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(12/08/11 3:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Those in attendance at the IU Cinema Tuesday night were treated to a variety of stereoscopic 3D short films by the Advanced Visualization Laboratory and the Department of Telecommunications. This 3D Student Film Showcase featured eight films created by students, faculty and staff at IU. The evening was also an opportunity to learn about the 3D research being done at the University.“This is an emerging art form in the modern era,” graduate student Sean Connolly said. ”People don’t realize that 3D has been around for more than 173 years.”Senior systems analyst for the AVL Chris Eller joined Connolly on stage to inform the crowd of IU’s advances in 3D technology, as well as its history. ”We sent 17 movies for a screening at an L.A. film festival, and 12 of them were screened,” Eller said. He also said it was that exposure that finally got IU recognition among film schools.Just a few months after “Avatar’s” box office success in 2009, they decided to create a library of 3D content. The problem they ran into was time.“It took so long to make that first movie. We realized we’d have to teach others this technology if we were going to get the team we needed to stay on top of things,” Connolly said.The lab’s variety of 3D films illustrates how times have changed since those beginning stages.“These days, broadcast companies are calling us asking for content,” Connolly said. “Even China is looking to open up a 3D broadcast network in January.”The lab’s visual research has led them to use 3D technology not only for films, but for binocular vision research as well.“We are seeing if displays with high fidelity can be used to screen for binocular vision issues,” Eller said. “If someone watches a film in high fidelity and has problems seeing it, they may need vision treatment.”Eller said research is also diving into virtual reality, along with 3D films, and advances continue to be made in the field. “We really want to be in a position to take advantage of some of the things we’ve invested our money in,” Connolly said. ”So far it seems to be paying off.”The IU Cinema will be celebrating its first birthday in January 2012. Eller invited all to come and celebrate what he called “one of the most advanced cinemas in the world.”“Why are we doing this? Because it’s a great thing to do,” Eller said. “We’re on the cutting edge, and we like it.”
(12/06/11 4:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Various local talents gathered at Café Django on Monday to perform comedy, magic and the kind of music the café has become known for. The event, called The Short List, kicked off at 7 p.m. for an audience seeking warmth and shelter from the cold rain outside. The event’s key twist was that it featured “10 acts for 10 minutes,” which helped to create a variety of entertainment. Acts included singer-songwriters Mike Stogdill and Adam Garner, magician Shawn Stickels and comedian Corey Carr. IU senior Tom Miller, who works at Café Django as a waiter, was the host for the event. “We have a lot of musicians playing, but we want to continue to show that The Short List is for everybody,” Miller said. He said the point was proven when a magician and comedian were invited to perform.The first musicians to perform were the U-Station Agents, a guitar trio that played a three-song set. The group set the tone with songs about love, togetherness and friendship. “Tonight’s event is created with the idea of showcasing some of the local talent this city has to offer,” U-Station Agents lead guitarist Marta Jasicki said. “Some of it you may like, some you may not, but we have a great city to be proud of.”The next act, a solo guitarist, was Stogdill. He jokingly expressed disdain at his entry in the evening’s lineup. “Lucky me,” Stogdill said. “I get to be the guy that goes after the trio.”Stogdill said while he doesn’t write many songs about himself or his family, he did have one in particular, which he performed for the evening’s crowd. The crowd changed from a musical setting to other forms of entertainment when comedian Carr took the stage. The IU alumnus focused on topics like how IU failed to prepare him for the homeless life and what actors and actresses he would like to have a child with. The next free event at Café Django will be a performance by the Regal Rhythm Trio. The group, consisting of pianist Evan Main, bassist Stefan Lenthe and drummer Chris Parker will perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
(12/02/11 3:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Local students at Bloomington High School North show their support for domestic violence awareness with music at 7 p.m. Friday. The BHSN Student Council sets up the annual concert that features local bands. The event will take place in the BHSN Auditorium. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at the door. The concert benefits Middle Way House, a shelter that protects victims of domestic violence. “All students from the community and other high schools are encouraged to attend,” BHSN junior Laura Honsig said in an announcement to Batchelor Middle School.Honsig coordinated the event with little faculty assistance, BHSN receptionist Acacia Seitzinger said. “This event was definitely student-run,” she said. “They have done most of the work for the concert themselves.”Two of the bands performing at the event will be blues guitar duo the Sad Sam Blues Jam and rock band Xenosound. They will be taking the stage Friday night along with other local talents.The concert is part of a larger effort in the school to raise awareness of domestic abuse and sexual violence. Students have participated in forums, taking self-defense classes and hanging paper cranes with positive messages around the school.BHSN senior Haeun Cho, co-president of the student council, said the awareness events at the school have occurred for the past three weeks.“It’s a campaign that will culminate in tomorrow’s concert,” she said. “We had forums that discussed what violent situations look like, especially during the teen years.”Cho said the school also featured forums for males, attempting to help them realize their roles in such situations.“We had a forum to learn how men can be allies to women that are facing domestic abuse,” she said.Middle Way House believes that appropriate services to victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault can only be provided on a free and confidential basis, according to the organization’s website.For the students at BHSN, aiding such an organization helps bring attention to issues surrounding domestic violence, Cho said.“It isn’t always physical,” Cho said. “It can be manipulation and controlling.”
