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(03/09/11 2:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The shelves of Pogue’s Run Grocer are lined with local and organic food items, yet Indianapolis resident Kyle Hendrix walks down each aisle as if he’s a kid in a candy store. He smiles every time he enters the store, knowing that three years of love, sweat and tears contributed to building the only nonprofit, community-owned grocery store in Indianapolis.Kyle said he is a firm believer in giving back to the community through his work in agriculture.For more than 20 years he has dedicated his professional and personal life to making a difference.He constructs projects that strengthen community awareness of green living for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Kyle also contributes to the local farmers’ markets and supports numerous green, local organizations around Indianapolis. And he took on the Indy Food Co-op — the means to developing Pogue’s Run Grocer — in his spare time because he wanted to directly improve the lives of others around him.“What else are we supposed to do?” Kyle asked. “I believe that heaven and hell are here on earth and you can either make it heaven or make it hell. The only thing we are ever guaranteed is this here right now, so why not make a positive difference? I feel that you should make the world what you want it to look like.”Since its inception, the Indy Food Co-op has grown to more than 350 members, and it all started four years ago in Abbey House Coffee.As the economy recessed during the last few years, two major grocers on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis closed their doors, leaving the area’s 40,000 residents without easy access to affordable nutritious food, he said.But Kyle was determined to fill the void.After speaking with three different groups of concerned Indianapolis residents who wanted to improve the east side of the city, Kyle organized a meeting to bring everyone together and begin working on a solution. Some residents were worried that resources were being wasted when folks drove to the northern areas of Indianapolis to get healthy food. Others wanted to develop a model for a community-owned grocery store. Another group wanted to bring better nutrition to the Pogue’s Run area.The group continued to meet and reached out to the community for support. In early 2008, they became an official cooperative and named Kyle as president to see the project through. Kyle said opening a community-owned store from scratch was no easy feat. Grants had to be secured and renovation of the storefront had to be completed. Community support was needed. He said many people doubted Pogue’s Run Grocer could ever open for business. But on Jan. 15, Pogue’s Run Grocer opened its doors to a line that stretched nearly two city blocks.Kyle said he strives to be practical, ethical and environmentally conscious in all facets of his life. Pogue’s Run Grocer’s mission is to share that same mentality. “It’s amazing what people did to make it open,” he said.
(06/30/10 9:29pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington community radio station WFHB will sponsor the third annual July 4 Acoustic Roots Festival on Sunday afternoon behind the barn at the Story Inn bed & breakfast in Story, Ind.The festival is a benefit for the community station that has broadcasted to listeners in south-central Indiana since 1993. It is set to be an Independence Day celebration of American roots, music and local cuisine.Headlining this year’s festival will be Eilen Jewell, a bluesy roots musician who finished 2009 as WFHB’s most-played artist.Jewell, who has received national and international acclaim for her third album, “Sea of Tears,” spans genres from country to folk and blues with a familiar yet retro sound.WFHB Music Director Jim Manion said he is excited to have Jewell perform as the festival’s first-ever national act.“We have really championed her music here along,” he said. “This is a great venue to bring her to and she truly appreciates the support of WFHB. She is contributing her performance fees to WFHB.”Local and regional favorites will also take to the stage throughout the afternoon.Columbus, Ind. folk singer and actor Tim Grimm will be performing alongside his wife Jan Lucas, as well as the White Lightning Boys. Representing Bloomington will be the honky-tonk country band Davy Jay Sparrow and His Well Known Famous Drovers, as well as the country blues jug band Garden of Joy.Bloomington folksy Americana singer-songwriter Bobbie Lancaster will be making her festival debut with her guitar player Nick Einterz. Her 2010 self-titled album has made its way into the WFHB’s top 10 current records.“It’s going to be a really great day,” said Lancaster, who will be playing songs off of her new release. “In addition to really good local and regional performers, it’s important to show support for our community radio station. These people who volunteer there time at WFHB give a voice to a lot of different minority groups and show a lot of different angles on American life. Supporting them is really good choice.”The festival will begin at 1 p.m. and is set to close around 9 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the gate for $10 and kids 12 and younger get in free.Manion said the Acoustic Roots Festival is a great alternative to celebrate July 4, as it will provide a snapshot of American roots music at a non-political venue rich in history.He said that WFHB is very appreciative of all the acts, as they are volunteering their efforts free of charge to support the radio station.Food prepared by the Story Inn’s summer restaurant will be available at the fairground, as well as a selection of local wine and beer. No coolers will be allowed into the event.All of the musicians performing during the festival can be heard by tuning in to one of WFHB’s stations.
