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(10/30/13 2:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Dusk brushes over the town. Cicadas drone. The two missionaries see her approaching on the Third Street sidewalk. She stands straighter in her sleeveless, thigh-length black dress and looks ahead, careful not to make eye contact. But it’s too late. “Hi, how are you doing today?” Sister Jacqueline Clark says. Clark smiles, stopping the stranger in her tracks. Only about one in four people stop to talk to the missionaries. Clark’s straight, red hair brushes the top of her black plastic nametag that reads “Sister Clark, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints” boldly in white lettering. She wraps one hand around the cloth strap of her black bag. It is full of business cards and pamphlets she uses to help people understand her Mormon beliefs. “Good,” the stranger responds blankly, nervously rubbing the hem of her dress between her fingers.“My name is Sister Clark. What’s your name?” She extends her hand to introduce herself. The stranger stares at it for a moment, hesitating. “Gabby,” she says, shaking Clark’s hand. Clark was relieved by Gabby’s good will. Sometimes people meet the missionaries with malevolence. * * *Clark always wanted to become a missionary. Eight months ago, she dropped her name to become Sister Clark. For 18 months her personal identity doesn’t matter. All that matters is helping people meet Jesus Christ. There are more than 80,000 Mormon missionaries serving at once around the world. There are 16 missionaries in Bloomington. In October 2012, the church lowered the age from 21 to 19 for females to become missionaries, which increased the missionary population by about 46 percent, according to the church’s official website. With the new rules, Clark was able to join the mission at age 20.Ever since she was a child, she watched her three older brothers serve two-year missions in the United Kingdom, Guatemala and Los Angeles. She was jealous of the boys. She wanted the experience of sharing her beliefs and finding people receptive to accepting greater truth. While on the mission, Clark has a schedule set by the missionary handbook. She pulls a pocket-sized, mostly white, yellow-edged book out of her bag, which was created by the church. Inside is detailed information about her duties. It tells her she has to be up by 6:30 a.m. to pray and exercise. From 10 a.m. until 9 p.m., she proselytizes with a one hour break for lunch and another hour for dinner. She is to be in bed by 10:30 p.m. She isn’t allowed to watch television or listen to music. She cannot access the Internet, either, except on Mondays to email home. The church provided her with an LG Sprint phone only to contact people for lessons.She also cannot date or flirt while she is on her mission. She does talk to God about her love life, though. She asks him to help her understand her feelings and to take them away so she can stay focused on her mission. Clark never has to work alone. She and her companion, Sister Rebecca Allen, are together everywhere except in the bathroom. In the Bible, Jesus’ 12 disciples traveled two by two to spread the word of their savior. The missionaries practice the same tradition. Even in her sleep, she is a missionary teaching lessons.“Why does God give us the Ten Commandments?” Clark audibly asked in her sleep one night. “That’s right. He gives us the Commandments because he loves us.” Clark is a student at Brigham Young University in Utah, working toward a degree in international relations and women’s studies. She took time to be a missionary, but will return to complete her degree. She wants to be a lawyer for the United Nations.She now has a longing to find her eternal partner and have a family, too. Clark believes when she dies, she will go to heaven, where she will be reunited with her family. However, if she does not find an eternal companion, she will be alone in the afterlife. “Though I want to do international law and be a lawyer, I know deep down that my first responsibility is to be a mother,” Clark says. “That’s what’s going to matter when I stand before God. It will be like ‘Hey, did you teach your children the Gospel?’ and ‘Yeah I did, and I tried to do the best I could.’ It won’t be like ‘Hey, did you represent the U.S. at the UN in that conference?’ ‘Yes, I did great, and we wrote a great positionpaper.’”* * *“We all make mistakes in our life, and sometimes we feel feelings of guilt and shame,” Clark says to Gabby. “Through repentance and forgiveness of Jesus Christ we can overcome those feelings in our life.” She pauses, staring at Gabby, who is avoiding her gaze. Clark didn’t have a plan for what she’d say to Gabby before she started speaking. She prayed that morning the Holy Ghost would guide her. “I’m actually atheist, so...” Gabby trails off, her voice shaking with nervous laughter.Gabby shifts her weight from one foot to the other, carefully positioning her feet in her wedges like a runner on a starting block. Cars zip past on the street.Gabby has always been an atheist. Her father is Catholic, and Gabby says her mother is “spiritual,” but since Gabby never felt her parents cared, she raised herself as an atheist. * * *Clark thinks it is normal to have times of doubt, but says “doubt is just a lack of information.” When Clark was 11-years-old, her father, Paul, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She was angry with God and didn’t understand why he did that to her family. But at age 15 she “got tired of hitting a wall.” She went to a summer camp at BYU. As she sat in the middle of a large lecture hall, a man sang, “Let him heal your heart.” Tears streamed down her face as she listened, but no one around her seemed to notice.“I felt alone for so long, and in that moment, I knew that even if my father couldn’t be there, I still had my Heavenly Father,” she says. Clark’s mother, Jane, says God told her to go to law school. Her husband had lost his job as a physician, so Jane’s job could provide for the family.Clark says it was encouraging to see her mom go back to school. But Clark still wants a husband who will motivate her to pray and read scripture. “She has always done what God wants her to do,” Jane says. “She’ll pray and do what he wants even if she wants to do something else.”Doing what God asks is easy while she is on the mission. She says she is addicted to the Holy Ghost. It tells her exactly what she needs to do through a thought or feeling.However, she is afraid she won’t pray anymore once she returns home. “Peter denied God three times,” Clark says. “I don’t want that. This Sister Clark is different, and I don’t want to go down the same path and fail.”Clark says she didn’t know the church was true until about six months into her mission. She was reading from the Book of Mormon, a record of prophets in the ancient Americas, and everything clicked.Her plan is to continue on her “path inspired by God.” She says she thinks she can be both an international lawyer for the UN and a mom.But she doesn’t know if she wants to. “Women especially want to do it all,” Jane says. “Whatever she and God wants, she can do it.”* * *“Even though we can’t see God, he is still listening and wants to hear from you,” Clark says to Gabby on Third Street. “Will you say a prayer tonight and just ask God if he’s there?”“Sure.” Gabby shrugs unconvincingly. “I doubt he will answer, but sure.”“I promise you, as you keep your eyes and heart open, God will come to you,” Clark says, cut off by a passing bus screeching its brakes. “I believe that you believe that he’s there,” Gabby shoots back, finally making eye contact with Clark. “Even if God could come down in front of me and prove he is real, I still would not worship him,” Gabby says, raising her eyebrows. “I have some issues with the decisions he makes, if he’s making them.” She is no longer timid, but stands with her shoulders back, staring at Clark. “Well good luck with your prayer tonight. I know he will be happy to hear from you.” Clark sighs, looking at Gabby one more time before turning toward Allen to continue up Third Street. That night, Clark and Allen pray before going to bed. They kneel on the floor and cross their arms. They think about all the people they met. There wasn’t anything they were too concerned about with Gabby, and they know God will continue to work with her. Neither Clark nor Allen prays for her.
