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(06/05/13 7:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s no secret that students can be strapped for cash.Eating Ramen every night may be acceptable now, but that cheap diet probably won’t hold up post-graduation.The long-term financial future might seem too foreign and far-off to plan, but Director of Student Financial Literacy Phil Schuman is here to help with the five most important concepts students need to know. 1. Budgeting and savingOnly spend money on what you need now. Schuman recommends budgeting your income by spending 60 percent on essentials, 20 percent on wants, and saving the remaining 20 percent.“That way, you know exactly where you stand, and you can live how you’d like to live,” he said.2. The difference between needs and wants“We don’t need the most expensive cable package, if we need one at all,” Schuman said.You have to establish guidelines. To prevent impulse purchases, Schuman suggests “going naked” when you shop — don’t take your wallet or purse. If you see something you like, think about it for a week. If you still want it after that, try to work it into your budget.3. Credit scoresStudents often shy away from getting credit cards, but they aren’t something to fear.Imagine they’re another form of a debit card that needs to be paid off immediately. As long as you do that, you’ll be able to build credit.Credit is important for car loans, mortgages and employers, who will sometimes check to make sure you are financially responsible.4. Student loansBefore making any big purchases after college, make sure you have enough money to pay off your student loans, Schuman said.Student loans are not evil. You just have to make sure you can budget for the expense.5. Big purchasesOnce you’re ready to buy that new house or car, it’s time to research loans and interest rates.Talk to someone who has been through the process before you agree to anything. They will be able to objectively sift through the information and make sure you aren’t missing something.“Just because the bank says you can doesn’t mean that you should,” Schuman said.Need more help?Visit affordability.indiana.edu to learn more about IU’s student financial literacy initiative. SOURCE: Inside magazine, “The Future Issue” Fall 2012
(04/08/13 7:48pm)
There are sprays and deodorants to get rid of it. People keep their arms down to hide it. Some even get Botox to stop it. But Joel Stager, professor in kinesiology and director of the Counsilman Center for Science of Swimming, says sweat is actually a healthy response that we shouldn’t try to avoid.
(02/19/13 12:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>We encounter millions of sensory cues every second of every day, from the itchy sweater tickling our arm to the almost inaudible hum of the refrigerator in our apartment. Most of these sensations go unnoticed, but how is it that you immediately think of high school prom when you hear the song “I Gotta Feeling”? There’s no specific place where individual memories are stored, Ben Motz, senior lecturer in the department of psychological and brain sciences, says. “Memories are changes in the connections between neurons distributed all around your brain,” he says. “Memories are associations between all the sensations you experience.” So when you smell the scent of your roommate’s perfume several times, that scent becomes associated with your memories of her. Even when your roommate isn’t around, a whiff of that flowery smell will trigger you to think of her. “The important thing is that memory isn’t disembodied or abstract,” Motz says. “It is very much tied to the direct perceptual experience that you had when you formed that memory to begin with.” David Pisoni, distinguished professor in the department of psychological and brain sciences, says this is the best way to encode information. For this reason, where you study for an exam can affect how well you remember the information come test time.“You will remember more when the study environment matches the class environment,” Pisoni says. “So the best place and time to study is at the same place and time as the exam. This is because of encoding specificity.” When you’re studying for an exam, your memory takes in the class material as well as sensory cues — like the amount of florescent light or the feeling of the plush chair beneath you. If these context cues match the sensations you perceive while taking the exam, you’ll be able to better remember that terrible calculus equation or the timeline of Greek philosophy.
(02/18/13 8:00pm)
Remember that spark you feel when you graze your crush’s arm? Well, your iPhone gets that same feeling. But how does a small screen made of glass react with your fingertip to type and swipe on the screen? In short, it’s electric. We talked to the experts at Bloomington’s Mac Experience store for the digital 411.
