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(10/10/03 5:33am)
It's been less than two months since I graduated, but I've already discovered life after college is a lesson in humility.\nHumility is walking into a Dollar General store and asking for an employment application. Humility is standing around a Dollar General store for ten minutes while six middle-aged women scrounge around their work areas to find the employment application. Humility is walking out of a Dollar General store back to your mom's purple car because the bank won't give you a car loan until you have a part-time job, like at a Dollar General store.\nHumility is asking a sixteen-year-old kid at Premiere Video if they are hiring. Humility is having him tell you no. Restraint is preventing yourself from banging your head against the glass door and screaming, "WHY ME!" on the way out.\nHumility is having a college degree and not being called back by a Target store after you've turned in your employment application even when they have a job opening.\nHumility is receiving form letters nicely telling you that the newspaper thinks you're a really swell guy, but is just not ready for this sort of commitment at the moment. Humility is receiving ten of these. And one to grow on. \nHumility is shifting your eyes every time someone asks if you've found a job yet. Lying is telling that person yes. Lying is telling that person maybe. Humility is telling that person, "I'm sorry, I have an inner ear infection and didn't hear your question."\nHumility is living at home. Humility is having your mom tell you to be home at midnight. Humility is being home at midnight. \nHumility is starting a Web site to display your writing for free since nobody will pay you for it ... yet.\nLuckily, life after college is also a lesson in hope, because one can take only so much humility before resigning oneself to change his field of interest to lawn gnome.\nHope is receiving a post card from a newspaper and thinking that maybe, just maybe, they hire people through post cards. Stranger things have happened.\nHope is refusing to decorate your room at home because you don't plan on staying there long enough to properly enjoy it. Hope is looking through the apartment classifieds. Hope is circling the ones you like.\nHope is walking into a bank and asking for a car loan, even though you don't have a job yet. Hope is walking into a newspaper office and asking for a job even though you don't have professional experience yet.\nHope is setting a tentative date for your BIG move to be on your own, even though you probably won't have a job in your field of interest yet. Unless your field of interest is lawn gnome. Then my grandma is hiring.\nHope is that little thing inside you that continuously whispers, "I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can." No, wait. That's not hope. That's the little engine that could. \nHope is writing a story and then submitting it in "hopes" that someone at the publication will read it, realize it's the single greatest piece of writing he or she has ever read and then offer you a hundred-grand-a-year job. Okay, maybe that one is just delusion.\nHope is believing in delusions. Or is that insanity? I hope it's not.\nYou can find more Joe Grace at www.fromgraceland.blogspot.com.
(08/11/03 1:19am)
I've always wondered what happened to fireflies after the summer. Nature's little flashlights just seem to vanish as August drifts into fall.\nDo they migrate? Do they die off? Do they magically transform into Christmas lights? \nI've always kind of hoped lightning bugs hibernate through winter. You know ... like grizzly bears. I imagine them nestling down into the ground, turning off their butts and taking a gloriously long nap until it's time to brightly moon the world once again.\nYeah, I'm sure that's what happens.\nAnd I think we can all learn a valuable lesson from my made-up tale of what happens to luminescent beetles when the toastiness of summer wears off. Just call me Aesop. \nWe've all been told that life is a series of ups and downs. Sometimes our booties flash and other times they don't. But even when the glow of our glutes fades, we should still enjoy life.\nThe joys of life are quite simple in fact. Enjoy those you love. Enjoy those you put up with. Enjoy the world around you. Enjoy the world within you. Enjoy that long, tired walk to class. One day you may be stuck in "rush to work" traffic. Enjoy that endless drone of your professor's voice. One day you may be stuck listening to the shriek of your irate boss' voice. \nEnjoy taking naps.\nHallmark: I heard you're looking for a job.\nMe: Yes. Yes, I am.\nLightning bugs innately know how to get the most out of life.\nThe flying glowsticks always seem so at peace with everything. They're the Fonz-es (is that still a valid reference?) of the insect world. They just flitter and flutter around happily emulating an insane nightlight. They're the only bug that I've ever enjoyed catching. They'll just wander around your hand calmly until they get bored with that and take back off.\nOther animals should take a lesson from them. Nobody likes bees and ants because they make you feel guilty. Always busily searching for some job to do. They're the anal-retentives of the insect world. The lightning bug doesn't get down that way. It enjoys the life it has. \nIn fact, that was always my problem with Louie the Lightning Bug. The guy was way too concerned about electric safety. \nI guess why I'm so concerned with fireflies is because it feels like a part of me is slowly disappearing as my time here at IU ends. And I'm thinking about how long it's going to take me to find some place where I can glow again. But for the moment, I'm content with napping for a bit and dealing with the research paper withdrawal I'm sure to go through as the school year starts without me.\nIn the meantime, I'm going to enjoy this last week here in Bloomington as I'm sure the fireflies are doing as well. I know that they will soon disappear for good, but they'll be back sooner than you think.\nSo here I am, sitting beneath the gazebo by the library, holding hands with some girl who willingly puts up with me, looking down as frogs and waterbugs glide across the little stream, and above us, the last lightning bug appears and disappears, as if by magic, through the last summer night sky.