(04/29/13 3:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One hundred and sixty-eight members of the greek community volunteered for a total of 504 hours Friday and Saturday at five non-profit organizations for the Greek Weekend of Service.“We are a community and when we come together a little bit turns into a lot,” Interfraternity Council Vice President of Community Programs Jakson Alvarez said. “Being greek is about doing things bigger than yourself.”The IFC, Panhellenic Association, Multi-Cultural Greek Council and National Pan-Hellenic Council were all invited to participate, but only IFC, PHA and MCGC were able to attend.“Unfortunately there is only so much we can do with everyone’s schedule,” Alvarez said.Of the 52 IFC and PHA chapters, 45 volunteered. One MCGC chapter joined them.In addition, 14 members of Sigma Phi Epsilon volunteered 56 hours separately at Habitat for Humanity. Also, Phi Mu went to Lakeview Elementary School. “We had pre-existing plans,” Sig Ep Service and Philanthropy Chair Reece Clark said. “It had been scheduled since January, and we have done one build a semester.”Alvarez said he worked with Hayley Gunter, PHA vice president of community involvement, to make the Greek Weekend of Service happen, and have been planning for months. They decided to lead the project since IFC and PHA have more resources than the other two councils.MCGC Community Service Chair Blair Richards said she contacted all of the MCGC chapters about the event. Only Chi Delta Phi was able to participate. Two of their 15 members went to Habitat for Humanity. “They have fewer volunteers, but percentage-wise it’s about the same,” Alvarez said. “Some chapters had one to three volunteers and some had as many as 10.”Alvarez said he wrote many personalized emails, secured transportation and contacted organizations that needed volunteers. He organized eight two-hour projects at the five organizations.“We contacted several non-profits and eight of them could take large numbers of volunteers,” Alvarez said. They chose to volunteer at five organizations: the Hoosier Hills Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Becky’s Place, Bloomington Parks and Recreation and Crestmont Boys and Girls Club. “We tried to make it very simple and easy for everyone to get involved,” Alvarez said. “People just had to show up and volunteer.” IFC Director of Community Programs John Norton said he went to the Boys and Girls Club and played basketball and soccer and drew on the sidewalks with chalk with the children. After the children left, he said he and the other volunteers helped clean up by mopping and taking decorations off the walls. “I’m not the best with kids,” Norton said. “It really pushed me out of my comfort zone. You could definitely tell that they were thankful to have us.”Alvarez said Becky’s Place reached out to the greek councils to say they needed volunteers. Becky’s Place Program Director Cami Pritchett said about 30 students came and it was wonderful.“It was a large group coming with a purpose to be project minded,” Pritchett said. “They were very helpful. We really appreciated having them there.”IFC Vice President of Communications Sean Jordan said his group did some mulching and created a path around the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Twin Lakes Sports Complex baseball field.“It was a great time,” Jordan said. “It wasn’t too hard, it was a really nice day and a great workout. Everyone could tell they were making a positive difference in the local community.”Jordan said the experience was a chance to meet other greeks in the community. “I want people to realize how important it is to give back and work with people outside of their house,” Norton said. “It is about going outside of your comfort zone.”Richards said since the greek community has such a large role on campus, volunteering together showed they are unified for a cause. “We wanted to give back to the greater community,” Alvarez said. “We want to keep showing the community what we can do.”
(04/26/13 2:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Indiana Evans Scholars are raising money to fight childhood cancer through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation at 3:30 p.m. Friday. Event participants have agreed to shave their heads to raise funds and awareness for the foundation. The Evans Scholars is a group of of 35 men and 17 women who receive full-ride scholarships from the Western Golf Association, treasurer Daniel Westergaard said. They were all golf caddies throughout middle school and high school. The members at IU live in a house on Jordan Avenue. The house’s goal for the St. Baldrick’s event was $5,000,. Westergaard said they set the goal because there are about 50 people living in the house and they decided every person could raise $100.However, they easily surpassed their goal by almost $2,000 thanks to 12-year-old Jeep Mahaffey.He has raised $3,095 and will continue fundraising through Friday’s event.“Fundraising for childhood cancer is something we have been involved in since he was 4,” Megan Mahaffey, Jeep’s mother, said. Megan Mahaffey said a big portion of the money came from family and friends, but Jeep Mahaffey put together video clips to promote himself and to raise money.On Tuesday, Megan Mahaffey said a radio host in Atlanta contributed $400 so that Jeep Mahaffey would reach his goal.“Jeep has been a big advocate,” Megan Mahaffey said.She said they have personally known several people who have suffered from childhood cancer.One day, three years ago, Jeep Mahaffey said he wanted to grow out his hair and donate it. It is now long enough and he is going to donate it at the event and then shave his head.“Shaving your head is a great way to spread awareness about the event, about the cause and its potential for others to get involved in the future,” lead organizer Connor Duffy said. So far 15 people have agreed to shave their heads. Duffy said they are looking to expand the event in the future. Duffy said St. Baldrick’s was big in his hometown. When his brother went to Marquette, he had a roommate who had cancer and benefited from the research through St. Baldrick’s.“He was a great inspiration,” Duffy said.Friday’s fundraiser is the first student affiliated St. Baldrick’s event at IU.“This event is a great way for people to come see the good we are doing,” Duffy said. “It is nice to meet someone who your efforts are helping.”Duffy said they are officially sponsoring a 4-year-old boy from Fishers, Ind. He said there was not a specific reason for picking Gavin, he was just one of the names they could choose from. However, Duffy said they are excited to help him personally with his fight against leukemia.Duffy said they have extended an invitation for Gavin to attend the event on Friday, but he has not heard a response yet. Whether or not Gavin attends, Westergaard said more people will benefit from the event.“We want to create awareness for those suffering from childhood cancer,” Westergaard said. “We want to come together as a community to spark hope in them.”Megan Mahaffey said she is very proud of her son, and is thankful that the Evans Scholars let Jeep Mahaffey be a part of their philanthropy. She said when Jeep Mahaffey came to her and told her he wanted to be involved, all she could do was grin.“As a parent you hope you’re doing the right thing and sharing the value of helping the community,” Megan Mahaffey said.
