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(07/25/02 8:23pm)
"Warning: Watch For Falling Objects From Tree" is written on a sign tied around a Red Oak tree in Brown's Woods. Passersby who look up can see a wood flat covered with a blue tarp at the top of the 50-foot tree.\nIt was windy and cold early Monday afternoon as 19-year-old Tracy McNeely looked down from the platform and saw two men examining the area below her.\n"I live in solitude with the trees!" she shouted to the men. "Any development here will endanger my life!"\nMcNeely climbed up to the platform early Thursday morning and doesn't plan to come down until developers freeze their plans for the 54-acre woodland area on the west side of town.\nShe took a sleeping bag, five layers of clothes, non-perishable food items, a cell phone and a small stove. But McNeely has only had to cook twice because friends and community members have brought her warm food on a daily basis. \nSince age 10, McNeely has been traveling around the country attending environmental conferences with her mother. For five months, she participated in a tree sit in Oregon, which is still in progress and will celebrate its three-year anniversary this May. \nDevelopers have not been able to build in that Oregon forest, but in Bloomington developers plan to begin construction of new apartment buildings in Brown's Woods this summer.\nBill Brown, the owner of the woodland adjacent to Basswood Apartments, has contracted Indianapolis-based developer Herman and Associates to build 17 two-story apartments for moderate-income families.\nMcNeely said she doesn't think the woods are the best property for this project.\n"The city says they chose this area because of its location, but it's hard to be low-income here," McNeely said. "The stores are far away, and the bus only runs twice a day."\nDonna McNeely, who has been camping out in Brown's Woods, said that she supports her daughter's efforts and that she believes low-income housing is an important issue the city needs to address.\n"They can renovate existing homes and buildings instead of paving new ones," Donna McNeely said. "This is an urban sprawl issue, and we need to protect Mother Earth."\nBrown's Woods has been zoned a multi-family residential area since 1973, and Tom Micuda, the city's director of planning, said the zoning was ratified in 1995 without a protest. \n"After walking through the property I fully understand the site is sensitive for development," Micuda said. "In order to build, precautions must be taken."\nMicuda said 15 of the 54 acres have sinkholes and steep slopes and will be set aside from development.\nJeff Kittle, vice president of Herman and Associates, said that the group is excited about the project and that its organization has met all applicable environmental regulations. He said the firm would deal with McNeely's tree sit professionally when construction starts.\n"We have been working on this project for over a year," Kittle said. "Last fall was to look at the issue (of protesting), and we are past that. We have financing and the mayor's full support."\nNo legal action has been taken against McNeely so far. Monroe County Sheriff Steve Sharp said McNeely was advised with a warning for trespassing Monday morning. He said it is up to Brown to press charges.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
WASHINGTON -- It took Hooshmand Yazdani half an hour to get his F-1 student visa at the American Embassy in Iran. \nThat was 1969. \nToday, 32 years later, Yazdani is an American citizen and the owner of Nomad's Kitchen in Washington. He sits at a table in his restaurant with a worried look on his face. He is concerned about the future of Iranian students wanting to study in the United States.\n"There is a lot of talk about new immigration legislation," Yazdani said. "(The Immigration and Naturalization Service) is going to make it a whole lot more difficult. They will have more control and more screenings."\nAfter the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, some are concerned about immigration control becoming more stringent, especially for those people from the Middle East. \nDon Chadwick, an immigration attorney in Chicago, said the INS will push for careful screenings of green card applicants from target countries like Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Palestine and Pakistan.\n"If their home country is completely against the United States, the applicant has a high chance of denial," Chadwick said. "But this action has to come with acts of Congress. If Afghanistan declares a Holy War against the United States, Congress can decide to deny residency to people from that country."\nDenyse Sabagh, a Washington attorney specializing in immigration law at Duane Morris law firm, said some residents of Middle Eastern decent could be facing deportation. \n"If the INS thinks they share information or have a connection with terrorist activity, and they have a pending application or a green card, then they are not protected."\nMany immigration advocates are also worried about the future of international students studying in the United States. According to data collected by the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers, during the 1999-2000 academic year, 514,723 international students studied in the United States making the country the leading destination of international students. \nRuth Miller, associate director of international services at IU, said depending on what happens with the continued threats of terrorism, international study in the United States may be greatly affected. \n"The United States will be more careful about which students they will let into the country to study," Miller said.\nThere has also been some anti-Arab sentiment across the country resulting in harassment in the recent weeks. The harassment has been directed at students from the Middle East or at people who look like they are Muslim. \n"Students (from the Middle East) feel very sorry for what happened on Sept. 11," Miller said. "It's not their fault, but they feel very bad because people think their home countries did that."\nAfter the attacks, there have been reported cases of hate crimes toward people who look like from they are from the Middle East or who look Muslim. Fanta Aw, director of international student services at American University, said the anti-Arab sentiment is very dangerous.\n "People are trying to find immediate solutions, but identifying and profiling Middle Easterners is not a solution," Aw said. "As soon as you identify people on what they look like in a country of immigrants, it is problematic."\n Americans may also be afraid of international students because they believe they will stay in the United States after their studies, Aw said. There is a tendency for students coming from poor countries to remain here, but 99 percent of Middle Eastern students go back home after graduation. Most of these students don't even take advantage of the one-year optional practical training the INS offers them as a precursor to part time working permits.\nIn 1996 the INS proposed a national foreign student tracking system known as CIPRIS. But due to a lack of funding and manpower, the tracking system was uneffective. \nAfter recent events, the INS is planning to implement a new tracking system, Aw said. Universities will have to report to the INS when students enroll at their institution and when they graduate. This way the INS will know where the students are. \nAw said this tracking system doesn't solve the immigration problem. People who come to the U.S on visitor visas still remain untracked. Many of these people stay here illegally after their visas expire.\nBefore the attacks, President George W. Bush was proposing new immigration laws and working permits for some illegal immigrants. These plans are now on hold.\n"There is a need for these workers, and politics are getting in the way," Aw said. "Amnesty is not for charity, there is a need. There is no industry that hasn't benefited from foreigners advancing their industry."\nRep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., has been working on passing amnesty laws which would make millions of illegal immigrants permanent residents. \nBilly Weinberg, press secretary for Gutierrez, said they believe offering amnesty would benefit everyone and that they will continue with the immigration effort. \n"Immigrants feel as if they are Americans, and like most people, they feel the effects of the attack on their adopted country," Weinberg said. "Immigrants made constructive contributions before and after Sept. 11. We believe immigration is important in the healing process of this country."\nHooshmand Yazdani died of a heart attack one week after granting the IDS this interview.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
They want to battle racism hoping it will bring love and peace to the world. They are learning about the hardships that face humanity, but they still believe goodness is possible. They are the students attending Harmony School in Bloomington and they range in age from five to 18. They are the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr.\nWhile most schools have the day off and young children might be outside playing, Harmony students were gathered in the gymnasium early in the morning listening to Steve Bonchek, director of Harmony school, who everyone calls Roc, talk about how young people can step up and give meaningful contributions to society. \nBonchek, wearing a green plaid shirt and black jeans sat in the front of the gymnasium talking into the microphone. He looked out at the 200 students seated on the hard wood floor who are listening intently to the words he speaks. They don't look bored or tired. \n"Ask yourself 'how can I make a difference?'" Bonchek urged. "Think of something you'd like to do to make the world a better place."\nHe recalled a saying he heard on a radio show a couple days ago.\n"Run towards social justice and equality," Bonchek said to his students. "If you can't run, then walk. And if you can't walk, then crawl. All of us are capable of crawling."\nAfter the speech is over, students quickly and orderly disperse into their groups. A teacher doesn't have to line them up and try to get their attention. They simply know what to do. About 60 high school students remain in the gymnasium to listen to a panel discussion on civil liberties, while the elementary students go upstairs to watch documentary videos on child labor. \nThe panelists include IU professor Steve Russell, IU senior Rima Kapitan, Jeff Melton (Green Party - 9th District) and Lt. Cornell Carl Wayne Pollard. They addressed the students about King, and what they could do individually to protect civil liberties. \n"MLK's victory is incomplete," Pollard said. "If we continue to look at prominent people it will never get done. Most of you have 60 to 70 years left. You are the people."\nKapitan, who also writes for the IDS, encouraged the students to be curious and to question government.