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(04/08/13 6:53pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Inside a god-forsaken cubicle at the end of the hallway that no one goes down unless they need something, you have already typed up two press releases, spent an hour doing mundane research for a coworker, and even, dare we say it, gotten coffee for someone that was not you. Two creams, one sugar, all business clothes, and no paycheck. Who even knew it got lower than minimum wage?Kira Geairn, a junior policy analysis major, found out for herself this summer when she interned in Washington D.C. as part of the Washington Leadership Program. Geairn worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as an assistant to its press secretary, sometimes logging 12-hour days plus weekends during election preparations. Luckily, the experience ultimately paid off in other ways.Q: What was it like being thrown into this environment during election season?A: At first, I was terrified. I got there with no previous campaign experience, and I was the youngest person on staff. Everybody else had a master’s degree and expected me to know how to do things. (I thought), ‘Um, how do you use Excel again?’ I was really far behind. So at first, it was really challenging. We were really close to election day, so everybody was super stressed out about everything.Q: Were there any days where you felt like this was too much?A: Yeah, definitely. Sometimes, I was just like, ‘I’m not getting paid to do any of the work I’m doing.’ And I would often come in at 7:30 a.m. and leave at 8 or 9 p.m. and work through weekends, and that’s just how demanding the job was sometimes. And I had to pay a ton of money to live in D.C., so it was like I was paying them to work all the time.Q: Was there ever anything else where you felt like you had to really budget yourself?A: Transportation in D.C. is crazy expensive! I was actually given a stipend that goes up to $120 a month for my internship, just for transportation to and from work, and I would often times go over that just for work, not even to go to class or go to the store. Everything is on the subway system, so you’re taking a train everywhere you go, and every time it’s around $1.55 each way. That’s the minimum price. It adds up really, really fast.Q: So did your parents help you out?A: Actually, not really. My parents really weren’t in the position to do that this year, so I worked two jobs over the summer (before my internship), and then part time for my dad’s fiancee’s company, and just saved up a ton of money. Then I took out an extra loan to pay for everything. So financially, it was kind of insane. About halfway through the semester, I was counting the days until the next half of my loan came through. It was a little bit frustrating at times. You’re like, ‘Do I have enough money for groceries next week?’Q: Do you think that it was worth it in the end?A: Yeah, I made so many contacts from doing this and a lot of friends in the field. When I left, somebody who wasn’t even my supervisor or anything, just somebody I knew from the office, sent my resume to (Indiana Senator) Joe Donnelly, and I had the opportunity offered to me to work for him this summer. Since it was a political position, you lost your job at the end of the campaign so everybody put their neck out for everyone else.
(02/18/13 8:18pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior Dillon Olney, a BFA sculpture major, is working on his first project of the semester. Three small human forms lay on the table in front of him, each in a different stage of completion, with visible finger smudges outlining their shapes. He laughs, admitting that he’s pretty much making it up as he goes along since his first idea didn’t pan out. It’s a transition piece now, he says, from despair to success. Like his love for sculpture, the piece is being molded.Carving a connection"To me, it’s the physical act of making something that is so beneficial. A lot of my work is about physical sacrifice or the body in general, so for me, it is really important that my own labor goes into my work. And there’s a dominance in it. It’s forcing a material into a shape that you want, and a lot of times, you can’t force it, so you have to work with the material and guide your own practice based on its limitations. I feel very connected to it emotionally."Matter over mind"When I became diabetic about four or five years ago, I was very unhappy. For me, art was a huge outlet for a lot of the anger I had and the fear and the sadness. But I found I did some of my best work when I was really unhappy. Now, it’s not so much about letting out these really intense emotions. A lot of times, when I work on my pieces I get lost, and I don’t really feel the emotion that I’m portraying in the work. It’s not like I’m weeping over a piece. You stop thinking about everything else."Shaping stories"My work is a personal narrative. I like to think that I have some very profound statements that aren’t just, “Oh my God, I had pneumonia when I was two.” Even if someone can’t get to the exact event that happened, at least they get an overall feeling of what happened to me or an overall feeling of what happens to people in general. I want them to get toward the content, but I don’t expect people to write my biography based on what they see in my work."
(02/18/13 8:06pm)
A handshake, a high-five, a kiss — it turns out all of these gestures, which use one of our most intimate senses, touch, can be traced back through human history.