(04/23/13 2:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s new house on Jordan Avenue is approaching completion. Former chapter president Jarrett Smith said the construction is ahead of schedule and should be completed in July. Associate Executive Director for SAE Financial and Housing Corporation Greg Somers said members will be able to start moving in August 23.Only 68 members will be living in the house. Somers said they wanted a number that was maintainable.“Occupancy reflects the maximum number of rooms that would fit in the space we had available,” Somers said. “It was the most we could afford to build based on construction cost.”The chapter has more than 100 active members. Smith said not everyone who wants to live in the house will be able to.“We figured who could live in the house based on seniority and involvement,” Smith said.Somers said more than half of the bedrooms in the new house are singles because that is where most of the housing trends are moving.Smith also said a lot of work went into getting the new house approved. Alumni donated more than $1 million as of March 31. In addition, the chapter had to prove they could sustain the house, Somers said.“We had to legitimize what we were doing,” Smith said. “We had to go back to the basics and follow our 12 core values.”Smith said alumni asked about their GPA, involvement and leadership. He said this year SAE had the fourth-highest GPA within the Interfraternity Council. “We’re not just here to party and drink,” Smith said. “We are real fraternity men.”The new house is modeled after the Jordan Crest Gables, which was the SAE house at IU until November 1969 when it caught fire, Smith said. Afterward, the chapter moved to someone else’s old house, but the men never had the same connection to it, Somers said. In 2006, the chapter’s second house caught fire and was ultimately demolished.Somers said the new house will have a full fire sprinkler system, fire rated doors and a centrally monitored fire alarm system.SAE Nationals did a survey of alumni from the 50s to 90s of what they wanted the new house to look like. They then hired an architect from Atlanta to draw architectural renderings based on old photos. Somers said when they took the drawings back to the alumni, they loved it.In addition, IU had to sign off on the house appearance, the sight plan and the façade. Smith said the whole campaign is “rising from the ashes,” since both of the chapter’s past two houses had fires. “The phoenix has a lot of symbolism for us,” Smith said. “We are starting new and building something again. Witnessing the house being built has been surreal.” What’s in the new house?26 single rooms18 double rooms2 triple roomsCost: $4.5 million12 TVs as large as one 80-inch11 bathrooms for members4 bathrooms for guestsSource Greg Somers
(04/22/13 2:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>About 35 students took the stage wearing black from head to toe. Suits, skirts and dresses filled the stage of Recital Hall. The co-ed All-Campus Choir preformed its final recital 7 p.m. Sunday.One of the two conductors, Jack Templeton, a masters student in choral conducting, stepped onto a wooden conductor’s box. He gave a quick nod to the choir from his foot-high podium and starting waving his arms over his head, guiding the choir through the notes. “Some people had really good high school music programs,” Reed Spencer, a masters student in choral conducting and conductor of the All-Campus Choir, said. “This is an outlet for them.”The All-Campus Choir is a free, one-credit course offered through the Jacobs School of Music to non-music majors. “Everyone loves it,” Spencer said. “It is non-audition, non-exclusive.”Spencer said although the choir sounds great now, he would love to have 70 students enroll in the course in the future.Spencer said they teach choral skills among other singing techniques. Although previous knowledge is appreciated, it isn’t required. Two songs passed and Templeton stepped off the conductor podium and switched places with Spencer in the choir. “We just share,” Spencer said. “We are both students and we learn from each other, too.”Starting next semester, the class will be offered on Tuesday nights for two hours, instead of twice a week for an hour as it has been in the past.“It is a lot of fun,” junior and soprano Allie Gabbard said. “It is not a lot of commitment. You get to relax, get into it and enjoy yourself.”Gabbard said some people practice outside of class as they feel they need to, but the only rehearsals are during class time. Gabbard is a music minor, but she said most people in the All-Campus Choir are not affiliated with Jacobs.“Most people are interested in music with no connection to the music school,” Gabbard said. The All-Campus Choir sang nine classical songs. Gabbard said her favorite was “Locus iste,” a Latin song that was sung a cappella. It was only one of two songs sung without the piano accompanist, Jaeeun Kim.“It is a good chance to sing again,” Gabbard said. “You get to go sing with people who enjoy singing.”The two conductors stepped forward. They motioned toward the choir, bowed and left the stage.
(04/19/13 3:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Members of the greek community gathered in raincoats outside Alpha Xi Delta on the extension and started walking. They walked to Law Lane and back Thursday carrying a large, white sign that said “Support Boston.” Junior member of Alpha Xi Kelsey Bergren said they wanted to respect and honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing Monday. The bombings, which took place near the marathon’s finish line, killed three people and injured more than 100 more. At least 11 members of the IU and Bloomington communities were in Boston for the marathon. They were confirmed to be safe.“We decided to hold a walk as a way of finishing the marathon for those who could not,” Bergren said.Alpha Xi and Phi Delta Theta worked together to sponsor the walk because they are paired for Little 500 week.“They wanted us to participate and reach out to the greek community in order to make it happen,” Phi Delt President Matt Wilkinson said.However, Alpha Xi Vice President of Programming Sarah Taylor said she didn’t want to stop there, but wanted to reach out to the entire greek community. “Walks are something that physically bring people together,” Bergren said. Bergren said the Little 500 race is a prime example of how much greek life can influence others in the community. She said she wanted to bring passionate people together to show support. “We wanted to do a walk to remind everyone that there is another side of Bloomington,” Taylor said. “It shows the power of the greek community that we can pull people together to impact positively.”Taylor said it is easy for college students to get wrapped up in their own lives, especially during the week of the Little 500. She said people need to take time away from their festivities to remember other people and especially this week’s tragedy in Boston.“There is a huge focus on the Little 5 atmosphere this week, but we need to recognize the greater community,” Bergren said.Bergren said it can be disheartening to see such a staunch reminder of the unfair and irrational actions of some people, but she also wants to witness wonderful people providing support and solace to the victims of this tragedy.“We can take an hour or however long it takes to respect those who were affected,” Wilkinson said.Bergren said she wanted the walk to be a reminder of the good that people can do and the care that they can provide.“Doing this walk really feeds into our values of helping out others in any way we can,” Wilkinson said. “Events can happen, but we have to come together.”For those who could not attend the walk, Bergren said she hoped people would create a banner of support or even just hold a moment of silence at chapter meetings this week.“I was feeling defeated and hopeless reading about the Boston Marathon,” Taylor said. “We want to support not only Boston, but the Bloomington community and show that all compassion outweighs hate.”