(08/07/03 2:07am)
The young-looking man with growing streaks of gray in his slicked black hair confidently strolled down the stairs to a podium at the front of the classroom. The 75 people in attendance waited patiently for him to finish pouring a bottle of Dasani water in a glass before beginning his lecture on the state of Afghanistan.\nA possible yawner, except for the fact the lecturer was the First Secretary to the Embassy of Afghanistan Hekmat Karzai.\n"Are they ready for elections?" Karzai rhetorically asked the attentive crowd about the people of Afghanistan. Most of the hour was spent discussing the realities Afghanistan is facing a year before their first elections since the Taliban was ousted.\nKarzai's job is simple: keep people interested in Afghanistan. Something that wasn't too easy before the latest regime change Karzai discovered while in Germany.\n"Which part of Germany is that?" someone asked him when Karzai told the person where he was from.\n"Oh, about 30 miles off of Berlin." he replied.\n"The positive is that people can now figure out where Afghanistan is on the map," Karzai said.\nKarzai was born in Kandahar, Afghanistan, but fled with his family to Pakistan after the Soviet invasion where he lived with his cousin Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan. The future president was Karzai's first English instructor, a language he is now proficient in along with Pashto, Dari and Urdu.\n"(President Karzai)'s almost like an uncle to me," Karzai said.\nKarzai goes back to Afghanistan every three months or so to refamiliarize himself with the conditions. While there, he said it was especially invaluable to talk with the individual Afghan to get an idea of the difficulties they face. \n"The best way to stay updated is to get on the ground," Karzai said.\nAnd the difficulties facing Afghanistan are immense. The countries is home to 10 billion landmines (the heaviest population in the world), a healthcare sector from "biblical times" (one out of five children dies before the ago of five) and serious security and reconstruction issues.\n"We haven't really changed any of these sad facts," Karzai said.\nIn order for this to change, Karzai said Afghanistan needs more funding from the international community, including the U.S. He compared the current aid as a "drop in a bucket."\nThe U.N. originally designated $4.5 billion to help rebuild Afghanistan, but a lot of that has been trapped in bureaucratic red tape, Karzai said.\n"4.5 billion is hardly enough money," Karzai said, pointing out that JFK International Airport cost $6 billion to renovate.\n"The United States can do more," Karzai said.\nKarzai said he sees three potential destinies for Afghanistan. His hope is that it becomes stable and prosperous, but at the current rate he believes it will continue to be a developing country or, ever worse, become a narco-mafia state.\nAfter the lecture, a question and answer session took place.\nGraduate student Ben Thorne was one of the students who participated. He was concerned about the social fragmentation in Afghanistan and asked Karzai about it, who gave him a thorough answer, but not one to his liking.\n"I was a little troubled by his answer," Thorne said. "It didn't display a sense of appreciation for the depth of the problem."\n"Well, you have to keep in mind he's bound to represent his government and answer to more diplomatic," Thorne continued.\n"My job is to represent my government in the best way I possibly can," Karzai said. "I want to keep the world interested in Afghanistan."\nKarzai also read a question from a pink piece of paper an older man from Tajikstan handed him asking him about the drug problem in Afghanistan.\nAnother questioner asked Karzai about his thoughts about how America has handled post-Taliban Afghanistan, a question that brought a smile to Karzai's face.\n"Evaluate it? You mean rank it? I'm not being recorded am I?" he asked grinning.\nHe then continued. "They (U.S. government officials) have all assured Afghanistan will not be forgotten."\nOverall, Karzai said he was pleased with how the lecture went.\n"It went really, really well," Karzai said, who has also spoken at Berkeley, Harvard and Stanford. "The amount of students attending was overwhelming."\nKarzai said it was important for him to establish relationships with institutes of high learning.\nAfghanistan's own institutes of higher learning are in shambles. Most of the books at Kabul University were destroyed to keep workers warm during the winter.\n"I've seen kids studying in tents," Karzai said.\nAssistant Director of the Summer Slavic Workshop Jonathan Ludwig, who helped bring Karzai to IU, also said he thought the lecture went well.\n"This was a good general address to a general knowledge type of audience," Ludwig said.\nKarzai said he hopes that students who are affected by the lecture will write their Congressmen and ask for more thought toward Afghanistan.\n"Once they hear the reality, they try to go out and help," Karzai said.\nHowever, the people who can most help are those in power in the international community.\n"The real test for the international community is in Afghanistan," Karzai said. "If they fail, then there is no assumption they will be successful in Iraq." \n"I wish the same thing for Iraqi people that I do for Afghans"
(08/07/03 1:41am)
The young-looking man with growing streaks of gray in his slicked black hair confidently strolled down the stairs to a podium at the front of the classroom. The 75 people in attendance waited patiently for him to finish pouring a bottle of Dasani water in a glass before beginning his lecture on the state of Afghanistan.\nA possible yawner, except for the fact the lecturer was the First Secretary to the Embassy of Afghanistan Hekmat Karzai.\n"Are they ready for elections?" Karzai rhetorically asked the attentive crowd about the people of Afghanistan. Most of the hour was spent discussing the realities Afghanistan is facing a year before their first elections since the Taliban was ousted.\nKarzai's job is simple: keep people interested in Afghanistan. Something that wasn't too easy before the latest regime change Karzai discovered while in Germany.\n"Which part of Germany is that?" someone asked him when Karzai told the person where he was from.\n"Oh, about 30 miles off of Berlin." he replied.\n"The positive is that people can now figure out where Afghanistan is on the map," Karzai said.\nKarzai was born in Kandahar, Afghanistan, but fled with his family to Pakistan after the Soviet invasion where he lived with his cousin Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan. The future president was Karzai's first English instructor, a language he is now proficient in along with Pashto, Dari and Urdu.\n"(President Karzai)'s almost like an uncle to me," Karzai said.\nKarzai goes back to Afghanistan every three months or so to refamiliarize himself with the conditions. While there, he said it was especially invaluable to talk with the individual Afghan to get an idea of the difficulties they face. \n"The best way to stay updated is to get on the ground," Karzai said.\nAnd the difficulties facing Afghanistan are immense. The countries is home to 10 billion landmines (the heaviest population in the world), a healthcare sector from "biblical times" (one out of five children dies before the ago of five) and serious security and reconstruction issues.\n"We haven't really changed any of these sad facts," Karzai said.\nIn order for this to change, Karzai said Afghanistan needs more funding from the international community, including the U.S. He compared the current aid as a "drop in a bucket."\nThe U.N. originally designated $4.5 billion to help rebuild Afghanistan, but a lot of that has been trapped in bureaucratic red tape, Karzai said.\n"4.5 billion is hardly enough money," Karzai said, pointing out that JFK International Airport cost $6 billion to renovate.\n"The United States can do more," Karzai said.\nKarzai said he sees three potential destinies for Afghanistan. His hope is that it becomes stable and prosperous, but at the current rate he believes it will continue to be a developing country or, ever worse, become a narco-mafia state.\nAfter the lecture, a question and answer session took place.\nGraduate student Ben Thorne was one of the students who participated. He was concerned about the social fragmentation in Afghanistan and asked Karzai about it, who gave him a thorough answer, but not one to his liking.\n"I was a little troubled by his answer," Thorne said. "It didn't display a sense of appreciation for the depth of the problem."\n"Well, you have to keep in mind he's bound to represent his government and answer to more diplomatic," Thorne continued.\n"My job is to represent my government in the best way I possibly can," Karzai said. "I want to keep the world interested in Afghanistan."\nKarzai also read a question from a pink piece of paper an older man from Tajikstan handed him asking him about the drug problem in Afghanistan.\nAnother questioner asked Karzai about his thoughts about how America has handled post-Taliban Afghanistan, a question that brought a smile to Karzai's face.\n"Evaluate it? You mean rank it? I'm not being recorded am I?" he asked grinning.\nHe then continued. "They (U.S. government officials) have all assured Afghanistan will not be forgotten."\nOverall, Karzai said he was pleased with how the lecture went.\n"It went really, really well," Karzai said, who has also spoken at Berkeley, Harvard and Stanford. "The amount of students attending was overwhelming."\nKarzai said it was important for him to establish relationships with institutes of high learning.\nAfghanistan's own institutes of higher learning are in shambles. Most of the books at Kabul University were destroyed to keep workers warm during the winter.\n"I've seen kids studying in tents," Karzai said.\nAssistant Director of the Summer Slavic Workshop Jonathan Ludwig, who helped bring Karzai to IU, also said he thought the lecture went well.\n"This was a good general address to a general knowledge type of audience," Ludwig said.\nKarzai said he hopes that students who are affected by the lecture will write their Congressmen and ask for more thought toward Afghanistan.\n"Once they hear the reality, they try to go out and help," Karzai said.\nHowever, the people who can most help are those in power in the international community.\n"The real test for the international community is in Afghanistan," Karzai said. "If they fail, then there is no assumption they will be successful in Iraq." \n"I wish the same thing for Iraqi people that I do for Afghans"
(08/04/03 1:34am)
IU president Adam Herbert's first day on the job started out with a nice, peaceful stroll through campus with executive assistant to the president Sara McNabb. Well, with her and about 15 others from the media including reporters, TV cameramen and photographers who occasionally would dash up close for a shot.\n"I appreciate so many from the press coming here today," Herbert said at an informal meeting with the media in front of his office after the walk.\n"I'm delighted to finally by here on the IU campus," Herbert said. "It's one of the most beautiful campuses in America."\nThe only student the group walked by on the sidewalk leading up to Bryan Hall, where the president's office is located, seemed more interested in studying than the hullabaloo surrounding IU's new president. One cameraman stopped filming Herbert long enough to get some footage of the student.\n"Our first concern, obviously, is students," Herbert said.\nThe walk began at 8:45 a.m. in front of the Bryan House, the place of residence for the new president and his family, who have not arrived yet. McNabb pointed out IU landmarks to Herbert along the way such as Ballantine Hall, the concrete gazebo by Dunn Woods and the statue of Herman B Wells sitting on the bench in front of Wylie Hall.\n"Paying tribute to President Wells is a standard for new presidents," Herbert said.\nHe added that he had read Wells' book and said there were similarities between the two men; one of them being recognizability.\n"I am very hard to miss," Herbert said. He paused a bit. "By virtue of size." And by virtue of being mobbed by a herd of recording equipment.\nHerbert answered questions enthusiastically and seemed genuinely excited about the joys and challenges awaiting him as president of IU.\n"I look forward to doing my best," Herbert said. "I bring a lot of energy to the table."\nAfter Herbert finished answering questions, he went into his office to talk with the president of the IU board of trustees, Fred Eichhorn, before making telephone calls the rest of the day to other trustees and people critical to the success of IU.\n"We talked about current issues, and I learned that he had studied up on a lot of the things we are going to have to deal with," Eichhorn said. "He was way ahead of the curve as far as I can tell."\nHerbert said he must keep communication open with the trustees to keep IU successful.\n"(Eichhorn's) support and the support of the rest of the trustees is essential," Herbert said.\nThe last question answered, Herbert walked through the doors leading into his office as the gaggle of cameras filmed him starting the first day of many in his new job as president of IU.