(11/21/11 12:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As National American Indian Heritage Month continues, the First Nations Education and Cultural Center sponsored events designed to spread awareness about Native American society and culture. On Saturday, the center sponsored a basket weaving workshop in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center. Those in attendance were taught by Cherokee Nation member and associate professor emeritus of folklore John W. Johnson. “In contemporary society, material culture, dancing, regalia (and) craft making are some of the only remaining aspects of American Indian culture,” FNECC Director Brian Gilley said. “Thus, it is a way ... for people of Native ancestry to have an aspect of it in their lives.”Johnson spent the majority of Saturday afternoon guiding participants through the process of making traditional western Cherokee double-wall baskets. Participants wove flexible water-soaked reeds together.“This is an ethnic art,” Johnson said. “We tend to call it craft, but craft really is mechanical. Art is more than craft. Art is beauty.”One participant, Bloomington resident Diane Pelrine, stayed close to Johnson as he guided participants through the five-step technique.“The process seems simple enough, but it can get difficult keeping a good shape for your basket,” she said. “I’m not sure what I’m going to use it for yet, but it’s something interesting to do and a fun, new thing to learn.”Johnson said crafts like these have a good deal of significance in how the Cherokee remember loved ones who have passed on to the next world.“The spirits of my ancestors are in these baskets,” he said. “This is a way for me to commune with my ancestors.”The day was filled with talks about culture, community and friendship. “Material culture is a perfect medium to communicate the importance of culture to outsiders, generate respect and educate,” Gilley said. Gilley, who is of Native American descent, said he hoped many new ideas would be taken away from the events of National American Indian Heritage Month.“Native people are a diverse and contemporary people always seeking to ground themselves in autonomy and community preservation,” Gilley said. “We are not simply about our struggles and our history but about the various futures we seek for ourselves and other people.”
(11/15/11 3:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As a part of the IU College of Arts and Science’s Themester 2011: “Making War, Making Peace,” famed cartoon artist Garry Trudeau lectured to an audience at the Indiana Memorial Union on Monday. Trudeau is known for creating the political comic strip “Doonesbury,” which now appears in more than 1,400 Sunday newspapers worldwide. The strip has been running for 41 years. “The strip has taken on almost every political issue the world has seen,” said Larry Singell, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “If it was a political issue, Trudeau was able to make us think about it.” The topic of the lecture was “Doonesbury in Time of War,” which Singell said he saw as fitting for the occasion. “The comic strip has rarely existed outside of war, be it political, social or cultural,” he said. Trudeau took the audience through Doonesbury’s history, noting the changes it went through during the Gulf War, Vietnam War and even the Invasion of Grenada, which Trudeau called “a kind of Special Olympics for the military.” “It took 7,000 U.S. troops nearly three days to overpower 607 Cubans, less than 15 of which were actual soldiers,” Trudeau said.Trudeau was the first comic strip artist to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Though he continues to write and pencil the strip, he noted how drastically the times have changed since his youth. “My son can’t believe his father still works for print,” Trudeau said. “He actually doesn’t know anyone who still reads newspapers.”Trudeau also showed a video of a musical military spoof he was involved with. He explained his feelings about the experience. “Unlike print, song lyrics can cause an emotional response through the power of the emotional music behind them,” he said. “It was a fun experience.