(04/17/13 3:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Interfraternity Council is implementing recruitment facilitators, or Bro Gammas, into IFC recruitment this fall. IFC Vice President of Recruitment Tom Ault said they are hoping to have two Bro Gammas from each chapter, each in charge of 15 to 20 potential members.“We want to put them in place to define what a fraternity is to potential members who may not necessarily be knowledgeable of the greek community,” Ault said. IFC Vice President of Communications Sean Jordan said the goal of the Bro Gammas would not be for them to recruit for their chapter but to better align men with chapters that would best suit their needs.“We want to ensure that anyone who wants to be in a fraternity can be and that no one falls through the cracks,” Ault said. Initially, the Bro Gammas will only include resources for freshman recruits, rather than upperclassmen.“We didn’t want to bite off too much in the initial launch,” Ault said. “However, IFC will always be an asset in any way we can.”Ault said he met with the Panhellenic Association to talk about Rho Gammas’ role during the women’s recruitment process.“We are not nearly as established as Rho Gammas,” Jordan said.Jordan said value integration is important to the greek system, and IFC wanted to start at recruitment. “We really want the first face to be positive members upholding the image of the greek system,” Ault said. “So, they can uphold through the next four years.”Other than upholding values, Ault said using Bro Gammas during recruitment can help smaller fraternities get more coverage.“We have a lot of great chapters,” Ault said. “Some of them aren’t as visible because they are small or unhoused. This is a platform for all fraternities to be an equal playing field.”Jordan said he only rushed at chapters he knew.“This is a great tool for chapters to get more exposure,” Jordan said. The applications consist of a 250-word essay and the applicant’s résumé. Ault said they are looking for men with leadership, teamwork and organizational skills.Once the applicants are chosen, Ault said they will meet once before summer break. During that meeting they will set up a calendar for informal training starting during vacation.“I will stay on the IFC board to ensure it happens every year,” Ault said.He said he is excited to get ready for September and build this program to be the middle man between chapters and men.“We’re really excited about it,” Jordan said. “We really think that it will help each of our chapters find members who truly fit our set of values.”
(04/16/13 12:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Varney Venal, 25, graduated from IU with a degree in history in 2011. Now, two years later, he is “mom” to the 60 men that have been his brothers since 2008. He is the house mom of Phi Kappa Sigma — the only male at IU with the title.“I went to one housing director meeting and saw the average age was about 50,” Venal said. “I didn’t go back.”Venal said he found out he got the job to be the house mom on Mother’s Day, and many of the brothers wished him a happy Mother’s Day. Still, most of them just call him Varney.“I still consider myself a brother,” Venal said.Although, Venal’s main job is to take care of the house, Venal does a lot beyond just that, said Phi Kappa Sigma Vice President of Public Relations William Vuylsteke. Venal is growing out and hopes to donate his shoulder-length, black hair. “He always participates in our philanthropies,” Vuylsteke said. “He will sometimes even make an appearance at our socials. People who come here know who he is. He still has a presence on campus. He’s had influence beyond the house mom role.” Vuylsteke said Venal really embodies philanthropy, which inspired him to get involved. Vuylsteke said he joined College Mentors for Kids because of Venal and became more involved in the chapter’s philanthropies, too. “It is really encouraging to know he still does philanthropy even when he doesn’t have to,” Vuylsteke said. “Being active is something I look up to.”Venal said his days are never typical. He works at Kilroy’s Sports Bar checking IDs, sleeps in until about 2 p.m. and does maintenance on the house. He also runs errands and has replaced doors, windows, doorknobs and piping. The old house has given Venal some problems.During the winter the pipes froze and the house did not have warm water or heat for about a week. The chapter had to temporarily live in a hotel.“I try and keep the house from breaking down,” Venal said. The most common problem is having keys made when brothers lose their copy. He said he has to take the whole doorknob in sometimes. However, men occasionally lose their keys and come home late at night and sometimes they decide to kick the door in.“I try to keep costs low,” Venal said. “If it is a communal need or a key made, I try to do it as soon as I can.”Vuylsteke said Venal gets stuff done and can lay down the law. “I am pretty lenient,” Venal said. “I try and keep things under control. I used to be the risk manager for the house, so saying ‘no’ isn’t a big deal.”Venal said he has a healthy relationship with the brothers of Phi Kappa Sigma. He said they have a good system of checks and balances where everyone holds each another accountable.“I think being house mom is easy,” Venal said. “They don’t want to destroy the house. A lot of guys take their own initiative to keep up the house.”Venal said he’s not sure for how long he will be the house mom. He is waiting to hear back from a couple of paramedic or nursing schools and will make a decision from there.“I’d be sad if he was replaced,” Vuylsteke said.
(04/12/13 2:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Two IU alumni, Peter Stevenson and Thomas Miller, are co-directing a behind-the-scenes feature about Little 500 called “One Day in April.” They are following Delta Gamma and Teter for the women and Cutters and Delta Tau Delta for the men.“Choosing the teams was not very scientific,” Miller said. “We chose the returning champions, and you cannot find two more independent teams with Teter and the Cutters.”Stevenson said Cutters and Teter have been powerhouses during the past five years. They also wanted to balance greek and non-greek programs, because they are not alike. “Both contribute in different ways,” Stevenson said. “The stories are different. Greeks have built-in support that independent teams have to create.”Miller said they are using “Breaking Away” as inspiration, but they cannot strive to copy it because the movie won an Oscar. However, they are trying to follow in its footsteps by providing a new perspective on the race and keeping it real.“No one has done a behind-the-scenes of Little Five,” Stevenson said. “People only see race day. They train all year for one day.”IU alumnus Ryan Dorgan photographed the Little 500 race for three consecutive years starting in 2009. In April and May this year, 16 of his photos are on exhibit at the Blueline Gallery downtown. Eight of the photos are of the race, but he said they are not classic shots. Instead, the shots featured are detail shots and others he edited to make them look like they were shot in a studio and not on the track. The other eight photos are “quintessential Bloomington scenes.”The behind-the-scenes documentary that Stevenson and Miller are creating has never been done before.They had to raise funds in order to make their project happen. Stevenson said he was surprised by how much support they received from the Bloomington, IU and Little 500 communities. They raised about $8,400.The money goes toward camera rentals, crew transportation, food and AA batteries. “It is amazing how many AA batteries we go through,” Stevenson said.On race day, they will have 18 different cameras with 20 people. The past three months of coverage have involved just three people following the four teams.“In order to capture the little moments, we need a lot of camera coverage,” Stevenson said.Kevin Depasse, a rider for the Cutters, said it is a little weird to have Stevenson and Miller following the team around.“No one expects a movie to be made about them,” Depasse said. “But it is hard to make a movie about Little Five without the Cutters.”Depasse said although it was weird at first, they warmed up to the cameras. Now the team cracks jokes just as if the directors are part of the group. He said it was easier to include them after the team knew the mission of the documentary.“They’re trying to capture the essence of what it takes to win Little Five versus the general public knowledge of that we just ride bikes,” Depasse said.Miller said the breadth of cycling at IU is huge. It is a year-round activity, and while other people are going to parties, the Little 500 athletes are riding bikes for five hours a day.“We want to show how fully these riders commit themselves to the sport,” Miller said. “They are always putting in miles. They are as committed as any NCAA athlete.” Miller said he was surprised by how open the four teams were to showing them the personal side of the sport. He said they hang out with the teams and attach microphones to them every chance they get. He even went with one rider to her home during Easter to show that part of her life.“We want to show the whole experience,” Miller said. “Not just on the track. It’s off the track that shows the bond and shows them as human. We want as much and in-depth as possible.”Stevenson said “One Day in April” is a great example of the spirit of the Midwest. He said being an athlete is something to which people can aspire.“They have showed us why they spend so much time on something people don’t understand,” Miller said. “When Little Five ends, you go work somewhere. They sacrifice a lot.”He said they started filming in late January and will continue through the race. He said they will use the summer and fall to edit and hope to have a showing on campus in the spring before next year’s race.“We want to take it to film festivals too,” Stevenson said. “We want to take it where a lot of people can see it. They deserve it.”