(02/18/13 7:56pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>We’ve focused on the five “traditional” senses in this issue, but there are five more that are often overlooked.Balance and accelerationOtherwise known as the vestibular sense, this allows the body to perceive movement and direction without toppling over. The vestibular sense is housed in your inner ears, which is why if you have fluid in your ears you might sometimes feel off-kilter.TemperatureThe skin’s perception of heat and cold is known as thermoception. Some animals, like venomous snakes, have particularly specialized receptors that can detect infrared radiation.Kinesthetic senseWhen the brain receives information on positions of the limbs. This is why you can close your eyes and still touch your nose with your fingertip. PainThe body perceives pain as a result of nerve damage or damage to the tissues. TimeChronoception is how the passage of time is perceived and experienced. This sense keeps your body on a clock, controlling the circadian, or daily, rhythms.
(01/23/13 6:56pm)
Who hasn't fallen victim to the intoxicating cuteness of the viral kitty at some point?We wrangled up some of the top cat videos based on number of YouTube views and their backstories.
(11/27/12 5:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s no secret that students are cash-strapped. Eating Ramen every night may be acceptable now, but that cheap diet probably won’t hold up post-graduation. The long-term financial future might seem too foreign and far off to plan, but Director of Student Financial Literacy Phil Schuman is here to help. He broke down the five most important concepts students need to know. 1. Budgeting and savingOnly spend money on what you need now. Schuman recommends budgeting your income by spending 60 percent on essentials, 20 percent on wants, and saving the remaining 20 percent. “That way, you know exactly where you stand, and you can live how you’d like to live,” he says. 2. The difference between needs and wants “We don’t need the most expensive cable package, if we need one at all,” Schuman says. You have to establish guidelines. To prevent impulse purchases, Schuman suggests “going naked” when you shop — don’t take your wallet or purse. If you see something you like, think about it for a week. If you still want it after that, try to work it into your budget. 3. Credit scoresStudents often shy away from getting credit cards, but they aren’t something to fear. Imagine they’re another form of a debit card that needs to be paid off immediately. As long as you do that, you’ll be able to build credit. Credit is important for car loans, mortgages, and employers, who will sometimes check to make sure you are financially responsible. 4. Student loansBefore making any big purchases after college, make sure you have enough money to payoff your student loans, Schuman says. Student loans are not evil. You just have to make sure you can budget for the expense. 5. Big purchases Once you’re ready to buy that new house or car, it’s time to research loans and interest rates. Talk to someone who has been through the process before you agree to anything. They will be able to objectively sift through the information and make sure you aren’t missing something."Just because the bank says you can, doesn’t mean that you should,” Schuman says. Need more help?IU’s Office of Student Financial Literacy is a resource for students looking to learn more about budgeting, saving, and taxes, among other topics. They will offer workshops on campus this school year and are launching their website through IU’s student financial literacy initiative.
(11/27/12 5:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s no secret that students are cash-strapped. Eating Ramen every night may be acceptable now, but that cheap diet probably won’t hold up post-graduation. The long-term financial future might seem too foreign and far off to plan, but Director of Student Financial Literacy Phil Schuman is here to help. He broke down the five most important concepts students need to know. 1. Budgeting and savingOnly spend money on what you need now. Schuman recommends budgeting your income by spending 60 percent on essentials, 20 percent on wants, and saving the remaining 20 percent. “That way, you know exactly where you stand, and you can live how you’d like to live,” he says. 2. The difference between needs and wants “We don’t need the most expensive cable package, if we need one at all,” Schuman says. You have to establish guidelines. To prevent impulse purchases, Schuman suggests “going naked” when you shop — don’t take your wallet or purse. If you see something you like, think about it for a week. If you still want it after that, try to work it into your budget. 3. Credit scoresStudents often shy away from getting credit cards, but they aren’t something to fear. Imagine they’re another form of a debit card that needs to be paid off immediately. As long as you do that, you’ll be able to build credit. Credit is important for car loans, mortgages, and employers, who will sometimes check to make sure you are financially responsible. 4. Student loansBefore making any big purchases after college, make sure you have enough money to payoff your student loans, Schuman says. Student loans are not evil. You just have to make sure you can budget for the expense. 5. Big purchases Once you’re ready to buy that new house or car, it’s time to research loans and interest rates. Talk to someone who has been through the process before you agree to anything. They will be able to objectively sift through the information and make sure you aren’t missing something."Just because the bank says you can, doesn’t mean that you should,” Schuman says. Need more help?IU’s Office of Student Financial Literacy is a resource for students looking to learn more about budgeting, saving, and taxes, among other topics. They will offer workshops on campus this school year and are launching their website through IU’s student financial literacy initiative.
