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(04/24/14 4:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Don’t Rape Guy wanted them to understand. But first, he had to convince them to care. He looked up into another crowd of fraternity brothers. Most were required to be there. Some were members of a fraternity being punished. This time, they piled into an auditorium in Woodburn Hall. But wherever he met them — in their meeting rooms and lecture halls and basements of their pillared houses — they always asked the same question. He saw it appear on the screen behind his head. “how many sexual assaults were there last year? PLEASE ANSWER THIS” it read.The questions were texted in anonymously, so the guys would feel comfortable asking what they wanted. What they really wanted, the Don’t Rape Guy thought, was a reason to dismiss the issue.“I have the stats,” he said. “I know some of them. But I don’t think that we should have a certain number, or meet a certain threshold for this to be important. Right?”His brow furrowed and his voice grew louder. Everyone knows the statistic, he said. One in five women who graduate from college have been sexually assaulted. He knows the guys don’t believe it, because they just don’t know many women who have been raped. Should he tell them that just because they don’t know it happened, doesn’t mean it never did?“I’m tired of talking about the statistics,” he said, even louder now. “I’ve never heard anyone say that it’s one in seven. It’s always one in four, one in five.“But if it were one in seven, wouldn’t that still be a problem? If it was one in 10? One in 100?”He took a breath, and another text appeared on the screen. “okay fine there is a problem. Tell us how to fix it.” * * * Sexual assault is a crime IU has tried to curb for decades. During Little 500, the rise in alcohol use only makes the problem worse. So they try crisis lines and counseling sessions. Blue lights and police. Student groups and intervention workshops. Musicals about consent and bookmarks that say, “Passivity is often seen as permission.”But this year, a student came to campus with a new idea. What if we could stop rape from happening in the first place, by talking to the people who might rape?* * * The Don’t Rape Guy’s name is Mark Houlemarde. He’s a 26-year-old Ph.D. student studying higher education and student affairs. He dresses simply and speaks thoughtfully. He says “partner” instead of girlfriend, “fraternity men” instead of frat bros. He punctuates every few sentences with, “Right?” In front of crowds as big as 80 guys, it’s his way of asking them to think.“Because no one in this room considers themselves to be a rapist, right?” he says.Since October, Mark’s job has been to seek out groups of men at IU to talk about not assaulting women. Almost every minute of his presentations are interactive. He makes them move around, act out scenarios in role-playing games and most importantly, talk out loud about rape. Sometimes he draws an invisible line down the middle of the room and tells them to walk to the side that represents their opinion. Over here for yes, over there for no. Cross the line, he’ll say, if you think someone can give consent while intoxicated. Always, about half go to each side. Cross the line if you believe it’s a woman’s responsibility to determine how far a hookup or an intimate relationship should go. More move to “no,” but many cluster in the middle. Cross the line if you believe sexual assault is an issue on this campus. All but a few move to yes.Mark works primarily with fraternities. He doesn’t believe fraternities are the problem. Men are the problem, he says, and through fraternities, he can talk to large groups of them. But according to the Office of Student Ethics, 46 percent of all reported rapes last school year were committed by a fraternity brother. That’s 10 percent of the population causing almost half of all sexual assaults, Mark tells the guys.Some brothers listen attentively. Some play on their phones. Some answer his questions with enthusiasm. Some toss their McDonald’s wrappers like basketballs into the trash. Many of them are hearing about men’s roles in the issue of sexual assault for the first time. “Women are told not to get raped,” Mark says. “But I don’t know if any men have actually been told, ‘Don’t rape somebody.’”And if they are, he says, the message is easily undermined by the idea of what men are expected to do in college — meet a lot of girls, get drunk, have sex. “So then it’s easy to avoid thinking about all the things that go into having sex,” he says. “The communication. The relationship with the other person.” Most men believe rape is wrong, he says, but it happens anyway. If he can help them understand how and why, he might be able to stop it before it’s too late.The key is to teach consent. Mark offers them prompts and gets them to say out loud what he knows they need to hear. Your partner stops or is unresponsive.“If in any way the girl stops communicating with you, then that’s absolutely a stop,” a brother says.You feel like you are getting mixed signals.“There needs to be better communication before you just go ahead.”You intend to have sex by any means necessary. “Well, uh, that sounds a little outrageous.”But what about the spirit of it? Mark asks the group.“What about, ‘We’re gonna go out tonight, and we’re gonna get some pussy?’”They hesitate. Then they start laughing. Out of Mark’s earshot, one guy says, “Aye!”“I mean, if it happens, it happens,” someone replies. * * * In front of the crowd in Woodburn Hall, Mark had just finished ranting about statistics. He leaned back in his seat and let the other panelists keep talking as the audience’s eyes shifted to the screen. Questions were still appearing. “Why are women not held accountable,” one read.In the small groups of women in the crowd, arms crossed. Men started whispering to each other. “women should not be held accountable for rape. is a victim of murder accountable for provoking their attacker? nope. violence is violence.” a message read.“No accountability on women? Did u know that every accident in cars you are held minimally 10% at fault no matter wat” A brown-haired woman in the middle aisle stood up and raised her hand for the microphone. She was a sophomore named Sara Hutson, but now was not the time for introductions. “So, someone sent in stuff about accountability for women,” she said, turning to face the crowd. “So, hi, guys. I’m one of your victims. And the perpetrator is, was, a pledge class leader for one of your fraternities.”She tried to get out the words to make them understand — what it was like, when he grabbed her from behind in the McNutt hallway — how she was scared of his temper, the time he bit her breast as she pushed him away — why she screamed, when she found him hiding behind her bed, eating pistachios and watching her undress. “People don’t report sexual assault because we’re afraid,” she said. “Because we know you. Mine was my next-door neighbor. So if I report it and nothing happens, what happens to me?”Mark and Sara had never met, but he has heard too many stories like hers. People ask him why he doesn’t bring women like her into his presentations. He knows her experiences might help men understand sexual assault is real. It might help them learn not to blame the