\n"The constitution doesn't work by itself -- the people have to force it," she said. \nUpstairs, elementary students are spread out on the carpeted floor of a classroom watching a documentary on child labor in India and the story of a 12-year-old boy who started an organization trying to protect the children. Several teachers are seated on the floor with the children and lead discussion. Some children sit on the couches while others lay on top of long tables. \nA young boy who is seated in the front raises his hand.\n"Is he still alive?" he asks.\n"He is," Michelle Mattoon says, one of the teachers leading the discussion.\nShe goes on to talk more about the situation of child labor.\nThe boy raises his hand one more time.\n"Are the children he freed still OK?"\n"We don't know," Mattoon replies. \nThe students continue to listen to their teacher with fear and concern in their eyes.\n"How would you guys feel working for 12 hours a day at the age of eight?" Mattoon asks.\nNo answer.\nAfter a while the teachers all get up and encourage the kids to stretch.\n"Everyone hang down," Mattoon said enthusiastically. "Stretch to the left, and stretch to the right!" Kids quickly get on their feet and all of their hands go up in stretch. \nAfter the documentary the children have a choice of either making up a dance to a rap video on social justice, or to watch another documentary.\nThe teachers try to get volunteers for the dancing.\n"Come on dancers, let's go for some moon walking and busting the moves," Scott Evans, one of the teachers, said, laughing. "I have a pair of parachute pants you can borrow."\nAfter some persuasion, several students volunteer to choreograph the dance. \nBill McCormick is the third and fourth grade teacher at Harmony, and he said the school is about giving its students choices. Many of the activities of the school focus on social action and non-violence. Throughout the year the students have been learning about King.\n"We wanted our kids to have a background on MLK," McCormick said. "Today isn't the first time they are hearing about it."\nIt's McCormick's first year with Harmony and he said it is different from most schools. For starters they don't give formal letter grades. And they address their teachers by their first names. Written evaluations are given for each child. Students also have an ample amount of opportunities for social interaction, which McCormick said brings along problems that the students learn how to solve.\n"From what I have seen it's worked very well," he said. "It's an organic approach to doing things."\nBack at the panel discussion one hour later, the high school students asked the panelists questions about civil liberties. Criminal justice professor Steven Russell was impressed by them. \n"I thought they asked excellent questions and they had strong personalities," Russell said. "Young people are our future. Right now I can be a judge if I wanted to, but I'd rather be teaching because it is more important."\nKathy Boone, the fifth and the sixth grade teacher, was excited about the day's events. She said she hoped kids will realize they can commit themselves to something even if it's one step.\n"Long walks begin with one step," she said laughing. "And the kids can conceive something concrete in their minds."\nBoone said the reactions of the students to King's message vary.\n"My students didn't realize what MLK was up against," she said. "They were shocked and horrified after watching some of the documentary videos. They were also very impressed by the power of young students in the movement and their lack of fear."\nIn the afternoon, all students split into smaller groups for discussions ranging from women's rights to Kenya to racism. Again, the students chose which event they attended.\nThe National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Monroe County chapter President Clarence W. Gilliam and his wife Frances E. Gilliam led a group of 11 students in a discussion on equality, segregation and shared their stories of their own struggle and accomplishments. They sat in front of the circle wearing suits. Clarence had a cast on one of his hands. \nThe students listened quietly to the Gilliams, but they quickly raised their hands as questions arose in their minds. \n"All people should have equal rights," Clarence said. "Once you understand your rights you are --"\nBut before he can finish a young girl with several braids in her hair interrupts.\n"Someone new is here, and her name is Amy," she said.\nThe Gilliams looks at Amy who has just entered the room. She is a very young, quiet girl. They say hello to her, and the teacher thanks the other girl for introducing Amy.\nOne of the Harmony teachers who is also in the discussion tells the children about her own schooling experience. \nA young boy named Tyler Whitehead raises his hand.\n"Did you see any black kids when you went to school?"\n"No, not many, there were very few of them," the teacher replied.\nClarence talked about how Bloomington has changed so much over the years. He looks at each child as he is speaking. \n"Bloomington has changed tremendously over the years concerning the communication between races," he said. "There is more respect for each other. Now we get along with each other. We are more alike than we are different."\nThe teacher added final words to the discussion.\n"Today we're talking about little changes we can all do," she said. She looks at the Gilliams. "They have done things in their life for students and that is why we are all here together under one school."\nWhitehead gets a curious look on his face and raises his hand one more time. \n"When is it going to be time for lunch?" he asked. \nThe teacher smiles.\n"Well we are going to be taking a break right now. But I thought you had another profound question."\nThe children laugh.\n"Well I do," Whitehead said, smiling and inching up on his seat.\n"When a black person and a white person have a kid what color is it?" he asked. \nFrances explained that it is a blend of the two colors.\nAfter the discussion, like many of the other guest speakers, the Gilliams were very impressed with the students.\n"They seem very fond of each other and they realize that they are different but the same," Frances said. "This is very good. Maybe we are doing something right. I think there is hope for the races because of young teachers and these kids. They don't have this buildup that older people have"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Kenya is a country of contradictions. According to the Center for Disease Control, 2.2 million people suffer from HIV, but the people of Kenya are striving for AIDS education to improve their conditions. Some schools might not have little things like chalk, but these children still have something more important, a passion for learning. There might be despair in their land and there may be diseases like malaria that kill the innocent every day, but people still smile at each other on the streets. \nIn Kenya, violence exists just like it does in any other country. \nThere are some people who visit Kenya and experience brutal violence. But then there are people who come into the country and are treated as if they are family or even royalty. \nThese are the realities. Good and bad. No matter what the outcome is, three IU seniors majoring in special education are going to Kenya this summer to teach and to embrace cultural differences. \nBecause inside each of them burns a passion for teaching.\nLindsey Danisch\nTwenty-one-year-old Lindsey Danisch drives home after a day of student teaching at Bloomington North High School. As she steers her car through the back alley shortcuts, she pulls a strand of her burgundy hair and tucks it behind her ear. \n"Today I gave the kids a test in geography and almost all the students [either] got D minuses or got F's," she says as she parks her car in front of her house. "Next time we are gonna go in and tell them we have another test, and we will change the way we review. If they show steps to improve and they want to get better grades, we'll throw the last test grade out."\nDanisch walks into her house with a confident walk. A big red backpack with J.L. Walters written across it in black marker is hung behind her shoulder. She is wearing khaki pants and a deep purple sweater. Her stride makes loud sounds as she walks across her hardwood living room floor and tosses her school bag on the floor. She sits on her cream-colored futon and checks her voicemail.\nShe always wanted to be a teacher. Perhaps watching her parents, who are both high school teachers, wake up every morning after many years of teaching and still have a great sense of enthusiasm for teaching has made her want to teach.\nHer face lights up with the mention of teaching in Kenya. This summer she will go to Kenya with Jamie Richie and Autymn Sublette. They will be pioneers as they become the first women from IU to teach in Kenya. For the past two years, the girls have been learning about the country through the IU Overseas Projects. The teaching in Kenya is unstructured and the girls will visit elementary schools as well as high schools. They will help out where they are needed. \nDanisch says she has always been interested in learning about other cultures. Her grandmother was born in what is now the Republic of Congo, and for the first 13 years of her life African heritage was all she knew. Danisch decided to teach in Kenya because to her it was the most Peace Corps-like experience. \n"I wanted to have the most cultural experience possible before I step into a classroom," she says. "I thought it would be neat to step into the classroom with a third world experience behind me."\nFor a long time she wanted to be a special education teacher because she always wanted to know what went on in the minds of kids. She was curious to find out what motivated kids to learn. \n"As a teacher, it is too easy to expect me to stand and lecture and give a test and do it all over again," Danisch says with a laugh. "It seems boring to me. My mom works with kids who are in special education and they are neat kids."\nDanisch says she always did well in school, even though she recalls times when she struggled. But with the help of her mother she discovered how to solve her challenges with reading and spelling. Today, her struggles have become her assets.\nShe says she hates labels because there is too much stigma that goes along with them -- especially in special education. For Danisch it doesn't matter if a student has a learning disability. She just wants to know what students struggle with in school so she can help them find a way to learn. She admits that she doesn't know everything she needs to know in the content of the subjects she teaches. \n"Really what special education prepares you for is how to be a good teacher," Danisch says. "Once I learn information I know how to convey it and I know how kids learn best. Am I great at grammar? No. Are my algebra and calculus skills great? Probably not. But you can learn subjects, but it's a lot harder to learn how to be a good teacher."\nDanisch is excited for the challenges she will face in Kenya and the experiences she will encounter.\n"Now I may have challenges like not having chalk to write with, but they do have schools and electricity, and some computers. I don't want to have the cliche that everyone is running around without shoes. Education is a high priority for these people. There is a respect for teachers."