(02/12/13 7:32pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____> Your thoughts might not even be worth a penny in coming years. The one cent coin is potentially leaving the U.S. currency system. So, how about some cost-benefit analysis? Pennies can be pricey. It cost two cents for every one cent produced by the federal government. In 2012, this led to a $58 million deficit. But this isn’t the only reason the penny could be on its way out. Have you ever noticed the loose change dishes at cash registers? “The fact that people happily leave coins for others to use tells you a lot about the value people place on small-denomination coins,” IU economics professor Eric Leeper says. Or imagine a quick trip to Target. The total is $5.97, you only have bills, and you’re in a rush. “It’s common for people to walk away without waiting for their change when they are to receive only a few pennies back,” Leeper says. America wouldn’t be the first country to go penniless. Australia, Norway, and Sweden have all ditched their lowest currency coins, most recently followed by Canada who removed the penny from circulation Feb. 4. The Canadian Mint is rounding up the country’s remaining pennies, which were also causing a federal deficit, so they can be melted and recycled. “Taken together, these factors explain that small-denomination coins are of little value to consumers and are profit losers for the government,” Leeper says. “Clearly, such coins are not long for this world.” Even so, there are still many who support the penny. Some worry prices will increase if rounding to the nearest nickle becomes the norm, while others argue for the American sentimentalism of our 16th president.
(11/27/12 6:24am)
It was a summer trip to Israel that did it. After their junior year of high school, Jeremy Levin and Marisa Briefman left their homes to go overseas and explore their Jewish roots.
(11/27/12 6:24am)
As graduation looms, one couple is trying to make their time together last before the future hits
(10/16/12 4:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Gardening doesn’t typically top the list of risky nighttime behaviors, but junior Erin Kilhefner may beg to differ.A self-proclaimed guerilla gardener, Kilhefner plants flowers, shrubs, and produce on other people’s land without their permission. It’s a form of activism, a way of beautifying an increasingly urbanized environment. Kilhefner gives you the details of why she picked up the shovel.Inside: Who are some of your past victims?Erin Kilhefner: I’ve planted some sunflowers [behind the Hillcrest Apartments]. And another really important theme of it is seed bombs, or seeds encased in mud. You can literally throw them places, and with natural processes, the seeds go into the ground. So I’ve done a couple of those by Indiana Avenue and Tenth Street...Also there’s a lot of unused space around Ballantine, so we planted some flowers there this summer.Inside: Why do you do it?EK: It’s a beauty thing, first of all. If you look at a space, and it’s gray and broken down and there’s not a lot there, it’s like an aesthetic pleasure. If something is visually pleasing, it’s going to make things better. It’s a life-enhancer. And I do it because on such a green campus — Indiana already does a really good job with indigenous trees — but there’s a lot of indigenous, edible weeds, like Purslane, that you can eat, that you can forage, that I think would be really good to have on campus. Inside: Don’t you ever worry you’ll get caught?EK: I’ve been really lucky, mainly because I’ve taken my bike with me, so if I do get really sketched out, I’m just like, ‘bike!’The area behind Hillcrest is not that well-lit. Once when I planted mint, I was actually pulling an all-nighter. And then that night I called up my friend and was like, ‘Do you want to go do this?’It was four in the morning, but the campus gardening staff was already starting to make their rounds. We were like, ‘Shit, we gotta go,’ and so we kind of ran away.Inside: You said you hadn’t been busted before!EK: I haven’t been! But I have just seen those guys [police officers] zipping down the road, and they’re ready to go. They have like rockets on their feet or something.Inside: Do you see it as illegal?EK: It’s just so interesting to me because when you think of nighttime shadiness, you think someone’s getting mugged, someone’s getting raped, someone’s getting shot ...And it’s almost whimsical to have someone going out there, breaking the law by planting shrubs in places where they aren’t allowed. It’s almost a little bit ridiculous, but in such a great, fun, naturalist way.It’s not what you’d expect to be going on in the middle of the night.You’re a 20-year-old at college. People expect you to go out and rage and party. But a lot of the time I find myself wanting to do something different. I want to go out and do something.Groundbreaking: A brief history of guerrilla gardeningThough the term wasn’t officially coined until the 1970s, the act of guerrilla gardening can be traced back long before.Remember the man “who wore a pot upon his head ... John Chapman was his real name, but we call him Johnny Appleseed”?That’s right — American legend Johnny Appleseed, who planted apple trees around the Midwest, was a founder.The ingredients for a successful late-night gardening mission:
(09/11/12 5:11pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Going through a bad breakup? Lost a friend or family member? Feeling depressed, and you’re not really sure why? There are many factors that can contribute to a difficult semester, and it’s easy to feel overpowered and lost. Different situations call for different remedies, but Inside talked to Barbara Moss, General Health Educator at the Health and Wellness Education Office, about ways to push through when your road turns rocky.How to start “The key step is to find support,” Moss says. “Don’t isolate, but let others know about your trauma. The likelihood is that they will be more than willing to help you, even with mundane tasks such as shopping and cooking.” Moss also recommends sharing specific feelings with a good listener like a counselor or to keep a personal journal. She says working through your feelings now will increase your progress in the long run. Keep it in perspective “A key to resilience is to have the understanding that life is full of hard times and you are not being singled out,” Moss says. “Everyone experiences these disappointments or crises in some form. It’s important not to see yourself as a victim.” Moss points out that many individuals have already overcome hardships at some point, so it’s important to remember and draw on these experiences. Calm, rational people who see setbacks as temporary instead of the end-all be-all are often the most successful. Don’t sell yourself short“The most important thing is to always remember that you are always worthy of, and deserving of, happiness,” Moss says. “If you can cultivate traits of resilience and practice the coping strategies for dealing with situations of loss, ‘these too shall pass’ and many other satisfying life experiences will await you.” *For more information visit the IU Health Center. It offers a variety of services from educational resource rooms to one-on-one counseling with Counseling and Psychological Services.