(06/09/10 10:19pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Six IU filmmaking teams will compete against the best student cinematographers in the world this weekend at the 2010 Campus MovieFest International Grande Finale in Las Vegas. The IGF, which runs June 10 to 13, is the final round of the ninth annual Campus MovieFest, the largest student film festival in the world. Each year, Campus MovieFest provides student participants with HD movie cameras, AT&T Samsung phones and Apple laptop computers equipped with professional movie editing software, giving the filmmakers only one week to direct, shoot and edit a five-minute short film. This year, close to 75,000 students participated, but only 240 student films have earned the right to be screened at the International Grand Finale — six of which were written and produced by IU students. The six films include “Coda,” created by Team Books Are For Dummies; “Alphabet,” created by Team Charlie and Cloud 9 Productions; “Giggles,” created by Bright Cat Films, an N’Ovation production; “Parallel Lines,” written and directed by Steve Castro and Jeremy Michael Haynes; “This is Not Twilight,” created by Spaghetti and Sauerkraut Productions; and “Sports Car Caravan,” a TV250 production. All the films are on YouTube.The IGF will take place at the Wynn Las Vegas, a five-star hotel on the Vegas strip. The four-day event will give students an opportunity to showcase their films on a national stage as well as introduce them to industry professionals, Campus MovieFest Co-Founder Dan Costa said. During the weekend, students will take part in workshop sessions led by high-achieving writers, actors, directors, producers and musicians, in which they will be advised on key skills needed to succeed in the industry. Workshop topics will include secrets to becoming a successful director, Costa said. Three grand prize winners will be awarded Best Drama, Best Comedy and Best Picture of the festival and will earn an exclusive meeting with some of Hollywood’s finest to receive feedback on their latest ideas. IU senior and project manager for the film “Giggles,” Jon Stante, said his team entered this year’s CMF with a competitive mind, planning the shoot weeks in advance.“If the film goes no farther, if nothing else, this is a huge honor, to be selected and to be recognized,” said Stante of “Giggles,” an abstract film that parallels a young girl’s imaginary friend with her abusive father. “To be selected as one of the top 16 in the school and then one of the top 16 in the region is a huge honor.” IU recent graduate Joey Mattucci worked alongside a group of friends to create “This is Not Twilight,” which he described as a fun, ridiculous, over-the-top vampire movie. He echoed Stante’s remarks and said his excitement for the IGF is indescribable.“It is something small, yet so big for me and everyone who worked on it,” Mattucci said, who slept only six hours in the five days it took them to finish the movie. “In the grand scheme of life, this is one of the important moments because it’s something that a good group of friends got to create together. I feel like a little kid in a candy store.”
