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(08/10/12 3:04pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Though many are excited to study abroad, homesickness can occur and have a negative effect on your experience here. It’s important for students to have a way to talk to parents and keep them updated on their lives.Not fully knowing the language and becoming used to different foods and customs from American life can be daunting, but there are ways for students to stay in contact with families while overseas.INTERNETThe Internet offers an inexpensive way for students to keep in contact with their families while they study here.It is even easier to message and video chat because these applications don’t have to be downloaded. They are offered through email accounts such as Google’s email service, Gmail.“I recently used Gmail’s video chat to talk to my brother, and it worked quite well,” IU student Hany Alsalmi said.Skype is also an application that can be downloaded through the Internet. It allows students to video chat, message or simply call others who have Skype for free.For a small fee, Skype makes it possible for students to call their parents’ phone from a computer.PHONESPurchasing an international phone plan through cell phone providers is an option for students, but many find the cheaper alternative is buying a calling card.“I use a calling card because there are high charges on data plans,” former IU graduate student Hardeep Singh Sabharwal said. “There is an Indiana company that sells them, and there are just a lot of calling cards in the market to choose from.”Another option is Utalk, a phone service provided by MobileSphere, which allows international students to place phone calls to their families and friends overseas at minimal costs.A prepaid calling service, Utalk allows students to register up to three phone numbers and send free domestic text messages. Students can pay for this service through their bursar account.MAILBloomington offers ways for all students to send and receive packages to and from their parents.Students can mail packages at FedEx or the United States Postal Service offices in town. Packages are delivered to the dorms or the student’s off-campus residence.“I sometimes send documents and presents for my family by using the post office,” graduate student Jung Eun Lee said.Despite easy access to the post office and FedEx locations, it can be expensive for students to send packages home. Sabharwal has found an alternative way to send things home.“I usually send packages home with friends who are from the same city in India,” Sabharwal said. “If they are small, three to four pounds, it doesn’t add too much weight to their luggage.”
(08/15/11 10:10pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Though many are excited to study abroad, homesickness can occur and have a negative effect on their experience here. It’s important for students to have a way to talk to parents and keep them updated on their lives.Not fully knowing the language and becoming used to different foods and customs from American life can be daunting, but there are ways for students to stay in contact with families while overseas.InternetThe Internet offers an inexpensive way for students to keep in contact with their families while they study here. It is even easier to message and video chat because these applications don’t have to be downloaded. They are offered through email accounts such as Google’s email service, Gmail.“I recently used Gmail’s video chat to talk to my brother, and it worked quite well,” IU student Hany Alsalmi said.Skype is also an application that can be downloaded through the Internet. It allows students to video chat, message or simply call others who have Skype for free. For a small fee, Skype makes it possible for students to call their parents’ phone from a computer. PhonesPurchasing an international phone plan through cell phone providers is an option for students, but many find the cheaper alternative is buying a calling card. “I use a calling card because there are high charges on data plans,” graduate student Hardeep Singh Sabharwal said. “There is an Indiana company that sells them, and there are just a lot of calling cards in the market to choose from.”Another option is Utalk, a phone service provided by MobileSphere, which allows international students to place phone calls to their families and friends overseas at minimal costs.A prepaid calling service, Utalk allows students to register up to three phone numbers and send free domestic text messages. Students can pay for this service through their bursar account. MailBloomington offers ways for international students to send and receive packages to and from their parents. Students can mail packages at FedEx or the United States Postal Service offices in town. Packages are delivered to the dorms or the student’s off-campus residence. “I sometimes send documents and presents for my family by using the post office,” graduate student Jung Eun Lee said. Despite easy access to the post office and FedEx locations, it can be expensive for students to send packages home. Sabharwal has found an alternative way to send things home.“I usually send packages home with friends who are from the same city in India,” Sabharwal said. “If they are small, three to four pounds, it doesn’t add too much weight to their luggage.”