\nAccording to an educational packet called "Culture Briefing Kenya 2000" put out by the Getravel Research Center, education has consistently been the highest single expenditure in Kenya's government budget. Today there is a 69 percent literacy rate. \nChild labor is common in Kenya, but according to an article titled "Children and Kenya," national enrollment of students in primary schools in 1991 was at 95 percent. \nMost students know three or four languages. Swahili is the national language in Kenya, and by the time students are in third grade they are fluent in English. \n"I want to teach these kids that education is a good time and together we can figure it out," Danisch says. "I'm excited to do sports with them, and I think it will be neat to be a female teacher and go out to play with them."\nDanisch says she isn't scared for her safety while she is in her village. \n"AIDS in Kenya is booming," she says. "It's going to be all around me and that is a fear. A kid may scrape his elbow and I have to put on gloves to help them. There is a possibility I may contract AIDS. But students who are in my school right now might have AIDS. I think there is a choice. There is a choice to not be sexually active while in Kenya. There is a choice to put on the gloves and take precautions."\nDanisch and the girls will be staying with Rev. Reuben Lubanga while they are in Kenya. They will stay in a mud house, and will be living without electricity or running water. Danisch is excited even though she is scared of the unknown when it comes to Third World countries.\n"I might go and get my luggage and see Reuben and it will be all hugs and kisses," Danisch says firmly. "But I may go there and get knocked over and get beaten up. There are rapes and these things do happen. If it's my time, it's my time. I have been studying about Kenya and preparing for this for the past two years. This is the risk I am willing to take."\nShe takes out a folder and takes out her international certification of vaccination. So far she has gotten her Hepatitis A, B, yellow fever and polio shots. She is scared of insects because she thinks they are a little creepy. \nKenya is the first challenge Danisch will face as a new teacher. But it won't be her last one. To her this challenge is welcomed because she is confident in what she knows.\n"I am confident in my knowledge of different types of learning," Danisch says. "I don't think I'm teaching false information. I am confident that I am open to listening to others. I think I am an OK person." \nJamie Richie\nJamie Richie was only in fifth grade when she first thought she wanted to become a teacher. One day she came home from school, looked at her mother, and said, "I want to be on the other side of the desk."\nThe primitiveness of Kenya is initially what drew Richie to the program. She wanted to experience life without the materialistic possessions. Even if that meant living without electricity and running water. \nHer parents don't quite understand why she chose Kenya over any other country she could have gone to. \n"Since it's my financial responsibility they don't have control over it," Richie says. "But they feel better about it now after they got their questions answered at the information seminars. Before (the seminar) they were confused."\nEven though Richie may have been apprehensive about the journey, knowing Stallone Lubanga, Rev. Lubanga's son, has made her feel better. He is a freshman at IU. \n"He makes me feel so much better about going," she says with a smile. "He tells me 'they're gonna love you and you are going to be great.' He is very sweet natured and very kind -- so that's been a big help."\nEven though the cultural barriers in Kenya may be hard to cross, Richie is determined to try. \n"All humanity is the same," she says. "We have the same wants. If I feel lonely and detached, I will have to come back to what is really important."\nRichie is a spiritual young woman. She says her Catholic faith will help her while she is in Kenya. She is excited about staying with Rev. Lubanga and attending his Sunday masses. \n"I love mass, and I love how you can go anywhere in the world and it is the same," Richie says with a big smile. "And being there and having that on Sundays will be a gift."\nFor Richie, her biggest challenge in life is to see the goodness in people regardless of who they are. She feels it is her responsibility to give back to the community. Her school is a place where young kids can be shut down or built up. She is determined to be the voice to help them feel great about themselves. Being involved in special education is just one way she does that. \n"I feel a lot of kids in special education come up against barriers that the other general population of kids don't worry about," she says. "I am determined, positive and creative. I will say 'this is why you are cool.'"\nRichie doubted teaching before last summer when she spent her time in Rochester, N.Y. with the Sisters of Saint Joseph. She worked with refugee kids from across the world, including inner city kids. This was an eye opening experience for her.\nEvery morning she woke up to prayer with the 50-year-old nuns, who she says she fell in love with. Her eyes ignite as she recalls her memories.\n"During the day we would go out with these kids who are different from me, and who are rough, and I'm like this Midwestern farm girl," she says with a giggle. "They made fun of me badly and I loved them even though they were hard to deal with."\nDuring the weekends she spent her time hanging out with the nuns. From them she learned to ask questions even if she couldn't find all the answers.\n"We would go to the beach with them and drink beer together," Richie says. "We didn't get drunk -- we'd have a beer. You know, they were nice nuns. We'd watch the sunset and talk about the big things in life. It was amazing."\nIn Kenya, Richie hopes to find peace and transcend barriers of culture, race, and gender. She hopes to see the true humanity of God and love. She says she will push for uniqueness and creativity with the children she is going to encounter. \n"I want these kids to know that people from outside of their culture care for them and think they are neat," Richie says. "What they have in Kenya is special and they need to preserve it."\nAutymn Sublette\nOne thing that drew Autymn Sublette to Kenya was how happy people there seemed to be. She wanted to be like them as she lived and adapted to their culture and society.\n"People here seem so sad," Sublette says. "We have the most resources but we are the saddest. I want to go to a country where they don't have everything but they are so happy."\nShe is excited to use nature and people as learning resources. Sublette is eager to teach the students of Kenya that learning is fun regardless of resources or circumstances. \nSublette decided to go into special education because she didn't like society's attitude towards people with disabilities. She thought the school system would be a good place to start an action for change. \n"If I can talk to students while they are young, I can help them break stereotypes they have about people with disabilities," she says. \nSublette didn't love school while she was growing up. Most of the time she didn't like her teachers, and the subjects seemed to bore her more than they interested her. That is why today her goal is to make school fun. \nAlso a very spiritual person, Sublette is attracted to the simplicity in life. \n"I'm going to Kenya because I wanted to be in a place that didn't have all these luxuries and novelties that we have," Sublette says. "I wanted to be in a place where it was simple. I am looking forward to not having a huge house and a car. It will be difficult living in a mud hut, but I'm looking forward to it."\nBut she does fear going to the bathroom at night in the dark, she says laughing. \nAs a person who is always on the go, Sublette says she will have to get accustomed to having free time at night in Kenya and getting used to being far away from her husband Jeremy. \nBut she says her faith is her life and it will get her through the challenges she will face in Kenya just like it got her through the challenges she faced as an adolescent.\nAfter graduating from high school, Sublette didn't think she would go to college. She was a drug addict. A year and a half later she decided to change and to seek help. She went to a church, and she says on that day she was saved. \n"My dad walked me to the altar because I was crying," Sublette says. "This was the first time I had gone to church, and I felt like a sinner."\nDuring the mass she saw a young man (who is now her husband) standing next to a couple of women and helping them sit in the pews. She had just gotten out of an abusive relationship and thought, "Why couldn't I be with someone like that?" Jeremy was there to sing a song for the church. After mass Sublette went up to him.\n"I just said, 'I know I don't know you but I need some help. I know you are my age, but none of my friends go to church. All my friends are druggies too.' And he said by being a Christian you can have fun but you have to separate those things."\nAfter corresponding with each other over letters Jeremy and Autymn soon started to date, and several months later they were married. \nHer experiences in life affect her teaching and reaching out to children. She says she never pushes anything on her students. Especially religion.\n"I never mention church to them, but some kids mention it to me," she says. "My own attitude is better after church."\nTeaching is a journey for Sublette. After Kenya she hopes to go and teach in Hungary. Her husband will accompany her for that trip.\nJeremy says one thing that separates Autymn from most people is her enthusiasm, and he says this will be her asset in her teaching career and her journey to Kenya.\n"She is very optimistic about whatever she engages in," Jeremy says. "She always carries joy and it spreads everywhere else. If you don't like joy, you can't be around her. They (the students) will grab a hold of her smile. She has a lot of compassion for what she does."\nStallone Lubanga says his family is excited about the IU women coming and staying with them in Kenya. His father Rev. Lubanga hosts many American students. He was crucial in starting a cooperative teamwork in education and medicine between the two countries. \nStallone says the girls will be crucial in the classrooms.\n"The students look at them as new people and they respect them because they know the new teachers are for them," Lubanga says. "There is a strong culture in Kenya with many different tribes and cultures. We are welcoming when we see a new person. We try to treat them like a king or a queen"
(02/01/01 4:04am)