(11/15/11 3:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Cinema sponsored a lecture featuring director Chris Farah and his brother, producer Mike Farah, on Monday. The duo, two leading contributors to the website Funny Or Die, met for an informal discussion about their careers, the movie industry and what it takes to pursue a career goal. “Mike Farah is a producer with expertise in both feature film and new media,” IU Cinema Director Jon Vickers said. “He’s also an Indiana University alumnus.”The two were joined on stage by producer Anna Wenger, who has worked closely with Mike Farah on various projects.Wenger said her path to becoming a producer began when she worked as a nanny for a couple in the entertainment business while attending college at UCLA. “In Los Angeles, when someone can afford to have a UCLA college student be their nanny, they tend to be working in the entertainment business,” she said. “I asked one of them for a job and became a production assistant.”The open conversation centered on the topic of youthful aspirations and following the dreams that many film students at IU have. “What I continue to see is many college graduates working in internships that want to be producers,” Chris Farah said. “But when you ask them what that means, they have no idea.”Chris Farah said he believes there are many “producers” in Hollywood but that Wenger is one of the few true producers he has worked with. “If you work hard as a producer, and people know you’re good, the best directors are going to want to work with you,” Wenger said. Farah said anyone starting out in film should agree to as many things as possible and do as good a job as possible. “It is not enough to show up,” he said. “You have to stand out and be good at what you’re doing.”
(11/07/11 4:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bells jingled around the ankles of dancers in Native American regalia. They waited for the grand entry song to start at the First Nations Educational and Cultural Center’s Traditional Pow Wow on Saturday.Traditional Native American attire, clothing and food were part of the event at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, which was also the kick-off event for National American Indian Heritage Month at IU. The University has not hosted the pow wow since 2004.“We started planning last fall to return the pow wow to IUB,” FNECC Director Brian Gilley said. “Pow wow organizers are trying to revitalize an important campus tradition.”The day-long event featured historical storytelling, a traditional meal for attendees and a drum performance by Omaha, Neb., group The Southern Bad Boys. Arts and crafts from a number of Native Americans were sold during the event as well. The booths were an attraction for many IU students who attended the event, including junior Courtney Williams. “My favorite part was looking at all of the different jewelry and the traditional clothing they had displayed,” Williams said. “It was unique and different, something you don’t get to see every day.”A key part of the event was the grand entry ceremony in which Native American tribes made ceremonial entrances.A drum group of IU students participated as singers along with the Bad Boys. The drum groups and dancers performed a flag song, memorial song and veteran’s song, as well as Intertribals, in which members of all tribes participate.The pow wow was sponsored by the Native American Graduate Students Association, the First Nations Educational and Cultural Center, the IU Office of Multicultural Initiatives and the IU Student Association.Gilley said support from the University and the Office of Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs helped make the event possible.“All the hard work of the students seems to have paid off,” Gilley said. “It was a great turnout.”More EventsWhat: Living Traditions: A Selection of Native American Art from the Art Museum and Contemporary Native ArtistsWhen: 4 to 6 p.m. ThursdayWhere: IU Art MuseumWhat: Native American Beading WorkshopWhen: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. SaturdayWhere: Mather’s Museum of World CulturesWhat: Free Movie and Popcorn Night: “Barking Water” with Sterling HarjoWhen: 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 15Where: Bridgewaters Lounge, Neal-Marshall Black Culture CenterWhat: Cherokee Basket Weaving WorkshopWhen: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 19Where: Bridgewaters Lounge, Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center
(11/01/11 2:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Students interested in learning about the art of Pilates — a physical exercise based on strength, endurance and flexibility — will have the opportunity today. Melissa Nobel, professional Pilates instructor and head instructor at Bodycenter Bloomington, will be teaching a free Pilates class from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Venue Fine Art and Gifts. “We chose Melissa because she is recognized as the most accomplished Pilates instructor in the area,” Dave Coleman, assistant curator for The Venue, said. “She also has experience teaching at the college level.”The class, “The Art of Pilates with Melissa Nobel,” will teach participants about the fundamentals of Pilates and Nobel’s therapeutic approach to the art. “Melissa got into Pilates as a therapy after she suffered a knee injury,” Coleman said. “That injury led her to see Pilates as a therapeutic method.”Nobel now has three certificates as a Pilates instructor. She has taught at the University of Washington as an adjunct faculty member, the Jacobs School of Music as a dance instructor and now runs Bodycenter Bloomington, where Pilates and massage are used to treat chronic pain. “An interesting fact is that Pilates are named after their designer, Joseph Pilates,” Coleman said. “Melissa has trained with his son.”Nobel said she plans to use the time to explain the theory and practice of Pilates as well as demonstrate its various exercises. – Derrick Naylor