(09/24/10 7:13pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>New experiences await international students when they travel overseas to study at IU. Though many are excited to study abroad, homesickness can occur and have a negative effect on their experience here. It’s important for students to have a way to talk to parents and keep them updated on their lives.“Whether it is grade, financial or legal issues, students are reluctant to disappoint their parents,” said Rendy Schrader, director of international student and scholar advising at the Office of International Serivces. “They need to tell their parents what is going on, even if it is bad.”Not fully knowing the language and becoming used to different foods and customs of American life can be daunting, but there are ways for students to stay in contact with families while overseas.InternetE-mail, instant messaging and video chatting make students at IU feel more connected to their families than in the past. The Internet offers an inexpensive way for students to keep in contact with their families while they study here. It is even easier to message and video chat because these applications don’t have to be downloaded; they are offered through e-mail accounts.“I recently used Gmail’s video chat to talk to my brother, and it worked quite well,” said student Hany Alsalmi.Skype is an application that can be downloaded through the Internet. It allows students to video chat, message or simply call others who have Skype for free. And for a small fee, Skype makes it possible for students to call their parents’ phone from a computer. PhonesThough sending e-mails or messaging over the Internet might cost less, it is convenient to just pick up a phone and call home.Purchasing an international phone plan through cell phone providers is an option for students, but many find the cheaper alternative is buying a calling card. “I use a calling card because there are high charges on data plans,” graduate student Hardeep Singh Sabharwal said. “There is an Indiana company that sells them, and there are just a lot of calling cards in the market to choose from.”Another option is Utalk, a phone service provided by MobileSphere, which allows international students to place phone calls to their families and friends overseas at minimal costs.“I use IUB MobileSpheres service for international calls,” graduate student Jung Eun Lee said. “$25 usually lasts me two months if I call my parents once every two weeks.”A prepaid calling service, Utalk allows students to register up to three phone numbers, send free domestic text messages and provides the same rate if the student studies overseas. Parents can use UTalk from overseas to place international calls to their children as they study at IU. Students can pay for this service through their bursar account. Packages Bloomington offers ways for international students to send and receive packages to and from their parents. Students can mail packages at FedEx or the United States Postal Service offices in town. Packages are delivered to the dorms or the student’s off-campus residence. “I sometimes send documents and presents for my family by using the post office,” Lee said. Despite easy access to the post office and FedEx locations, it can be expensive for students to send packages home. Sabharwal has found an alternative way to send things home.“I usually send packages home with friends who are from the same city in India,” Sabharwal said. “If they are small, three to four pounds, it doesn’t add too much weight to their luggage.”
(06/29/09 2:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When used to call, send text messages, check e-mail, listen to music and play games, cell phones are valuable electronics people don’t leave home without.Now, via text messaging, cell phones can also help researchers collect information in a fast, direct manner. The Human Microbiome Demonstration Project was given a $4.15 million research grant to start a series of projects around the country that investigate bacteria which lives on the skin and in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract, as well as other places. Part of the grant will be used by the IU School of Medicine to research the bacteria found in the urethra of teenage boys. Headed by Dr. Dennis Fortenberry, professor of pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent Medicine, the team of researchers will use text-message surverys as a way to collect behavior information such as whether the boys are sick, taking antibiotics, or sexually active. “We are trying to understand all the microorganisms that live in the urethra, and we think by doing this we will have a better understanding how they they get infections,” Fortenberry said. About 72 boys between the ages of 14 and 17 are being recruited from one Indianapolis community, and those who agree to participate will enroll in the study this fall. The participants are each given a cell phone with unlimited calls and texts available to them as long as they answer survey questions using their phones. The phones are set up so all the survey information goes directly to a computer to ensure the participants’ privacy. Pediatrician and public health researcher Sarah Wiehe has found that cell phones are a great platform for people to enter survey responses. “It was surprising to find that those who already have cell phones are interested in participating in the study,” Wiehe said. Microbiologist David Nelson said it was thought that the urethra in men was sterile, but has recently been found it contains bacteria that could either be helpful or harmful to men. Alterations in the bacteria can be caused by disease; and by analyzing the data from the study, preventative measures can be taken to cure the disease or prevent it from being passed to other people.“There are a lot of infectious diseases in women that we don’t know where they come from, but we suspect they come from men,” Nelson said. That data collected over a span of four years will help researchers understand how microorganisms in the urethra hurt or help men. “We will have a lot better idea about why some men are more susceptible to some infections such as STDs and HIV,” Fortenberry said, “but we also want to know something very basic – what’s normal and what’s not.”
