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(04/18/06 6:25pm)
Imagine seeing yourself through strangers' eyes and realizing just how you look to them. These strangers notice everything. They are trained to see every detail, every curve, every wrinkle, every muscle, every flaw. They will see the birthmark shaped like Italy on your left shoulder, the scar on your right knee, the remnant of a fall off your bike when you were five. They will notice if the early morning rain frizzed your hair or if Thanksgiving added a few extra pounds to your belly.\nBut these strangers will not judge you. They stare for art. \nAnd those being stared at are accustomed to the situation. They've hired themselves out as nude models for the IU School of Fine Art. During their working hours, art students analyze, study and, of course, draw them. For aspiring artists trying to fine-tune their skills, nude models are not only a learning tool, but a necessity. \nJunior Sara Irani has helped satisfy the art school's ever-growing need for models. A linguistics major at IU, she has worked as a nude model for the School of Fine Arts since her sophomore year after she responded to an ad in the Indiana Daily Student. Now she's paid $8.50 an hour to sit, stand or lie perfectly still for hours at a time.\n"It can get kind of boring. You have to sit in a pose for three hours and not move. You have to be really entertaining in your head," Irani said. "I have done everything from trying to meditate and not think at all to let me see if I can name one song for every letter of the alphabet in my computer."\nIrani poses in front of 18 to 25 students on a regular basis. After slipping into a white robe in a small dressing room, the professor introduces her to the class. She takes her place at the center of the studio, drops the robe and strikes a pose. Now she cannot move -- not even to scratch an itch. After about 20 minutes, she takes a short two or three minute break to stretch and regroup. The professor tapes her position on her hands and feet. After the break, she will sit for another period of time in the same pose. \nIt is the monotony of modeling, Irani said, that is the most difficult. As each minute passes, her muscles tighten a little more. Her arms grow tired. Her head will start slipping to one side. While many models have difficulties learning to find positions that they are able to hold for long sessions, Irani's experience has taught her well.\n"You kind of learn that cocking my head to this side feels OK now," Irani said, tilting her head slightly to the right, "but in five minutes it will really suck. You become more aware of your body."\nThe standing pose tends to be the most difficult position for models, Irani said. Gravity pulls on the leg muscles, tiring them. Without the ability to sit or move for hours, Irani said the trick to lasting through a standing pose lies in the knees. \n"It is real important not to lock your knees," she said. "You will pass out. Your blood can't circulate. You just kind of drop after a few minutes, which is normally not so cool to do, especially if you are naked."\nWhile a standing pose could potentially leave a model floored, if she is asked to pose lying down "it is like cake," Irani said, laughing. "I mean, I have actually fallen asleep."\nWhether passed out or napping, what Irani is really doing is helping students master the art of drawing true form. \nOne such student is senior studio art major Stephanie Stanley.\n"It is much more realistic," Stanley said while balancing her drawing portfolio in her arm. "A mannequin is ideal human form, but it isn't representative of what a woman really looks like."\nTim Kennedy, a visiting assistant professor at the fine arts school, said the use of nude models is a historic tradition of Western art since the Renaissance. It is noticeable in art such as Jacques-Louis David's "The Tennis Court Oath" from 1791, in which the artist performed a complete nude compositional study for the painting. With every model unique and every pose incorporating different muscles and bones, these interactions become a perfect tool for professors to help students learn to appreciate true form.\n"Clothing on a model disguises the form of the body," Kennedy said. "For a person to understand how clothing drapes over a body, he or she has to know the form of the body itself."\nToday, Irani helps artists gain this appreciation of form by modeling during closed classes, sessions open to the general public and private one-on-one sittings with professors. \n"I don't think a lot of people would be comfortable enough to do it," she said, looking at a tattoo of a Dharma wheel on her right hip. "So I might as well, since I am. (The artists) are doing it to draw realistic human form. So, you know, they aren't critiquing anything."\nDespite this, she admits having her body transformed into charcoal or pastels or paint on a canvas can come as a shock. Irani said she typically chooses not to look at the drawings or paintings after a modeling session.\n"It is one thing to look at yourself in a picture, but another to like have someone interpret you on paper," Irani said. "But you see when you are modeling other pictures of other work that have been done. It is real easy to be comfortable because you see a million different, you know, figures just on the wall from various projects."\nWhile she may not enjoy seeing herself as a work of art, Irani said modeling has given her a new appreciation for the beauty of the true human form. It is this understanding that Irani hopes to help aspiring artists learn as she continues modeling during her remaining time at IU. \n"I hear a lot of people say, 'I can't even imagine being naked in front of all those people,'" Irani said, forming a thin smile. "They talk about it like it makes you really vulnerable. I think modeling will help you realize that people who are looking at the artistic aspect of the figure aren't looking at it as, 'Oh, her thighs are too big,' or, 'Her face doesn't look quite right.' It is very much, 'Is the humanity captured there?'" \n-- Contact staff writer Katie O'Keefe at kjokeefe@indiana.edu.