victim. He also knows most men wouldn’t see themselves in her story. Sexual assault on college campuses rarely plays out like rapes on TV, a stranger attacking an unsuspecting woman in a dark alley at night.Rape in college is acquaintances at parties and friends of friends at the bar. It’s alcohol and feeling comfortable in the college town you call home. It’s not understanding how far a hookup is supposed to go. It’s not asking. He looked at Sara. He looked at the guys. He wondered what it would take. * * * Mark has known many women who have confided in him about being sexually assaulted. One of them happens to be his girlfriend. “When I met Mark, this was already something he cared deeply about,” she says now. “Even without me, Mark would still be doing this kind of work.”He started working in sexual assault prevention as an undergraduate in California, years before he met her. It wasn’t a certain person or story or experience that got him going. It was learning rape was an issue and realizing that, as a man, he could do something about it. “This isn’t rocket science,” he likes to say. If he believed he was special to think this way, he wouldn’t try so hard to get other men to realize that they can think this way, too.He doesn’t want to be the Don’t Rape Guy. He wants to be one of many. But for now, his Sexual Assault Crisis Services job — which has no real title and technically is an internship — makes Mark the only man at IU whose position is solely dedicated to rape prevention. There’s no clear line between his work life and his personal life. Mark can’t ignore the warning signs everywhere on a college campus — parties with themes like CEO Bros and Office Hoes, guys discussing a girl’s ass on their way to the gym out-of-towners who visit IU just to party.He can’t relax at most bars, so he just doesn’t go. The friend he hangs out with most is a former coworker who Mark guesses is in his 50s. He has never thought to ask. Sometimes they go bird watching. Mark’s girlfriend worries about the sacrifices he’s made for this job. All of this, for $12 an hour?“Well,” he told her, “If I don’t, who will?”* * * Being the Don’t Rape Guy during the “World’s Greatest College Weekend” is about letting go. This semester, Mark has spoken at two movie screenings, a conference in Indianapolis, a training for sorority sisters, eight planning meetings and 10 fraternity events.But during Little 500, that all stops. All around campus, there are few educational events and no campus tours. Some professors even cancel class. Academic life pauses, and the party starts.Fraternities will day drink and throw late-night ragers. Kilroy’s will add extra cover charges and still pack the patio to the brim. Porches across town will be cleared for beer pong tables and Solo cups. By Wednesday, the emergency room at Bloomington Hospital will begin one of its busiest times of year.And Mark will be at home. He really needs to catch up on classwork, he says. He won’t be at Dunnkirk, the ScHoolboy Q concert or the “Risky Business”-themed party on Third Street. It’s not that he hasn’t thought about it — but what would he do? Talk to drunk 20-year-olds? Look for the guys he’s seen in his presentations?He’s told them not to rape. He just hopes they listened.
(01/24/14 5:00am)
It seems those DIY moms with their DIY blogs possess magical artistic powers we average crafters can’t live up to. We try. We fail. Our walls remain blank. So we took some time to search our own Pinterest boards for DIY crafts that you really can do yourself. Successful crafternoon, guaranteed.
(01/23/14 8:58pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Three months ago, student leaders expressed frustration with student representation to the IU Board of Trustees.Brady Harman, president of the IU Graduate and Professional Student Organization, spoke about the challenges of influencing high-level University decisions during the Board’s Oct. 18 meeting last year.“Most of our time is spent catching up on what’s been going on for the past three or four years. By the time we finally understand all of that, and know who to talk to, we have about two months left on campus before we’re kicked out and the next process begins.”His comments were backed by Indiana University Student Association President Jose Mitjavila, who sat beside him. The pair is considered to be two of the most influential students on campus, yet their strongly voiced concern was responded to with a joke. “That’s part of our strategy to deal with you,” Chairman of the Board Thomas Reilly Jr. said. The Trustees went on to acknowledge that yes, this is an issue upon which the University as a whole needs to improve. “You’re right,” Reilly said. “You are our customers. We exist to educate students, and I think we could do better at getting your input.”The problem is rooted in smaller decision-making bodies, called committees, which are structured to include student members. But this year and in years past, IUSA has struggled to use those roles to adequately represent students.How decisions are made The largest changes that occur within IU — such as increases in tuition costs, the merging of departments or plans for campus-wide initiatives — are examined and voted on by the Board of Trustees. But long before those public hearings occur, there are dozens of smaller committees, which research, debate and decide a best course of action to recommend to the Trustees. These committees also handle smaller decisions, such as what to name a new building, how much to charge for parking tickets or what to stock in the bookstore. Currently, there are 40 committees on campus that allow one or more student representatives to participate. These chosen students are supposed to attend committee meetings, contribute to the conversation and be considered equal to a faculty member. “There are very few committees or boards at the University that don’t have student members,” Dean of Students Harold “Pete” Goldsmith said. IUSA President Mitjavila, who has served on committees including strategic planning and privatization of parking, said progress in these groups is often slow and tedious. “It’s definitely not the sexiest way to go about the student voice,” Mitjavila said. “People go to these committees, and some of them can be really boring, where nothing goes on for weeks or months. But that’s ultimately where decisions are made about all kinds of things. “When you think about what creates IU’s atmosphere, it’s all of these tiny decisions made across the University, which more often than not happen in committees.” Lack of representationSo who decides which students are placed on which committees? The presidents of student government, Harman and Mitjavila. Although GPSO provides all graduate students the chance to be on a committee, IUSA chooses only undergraduates who are already involved in student government.It is unclear whether this has always been the process, but the three most recent student government presidents, including Mitjavila, have all placed only members of their own staffs on committees. This is when complications arise. Though these committees are considered the starting point for the University’s decision-making process, IUSA leaders acknowledge facing many challenges in filling student representatives’ spots. When a new president takes office, it often