(11/06/12 1:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ask any college student how much sleep they get and you will probably receive the same answer: not enough. It’s one of those things that’s supposed to happen at night but always seems to be pushed back — kind of like tomorrow’s class readings.There are many substitutes for this elusive five-letter word. From Starbucks to Five Hour Energy Shots, college students often fake it to trick their bodies into believingthey’re getting the restorative benefits of sleep.Sometimes, there is no better feeling than when your head hits the pillow or even the armrest of a leather couch in the Indiana Memorial Union.When our bodies are asleep, our brains are wide awake. What happens when sleep is interrupted? And why do college students seem to be able to run on empty forso long?WHY DO WE NEED SLEEP?Hitting the sack is more than an excuse to stop studying. IU Professor of Psychological and Brain Studies Preston Garraghty says it is essential to restore and recharge the brain after each day.“When you look at what happens to your brain over the course of the day, in the morning your brain has gone back to start,” he says . “Over the course of the day, asyou experience stuff, there are transient changes in the connectional strength between neurons that reflect your experiences.”In other words, the brain is like a hard disc, Garraghty says. As day-to-day experiences are absorbed, the hard disc begins to fill. By nighttime, the hard disc is full, and sleep resets it again. In the morning, the hard disc is empty so it can store new memories the next day.“Sleep must be pretty important or we would have done away with it, because if an organism could get by without sleep, it would have a comparative advantage,” Garraghty says. “Apparently, no such advantage exists.”WHEN SLEEP GOES WRONGFor the third night in a row , IU-Purdue University freshman Megan Kirby stares unblinkingly at the dark ceiling of her bedroom.She can’t sleep.Kirby sits up in bed, tossing the covers in frustration, and dresses in running shorts and a T-shirt. She grabs her keys and walks out the door. She’ll run as far as she can, pushing her sleep-deprived body to the brink of collapse and then fall back into bed.Hopefully, she’ll be able to sleep.Kirby suffers from bipolar disorder and depression. Often, her anxiety and stress keep her up all night.“I got sick of just lying there, so I just began finding things to do,” shesays. “I go running. I create art. I talk to people who are awake.”Sometimes, after an all-nighter, Kirby says she feels happy — even refreshed. But that feeling doesn’t last long.“If I can’t sleep for a while, I just don’t function,” she says. “After three full nights without sleeping, my brain starts to go in weird directions, and I end up having a panic attack or nervous breakdown.”In her sleep-deprived state, everything becomes a challenge.“When I don’t sleep well and still have to go to class and go to work, it’s just really hard for me to concentrate because I’m really tired,” she says. “Eventually, I’ll just collapse and not talk to anyone for a day or two, which isn’t very fun.”Kirby doesn’t take prescribed medication for sleep-related issues because of potential side effects, but she says she’s seen an improvement in her sleeping patterns since she began seeing a therapist.She doesn’t have so many thoughts bouncing in her head. She’s not as frequently upset or stressed as she used to be, she says.“I’m happier now from day today,” she says. “It makes everything easier.”IU sophomore Elias Orfan has had his own struggles with sleep.Last year, he was diagnosed with sleep apnea.“It’s a sleeping disorder that happens when the soft palate collapses and blocks your airway temporarily,” he says. “People can pass away when their airway is cut off for too long.”For Orfan, it meant waking up at least five to six times a night and living in a constant state of fatigue, dry mouth, and irritation. He says he had trouble staying awake in class, hiding behind computer monitors to catch a few winks of sleep. He couldn’t concentrate on his homework and would study for a test for eight hours only to find he had scored an average grade.When Orfan described the problem to his doctor, he was asked to participate in a sleep study. After considering the offer, he decided not to go through with it.“Why would I bother to do this sleep study when I know what the problem is?” he says.The problem — Orfan was 315 pounds at the time.He says the excess weight around his neck would force down on his soft palate, which is located at the back of the roof of his mouth.“The solution was simple,” he says, “I had to lose weight.”Orfan took last semester off to attend a weight loss camp at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. He was there for five months and lost more than 80 pounds.“I didn’t look anything like the picture in my student ID, so I had to get a new one,” he says.Since then, he hasn’t experienced any problems with sleep.“It’s great,” he says. “I’m more rested, more focused and less lethargic. In fact, I just took a three hour nap earlier today.”