(12/16/05 6:38pm)
Bisexuality. It's an ambiguous label. Its meaning is highly debated among critics in both straight and gay communities. Some have called bisexuality a transition phase between being straight and gay. Others say it is simply an indication of a person's sexual confusion. And then there is the phrase coined by some members of the homosexual population: "You are either gay, straight or lying."\nDespite these skepticisms, studies reveal millions of men and women in the United States identify themselves as being bisexual. \nIn 1948, IU sex researcher Alfred C. Kinsey conducted studies using a "sexual continuum" to conclude that the majority of American males are bisexual to some extent. A 2002 survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 1.8 percent of adult males ages 18 to 44 identify themselves as bisexual.\nPeople identify themselves with specific sexual identities for many different reasons, such as behavior, desire and emotion. Last summer, a group of psychologists published a study that looked at only one specific aspect: sexual arousal patterns in bisexual men. The study's results have cast even more doubt on whether, as far as physical arousal is concerned, true bisexuality exists in men. \nNow, months after the study's publication, members of various gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities are still skeptical of the experiment's results and possible significance.\n"The research was so based on physical reactions," said Michaela Martin-Almy, a May IU graduate and the immediate past president of IU's GLBT student union OUT. "And we know it to be true that is never the sole indicator or attraction and emotions and sexual feelings."\nIn light of this backlash, the study's lead author and experts from IU's Kinsey Institute explain what the research can and cannot prove and its implications for future studies about bisexuality. \nBreakdown of the Study\nFor the study, a team of psychologists from Northwestern University and Toronto examined 101 men: 30 heterosexual, 33 bisexual and 38 homosexual. Men rated themselves on the seven-point Kinsey Sexual Attraction Scale -- heterosexuals score from zero to one, bisexuals from two to four and homosexuals score five to six.\nEach man viewed a set of 2-minute, sexually charged films sandwiched between neutral, relaxing videos. The erotic films depicted either two men or two women having sex. \nIf the men became genitally aroused, mercury-in-rubber gauges worn around the mid-shafts of their penises like rubber bands would measure increased penile circumference. The men also had levers to indicate when they felt subjectively aroused. Even if the gauges didn't measure an erection, the men could still account for feeling stimulated by moving the levers forward or backward. \nAs the researchers expected, heterosexual men were only aroused by the videos involving women, while homosexual men were only aroused by the videos of men. When it came to the results of the bisexual men, however, the study revealed a strong disconnect between the men's genital arousal and their indicated subjective arousal. \nIn fact, while some bisexual men expressed stimulation to both men and women using the levers, the results showed no signs of bisexual genital arousal. \nPhysically, the results showed bisexual men as completely bimodal -- aroused by men or women, but not both. About 75 percent of the bisexual men tested showed arousal patterns identical to those of homosexual men. The others' arousal patterns were indistinguishable from those of heterosexual men.