(04/12/12 1:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was certain, the voice on the line was a broadcaster.Clear, deep and well-controlled, Ken Beckley’s voice has been in a transition since 2009. This veteran reporter, CEO and former head of the IU Alumni Association is now an author of fiction.“Knuckleball,” his first novel, tells the story of Davie Miller as he grapples with life’s immense uncertainties from the age of 15 all the way to 50 and on. “It has hopes, setbacks, tragedy and faith,” Beckley said. “But most of all, it’s about the realization of a dream.”This theme has been a long time in the making. Beckley easily remembers his first week in his dreaded English Composition class at IU. His assistant instructor wasted no time in assigning the class the creation of a theme or a centralized topic for an upcoming assignment. Beckley gave it a go.“He wrote on my paper, ‘This is a theme!’” Beckley said, remembering the AI’s sarcasm. “Then he put an ‘F’ beside it. I had come from a small school. ... I had no idea what a theme even meant. I could certainly prove to that person now I know how to write a theme.”This was just one of the many rewarding results about writing “Knuckleball.” Beckley said he considers it a great accomplishment to go from writing nonfiction to completely inventing a plot in his mind. Though he had the outline of the beginning and end of the novel ever since attending an adult baseball camp conducted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1991, the middle was still completely undetermined.However, when it came to details, Beckley’s journalistic tendencies held true. He said he spent an “untold number of hours” researching settings. From the economy to medical care — which both arise in “Knuckleball” — Beckley made certain the scenarios his character encounters would be true to form.“The character was born in 1940,” he said. “So I wanted to look into what he would have worn, what he listened to. If he’s driving a 1954 Chevrolet, I want to know the color and the style. I wanted it to be exact.”Miller, who grows up in a small, rural Indiana town, later attends the University of Evansville. Beckley, an IU alumnus, drew on his experiences of Greek life to formulate parts of this book, he stated, though the character was in no way based solely on himself and his story.Beckley said he already feels rewarded for his ventures and has hopes of writing another novel in the future. Detailed, daily compliments pouring into his email inbox are just some of the motivating factors behind this decision. One reader told him he owes them three boxes of tissues.“Another reader wrote me, ‘I’m going to change my life and be a more positive role model after reading your book,’” Beckley said. “Wow. It chokes me up when I think about it. What more could you ask for?”For Beckley, as he said in his deep broadcaster voice, it seems like not much else. He hopes the book will continue to have meaning and “inspire people to live better lives.”
(03/01/12 2:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Linda Xiong tried to explain what creating an IU tradition meant to her.“I’m having trouble finding words today, I guess,” she said, then laughed.Xiong said she feels a little overwhelmed.Just a week ago, she received the official news that she had created the winning IU plaid design. IU joined the ranks of schools such as the University of Kentucky that have official plaids.Now, scarves, sweatshirts, rain boots and the like will sport her design for years to come as official IU wear.“It’s a great feeling to be a part of tradition,” Xiong said. “It’s almost like giving back. My design will hopefully lay the groundwork for students to get more involved.”A senior majoring in apparel merchandising and fashion design, Xiong said she considers herself a “huge IU fan.”When she started working on the soon-to-win design, she said she was meticulous in every aspect. She didn’t use white because she said it would make IU’s cream color look yellow, and she shied away from black for fear that the outcome could resemble another school.“I didn’t want it took like something you could buy at Aeropostale,” she said. “Well, I did and I didn’t.”Words such as warp and weft, terminology in design software, wound in and out of her sentences as she tried to explain the process of creating the single plaid tile. Finally, she brought it back to the basics. “In the end, I decided, ‘Simplify, simplify,’” she said. “That’s probably the best way to go.”The result was a tile composed of three colors — cream, crimson and a darker crimson.Though Xiong said she definitely did her research before beginning the project, she was surprised she won because she had no idea who she was up against. As vice president of students in Free Enterprise, she spent the weeks before the deadline advertising the competition through flyers and class announcements with the mentality of “I’m doing it. You guys should, too.” However, being a contestant herself, her involvement ended there.Xiong said she is especially proud of the attention her victory is bringing to her department.“You don’t hear much of us until after we graduate,” she said, citing examples such as IU graduate Scott Schuman, who runs the Sartorialist, a popular fashion blog. “I’m hoping that I can leave behind this project for the underclassmen so that they can see the process behind product development.”Though Xiong said she has managed to not get caught up in the prospect of what her accomplishment could mean, the implication that people will be wearing her design 50 years from now brings a quick hand to her forehead, as she closes her eyes and gives a smile.“I think that’s my grand prize,” Xiong said. “That years from now, how people are going to be wearing my plaid … that it could be a gift to alum, students, babies. Maybe it’s a little thing, but it’s big to me.”
