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(11/16/11 2:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Rabbi Yehoshua Chincholker, director of the Chabad House Jewish Student Center, said he is tired.He’s tired of the previous attacks on the center, and he said the situation does not appear to be improving.“We just can’t afford (the attacks) anymore,” Chincholker said. “It’s very frustrating.”The most recent vandalism case occurred when Chincholker found two Hebrew letters ripped from the front wall of the Chabad House on Nov. 2.As no suspect was identified, Chincholker said he decided to install a new security system at the center and is now fundraising among students and the Bloomington community.“We are looking to purchase an electronic surveillance camera that can help police identify the attackers in the future,” Chincholker said. So far, the center has raised about $1,000 with help from Zeta Beta Tau fraternity but is short by at least $3,000 of the total estimated cost.Chincholker said the Chabad House was peaceful when he and his wife, Zlata Baila Chincholker, became the center directors in the early 1980s. But, in recent years, the center has been a frequent site of vandalism, some of it targeted and anti-Semitic in nature.In 2007, a beer bottle was thrown into a window of the Chabad House and the word “Jewish” was stripped from the building’s wall. In November 2010, a limestone rock smashed through the back window just before Hanukkah. Before the end of the season, another rock was thrown at the building, damaging the window and a wall of the second-floor apartment.“I felt so bad for that girl,” Chincholker said of the tenant who was nearly hit by the rock. “She was doing homework at 6 or 7 a.m. and became the innocent victim. Fortunately, she didn’t get hurt.”The Chabad House is not the only Jewish cultural center in Bloomington recently targeted. The Helene G. Simon Hillel Center on Third Street was also a target in last year’s wave of anti-Semitic incidents.Chincholker said he has reached out to other directors to coordinate a better way to protect the centers.Located near the intersection of Seventh Street and Indiana Avenue, the Chabad House falls within the jurisdiction of the Bloomington Police Department, but Chincholker said BPD and the IU Police Department have worked together on the cases.Officials at other IU cultural centers said they were also very concerned about such crimes and were shocked to learn these attacks are still happening at IU.“I think other places have had a thing happen here and there but not to the degree as that of the Chabad House,” said La Casa Latino Cultural Center Director Lillian Casillas. “With anti-immigrant sentiment, I have been a bit worried, especially after the two flyers left inside the center week before classes started.”In August, magnetic letters spelling out hateful expressions were found on the center’s fridge.Doug Bauder, coordinator of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services Office, said the office installed one security system when the center was first created.A security system is also installed at Congregation Beth Shalom, a Bloomington Jewish community house located in the east side of the city.“We haven’t had any problem with vandalism,” Beth Shalom member Madeline Hirschland said. “But, of course, it is impossible to know whether these facts are related or whether it’s simply the case that the synagogue is in an out-of-the-way location and is not on campus.”As for the Chabad House, Chincholker said he hopes students and the community can help the center to provide a safer environment on campus, and he encourages people to contact him if they would like to donate. The donation process can be completed online.“It costs a lot to run the center,” Chincholker said. “Electricity, gas, our dinner service — we’re all on our own.”
(10/04/11 3:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Hundreds of people gathered in Bryan Park on Sunday — all of them buddies.They were there for the fourth annual Buddy Walk, the goal of which is to raise donations as well as awareness for Bloomington residents with Down syndrome. Event organizers said more than 300 walks take place around the world during October, which is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. “We are here to connect people,” said Cyndi Johnson, one of the board members of Down Syndrome Family Connection, which coordinated the Buddy Walk. “There are beauties and unique gifts within Down syndrome patients that we should celebrate.”Johnson said she started Down Syndrome Family Connection in 2006 with several other mothers that have children with Down syndrome. In August 2008, they formed a board of directors within the organization and coordinated the first Buddy Walk in October of the same year. Johnson said the organization has been working with 35 families from Bloomington and the surrounding area to connect them through care and understanding. She said raising the funding for that initiative was another purpose of the Buddy Walk.“We are hoping to raise $15,000 this year,” Johnson said. “The last time I checked, we have raised around $9,000. We are very hopeful to reach our goal since we have not included those (donations) from our sponsors.”By the time the walk started, event organizers estimated there were about 1,000 participants, including 800 that had registered online in advance. “We have seen more people than previous years so far,” Johnson said.Organizers said what made this year’s walk different was not just the number of participants it attracted or the donations it raised, but also the family-friendly environment it created. A carnival area was built on-site for kids. Children could enjoy games, caricatures, tattoos and an animal show.There was a long and short version of the walk, which toured Bryan Park. Ivy Tech freshman Evan Pritchard was one of the volunteers that helped set up the walk. He said a class project required him to complete four hours of community service, but he did more than that.“It’s a lot of fun here,” Pritchard said. “This is my first time living in Bloomington and working at this event. It is a great experience helping a good cause.”
