his team, but also to the fans. “Homecoming weekend is big on this college campus,” Lynch said. “I never met anybody that went to IU and didn’t love it, and they love coming back.”Lynch said he knows there will be a lot of former players in the stands watching the game closely, and he reminds the team that there will be past players watching for their old number or their old positions on the field. IU has a large base of alumni, many of whom have fond memories of their days at school, Lynch said. The football team knows they’re representing the traditions of many Hoosiers that came before them. “I think it means a lot,” sophomore defensive tackle Adam Replogle said. “We’re out here trying to represent them and what they’ve done. Hopefully we can do that in a good manner.”Replogle said the players recognize the history that comes along with Homecoming, and it is important to the team to live up to that.“It has that extra motivation because you want to win at home, and it’s your Homecoming,” redshirt junior Brandon McGhee said.The game generally sees great turnout across generations. Lynch said it may be the only weekend some alumni choose to be back on campus. McGhee said the stadium during Homecoming is close to being sold out. “It’s Indiana Hoosier tradition — I love it here,” McGhee said. “Homecoming is always a nice time, nice crowd, and it’s good to see the fansout there.”There isn’t much more pressure, McGhee said, because the team prepares for each game in the same way. But he said it is especially important to the seniors to win at home. There are only so many home games, and Homecoming brings a great atmosphere. The players definitely understand that there is something that rings true with the Homecoming game, Lynch said.“The football game is part of the weekend, and our job is to put on a good show and make them proud of this football team,” he said. “It is always a special day.”If you haven’t been watching...Here are some of 2010’s team leaders:Ben Chappell, No. 4 — This senior quarterback from Bloomington has thrown for 33 touchdowns and 5,432 yards in his career. Just this year, he has 1,476 yards and 12 touchdowns.Darius Willis, No. 28 — This redshirt sophomore running back has a career of 885 rushing yards with 278 already this year. Four touchdowns are already on his stat sheet for the 2010 season.Damarlo Belcher, No. 88 — Junior wide receiver, Belcher, has 389 yards this season with two touchdowns and 35 receptions. In the game against Michigan, he had 91 yards, ten receptions and a touchdown.Ted Bolser, No. 83 — Freshman tight end has four touchdowns already this year along with 10 receptions. He had two touchdowns against Akron.Tyler Replogle, No. 46 — Senior linebacker and defensive captain has 158 career tackles with two interceptions and a forced fumble.
(10/04/10 2:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Teach for America aims to recruit students from all majors, with only 4 percent of teachers having an education major background.Beginning in 1990 as a group of 500 people, Teach for America has grown to 28,000 members today, including recent college graduates of all majors as well as professionals. These members commit to two years of teaching in urban and rural public schools. Teach for America’s mission is to ensure that more students growing up in the lowest income communities are given a better education by removing educational inequality. “Problems going on in the education system are affecting other issues in the economy,” Indianapolis Recruitment Director Lindsey Pittas said. “Students like the idea of changing education while they are impacting bigger issues, such as poverty, homelessness, drugs, violence.” Pittas stressed that Teach for America accepts every major and the program is open to everyone, not just college graduates. IU graduate Federica Lyford-Pike is currently involved with Teach for America, teaching special education for third and fourth graders at Challenge Foundation Academy in Indianapolis. Lyford-Pike said she knows IU has helped her prepare for the opportunity to work with Teach for America.“The leadership experience at IU was wonderful,” Lyford-Pike said. “I was part of the sorority Alpha Phi, and through that I was able to do a lot of leadership through being on the executive board.”Leadership values are highly stressed in the program, and Pittas said she has worked with many IU students in the past.“At a campus like IU, it is great that students are really socially conscious,” Pittas said. “There are some great programs at IU across the board.”Lyford-Pike, who was a special education major in the School of Education, pulls students out during the day who need special attention.“It is an extremely rewarding profession,” Lyford-Pike said. “When you have moments when students finally grasp a concept, it is very worthwhile.”Senior Dustin Andrus, who is majoring in political science, is in the process of applying for the program. He has submitted his application, and he will be doing a phone interview next. He said he knows many people who have been involved in the program, and he expects a challenge.“I like the mission behind it, and I really do believe it has an impact,” Andrus said.Andrus said he has gained a great appreciation for education at IU. Out of all the corps members who have taught throughout the years, Andrus said two-thirds remain in the field of education.“I really encourage a lot of people to consider applying to the program,” Andrus said. “It really turns people into great teachers even though they may have been apprehensive about it.”Teach for America continues to work on changing educational inequality. It believes that the next two decades have the potential to make a dramatic impact.Having had the experience of teaching in the program, Pittas knows the challenges as well as the rewards.“I was incredibly proud of the fact that, sitting here two years out of graduation, I know without a shadow of a doubt that I impacted change and added value to a student’s life,” Pittas said.