(06/22/09 1:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Chants of “two bottles of wine” echoed through the air as people took a break from eating to sing along with Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band. Despite the 90-degree heat, spirits were high as attendees mingled, ate and listened to local music.The 27th annual Taste of Bloomington on Saturday featured some of Bloomington’s top local restaurants, breweries and wineries. “We had such a great time last year, we decided to come back,” said Billie Freeman, waitress and cook for Sugar Daddy’s Cakes Catering & Cafe.The traditional crowd favorite of the festival is barbecued pork, so Sugar Daddy’s decided to sell grilled pork chops this year to be different, Freeman said. While American food was served, including pizza, hamburgers, ice cream and boneless chicken, there was a large variety of ethnic cuisine, such as gyros, gazpacho shots, tamales, rigatoni a la vodka and chicken quarma.“This year, my favorite food was the shrimp etouffee,” Bloomington resident Sheryl Richard said.While people gathered around food booths, bands were preparing to entertain the crowds into the night. Guitarist Jason Payton of Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band said although he is a Bloomington native and has played with the band for four years, it was his and the band’s first time performing at the festival.“It’s a good way to get some local fans because there are a lot of people out here,” Peyton said. This year, Taste of Bloomington collaborated with Blooming Branch Green Events to help make the festival environmentally friendly. To limit the environmental impact, recycling bins were placed around the grounds, and volunteers picked up trash. The City of Bloomington Utilities booth Free handed out free water at to anyone who correctly answered a water trivia question. “We are trying to educate people about water sustainability and the advantages of using local water systems instead of buying bottled water,” Water Quality Coordinator Rachel Atz said.In addition to raising awareness about environmental issues, the event provided a fun way for restaurants to get people to taste their food. Bob Crowley, owner of Dats Cajun and Creole Cafe, has brought his food to Taste of Bloomington for five years. He said coming to Taste of Bloomington allows a different group of people to experience his restaurant’s food. “Since we are located on Fourth Street, we are really well-known in the college community, but not the town,” Crowley said. “Coming to Taste of Bloomington gives people who live here a chance to check it out.” Promoted in Central Indiana as well as Cincinnati and Louisville, Taste of Bloomington brings in substantial economic revenue for the city. Rob DeCleene, director of tourism and promotions at Bloomington Indiana Convention and Visitors Bureau, worked with the promotions committee to bring people to Bloomington for this event.All last week the bureau ran commercials in Cincinnati during the evening news to try to promote the event, DeCleene said. During the event, IU students from a tourism and marketing class walked around asking people to take surveys to see the economic impact this event has. “Thirty-four percent of dollars spent by visitors (to Bloomington) is spent on food and beverages,” said Mike McAfee, executive director of the Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau. Along with raising money for the city, Taste of Bloomington allowed people to spend a day in the sun enjoying the food and music. “It’s a big community party on the steps of city hall,” DeCleene said.
(06/07/09 11:43pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the second year in a row, GameZombie.tv is being recognized as more than just a student organization.The student-run Web site has been selected again as an honoree by the Webby Awards and will be recognized Monday in New York at the awards ceremony that honors Internet excellence.“GameZombie is the sixth-best student online video company, so we are getting recognized but not getting the trophy,” said Andrew Benninghoff, an IU graduate and executive creative director of GameZombie.tv. Created by IU graduate student Spencer Stuart, the multimedia project has produced 230 original game videos. The selection of videos includes ButtonMashers, which is a video variety show, and interviews with top names in the video game industry. “At the E3 conference, we will interview people from BioWare, D3 and Trion about the games they have created and any upcoming projects,” said junior Chelsey McKrill, a member of the team. This spring is a busy time for the students involved with GameZombie. After attending E3, the biggest video gaming conference in the world, they are working hard to get the next episode of ButtonMashers on the Web. “We take a topic in gaming culture, brainstorm it and start making characters and writing dialogue,” lead writer John Quick said. After the script is written, actors rehearse twice that week and shoot the film Friday. “They pump videos into the Net like crazy,” said senior Roger Lou, who is involved with the production and business side of GameZombie.GameZombie comprises a team of students with all different educational backgrounds. Besides volunteering, students can participate in GameZombie through an internship program offered by the IU College of Arts and Sciences. “People hear about it through word of mouth, and they also promote it in some telecommunication classes,” Benninghoff said. “You put more effort into your work and do the best you can because you want it to be professional.”While the people involved with GameZombie said they have fun getting together and creating these videos, they take their work very seriously. “As a newcomer I was not expecting the level of professionalism I saw on the business side of things,” Lou said. “They are very fiscally responsible and looking for new ways to optimize income.”