(04/09/13 4:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>About 100 students gathered at Showalter Fountain on Monday to respond to graffiti, discrimination and violence on campus. The Commission on Multicultural Understanding and incident teams came together to put on the event.“We did an all call for Bloomington to come and show examples of how we are an inclusive community in response to hateful messages,” said Brian Morin, assistant director of First Year Experiences. Two different reports of chalk graffiti started in late February. The first occurrence targeted Phi Gamma Delta with accusations of brothers being HIV positive. The second account was labeled with “#whitegenocide” and was reported as recently as last Thursday. “When stuff like that happens, there is the assumption that a lot of people think that,” Morin said. “We need to counter that and say this in an inclusive community.”Morin said it was also important to address free speech and hate speech. He said they wanted to provide the opportunity to speak their opinions.“Free speech is free speech, but we welcome everyone,” Graduate Assistant for COMU Cameron Vakilian said. “We have a right to speak out against hateful messages.”Morin said his passion for diversity and involvement in planning the event came from a basic love for social justice.“It came from my love for humans where everyone feels loved and their voice has merit,” Morin said. Graduate student Jessica Hill addressed the group and said she thinks it is important we leave space for dialogue.“We need to respect each other enough to listen,” Hill said. “Inclusivity doesn’t mean we all have to agree.”Madinah Luqmaan-Hernandez, teachable moment committee member and member of the COMU executive board, said she reported the second incident when she first saw it.“People have the right to express their opinions, but then I thought about how people who saw this would really feel,” Luqmaan-Hernandez said. “We have a great, diverse group of students.”Luqmaan-Hernandez said she wants to see acceptance and love but also wants to show people they cannot get away with degrading others.“We have way too many people at this event for them to get away with it,” Luqmaan-Hernandez said.After talking about free speech and voicing their opinions, people took pieces of chalk and wrote messages around campus to celebrate love, diversity and social justice. Director of Diversity Education Eric Love said he wanted them to flood the sidewalks with positive ideas. “We want people to be proud of who you are and love yourself,” Love said. “It only becomes an issue when you love yourself so much that you hate other people.”
(04/09/13 12:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sweat dripped off my face. I was cold and wet from the ice that was caked to my hip and leg, but I was still sweating through my T-shirt. “Again,” my coach would say in his thick, Canadian accent. I had to land the axel, the only jump where you take off forward and land backward. I had to do it right. Keep your left shoulder forward, head to the right, don’t force it. Breathe. I soared through the air again, feeling the rotation only long enough to recognize that I was spinning. I became conscious that I was gliding backward. I was on my feet. My gaze shot to my coach as a smile spread across my face. “Do it again,” he said, smirking. When I was four years old, I started figure skating and instantly fell in love with the sport. It felt like flying. I soared across the ice and, eventually, through the air. Whenever I was asked: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I would always reply: “A famous ice skater.”In fifth grade, I auditioned in Colorado Springs at the World Training Facility, home of the Olympic Village. I got a two-year offer to stay and train in Colorado. Just my mother and I went, leaving my older brother and dad in Floyds Knobs, Ind. But after a little more than 12 weeks, we decided it was too hard to have our family so far apart. So, I went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a halfway point between Colorado and Indiana. I knew a coach there who could help me master the axel jump. As I left Colorado, my coach made me promise I would never quit ice skating. “This girl is one in a million, a diamond in the rough. She naturally has what can’t be taught,” she would tell my mom.Every morning before the stoplights in town even came on, my mom and I would get up and head to the rink for four hours of on-ice training. I would skate laps as fast as I could for 20 minutes, my face flushed red-purple. My mom would complain about how I smelled, and we would stuff newspapers into my skates at night to absorb the moisture.Friends were hard to come by because the other skaters my age were also my competitors. Boys were an unnecessary distraction and absolutely not allowed. My mom quickly became parent, teacher, coach, bodyguard, chauffeur, and best friend. I trained in Iowa for almost two years. I did yoga and dance, lifted weights, practiced my jumps on the floor, and did pushups in the handstand position: I worked out for a living. By 13, they said I had the muscle capacity comparable to a college athlete. I was about 5 feet 5 inches tall, 120 pounds, and had to eat 4,000 calories every day just to maintain weight. Every morning after my early practices, I would go to Burger King and get two or three egg and cheese croissants and wash them down with a pack of mini cinnamon rolls. I enjoyed every bite, never thinking once about my weight — I didn’t have to. I was supposed to stay at 11 percent body fat to be a healthy female, but I was usually around 7 percent. My body was ripped, but I never saw myself as rocking-gorgeous. It was simply how far I had to push my body in order to see myself on the podium at the Olympics. And I did everything in my power to make sure I made it. But I didn’t make it. I seriously hurt myself the week before regionals. It was gradual, and I was taught to ignore pain, so no one really knew the extent of the injury. My coaches were adamant that I push through the pain and skate in the competition. I could take cortisone shots and take a couple months off afterwards. But I knew I was hurt and so did my mom. I told her to take me home to Indiana. I went to a doctor in Louisville, Ky. He grabbed my ankles, the area of pain, and squeezed.“Does that hurt?” he asked as I flinched. Of course it hurt — he squeezed where I said I had pain. After an x-ray, he told me that I had severe lacerations to my Achilles tendons and tendonitis. He said I was lucky that I stopped when I did, or the tendons would have probably torn, and I would’ve had to have surgery. It would take at least a year to fully heal. He would not let me go back to the ice or do anything other than routine walking until I stopped feeling pain where he squeezed. A year passed, and I tried to return to the ice. It became obvious that I was behind. My coaches had tried to time my performance so I would peak for the Olympics, but I fell short.Every athlete’s worst nightmare is that they could get hurt. But I never thought about it until it happened. I am who I am because I tried to figure skate in the Olympics when so many people told me I would never make it. I don’t regret one bit of my experience — if I had to do it again, I would, endless workouts, early mornings at the rink, and all.