(11/14/05 4:47am)
Lines of code blanketed the computer screen in front of senior informatics major John Palmer. He scrolled through the hundreds of numbers and letters, tweaking a few minor details, and then checked the progress of his creation: a Web site oriented toward recruiting students for the IU School of Informatics. His site consisted of a variety of greens and oranges, a color scheme he said he chose to symbolize "gardening" -- signifying students developing within the informatics program.\n"As long as you know what you are doing, the design is really up to your imagination," Palmer said. "I know that sounds hokey but that really is what attracted me to design in the first place."\nDuring a normal day, Palmer said designing Web sites acts as his "creative outlet." But Friday, Palmer was on a mission. As part of IU's School of Informatics' third annual WebFest, he was competing against another team to create the best Web page possible in only five hours. Judged by other student attendees, the winners would receive $50 Best Buy gift certificates.\nInformatics majors, computer buffs and video game enthusiasts attended WebFest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at the School of Informatics. Aside from the Web design contest, students competed in video games such as "Halo 2" and watched movies such as "Hackers" and "I, Robot." Sponsored by the Informatics Undergraduate Club and coordinated by the IU School of Informatics, WebFest aimed to give students a chance to interact with the informatics community while learning more about the benefits of the undergraduate degree program. \n"We want to bring people in, entertain them and let them know the benefits of being part of informatics," said Patrick Etienne, a senior informatics major and Webmaster for the Informatics Undergraduate Club.\nAcross the hall from the Web designers' lab, a group of students gathered around a tiny television to play "Guitar Hero." The video game centers around pushing fret buttons, strumming and pulling levers on a fake electric guitar while keeping pace with patterns depicted on the TV screen to \ncreate well-known rock songs. \nPlaying the faux instrument, senior informatics major William Woods tested his guitar-playing skills in front of a small audience of fellow gamers. Woods pounded furiously on the multi-colored keys on the neck of the guitar. With every button he pushed, more notes from Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" sounded from the television.\nWithout warning, Woods dropped to his knees and began to play the guitar in authentic rock star form, leaning back and tilting his head toward the ceiling.\n"There we go," Woods said, missing a few key notes. "That's it. It's over."\nWithin seconds, the game ended. Defeated, Woods passed the guitar to the next player and sat down to relax. \n"It's not as easy as it looks," he said.\nBefore WebFest ended, names were pulled out of a hat to award prizes including informatics polo shirts and two $50 Best Buy gift certificates. As for the Web design contest, Palmer's cultivation-themed site won the first-place award. His opponents, a team consisting of senior informatics major Adam Lueken and senior finance major Shai Shefer, earned informatics sweatshirts for their efforts and design. \n"What we like about John's page, aside from its visual appeal, was the content organization," Feigle said. "It was a very user-friendly design that made it easy to pick out key messages and goals of the School of Informatics."\nAs for Palmer, he said building the Web site was less about the contest than simply being able to practice the skill and hobby he enjoys. \n"I just wanted to flex my geek muscle," he said.
(03/08/05 5:03am)
After a long night of drinking, many students wake up the next day and are forced to pop pills such as Tylenol in hopes of shaking a headache from the infamous hangover. Besides a headache, other hangover symptoms can include fatigue, sensitivity to light and sound, red eyes, muscle aches and thirst. These effects usually kick in when the person's blood alcohol level is either falling or back at zero. \nOne cause of a hangover is dehydration. Alcohol is a diuretic. In other words, it causes people to have to go to the bathroom -- a lot. It is estimated that for every two glasses of an alcoholic beverage, four glasses are expelled through urination. The result of dehydration is a headache, "dry mouth" and a danger of injury to many vital organs. \nNausea is another symptom of a hangover. Some good-hearted students stay with their friends to help them through a rough night of alcohol-induced vomiting. Because alcohol is an irritant, large amounts of it in the stomach irritate the lining and cause the person to throw up. Lack of sleep or an imbalance of electrolytes because of the toxins in alcohol also contributes to hangovers. \nSo what is the cure? \nTime is the best cure for the hangover hang-ups. A hangover usually goes away within eight to 24 hours. However, fruit juices, bland foods such as bread and crackers, a lot of sleep and antacids such as aspirin and ibuprofen might help alleviate the symptoms.