(05/26/10 11:22pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The big brass sound of the Bloomington Community Band rang freely throughout the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Tuesday, celebrating the beginning of the group’s 2010 summer concert season. The BCB, an all-adult volunteer woodwind brass and percussion band, has been a community tradition for well over a century, roughly dating back to 1838. The group has seen many changes over the years and even went through periods of hiatus, but Tuesday evening’s Gala Spring Concert marked the beginning of the 32nd season of the modern-day adaptation of the band, which was formed in 1978.Comprised of 60 volunteer musicians ranging in age from 18 to 92 years old, this group has rehearsed once a week since January in preparation for the new season. Tuesday’s performance featured a variety of standard concert fare, including traditional marches, big-band arrangements and concert pieces. Clad in white and black, the BCB leapt into 13 pieces of all different lengths and genres after playing the Star Spangled Banner at the commencement of the program. Highlights of the show included an angular march composed by David R. Holsinger titled “The Cluster, Fluster, Bluster March,” a two-piece suite of sea songs by Jan Van der Roost titled “Singapura Suite” and a jazzy swing written by Leroy Anderson titled “Swinging Yanks,” featuring a soulful trombone solo.A piece written by Henry Mancini titled “The Pennywhistle,” featuring a piccolo solo by BCB member Julie Kraft, stirred one of loudest receptions of the night. As symbols crashed, flutes fluttered and clarinets sang, conductor Tim Moore moved enthusiastically, conducting the band with fervor. Dancing and moving the baton subtly at times, frantically motioning his hands at others, Moore was all smiles for the beginning of his 30th year as a member of the BCB.He said throughout the evening that performing at the Buskirk was a great luxury for the band, as it primarily performs in outdoor venues and will do so for the remainder of the 15-concert season.Toward the end of the program, Moore asked the audience with a smile, “Do you think it is worthwhile for us to play indoors?” to which the audience applauded loudly.“It’s been very satisfying for me to watch this group mature,” said Moore of the volunteer group that rehearses for two hours each Monday night at the St. Thomas Lutheran Church. “There are some very fine musicians in the band now, and they play very well.”BCB assistant director and trombone player Joe Car took over the conducting reins for one song, and Martinsville High School Director of Bands Scott Miller conducted for two other songs as well. The band drew the program to an end by celebrating its Indiana heritage with a C.W. Dalbey march titled “The Hoosier.” During the final moments of the piece, Moore turned joyfully to face the audience, leading them in unified clapping, pumping his fists to direct the beat of the drums behind him.After a standing ovation from the crowd of all ages, family members of those in the band approached the stage and embraced their musicians warmly. “It was a great opportunity for us to start off our season indoors,” said flutist Amy Makice while sitting next to her children after the performance. “All of my kids came, and friends, too. It was fabulous.”
(05/12/10 11:37pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Friday night will mark the beginning of BloomingPlays Festival 2010, a three-week event that showcases the abilities and aspirations of up-and-coming Hoosier playwrights. The event is put on by the Bloomington Playwrights Project, a nonprofit professional theater organization that is the only theater in the state of Indiana focused exclusively on developing original plays. The festival will be divided into different series, each staged at 107 W. Ninth St. on the BPP performance space. The Mainstage Series Showcase will run each Thursday through Sunday from May 14 to 30. It will feature full-budget productions of never-before-seen plays written by three local playwrights, each of whom won the right to have his or her play performed after competing in a BPP playwright contest. The plays from the prominent series of the festival are “Russ Miles” by April Smallwood, “Thespian” by Chris White, and “Virginia’s Last Drive” by Matt Anderson. Each will be performed in full costume, with complementary scenery and lighting. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening performances will begin at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees will begin at 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights will also feature a fourth play written by Gabe Golden, “How to Kill.” This play is part of the BloomingPlays After Dark Series portion of the festival, which will start at 10 p.m.Tickets for the Mainstage Series may be purchased at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Box Office and online at http://www.newplays.org. General admission tickets are $18, $15 for students and senior citizens. Tickets for the 10 p.m. performances are $5; however, a ticket from the 8 p.m. show will also grant entry.In August 2009 the BPP held the BloomingPlay Development Series, a playwriting contest open to submissions from any playwright in the state of Indiana. Of the 75 script submissions received, members of the BPP selected the top eight plays to go through rigorous workshop sessions. Throughout the process, the playwrights reworked their scripts and received feedback from various audiences, BPP Producing Artistic Director Chad Rabinovitz said. After numerous revisions were made, the top four plays were chosen to become full-budget productions that will be featured during the Mainstage Series. “We’ve chosen the four plays that are more than ready for an audience,” Rabinovitz said. “Rather than giving it another workshop or another reading, the only way they will benefit now is by taking the next step and seeing the reaction of an audience during a full production. It’s really the best of the best.” Smallwood has been honing her craft for the last three years and said she is ecstatic to see her play finally performed to an audience. Smallwood’s brainchild, “Russ Miles,” has been a few years in the making. “I have had these characters in my head for years, and I can’t wait to see them up on stage moving around, and I can’t wait to see people’s reactions,” she said. “All I have ever seen is readings of this play, and I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for it to be produced.” Although only half of the plays fleshed out during the BloomingPlay Development Series were chosen as full productions, the hard work of the remaining playwrights who took part in the process will not go unrecognized, Rabinovitz said.The BPP will present on May 19 the first leg of the Staged Readings Series of the festival, in which three of the remaining plays will be read and performed by local actors with script in hand. The performance will be choreographed, but it will lack the production values of the Mainstage Series, Rabinovitz said. The readings begin at 8 p.m. and are free of charge. The Student New Play Showcase is the second part of the festival’s Staged Reading Series. On May 26, the BPP will highlight four Hoosier playwrights at the collegiate level. Original works written by two students from Hanover College and two students from IU will be read during the event. The BPP chose these plays for their high standard of work, Rabinovitz said. Hanover College junior Abby Guthrie is the creator of “An Evening Bath,” a story of love and relationships. A new playwright, Guthrie said she is very excited to see her first work performed during the festival. “As a really young playwright, I am really glad I’ve been given this opportunity to see my work and be recognized for it,” she said. “I think it’s a wonderful program.”