(10/26/11 2:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Dennis James was a child, his father told him about a silent film performance of “Phantom of the Opera” and how the sound of the organ made the experience. Years later, as an IU undergraduate student, James played the organ score to that same film before an audience. James had originally printed 400 tickets for the screening, but 4,000 students showed up. The 1969 performance launched James’ career as an organist.On Thursday, James will return to IU once again to accompany the silent horror film “Phantom of the Opera” at the IU Auditorium.“We still have a number of people that have been attending my shows since 1969,” James said. ”It’s a fond way of looking back for people in the community.”IU Auditorium Director Doug Booher has seen James’ performances become a tradition for the University during the Halloween season. “Each year, nearly 2,000 people arrive at the show, many in costume, to hear Dennis’ stories about his time at IU in the late 1960s and then watch the movie on the big screen,” Booher said. “You never know what IU professor or administrator might show up as their favorite historical figure or superhero.”James said he sees the show as much more than a Halloween tradition. He sees it as a way to keep the art of the silent film alive and relevant. “It’s an opportunity for students to view movies the way they were meant to be seen with the music they were actually meant to have,” James said.Though he plays the organ, James said it isn’t the instrument that creates the desired sound but the hands of the musician behind it.“The organ supplies the musical vehicle for authenticity,” James said. “You’re getting to hear how these movies were performed in their day through an informed historical player.”Adjunct Lecturer in Music Rika Asai explained what she believes makes James such an informed historical player.“James began his career when people from the silent era were still living,” Asai said. “So, he has a personal connection to the repertoire and the films.”Asai described James as a pivotal figure in the silent film revival.“I expect that the performance Thursday will be pivotal from a historical and entertainment prospective,” Asai said.James has developed a passion for what he believes silent films are all about. He said live performance is much more creative than sound film, as every performance can be a unique entity.“Sound film is something that is absolutely complete,” James said. “It’s already finished when it is presented, and every showing is a reproduction.”James spoke about the digital changes in sound film and how movies are now mostly viewed in the home and on portable devices. “All of these things are completely opposite of the idea of silent film,” James said. “The art of actually attending a live performance has been lost.”James said he felt strongly about the future of silent film and said he had reached “the highest levels” of his career.“It has been one of those fairy tale experiences to have a 43-year career doing what I set out to do from the beginning,” James said. James’ career plans were imagined when he was 14 years old. He encourages IU students to use their time wisely and discover their true passions.“It’s a fortunate thing to have an environment, such as IU, where you can set out a plan and then execute it successfully,” James said. “It was the perfect opportunity for me to realize my ambitions.”
(10/25/11 2:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Jazz Ensemble performed its fourth concert of the fall semester Monday in the Musical Arts Center. Their performance, lead by director David Baker, featured works by composers Nat Adderley, Benny Golson, Bill Holman and Dizzy Gillespie. Baker, a distinguished professor at the Jacobs School of Music, is now the topic of a new book, “David Baker: A Legacy in Music.” The book’s release will coincide with a concert and book signing on Nov. 6. Members of the ensemble rehearse three times a week for two hours at a time for each performance. Beyond that, students practice in sections on their own time, senior guitarist Joel Tucker said. “A lot of the preparation is on our own,” Taylor said. “We have to prepare a lot before rehearsals.”Tucker played a guitar solo during the concert’s opening piece, entitled “Work Song” by late jazz saxophone player Nat Adderley.“I’d have to say it is my favorite piece,” Tucker said. “It was rerecorded in the ’70s, so the sound is very electronic.”Senior Joseph Presnell was in the audience for the event and said it was “upbeat and smooth.” Between most songs for the evening, Baker spoke to the audience about each song’s history and even caused a good deal of laughter from the audience. The audience laughed when Baker, after attempting to explain the history of “Well you Needn’t” by Thelonious Monk, gave up and called it “too confusing to explain.”Baker allowed the ensemble to play on its own for much of the performance while under his watchful eye. The ensemble’s next performance will be at 8 p.m. Oct. 31 under the direction of Brent Wallarab. — Derrick Naylor
(10/24/11 1:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>An over-easy egg, a lady bug, a man with his bare buttocks exposed and a barefoot man with an afro wig ran through IU’s campus Saturday afternoon.These costumed figures were IU students participating in the Indiana Public Interest Research Group’s “Nightmare on 10th Street” event.The purpose of the event was to have a fun run around IU’s campus to raise money for Bloomington homeless shelters. “Fall and winter, especially, are hard times for a lot of people,” junior Kaylin Staley said. “If we have something to give, why not help out those less fortunate?”Staley, a member of INPIRG and coordinator for the event, said she saw the event as a fun opportunity to capture the Halloween spirit and allow people to show off their Halloween costumes around campus.Most people simply turned and stared as the costumed Hoosiers raced down 10th Street and through the Arboretum.Sophomore Joe Balio, the barefoot man, said he found the nearly one-mile path too exhausting to finish. He was one of the participants who didn’t cross the finish line.“I didn’t know I was going to be running against a bunch of track stars,” Balio said. “I didn’t think we were training for the Olympics here.” First place went to senior Dylan Baker.“I feel honored to take part in such an event,” Baker said. “It wasn’t the hardest race to win, but without the extra time I took to prepare, I probably wouldn’t have been able to win.”To enter the race, participants had to bring either canned foods or winter clothing to the starting point in the Arboretum. The goods collected by the group were donated to Middle Way House and New Hope Family Shelter in Bloomington. “People shouldn’t have to go wanting, especially during the holiday season,” Staley said. “I’m glad we could make a difference.”