(02/08/05 10:35pm)
When it comes to the success of "Garden State," the empty shelves at the local Best Buy on the day of the DVD's release speak for themselves. And I was the customer fortunate enough to acquire the very last copy.\nIt is almost too hard to describe what exactly the key to the movie's success is. Perhaps the secret lies in the unique cinematography or the random humor. Maybe it is the perfectly chosen soundtrack or in-depth character development. Either way, it's safe to say that Zach Braff's ("Scrubs") first attempt at movie directing was a complete success. Is there anything this actor/director/writer cannot do?\nThe movie follows the life of 26-year-old Andrew Largeman (Braff), a wannabe actor working as a waiter in Los Angeles. He has spent the majority of his life in a lithium-induced dream prescribed by his father (Ian Holm, "The Lord of the Rings"). After not seeing his family since he was 17, Largeman receives a call from his father explaining that Andrew's paraplegic mother has died. Andrew leaves Los Angeles and the lithium behind to fly back to New Jersey and attend her funeral. There he becomes reacquainted with a handful of unusual, childhood friends. He quickly learns how nine years can transform people into drug addicts, crooked cops, grave-digging kleptomaniacs, fast-food knights and millionaires. \nWhile experiencing the sober life for the first time since his youth, Andrew meets Sam (Natalie Portman). She is everything he's not -- spontaneous, free-spirited, unguarded. She becomes his inspiration as he learns to cope with his troubled past and searches for a place that feels like home. \nThe DVD contains commentary by Braff and Portman, a 'making-of' featurette and the soundtrack promotion. There are also several bloopers which give insight to Braff's witty disposition -- something almost completely hidden by his character's dry persona. The most engaging feature, however, was the 16 deleted scenes. These scenes help paint a better idea of Andrew's life as an actor in Los Angeles and the twisted lives of his friends back home. \nThere are not that many movies today that can leave you with a feeling of overall happiness. "Garden State" has achieved that perfect blend of humor, irony and drama, serving as a testament to everyone who just needs to slow down, take a breath and let go.
(01/18/05 5:32pm)
Bobby Knapp began socially smoking when he was 14 years old, smoking mostly around his friends. But by the time he was 18, this social habit turned into an addiction. Smoking multiple cigarettes a day, Knapp decided he needed to quit. He threw away his cigarettes and hoped for the best.\nA year passed, and Knapp was still smoke-free. Then after a rough breakup with his girlfriend, he found himself reaching for a familiar comfort.\n"I thought a cigarette would be nice," he said. "Then it just snowballed."\nTwo months later, Knapp realized he once again was addicted to cigarettes.\n"I started getting anxious on a drive to IUPUI," he said. "I didn't have any cigarettes."\nToday, as a 20-year-old Bloomington resident, Knapp still smokes 10 cigarettes a day, half of a pack. \nFor many people, Knapp's difficulty with quitting smoking is familiar. Currently cigarette addiction controls the lives of more than 26 million people in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This same addiction accounts for more than 440,000 deaths each year, making cigarette smoking the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.\nThese statistics have many smokers wanting not only to understand their addiction but also to find the easiest and quickest methods to kick the habit.
(01/13/05 5:00am)
When it comes to the success of "Garden State," the empty shelves at the local Best Buy on the day of the DVD's release speak for themselves. And I was the customer fortunate enough to acquire the very last copy.\nIt is almost too hard to describe what exactly the key to the movie's success is. Perhaps the secret lies in the unique cinematography or the random humor. Maybe it is the perfectly chosen soundtrack or in-depth character development. Either way, it's safe to say that Zach Braff's ("Scrubs") first attempt at movie directing was a complete success. Is there anything this actor/director/writer cannot do?\nThe movie follows the life of 26-year-old Andrew Largeman (Braff), a wannabe actor working as a waiter in Los Angeles. He has spent the majority of his life in a lithium-induced dream prescribed by his father (Ian Holm, "The Lord of the Rings"). After not seeing his family since he was 17, Largeman receives a call from his father explaining that Andrew's paraplegic mother has died. Andrew leaves Los Angeles and the lithium behind to fly back to New Jersey and attend her funeral. There he becomes reacquainted with a handful of unusual, childhood friends. He quickly learns how nine years can transform people into drug addicts, crooked cops, grave-digging kleptomaniacs, fast-food knights and millionaires. \nWhile experiencing the sober life for the first time since his youth, Andrew meets Sam (Natalie Portman). She is everything he's not -- spontaneous, free-spirited, unguarded. She becomes his inspiration as he learns to cope with his troubled past and searches for a place that feels like home. \nThe DVD contains commentary by Braff and Portman, a 'making-of' featurette and the soundtrack promotion. There are also several bloopers which give insight to Braff's witty disposition -- something almost completely hidden by his character's dry persona. The most engaging feature, however, was the 16 deleted scenes. These scenes help paint a better idea of Andrew's life as an actor in Los Angeles and the twisted lives of his friends back home. \nThere are not that many movies today that can leave you with a feeling of overall happiness. "Garden State" has achieved that perfect blend of humor, irony and drama, serving as a testament to everyone who just needs to slow down, take a breath and let go.