(09/11/12 5:28pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU junior Eric Ress returns to pool, ready to suit up for Rio 2016 He was three-tenths of a second away from making his dream a reality.This summer, IU junior and French dual citizen Eric Ress competed for a spot on the French Olympic swimming team, but failed to finish in the top three qualifiers in the 200-meter backstroke.The men’s and women’s French Olympic swim team went on to finish third to the United States with a total medal count of four gold medals, two silver and one bronze. Although Ress is in his fifth year at the University, he will not graduate until 2014. He obtained an Olympic waiver of eligibility in order to still be able to compete for IU for two more years. Coming to terms with his failure to qualify by such a close margin was not easy for the 21-year-old.“If I had missed it by a full second or even two seconds, that would have meant I really didn’t have a shot,” Ress says. “But being so close, I was really bummed that night.” Ress redshirted and placed his Big Ten career on standby while he trained for the trials.The most important lesson from Ress’ experience is the way he handled it, says IU Head Swim Coach Ray Looze.“Ultimately, he tried to make himself better through the experience,” Looze says. “He’s not one to point fingers. He’s an emotional guy, but he’s also a class act. There’s a reason why he’s been a captain with us since he was a sophomore.”Missing the Olympic qualification time did not prevent Ress from returning to Indiana and continuing to train with the IU swim team.“I think one of the most important traits is how you bounce back from failure,” Looze says. “Eric’s a pretty resilient guy and people can learn something from watching what he’s done. Eric’s a tough son of a gun and he never gives up.”Following the summer trials, Ress still has his Olympic dream in sight and anticipates training for the 2016 French Olympic trials.“The Olympic creed is that the journey is more important than winning the medals,” Looze says. “I think Eric has enjoyed the journey and gotten a lot out of the pursuit of swimming and the Olympic games. He will have his time in the sun.”Inside sat down with the Olympic hopeful to uncover his formula of perseverance and resilience.How did you become involved with swimming?I started swimming when I was six years old competitively. I got into that from being around the pool so often. My dad, who swam at Indiana, would go do lap swim and I would just tag along. How did you decide to try out for the Olympics?When I was watching the Olympic trials in 2004 I was 13, and I said to myself, ‘Maybe I could try to swim for France.’ In 2008 for the Beijing Olympic trials, I was fourth in the 200-meter backstroke, so I missed it by two spots and missed the time standard.At that time, I was a senior in high school, so in four years I would be a senior in college. So I redshirted a few times and took a year off to try to train for the Olympic trials. This time, I went into it thinking I had a pretty good shot. I was the number-two backstroker then, and I had to be in the top two. The time standard was one-tenth of a second faster than my best. What was it like trying out for the French team?In March, the French Olympic trials were at the same time as the NCAA championship meet. I chose to do an Olympic waiver of eligibility, so I will be at IU for another year. That way there would be no conflict because I wouldn’t compete collegiately at the time and could go to the Olympic trials.What happened at the Olympic trials?I went to the meet and was doing really well in prelims and semi-finals and it looked like I’d have a pretty good shot to make it. But then in finals I missed the cut by three-tenths of a second and got second place. It was up to the country’s discretion to say if they could take me, but they elected not to because they already had someone in the number one spot. What was running through your head when you barely missed the qualifications?It was really tough because I had seen a few of my friends do the same thing. But the thing with swimming is that it’s not like basketball or a team sport where you make it as a team. When I touched the wall and saw the time, I knew instantly that I didn’t make it. The thing that kind of snapped me out of it was that my meet was over and my season was done. The thing that instantly motivated me was the success of my teammates at the NCAAs. Why do you think you were so motivated by your team’s success?I swim better when I’m swimming for my team than when I’m swimming for myself. I’m motivated to have my own personal success, but having swam for a French Nation team at European