(04/08/13 11:33pm)
Three minivans and 320,000 miles later, Steve and Lori Zeller are climbing into their SUV to make the four-hour drive to Dayton, Ohio for their son Cody’s first and second round games of the NCAA tournament.
But this four-hour drive is small change compared to the five hour commutes to Notre Dame University to watch their oldest, Luke, or the 11-hour treks to the University of North Carolina to see their middle son, Tyler, play.
After watching their sons in hundreds, if not thousands of games, Lorri and Steve have gotten their nerves under control — for the most part. Games in the tournament are different. “Other games are sometimes just a loss on your schedule, but this time you lose and you go home, so it is a little bit more nerve wracking.”
Lorri says like any good parents, they’re happy to support their kids.
“We didn’t spend a lot of time yelling or screaming at games or spending a lot of time criticizing the boys after games,” Steve says. “What we did was we supported them before the game. We prepared them for the game.”
(04/08/13 6:57pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore Virginia Ferguson’s seven-month baby bump stretches beneath her tight, Pepto pink shirt. Ferguson, 28, says baby Melodie Faith is due April 27, the Saturday before final exams. She has two finals scheduled for Monday, but the baby could come any time in April. “I am hoping she comes a week late,” Ferguson says. Last summer, Ferguson began to feel nauseous. She had a lot of cravings. She knew she was pregnant before the test. But she didn’t want to believe it. She went to Target to buy a pregnancy test alone. “I was just hoping I didn’t run into anyone I knew,” she says. The test came back positive. She still didn’t want to believe it. So she went to the doctor just to make sure. Scared. Nervous. Ferguson didn’t want to face other people’s reactions, including the baby’s father — her fiance at the time. His initial reaction was that he hoped it was a boy.The first month was the hardest. She says she didn’t get too emotional until the end of last semester. There was a lot of fear about what she was going to do with the baby while still in school. “The hardest thing is that it has been an emotional roller coaster,” Ferguson says. “I am not used to dealing with emotions, but I go from peaceful to angry in a second. I’m not used to getting angry.” Ferguson plans to stay home with her baby this summer and return to IU as a part-time student in the fall.“I will be more nervous in April, but school keeps me too busy to think about it,” she says.For now, she is struggling to stay ahead in all of her classes. Despite everything, though, she can’t wait for Melodie’s arrival. “I want her in my arms now,” Ferguson says.
(04/08/13 2:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Colleges Against Cancer had its 10th annual 24-hour Relay for Life with 36 teams and 277 participants. The organization’s goal was to raise $35,000 after raising $18,000 last year. It ended up raising $28,500 as of the event and is still accepting donations online.“All of the money goes straight to the American Cancer Society,” said Kelly Glass, president of IU Colleges Against Cancer committee. “We hope people become more aware about the fight against cancer.”Sophomore Sarah Janssen raised $1,600 herself. She said her older brother had cancer twice, but he has been in remission for two years now.“I knew there was a cancer society from general knowledge, I guess,” Janssen said. “But when my brother had cancer, that’s when I got really involved.”She said she sent about five emails to family friends. One email was to one of her high school teachers, who then forwarded it around town to other teachers. Pretty soon, she had a very large donation.“This is a great cause to get involved in and a way to give back,” Janssen said. “Most people have been touched by cancer.” Glass said people could do their own fundraisers such as bake sales. They could sell items on-site at the indoor track or they could come up with a new way to raise funds.Phi Mu Philanthropy Chair Krista Zotos put a team of 48 sisters together to raise about $3,000 for the event. They used it as a bonding experience for their chapter.“We have been doing it for about four years,” Zotos said. “It started when a sister’s mom was diagnosed. We are excited to help.”Zotos said several of the new members raised about $300 each when they went door to door on their dorm floors asking for spare change.Glass said even though the walk is 24 hours, people could come and go as they wanted. Janssen said she didn’t stay the whole time, and Zotos said not all of the women stayed either, but she did.“We wanted people to enjoy it,” Zotos said. “We aimed for people to stay for 12 hours.”Zotos said the American Cancer Society is an important cause because anyone can be diagnosed, so it is essential to find funding and do research. “We don’t have a cure, and every little bit helps,” Zotos said. “Everyone knows someone who has or has had cancer. It is good to take a step back and to see how lucky we are.”Zotos said she hopes other chapters will join the Relay for Life and be involved in the future. She said that because she is the philanthropy chair, she can recruit more chapters for the cause.“We want more people to participate and raise awareness,” Zotos said. “I hope it continues to grow.”