(11/02/04 4:53am)
It is a dream that scientists have been trying to plant in the minds of the Americans for years. It is the hope of one day finding a cure for dozens of diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis. Many scientists believe the answer to these dreams and hopes lies within human embryonic stem cells.\nTo study these ES cells, scientists must break open human embryos, or as some people view it, destroy potential human beings. Today, the ethical battle concerning ES cell research has divided society, causing many to question its future potential and wonder how close scientists are to making that vision a reality.
(10/12/04 4:40am)
Farm-raised salmon is a growing item in the diet of many Americans. In the past two decades, the production of farmed salmon has increased 40 fold. However, a recent two-year-long study performed by an IU professor and six other scientists has some fish lovers thinking twice before biting into their favorite salmon entrées. The research proved that farm-raised salmon contains significantly high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and 11 other toxins that could potentially cause cancer. \nIU professor of public and environmental affairs Ron Hites was the lead researcher in the experiment. He and six other scientists gathered about 700 farmed and wild salmon from North America, South America and Europe. They tested five different species of salmon for 14 contaminants including PCBs, dioxins and toxaphene -- three toxins considered human carcinogens, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Hites used a gas chromatographic high-resolution spectrometry, a machine that separates organic compounds, to measure the levels of contaminants in each species.\nThe results proved that farmed salmon contain higher amounts of 13 of the 14 toxins tested compared to wild salmon. On average, farm-raised salmon have 10 times the amount of health-threatening toxins. \nHites cautioned that people should not eat more than one eight-ounce serving of farmed salmon in a month. According to the study, eating more than that could pose an "unacceptable cancer risk." It is safe, however, to eat up to eight meals of wild salmon each month.\n"It is not going to kill (consumers) tomorrow," Hites said. "No, it is going to be a much more subtle effect. If I was a young woman that was pregnant or planning on it, these toxins could have an effect on the developing fetus - a neurological effect."\nThe exact effects of the toxins, Hites said, are hard to determine because numerous other cancer-causing agents people take into their bodies, such as cigarette smoke. \nThe study showed the level of pollutants in salmon varied depending on the origin of the fish. Those from the North Atlantic Ocean near Europe proved to have the highest level of toxins while salmon from the South Pacific Ocean near Chile contained significantly lower levels of contaminants. While 90 percent of all consumed salmon in North America is farm-raised, more than half of that is imported from Chile, industry officials said.\nOne solution could be to buy salmon from countries -- such as Chile -- that produce fish with low pollutants, Hites said. However, he said without labels indicating which country the salmon comes from, the process of selecting uncontaminated salmon can prove a difficult task for consumers.\n"We want to have farmed salmon and wild salmon labeled to its county of origin," Hites said. "In Bloomington, if you ask, they will tell you it comes from Chile. We assume they are telling us the truth. We are getting the cleanest salmon out there as opposed to the northern Europeans."\nOne indication that salmon is farmed is the price. Farm-raised salmon tend to cost about three times less than wild salmon and usually contain more fat, Hites said.\n"(Farmed salmon) don't get any exercise," Hites said. "They are just kept in giant pens."\nDuring the studies, Hites said they linked the cause of the contaminants to the food or "salmon chow" that farmers use. Salmon are carnivores and eat other fish. The chow consists of ground up oceanic fish such as herring and mackerel. As a general rule, meat-eaters tend to have higher levels of toxins in their bodies than herbivores. However, the situation is worsened in the case of farmed salmon. Pollutants from the air settle in the ocean and infect the fish which farmers later feed to the salmon on farms. \nAs a result of the study, producers of salmon chow are now working with products such as soy to create a food mixture less toxic.\nAlthough the existence of these toxins is indisputable, health organization such as the Food and Drug Administration do not want consumers to underestimate the health value of the Omega-3 fatty acids also found in salmon, substances which help prevent heart disease. \nMeanwhile, the results of the $2.4 million study, sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts' Environmental Division, were published in the August issue of Environmental Science and Technology. Since then, the study has gained enough publicity to have a parody broadcasted over National Public Radio (NPR). Actor and satirist Harry Shearer created a bit called, "Sammy the flame-resistant salmon," in which he explain his humorous idea for a new marketing plan for these toxic fish. \nHites said he was excited to have his research recognized on NPR, although he does not want to downplay the possibly dangerous side affects these toxins could have in the future for regular salmon eaters. However, despite the risks, Hites said even he still enjoys turning towards salmon for an occasional meal.\n"People always ask me if I am still going to eat salmon," Hites said. "I was just in New York this weekend. I had a lovely serving of smoked salmon with capers and onions. It was delicious." \n-- Contact staff writer Katie O'Keefe at kjokeefe@indiana.edu.