(09/28/11 2:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For Indiana gubernatorial candidate Jim Wallace, it is not about his curriculum vitae.As a West Point standout, a Harvard MBA, a United States Army captain and combat helicopter pilot, what’s most important for Wallace is his experience in working with or within both private and public sectors.In a brief speech before an audience from IU College Republicans — a politically conservative student activist group — Wallace, a Fishers businessman and former member of Hamilton County Council, laid out his campaign focuses for the 2012 race for governor.Among the several topics he addressed, the Republican candidate said his business background would especially make him stand out as a candidate for the chief executive of Indiana. After graduating from Harvard, Wallace worked primarily as a strategy consultant for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and also as the chief executive officer of Bain & Company in Boston, where he said he worked with Fortune 100 companies on job creation and developing the economy. Wallace later returned to his home state of Indiana, working in a variety of prominent positions where he gained leadership experience in corporate business.He referred to his early success in insurance business as a testimony of potential economic growth in the state.“For many of you who don’t know, Indiana is the third largest state in terms of insurance revenue,” Wallace said to the audience. “That’s a pretty big assignment for me at a young age.” Wallace then helped start TWG Capital Inc., an Indianapolis-based financing firm that provides capital to mature businesses for insurance companies’ growth purposes. He is the company’s CEO.“My entire business career has been focused on creating economic opportunities, not only for corporations, but also for their employees,” Wallace said. “Not only here in Indiana, but also across the country.” Wallace said the company has created more than 10,000 jobs in the last decade.He also said his work in the public sector helped him understand how to organize different levels of government and make the most out of tax dollars. After working for several years as director of management services for former Indianapolis mayor Stephen Goldsmith, Wallace ran for Fishers Town Council and then for Hamilton County Council.He said during this period he succeeded in improving income per capita.“Over the next 10 years, we thought the most important things for the Hoosiers are job growth, economic development and improvement of your quality of life,” Wallace said.Comparing himself to his GOP rivals, Wallace said his down-to-earth background in entrepreneurship and corporate business allows him to understand Hoosiers’ concerns. Wallace said he put himself on a different approach to loyalty to constituents from Pence. He said he will serve more than just those who are “Christian, conservative and Republican” and especially those who are in the middle.Though declining to cling to hardline voters, Wallace said people should not doubt his social and fiscal conservatism.“I have voted for Republicans in my entire life,” Wallace said. “But whoever can create jobs or fix the economy is a friend of mine.”As for education system reform in the state, Wallace said he is in favor of “local control” where communities should decide the types of schools their children need.“We should let the dollars follow students,” he said.More than 50 members of IU College Republicans attended the event. John Wagner, a Bloomington native and sophomore in the Kelley School of Business, said though it was not his first time meeting Wallace, he was impressed by his ideas. “Especially his experience with financing the insurance,” Wagner said. “I think he is pretty hopeful since it is good for Indiana’s economy.”
(01/18/11 8:49pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last year, Reverend Jesse Jackson made a speech in Bloomington, saying, “Don’t admire him. Follow him. You can admire him from afar. To follow him, you have to work — you have to sacrifice.” This year, the annual Leadership Breakfast followed that, honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and the organizations and students who embody it.About 100 University officials, students and community members gathered in Alumni Hall for the breakfast, which was coordinated by IU’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs.The breakfast held special meaning for senior Shabrelle Pollock, the undergraduate winner of the 2011 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. essay contest.In her essay, the journalism major illustrated how King and his ideas have influenced her by sharing the story of her great-grandmother, a woman who devoted her life to fighting for civil rights.“My great-grandmother has always been connecting people from all kinds of backgrounds in the community,” Pollock said. “This corresponds to Dr. King’s ideal.”Through her retelling of her grandmothers’ 101-year life journey, Pollock demonstrated how people in the community can make a difference in advancing democracy. “She spent many years in her life educating people both in and outside classroom,” Pollock said. “Intelligence is not enough. It is intelligence plus character, and that is the true goal of education she teaches us.”Referring to Jackson’s quote, Laura Plummer, contest organizer and director of Writing Tutorial Services, said this year’s theme asked contestants to consider how to take an active role in sustaining King’s work. She said it provided an opportunity for students to think about the sacrifices made in following King’s legacy. Pollock, along with Hangyul Kim, a first-year doctoral student studying violin performance, stood out among the 20 other applicants. But they were not the only people being awarded. Exemplifying King’s work were the two recipients of the Building Bridges award, which recognizes a community group and a student who have promoted unity, equality and diversity at IU as well as in Bloomington.This year, the community award went to Get Real About Discrimination Empowerment Group, an anti-discrimination advocacy organization, while the student award was given to IU Student Association President and senior Michael Coleman.“It’s really about getting involved,” said David Hummons, director of Community and Student Engagement. “The idea is that all kinds of people — not just black and white — mingle and work together to learn and take action.”