Late nights when minors roam freely through the streets of Bloomington might soon come to an end. \nIndiana had a curfew law since U.S. District Judge John Tinder found the previous law to be unconstitutional in July. In his decision, he said the law didn't allow First Amendment activities and it didn't have adequate exceptions. \nMembers of the General Assembly are working on two bills to revise and revive the previous bill. \nSen. David Ford, R-Hartford City, is a co-author of one of the bills. Ford said he believes the new curfew bill will be passed after the revisions.\n"Juvenile crime is not the chief issue for this bill -- it's to protect minors," Ford said. "More than half of the minors caught for curfew violations are also committing alcohol and/or drug violations."\nAlthough Bloomington does not have a curfew restriction, Bloomington Police Department Captain Mike Diekhoff said the city had successfully enforced the previous curfew law, which he said helped to keep juvenile crime low.\nDuring the past five years, the juvenile crime index has decreased, said Doug Garrison, special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. \nSome Scholars and law enforcement officials disagree on the reasons why juvenile crime has decreased. \nEd McGarrell, associate professor of criminal justice, said it is difficult to assess whether the decrease in juvenile crime is related to curfew laws.\n"Even though curfew laws are enacted, it is up to the police to implement them and each city handles it differently," McGarrell said. \nFord said one of the goals of the curfew law is to protect youth from violence. McGarrell voiced the same opinion.\n"We are beginning to understand that the same kids who are getting in trouble with the law also have a high chance of being victims themselves," McGarrell said. \nSome civil rights activists criticize curfew laws because they believe the laws restrict personal freedom, McGarrell said. \nBut he said the courts recognize the government can regulate youth behavior. \nIn loco parentis is a law adapted from the British common law, which states the government can act in the place of a parent to restrict youth behavior. This law supported compulsory education requiring minors to enroll in school until a certain age, in most states requiring the completion of high school.\nEven when the state had a curfew law, each city enforced it differently. Ford said Indianapolis police did regular sweeps to catch minors violating curfew. Violators were taken to a designated center for screening.\n"In smaller communities, this doesn't happen because of the financial difficulties," Ford said. "Also, it is at the discretion of the police. We can't enforce all the law all the time."\nInsta-Poll, a survey conducted by The National League of Cities in February 2000, questioned 190 major and rural cities about the efficiency of their curfew laws. The study revealed 96 percent of the cities thought their laws were effective to combat juvenile crime and most of them didn't have a problem implementing curfew. According to the study, 85 percent of the cities reported that it didn't pose a significant cost. \nDonni Leboeuf, senior program manager officer of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention of U.S. Department of Justice, said community-based programs for youth has contributed to the reduction of crime. \n Leboeuf said curfew laws can only be successful if they are a collaborative effort in the city. She said there needs to be programs in the city working with youth as well as their families.\n She suggested schools, local police and social services should work together and in place programs for youths.\n "When a city puts a curfew ordinance with the linkage of services, they work," Leboeuf said.\n"But in cities where there is a curfew ordinance in place without the services the curfew law is not successful."\nIf a city has limits in funds, Leboeuf said they should look at the options within their city.\n"They could go to the faith-based community to open their doors to have a drop off center to work with the parents and the kids," she said. "In most communities, there is some type of social service through the town itself and through the non-profit sectors"
(01/18/01 5:03am)
Campus organizations often advertise their events on various IU bridges. But last weekend, someone spray painted vulgar words about raping and beating women over anti-rape messages on the North Jordan bridges. \nMany have not noticed the graffiti on the bridge. \nTodd Paddock, a graduate student and a sexual assault prevention presenter, said the lack of attention the graffiti received could be positive.\n "On the one hand, those messages are appalling. And on the other hand, how much attention do we want to give to immature and cowardly messages?" Paddock said. \nThe graffiti, which reads, "Rape Women Now," "It's OK To Beat A Woman" and "Cut It Out or We'll Cut It Off" covered the the bridge near Jordan Avenue and Law Lane. \nIU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger said his department does not know who is responsible for the graffiti.\n "At this point, this is an inactive case because there aren't any leads or information to follow up on," Minger said. "I don't have a reason to think more than one person did this. I can't see if the person felt a deep-rooted opinion, as the graffiti shows, or if it was just a joke in bad taste."\n Minger said one person had called the police department to report a complaint about the incident. The department contacted the University Control Center to have the bridge repainted. \nMany campus organizations paint on the bridges, and Dean of Students Richard McKaig said there is no policy for painting the bridges.\n "I don't know that there is a system for permission," he said. "It's kind of a campus tradition and student organizations do it, and they usually respect each other. We don't have a prohibition against it, and we don't have a policy for reserving it for certain groups." \nPaddock said the messages should not be dismissed and that the message on the bridge represents a group of people who do view women in a negative way.\n"Imagine being a (sexual or physical assault) survivor and walking that bridge. That message has an impact," Paddock said. "It makes them feel that they deserved what happened to them. That has to be a horrible feeling."\nDan Plew, a senior, said he hadn't seen the bridge.\n"If I walked by and just saw the word 'rape,' even from the corner of my eye, I would look at that and it would register in my mind," Plew said. "There's free speech and there's vandalism. I think whoever did that is trying to get attention"
(01/17/01 1:06am)
The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Monday meant many Bloomington businesses were closed and IU students didn't have to wake up early to attend classes. But for many, the holiday wasn't just a day in a long weekend. Instead, it was a time to put King's words into action.\nSince 1998, the IU and Bloomington communities have joined forces to create a weekend of service. Thousands of people participated in the weekend, "A Day On … Not A Day Off." Volunteers went to the 50 participating agencies and work sites to donate their time. This year, more than 400 people volunteered, said Darrell Ann Stone, associate director of student activities. \nThe participants also had a variety of events to attend. They ranged from a "Read Out" at the Monroe County Public Library to the Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration. In the past, many of the events have been geared toward adults, but this year several events were geared especially toward children.\nUnity Summit\nThe Black Student Union sponsored its fourth annual Unity Summit, a diversity workshop, Monday.\nThe event took place at the Indiana Memorial Union and featured skits about race relations, sexual orientation, sexual favoritism and hate crimes. About 50 students attended the workshop and had in-depth discussions about how to eliminate these problems.\nShaunette Byers, a junior and BSU president, said the event was successful.\n"I am very happy," Byers said. "It turned out well, and everyone was willing and able to give a very good discussion. We definitely gave people something to go home and think about."\nByers said one of the goals of the program was to enlighten people and make them look at various situations happening in today's society.\n"We're trying to gain unity," Byers said. "He (King) fought because he wanted us to be unified to stand together as brother and sister no matter what color we were. It's all about us coming together."\n"One Voice, Many People"\n"I wish everyone would get along." "Black and white shall live together in peace." "One world united by one man -- Martin Luther King."\nThese were some slogans children wrote to express their feelings about King's message on murals they created at La Casa Latino Cultural Center, 715 E. Seventh St.\nChildren of all ages gathered Monday at the center to express the accomplishments and the significance of King.\nGraduate student Siomara Valladares, graduate assistant for the center, said the center hoped this event would cater to children.\n"A lot of times the events that we provide on campus tend to target an older audience, and rarely are our children provided an opportunity to express their own ideas and thoughts," Valladares said.\nShe said the event was called "One Voice, Many People" because "One Voice" represents King and the "Many People" represents the many who share and want to carry on his dream.\nThis was the first year the center sponsored the event, and Valladares said she hopes it will continue next year. She said the center had a good response, and decided to extend the activity throughout this week. \nAt the end of the week, the slogans will be formed into one large mural to be displayed at the center. \nMartin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration\nMore than 300 people attended the Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration at the Bloomington Convention Center Monday.\nThe celebration recognized the volunteerism of Bloomington and the IU community. Rev. Michael Anderson said he thinks the successful weekend reflected the efforte of many different people.\n"We have all been working together for the past four years," Anderson said. "Planning efforts for this weekend started last summer. We are all willing to be honest with each other with things that need to change."\nMayor John Fernandez said he thinks the interaction between the IU and Bloomington communities is important.\n"The series of events around Dr. King brings the community together very well," Fernandez said. "The interactions of students working in the community are important to the growth of the community."\nFernandez said even though society has come a long way in the past few decades, there is still a lot of work to be done.\nStone said the weekend was an interactive experience that defined purpose and brought people together.\n"I hope this day is a beginning and not an end," Stone said. "You (students) continue to show us the dream of MLK. You show us we can build bridges and walk on them together"
(12/04/00 5:05am)