(02/22/12 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior Emily Bornstein is as laid-back as they come — which is surprising, considering graduate school deadlines are quickly approaching, scholarship announcements are looming and the last semester of her undergraduate career is in full swing. Instead, Bornstein, a calm woman dressed in a simple black shirt, gives a discreet smile as she retells just what led her to be a finalist for the Big Ten Network’s Live Big scholarship — a financial reward for students involved with community service.Having started the first art program for children at Middle Way House — a Bloomington safe haven for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault — Bornstein, a studio art major, is no stranger to the word “initiative.” It began the summer after her sophomore year, when she started volunteering four days a week with adults who had developmental disorders. Watching them complete projects, she soon realized art therapy had incredible benefits.“I was so excited I was there,” Bornstein said. “Even when I was tired in the morning and I didn’t want to go, I would always leave feeling so great. Art was a way for them to express themselves, and it was different than what they had growing up.”As the summer concluded, Bornstein decided she wanted to start working with children in a similar way, either by joining an existing art program or by doing something a little more daunting.“I was going to start one,” Bornstein said.After joining Middle Way House, Bornstein began raising money on her own for art supplies. She reached out to family and friends, specifically through an Amazon Wish List. Though the supplies were limited at first, Bornstein said she saw immediate changes with the participants, many of whom had behavioral disorders.“The ones who usually weren’t listening will listen during art time,” she said. “Or those who don’t talk, that are more reserved, they will talk and be engaged during art time.”Bornstein said one of the greatest challenges of her involvement in the program is setting boundaries with the kids. After all, she wanted them to work around their challenges, not be punished for them. She said some days are particularly brutal.“Once in a while, you have a day with just you and 30 kids, and you’re like, ‘What am I thinking? Why am I here?’” she said. “Then you have the good days and you’re like, ‘That’s why.’”The Live Big Scholarship rewards efforts to improve a student’s community. After picking five finalists from each Big Ten school, online voting began in which people could choose their favorite volunteer. The results will be announced at tonight’s IU men’s basketball game. However, Bornstein isn’t worried about who won — after all, she’s preoccupied with hopes of being accepted to the social work program at Washington University in St. Louis. A genuine sense of indifference and an eyes-on-the-prize mentality echoes in her every word.“I don’t think I won,” she said with a shrug. “It’s fine. I think it was kind of a ‘who-knows-the-most-people-contest.’ My goal was more to let everyone in the University know about the art program. And people did end up emailing me, expressing interest.”
(02/14/12 3:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Pulitzer prize-winning playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner spoke at the School of Fine Arts Monday night, joining the list of presenters featured in the College Arts and Humanities Institute Lecture Series.With just minutes left until the presentation’s start, the Fine Arts Auditorium was packed with bodies and expectant energy. It wasn’t long after Kushner took the stage that the audience erupted in laughter time-and-time again.“If it’s boring, you can get up and leave,” Kushner said to the attendees in the back, all of whom appeared hesitant to venture forward in an attempt to find seating. “I won’t be offended. Okay, maybe I will, but I won’t know who you are.”Kushner, most famously known for his play “Angels in America,” is characterized by his talent in displaying “those who are, or have been, rendered powerless in certain situations,” said Director of College Arts and Humanities Institute Andrea Ciccarelli. “Angels in America” explores a group of individuals’ lives as they are turned upside down by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. However, Kushner started his presentation with something drastically different from “Angels in America” — a reading of an opera he is currently working on that is based on the life of playwright Eugene O’Neill.The scene recounted an evening walk in the snow as O’Neill, suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, treks angrily away from a fight he just had with his wife. The result was a rhyming, sensory-oriented set of lyrics.The reading was an almost instant glass-box effect — as if the audience was secretly watching the creative process take place within a great playwright’s mind.Later in the presentation, Ciccarelli retook his seat next to Kushner and read audience questions, the first centered on “Angels in America” and whether the work was still timely.“As a playwright, you’re always nervous that your play will become outdated,” Kushner said. “But I’m actually unhappy with how timely it still is. Not enough has changed.”Other questions led to personal advice from Kushner.“You should always have an audience in your head when you write,” he said. “Make them a friendly audience. Get control of them so you won’t be afraid.”And, last but not least, don’t be boring, Kushner said.“Boredom is an act of aggression,” he said. “If you get 800 people who are there for two hours, that’s 1,600 hours of life you’ve wasted. It’s like you’ve murdered a small child.”Mallory Cohn, a graduate student studying English, found the jokes entertaining.“His plays are so funny,” she said. “The dialogue is a mile-a-minute. Apparently, that’s how he talks, too. He’s like a character in one of his plays.”Luc Torok, a junior who had never heard any of Kushner’s work before the presentation, agreed.“It was interesting to see how many people came out and to see how they connected to him,” Torok said. “To be honest, I kind of want to see one of his plays now.”