(10/24/11 12:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Downtown Bloomington Café Django has become not only a restaurant but also a venue for jazz performance. The café, located across the street from the Monroe County Public Library at 116 N. Grant St., now features musical performances every weekend, which had been its goal during 14 years of business. Owner Linda Eversoll said when she first took control of with her husband last year, the café only featured music twice a month or so. “We were surprised how much talent is in Bloomington,” Eversoll said. “Musicians started coming to play here because of how nice they thought our acoustics were.” The restaurant and venue is mainly a jazz bar, but Eversoll said all musicians are welcome to play there. Pianist and IU student senior Tom Miller has played at Café Django but now works there as a waiter. “Playing here is very mellow and relaxing,” Miller said. “I usually play for the evening dinner crowd.”Eversoll said she believes getting to hear good music and enjoy the atmosphere is a good reason for young people to work at the café. Employee Chelsea Parkilla has worked there since May and said she enjoys the relationships she forms with the customers. “I feel like the customers here expect to be able to converse with the servers and not to have a dismal experience,” she said. “A lot of really interesting people come here.”Parkilla also stressed the quality of the food, which she said is some of the best food in town for its price range. Eversoll said she has already booked gigs through April 2012. Eversoll said she doesn’t want people to forget that the café’s main attraction is still its cuisine.“I want this place to be known by the food and for people to enjoy the talent,” she said. “I like when the food is good and the music is good.”
(10/20/11 3:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Master of Fine Arts candidate Amanda Lee said she could care less about making perfect art. She cares much more about the dialogue her work creates. Lee has been selected to showcase her newest art in the Fuller Projects venue, and her exhibit will feature printmaking and photography known as “A Solution of Silver of White Light.” “There was a long time in my life that I couldn’t really connect with people or feel the joy and gratitude that are the wonders of life,” Lee said. “Slowly, over time, that has been revealed to me again. This work is a celebration of that.”Lee’s work involves the use of two separate still video images. One uses her grandmother placing a star on her nose while the other involves a friend wearing a disco hat. “I’m trying to capture these really satisfying and joyful moments of human connection and create a connection between those people,” Lee said.As a graduate student, a teacher and a volunteer at Middle Way House and People and Learning Services, Lee admitted finding time to put together an exhibit wasn’t easy. She said it took the support of friends and faculty members.“Life is very full for me, but there are those moments when we have that extra challenge of pushing ourselves beyond what we are normally capable of,” Lee said. ”I think those are some of the most rewarding times in life.”Lee noted Professor of Art and Head of Printmaking Ed Bernstein as someone who has supported her art while she attended IU. “He is open to letting us be producing artists,” she said. ”He has encouraged me to really start putting my work out there.”Bernstein spoke highly of Lee’s potential and work ethic as an artist. He has worked with her since she joined IU’s MFA Printmaking program in 2009.“Amanda has used her knowledge of printmaking to make works based on her personal experiences related to place, family and memory,” he said. “She is a very articulate and passionate artist.”As an MFA candidate, Lee faces the challenges all students must soon face: finding a career and pursuing her own happiness. She expressed a passion for using art to pave her future.“We don’t get the opportunity to create many things anymore,” Lee said. “We think about them, we study them, but creating things is as vital as contemplating them.”Lee’s exhibit will be from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday at the Fuller Projects. The event, like all that are at the McCalla School, is free and open to the public. “I encourage conversation among students about art,” Lee said. “If they like my work, or if they think it’s crap, it should just bring people together.”