Although many students will sleep in Jan. 15, many students will wake up early and put Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream into action by volunteering.\nAs part of the Volunteer Students Bureau program, 23 groups of students have registered so far to work Jan. 13 or Jan. 15 -- Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- helping area nonprofit agencies or community groups.\nDarell Ann Stone, associate director of student activities, said each year the weekend of volunteering to honor King's legacy grows larger and more diverse.\n"Each year the event involves more faculty and staff as well as students," Stone said. "This year, we are hoping the entire IU community understands this service project -- including faculty and staff."\nOn their day of volunteering, groups go to an agency and donate several hours of their time. Individuals who don't have a group are also encouraged to participate, Stone said. They will be placed with the Volunteer Students Bureau group or added on to another group. She said interested volunteers for the weekend need to register and go through the Volunteer Students Bureau.\nThis year, for the first time, volunteers can register online. Erin Keneally, a part-time student and president of Volunteer Students Bureau, said the online registration has been a good way to register groups for the event.\n"As of right now, 23 groups have registered and more will be registering before the Dec. 7 deadline," Keneally said. "My hope is next year we start promoting this event earlier on. We hope to do a lot more speaking on it and provide literature for the students."\nKeneally said the Volunteer Students Bureau has been responsible for the administrative sides of the weekend event. She said they have been e-mailing more than 300 student organizations informing them of the event.\nStone said for many people this weekend might be their first time volunteering, and it might also be the agencies' first time having volunteers.\n"This meaningful reflection becomes a careful collaboration to make this experience rewarding for all," she said. "This is so much more than giving up your time ... It's looking at where you want to put your energy and which issues you feel strong enough to help out."\nIU provides many services and volunteer opportunities students can take part in, Stone said. She said it is important for students to know volunteering opportunities exist throughout the year. Twenty to 25 volunteer programs exist within departments on campus, she said. Students who are interested in volunteering can contact the Student Activities Office or Volunteer Students Bureau.\nRima Kapitan, a junior, said volunteering is an important part of the college experience.\n"There are many opportunities on campus and the community," Kapitan said. "It's satisfying to know you are giving back to the community."\nStone said it is important to get diverse groups to volunteer for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.\n"In the past, there was a typical student who participated in a volunteering event," Stone said. "But each year more and more students who don't fit in that stereotype are coming forward ... It is drawing more people out, and it speaks well to what Dr. King was about -- bringing people together"
(12/04/00 5:04am)
More than 200 students gathered Thursday night at The Gables to watch Sigma Delta Tau sorority's Lip Service 2000 -- a Karaoke competition inspired by MTV's "Say What Karaoke."\nThe event had two rounds of competition. In the first round, seven acts competed, and the audience chose three acts to go on to the next round.\nOne act stole the show.\nFreshman Emo Dagher was the winner after two rounds of competition.\nAlthough he said he was nervous going into the second round, he got the judges' support when he sang Christina Aguilera's hit "Genie in a Bottle."\n"I love singing for people," Dagher said. "It's for them -- not for me. It's to make them feel good. One day, I want to become the next Enrique. I love when people cheer for you."\nDagher is not a stranger to performance. Recently, he auditioned for Matt Cassela, who is credited for discovering pop icons such as Britney Spears and Aguilera. Cassela encouraged Dagher to go to Universal Studios and record a demo tape. This past summer, Dagher finished recording and is waiting to hear from record labels.\nMany students said they enjoyed the night of competition and music.\n"I think this event is successful, especially because they had it at night," Amanda Tiebert, a junior, said. "It's like having a big party."\nMany door prizes were given away to students at the event. They included gift certificates for restaurants and bars.\nRobyn Frank, a junior and president of SDT, said she was pleased with the turnout.\n"It's nice to see friends supporting and cheering each other on," Frank said. "A lot more people than we expected attended the event. We can definitely make this event bigger next year."\nSDT collected more than $500 and proceeds will go to Prevent Child Abuse of America.\n"When we had the idea for the event, we didn't have a goal for the amount of money we wanted to raise," said senior Michelle Gutnik, SDT philanthropy event coordinator. "We are very pleased with the donation we will be making, and we hope to double it next year"
(11/30/00 4:52am)
For those who have always wanted to perform on MTV's "Say What Karaoke?" Sigma Delta Tau is giving several IU students a similar opportunity.\nAbout 20 groups will compete in the sorority's "Lip Service 2000" from 9 p.m. to midnight Thursday at The Gables to raise money for Prevent Child Abuse America and raise awareness about child abuse.\nAccording to the PCA Web site, Child Protective Services confirmed in 1997 that 1,054,000 children were victims of some form of abuse, including physical injury, constant criticism, rape and neglect.\nFifteen to 20 acts, performed by IU students, will compete against each other for various prizes, ranging from trophies to certificates from local restaurants and bars. Sigma Delta Tau philanthropy chair Wendy Mendelson, a junior, said the house's members will judge the contest. Judging criteria include accuracy, overall appearance, presence and audience reaction, Mendelson said.\nThe event will consist of three rounds to determine the winner. In the initial round, contestants will sing a song they prepared. The audience will decide who advances. Half the contestants will make it to the second round, in which contestants will pick a song from a hat. Sigma Delta Tau philanthropy coordinator Michelle Gutnik, a senior, said the choices will all be popular songs.\n"The choices include songs you will see on MTV's 'Total Request Live,'" Gutnik said. "A very small percentage of people will advance to the next round. Only two to three acts will go on."\nGutnik said the form of the final round has not been determined and will be a surprise for the contestants.\nGutnik said the house is doing a karaoke event because their previous fund-raiser, a 5K walk, was too competitive.\n"We wanted to revamp and have a totally new event," Gutnik said. "This event will be fun for everyone. We hired a DJ and he will emcee the event."\nMendelson said there were challenges in getting people to commit to the event because of its novelty.\n"Most chapters have the same philanthropy event every year, and people know about it and attend it," she said. "This is new so we are trying to get the word out."\nMendelson said the sorority has been receiving positive feedback and said she expects 200 to 300 people to attend the event, which is both for greeks and independents.\nSophomore Traci Geffon, a Sigma Delta Tau member, said the event is a good opportunity for the campus to come together for a good cause.\n"It's really cool we can come back from Thanksgiving and end the semester on a helping note," Geffon said. "It's the holiday season, and we're giving back to the community, and we hope that people come so they can give back too"
(11/17/00 4:02am)
About 1,600 women are expected to participate in sorority recruitment this weekend, visiting all 19 chapters during two days in the first step of a lengthy process.\nAlyson Jamell, vice president of recruitment for Panhellenic Association and a senior, said the purpose of the weekend is for the women to get acquainted with the chapters and the greek community.\n"The hardest thing for the rushees is keeping the chapters straight," Jamell said. "During six- and 12-party they have skits to distinguish them apart, but they don't have this at 19-party. Unless someone really sticks out in their mind they are going to have a hard time differentiating amongst the chapters."\nRecruitment is divided into events called 19-party, 12-party, six-party and three-party. During each step of the process, potential members spend an equal amount of time at each house and afterwards rank their top choices. \nNineteen-party takes place this weekend, and in January, rush participants come back to IU early from winter vacation and go through the rest of the parties in hopes of finding the right house.\nDuring 19-party, Jamell said participants are scheduled to be at each chapter for 30 minutes, speaking to a few members who will give rushees reasons to join the greek system. Following 19-party, each house calls back a certain number of girls back for 12-party in January.\nJamell said women's recruitment starts at the end of first semester because she said PHA wants the women to take the time to get to know the greek system by talking to sorority women in their classes and attending dinners at the chapters.\nDuring recruitment, rushees are put in groups and are assigned a recruitment counselor. PHA chooses the counselors after a competitive interview process.\n"The counselor is a person for girls to talk to and help them in the process of rush," Jamell said. "They are advisors, counselors and friends in a short amount of time."\nRush counselors are not allowed to associate with their chapter during the recruitment process. In January they live with their recruitment group in the residence halls.\nAt the end of the recruitment process, only 49 percent of the participants will be offered a place in a house.\nJamell said if a woman doesn't get a bid during formal rush they could participate in the snap bid process or continuous open biding.\nIf a house doesn't make its quota, on bid night they can call girls who participated in formal recruitment to join their house, although Jamell said this is fairly uncommon.\nAssociate Director of Student Activities for Greek Affairs Stan Sweeney said IU has one of the oldest and most competitive greek systems in the country.\n"We have the highest number of women participate in rush but we have the lowest placement," Sweeney said. "I wish we could place more women in our greek community. But greek life is not be-all-end-all. It's a great opportunity but there are many other great opportunities and organizations out there. Greek life is just one of them."\nSweeney said individual houses set how many girls they will take, many times determined by the number of available beds.\nSweeney said participating women should try to ask members deep and open-ended questions to get the most out of recruitment.\n"Ask how they build sisterhood or what their values are and how they put it to actions," Sweeney said. "Also ask how people handle conflict and dispute. You can't get a one word answers or sugar-coated answers to these type of questions."\nHe also suggested students ask questions concerning scholarship, philanthropy and financial obligations during the interview process.\nCarolyn Jones, greek life graduate assistant said it is important for girls to be themselves during the interview process.\nJones said rushees make the common mistake of judging a house too quickly during the short visits. She said this limits their opportunities and suggests keeping an open mind.\n"A lot of the conversation is dictated how the rusher is communicating to them," Jones said. "The greek women try to have a comfortable conversation and they set the tone on how the conversation goes. But the rushee can also lead the conversation and really show who they are"