takes weeks or months for them to figure out the committee system: what each committee is about, where it meets and who is in charge. Some committees meet weekly, others monthly and some once per semester. At the beginning of each semester, the president must work around each IUSA member’s class schedule to determine which staff members will attend which committees. This system has caused significant delays in getting students into those student representative positions. This academic year, at least seven committees were without a student representative until November. This includes the Bloomington Faculty Council and its subcommittees on affirmative action, educational policies and student affairs, among others. Though Mitjavila said that problem has now been resolved, there were more than two months of committee meetings in which no student was attending to represent the student voice. Even when IUSA members are successfully placed on a committees, it is difficult to convince them to focus on committee participation. Often, these students are placed on a specific committee not because it sparks their interest, but simply because it fits their class schedule. “Committee presence isn’t what you get into student government for,” said Kyle Straub, IUSA president in the 2012-13 school year. IUSA members are more concerned with fulfilling the promises they made during the election, Straub said. “You’re focusing on your set initiatives, Congress and maintaining good faith with administrators,” Straub said. And even if the student representatives are passionate about the committees they are assigned to, it’s almost impossible for them to contribute at the same level as a faculty member.Justin Kingsolver, IUSA president in the 2011-12 school year, said when a student joins a committee, they almost always join without background information about what the committee is working on. “So it takes a while to adapt,” Kingsolver said. “Most students aren’t fully versed on its internal workings and internal policy.”This lack of knowledge makes student representatives hesitant to contribute. And as Harman said to the Board of Trustees, by the time a student figures out the lay of the land, the end of their one-year or even one-semester long term on the committee is rapidly approaching.Both Kingsolver and Straub said these challenges have existed for some time. Yet, each year, they are passed down to the new administration, whose job it is to represent the opinions of more than 36,000 undergraduates on the Bloomington campus through these decision-making committees. Fixing the problemProvost Lauren Robel said in a December interview that committee representation is essential to students having a voice on campus. “The students are best served if they not only believe, but it is true, that the organizations that represent them are going to have a seat at the table,” she said.The Provost was familiar with GPSO’s “open to all” policy for allowing students not involved in campus government to serve on committees, but she said she is not in favor of that system.“The difficulty with that approach, on a purely theoretical level, is that the people who will be drawn to serve on committees come in two forms: one is people who are altruistic … and would like the opportunity to work on a committee to see how things work and participate in governance,” Robel said. “The other are people with an axe to grind. You don’t necessarily get the best form of representation through a general call out.”When asked about ways to improve the issue, the Provost said it is something she would not involve herself in, unless IUSA specifically asks for help. “My assumption would be that it is IUSA’s problem to fix,” Robel said. “Both Dean Goldsmith and I are always open to working with student government, but these are their appointments to make.”Mitjavila agrees but said he wishes the leaders of committees across campus would be more proactive in connecting with student representatives at the beginning of each semester.As for involving students outside IUSA, Mitjavila said it is possible, if a student seeks out a member of IUSA to express interest in a particular subject. “We don’t explicitly have an open admission policy,” he said. “But we’re always looking for new people who can increase our efficiency in any area.”Any student who wishes to be involved in or has concerns about committee representation can contact Mitjavila at jmitjavi@indiana.edu or Vice President Chris Kauffman at usasbvp@indiana.edu.At this time, IUSA has no specific efforts planned to improve the quality of student representation on University committees, other than making sure its members are attending the meetings they have been assigned.“I would recommend to whoever is in office next year to have a workshop at the beginning of the semester to go over professionalism, proper conduct and responsibilities,” Mitjavila said, “so that the staff can best represent student interests on these committees.” No such training will take place this year. “I wish I would have thought of that idea sooner.”Follow reporter Jessica Contrera on Twitter @mjcontrera.
(12/06/13 5:27am)
Click here for "After the fall," the full project including an in-depth look at Rachael's death and its aftermath.
Rachael Fiege had only been on campus for two days and everyone knew her — the girl who fell down the stairs. As the reporters called and the rumors spread, her parents tried to remember she was more than that.
This story was reported during the course of three months.
The IU Police Department’s investigation into Rachael’s death is still active, although officials have said they do not anticipate any criminal charges. The University declined to release any additional information or documents regarding the deaths of IU students. The Monroe County Coroner also declined to release toxicology, autopsy and coroner’s reports.
All scenes the reporter was not present for were recreated in interviews with family and friends.
(10/22/13 3:55am)
On the last morning, before the waffle irons went cold and the pictures came down, before the lock refused to lock, before the claw crashed through the roof, the old man paced.
(09/09/13 2:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The lower level of the Jordan Avenue parking garage was crammed with bicycles and eager bidders Saturday morning for the biannual bike auction.Number of bikesApproximately 170Highest bid$290Lowest bid$5 for spare partsExpected profit$7,500Where does the money go?Parking Operations uses it to install bike racks, concrete paths and landscaping.Whose bikes are they?When bicycles that don’t have a permit are left on campus during the summer, especially at residence halls, Parking Operations picks them up. They also tow away bikes that are chained to something other than a bike rack, like trees or handrails. What happens when Parking Operations takes your bike?Your bike will be stored for at least 60 days. You can call 812-855-9848 to find out if Parking Operations has your bike. How not to get your bike towed away“Register your bike and put it in a bike rack,” Parking Manager Doug Porter said. “If you do those two things, we won’t touch it.”How to register your bikeVisit parking.indiana.edu and click “Permits.” Registration currently costs $10 and lasts until June 30, 2014.