(01/18/11 4:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last year, Reverend Jesse Jackson made a speech in Bloomington, saying, “Don’t admire him. Follow him. You can admire him from afar. To follow him, you have to work — you have to sacrifice.” This year, the annual Leadership Breakfast followed that, honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and the organizations and students who embody it.About 100 University officials, students and community members gathered in Alumni Hall for the breakfast, which was coordinated by IU’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs.The breakfast held special meaning for senior Shabrelle Pollock, the undergraduate winner of the 2011 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. essay contest.In her essay, the journalism major illustrated how King and his ideas have influenced her by sharing the story of her great-grandmother, a woman who devoted her life to fighting for civil rights.“My great-grandmother has always been connecting people from all kinds of backgrounds in the community,” Pollock said. “This corresponds to Dr. King’s ideal.”Through her retelling of her grandmothers’ 101-year life journey, Pollock demonstrated how people in the community can make a difference in advancing democracy. “She spent many years in her life educating people both in and outside classroom,” Pollock said. “Intelligence is not enough. It is intelligence plus character, and that is the true goal of education she teaches us.”Referring to Jackson’s quote, Laura Plummer, contest organizer and director of Writing Tutorial Services, said this year’s theme asked contestants to consider how to take an active role in sustaining King’s work. She said it provided an opportunity for students to think about the sacrifices made in following King’s legacy. Pollock, along with Hangyul Kim, a first-year doctoral student studying violin performance, stood out among the 20 other applicants. But they were not the only people being awarded. Exemplifying King’s work were the two recipients of the Building Bridges award, which recognizes a community group and a student who have promoted unity, equality and diversity at IU as well as in Bloomington.This year, the community award went to Get Real About Discrimination Empowerment Group, an anti-discrimination advocacy organization, while the student award was given to IU Student Association President and senior Michael Coleman.“It’s really about getting involved,” said David Hummons, director of Community and Student Engagement. “The idea is that all kinds of people — not just black and white — mingle and work together to learn and take action.”
(01/07/11 5:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For seniors Ben Greenberg and Rui Xia, 2011 not only means the takeoff of the new decade, but also a step forward for their online bookselling business, TextYard.com.After managing the website for more than one year, the duo is ready for a pivotal semester that could affect their decisions in future business.“This is our most important semester,” Greenberg said. “If we do a great job, I’m confident that we’ll get enough investment to take us to the next level, and eventually become the best source for textbooks.”After being fed up with paying hundreds of dollars each semester for textbooks and seeing little value for resale their freshman year, Greenberg, a psychology major, and his friend Xia, a business major, started developing a website with a simple initiative.“We started TextYard because we had to pay too much for the textbooks,” Xia said, “And that’s what our slogan is — The End of Expensive Textbooks.”“This is a real big problem,” Greenberg said regarding the textbook issue, “and I am confident that TextYard can solve it.”Greenberg and Xia started the website as a small project in early 2008, and they said it has generated more than 1,000 users at IU during the past three years. Before last fall, TextYard expanded to more than 15 universities in the country.The creators said in the competitive bookselling business, TextYard beat the local bookstores on price by offering the lowest prices among online sellers, while allowing students to search by classes and by books.They encourage students to go online in order to avoid the huge markups charged by the bookstores.Xia said college gave them an opportunity to see the problems that college students face, and after going national, they said they are looking forward to the expansion of TextYard in the coming year.“We are expecting five times as many users at IU in the spring semester,” Greenberg said. “This is the first semester that TextYard will be focused on a marketing campaign.”Greenberg said they will adopt multiple marketing tactics, including using social media, to make the website known to more students. Currently, there are more than 80 people on Facebook who like TextYard’s page.They’ve hired a marketing team at IU as well as at University of Florida and University of Texas at Austin, Xia said. “We interviewed a lot of people and chose the most reliable and smart people.”Though the creators admitted that the basic skills required for starting the website were computer skills and a simple idea, the following development and maintenance needs a lot of drudgery and commitments.“Right now our competition comes from the local bookstore and various online sites,” Xia said. “We have the best service right now, but we know that eventually others will copy it. We’re ready to work hard to be the number one source for textbooks around the globe.”Regarding the future of their website, Greenberg and Xia said there are still a lot of unknown factors. If spring turns out to be a booming season and they get investments, they might continue their dream on the West Coast upon graduation.