(11/10/00 4:44am)
About a hundred people gathered at Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union Wednesday night to celebrate the past year's achievements of IU's greek men and women in the annual Greek Awards Ceremony.\nInterfraternity Council, Panhellenic Association, Multicultural Greek Council and the IU Panhellenic Council came together to give away twenty awards ranging from "top academic chapter" to "unsung hero award."\nThe executive board of each chapter nominated members for the awards. A panel of judges consisting of students, faculty and administrators decided the winners. The judging criteria ranged from grade point average to service involvement. Letters of recommendation were taken into consideration as well.\nThe event is one of three events the four councils participate in together during the year.\n"The past couple of years we have all been coming together to work on projects like Safe Halloween, Greekfest and the Greek Awards," said Veronica Salenda, a senior and president of MCGC. "It's a great opportunity for all of us to come together to celebrate all our accomplishments."\nJennifer Kerns, a senior and PHA president, said the ceremony was an important part of the greek community.\n"The purpose of this night is to recognize the individuals that excelled in the qualities that we strive for," Kerns said. "It's a time for us to showcase all the good we do and show our pride in the greek community."\nKerns, a member of the panel of judges, said it was challenging to be in a leadership position and make the right decisions without having to take other people's views personally.\n"You have to remember that people will not always like you and the decisions you make, but they will respect you," Kerns said.\nJohn Perry, a senior and president of IFC said the award ceremony was an opportunity for the members to remind themselves of their values and integrity. \n"Even though everyone will not be winners, everyone in the greek system of IU has contributed to the success of this year," Perry said. "We are all winners tonight."\nMore than 40 individuals and chapters received awards for their merits. Amy Kleymeyer, a Delta Gamma senior, won the award for Greek Woman of the Year. When her name was called, she ran to the stage in tears.\n"This is so fabulous," Kleymeyer said. "This is a huge compliment for all the work I have been doing for the past three years. This ceremony shows that the University cares about their students and all the aspects of the University."\nKevin Gfell, a senior and the winner of the Greek Man of the Year award said he felt lucky to be chosen among a group of many leaders.\n"I kind of spread myself thin because I was involved with many organizations and activities," Gfell said. "I tried to set examples for members whenever I could."\nFormer Dean of Students Michael Gordon, executive director of National Panhellenic Council, spoke at the ceremony. He told students he would be retiring in December and this would be his final speech at IU.\nGordon talked about what it means to be greek and the values greek members hold. He said students associate themselves with the Greek letters because they try to live up to the ancient Greek ideals.\nHe asked the students to shout out a value which is important in their chapter. Then he asked the students to stand up and shout out the name of a person that exemplified that value in their chapter and said, "I think the greek system of IU, and in America, is in the right place in the right time"
(11/06/00 7:32am)
It started with one IU student who wanted to make a difference. One student wanted to remember a friend who lost his life to AIDS. It took thousands of people to believe in the vision and make it happen.\nThis weekend was the 10th anniversary of Dance Marathon. IU students danced for 36 hours to raise money for Riley Hospital for Children. But many said the money they raise is not their main goal. They said they wanted to make sure the Riley kids had the best weekend.\nIn 1990, then-student Jill Stewart (now Jill Waibel) lost her friend Ryan White to AIDS. Jeff Jones, her adviser at the time, showed her a video of a dance marathon at Pennsylvania State University. He thought they could do something similar at IU in White's memory.\n"It was really Jeff Jones' idea really," Stewart said. "There was a group of us that went down there (to Penn State) to learn how they organized it. From the start we wanted it to be a student-run organization."\nStewart said 15 IU student leaders came together to put the first Dance Marathon together. Even though the event is student-run, Stewart said it would not be possible without the support of University administration and sponsors.\nStewart met White in 1988 when she was the student body president of her high school in Cicero, Ind. White was transferred to her high school from Kokomo.\nWhite was a hemophiliac and needed blood transfusions because his blood wouldn't clot. He contracted AIDS from the contaminated blood he received. \nStewart said not much was known about AIDS at the time, and parents feared their children would contract the disease from White. This reaction prevented Ryan from attending his school in Kokomo. After many court battles and a bullet that was fired into White's home, he transferred to a high school in Cicero.\n"He was the first person with AIDS to attend a public high school," Stewart said.\nWhite was treated at Riley. But he died April 8, 1990 -- the spring before he was to attend IU. \nWhite worked in educating people about AIDS, and Stewart said White became a friend with celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Elton John. \n"When we started Dance Marathon we wanted to raise money to build the Ryan White Infectious Disease Center at Riley," Stewart said.\nAndy Waibel, Stewart's husband who was also involved in coordinating the first Dance Marathon, said there were many challenges in starting the event.\n"It was setting up the vision so that people could understand it and buy into this thing," Waibel said. "Today the challenge for the students is to keep expanding the vision."\nSince 1991 Dance Marathon has donated over $1.5 million to Riley Hospital. In 1998, the Ryan White Infectious Center was built.\nKimberly Wisniewski, a junior and the director of public relations for Dance Marathon, said the event is the largest student-run philanthropic organization on campus. She said the organization recognizes the achievement of the students with the Hope Award. This award goes to the group that presents the most spirit and has collected the most money. This year, Kappa Delta sorority and Alpha Tau Omega fraternity received the award for their efforts in raising $53,000 together.\nCandy Carbon, assistant director of the telethon department of Riley Hospital, said Dance Marathon represents White's courage.\n"What's neat about this event is that I can empower others and let them know what good they are doing. The students do everything themselves," Carbon said. "They ask questions but it's their Dance Marathon."\nCarbon said Riley's is a referral hospital only for the most critically and chronically ill children. They have 262 beds and half of their patients are under age 2.\n"Riley is Indiana's most comprehensive care hospital -- we take kids with all diseases," Carbon said. "First and foremost we take care of Hoosier children. These are the best doctors in the world and it is a reason to go to work. It makes me so proud and it's complete serenity"
(11/06/00 7:31am)
Thirty-six hours of dancing, playing games and making friends. Thirty-six hours of making memories for a lifetime. Thirty-six hours of making a difference and seeing smiles on the faces of ill children and their families. Thirty-six hours without sleep.\nThis weekend, 700 students gathered at the gymnasium at the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building to participate in the 10th annual Dance Marathon for 36 hours. Students spent the past year raising money for Riley Hospital for Children. Their efforts concluded with the Dance Marathon. \n"The Marathon is really a celebration for all they have been doing," said Kimberly Wisniewski, a junior and director of public relations for Dance Marathon. "The music and the entertainment is the reward. It's a big campus party with all your friends."\nThe participating students are required to stay awake the entire time. The only time they may sit down is to eat -- and even then, only for 20 minutes at a time. For many students, staying awake and moving is a challenge. Morale Committee members were there to make sure the students were having a good time and they were awake.\nSenior and Morale Committee director J. Ryan Williams said the committee plays an important role in the marathon.\n"We are here to keep people pumped and get people excited," Williams said. "We chose the members very carefully -- they all have spunk."\nStudents on the committee went through an intense interview process. Jen Satterly, a senior and Morale Committee member, said she showed a lot of enthusiasm in her interview for the committee.\n"They ask very strange questions, and you have to answer them very creatively," Satterly said. "We are the largest committee, and all of us are very close. I decided to do this after dancing for two years -- it's only 36 hours."\nMorale Committee members were also in charge of games and activities. The dancers were divided up into various groups rotated through activities, led by Morale Committee members. Students played games, learned a line dance, ate and received massages. Bands performed throughout the event to keep the students awake and dancing. Drill sergeants greeted the dancers Saturday morning to run them through calisthenics in Woodlawn Field. \nIf students were too tired and wanted to leave, it was the Morale Committee members' responsibility to encourage them to stay. But some dancers did leave.\n"We discourage leaving, and it's unfortunate when it happens," Williams said. "But maybe the people that leave didn't want to be here in the first place. The people that are here until the end are the ones that will benefit and see the results and see what it means to the families."\nWilliams said it was his responsibility to keep his committee motivated, and he said the task was not difficult.\n"They all love this organization, and after working together for nine months we are all very close," Williams said. "If one person falls the rest will pick them up. We are like a flock of geese."\nMany students said the Morale Committee motivated them. But many said their biggest motivation was seeing the Riley kids and families speaking on stage.\n"There is yet to be a cure," said Stacie Thornburgha, a 17-year-old Riley patient. "But maybe in the future and with some of the funds that are raised in this event there may be a cure for my disease and for others that have this and many other incurable diseases."