(08/28/13 4:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bus travelers, wait no more.Bloomington Transit has launched its first-ever bus tracking program, which allows riders to see the location of buses in real time — online or through a smartphone app.The program, called DoubleMap, is available at bt.doublemap.com or in the DoubleMap app that can be downloaded using iOS and Android devices. It’s the same app used by the IU Campus Bus system. In the next month, the two maps will combine to create one cohesive bus tracking system for students and community members.“We’re taking the guesswork out of whether the bus is going to come late or early,” said Peter SerVaas, an IU graduate, of DoubleMap. “That’s really a misuse of students’ and riders’ time.”The program allows riders to locate buses along individual routes or all at once. After the app’s first month in service, it will also give riders the ability to click on a specific bus stop and see the estimated times the next few buses will arrive.Bloomington Transit General Manager Lew May said the $200,000 project was started in 2012 when the city recognized the need for a bus tracking app similar to what is available on campus. The cost included the creation of the tracking system for mobile and online, as well as digital signs that will display the bus locations. The signs will be installed at the downtown bus station currently being built at the corner of third and Walnut Streets.Upkeep of the DoubleMap system will cost $25,000 per year and will come out of both federal and state funding.May said he hopes the new system will incentivize more community members, especially young students, to travel with Bloomington Transit.“For those people who maybe weren’t quite sure how public transit works, this makes it very easy,” May said. “You can see all the bus routes, color-coded, where they go from and where they go to. All of the basic information is at your fingertips.”DoubleMap was founded at IU in 2009, when IUSA was looking for an affordable bus tracking app for students. SerVaas, then-IUSA student body president, partnered with Ilya Rekhter, another IUSA member, to create the app themselves.Although the founders claimed they never intended to turn the app into a full-fledged company, controversy arose when IUSA paid more than $18,000 in student fees to SerVaas and Rekhter. Neither were fired, and after the pair graduated, DoubleMap continued to grow. All 12 of the Indianapolis-based company’s current employees are IU and IUPUI graduates.DoubleMap now operates bus tracking systems for more than 25 entities, including Butler University, the University of Notre Dame, Georgetown University, the Indianapolis Airport and Walt Disney Studios.Follow reporter Jessica Contrera on Twitter @mjcontrera.
(08/28/13 4:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When you buy a peach from Daniel Graber, it’ll be the best peach of your life, he said. “If you bite into that peach right now, it’ll be running down your face,” Graber said.If you don’t bite it right now, he’ll call after you.“Report back on that peach,” he said.Peaches — and cherries and apples and peppers and dairy — are Daniel Graber’s everything. An Amish farmer from Odon, Ind., Graber owns Graber’s Produce, one of the many businesses appearing at Bloomington’s lesser-known farmer’s market on Tuesdays at the corner of 6th and Madison streets.The fruits and vegetables he sells come to Bloomington twice a week from the 100-acre farm Graber purchased in 1996 with his wife, Fannie Mae.Since the start of peach season in June, the Grabers have woken at 4:30 a.m. and worked until 8 or 9 p.m. each day, picking, sorting, canning and cooking peaches.“It’s not eight-hour days and punching the time card,” Graber said. “But it’s the only life we know.”It’s also the kind of work that makes Graber proud to be Amish. He said he often feels sorry for those who don’t have the chance to learn the lessons his eight children have learned, such as where food comes from.“There’s a saying that goes ‘Grandpa had a farm, Junior had a garden and Sunny has a can opener,’” Graber said. “That’s the way it is in America today.”But he knows his way of life is misunderstood by many.As market browsers passed by Graber’s stand, his straw hat, scraggly beard and long pants drew a few stares. A woman joked with his daughter, Lydia, about going off to school soon.But at 14, Lydia’s already completed all eight years of education standard in the Amish community.So in September, Graber is opening his farm up to the public through the Homegrown Indiana Farm Tour. The trip departs from downtown and takes visitors to Graber’s Produce and the Rabers Family Farm, which is owned by Graber’s brother-in-law.Participants will have the chance to ride on a horse-drawn wagon, watch cows be milked and, of course, learn what it takes to grow “the best peaches of your life.”Follow reporter Jessica Contrera on Twitter @mjcontrera.
(08/27/13 9:57pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bus travelers, wait no more.Bloomington Transit has launched its first-ever bus tracking program, which allows riders to see where buses are in real time — online or through a smartphone app.The program, called DoubleMap, is available at www.bt.doublemap.com or in the DoubleMap app that can be downloaded using iOS and Android devices. It’s the same app used by the IU Campus Bus system. In the next month, the two maps will be combined to create one cohesive bus tracking system for students and community members.“We’re taking the guesswork out of whether the bus is going to come late or early,” said Peter SerVaas, an IU graduate, of DoubleMap. “That’s really a misuse of students’ and riders’ time.”The program allows riders to locate buses along individual routes or all at once. After the app’s first month in service, it will also give riders the ability to click on a specific bus stop and see the estimated times the next few buses will arrive.Bloomington Transit General Manager Lew May said the $200,000 project was started in 2012 when the city recognized the need for a bus tracking app similar to what is available on campus. The cost included the creation of the tracking system for mobile and online, as well as digital signs that will display the bus locations. The signs will be installed at the downtown bus station currently being built at the corner of 3rd and Walnut Streets.Upkeep of the DoubleMap system will cost $25,000 per year and will come out of both federal and state funding.May said he hopes the new system will incentivize more community members, especially young students, to travel with Bloomington Transit.“For those people who maybe weren’t quite sure how public transit works, this makes it very easy,” May said. “You can see all the bus routes, color-coded, where they go from and where they go to. All of the basic information is at your fingertips.”DoubleMap was founded at IU in 2009, when IUSA was looking for an affordable bus tracking app for students. SerVaas, then-IUSA student body president, partnered with Ilya Rekhter, another IUSA member, to create the app themselves.Although the founders claimed they never intended to turn the app into a full-fledged company, controversy arose when IUSA paid more than $18,000 in student fees to SerVaas and Rekhter. Neither were fired, and after the pair graduated, DoubleMap continued to grow. All 12 of the Indianapolis-based company’s current employees are IU and IUPUI graduates.The company now operates bus tracking systems for more than 25 entities, including Butler University, the University of Notre Dame, Georgetown University, the Indianapolis Airport and Walt Disney Studios.Follow reporter Jessica Contrera @mjcontrera.