(09/29/10 2:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s rugby team took home first in the Big Ten Tournament by defeating Michigan State, Wisconsin and Notre Dame this weekend in Elkhart, Ind. The team outscored the three opponents 61-28. The IU Mudsharks beat Michigan State 15-5, Wisconsin 17-7 and Notre Dame 29-16. “I feel like it was pretty well deserved, and we trained hard in practice,” sophomore Aaron Johnson said. “Everybody is putting time into the program.”Johnson, along with four teammates, had previously won the rugby high school state championship on the same field in Elkhart. Senior All-American and team MVP Kyle Stroman was one of those teammates. Coach Tom Phillips said Stroman led the team this weekend.“While I feel the entire team deserves the MVP as a group, I would award it to Kyle Stroman for making three break away tries to start our scoring in each of our matches and doing a great job of leading the team as our captain all weekend,” Phillips said in an e-mail.While Stroman led the team in scoring with 15 points, junior Joe Young added 12 and junior Evan Kaufman added 10. “We’re not going to slow down,” Kaufman said. “If we keep playing like that, we can beat anyone in the country.”The Mudsharks face Notre Dame at 1 p.m. Saturday in Bloomington. “I’m feeling extremely confident for the Notre Dame game this coming weekend,” Johnson said. “As a whole, our team is more conditioned and stronger than they are.”Phillips said he is proud of his team’s performance.“I was really proud of the way the team played this weekend,” Phillips said. “All weekend the team was focused and played solid tactical rugby.”
(09/22/10 3:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s rugby team finished second in the Midwest East Conference Championships in 2009, and this year the Mudsharks are looking to capture the title through hard work and sweat.“The big thing about this year is that we only graduated three players last year,” head coach Tom Phillips said. “So our starting side, even our top 25 players, have been here for a couple years already, so we can start where we left off.”Starting in 1962, the IU rugby team was one of three teams in the Midwest. Today, as one of the oldest collegiate programs in the region, the team holds a proud tradition of success.“The rugby team is definitely like a family,” president Evan Kaufman said, “It is a great way to meet new people and represent the University at the national stage.”On Thursdays, rookies treat the team to a meal at the food courts, and each Friday before games, the coach makes the team a home cooked meal.“We basically eat together, sleep together, live together and take classes together,” junior Jay Hirsh said.The team practices three days a week, and encourages new players to come play, even without experience. Kaufman said there are currently about 80 men on the roster, but estimates that by the end of the year there will be around 50. For the fans without experience, there is a “Spectator’s guide to the Game” on the team’s website.“Most people have no idea what a rugby game is like, but they’re high contact, high action, high energy and the crowd gets really into it,” Hirsh said.One thing many spectators seem to take notice of is the rugby team’s short shorts.“Once you wear short shorts, you never want to go back,” Kaufman said.Kaufman isn’t the only team member to take to the uniform.“I love them,” Hirsh added. “Once you don’t have that awkward tan line anymore, they don’t look that weird because people get used to them.” While the team does like to joke around, they do have a serious side. This year, they’re looking to win on the national level, and Kaufman knows the team has a serious opportunity to win nationals. Phillips said the game to watch is against Bowling Green State.“We have a lot of experience,” junior Brennan Olvaney said, “We’re expecting a lot from our team this season.”