Championships, I have a sense of pride when I’m doing that. But the sense of pride I have for swimming with my teammates at Indiana, it kind of trumps that. When I’m swimming for my teammates, I feel like there’s more on the line. If I let myself down, yeah, I’m going to be bummed but that’s all on me.Is there anything you would have done differently?Post-trials, I really wouldn’t have done much differently. I was pretty relaxed about swimming after the fact. I wasn’t as serious for a few weeks. Some people wondered why I got into it so fast after and why I didn’t take a break. I really didn’t want to take a break, but instead end the summer on a good note.A few weekends ago at the U.S. Open in Indianapolis, I got third in the 200 backstroke, the event that I tried to qualify for. Had I gotten the time I did three weeks ago at the trials in March, I would have made it.I touched the wall and that was really gratifying for myself because I didn’t jump into things too soon and I also didn’t take it too lax. How are you different now?It put a lot of things into perspective. I’m young enough where I can try again. And if it doesn’t work out down the road, so be it, but I’m really going to do all the little things to ensure that I’m going to make it.It would be fun for me this time, but I wouldn’t have been that competitive compared to the top five guys in the world. I feel like it’s getting me motivated to swim multiple events next time to be in the top eight.
(04/19/12 4:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bright red roses, a favorite of former IU president Herman B Wells, welcomed guests to the lobby of Herman B Wells library on Wednesday during the introduction of a new book about the library’s namesake. The book, “Herman B Wells: The Promise of the American University” by Professor James Capshew, a faculty member in the History and Philosophy of Science Department, is a biography of Wells.The reception featured remarks by IU President Michael A. McRobbie and IU Libraries Dean Brenda Johnson about the book and Wells’ life.“When Jim Capshew said he was working on his biography, Wells asked, ‘Isn’t there something better you could be doing with your time?’” Johnson said. “It’s clear to all of us who play some part in preserving Wells’ legacy that Jim Capshew’s time has been well spent. Everyone who knew Wells found him to be a most remarkable man, able to give endlessly of his time and attention.”It is Wells’ humility that makes it interesting to learn more about his true personality, said event attendee Brian Kearney, gift planning officer in the Arthur M. Lotz Office of Alumni and Development.“What’s great about this biography is that it helps illuminate Wells as a person,” Kearney said. “He was an icon during his life, but he was self-effacing and very humble. As a result, we know him and loved him but didn’t know him as much as we would have liked.”At the reception, Capshew read a segment of the book about the creation of the Herman B Wells library that discussed how the new library anchored the newer part of campus. The book details Wells’ early life, his road to the presidency of IU and his contributions to the campus.Wells was associated with IU for 79 years, and he found bliss in belonging to the University, Capshew said.Wells was dedicated to the students that attended IU, McRobbie said during his remarks.“Wells would recognize students across campus and, over 20 to 30 years later, could call them by name,” McRobbie said. “He is the great giant at Indiana University.”The biography was published by Indiana University Press. It was Wells’ idea to establish a press at IU in 1950.Students, alumni and faculty gathered at the reception, including senior Brad Williams, who expressed interest in learning more about the history of IU before he graduates in two weeks.“I’m more curious about Wells’ effect on the University now and what made him so unique compared to other presidents across the country,” Williams said. Copies of the book were available for purchase, and Capshew autographed the books for attendees.It was Wells’ love for IU and the fact that he made a commitment to the campus that lasted through his long life that makes him so interesting, Capshew said.Wells’ commitment to IU stuck out the most to Kearney, as well.“Even though he died more than a decade ago, there is so much about this University and the world that are still having a great and positive impact from Wells,” Kearney said. “We are still riding on his coattails. It’s a great and marvelous ride to be on.”
(04/10/12 12:46am)
Harry Potter's quest for the sorcerer's stone might not be so far from reality.
(03/07/12 1:18am)
Will the world end in 2012? It's unlikely.