(02/10/12 1:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This April, Friends of Art will be offering a two-day trip to the Louisville Speed Art Museum to see a collection of paintings by great French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists.The exhibit, “Renoir to Chagall: Paris and the Allure of Color,” is a collaboration of both the Speed Art Museum and Memphis’ Dixon Gallery and Gardens.“It presents this amazing example of the ‘who’s who’ of that time period,” said Kirsten Popp, a public relations representative at the Speed Art Museum. “The end result is more than 80 paintings, including things that have been stored in private collections.”Friends of Art, an organization that supports students in the School of Fine Arts through scholarships, is no stranger to semester trips. Minneapolis, St. Louis and Nashville, Tenn., have been a few of their past destinations.“Louisville is really only two hours away,” said Suzanne Halvorson, long-standing member on the board of directors and one of the organizers of the trip. “So, I think it’s important for students to realize there are major art destinations within a very easy distance from Bloomington.”In addition to the exhibit, students will also be spending one night in Louisville’s 21c Museum Hotel, which is what Halvorson calls “a major draw” of the trip. The hotel features the world’s only museum dedicated solely to 21st century modern art.“What is special about us is that the hotel and the museum are not separate things,” 21c Communication Manager Stephanie Greene said. “There is truly ‘art around every corner.’ The art starts on the street, before you even go in. It’s an unexpected experience.”Greene said the modern art is thought-provoking, interactive and that much of it features multimedia aspects.Along with the art exhibits, however, Halvorson said she hopes the trip can also provide means for individuals to network.“I hope those who go walk away with relationships,” she said. “I think it would be wonderful to have students and more senior members of the Friends of Art to get to know one another.”To attend, members must send a non-refundable check of $50 to Friends of Art as soon as possible. The deadline to pay in full is Feb. 15. “Everyone seems to really love the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist period,” Halvorson said. “To have such an outstanding exhibit of world class art in our backyard is really a wonderful opportunity. So, it was kind of a no-brainer.”
(02/08/12 3:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On the second floor of the School of Fine Arts is a room lined by seemingly-endless shallow drawers, each containing a separate piece of ink-stained history. The drawers form a square around large machines that could swallow one, or maybe 30, whole, modern-day printers. These are the Type Shop proofing presses.The Type Shop is a staple of the graphic design program and has served as a teaching facility for students since the early 1960s. But now, as modern-day technology progresses, the Type Shop could make its final descent into the computer-designed pages of history. On campus, professors and students are determined to keep it alive and relevant.Paul Brown, associate professor of studio art, came to IU about 10 years ago and said he remains a firm believer that IU’s Type Shop is “above and beyond history.” He said it gives users a special look into graphic design.“There is a 3-D quality to letterpress,” Brown said. “We contend that you get a sensitivity gained by doing things like this — an intuition.”Brown said the terminology of the shop is still relevant to graphic design. Words such as “typeface,” common in software programs, originated within shops. “Working here, you get a grounding in history and development of type,” Brown said. Thomas Walker, professor of graphic design, said he sees the Type Shop as a “head on a swivel” that allows one to look back to the past and forward to the future while standing in the present “friendly confines of the shop.”“Graphic design is coming from a different place, and we want students to know where that’s from,” Walker said. Junior Alexa Scott, president of the IU Graphic Design Club, said she uses the Type Shop regularly and has come to appreciate this relatively unknown space among modern graphic design. The club focuses on raising awareness and appreciation for graphic design not just among art majors, but among everyone on campus.Valentine’s Day cards are among the club’s next projects, and members will sell their creations later this week. As always, the cards will be made within the shop. One of the shop’s main attractions are the available fonts, some of which are more than 100 years old. Each font size is stored in shallow drawers and is organized by case height. Fonts are open for anyone in the graphic design program to take a peek.The proofing presses, described by Brown affectionately as “war horses,” are valued at anywhere between $15,000 and $20,000.Scott said the availability of these resources is what is most shocking.“I came in a sophomore, and I didn’t know anything,” Scott said. “But I was immediately shown a love for design. The presses are so rare around the country. A lot of graphic design students don’t even know about them. Here, we’re in and out of the shop all the time.”Scott said her favorite project is an art print poster she made that featured funny rap song lyrics.Posters like these and other broadsides around the room showcase past student work made within the shop. Brown said these are all examples of the success of the SoFA Type Shop.“With a computer, it’s not real,” Brown said as he fingered a font-block in his hand. “It’s light. But here, it’s an object. It has weight, and you can touch it. It’s the physical aspect of printing that’s enjoyable.”