(08/04/03 1:34am)
Graduate student Erin Haag has just become one of the most powerful people at IU.\nHaag, a 25-year-old studying molecular biology and biochemistry at IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis, is the latest addition to the IU board of trustees. Gov. Frank O'Bannon appointed her last week.\n"She brings wonderful credentials," said Robin Gress, executive secretary to the board of trustees. "I think she's gonna do a terrific job."\nAs student trustee, Haag will be responsible for helping to determine the direction IU goes for the next two years -- the duration of her term.\n"The student trustee has full rights and responsibilities," board of trustees President Fred Eichhorn said.\n"A student trustee's job is like any other trustees job," Gress said. "The only difference is her length of term. She is one of nine fully vested trustees."\nEichorn and the other seven trustees have three-year terms while the student trustee's term is limited to two years.\nHaag said she is excited about the opportunity and looking forward to representing IU's student body.\n"I'm hoping to represent (students) as best as I can," Haag said. "I really want to be open and available."\nHaag said she plans on accomplishing this by communicating with students through the student trustee Web site and elected student representatives like IU Student Association President Casey Cox. She said she also plans on contacting her predecessor, Sacha Willsey, whose term ended July 1.\n"I'm sure she will be a wealth of information," Haag said.\nHaag already has contacted a few of the trustees including Jamie Belanger, who was the new kid on the board before she came along.\n"We had a very nice, long conversation," Haag said. "Everybody's been warm and welcoming."\nHaag will be oriented to the position some time between now and the trustees organizational meeting Aug. 14.\n"There will be an orientation session with me and some of the other trustees and then more of the routine will be explained by Robin Gress, the executive secretary," Eichhorn said.\nHaag will have to become familiar not only with all eight IU campuses and the way the board works, but also with state code.\n"We base our orientation on the extent of the knowledge an individual brings to the role," Gress said. "It's a really complicated job. It may take several months to become conversant with the process. (IU) is a pretty big structure to get your arms around. Other trustees will mentor her."\nHaag was chosen out of 31 students who applied for the position in a multi-step process that included interviews with the governor's staff.\n"I had the time and the ability to represent students and figured I had to go for it," Haag said.\nGress said Haag will be spending between 10 and 20 hours a week at her job, but that will abate with time as she learns the position. \n"Trustees must be willing to devote large blocks of time to the position." Eichhorn said.\nEichhorn also had a few words of advice for Haag: "Listen carefully and don't be afraid to speak up. There aren't any bad questions. And all the trustees should be as helpful and responsible as possible."\nHaag has quite a job in front of her and she can use all the advice she can get.\n"I haven't done anything to this magnitude before," Haag said.\nBut most of all, she said she wants students to know that she's committed to excelling in her new position as their representative on the board.\n"I want anyone to feel free to contact me at anytime," she said.
(08/04/03 12:59am)
God must be beaming. I know I am. And not just because someone technically is offering me money for sitting in a pew.\nA black Baptist minister wanting to diversify his congregation is offering to pay white folk to attend his services.\nThe going price for a honky is $5 an hour on Sundays and $10 an hour on Thursdays. I've never been paid $10 an hour for anything in my life, much less for attending a predominantly black church.\nAnd you know what? I applaud him. And not just because I would take him up on his offer if I were ever near Greenwood Acres Full Gospel Baptist Church in Shreveport, La., and needed gas money.\nI applaud him because personal racial segregation has a firm grip on America's culture and does nothing but deepen mistrust and cause fights about issues such as affirmative action and Kobe Bryant. Look around the IU campus. Whites hang out with other whites. Blacks hang out with other blacks. Chipmunks hang out with other chipmunks. C'mon little guys, squirrels aren't that different from you.\nI, like every other white guy I know, can claim, "Yeah sure, I have black friends." But this isn't saying much. I might as well say, "Yeah sure, I like grape jelly." But the truth is, I use strawberry jelly 90 percent of the time.\nI'm not saying you should go up to groups of other races and tell them you want to hang out because you don't spend enough time with grape jelly. I really don't have a clue as to the best way to socially integrate the races. But I think Rev. Caldwell has the right idea. The more time we all spend together, the better it will be for everyone.\nCaldwell told Reuters his church has been almost exclusively black since its founding in 1958, which he thinks was not the way Jesus wanted it.\nThis is the same Jesus that chilled with the Samaritans, a people Jews thought rated a little bit below a steaming plate of stacked ham. I should hope Caldwell would have Jesus' vote of confidence on this one.\n"Jesus said that we're to fish for men," he said. "I'm just using money to fish with." \nSo far, Caldwell has had about 100 white brethren call in interested in the deal, with some of them offering to forego the monetary bait. A hundred in a church of 5,000 isn't all that much, but it's a start. Maybe they should start offering to pay non-black students to join the Black Student Union.\nBut what about preserving black culture and white culture and all that muck? The fact that culture in America can be divided along the color lines only further proves how separate a society we really are. They say we're a melting pot, but America is nothing more than one of those plates with dividers on it to keep the mashed potatoes from mixing with the Salisbury steak.\nAnd once again, I applaud Rev. Caldwell for inviting the mashed potatoes over.\nMoney only goes so far, though, and a lack of it is already causing Caldwell to limit his offer a bit. For now, the offer will go only to whites. Chicanos, Chinese, Indians and others will have to wait their turn. \n"I'm only paying for white folks in August," Caldwell said. "We'll probably move on to other ethnic groups from there."\nMoney can't buy love, but maybe ... just maybe, it can buy some grape jelly.