(02/25/13 6:15pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Justin Wright is not your average basketball fanatic.Where others stand and scream, he scrubs and sweeps. They paint their faces — he paints the hallways. They show up early for tickets — he stays late for toilets.You might call him the janitor. But ESPN calls him one of the top 10 fans in the world.Wright, a custodian at Assembly Hall, was a finalist in ESPN’s Hall of Fans competition. On thehalloffans.com, people vote each year for the world’s best sports fan.Wright was one of 10 finalists chosen from more than 10,000 entries for the hall’s inaugural class of 2012.But unlike his competition, Wright doesn’t just support his team — he works for it.Five nights each week, the modern-day Mop Man kisses his wife and young children goodbye, drives his pickup truck to Assembly Hall and starts his 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. shift.He doesn’t mind the hours. He gets to be essentially alone with the building he loves.“I hate to say it’s my building or anything, but I feel like it’s mine,” he said. “I take care of it like it’s my own.”He cleans the building from the bottom up: locker rooms, offices, bathrooms and hallways. But he always saves the best for last.The court.“When I’m sweeping, I look up and see the banners, and sometimes, I just get chills,” Wright said. “To think about all that has happened here ... all the games, the talks, the history ... it’s just, it’s just awesome.”Although 29-year-old Wright grew up just minutes from Assembly Hall, he only witnessed “all that happened” on television. Wright’s great-grandmother, who raised him, could never afford to take him to games.Still, Wright credits her for instilling his love of IU athletics.“I’ll never forget the first time she drove me by Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium,” Wright said. “I was 5 or 6. She said, ‘There’s where all the basketball and football players play.’“Every time we drove by after that, I smashed my face up against the window and looked for the players and coaches. I thought they were going to come out in their uniforms or something.”Today, Wright is known for how hard he works to support those players and coaches, said Bob Gilmore, custodial shift supervisor of IU athletics.“He cares. He takes pride in what he does,” Gilmore said. “He’s an excellent custodian. But he’s an even better coworker, dad, husband and all-around excellent person.”In winning, he would be inducted into the Hall of Fans on ESPN’s Connecticut campus and featured in ESPN The Magazine.He’d also receive $500 and an all-expense-paid trip to New York.But he was aching to share the spotlight.“This isn’t just for me,” he said. “I want it to be for the crew I work for, for Indiana athletics and for all of Hoosier Nation.”Ultimately, though, Wright did not win entry to the Hall of Fans.But no matter the results, Wright said, he’d still be loyal to IU basketball and Assembly Hall.“Yeah, I’m cleaning toilets and doing some nasty stuff, but I love it here,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.“I’ve got to see them get another banner.”
(12/05/12 3:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The bus perplexed 4-year-old Anna Thommpson. It wasn’t moving. It wasn’t yellow. And a stuffed snowman sat in the driver’s seat. But as she climbed into it to hand over her donation to the “Stuff-A-Bus,” she was all smiles. Anna’s mom, Erin, had explained the toy was going to another little girl, just like Anna.The Thompsons are one of many families donating to Stuff-A-Bus, an annual holiday charity that gathers clothes and toys for local children. The event is sponsored by Bloomington Transit, the Salvation Army and radio station WCLS 97.7 FM. The bus was unveiled in November at the downtown Bloomington Canopy of Lights Celebration. It spends December traveling to different shopping centers like Walmart, K-Mart and Sam’s Club to collect donations.“Some people seek us out actively, and others just see the bus, figure out what it’s all about and just pick up a donation while they’re shopping,” said Brenda Underwood, human resources director at Bloomington Transit.Underwood said she is especially passionate about this charity because of its local focus. All items are distributed to children only in Monroe County whose families have been pre-approved by the Salvation Army.“I think about my son, when he was little, and he probably had about five pairs of gloves,” Underwood said. “And to think there are kids right here in our community who don’t have gloves or warm clothes...It’s just important that we do something about it.”Once the donations are collected, the parents of the pre-approved families receive the items directly.“That way, the kids never know that their gifts came from charity,” said Melissa Heatwole, a Salvation Army employee working at Stuff-A-Bus on Saturday. “We don’t want them to feel different than any other kid.”Last holiday season, Stuff-A-Bus gathered the most items in its 12-year history. More than 4,000 new toys, coats, hats, gloves and mittens were collected. Underwood said she hopes the community will be as generous this year. The Stuff-A-Bus will collect from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at TJ Maxx. On Thursday, the bus will visit K-Mart West and on Friday, it will park at the Wonderlab Museum of Health, Science and Technology. To see a full schedule of bus stops, visit bloomingtontransit.com.
(11/30/12 4:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The future of U.S. national security policy may be decided in Washington, D.C., but it is being heatedly discussed this week at IU. A conference on “Changing National Security Priorities: 2013-2020” continues Friday in the Georgian Room of the Indiana Memorial Union. The two-day conference, organized by School of Public and Environmental Affairs adjunct lecturer and former CIA agent Gene Coyle, brought together experts in many areas of the intelligence field. “Professor Coyle and others at SPEA took advantage of the relationships they had with past coworkers at the CIA, recent graduates and others that IU has connections with,” said SPEA associate professor Beth Cate, a conference panelist. “The result was a wide range of explorations and sessions to benefit from.”The keynote speaker was Mary Beth Long, former assistant secretary of defense for international affairs. “Mary Beth became the highest ranking civilian female in the history of the Pentagon when she was about 32 or 33,” Coyle said, as he introduced Long’s keynote address. Long was quick to get to her point.“The state of our national intelligence is really in dire straights,” Long said. “It is such a mess that it is actually a threat of its own.”Long’s opinion is a result of her experiences as a government employee. She listed a number of occasions when agencies such as the FBI, CIA and Drug Enforcement Agency were unsure of what role they were meant to play in new threats to national security because of lack of communication and oversight. Concerns like Long’s were the source of heated conversations throughout the conference during sessions and panel discussions. Friday’s topics focus on thematic issues including cyber security, national resource scarcity and privacy. Thursday’s sessions centered on regional concerns including China, North Korea and the Middle East.First-year graduate student and ROTC cadet Garrett Guinivan said one of the reasons he attended a forum was because of his friends deployed in Iraq. “Learning about the issues in the Middle East in this way is not like reading a book,” Guinivan said. “To hear views on the situation from people like Ambassador Feisal Istrabadi, the director of the Center for the Study of the Middle East, is really great.”Junior Alex Wilson said the conference was an opportunity to learn more about a field he has recently been gaining interest in. “It seems like most of the studies and conversations about national security take place on the East Coast, near D.C.,” Wilson said. “It’s encouraging for me as a student at IU to see a conference like this here in Bloomington.” Organizers of the conference such as Cate said they hope the ideas talked about will highlight the importance of future public conversations on national security. “The promise of conversations like this is not immediate impact,” Cate said. “It’s really about getting people to think about and talk about the issues so we can be prepared for the next generation of security challenges.”