(10/17/11 12:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The main theme of the IU Art Museum’s newest gallery is that a work of art might have the power to spark a change in one’s political, social or cultural ideology, especially in times of war and revolution.The exhibit, titled “The Graphics of Revolution and War: Iranian Poster Arts,” shows images from the Islamic Revolution and Iran-Iraq War that intend to create such change, according to the exhibit guide.Iranian Poster Arts will be on display until Dec. 18. Perhaps more than any other moment in recent history, posters served as powerful modalities for mobilization and communication during these times, Assistant Curator Elizabeth Rauh said.The exhibit’s guest curator is Professor Christiane Gruber of the University of Michigan. She was present Friday at the exhibit’s opening ceremony and gave a lecture about the art’s history.“As far as I know, this is the first major showing of this art in the United States,” Gruber said. These posters follow a period of time in which anti-government protestors in Iran sought to move and inspire those around them, according to the exhibit guide.“One thing remains clear,” Gruber said. “All of these uprisings relied on mass and social media to disseminate a number of messages that state particular ideological messages in the name of freedom.” The exhibit contains a wide variety of posters. Some are violently graphic, depicting the deaths of rebels and other revolutionary leaders. Others are humorous, such as “The Corrupt Carter,” a 1979 caricature of former President Jimmy Carter. Gruber’s lecture told the story of years of protest in Iran. She said she believes the posters acted as a reminder of the reasons to fight toward revolution.“It was not just about religion,” Gruber said. ”It was about nationality and a desire to survive.” The posters were lent to the art museum by the Special Collections Research Center of the University of Chicago Library. The event is part of IU’s “Themester 2011: Making War, Making Peace.”“Iranian posters historicized events as they unfolded, commemorating and preserving the recent past, the ever-changing present and the unknown future,” Rauh said.
(10/11/11 12:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A complex piece of art, nearly impossible to decipher with the naked eye, told the story of coal’s history in the United States. “The True Cost of Coal,” a narrative illustration brought to IU by the Beehive Collective, sat in the Collins LLC courtyard Monday night. “This event took a lot of planning, and we hope that it will make a difference in the lives of future IU students,” Coal Free IU President Megan Anderson said. Free Culture at Indiana University sponsored the event in an effort to reduce coal usage by IU’s Central Heating Plant.Members of the collective spent three months traveling through the Appalachian Mountains, gathering stories and narratives from local citizens to create the piece. The entire project took three years to complete.Students gathered around the courtyard as members of the collective, who use “Bee” as their last names to work anonymously, explained the details of coal’s history. The group explored the foundations of coal usage, the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the incidence mountaintop removal.Tyler Bee explained how coal companies harm lands with their use of mountaintop removal and disturb the natural order of the world through this practice.“These companies have no regard for the people who live there,” Tyler Bee said. “Their machines shake the grounds and pollute the air with toxins.”Another member of the collective, Nikki Bee, went on to note that those same pollutants will remain in Bloomington’s air as long as IU continues to be powered by a coal plant. “Every breath you take, whether walking to class or having lunch with your friends, contains dangerous pollutants from coal,” she said. The event took place at night, with only the lighting behind the artwork keeping it visible. Viewers of the mural gathered around the campfire-like setting, some of whom, like sophomore Chris Wiesler, were interested in improving the University’s energy usage.“It’s very important that we get this progressive university to change its ways,” Wiesler said. “This affects the health of every IU student trying to get an education here.”Beyond the art exhibit, members of CFIU offered free hair screenings for mercury to all who attended. They sold patches, posters and buttons in support of their goal. They also encouraged students to sign a petition encouraging President McRobbie to commit to finding renewable energy sources.“Nothing is going to change around here until it is the students and the community that step forward and do something,” Wiesler said.
(10/10/11 1:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Beehive Design Collective, an organization committed to activism through art, will be making its way to Bloomington today. The group has spent the last two years preparing to show the world “The True Cost of Coal.”The event, sponsored by Coal Free IU, is part of a nationwide campus movement known as “100 Actions for 100% Clean Energy.” Coal-burning campuses across the nation will perform actions in support of clean energy for the movement.“People need to come to this event to get educated about how burning coal is affecting our health, our environment and our future,” Coal Free IU President Megan Anderson said. The demonstration will explore the dangers of mountaintop removal, coal mining and the broader impact of coal in the Appalachian Mountains and across the world.“We’re trying to show that coal use has more effects than those that are usually associated with it,” CFIU Treasurer Novella Shuck said. “It has a lot more to do with our health and hits much closer to home.”Before the event, CFIU will place an 18-foot asthma inhaler in Dunn Meadow from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is meant to demonstrate the effect pollution from IU’s Central Heating Plant, powered by Duke Energy, has on local public health. “It’s important that the campus comes together as a community and shows strong support for moving our campus away from coal use,” Anderson said. “A lot of people don’t even know that we have a coal plant on our campus.”CFIU has worked for the promotion of renewable energy sources in various ways, including demonstrations, fundraisers and community action. The student organization financed the installation of eight solar panels at the Indiana Memorial Union earlier this year. “We are definitely interested in energy efficiency and any other projects related to renewable energy,” Anderson said. About 30 percent of childhood asthma is caused by pollutants from coal, according to the American Lung Association. Coal is responsible for 550 deaths and 870 heart attacks in Indiana each year. Anderson said she believes the Beehive’s demonstration will help bring this issue to students’ attention.“It’s very interactive and a unique way to demonstrate the story of coal from beginning to end,” Anderson said.Shuck stressed the importance of student involvement in furthering the organization’s goals. She said she believes unless public interest in diminishing coal use swells, nothing will change at the University.“Participating in this event shows that we, as students, care about our environment and want to actively improve it,” Shuck said.