(02/03/12 4:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This month the Bloomington Playwrights Project will continue its Off Broadway/On-Ninth Series with a “quirky” new musical titled, “The Boy in the Bathroom.”The musical revolves around David, a character dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder , who refuses to leave the confines of his 8-by-8 bathroom. In fact, from beginning to end, David is always onstage, reluctant to leave the bathroom and trapped by the troubles of his own mind.IU student Evan Mayer, who was chosen to tackle the role of David, describes his continuous on-stage presence as extremely “intense.”“I had fun developing the character because he is very complex,” Mayer said. “I spent a lot of time trying to understand the disorder but also how to display it artistically.”Only when another character, Julie, appears is David motivated to try and conquer the disorder.Gabe Gloden, managing director of the BPP, said he thinks the audience will be surprised at the result.“People will expect comedy, but it’s also very touching,” Gloden said. Director Chad Rabinovitz agreed and said he was originally drawn to this musical because it was so unlike standard “jazzy, flashy numbers.” Instead, he said he found it “compelling.”“Most scripts are always about the music,” Rabinovitz said. “The story isn’t that good. But when I read, ‘The Boy in the Bathroom,’ I couldn’t put it down. It’s one of the best stories I’ve ever read.” The audience can also expect a striking set-design, where the walls and carpet onstage travel out into the rows of viewers. “You are literally walking in and sitting in the homes of these people,” Gloden said. The show will begin this weekend. The first night, however, is already sold out.“I want to show the audience something they can’t see anywhere else in the world, something unique,” Rabinovitz said.
(01/27/12 2:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Friends of Art will play host to its 26th Annual Fine Arts Library Benefit Dinner this Saturday, and the event’s topic is a subject even the speaker himself finds peculiar: puzzles.Dr. Bret Rothstein, associate professor in the Department of History of Art , has been fascinated with puzzles since he viewed the Lilly Library’s Jerry Slocum mechanical puzzle collection.Rubik’s cubes and tangents are items featured at the Lilly Library’s exhibit and embody the very idea of mechanical puzzles: objects that are manipulated to create 3-D forms. Rothstein played with these toys as a child, and the Slocum exhibit reminded him of his passion for these puzzles. After Rothstein saw the exhibit, his research turned from generalized art history to the history of puzzles. “I’m thrilled that the Friends of Art and the Fine Arts Library people were interested in my current research,” Rothstein said. “I’ve been working on aspects of visual difficulty for a while now, and when a project goes on for a prolonged period, it can be difficult to know where things will likely stand with an audience of more than one.”Rothstein said he hopes to explain in his “Playful Objects” lecture the significant change images have undergone since the 15th century, when their nature and character became more pronounced.“This matters, since it indicates that the visual arts increasingly became their own best justification, rather than simply vehicles for other cultural practices, most notably religion,” Rothstein said.Dr. Giles Knox, associate professor in the Department of History of Art and a member of the Friends of Art’s Board of Directors, has attended the event three times in the past and said he is looking forward to the new material.“Puzzles aren’t usually considered part of art history,” Knox said. “So I’m interested to see how he’s going to make it about the visual.”Rothstein said he understands that his study of puzzles is unconventional but believes attendees will understand his presentation.“If the topic or talk is a dud, that’s one hour of their lives they’ll never get back,” he said.Knox said he is interested in Rothstein’s presentation but also wants to support the Friends of Art organization. He said he was initially drawn to Friends of Art because of its contribution to Fine Arts students through scholarships and support of the bookshop within the School of Fine Arts. He said he sees the annual benefit dinner as a way to help professors meet the Friends of Art members in a social way.In addition to the lecture, handmade, wooden puzzles by artist Scott Peterson and designed by Stewart T. Coffin will also be available during a silent auction.The auction pieces tie in with Rothstein’s lecture.“This sort of vote of confidence from the Friends of Art means a lot,” said Rothstein. “The fact that they were willing to make such a wager was heartening, though it does raise the stakes for what I have to say.” The event will begin at 5 p.m. in Fine Arts 102, followed by wine and hors d’oeuvres in the IU Art Museum Atrium and dinner in the Fine Arts Library.