(08/01/03 6:52pm)
Adam Herbert's first day on the job started out with a nice, peaceful stroll through IU's campus with executive assistant to the president Sara McNabb.\nWell, with her and about fifteen others from the media including reporters, TV \ncameramen and photographers who occasionally would dash up close for a shot.\n"I appreciate so many from the press coming here today," Herbert said at an \ninformal meeting with the media in front of his office after the walk. \n"I'm delighted to finally by here on the IU campus," Herbert said. "It's one of the most beautiful campuses in America."\nThe only student the group walked by on the sidewalk leading up to Bryan Hall \nwhere the president's office is located seemed more interested in studying than the hullabaloo surrounding IU's new president. One cameraman stopped filming Herbert long enough to get some footage of the student.\n"Our first concern, obviously, is students," Herbert said.\nThe walk began at 8:45 a.m. in front of the Bryan House, the place of residence\nfor the new president and his family, who have not arrived yet. McNabb pointed out IU landmarks to Herbert along the way such as Ballantine Hall, the concrete gazebo by Dunn Woods and the statue of Herman Wells sitting on the bench in front of Wylie Hall.\n"Paying tribute to President Wells is a standard for new presidents," Herbert\nsaid. He added that he had read Wells' book and that there were similarities between\nthe two. One of them being recognizability.\n"I am very hard to miss," Herbert said. He paused a bit. "By virtue of size."\nAnd by virtue of being mobbed by a herd of recording equipment. Herbert answered questions enthusiastically and seemed genuinely excited about the joys and challenges awaiting him as president of IU.\n"I look forward to doing my best," Herbert said.\n"I bring a lot of energy to the table." \nAfter Herbert finished answering questions from reporters he went into his office to talk with the president of the IU trustees Fred Eichhorn before making telephone calls the rest of the day to other trustees and people critical to the success of IU.\n"His (Eichhorn) support and the support of the rest of the trustees is essential," Herbert said.\nAfter the last question was answered, Herbert walked through the doors leading into his office as the gaggle of cameramen filmed him starting the first day of many in his new job as president of IU.
(07/31/03 1:35am)
A school of little brown minnows darts through the legs of two young girls standing in the Jordan River by the Indiana Memorial Union trying to catch the slippery fish in a paper cup. The water around them is crisp and clear. Graduate student Amanda Robbins wants it to stay that way.\nRobbins is leading a group of volunteers in giving the Jordan River a good scrubbing this Sunday. \n"This campus is so amazingly beautiful and it's a shame that we aren't taking good care of the river system by clogging it with useless trash," Robbins said.\nA hundred feet or so behind Woodburn Hall, the top half of a Chic-Fil-A paper cup nests in a group of branches trapped by the bank.\n"I keep walking by it and when I was in classes last semester, it was really dirty, really dingy, and I just felt like I should do something," Robbins said.\nAt points in the Jordan River in front of the Delta Gamma house, one has to wonder if the river is receiving money for the advertising it is dishing out. A Doritos bag there. A Pop Tart wrapper here. A Coca-Cola bottle somewhere else.\n"Every time I walked by the Delta Gamma house, it just made me cringe," Robbins said.\nThe group will begin their clean-up in front of the Delta Gamma house at 3 p.m. Sunday and make its way to the end of Dunn Meadow. Robbins said she expects it to last about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on how many people show up. She said she hopes at least 20 come.\n"I think she'll get a half-decent turnout," said graduate student Brad Muise, an employee with the IU Department of Environmental Health & Safety.\nThe department will be providing gloves and goggles for students who wish to use them. Robbins will be providing the garbage bags and bagels. Starbucks will provide coffee. Robbins said she expects to spend between $10 and $20.\n"We're assisting with the clean-up, providing nitrile (rubber) gloves to the students," Muise said. "We've advised them in certain ways. If they have open sores, it may not be a smart thing to go in."\nMuise said the water is clean, though.\n"I think it's great," Muise said. "The pH level is perfect. I've tested it several times."\nA Target plastic bag hides behind some foliage -- an inviting mark for the group Sunday.\n"It's not just about me cleaning the river; it's about getting people together to enjoy a Sunday afternoon," Robbins said.\nA Nestea bottle looks as if it is holding up three rocks. Someone had to have wedged it in there.\n"If people show up and have a great time and feel that their being there has made a difference, then this will be a success," Robbins said.\nAn IU parking ticket on the bank. Not far from there, an all-natural granola bar wrapper also lies on the bank. An unfortunate mistake perhaps.\n"The river isn't cleaned on a regular basis per se," Muise said. "If there is something that gets in the river, Physical Plant is called and they can remove debris. But if there is something found that is a chemical concern, they would call us and we would check it out."\nA giant berry lies still while fish occasionally take a bite out of it -- even Mother Nature has a littering problem. The fish already have finished off the crumbs that once inhabited the empty Ruffles bag floating on the river. \n"I'm a graduate student and felt I needed to get involved while I was still at IU," Robbins said.\nNot far from the girls trying to catch fish, a young boy pulls a Starburst out of his pocket, unwraps it and places the candy in his mouth. He then proceeds to stuff the wrapper back into his pocket. At least that's one less thing for Robbins to pick up Sunday.\nFor more information on how you can help, call Robbins at 339-4315 or e-mail her at amjrobbi@indiana.edu.
(07/21/03 12:47am)
For years, the rubber duckie has ruled the bubbly seas with an iron plastic bill. Soon, however, the evil rubber duckie hegemony over bathtime fun will be lifted.\nThis is because the toy beaver is on its way home to America after 11 years adrift at sea.\nThe sad tale began 11 years ago when a container filled with toy beavers, frogs and turtles was pushed over the side of a cargo ship on its way to Seattle from China. The culprit was a gang of rubber duckies determined not to let America see how much fun the toy beaver could be. \nHappily, the rubber duckies also fell into the Pacific Ocean during their maniacal attempt to keep bath time power.\nSince that tragic event, the platoon of bath time animals has floated along the Alaskan Coast, through the Bering Strait, across the Arctic Ocean and past the point in the North Atlantic where the Titanic sunk. Any day now, many of them will be arriving on the New England coast to terrific cheers of "Long live the beaver!"\n"Some kept going, some turned and headed to Europe," Curtis Ebbesmeyer of Seattle, a retired oceanographer who's been tracking the toys' progress, told the AP. "By now, hundreds should be dispersed along the New England coast."\nHow did this ragtag group of domestic tub animals make this arduous journey? Certainly not because of the rubber duckies, which have turned completely white after years of worrying about giant squids finding rubber tasty. It was, of course, due to the natural bravery of the toy beaver.\nAnd now they're almost home and ready to take over the throne of bath time fun. The toy beaver is the primo toy of choice for the bathtub.\nOne, beavers are simply cooler than ducks.\nTwo, beavers build dams. That's right. Little kids will now have more opportunities than ever to say the word "dam." \nThird, we'll never have to hear Ernie sing the rubber duckie song again.\nThere's a lesson to be learned here, other than the fact that rubber duckies are not to be trusted. For 11 years, the toy beavers have been drifting aimlessly through freezing cold waters when they could have been using their God-given talents to, ummm, float and drift aimlessly in a bathtub. Sure, it wasn't their fault that the evil rubber duckies pushed them off the ship, but that doesn't excuse the tragic loss of bath time fun millions of kids have felt.\nWe are all toy beavers on the inside. Many of us have important choices to make in the next few years. We can either decide to wander aimlessly along the Arctic Ocean, accomplishing nothing -- save scaring a few Eskimos -- or we can just head directly to Seattle instead of going all the way to New England.\nDon't be like the toy beaver. Go to Seattle. Life is too short to waste a chance of being eaten by polar bears.