\nDancer and junior Sophie Califano was one of the students inspired by the Riley children.\n"This event is hard physically, but you listen to the families and you start sobbing," Califano said. "You feel selfish for feeling tired. I am so happy and proud I am doing this event."\nThroughout the event many people went on stage to congratulate and motivate the dancers. Dean of Students Richard McKaig spoke to students Friday night.\n"I like to thank you for staying here because when I usually go to parties people run out the back door," McKaig said laughing, "Let me assure you 20 years from now you may not remember your 8 a.m. finite class, but you will forever remember this weekend."\nA variety of people spoke on stage throughout the event. Many memorable stories and experiences were shared amongst the group of 1,000 people. One of those moments was a surprise marriage proposal.\nRyan Tierney, who graduated last year, proposed to his girlfriend senior Kelly Souhrada. They met last year while working on Dance Marathon together. Tierney went on stage to talk about their love and how important Dance Marathon was to both of them. Then he called Souhrada to the stage, got on one knee and proposed. She accepted.\n"I am so excited and happy right now," Tierney said. "I can't believe I did it. I was thinking about it for the past six months. It's so great to share this with everyone because this is how it all started."\nThe marathon ended Sunday at 8 a.m. \n"The entire time we ran around trying to be positive," said Nicki Incandela, a junior and Morale Committee member. "I can't even explain how I feel. I feel I accomplished my goal by having everyone dance with smiles on their faces -- that's the rewarding thing"
(11/06/00 6:39am)
Although many students were still asleep at 8 a.m Sunday, about a thousand people were dancing, crying and cheering at the 10th annual Dance Marathon. \n"A Decade of Dance, A Lifetime of Hope," came to and end after a 10 second countdown to 8 a.m. in the gymnasium at the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. The Marathon's fund-raising committee announced that supporters raised $402,324.17 -- the largest amount ever for the event. The proceeds will go to Riley Hospital for Children of Indianapolis.\nSenior Brieanna Quinn, director of fund raising, said students spent the past year writing letters asking for donations and traveling to Indianapolis on weekends to solicit donations. But Quinn said the weekend was about college kids coming together for a common cause. \n"This event is not about the money we raise," Quinn said. "The marathon is not about the final minute. It's about the 35 hours and 59 minutes before that minute. We make sure every Riley kid is having an amazing time. The kids live for this weekend. Making the kids happy is our goal."\nMany Riley patients and families shared their stories the last hour of the marathon. Many audience members listened with tears in their eyes.\nRose Black, a mother of a Riley patient spoke before the countdown, thanking students for their hard work.\n"Now you all know what it's like to stay up with a child for 36 hours," Black said. "You are all blessed with things we take for granted. Don't be sorry for our families and children. We have you with us."\nSenior Alyssa Johnson, Dance Marathon president, said the students are amazing for sacrificing 36 hours to the cause. She said this was the first year they had too many people try to register for the event and had to close dancing registration.\n"We can only allow 700 dancers, and every year more and more students are interested -- it shows how selfless they are," Johnson said. "Every year, we are faced with the challenge of educating people about Riley and how important this event is to the families. Riley kids really look up to these college students."\nLindsey Andrews, 16, is one of those children.\nToday she is in remission for a rare bone cancer. She said every day since being diagnosed eight years ago she wanted to come to IU, major in nursing and work for Riley.\n"I love the atmosphere of this event and to know college kids aren't lazy and it shows they care," Andrews said. "We look up to them."\nThe event began at 8 p.m. Friday. Dancers ran around smiling and dancing. When the event came to an end 36 hours later, many were still motivated to keep dancing. \nJ. Ryan Williams, a senior and director of the Morale Committee, encouraged everyone to dance for the final five minutes. People gathered in groups, put their arms around each other and danced until the countdown.\nSophomore Jenny Bruffey hugged her friends after the countdown.\n"I am so excited and overwhelmed right now," Bruffey said. "It puts everything in perspective"
(10/27/00 5:41am)
A bloody man lies on the bathroom floor. The word "Redrum" is scribbled on the mirror. Thrill seekers step back and scream. But the tour guide tells them to keep going and leads them further into darkness.\nLambda Chi fraternity, 1210 E. Third Street, kicked off its annual Nightmare on Third Street haunted house last night. The fraternity paired with Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority for the second year in a row in hopes of raising money for Bloomington's Big Brother and Big Sister program. The haunted houses are scheduled to run throughout the weekend. There is $4 charge for the event or $3 with a donation of a canned good.\nAlex Greenwald, a junior and vice president of Lambda Chi, said while last night's haunted house was geared more for kids, the other nights the houses will be geared for an older audiance.\n"There will be a lot more scary things added," said junior Mike Blue. "We will also be having Straight No Chaser and Lady's First performing out here."\nJune Tomastick, a Bloomington resident said she was scared and pleased with the haunted house. \n"This is by far the best haunted house I have ever been to," Tomastick said. "My favorite thing was the grabbing of the legs -- it scared me the most."\nGreenwald said the partnership with Kappa's has been successful. \n"A couple of years ago we did it with another house, and it didn't work out," Greenwald said. "Last year we paired up with the Kappa's and we were impressed with their participation."\nGreenwald said the fraternity has been putting on the haunted house for over 20 years as part of its philanthropy. He said all proceeds go to the Big Brother and Big Sister program.\nHe said preparation for the event starts in May and letters are sent to over 300 businesses to collect donations for the biggest philanthorpy event on campus.\nIt costs $5,000 to put the event on and in previous year, Lambda Chi has made about $10,000, Greenwald said.\nThe fraternity has been building the house for the past two weeks and Greenwald said the event is a mandatory participation for all members.\n"The guys have been very supportive," Greenwald said. "They have to deal with a couple things like having tarps in front of their rooms and things falling down, but they have handled things well."\nBut the fraternity has had some trouble with promoting the event.\n"We had some advertising problems," said Bart Brown, a senior and Lambda Chi's vice president. "We think other competing groups took some of the fliers down."\nLambda Chi and Kappa Kappa Gamma said they will continue their involvement with the Big Brother and Big Sister program during the year. Junior Calle Tinkham, Kappa's philanthropy chair, said they will hold the Spring Games Day in March with Lambda Chi. She said the children will come out to the fraternity house to participate in field games.\n"Right now we are just trying to let the kids have a good time and we're scaring them," Greenwald said. "But when they come here in the spring we are one on one with them and get to know them better"
(10/26/00 3:12am)
For the past nine years, Tom Atkinson, who is also a university employee, has been building and organizing haunted houses to raise money for Bloomington's Crestmont Boys and Girls Club. \nThis year Atkinson will be joining forces with the men of Delta Chi, who also put on a haunted house annually and donate their proceeds to Crestmont. The new alliance is aimed to lower costs and raise more money. Atkinson said he hopes to raise more than $5,000 from the haunted house, which will run tonight through Saturday and again Monday.\nAtkinson said he hopes to make this a long-lasting partnership.\n"We are trying to put the two forces together and make it better and share the work," Atkinson said. "They have the manpower, and I have the experience."\nFor the past week, Atkinson and the men of Delta Chi have been working to transform the fraternity into a haunted house. \n"There will be a maze throughout the entire house," Atkinson said. "There will be several scenes from the movie 'Hellraiser' and graveyard scenes. We will use different lightings and fog."\nBut Atkinson said there have been some problems in combining resources.\n"It has had growing pains trying to incorporate what they have done and what I have done," Atkinson said. "They are an interesting bunch of guys, but they have to see enough of the house to buy into it."\nJunior Kurt Caldwell, Delta Chi's philanthropy chair, agrees with Atkinson.\n"It's been hard this week," Caldwell said. "Some of the guys are not happy when there is a tarp draped in front of their door. But once things get going and people are lining up outside, the guys will be excited."\nCaldwell said the haunted house will be different from the ones other fraternities are putting on because it will have more interaction with the crowd. \nMarie Fink, a Bloomington resident, said she is excited about the haunted houses.\n"I think it's great Delta Chi is trying something unique," Fink said. "My friends and I go to the fraternity haunted houses every year, and this will be a nice surprise to see something different."\nCaldwell said people will be surprised by the haunted house.\n"It's all about uncertainty and fear," Caldwell said. "We will be throwing people's perceptions off."\nAtkinson said the money from the haunted houses will help keep Cresmont open. \nThe Cresmont Club is a part of the National Boys and Girls Club and Atkinson has been its director for the past 10 and-a-half years.\n"We work with at-risk kids," Atkinson said. "We serve section eight housing, which is low income housing subsidized by the government."\nThe club started in 1989 as a boy's club to get Cresmont kids more involved.\n"We motivate the kids and get them off the streets," Atkinson said. "We have come a long way. The number of kids on probation has gone down. We are seeing kids graduate again."\nHe said Halloween has always been a holiday his wife has enjoyed, and that helped motivate him to do the haunted houses. In the beginning, the club participated in trick or treating, and then moved on to haunted houses. \n"The first haunted house I did was actually in the subsidized houses," Atkinson said.\nSince then he has built them in warehouses and outdoor outlets. In the past Atkinson said he had trouble marketing his haunted houses. He said many people thought the kids were in charge and did not attend the event. This year the fraternity is in charge of marketing.