(01/18/12 3:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The sign was easy to spot. Inside the School of Fine Arts and up the stairs, another sign waited and, from there, still another sign, all of which eventually led to a small, organized room repeatedly labeled “Friends of Art Bookshop.” In the back, rows of tall shelves loomed, lined with books labeled “Rescuing Da Vinci” and “Book Jackets: Their History, Form, and Use.” On the side, quirky greeting cards and wrapping paper decorated the walls and, everywhere else, there was food: bagels, fruit, croissants, countless candy bars and five-hour energy shots.“We’re kind of like their little refrigerator here,” said Executive Director of Friends of Art Colleen McKenna. “They can get their sustenance here and keep going.”The bookshop, managed by IU’s Friends of Art organization, has used its income to support art students through scholarships since 1968. Though McKenna never received a scholarship during her time at IU, she saw the difference the award made to others.“I’ve watched other people who were able to do research or complete projects that they wouldn’t have been able to any other way,” McKenna said. “It’s a nice connection to the place where I studied.”The Friends of Art organization is planning a benefit dinner planned for Jan. 28 that will raise funds for the art library. Tickets for the benefit are $64. The store thrives by meeting the daily needs of students within SoFA and those outside the school. McKenna said the bookstore’s central location is ideal for any student “traversing from one side of campus to the other.”The bookshop is located in the Fine Arts Building room 120 and is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Customer Hilary Givens, a sophomore studying graphic design and marketing, stepped out of class for a few minutes to pick up a small sketchbook.“The bookshop is really convenient, whether it’s for food, books you need for class or even if you forgot someone’s birthday and need a fun greeting card,” Givens said. “I was setting plaster in my class, so I have to wait 20 minutes for it to dry.”Though it provides snacks and supplies, the bookshop still holds true to its name. Housing between 8,000 and 10,000 books related solely to fine arts, it has one of the best selections in the country, McKenna said.“There are so many great books,” said employee Molly Crawford, a sophomore in the studio art department. “I shelve them, and half the time, I end up spacing out and reading them all. I would encourage anyone to take just five minutes and look around.”From the books, Friends of Art chooses a title for the monthly reading group. This month, the group is reading “The Lady and the Unicorn” by Tracy Chevalier. Friends of Art gives free student memberships at the beginning of each semester, which give people 10 percent off of most products in the bookshop. For McKenna, it’s just another way of advancing the cause.“I want people to know we’re part of a community,” McKenna said. “A local store that gives back all of our profits locally. Everything we take in here, we turn it back around.”
(01/17/12 4:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Before the show began, Bloomington resident Nancy Shin sat quietly in Auer Hall. The IU Jacobs School of Music, Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology and African American Arts Institute was about to present “Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” a multimedia production that celebrated the late civil rights activist.“The Jacobs School of Music has wonderful faculty and musicians, and they always put on a good show,” Shin said. “I know that this will hit the heart of the celebration, both in music and other ways.”Shin was right. Just a few performances in, audience members young and old wiped their eyes and clapped again and again for the students, professors and guests on stage.These performances ranged from choir ensembles, video excerpts of King’s speeches, and guest readings to picture slideshows set to a background of violins, pianos and cellos. In between performances, the students gave an informal feel to the heavy words by moving around chairs and pianos to prepare for following presentations.One presenter was Viola J. Taliaferro, who spoke of the racism she had experienced around the country, including in Bloomington. Her daughter was bullied by what she called “the name” in school to the indifference of her teachers. “Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life for all of us ... all of us,” Taliaferro said. “He took us to the mountaintop, strapped to his back. He shouldn’t have had to die for us to behave normally.” Third-year Ph.D. student Yukari Shinagawa attended the event and took notes for her African American and African Diaspora Studies program. Shinagawa applauded with the audience, which clapped past the alloted time, creating encores for Taliaferro’s words and other presenters.“I was really moved,” Shinagawa said. “All the performances were so interesting, but it was very nice to see professors I know up there.”The program concluded with an audience-orchestrated performance of “We Shall Overcome,” where everyone held hands across red-fabric rows. After the show, Taliaferro remained in Auer Hall and greeted audience members. She gave a few final words to explain why she chose to present.“We keep celebrating Martin Luther King Day, and we can’t just continue to celebrate,” Taliaferro said. “We have to make a change. It’s not difficult. We owe it to our children to not let them live in a world of racism. No one should ever have to be humiliated.”