(07/07/03 12:41am)
There's nothing quite like going home for the holidays.\nEspecially when it's not your home. In fact, it's your girlfriend's home. In Chicago, a city where hiring hitmen to "deal" with boyfriends can't be that hard to arrange. For four days, and this will be the first time you've met her parents. "Hi! My name's Joe. I have kissed your daughter. Can I crash here a few days?"\nOh yeah, and it's the Fourth of July, so there is sure to be explosives lying around.\nWhen we arrive at her parents' house, her dad, mom and sister are there to greet us. \nPositive: None of them are holding weapons.\nNegative: Three against one.\nLuckily, they turned out to be friendly. I shook her dad's hand. I shook her mom's hand. I shook her sister's hand. I even shook Fortune the dog's hand. Hand shaking was to become a recurring theme that weekend.\nWe went to her aunt's house on the Fourth and I met her family. ALL of her mom's side of the family. I don't believe I've ever shook so many hands in my life. Now I know what foreign dignitaries must go through.\n"Uncle Mark, I'd like you to meet Joe. He's the prime minister of Uzbekistan."\nThe most important hand I shook, though, was her grandma's. I had to make a good impression with her, because everyone knows the most feared member of any family is the grandmother. They might look meek and innocent and loving on the outside, but mess with one of their grandchildren and they suddenly become a raging ball of claws and false teeth. It's the grandma who will sneak into your room and cut you in the middle of the night if she doesn't approve of you for her granddaughter. The dad might threaten it, but nana will carry through.\nHer dad actually never once threatened me. That is, unless you know "Dadspeak." If you do, you'll understand there's no such thing as an innocent conversation with a father. When he asked me if I wanted coffee one morning, I knew good and well what he was really saying was, "I own power tools, and there's an electrical outlet near the fold-out couch you're sleeping on."\nHer dad is also a lawyer. On my behalf, I'd like to say I've never made a lawyer joke in my life. Well, except for the one about the rabbi, the priest and the lawyer who all got really drunk and blew up a statue of Ronald McDonald. It's not very funny, though.\nYou have to be careful the first time you meet the parents. You want to make a good impression, but you also want to be yourself, but you also want to slurp the milk out of your cereal bowl and unfortunately, these three things are just not always compatible with each other. \nWhat makes a child happy makes their parents happy, and if you happen to be part of that equation, the parents have little choice but to embrace that part.\nYet, in the back of your mind, you're always wondering if they're discussing, behind your back, whether to disown their daughter for having such obviously horrible taste in guys. So, the only thing you can do is slurp your cereal milk and wish upon a Lucky Charm for the best.\nSomeone at General Mills must have been listening because her family was absolutely lovely and treated me wonderfully. Now if I could just figure out where the deer's head in my travel bag came from.\nMaybe it was grandma.
(07/03/03 1:55am)
Judy Schroeder has covered everything from limestone to tree trunk tombstones, from clinical trials in medicine to the death penalty to teaching evolution in the classroom.\nNext she'll be focusing on her upcoming marriage and teaching as she retires as editor of the Indiana Alumni Magazine, a position she held for 16 years and 99 issues. Elizabeth "Lissa" Hunt will replace Schroeder as editor of the publication July 7.\n"I just think that I have been uniquely fortunate in having a position that allows me to do what the University does best -- introduce people to ideas and subjects which are new to them," Schroeder said. "That is what I got to do for 16 years as editor of the magazine."\nUnder Schroeder's guidance the magazine's circulation has doubled, and the publication has increased in size by 25 percent. The magazine comes out six times a year and has a readership of 77,000.\n"I first and foremost want to continue the strong tradition this magazine has had," Hunt said.\nHunt was the senior copywriter at Richard Harrison Bailey/The Agency, a marketing firm in South Bend with not-for-profit clients that include universities. She earned her bachelor's degree in English, with honors, from IU in 1988. She also has both a master's and a doctoral degree in history and sociology of science from the University of Pennsylvania.\n"Lissa will bring many attributes to the position," said Ken Beckley, president and CEO of the IU Alumni Association, in a press release. "I am confident she will prove to be an outstanding editor."\nSchroeder said Hunt is aware of issues in higher education from her varied academic background. Hunt has also written 11 feature articles for the Indiana Alumni Magazine during the past four years.\n"She is a familiar person to our readers," Schroeder said. "They might not recognize the name, but they certainly have been reading her for the past few years."\nHunt said she admired Schroeder and hopes she can continue in her ink trail.\n"She has an ability to be both extremely literate and literary, but never stiff and pretentious," Hunt said. "That is a wonderful ability not many people have."\nSchroeder applied this ability especially well in 2000.\n"I think we rose to the challenge during a seventh-month period of reporting and chronicling adequately the departure of the University's two leading icons -- the death of Chancellor Wells and the departure of Bob Knight," Schroeder said. "It was a pretty intense period, and I think we did it well."\nSchroeder had some words of advice for the new editor before Hunt replaces her.\n"Never underestimate alumni, and treat them as the intelligent college graduates they are," Schroeder said. "Some people feel we have to sell the University, but if we just explain things factually, accurately and responsibly, they'll get the picture."\nAfter her wedding August 2, Schroeder said she plans on travelling and avoiding phone calls that start with "Now that you're retired Judy," followed shortly be a request to do something. She'll be coming back to IU in the spring to teach at the School of Journalism.\n"I came here originally to get my Ph.D. and teach, and now I'm retiring to do what I came here to do originally," Schroeder said.