(09/21/04 5:54am)
Scientists around the world finally have the answer to one age-old question:\n"Polly want a cracker?"\nWell ... almost. More accurately, the question might be, "Can Polly really talk?"\nAnd thanks to the work of a few IU-associated scientists, researchers have gained insight into the parallels between human and parrot vocalizations. As a result, doctors are gaining a better understanding of what causes and how to treat human speech disorders. \nBirds, unlike most other animals, have to learn to make the correct sounds to communicate with their species, said Rod Suthers, an IU professor of physiology and biophysics who supervised the experiment.\n"A robin has to learn to sing like a robin, not a blue jay," Suthers said. "This is important because each species uses its vocalization for communication. A (human) child has to learn to make the sounds of its language."\nThis is just one attribute that both birds and humans share when it comes to vocalizations, since most animals do not have to learn how to communicate or learn a language. Parrots, however, take that parallel one step further. \n"It was generally believed that birds do not use vocal-tract structures to generate complexity in their vocalizations," said Gabriel Beckers, a former post-doctoral research fellow at IU and the lead author in the experiment. "But it was suspected that parrots might form an exception."\nParrots are different from song birds due to their unusually thick and muscular tongues, Suthers explained. Until recently, he said, it was unknown whether this tongue played a role in parrot vocalization.\n"(Parrots) are able at mimicking speech," said Beckers, who is currently a fellow at the Leiden University in the Netherlands. "Second, tongue movements are observed when they vocalize. However, direct evidence that tongue placement influences acoustic characteristics in vocalizations was lacking."\nFor this reason, Beckers, Suthers and IU graduate student Brian Nelson set out last year to see just how closely parrots' vocalization resemble that of humans. \nThe government supplied the trio with five deceased monk parrots from Florida. This particular species of parrots from South America was introduced to the southern United States and overpopulated the area. Beckers said he was able to receive the five parrots from the government's eradication program. \nThey replaced the syrinx, a vocal organ in birds found at the base of the trachea in the throat, with a tiny speaker normally used in hearing aides. Beckers played a sound through the speaker containing all frequencies between 500 and 10,000 hertz. Suthers explained that the frequency of sound is determined by the rate at which the vocal organ vibrates. \nBeckers said they recorded the sound normally generated by the syrinx as it came out of the parrot's mouth. \nThey discovered that small movements of the parrot's tongue greatly influenced the parrot's vocalization.\n"(Beckers') work is the first to quantitatively show that the position of the tongue can change the form and structure of parrot vocalizations," Suthers said. The influence this discovery could have on humans, Beckers explained, is large.\n"Bird vocalization is regarded by scientists as an innovative animal model system for human speech," Beckers said. "Now that we established that parrots use their tongue to generate vocal complexity, the parallels between human speech and bird vocalization are even more close than we thought."\nThis uncanny relationship between parrot and human vocalization was part of the reason the National Institute of Health decided to fund the experiment, Suthers said. With more studies illustrating the similarities between how a bird's brain and a human's brain control vocal communication, the institute hopes it will have a better understanding of what causes certain speech disorders. \nIn the future, Beckers hopes to have the opportunity to develop his own research program to further his studies. As for now, the report of this recent experiment is featured in the Sept. 7 issue of Current Biology magazine.\n-- Contact staff writer Katie O'Keefe at kjokeefe@indiana.edu.