(01/27/12 9:23pm)
Sophomore Elizabeth Rodgers applies to the Jacobs School of Music for a second time.
(09/21/11 4:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Based on the number of smokers outside Ballantine Hall or in front of Herman B Wells Library, IU students might not realize there is a smoking ban on campus.However, according to an IU study, the smoking ban reduced student smoking during a two-year period and changed students’ attitudes toward smoking regulations.The study compared smoking behaviors on two demographically similar campuses — one with a campus-wide smoke-free policy, IU, and one without, Purdue University.These results were unexpected, said Dong Chul Seo, the principal director of the study and associate professor of public health.“I was surprised by the findings at IU campus because IU officials did not really enforce the policy,” Seo said. “I thought there might not be that much significant change.” The percentage of students smoking at IU dropped by 3.7 percent during the study, while the smoking rate increased slightly at Purdue to 10.1 percent.In addition, the percentage of IU students supporting a campus smoking ban increased by 5 percent to 62.5 percent while it decreased slightly at Purdue to 61.3 percent.The enforcement of IU’s smoking ban is inconsistent, Dean of Students Harold “Pete” Goldsmith said.“There is some enforcement, but it’s sporadic,” Goldsmith said. “It’s more enforced by complaints so that we can handle problematic areas on campus.” Despite loose enforcement techniques, increased awareness through signs and anti-tobacco messages on campus buses might explain the decreased smoking rate, Seo said.“As long as you are aware of certain policies and you have reasonable common sense, you might not be that comfortable when violating such a policy because you are a human being,” Seo said. Enacting smoking bans on college campuses is important because the earlier people are exposed to tobacco products, the more likely they will be addicted in the future. In addition, there is a link between alcohol and tobacco use, Seo said.“If you drink, you are more likely to smoke cigarettes,” Seo said. “It would be useful to tackle one of those two issues to help students reduce the amount of substances they use.”This was one of the main goals of the smoking ban when it began in January 2008, Goldsmith said.“It was a basic public health issue,” he said. “The administration was concerned about the health of the community with what we know about second-hand smoke.” Smoking outside campus buildings and near on-campus apartments is a specific issue that bothers junior Holly Yeung, although she was not surprised by the results of the study.“With the fact that we do have rules, people still ignore them, and that’s really irritating,” Yeung said. “So I guess it’s just the people that have severe addictions who just obviously don’t want to pay attention to the rules we have in place.”Yeung said she thinks the ban could be more effective if smoking was monitored better.“If we could have someone at least pretending to monitor, rather than just having a sign, because that is so easy to ignore,” she said. “I would be willing to pay. I mean, we already have to pay for a lot of things anyways.”Seo agreed that if enforcement of the smoking ban increased, the number of smokers would decrease greatly.“I strongly believe that a ban with actual enforcement, even just a $20 fine per offense, would bring far more dramatic changes,” Seo said. “I do encourage IU administrators to consider enforcing the policy. It will make a difference.”
(04/29/11 3:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Kelley School of Business, Briscoe Quad and Kappa Alpha Theta sorority emerged as winners of the 2011 Spring Energy Challenge that ended last week.The four-week challenge is designed to reduce energy and water consumption compared to consumption from the past three years and encourage students, faculty and staff to change their behavior, Energy Challenge coordinator Will McHenry said.“We want to give students, faculty and staff the chance to see how much energy they are using,” McHenry said. “Because they don’t usually get the bill, we want to give more transparency and make everyone more responsible.”This is the fourth Spring Energy Challenge. Participation included all 12 residence halls, 17 academic buildings and 17 greek houses.“We wanted students, faculty and staff to make more sustainable living and office behaviors,” McHenry said. “We want them to take what they learned and implement it beyond college.”A study was conducted to see if the Energy Challenge affected behavior in these buildings year-round. Measurements were taken in November after the challenge, and almost all the buildings used less energy than expected, McHenry said.“In some cases, they were saving even more in November than during the Energy Challenge,” he said.Total savings from all the buildings involved in the challenge amounted to 317,000 kWh of electricity. Water savings were not realized due to newly calculated baselines.First place residence hall, Briscoe, consumed 15 percent below its expected baseline.The Kelley School of Business earned first place among the academic buildings, consuming 24.1 percent below its baseline.Kappa Alpha Theta, the top greek house in the challenge, consumed 23.5 percent below its expected baseline.The Energy Challenge is expected to expand to even more buildings in the future and possibly collaborate with Purdue University, McHenry said.“The Energy Challenge was really well-received, and people are saving even more and more than before,” he said. “They clearly have an invested interested in conservation.”