(04/29/10 3:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This summer will bring a significant change to 902’s Nightclub weekly music lineup.Since January, Club Night, featuring local Bloomington DJs, has been the staple Thursday night event at 902’s. But owner Seth Parker said he is going to take Thursday nights in a new direction this summer, putting emphasis on live music. Beginning May 6, 902’s Nightclub will stage three local bands each Thursday night for the duration of the summer. “The Live Show” will feature both cover and non-cover bands alike and will place Club Night on a long-term hiatus. Parker said he is opening up Thursdays to live bands to give local musicians additional opportunities to play for their fans. “With the amount of students and musicians that we have coming out of the Jacob’s school, it’s just not fair that there are only so many nights and places in town where we can have real live music,” he said. “This gives another venue in Bloomington for bands to come rock out.” Parker said he felt people were often hesitant to attend the Club Night at 902’s because they wanted to go someplace to socialize on Thursdays, or go to a bigger venue if they wanted to dance. However, Parker said he believes having live local music on Thursdays will get people excited to come to 902’s. With the beginning of the summer approaching, he said it is a good time for a change.Senior and CEO of Lightpipe Studios, Erik Stewart, is in charge of booking the bands and running the sound for “The Live Show.” He said each Thursday will have a specific theme and corresponding style of music. Reggae, blues, Ivory Coast Drum and Dance, funky hip hop and rock ‘n’ roll are all themes Stewart said he hopes to showcase this summer on 902’s recently renovated stage. Stewart also said Lightpipe Studios will be giving away prizes about once a month to bands who perform. “We will be offering prizes of free studio recording, bigger shows and even opportunities to play for A and R in Nashville,” he said. “The Live Show” will make its debut with a graduation theme on the Thursday of finals week, Stewart said. The Hillners, Elephant Quiz and Max Jared will comprise the first lineup. Each are local bands who have members that are soon to be earning a degree from IU. Jared, a singer-songwriter and guitarist, said he is very excited to be gracing the stage with a full band during the May 6 graduation show. “My friends and I are interested in celebrating graduation together, and it’s really going to be a real cool opportunity for me to show people what I want to do with my life, which is play music and perform and write,” said Jared, who describes his music as a jam pop fusion with a heavy blues influence. “I very much enjoy 902’s. It’s got a cool setup and the sound is fantastic.” Although no official plans been made regarding a return of a Club Night, owner Seth Parker said that they would like to bring back local DJs in the future, possibly every other week or once a month. “I think that come next semester we will try to reintroduce the idea of having a consistent Club Night,” he said.