(10/04/11 12:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The future of Jake’s Nightclub will include turntables, dancing and a completely revitalized social scene, at least if senior Derrick Cowit has anything to say about it. Cowit plans to revitalize the scene at Jake’s with The Best College DJ Competition, where DJs from all over IU’s campus will showcase their talents and compete for a Spring Break getaway.“It has all developed off the premise of re-branding the image of Jake’s Nightclub,” Cowit said. “A few years ago it was my favorite bar. It was better than any of the frat parties I had been to. But it just slowly went downhill.” DJs for the competition will come from all different walks of life at IU. Cowit has already heard from DJs in fraternities, students in the Jacobs School of Music and a number of international students.“There are all these DJs at our school, but they have no place to showcase their talents,” Cowit’s partner in planning the event, senior Jon Stein said.Freshman Adam Howaniec, also known as DJ Portside, said he hopes to compete in the competition.“I feel like this is a good opportunity for DJs to have their music heard, especially with it being on the Internet,” Howaniec said. “People will hear our music just because they are interested in the competition.”Cowit said he hopes to see a consistently rising attendance on Friday nights at Jake’s by featuring some of Bloomington’s best DJs every week.“Knowing that Kilroy’s is one of the most successful bars in the country and just down the road, we’re trying to revamp Jake’s and provide a club dance experience,” Cowit said.Cowit said he believes there are few places in town to truly enjoy a good dance scene. “Not only am I waiting in that long line to get in the bar, once you get to the dance floor it’s packed wall to wall,” Cowit said.Cowit is no stranger to the music entertainment scene in Bloomington. He was partially responsible for bringing rapper Wiz Khalifa to IU for Little 500, Lil’ Wayne’s after party at Jake’s and several GlowFest events in past semesters.“Using social media is probably the best way to showcase this,” Cowit said. “It is the easiest way to get your talents out in the open.”The competition is sponsored by Campus Socialite, a lifestyle blog for college students, and winners will be selected on Oct. 9.DJs wishing to sign up for the competition must post their mix to the Jake’s Party House fan page on Facebook. A DJ’s work must receive at least 50 likes to be chosen to compete.“We’ve reached out to so many groups of people,” Stein said. “It’s going to be a truly diversified event.”
(10/04/11 12:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Some students throw house parties in their homes. Others use their homes to start their own independent businesses.Seniors Brant Craft, Jordan Borders, Ian Lemberg and Jake Woodring have spent the past two years transforming their house into the fully operational Free World Recording studio.“It’s basically a music breeding ground,” Craft said.The basement of their house is divided into four recording rooms, known individually as “Control Room,” “Writers Room,” “The Drum Room” and “The Booth.”The entire business is run by students, and every aspect of it was created or envisioned by students.“The guy who designed our website, the guy who designed our logo and the girl who designs posters for us are all students,” Craft said. “We’ve drawn in a lot of student resources.”Each room contains equipment the group believes rivals the quality of any other professional recording studio around. Profits are used to buy even more new equipment, Borders said.Free World Recording is open to all genres of music and encourages any type of music that is out of the ordinary. “Everyone in this house has a completely different interest in music,” Borders said. “Everyone had a different style and when brought together, it turned out pretty good.”The group has mostly recorded with local and student artists, a variety of singer-songwriters and even a Korean rapper.The commitment required to run a business and be a college student has put the group into some tough situations, though.“We’re all students, and most of the people we record with are students too,” Craft said. “That can make our schedules pretty hectic.”Still, the group said they persist, driven by a passion for recording music and providing a way for local musicians to further their careers.“I was never sure that we would ever make any money,” Craft said. “But I was full sails ahead because it was something that we’re all interested in.” As a house full of seniors, Free World Recording must now find a new group to carry on its legacy. “We’ve been talking to some underclassmen about taking over here,” Craft said. “Since we’ve put our blood, sweat and tears into this we would hate to see it dissolve completely.” The group is also looking to include some students from the music school in studio sessions, wherever their particular talents are requested, Borders said.“I think we’ve all been surprised at how good of a time college is to start a business and how much you can benefit from it,” Craft said.