(06/30/03 1:27am)
The IU Board of Trustees approved a $2.08 billion operating budget Friday created by the Indiana General Assembly for the 2003-04 fiscal year and a new science precinct on the north side of the Bloomington campus. The budget is $120 million more than the 2002-03 budget of $1.96 billion.\n"The state budget approved earlier this year restored 50 percent of our previous operating appropriation cuts and provided funding for growth in enrollment, the School of Informatics and research activities, which will enhance economic development," IU Interim President Gerald L. Bepko said in a press release. "We're appreciative of those efforts given the state's difficult financial situation."\nThe budget increase will help improve the salaries of IU employees. Faculty salaries will increase from 2 to 2.8 percent, and staff pay will increase by 2 percent.\nThe budget will also add $8 million for student financial aid and will increase research funding on the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses, as well as increase the funding for the School of Informatics.\nThe budget will increase the School of Informatics funding to $12.5 million per year at the Bloomington, Indianapolis and South Bend campuses -- an increase of over $7.7 million. The extra funding will be phased in over the next two years.\nSchool of Informatics Dean Michael Dunn said the money will be used to hire additional faculty and to help fund the newly created career placement center.\nFor the first round of commitment-to-excellence projects, which seeks to improve undergraduate instruction and the recruiting and retaining of faculty on all eight IU campuses, $12.2 million will be used. The projects are funded by an increase in student fees that begins this fall. The increase is $1,000 for the Bloomington campus.\nThe trustees also approved the second phase of a science building project, which will be built in the science precinct.\nThe first phase of the multidisciplinary science project will be built adjacent to Myers Hall. The $42.5 million second phase, which was approved Friday, is to be built north of the Geology Building. It will be paid for with $31.9 million in state-funded bonds and $10.6 million in gifts and grants.\nOfficials said it will allow IU to expand its research in neuroscience and brain imaging, atmospheric science, contaminant chemistry and biogeochemistry.\nConstruction of the buildings could start next year.\nEnvironmental science program director Bruce Douglas said he thinks the new building will be helpful.\n"Many of the earth sciences and environmental sciences are scattered around campus and this will make it possible for scientists from various groups to meet easier so they can interact more," Douglas said.\nThe new building will also provide a new home for the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science program. Douglas said environmental science is a popular new bachelor of science program that does not currently have a home.\n"Since the program is interdisciplinary, it matches well with the goals of the building," Douglas said.\nNeural Science Program Director George Rebec said the building will be great.\n"It would allow for significant expansion of research space and addition of new research faculty."\nRebec said one of the most important aspects of the new building is it will give a home to many of the science programs that currently lack one and will help them function more effectively.\n"A lot of the labs will be able to come together," Rebec said. "It will allow for more collaboration"
(06/23/03 1:37am)
Gerald Bepko is not completely sure of what is going to happen next -- heck, he's not even sure if he's gonna keep the 'stache.\nBepko sat down gently into a very comfortable looking chair across from a table with a big picture-filled book called Lasting Legacies. He is a soft-spoken man with equally soft eyes and, of course, the mustache.\n"I've thought about (shaving) it," he said. "I've had it for 33 years. Grew it in 1970 -- just about this time of year. Don't know if I would know myself." \nEven with his mustache, he is still unrecognizable to some students.\nBepko's tenure at Bloomington will be relatively short. He was named IU president in November 2002 by the board of trustees, but his term as interim president ends in August when Adam Herbert officially takes over. \nBepko said the biggest challenge facing Herbert is using what the University already has to its fullest extent. \n"The University is filled with potential for new successes," he said. "The challenge will be trying to take full advantage of those opportunities."\nBepko said he is not envious that Herbert will be sitting in his old office this August. Being president of a major university is not something he would want to do regularly.\n"I was asked to do it. I've always done everything the University asked me to do, within limits," Bepko said, as he thought for a second. "No, I've always done everything the University asked me to do."\nEight months as president is more than enough, he said.\n"I did not want to consider this more than interim," Bepko said.\nBeing president of IU has kept Bepko busy. On this day, he left Indianapolis, where he lives, at 8:15 a.m. He then had meetings all day in Bloomington and headed back to Indy that afternoon to make it to a dinner for financial analysts in the Indiana General Assembly.\nRepresenting IU outside of the eight campuses is an important part of the job. Keeping in touch with the General Assembly is especially important since they decide whether to increase or decrease IU's funding. The same goes for Washington D.C.\nThe federal government "gives us a lot of money," he said. "Making sure they understand us is one of the roles of the president."\nHowever, being president of IU has afforded him no time to teach, which is something he said he is happy to have a chance to do again.\n"I'm looking forward to it very much," Bepko said. "I've been a teacher my happiest moments, and the moments when I thought I contributed most to society came when I was teaching."\nBepko said he plans on teaching again at IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis. He teaches business law and commercial transactions.\n"Learning may be the most important human function," Bepko said. "The excitement of learning is one of the greatest joys of life."\nHe said he became interested in teaching in college. "I was a young person when law was becoming more pre-eminent for making the world a better place," he said. "Seeing the law make changes in society attracted me a lot to law school."\nBepko is very involved with the law, especially with trying to stabilize uniform state laws across the country. He is a member of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, a permanent editorial board of the Uniform Commercial Code, and is also involved with the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges Commission on the Urban Agenda.\nHe also is planning on doing research this fall on the upcoming 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the 40th anniversary of the James Meredith March, "which I had the pleasure of being involved with," he said.\nWhile Bepko plans on staying busy, he said he and his family will go on their usual vacation to the island of St. Croix for Christmas and New Year.\nBepko's said his best memory was of commencement, where he presided over nine commencements in seven days.\n"It's a grueling week, but the joy of seeing 15,000 students get degrees, seeing how happy they are and how proud their families and friends are makes up for it," he said. "There are some events in life that are so full of joy and hope that they radiate excitement, and this commencement did it for me."\nEven though Bepko will no longer be president of IU, he said his feelings for the University won't diminish any.\n"I love IU," he said. "My wife of 35 years and I have given most of our 35 years to it, and we wouldn't have it any other way"
(06/23/03 12:50am)
I'm 21 years old and I've still never held hands with a girl during a movie before.\nWhich makes this night, my first movie date with this girl, all the more nerve-wracking. We're watching "Finding Nemo," an animated comedy about Marlin, an overly cautious clownfish who loses his son Nemo.\nThe movie is just the background for the night, though. The main story is between a nervous boy and a wonderful girl, who, more than anything, he doesn't want to scare off.\nMarlin is fretting. His son has just been taken by a dentist on a scuba diving expedition. I'm fretting too. While Marlin is trying to figure out what to do about Nemo, I'm trying to figure out how to find my date's right hand.\nTwo slight ocean-sized problems though. Her hands are on her lap, and mine are sweating. She'd think I was gross. She'd know I'm nervous. She'd believe I was overly aggressive. I could have monkeypox for all she knows. She'd have to wash her hands afterwards. \nMarlin: You have to be careful. My wife and all my children, except Nemo, died because I wasn't cautious. What if she doesn't like you? Or she does, and she decides there is absolutely no way she could date a guy with sweaty hands afterward.\nYet, even as I'm imagining him saying this, the once over-protective clownfish is throwing all caution to the wind, or would that be current? He's bravely taking on vegetarian sharks, minefields and the incessant jabbering of Dory, a fish voiced by Ellen DeGeneres. That takes some gills.\nThe fact my date scares the seaweed out of me can mean only one thing: Either I'm the first person ever to have contracted pretty girl phobia, or I must really like this girl. I'm afraid it's the latter. If I just knew what to do next.\nDory: Oh, I know. I know. This is where you sing the happy swimming song!\nSadly, Dory is not helping me any.\nBruce, the vegetarian shark: Girls are friends! Not food! \nSadly, neither is Bruce. My hands still feel like I dipped them into the fish tank Nemo is stuck in. Maybe if I rub my fingers together. Oops. Now she KNOWS my hands are sweaty. Why else would I rub my fingers together? Maybe she was paying attention to the break dancing sea turtle.\nNemo: Why don't you just take her hand? It'd be easy. If I can learn to swim well with a deformed fin, you can surely hold this girl's hand. If she likes you, she won't care if your hand is sweaty or not.\n By golly, Nemo's right. If that little fish can survive a vigorous plastic bag shaking, a trip though the sewers and then find his dad, I can surely hold this girl's hand.\n Her hand just moved down to her side. Houston, we have liftoff. Captain, down periscope. All hands on deck ... literally. But what if she's just stretching her hand. Who the heck stretches their hand? Maybe she does.\nYes, I can do this. I can have a happy ending. I can find her hand in this huge gulf of five inches.\nI decide to dart from the safety of my personal sea anemone toward the palm of her hand. I gently touch them with the tips of my finger, and she takes my hand. Only about 15 minutes are left in the film, but at least I'll be holding her hand during those 15 minutes.\nMarlin: You know, she could just be being nice.\nNemo: Dad!