(11/12/12 5:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The staff sergeant sits, like always, with his back to the wall. Second chair from the door. Since he returned from Baghdad, he needs to have the entrances and exits always in sight. Ready for anything.The slides projected on the Ballantine Hall classroom wall switch every time his introductory Spanish class lazily answers the professor’s question. Freshman Adam Argenti knows every answer almost every time, but he rarely participates unless called upon.“Name the month each symbol represents,” the professor says. “In español, please.”A decorated evergreen tree appears on the screen.“Diciembre,” the class answers.A jack-o’-lantern. “Octubre.” A turkey. “Noviembre” An American flag with a cross. No answer.Memorial Day, Adam thinks to himself. May.“Anybody?” the professor asks.No answer.Memorial Day, Adam says, but only in his mind. The professor reaches for his clicker. “Moving on.”Adam leans back in his chair, closes his eyes and waits for patience. After everything he’s been through, he can’t help but find it hard to believe that so few people would ever know what it means to have gone to war.
(11/04/12 11:06pm)
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(10/25/12 5:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As they sat around the table drinking Franzia at social hour, the group of silver-haired women debated: How do you do it? They’ve been voting for up to half a century, but things have changed.What does it take to vote in Indiana this year?On the surface, the answer seems simple: a photo identification card. But for this group of senior residents at the Bell Trace Senior Living Community, and for many other Bloomington citizens, obtaining a proper ID has become a roadblock to voting. “Does the driver’s license have to be up-to-date?” Barbara Morpurgo asked. “I haven’t used it for a while.”“I have an ID, but I live at a new address now. Does that count?” Nancy Beaver said.“Go to the license bureau and get a state ID card,” her friend Marge Brumleve recommended. “How am I supposed to get there from here?” Beaver said. “I can’t drive.”These women are far from the only ones talking about voter identification laws. The subject has been in the national media spotlight for months as states implement, overturn and debate the ethics of asking for an ID at the polls. Although Indiana’s voter ID law has been in place since 2005, it is still causing confusion on the IU campus and in the Bloomington community.Retirement homes, homeless shelters, disability services groups and nonpartisan advocacy groups have been working to register voters in Monroe Country and make sure they have proper IDs to vote. “At retirement homes like Bell Trace, everybody knows who everybody is,” said Ann Wrenn, director of the League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County. “Previously, that was enough to vote with. But things are getting stricter, and the photo ID law is being taken very seriously.”The LWV is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. The group registered and talked to voters about preparing a proper photo ID at Bell Trace, the Monroe County Public Library and a variety of campus locations.“It’s very difficult for seniors to understand why, after all those years of voting, they have to prove who they are,” Wrenn said. Why Indiana has a voter ID lawIn 2005, Indiana became the first state to require a voter to produce a government-issued photo ID to vote. The goal was to reduce voter fraud.“Indiana’s voter ID law is simply a means of protecting the integrity of our election process so that every vote counts and every voice is heard,” said Pete Seat, director of communications for the Indiana Republican Party. A plan called the Vote with ID Public Education Initiative was implemented to ensure the public was informed of the new law and that it was implemented equally across the state. Judith Smith-Ille, Republican chair of the Monroe Country Election Board, helped to educate Monroe County poll workers on the law and their responsibility to uphold it.“When people go to sign in to vote, the pollsters can look at the person, their photo and address and feel safe that it is the person who is supposed to be voting,” Smith-Ille said. Similar laws popped up throughout the country, but Indiana’s is one of four voter ID laws categorized as “strict” by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Voters without a photo ID may cast a provisional ballot but must provide a proper ID to their county’s election board within 10 days. The Indiana photo ID law received a wave of backlash from civil rights groups in and out of the state. The groups argued the new law was an attempt to limit voting for marginalized groups who are less likely to have IDs. Studies have proven that African American, low-income and older citizens are included in that category. “Voting is not a privilege, it’s a right,” IU Political Science Professor Marjorie Hershey said. “It’s not a right to make some people work a lot harder in order to have to vote than it is others.”But in 2008, both the Indiana Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court ruled the Indiana voter ID is constitutional. “Because Indiana’s cards are free, the inconvenience of going to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, gathering required documents and posing for a photograph does not qualify as a substantial burden on most voters’ right to vote or represent a significant increase over the usual burdens of voting,” Justice John Paul Stevens wrote in the decision. The voter ID law has been implemented in every election since 2006.Why voter ID is still a controversyVoter ID laws (photo and non-photo) have been enacted in some form in 30 states, but resistance to the laws continuously grows stronger.Opponents argue that voter fraud by voter impersonation, which these laws aim to combat, is not an issue. According to a database of election fraud compiled by the news organization News21, .5 percent of all 2,068 cases of alleged election fraud since 2000 have been through voter impersonation. Of the 62 cases of alleged voter fraud in Indiana during that time, zero were cases of voter impersonation. Of the allegations, 58.1 percent were against absentee ballot fraud. Voting absentee does not require a photo ID in Indiana.Courts are saying the explanations that voter impersonation fraud is too well-concealed to be detected or that it could grow in the future are not sufficient. Texas’ attempt to enact a strict voter ID law like Indiana’s was blocked by the U.S. District Court in Washington in August. In Pennsylvania, a state judge blocked another strict photo ID law. Polling officials there are now allowed to request identification but can not require it. Courts in Florida, Ohio, Arizona, Wisconsin and Tennessee have also blocked or postponed voter ID laws until after the 2012 general election.