(01/11/12 5:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Soul and motown are two genres associated with sounds of the 1970s. Tonight, three bands hope to make this music come alive in The Bishop.Chicago’s JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound will headline, with the Green Room Rockers and The Vallures opening the show. The doors will open at 8 p.m., with performances starting around 9:30 p.m. The show is open to individuals 18 years and older, with a $10 cover.“It’s three high-quality bands just bringing back an old-school soul flavor to the mic,” said Dan Coleman of Spirit of ‘68 Productions. “There’s been criticism that the return to retro soul the past couple of years comes off too polished and manufactured. With JC Brooks, they’re more genuine about what they’re doing. There is some grit to their sound.”Band members include lead singer JC Brooks, guitarist Billy Bungeroth, drummer Kevin Marks and bassist Ben Taylor. The group has been on tour the past few months, but this will be its first performance in Bloomington.“It is a show designed to get people to dance, to really have a reaction,” Taylor said. “It’s definitely high energy.”The group is often mentioned in the same sentence as defining music of the 1970s, but Taylor said the group’s music cannot be labeled exclusively soul.“We are very much not tied into recreating something that’s already been done,” he said. “We were all born after 1972, and we like music made after 1972. For us, it’s very personal music, and we’re just drawing from a lot of things that we grew up with.”Taylor said the band is very excited to play another show with friends the Green Room Rockers. The Rockers, a group of Indiana musicians, have a more reggae sound. The Vallures will perform first. Lead singer Jes Franco said their sound is similar to The Supremes. This band is a group of musicians who each play their own instrument and often dress alike, wearing 1960s-inspired clothing, full hair and makeup.“It’s a lot more of a production in a way, which makes us a band worth seeing live simply because of our show,” Franco said. “I feel like this is something you can’t really see anymore.”“I’m very excited to play with bands that are just like us and put all this music out in the world,” Franco said. “It’ll be a little bit of a history and a little bit of fun.”
(09/09/11 4:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ten years in the wake of 9/11, Lee Hamilton, a former congressman from Indiana’s 9th District, joins countless Americans remembering the exact moment when home was no longer the same place.Asked to reflect on these seconds of confusion and much-later realizations, his aged but strong voice gave no hesitation in its detailed retelling.“I was sitting on an airplane at Washington National Airport,” he said. “The plane was about to pull away when the flight attendant came running through the aisle, telling us we all needed to get off quickly. I thought there was a fire.”There was indeed a fire.But it was miles away at the Pentagon.Once off the plane and in the terminal, Hamilton and his fellow passengers could see smoke billowing from the north. Many assumed a helicopter had accidentally crashed into the building. Once an accurate account was relayed of a terrorist attack on the country, Hamilton’s reaction was two-fold.“I was surprised at the magnitude of the attack. However, I was not surprised at the attack itself,” he said.The United States National Security Council, with which Hamilton worked, believed an attack was coming. However, the Council assumed it would target American installations abroad. The former congressman again emphasized that the surprise was the degree of the attack’s consequence on American soil.Soon after, Congress nominated Hamilton as vice chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, more commonly known as the 9/11 Commission. “It is my attitude, when asked from a high-ranking official, to accept the heavy obligation. They gave me a strong pitch about the Commission’s importance,” he said. “Serving on it would be a huge responsibility.”The Commission was formed both to tell the story of Sept. 11 and to improve the country’s readiness for possible future terrorist attacks. Hamilton described this as a very broad mandate and “huge investigative task” for the staff of 70 people.“It was an enormously complex effort on behalf of all of us. It was our job, after the journalists, to now write the second draft of that day,” he said.In Hamilton’s opinion, the Commission reasonably fulfilled these tasks. Their story was accurate, giving many recommendations for the country’s increased safety. However, his aged voice, accompanied by even stronger straightforward tone, repeatedly made a point: it is a work in progress.Ten years later, in the confines of the nation’s capital, Hamilton is still occupied with the task of trying to highlight the good that came from one of America’s worst tragedies. The agenda for his stay in Washington, D.C., includes testifying in front of the House of Representatives about recommendations from the Commission that have not yet been acted upon. Later, he will advise President Obama about security matters. Having once attended law school at IU, Hamilton still spends some of his time in Bloomington. He currently serves as the director of the IU Center on Congress.When asked the final and possibly most challenging question of whether this Commission did justice for the surviving victims of the worst terrorist attack on American soil, Hamilton, though sticking with that same straightforward tone of a congressman, gave the slight hint of awe and respect for the people who define the tragedy.“The 9/11 families were very sophisticated and helpful with our work. To this day, I consider many of them good friends,” he said. “Without them, there would be no Commission.”