(04/07/13 7:05pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Colleges Against Cancer had its 10th annual 24-hour Relay for Life with 36 teams and 277 participants. The organization’s goal was to raise $35,000 after raising $18,000 last year. It ended up raising $26,000.“All of the money goes straight to the American Cancer Society,” said Kelly Glass, president of IU Colleges Against Cancer committee. “We hope people become more aware about the fight against cancer.”Sophomore Sarah Janssen raised $1,600 as a single participant. She said her older brother had cancer twice, but he has been in remission for two years now.“I knew there was a cancer society from general knowledge, I guess,” Janssen said. “But when my brother had cancer, that’s when I got really involved.”She said she sent about five emails to family friends. One email was to one of her high school teachers, who then forwarded it around town to other teachers. Pretty soon, she had a very large donation.“This is a great cause to get involved in and a way to give back,” Janssen said. “Most people have been touched by cancer.” Glass said people could choose to raise money in a variety of different ways. She said people could do their own fundraisers such as bake sales.They could sell items on-site at the indoor track or they could come up with a new way to raise funds.Phi Mu Philanthropy Chair Krista Zotos put a team of 48 sisters together to raise $2,400 for the event. She said her team had eight team leaders and 40 new initiates. They used it as a bonding experience for their chapter.“We have been doing it for about four years,” Zotos said. “It started when a sister’s mom was diagnosed. We are excited to help.”Zotos said several of the new members raised about $300 each when they went door to door on their dorm floors asking for spare change.Glass said even though the walk is 24 hours, people could come and go as they wanted. Janssen said she didn’t stay the whole time, and Zotos said not all of the women stayed either, but she did.“We wanted people to enjoy it,” Zotos said. “We aimed for people to stay for 12 hours.”Zotos said the American Cancer Society is one of the most important causes because anyone can be diagnosed, so it is essential to find funding and do research. “We don’t have a cure, and every little bit helps,” Zotos said. “Everyone knows someone who has or has had cancer. It is good to take a step back and to see how lucky we are.”Zotos said she hopes other chapters will join the Relay for Life and be involved in the future. She said that because she is the philanthropy chair, she has more connections with other chapters and thinks she can recruit more chapters for the cause.“We want more people to participate and raise awareness,” Zotos said. “I hope it continues to grow.”
(03/27/13 4:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The orchestra section of the IU Auditorium floods with people as 18 women take the stage in cocktail dresses. Screams erupt throughout the auditorium as chapters cheer their sisters on. Each participant introduces themselves and their philanthropy.The competition was off. Delta Chi sponsored their second annual Miss Greek IU Tuesday night. The pageant doubles as their philanthropy. Their goal this year was to raise $15,000 after they raised $12,500 last year. All of the money goes to the V Foundation for cancer research. This year they raised $22,500 for the foundation. The national office for Delta Chi picked the V Foundation as the fraternity’s charity. “We attempted to do other philanthropies,” Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator Geoffrey Kerbis said. “But one year we lost money and nationals had to pay us back.”Kerbis said they wanted to create a fun event that people would be interested in. Although there are several categories the women are judged on from ball gown to interviews, it is more than a pageant, Kerbis said.“It is their philanthropy, not just a bunch of girls parading around,” said Terrin Thomas, Miss Greek IU 2012.Founding Coordinator Jackson Alvarez said Delta Chi was trying to connect the IU community by inviting the breakdance club along with other student organizations to participate while the girls changed during the event. Alvarez said they also wanted to include everyone greek. “It was open to all councils,” Alvarez said. “It helps with unifying the greek community.”Anyone who wanted to apply to be in the contest could. Kerbis said potential applicants just had to fill out an application. The first 18 chapters who submitted applications secured a spot. “Some chapters had multiple girls apply,” Kerbis said. “We chose the best representative for the house.”Thomas was crowned Miss Greek IU 2012 and Miss IU 2013. “It was really cool to be the first one,” Thomas said.Thomas said she remembers Alpha Chi Omega sisters showing up to support her.“I didn’t even know all of them since I was a freshman,” Thomas said. “It was awesome to see everyone turn out.”As Miss Greek IU, she had the opportunity to go to most of the greek philanthropies to represent her title. Thomas said it was Delta Chi’s way of showing support for each greek house.“It was neat to show unifying support at all of the philanthropies,” Thomas said. “There is a stereotype that we are all always competing.” The women started with an interview Sunday. Tuesday night they wore outfits that best represented their philanthropy from Theta Phi Alpha’s dress made out of a Twister mat to Delta Zeta’s turtle head costume to Alpha Omicron Pi’s hotdog and baseball glove attire. “It is so rewarding to do so much good with so much passion,” Thomas said.The woman who raised the most received a 15 out of 15 in that category, which was Chelsea Chaffee of Theta Phi Alpha. Five girls remained. They each got to pick one question out of a fishbowl. The five judges then chose the runner up and winner. After the final round of question and answer, Chaffee was named Miss Greek IU. “It is truly rewarding to see so many people working together,” Alvarez said. “This is greater than Delta Chi. It is building a community.”
(03/26/13 3:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Timmy Global Health IU Chapter returned late Tuesday from Guatemala, where 17 students went for spring break. While they were there, they set up medical clinics to treat people and distribute medicine and vitamins. IU Timmy President David Plankenhorn said the clinics were make-shift, usually a house that was separated into different rooms or just a single room divided by hanging sheets. “Just because someone was born in a poor village doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get health care,” junior Amy Bercovitz said.A doctor in Indianapolis who wanted to fight global health disparities started Timmy Global Health 16 years ago. Eleven years ago, IU Timmy was created. There are 35 Timmy chapters, eight in Indiana with the headquarters in Indianapolis. Most members of IU Timmy are pre-med majors. However, Plankenhorn said the group is not exclusive to this demographic. He said IU Timmy has about 300 members on their email list and 120 active members. However, only 17 members were allowed to travel to Guatemala with the chapter.“There were about 50 people interested, 25 applied and 17 went,” Plankenhorn said. “The board met for five hours to review the applications and decide who went.”None of the money raised went to pay for student subsidies. All of the donations to Timmy go to global health care. There are no administrative costs for the chapter. “It is one of the few organizations where 100 percent goes to the organization,” Plankenhorn said. IU Timmy does about seven big fundraisers every year, but members will even rake people’s lawns for a few extra bucks for the organization, Plankenhorn said.Not only did money have to be raised before traveling to Guatemala, but students also had to “raise vitamins” and recruit medical professionals.“We communicated with Kroger and others to ask people to buy vitamins and then donate them to us,” Plankenhorn said.IU Timmy sends students to Guatemala every year. Timmy Global Health sends students every two to three months, Plankenhorn said. There is a full-time partner association called Pop-Wuj who does health care there year-round.Students saw about 100 patients at each site and about 500 all week.“Most of them have never seen a doctor before,” Plankenhorn said.Sophomore Olivia Sanchez-Elix said she worked as a translator in Guatamala and got to shadow the doctors. She said it was exciting to see the impact Timmy is having.“We are empowering people to take their own health and global health into their own hands,” Sanchez-Elix said.Sophomore CJ Skok said the organization has an impact both locally and internationally.“We are all concerned about one thing, to help one another,” Sanchez-Elix said.Skok said after going to Guatemala, he learned about not taking the small things for granted and to enjoy life. “Sometimes we get too caught up in tests and exams here, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter,” Skok said.Bercovitz said she has been to Guatemala twice and as a future medical professional, it is important to build on that passion. “Everyone is so similar and kids are exactly the same,” Bercovitz said. “Everyone deserves an equal chance at life.”