(09/28/11 2:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Students and Bloomington residents walking down Kirkwood Avenue on Tuesday afternoons have been treated to a variety of free music concerts all summer long. Now that fall has arrived, the Tuesday Lunch Concert Series prepares for its final show in Peoples Park. “It provides a unique opportunity to hear local music at a time you wouldn’t normally hear it,” Program Coordinator Bill Ream said. “And it’s free.”The series, which is funded by the City of Bloomington’s Parks and Recreation Department, seeks to pull the general public back into the downtown area. Ream has noticed during the years that the one thing he can never predict about the performances is attendance. “We may have anywhere from 20 to 200 people show up,” Ream said. “We never know.”Bob and Audrey Kerr, a couple visiting Bloomington from England, heard the sounds of the Creek Dogs performing Tuesday while taking some time for lunch. “We passed by, going for a late lunch, and we decided to sit here and enjoy it,” Bob Kerr said. His wife, while enjoying the music, said she was most taken by the atmosphere the concert created. “We’ve been regular visitors to Bloomington, but we didn’t know about Peoples Park,” Audrey Kerr said. “There are children here as well as a variety of people, and it is just great.”Ream chooses the performance artists once they have submitted an application. This year, the series included a variety of genres such as blues, folk, rock and classical. Although the concerts are midweek and in a small park, Ream said great opportunity still lies in the chance to perform.“It lets us give some local exposure to the artist,” Ream said. “Some of the artists that play here go on to larger stages and get more notoriety.”Sound technician Chris Ramsey has been working sound for the concerts for the past 10 years. He said he believes the best part of what he is doing is creating performance opportunities for local artists.“The park tries to maintain a focus on booking acts that wouldn’t primarily be playing in the clubs,” Ramsey said. “It brings a wider array of music to wider audiences. It’s similar to the efforts of Lotus Fest, but where theirs is a large festival at one time, this is a smaller effort spread over a long period of time.”The Tuesday Lunch Concert Series will have its final concert of the season at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 4 at Peoples Park. This final musical act of the season will feature Americana accordion player David Wierhake.
(09/27/11 3:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Musical Arts Center was filled with the sounds of traditional European culture and American elements when conductor Manny Laureano led the IU Concert Ochestra on Sunday. Laureano, the principal trumpet and assistant conductor for the Minnesota Orchestra, was the guest conductor for the evening.“He’s been doing this for a long time, and he has a great wealth of experience working with young people,” Executive Administrator of Instrumental Ensembles Thomas Wieligman said. “We’re glad to have him here.”Laureano is no stranger to the Jacobs School of Music. He was first asked to conduct the University Orchestra in September 2010. When asked to return this year, Laureano was eager to accept. “I knew that Indiana had a great music school, but I didn’t understand how great it was,” Laureano said. “What makes it great is the level of preparation the students go through.”The Concert Orchestra treated the audience to three pieces, the first being “Cuban Overture” by George Gershwin. The second selection was a piece composed by IU’s own conductor David Dzubay, titled “sun moon stars rain.” The piece, whose name comes from a poem by e.e. Cummings, is divided into four different seasons.“I still think of him as a young composer,” Wieligman said. “But his music is being played by orchestras around the world.”The final piece, “Enigma Variations” by Edward Elgar, has aged more than a century. It has become a staple of the orchestra’s repertoire, Wieligman said.Laureano’s work with the concert orchestra left a lasting impression on not only Elgar but the students as well. Junior cellist Joseph Tatum reflected on the roughly 14-hour rehearsal the orchestra spent with the conductor.“It was a wonderful experience working with a conductor outside the music school,” Tatum said. “Each conductor brings new energy, and it was enjoyable working with him.”As Laureano returns to his duties with the Minnesota Orchestra, the students in the Jacobs school will carry on what they learned from their time with him. “Everybody is excited to play. Everybody wants to work,” Laureano said of the concert orchestra. “That is a wonderful thing to see at their level.”