(10/17/12 5:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The performances of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama garnered criticism from both sides in the first presidential debate two weeks ago.In Tuesday’s round two, both delivered. At Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., the debate took the form of a town hall meeting.Crowd members, undecided voters selected by the Gallup Organization, asked the candidates questions about foreign and domestic issues.A handful of audience members had a chance to ask questions directly, which included such domestic topics as gun control, affordable education, unemployment among college students, tax credits, workplace inequality and gas prices. Participants touched on foreign issues including immigration, Libya, national security and job outsourcing.Audience members did not ask questions about several hot topics in this year’s election rhetoric, including the war in Afghanistan, health care, veterans, Medicare and Social Security.EducationObama: Although he began by referencing the importance of creating decent paying jobs for college graduates, Obama transitioned, saying he wanted everyone to have access to a quality education. He directly addressed the student who asked the question, saying, “I want to make student loans available for folks like you,” while also emphasizing the importance of investing in community colleges that are training people who are already in the workforce and want to go back to school. Romney: Addressing the college student who asked the question, Romney said he wanted to keep Federal Pell Grants growing and make college affordable with a loan program. He told the student, “I want you to be able to get a job,” saying he would change the current problem students face of acquiring more debt with less job availability because the middle class “has been crushed” in the last four years.Workplace InequalityObama: After an anecdote about his mother hitting the glass ceiling, Obama touted the first bill he signed in office, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. He called women’s struggle for equality “a family issue and a middle class issue.” The president said equal opportunity begins with easier access to decent education and pointed to the increase in Federal Pell Grants during his administration.Romney: The former governor told the audience his administration in Massachusetts had more women in senior leadership positions than in any other state. Romney said he learned through this that having females in higher positions requires employers to be more flexible to accommodate a woman’s lifestyle. He argued the best way to help women in the workplace is to create a stronger economy, and he said he plans to do just that.ImmigrationObama: Obama said America isn’t just a nation of immigrants, but also a “nation of laws,” saying the current immigration laws were part of a broken system that needed to be fixed. He said he wanted to make the path to citizenship easier and cheaper. Obama emphasized his constant commitment to the DREAM Act, a bill that would allow the children of illegal immigrants to gain U.S. citizenship through higher education or military service.Romney: Claiming America is “a nation of immigrants,” Romney said it’s important for the legal system already in place to work more efficiently, but he said he wouldn’t grant amnesty to immigrants who chose to come into the U.S. illegally. Romney did, however, announce his support for an employment verification system and a pathway for children who were brought to the U.S. illegally to become permanent residents, citing military service as one way to gain citizenship.Job outsourcingObama: Obama said he will close loopholes allowing companies to benefit from moving jobs offshore. He said the way to create jobs in America is to double exports and change the tax code so businesses investing overseas do not receive breaks. Obama said he will continue to be tough on China and in trade deals with all countries so American workers benefit the most.Romney: Romney said he would make it more attractive for American businesses of all sizes to keep jobs in America. To do this, he plans to lower tax rates for companies. The governor called out China for artificially keeping down the value of its currency and promised that on his first day in office, he will label China as a currency manipulator and will enact tariffs to make sure they play by the rules.
(10/17/12 3:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The state will implement new measures to decrease voter fraud on Election Day, Joseph Hogsett, U.S. attorney for the southern district of Indiana, announced in Bloomington Tuesday.On Nov. 6, federal prosecutors will be stationed at U.S. Attorney’s Offices in several Indiana cities, including Indianapolis, New Albany, Terre Haute and Evansville. Election officials and voters will be able to report suspected election fraud or voting rights violations to these prosecutors from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.The office does not anticipate any criminal activity at the polls but is prepared to help fix glitches of any kind.“We have no reason to believe that the election will be conducted in any way other than impartially, fairly and consistently,” Hogsett said. “But we are here to make sure that Hoosier voters have an unfettered right to cast their ballots on election day.”Efforts to reduce voter fraud, especially through voter identification legislation, have been a national discussion in recent months. Indiana is considered one of four states with strict voter ID laws. Hogsett said these new efforts are unrelated to the national attention on voter ID and are merely a commitment to election integrity. IU political science professor Marjorie Hershey, an expert in political parties, campaigns and elections, said the efforts made by the U.S. Attorney’s Office are nonpartisan and should prove effective.“We don’t need lots of uniforms floating around,” Hershey said. “We just need people who have the ability to get authoritative information quickly so that people don’t become fed up and go home.”Hogsett said any concerns about voter fraud should be addressed with local election officials before contacting the stationed attorneys on election day.“Of course, the United States Attorney’s Office is not the only place to go for election-related concerns or election-related assistance,” Hogsett said. “The local election officials are charged with conducting the election. However, it’s helpful for people to know there are alternatives.”