(03/25/13 2:59pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Timmy Global Health IU Chapter returned late Tuesday night from Guatemala, where 17 students traveled for spring break. While they were there, they set up medical clinics to treat people and distribute medicine and vitamins. IU Timmy President David Plankenhorn said the clinics were make-shift, usually a house that was separated into different rooms or just a single room divided by hanging sheets. “Just because someone was born in a poor village doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get health care,” junior Amy Bercovitz said.A doctor in Indianapolis who wanted to fight global health disparities started Timmy Global Health 16 years ago. Eleven years ago, IU Timmy was created. There are 35 Timmy chapters, eight in Indiana with the headquarters in Indianapolis. Most members of IU Timmy are pre-med majors. However, Plankenhorn said the group is not exclusive to this demographic. He said IU Timmy has about 300 members on their list serve and 120 active members. However, only 17 members were allowed to travel to Guatemala with the chapter.“There were about 50 people interested, 25 applied and 17 went,” Plankenhorn said. “The board met for five hours to review the applications and decide who went.”None of the money the chapter raised went to pay for student subsidies. In fact, all of the donations to Timmy go to global health care. There are no administrative costs for the chapter. “It is one of the few organizations where 100 percent goes to the organization,” Plankenhorn said. IU Timmy does about seven big fundraisers every year, but members will even rake people’s lawns for a few extra bucks for the organization, Plankenhorn said.Not only did money have to be raised before traveling to Guatemala, but students also had to “raise vitamins” and recruit medical professionals.“We communicated with Kroger and others to ask people to buy vitamins and then donate them to us,” Plankenhorn said.IU Timmy send students to Guatemala every year. Timmy Global Health sends students every two to three months, Plankenhorn said. There is a full time partner association called Pop-Wuj who does health care there year round.Students saw about 100 patients at each sight and about 500 all week.“Most of them have never seen a doctor before,” Plankenhorn said.Sophomore Olivia Sanchez-Elix said she worked as a translator in Guatamala and got to shadow the doctors. She said it was exciting to see the impact Timmy is having.“We are empowering people to take their own health and global health into their own hands,” Sanchez-Elix said.Sophomore CJ Skok said the organization has an impact both locally and internationally.“We are all concerned about one thing, to help one another,” Sanchez-Elix said.Skok said after going to Guatemala he learned about not taking the small things for granted and to enjoy life. “Sometimes we get too caught up in tests and exams here, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter,” Skok said.Bercovitz said she has been to Guatemala twice and as a future medical professional, it is important to build on that passion. “Everyone is so similar and kids are exactly the same,” Bercovitz said. “Everyone deserves an equal chance at life.”
(03/19/13 1:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>U.S. News and World Report released their annual Best Graduate School rankings and gave high marks to IU programs in education, business, law and medicine. James Wimbush, dean of the University Graduate School, said the ranking was very exciting. He said they have a high-quality program that provides great training.“This gives us a sense for what we need to do to improve,” Wimbush said. “It also confirms what we already know.”Wimbush said they look at time to degree and completion rates, both of which are above the national average. He said the national average for Ph.D. programs is 10.1 years, but at IU it is 6.87 years.“Being below the national average gives us an edge,” Wimbush said. The U.S. News and World Report ranks more than 1,200 academic programs, including those at IU, although not all programs are ranked each year, said David Daleke, associate dean for academic affairs and administration. Rankings for schools of business, law, medicine and engineering are released each year, while other programs are typically ranked every four years. In addition, the report does not measure the approaches schools are taking in their graduate program offerings. Rather, the metrics used include program reputation, admissions selectivity, research funding, productivity and graduate placement. The surveys are typically completed by peer administrators and faculty, Daleke said. “Our programs are consistently ranked highly,” Wimbush said. “It is because of the quality of our students and our faculty. We have some of the most outstanding faculty in the world in terms of research.”Wimbush said the rankings show potential faculty a place they can work where they feel they can make a difference. It also helps prospective students choose a competitive graduate program where they can excel in research and creative works. Daleke said approximately 20,000 graduate students are enrolled at IU in more than 200 professional and non-professional programs. 9,762 of those students are enrolled in programs on the Bloomington campus, and of this number, approximately 4,000 students are enrolled in degree programs that are conferred by the University Graduate School.“The University Graduate School will continue to work with academic schools to strive for excellence in research and graduate education,” Daleke said. “We will do that through ongoing efforts in improving graduate student funding and time to degree.”
(03/07/13 1:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>To promote philanthropy in the greek community, the Interfraternity Council will offer scholarships to budding philanthropies starting this semester. At this stage, one scholarship will be awarded for a maximum of $1,000.However, the IFC is still working on the details. “We want to promote smaller fraternities and philanthropies by awarding new ideas and budding philanthropies,” said Sean Jordan, IFC vice president of communications.Jackson Alvarez, IFC vice president of community programs, said there are 31 chapters at IU but only about 10 have annual philanthropies. Alvarez said many chapters struggled with covering the cost of philanthropy because they can be expensive. He said awarding the scholarship would help chapters raise money for their causes. “We want to alleviate concern of fraternities losing money when they start their philanthropy,” IFC President Michael Pagrabs said.Every chapter interested in the scholarship must fill out an application. Depending on how many applications they receive, they may decide to award more than one scholarship, Alvarez said. That will be decided by the IFC executive council. “We are looking for an event that can be sustainable and can then become an annual event,” Alvarez said.IFC is also looking for new philanthropies that involve other greek or student organizations. Alvarez said he is working with the Panhellenic Association for a different collaboration scholarship. He said it would go to an event involving two or more chapters from any of the four councils. The four councils include IFC, PHA, Panhellenic Council and Multi-Cultural Greek Council. However, the collaboration would have to be between different councils.Alvarez said IFC and PHA would split the cost between their two councils but would support all four councils. However, nothing has been officially decided yet between IFC and PHA. Alvarez said it is in the very beginning stages. “We want to promote communication and collaboration,” Alvarez said. Alvarez said he also wanted to organize a large philanthropy round table where all of the philanthropy chairs from all four councils could come together and serve as a resource and provide support for one another.He said he is looking at working with Unify, a new student group, to fill in the gaps. Unify seeks to promote community service within the greek community, but the group hopes to grow to involve non-greeks in the future. “We are a community within a community,” Alvarez said. “We’re not exclusive, and we also want to work with the greater community, Bloomington and IU. We want to create a true community.”