(06/19/03 12:45am)
I saw a squirrel the other day. It made me happy to see it. I chirped in hopes it would come say hello. It did! I think it thought I had a peanut. But I didn't. So it scampered away. And I was sad.\nI'm sure we've all experienced this before. Coming so close to the majestic creature that is the squirrel, then having it turn its bushy tail to our face and scurry in another direction. Or ... maybe not. But for all of us who have felt the shun of the squirrel, Graham Taylor and Graham Roumieu have created the perfect book.\n"A Really Super Book About Squirrels," written by Taylor and illustrated by Roumieu is just that. Really super. I mean ... really super. Any book that features a squirrel cutting the grass with a little mower on the cover is automatically lifted up to the ranks of Tolstoy and Dickens.\nDickens: Young orphan boy learns to survive in the Industrial Age of England.\nTolstoy: Young Russian noble learns to survive during the Napoleonic Wars.\nTaylor: Young poorly drawn man believes squirrel is hiding present for him in the attic.\nThe parallels are simply ... super.\nThe book begins, as all good books should, with the meeting:\n"Oh squirrel, we live so close yet we cannot be friends. Sometimes I see you sitting on the fence eating and I think you would make a good friend. When I try to give you a nut, you run away."\nAnd from this moment on, we know, though it pains us so, that "A Really Super Book About Squirrels" can't have a really super happy ending. But that doesn't prevent the book from asking all the important questions in life, like: "How can man and squirrel ever maintain a friendship?" and "Why don't squirrels look before they cross the road?" and, most importantly, "I wonder why new books always smell so nice?"\nThe book is small -- 24 pages -- and there are probably more words in this review than in the book. However, the power and depth of the words in this book are, well, beyond definition. Let's look at an example:\n"Why do bury your food in the ground? Wouldn't it get dirty? How do you know where to look when you get hungry? I keep my food in a cupboard."\nI can imagine Bill Walton exulting his praise for these words. "What power! What depth! A Shaq-like display of literary prowess!"\nHowever, what worth is a book with beautiful prose and no drawings? The answer, of course, being there is no worth to books without pictures. Luckily, this book has plenty of pictures.\nRoumieu's drawings look like they were done by a man in the midst of a seizure, but that is part of the appeal. It's rather fun to squint at the pictures and wonder if the animal is a squirrel or a bowling pin with a bushy tail. \nEven though it would be painful to deface a masterpiece of literature like this, in the back of the book, there is a place for the reader to put their own special observations about squirrels. Observations like "I hate the demon spawn" or "Did you know some squirrels bite the gonads off of a rival squirrel's male children?"\nIn the end, though, this is a touching story between a man and a squirrel and a love that could never be.\n"I'm running. I'm late. I don't have time to stand still. But there you are squirrel. Sitting on the fence so still. So calm. I don't have time for you today squirrel. I have to go. I turn around and you're gone. I'm sorry squirrel. I miss you already"
(06/09/03 1:10am)
Oh, to be Oeun Sambath. \nInnocent 3-year-old Cambodian boy one day. "Son of a dragon" the next. Which, by the way, in Asia, is not the same thing as son of a female dog.\nAnd in about four years, Sambath will probably be forced to become a traditional healer because of this.\nKids sure grow up quick.\nHow did this little boy go from a kid who soils himself to a demi-god who obviously was birthed by a dragon in a previous life?\nIt was quite easy. All he did was befriend a 13-foot female python named Chamreun, which either means "Lucky" or "Big Fricking Snake That Can Eat You" in the Cambodian language.\nSuperstitious villagers are flocking to see the boy, who they believe has supernatural powers. These powers include napping with a big fricking snake, playing with a big fricking snake and most importantly, not being eaten by a big fricking snake.\nI've seen a picture of this latest incarnation of Jake the Snake.\nThe young boy is entwined in the snake holding it like a stuffed animal, his head peeking out just a couple inches away from the serpent's jaws. It appears both the child and snake are smiling. For some odd reason a song from the Jungle Book keeps popping in my head. "Trussst in meeee. Juuuust in meee." Not sure why.\n"He has been playing with the python ever since he could first crawl," his mother Kim Kannara told Reuters.\nTheir conversations must go something like this:\nOeun: Fluffy!\nChamreun: One day I will eat you.\n"I don't know what is special about the relationship between my son and the snake -- whether they were related in their previous lives -- but they certainly can't be separated," Kannara said.\nThis will be even more true once the boy is lodged in the snake's stomach.\nThe village may force Oeun to become a traditional healer at the age of seven because of this "friendship." That's right. If you live in his village and come down with elephantiasis or some other strange disease that could kill you faster than a tiger or ... say ... a python, you would go see Oeun. And he will promptly tell you to go buy him a proper pet. Perhaps a collie? \nChildren don't grow up too fast solely in Cambodia. Here in America, we love stories of successful children as well.\nLike 9-year-old Samir Patel who recently said something that should not be said by any kid who hasn't reached double digits.\n"Is it just my luck or am I getting all French words?" Patel asked before misspelling "boudin" in the 11th round of the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee.\nNo 9-year-old should ever say anything more profound than "Hey, this chocolate pudding looks like poop." Nor should they be asked to spell a word like 'boudin,' which I believe is the French word for "booty."\nIn other recent news of children growing up much too quick is the saga of Freddy Adu, a 13-year-old soccer player, who has signed an endorsement contract with Nike for somewhere between $1 million to $1.5 million. Why on earth would Nike sign this kid for that much money when I guarantee you they could get Sambath, the Bobby Fisher of playing with big fricking snakes, for much less money? Maybe even a few goats for Chamreun could buy the boy off.\nIt's sad these children are being thrust into maturity. Adu should be playing in a backyard. Patel should be reading Harry Potter. "Python Boy" should be frolicking with Chamreun. Nike should focus on adults. The National Spelling Bee should be cancelled. The village of Sit Tbow should find some old guy to be their traditional healer. \nKids should be allowed to be kids.