(04/29/11 2:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Foundation Green Team recently earned the “Sapling” certification from the IU Office of Sustainability for the team’s efforts to improve its office environment.This is the third of four levels of certification given to offices that use environmentally sound techniques in the workplace. The IU Foundation’s Green Team is the first to earn this certification.The IU Office of Sustainability started the certification program in August 2010 to provide steps for offices wanting to help make the University more sustainable.The IU Foundation’s Green Team was created about seven years ago, before the Office of Sustainability was created, said Philippa Guthrie, IU Foundation vice president in general counsel.“We felt that we could be more environmentally sound in our practices,” Guthrie said. “For example, we didn’t even have recycling. What we have done is look at pretty much everything we do and try and figure out a greener way to do it.”To earn this designation, the Green Team met 20 criteria in areas such as education and outreach, resource use and recycling.“Certain things would be we have recycling at everybody’s desk,” IU Foundation Stewardship Coordinator and Green Team Chair Aliza Pain said. “In our cleaning, we use green cleaning products. We reduce the amount of waste that we have by eliminating paper products.”These actions were in addition to the 37 taken to achieve the first two levels of certification, the “Seed” and “Sprout.”Of the 25 other green teams on campus, IU Foundation might have an easier time accomplishing the certifications, Guthrie said.“To be fair, we are separate and smaller than IU,” Guthrie said. “It’s harder, I think, for their teams because they operate in a much bigger environment.”For instance, if the Green Team wanted to enact change in the IU Foundation, they would address the senior management team that supports their suggestions, Guthrie said.Pain said the IU Foundation Green Team is honored to earn this certification.“We are excited and very humbled by the fact that our staff and our senior management overall has given us this ability to put into place these things that are passionate to the people on the Green Team,” Pain said.Some staff initially resisted the certification process, but in the end, the employees were supportive, Guthrie said.The IU Foundation Green Team is not only interested in making its own office space more environmentally friendly, but it is also willing to help other teams, Pain said.“We are here to help the IU community in the pursuit of making their work environment more green friendly,” she said. “We are there to support them and let people know that sometimes you may meet resistance, but your ideas about making the environment more green and environmentally friendly shouldn’t be pushed aside.”
(04/27/11 8:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Students will have a new option for their dining plan next semester with the addition of the All Access Plan, regardless of whether they live in the residence halls.The All Access Plan will be a supplement to students’ I-BUCKS meal plan, however this plan allows them to spend their meal points at a wider range of locations, said Steve Gooley, associate director of Document Service Centers.“This could give the plan a little bit more distance,” Gooley said. “A resident living in the residence halls could dine completely across campus or even off campus, rather than be limited to the I-BUCKS plan that has been traditional.” The All Access Plan is linked with students’ official CampusAccess identification card. This plan is different because students subscribe to the service in advance of the semester and money is billed by the Office of the Bursar to the student, Gooley said.“This option is thought to be a convenience to families in terms of their ability to budget for their expenditures,” Gooley said. “The All Access Plan is set up on the RPS website like other RPS elements, allowing deposits to be made before the start of the semester and be billed later.”Money from the All Access Plan can be spent at all locations that accept CampusAccess, including dining facilities throughout campus, local restaurants, bookstores and other service providers in the area.“Some students that participated in the plan found it very convenient to anticipate using those All Access monies for book purchases, school supplies and so forth,” Gooley said. “And they would be billed for that on their bursar bill.”This plan went through a trial program of about 100 students during the fall semester and 90 percent or more said they would be willing to participate again, Gooley said.“With that result, the decision was taken to extend the All Access Plan to all students because it is not necessarily something that would just benefit students that are living in the residence halls,” he said. The plan is in collaboration with Residential Programs and Services, the Indiana Memorial Union, Bloomington campus Office of the Bursar and Campus Card Services.To access the plan for next semester, students should visit http://go.iu.edu/uR by early August.