(10/24/00 6:13pm)
He went to Los Angeles wanting to be a DJ. \nHe never got the job. \nInstead, he became a writer for the critically acclaimed show "MASH."\nJohn Rappaport, an IU graduate, talked to a sociology class Friday about his career in the media. He joked with students and talked about his memories.\nRappaport began his career at the IU-funded NPR-affiliate, WFIU. At the time the shows were all scripted, but Rappaport started something different.\n"I hold the distinction as being the first guy to ad lib on WFIU," Rappaport said.\nHe originally wanted to be a business major, but graduated from IU with a degree in radio and television. After graduation he worked as a television host in the Chicago and Indianapolis areas.\nSoon after, he started writing and performing comedy for radio shows and stand-up comedy.\nWhen he moved to Los Angeles, he was introduced to an agent. One day he got a call saying the show "Laugh In" was looking for a writer.\nHe had a single night to come up with a writing sample.\nRappaport laughed as he remembered the job interview.\n"I walked in with a nice sports coat and nice cropped hair," Rappaport said. "The interviewers had beards and were dressed in jeans. Maybe they gave me the job because I looked so funny."\nRappaport was 29 years old when he got the job, and at the time he was the youngest writer. He said today his age would be considered old because a lot of the shows are looking for younger writers to draw in a certain demographic.\nCensorship issues controlled many of the shows, but Rappaport said "Laugh In" writers got away with a lot of things because they did it quickly.\nThe show was considered groundbreaking because they were the first to show a girl's navel. He said censorship issues have improved greatly since then.\n"In one of the segments we had a character who was a hooker," Rappaport said. "But on the script we had to call her a 'friendly lady.'"\nRappaport wrote for "Laugh In" for four years. He went on to write, edit and consult on shows such as "All in the Family" and "The Odd Couple."\nHe then became a supervising producer and the head writer for "MASH," one of the most watched shows in television history.\nRappaport said he has the keenest appreciation for writing.\n"Writers are like the directors of the symphony," he said.\nHe used the analogy to prove people remember Beethoven, who wrote the symphony. \n"People don't remember who played in the orchestra."\nScreenwriters, he said, are similar because they will always be remembered. \nRappaport said writing for comedy is a difficult thing to do correctly.\nHe remembers sitting in a room throwing out lines with other writers. He said for every good line there might have been 40 lines that were rejected.\nOver the years, Rappaport has received four People Choice awards, one Golden Globe, five Writer's Guild Award nominations and eight Emmy nominations.\nHe recalls his first Emmy nomination.\n"It wasn't a surprise -- it was a runaway show ("Laugh In") and a critical success," Rappaport said. "I was very stubborn and wrote what I thought was quality. I wouldn't write something I wouldn't want to watch -- it pissed me off when we lost."\nRappaport said one of his most memorable moments of his career was the final week of "MASH."\n"It was almost surreal being a part of something that was so amazing and unique," he said.\nHe said the challenge of being a writer in Hollywood is that the script and the creation is a small part of the business.\n"Dealing with the suits is hard. It's so much more commerce," he said. "It's a much more corporate culture."\nHe remembers his old IU days of having a good time, and pioneering things in the Telecommunications Department.\nRappaport said he has been coming back to IU's Homecoming for three years.\n"It's a great feeling to know you can come back and return something for whatever reason the University is proud of you and what you have accomplished."\nGarett Summers, a senior, was one of the students who attended Rappaport's lecture.\n"He didn't seem like he was a star," Summers said. "He seemed like a guy coming back for Homecoming. He was very relaxed and funny, and it made his message more receptive"
(10/23/00 6:08am)
In keeping with this year's Homecoming theme, "Back Where You Belong," Friday afternoon thousands of people flocked to Third Street for the 42nd annual Homecoming Parade. \nThe purpose of the parade is to bring the community and the campus together to celebrate IU, and to recognize the organizations thatare a part of the campus, said Zack Waymire, a junior and a director for the Student Alumni Association.\nThis year, 80 organizations, residence halls and greek houses participated and competed in the parade. \nAs organizations and floats made their way down Third Street, participants threw candy and gave away T-shirts to the spectators. They made a brief stop in front of the Reserve Officer Training Corps building so the judges could evaluate them.\nThree awards are given out each year. The Cream and Crimson Award goes to the organization that best incorporates the theme "Get Back to Where You Belong." This year the award went to the National Residence Hall Honorary. There is also a craftsmanship award and a marching award. The craftsmanship award also went to the National Residence Hall Honorary, and the marching award went to Kappa Alpha Psi. Judges are members of IU Alumni Association.\nWaymire said a lot of preparation goes into the parade.\n"The hardest part is getting everyone organized and trying to keep the stress level down," Waymire said.\nThe parade normally has a high level of greek participation, but this year many houses didn't sign up, Waymire said.\n"I think it (the parade) may be less attended," Waymire said. "A lot of greek houses didn't apply because of probation, but I hope they still come out to watch."\nParticipants of the parade ranged from students to local political candidates.\nDean of Students Richard McKaig also participated in the parade.\n"I think the parade is fun," McKaig said. "It gets bigger every year, and it's a great way for people to show school spirit."\nThe Homecoming court members rode in convertibles, which were loaned by community members or dealerships.\nKara Kenney, a senior and Homecoming court member, said it would be special to win the title.\n"Being homecoming queen would mean representing the spirit of IU and giving back to the University for all the opportunities they have given me over the years," Kenney said.\nThe parade ended at 7 p.m in front of Sample Gates. It was followed by a pep rally. Coach Cam Cameron talked about the football team and thanked everyone for coming out. At the end of the night the Homecoming king and queen were announced. They were seniors Tamia Collins and Philip Roessler.\nLindsay Eichelman, a sophomore and Student Athletic Board chairwoman, said this year's court was exceptional.\n"There was a lot of anticipation leading to the announcement -- no one really knew who would win," Eichelman said. "We had a real great court this year"
(10/23/00 4:57am)
During Homecoming weekend, many people were issued warrants and were sent to "jail." They hadn't really committed a crime, but they were in jail to raise money for the Crossroads Rehabilitation Center.\nAlpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity, sponsored their annual Jail-A-Thon. Members of the community were encouraged to issue a "warrant" for the "arrest" of their friends and family. They were then picked up and brought to College Mall -- the event's headquarters.\nTo make everything seem more real, the IU Police Department helped the fraternity by picking up the "accused" and transporting them to the mall.\n"We've always tried to assist in any ways we can with charitable organizations who try to have charitable activities like that … I think maybe it added authenticity to their activity," IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said. \nOne of the fraternity members acted as a judge and read the accused their sentence. The sentence included a certain amount of bail money to get out of jail. \nThe people who were sent to jail had two options. They could either pay the bail themselves, or they were given a phone book to call people to raise the money.\nLeah Portnoff, a senior and co-chair of the event, said the event was highly publicized. Letters were sent out to more than 100 businesses, and fraternity members were interviewed by local radio station B-97.\nThis is the second year APO has sponsored the event.\nThe fraternity received a grant from IU Student Association's Assisted Interorganizational Development department and an organization called Youth and Resources.\n"The challenge was to get the community involved," Portnoff said. "It was hard getting the participants. It was a hard concept to understand the idea of the Jail-A-Thon."\nNatalia Galvan, a sophomore and co-chair of the event, said APO wanted to bring the community together and help Crossroads.\n"We don't have a goal for raising a certain amount of money," she said. "We want to raise awareness about Crossroads because not many people know about it." \nMegan Hutchison, a junior and a co-chair of the event, said the fraternity chose to donate the money to Crossroads for several reasons.\n"They help infants to the elderly," Hutchison said. "They help them with many types of therapy and they enhance their independent growth."\nFour-year-old Quentin Cupka, a Crossroads graduate, attended the event.\nCupka suffers from velo-cardio facial syndrome. He started at Crossroads when he was six months old. Since then, he has gone through three major heart surgeries, and he suffers from hearing loss. He will have to undergo several more operations including one for his hearing.\n"He is their (APO's) unofficial ambassador," said Cupka's mother, Robin. "Crossroads have helped him so much. They taught him how to sign and socialize. I can't say enough about them and the efforts of APO"