(06/06/03 5:41am)
Welcome No. 17.\nAdam Herbert is joining the 16 other men who have had the honor of being the president of IU. His company includes Herman B Wells, William Lowe Bryan, Joseph Swain, David Starr Jordan and Andrew Wylie, all men who have various buildings on campus named after them.\nHerbert, 59, is certainly not the youngest person to become president. Jordan took the office at 33, and Wells became president at 35, the youngest state university president in the nation at the time.\nNor is he the oldest. John Hiram Lathrop was 60 when he became president of IU back in 1859 -- two years before the Civil War started. He only lasted a year, though. \nThat was still six months longer than the man who owns the distinction of being president for the shortest amount of time. Alfred Ryors left the presidency after six months in 1853 to become the president of Centre College in Danville, Ky. \nThe longest lasting presidents were Wells and Bryan. Wells was president for a total of 26 years, including his time as interim president. Bryan did even better, remaining president for 35 years before retiring at 77, the oldest man ever to be president.\nAdam Herbert wasn't born in Indiana. He's from Muskogee, Okla. However, of the 16 presidents before him, only three were born in Indiana -- Swain, Bryan and Wells. Bryan was born closest to IU.\nMyles Brand, who left IU in January to head the NCAA, holds the distinction of leading IU to be the "College of the Year" among research universities, named September 2001 in Time magazine.\nBefore Brand came Thomas Ehrlich (1987-1994) and his infamous bowtie he constantly wore and John William Ryan (1971-1987), who oversaw the establishment of IU campuses in New Albany and Richmond and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the School of Continuing Studies. Brand, Ehrlich and Ryan are the only past presidents still alive.\nThe most venerated president in IU's history is Wells (1937-1962, 1968). His presidency saw the physical size of the University quadruple and enrollment grow five times larger. He also refused to dismiss Alfred Kinsey when his studies on human sexual behavior began a national controversy. \nBefore Wells came Bryan (1902-1937) and Swain (1893-1902). Bryan was responsible for IU's transformation from a small, liberal arts college to a major university and Swain continued on the improvements that Jordan (1884-1891) instituted at the University. Jordan was able to get $30,000 from the Indiana legislature to help rebuild IU after a fire destroyed the library, museum and labs. He also oversaw the moving of the main campus to where it is now by Dunn Woods. He resigned in 1891 to become president of Stanford University.\nThe first IU president was Wylie (1829-1851). He is also the only president to have died in office.\nSources: www.indiana.edu/~libweb/info/history/, www.indiana.edu/~nextpres/pastpres.shtml
(06/02/03 1:26am)
At a time when Jill Behrman's family should have been celebrating her graduation, instead they were celebrating her life.\nAt the Celebration of Life for Jill Kristen Behrman Saturday, laughter and smiles occured occasionaly, but tears and tissues were more dominant in this ceremony for an IU student whose life ended too soon.\nHeld in First United Methodist Church on the third anniversary of her disappearence, the memorial was packed to capacity as people were shepherded to the chapel or the great hall to watch the event from television. Those who couldn't find a seat in the main area stood along the back wall. More than 700 people, many wearing yellow ribbons or heart-shaped "Jill" pins, showed up to celebrate her life.\nThe service began with Eric and Marilyn Behrman, Jill's parents, lighting the "candle of hope," a white candle that has been lit numerous times since Jill's disappearance. Surrounding the "candle of hope" was a large portrait of Jill, a vase of yellow roses and a small box containing the ashes of her remains.\n"Three years ago today, I said goodbye to my daughter for the last time," Marilyn Behrman said. \nRev. Jimmy Moore said the opening prayer for the service, which, in a way, was the community's last goodbye.\n"On this day a violation of unspeakable proportion occured," Moore said during the prayer. \nHe said work remains on the police investigation, but that no new leads have been reported in the past few weeks.\nRev. Howard Boles, the former senior pastor of First United and current pastor at Roberts Park United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, warned the attendees about focusing too much on the investigation.\n"If we linger too long there, we'll make her a victim two times over," Boles said. "We will not allow evil to have the last word. We will not allow evil to triumph."\nBrian Behrman, Jill's brother, tried to speak about his memories of her, but teared up and couldn't continue. Rev. Holly Hardsaw quickly stepped in to read from his notes. She spoke for about a minute before Brian composed himself and continued.\nHis speech was both humorous and touching as he related several of the memories he had of his sister. A few of the attendees were dotting their eyes with tissues, while at the same time laughing about some of the lighter moments of Jill's life.\nHe told of when he was seven and learned to ride his bike. "Finally I could get away from my sister," he said. \nThe victory was short-lived. \n"No more than two weeks later there was Jill riding by my side without training wheels," he said.\nHe pondered about his last words he said to his sister: "Hey Jill, I'll talk to you later."\n"Sometimes I wonder why I didn't say something more meaningful," Brian Behrman said. "Other times, it fits perfectly." \nEric Behrman stood up and hugged his son as Brian Behrman walked back down from the podium.\nFollowing Boles' message, IU a capella groups Straight No Chaser and Ladies First sang. Straight No Chaser sang "Amazing Grace" for Jill; more than three years ago, Straight No Chaser serenaded Jill with "Happy Birthday" in the Wright Quad food court on her 19th birthday at the request of Brian Behrman.\nAfter the service, the Behrman family received people in the great hall of the church. A line stretched from the great hall down the stairs and through another hall as people waited to get a chance to talk to the family.\nIn Boles' message, he talked about how the community came together during the tragedy, and he challenged the attendees to continue this trend.\n"Make something good from this," he said.
(05/22/03 1:53am)
Buckling up might make this Memorial Day weekend a bit cheaper as well as safer. Police across Indiana will be setting up special zones throughout the weekend to enforce the seat belt law.\nFrom May 18 to May 31, the "Click It or Ticket" campaign will be reinstated in order to make sure Indiana motorists are using their seat belts. The campaign uses high visibility enforcement and media coverage to spread the message that not complying with the seat belt law will result in a ticket. Nearly 3,000 seat belt enforcement zones will be set up during this time period across the state.\nThe IU Police Department, Bloomington Police Department and the Monroe County Sheriff's Department will all be participating in this campaign. \nIUPD Sgt. Tim Lewis said they received $5,000 in grants to pay for the additional officers to man the enforcement zones. The $5,000 was spread out between four "blitzes," the last ones held during the last week of February and the first week of May. IUPD gave out 172 seat belt tickets during that blitz. Lewis said he did not know if they would reach that number this time.\n"Since having come off a blitz not too long ago, it's going to be harder to find them," Lewis said.\nBPD Sgt. Mike Diekhoff said they are raising awareness successfully about seat belt usage. \n"I stopped a guy last night and he said, 'Click It or Ticket, right?'," Diekhoff said.\nDiekhoff said he has noticed considerable improvement over the past year in seat belt use among Bloomington drivers.\n"One of the biggest complaints officers have is it's getting harder and harder to find people violating the law, and that's a good thing," Diekhoff said. "Our whole goal here is to save lives."\nRecent IU graduate Pamela Klein said she agreed with that goal, even if it meant ticketing people.\n"I think that putting on your seat belt is the easiest thing to save your life," Klein said.\nSome people have questioned if the seat belt law really saves lives, and if it's worth the money the government is spending on the program during this time of statewide budget deficits.\nErin Hollinden, the press secretary for the Monroe County Libertarian Party, said her party definitely opposes ticketing for seat belt violations.\n"It's just hassling people who are going about their daily business and not harming anyone," Hollinden said. "If everything that was stupid were illegal, then a third of Americans would be in jail, another third would be police officers, and the other third would be paying for it all."\nJunior Blake Thalheimer, however, said he believes the law does more good than harm.\n"When people are forced to wear seat belts by law, they help everyone out," he said.\nNo matter what side someone might take on this issue, if they are caught in one of the enforcement zones this weekend without a seat belt, there will be repercussions.\n"If you don't wear a seat belt, you're going to get a ticket," Diekhoff said.