(04/27/11 4:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If being president of the Board of Aeons, serving as a justice on the Student Body Supreme Court and being involved in the Collins Living-Learning Community is not impressive enough, senior Erin Chapman can now add the Herman B Wells Senior Recognition Award to her résumé.Chapman is a Wells Scholar majoring in history and conflict resolution and peace studies through the Individualized Major Program in the College of Arts and Sciences.She received the award April 10 during the IU Bloomington Honors Convocation.It is the University’s top academic award for undergraduates, and she said she was honored to receive the award.“I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of outstanding people at IU,” Chapman said. “I was surprised to have been recognized when I know so many people who are doing outstanding things.”To receive an honor named after Herman B Wells was also a humbling experience, she said.Chapman is involved in enacting campus policy on the Board of Aeons. One of her achievements dealt with the land around the Old Crescent near Dunn’s Woods. In a report to IU President Michael McRobbie, Chapman addressed ways it could be better utilized by the students.“The President has started a campus-wide task force about it that is built on a lot of our recommendations,” Chapman said. “They are even going as far as to say that these buildings should be converted to student spaces.”English professor Ray Hedin nominated Chapman for the award because of her leadership skills and commitment to social issues. “She has a terrific academic record and she has a real history of social engagement which is entirely consistent with her major,” Hedin said. “She is a person with real integrity and intelligence.”Chapman is also fun to be around, said criminal justice professor Ellen Dwyer, who nominated her for the award.“She is very soft-spoken and very low-key,” Dwyer said. “She’s just a pleasure to be around and to work with, and that’s why I nominated her.”Even Chapman’s friends recognize her dedication to her work, such as junior Ronak Shah.“Erin is probably one of the most intrinsically motivated people that I know,” Shah said. “She finds ways to integrate some form of advocacy into her academic work and she does so without any need to network or get financial gain.”Aside from her academic life, Chapman said she enjoys painting and attending plays.“IU has given me so much, from my closest friends, to an outstanding education, to just a group of supportive mentors and teachers,” Chapman said. “And everything I’ve done at IU, I’ve just tried to honor that gift.”
(04/21/11 3:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Music professor Carmen Téllez has this advice to offer music students: “You have to be like water. You have to constantly be moving but indestructible. Sometimes you are ice and sometimes you are steam. You must respond to the time, culture and place.”Téllez, a professor of choral conducting and the director of the Latin American Music Center, gave this advice Wednesday along with two other panelists at the Jacobs School of Music Project Jumpstart Career Decision Making for the Real World.Téllez was joined by Linda Strommen, professor of music in oboe, and Michael Vernon, professor of music in ballet and chair of the Ballet Department.The goal of Project Jumpstart was to shed light on career development by bringing in faculty to offer help.“We brought a wide range of faculty to talk about things that students don’t typically hear about in class,” said Project Jumpstart leader Angela Beeching. “It’s fun to have the faculty hear each others’ stories as well.”The common theme among the panelists was that students should have a passion for what they do.“You have to have a burning ambition and it’s up to the dancer,” Vernon said. “The desire has to come from within because it is very competitive.”Along with a dedication to music, students must create their own opportunities.“Composers are more entrepreneurial now and are diversifying music,” Téllez said. “You just have to start it yourself. You have a big choice: Am I going to insert myself or open a new direction by starting an organization of my own?”Téllez had experience starting her own program when she created the contemporary vocal ensemble at IU.Students should not be intimidated to take even small opportunities right out of college, Strommen said.“Nothing is wasted when you build on your opportunities,” she said. “You must be flexible to fit the companies’ needs with your skills.”Beeching hopes Project Jumpstart will be an ongoing program following its pilot year, in which 24 workshops were organized.“You have to believe that there’s something only you can give,” Strommen said.