(10/10/12 2:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With six Starbucks locations in Bloomington, the words “pumpkin spice latte” are synonymous with fall. The leaves change, the air chills and, like clockwork, your taste buds tingle for that sip of warm pumpkin spice. But even latte junkies should know that when it comes to seasonal treats, Starbucks is far from the only establishment cashing in on pumpkin love. These local favorites have a new way to taste that fall flavor. Pumpkin bagel and schmearBloomington Bagel Company113 N. Dunn St., 238 N. Morton St. or 913 S. College Mall Road$2.66“We’ve been making pumpkin cream cheese (schmear) for seven years,” said Lauren Carmin, line manager at BBC. “On a pumpkin bagel, all warmed up, it tastes like pumpkin pie.”BBC also sells pumpkin muffins, cake bars, lattes and pumpkin white chocolate scones.Available through Nov. 30.Pumpkin cookiesBaked! of Bloomington313 E. Third St. or for delivery$8.79 for a half dozenBaked! adds pumpkin and pumpkin spice to its famous dough recipe for this mouthwatering sweet. As always, they come delivered in a pizza box. Available through Dec. 14.Pumpkin soupSoup’s On108 S. Rogers St. $4.75 for a bowl There are two varieties of pumpkin soup available at Soup’s On — sweet and savory. The sweet is a thicker soup made from fresh-roasted pumpkins, cream, nutmeg and cinnamon. The savory includes pumpkins, pumpkin seeds, carrots and celery in a warm broth base. The pumpkin comes from Heartland Family Farm in Bedford, Ind.Available through Dec. 1.Pumpkin breadSugar and SpiceSecond floor of the Indiana Memorial Union$0.89“This is one of our very favorite recipes,” said Suzette May, manager of Sugar and Spice. May and her team make the fresh-baked pumpkin bread each morning, right in the IMU.Seasonal pumpkin treats include cupcakes, bars and lattes. Available year-round.Pumpkin PancakeVillage Deli409 E. Kirkwood Ave.$5.50 for three cakesThe moment you taste them, you’ll know why pumpkin pancakes are some of the most popular items at Village Deli in fall. The chefs add pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to the pancakes, then top them with Hillman Farm’s pumpkin butter. Available through Nov. 31.Pumpkin PastrySweet Claire Gourmet Bakery309 E. Third St. or at the Bloomington Farmers’ Market$3.25Sweet Claire owner Mel Hosteter bakes a French bread, called brioche, fills it with pumpkin cream and drizzles it with chocolate ganache to create this treat your taste buds won’t forget. Available Fridays and Saturdays until February.
(09/06/12 1:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In response to complaints about event timing in Spring 2012, Union Board is trying to reshape the way it interacts with students. As the largest student programming organization on campus, Union Board is known for the events it plans: concerts, lectures, debates and more. Senior and Union Board President AJ O’Reilly said increasing student input is at the top of the board’s list of priorities.“We want to see more suggestions from a wider variety of people on campus,” O’Reilly said. The main initiative is Union Board’s new website, www.ub.indiana.edu.“Our new site is the hub for all things Union Board,” said senior Brad Domash, the board’s public relations and marketing director. “How to get involved, what’s coming up and how to tell us what you want.”The website also features a blog and links to Union Board’s outlets on Facebook and Twitter, where students can include the tag #UnionBoard to talk about events they want to see. Students can also email ubideas@indiana.edu with suggestions or comments. “After all, you are paying for it in a way,” O’Reilly said, referring to the student activity fee. “So getting involved is worth your while.”The activity fee is a charge automatically added to students’ tuition prices every semester. This money is channeled to a number of clubs. Because the board is such a large organization, it receives $4.28 per student each semester.“The more feedback we get, the more we can do to give students what they want,”O’Reilly said.
(08/30/12 4:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Justin Wright is not your average basketball fanatic. Where others stand and scream, he scrubs and sweeps. They paint their faces; he paints the hallways. They show up early for tickets; he stays late for toilets. You might call him the janitor.But ESPN calls him one of the top 10 fans in the world. Wright, a custodian at Assembly Hall, is a finalist in ESPN’s Hall of Fans competition. On www.thehalloffans.com, readers can vote for the world’s best sports fan. Wright is one of 10 finalists chosen from more than 10,000 entries. But unlike his competition, Wright doesn’t just support his team — he works for it. Five nights each week, the modern-day Mop Man kisses his wife and young children goodbye, drives his pickup truck to Assembly Hall and starts his 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. shift. He doesn’t mind the hours. He gets to be essentially alone with the building he loves. “I hate to say it’s my building or anything, but I feel like it’s mine,” he said. “I take care of it like it’s my own.”He cleans the building from the bottom up: locker rooms, offices, bathrooms and hallways. But he always saves the best for last.The court. “When I’m sweeping, I look up and see the banners, and sometimes, I just get chills,” Wright said. “To think about all that has happened here ... all the games, the talks, the history ... it’s just, it’s just awesome.”Although 29-year-old Wright grew up just minutes from Assembly Hall, he only witnessed “all that happened” on television. Wright’s great-grandmother, who raised him, could never afford to take him to games. Still, Wright credits her for instilling his love of IU athletics. “I’ll never forget the first time she drove me by Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium,” Wright said. “I was 5 or 6. She said, ‘There’s where all the basketball and football players play.’“Every time we drove by after that, I smashed my face up against the window and looked for the players and coaches. I thought they were going to come out in their uniforms or something.”Today, Wright is known for how hard he works to support those players and coaches, said Bob Gilmore, custodial supervisor of IU athletics.“He cares. He takes pride in what he does,” Gilmore said. “He’s an excellent custodian. But he’s an even better coworker, dad, husband and all-around excellent person. I hope he wins.”For Wright to win, he has to be in the top three of the 10 finalists. If he wins, he’ll be inducted into the Hall of Fans on ESPN’s Connecticut campus and featured in ESPN The Magazine. He’ll also receive $500 and an all-expense-paid trip to New York. Wright has never been to New York. He said if he wins, he’ll use the trip to celebrate his seven-year anniversary with his wife, Christa. He’s also aching to share the spotlight. “This isn’t just for me,” he said. “I want it to be for the crew I work for, for Indiana athletics and for all of Hoosier Nation.”But no matter the results, Wright said, he’ll still be loyal to IU basketball and Assembly Hall. A month from now, he’ll be back to the same routine. “Yeah, I’m cleaning toilets and doing some nasty stuff, but I love it here. I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “I’ve got to see them get another banner.”