(03/24/10 1:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s a typical Wednesday night at Max’s Place. A musician with a guitar slung across his back is singing on stage as fellow performers watch, waiting their turn.The weekly open mic night is under way and the dimly lit room is buzzing as patrons pick at their pizza, and various stringed instruments outline the surrounding green and purple walls. “Anybody that comes will tell you, it is the premiere open mic night in Bloomington,” said Travers Marks, Max’s Place owner.A musician himself, Marks said he started the open mic night to give local musicians an opportunity to play in town. “It gives people a chance to play whether they are at the level that it takes to get a gig or not,” he said. “And it also gives people a chance to meet other musicians as far as starting bands.” Sign ups at Max’s Place begin at 5 p.m. each Wednesday, and participants can call or stop by to select a 15-minute time slot, Marks said. The microphone is turned on at 7:30 p.m. as the first act takes the stage, and the last slot to perform is at 10:15 p.m.All styles of music and entertainment are encouraged and welcome to participate in the open mic, Marks said. Although the majority of acts are musically inclined, artists don’t need to know how to play an instrument to take part. In the past, comedians, a cappella groups and poets have performed as well.Senior Mark Galup, a recording arts student and rock history associate instructor, has been a featured musician at Max’s Place for three years. Galup, who plays old-fashioned 1930’s-style acoustic blues with intricate finger picking, represented Indiana in the 2010 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tenn., after taking first place in the 2009 Indiana Blues Challenge in the solo/duo category. Before releasing his first CD, “Livin’ Far Out,” and booking full shows at Max’s Place, Galup said he frequented the Wednesday open mic. “There is a focus on the music there that I appreciate at the open mic night,” Galup said. “The sound system is up loud enough so that people are oriented toward listening to you and I’ve had a venue to try out songs and rehearse new songs.” Senior Erik Stewart, CEO of the Bloomington recording and production company Lightpipe Studios, has been running the sound system for Max’s Place open mic for the last year. “It’s one of the best places to network with people, especially if you are just starting to perform and getting your music out there,” he said.
(02/18/10 3:07am)
Bloomington might be covered in snow this week, but students usually leave town to ski.
(02/04/10 12:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When residence halls shut down over break, students have a decision to make: they can pay a fee to temporarily move into another dorm, or they can make other arrangements.Subleasing is an option for students looking to stay near Bloomington, according to the IU Statehouse Report. Subleasing lets students rent an apartment or house from a Bloomington resident for a predetermined price and amount of time. Hospitality exchange Web sites like www.airbnb.com and www.couchsurfing.com can help students locate a suitable place to stay. Sophomore Lynae Sowinski used the Internet to find an apartment near campus to sublease last summer. “The best part about it was we didn’t have to sign a lease," Sowinski said. "We got to just be in someone else’s place and help someone else out, and we got to stay in town with friends all summer.” IU Study Abroad Programs offer alternative summer living as well. This summer, students can study abroad in more than 30 different countries, including Spain, Greece, Australia, Egypt, Chile and the Dominican Republic. Junior Rebecca Baumgartner studied in St. Petersburg, Russia, last year and had the opportunity to teach English to Russian students. She said her experience overseas helped her become more independent and cultured. “I think it is just a really great experience to be completely separated from everything that you are comfortable with and everything that you have gotten accustomed to throughout your entire lifetime,” Baumgartner said. “It did teach me to be a lot more self-confident and self-reliant and persistent.”Many student-run organizations also offer the opportunity to travel within the country.The IU chapter of Habitat for Humanity will build houses in Alabama and Florida this spring break, and the IU Ski and Snowboard and Wakeboarding Club will travel to Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort in Big Bear Lake, Calif.This year the IU Outdoor Adventures Program is offering five different spring break trips. The trips include backpacking, mountain biking, canoeing and hiking experiences in different areas of the United States.Trip leader Jack Brumbaugh is going to Big South Fork, Tenn., where the John Muir Trail and Lake Sea, one of the nation’s largest underground lakes, are located.“I know that freshmen have very restricted access to their housing (during spring break),” Brumbaugh said, “and we’re more than happy to be perfectly accommodating.”What To do when the dorms shut downWhen the dorms close, people who are unable to go home are faced with a choice: move into another dorm temporarily or find somewhere else to live. Here are some tips from about.com to avoid the hassle of playing musical dorm rooms.HOUSE-SIT FOR A FRIEND OR PROFESSOR Volunteer to get the mail, water the plants, feed the pets or make the house look lived in. Your friends are likely to be on vacation, and many professors go on sabbatical, leave for research, or are otherwise out of their homes when the campus is on break.CHECK WITH FRIENDS WHO NEED TO SUBLEASE Chances are you don’t want a 12-month lease and your friend doesn’t want to lose his or her apartment.WORK AT A PLACE THAT PROVIDES HOUSING Summer camps and retreat locations are always looking for workers. You can often get free housing while making some extra cash and learning something new.