(12/09/10 4:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As IU’s basketball season started in early November, construction on the roof of Assembly Hall has made a step forward toward its completion.Concerned about the possible damages caused by the deteriorating roofing system of the 77,000-square-foot arena, the IU Athletics Department and the University started to look at the problem seriously.“We had experienced several leaks in numerous locations over the playing area and seating bowl, so that was our first phase, which started in May and ended in late September,” said Charles Crabb, assistant athletics director for facilities.Crabb said the roof has not been replaced since its original construction in October 1971.In March, American Structurepoint Inc., an Indianapolis-based architecture and engineering company, came to campus to evaluate the water damages the roof sustained through the years.In the evaluation process, the company worked with another Indiana engineering company, Arsse Engineers, Inc., as well as IU’s University Architect’s Office and Engineering Services, to overcome the challenges of getting access to the 100-foot concrete panel without disturbing the suspended roof deck cabling system.“It’s a tricky project,” said Doug Brown, who is in charge of structure engineering at American Structurepoint. He continued to explain that because of the shape of the roof and the weather damage, extreme caution is required.Brown explained the complex architectural design of Assembly Hall and the renovations. There are four large steel masts angling upward from the bedrock underneath the building that join together in two X-shapes above the arena floor. They replaced damaged metal and covered plates on the underside of the roof deck in the first phase starting in May, he said.Brown said replacing the cover required building a large scaffolding system above the arena floor, which was a concern for them when they designed the project. But by working with roofing manufacturer and project contractor, Glenroy Construction Co., Inc., they performed successful adhesion tests on the new system and made sure it was fully mechanically fastened by the contractor.In addition, the contractor also installed extra insulations to the roof in the first phase, aiming at better energy efficiency.The three-month initial phase was completed in September before the basketball season kicked off. The project is entering the second phase, which includes replacing the roofing systems on the lower north and south lobby roofs and the upper clerestory roof.The University Architect’s Office said it was satisfied with the fact that the first phase was finished one week before deadline with good quality work and gave the go-ahead to the contractor and designers for the second phase.“The contractor has almost all the north lobby roof done and now is working on the south lobby room,” Crabb said. “The clerestory will not be reroofed until after next year’s May Commencement ceremonies.”Paul Sullivan, IU’s deputy vice president for Capital Projects and Facilities, said the second phase will not start until next spring.“Weather must be 50 degrees or warmer for adhesive to work correctly,” Sullivan said. “They were going to try to do some work before the weather changed, and there may still be some equipment on site, but I don’t think they are doing anything right now.” Sullivan said the first phase cost $1,959,000, while the second one will cost $750,000. The budget is provided by the Athletics Department from the Assembly Hall Maintenance account.Regarding the possible inconvenience brought by the construction, Crabb said the department has done several projects relocating various coaching staffs and support groups in Assembly Hall since the Memorial Stadium North End Zone Student-Athlete Development Center opened in August 2009 and Cook Hall opened in April 2010. “We are into our final phase of relocations which includes renovation of a large area for the ticket office, which will include five sales windows in the west lobby,” Crabb said.
(12/07/10 4:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Since 1999, IU’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services Office has been recognizing individuals for efforts that promote GLBT ideals at IU and in the Bloomington community.On Monday, the “Spirit” Award of the GLBT office went to a broader category of recipients.After more than a month’s selection process, the office presented the awards to five recipients, including two IU students, one IU faculty member, one IU staff member and the IU Athletics Department.“Each year, we honor people who work in our spirit but are outside our office,” said Doug Bauder, the coordinator of the GLBT office. “We call them our allies.”Bauder, who has been the coordinator of the office since 1994 when it was established on campus, said the “Spirit”Award presentation is a simple way of recognizing the different work people have done in the community.“It’s not a prestigious award in the sense that there is a lot of money behind it,” Bauder said. “It’s not a scholarship, but it’s our way to say we appreciate people on our behalf, wherever they are.”Among this year’s recipients, Barton Girdwood, a sophomore majoring in religious and gender studies, said he did not know he was nominated until three weeks ago.“I received an e-mail from the GLBT selection committee saying that I was nominated to get the award, and I felt so honored,” he said.Four different people nominated Girdwood for his actions in various student organizations on campus.The award’s selection committee announced Girdwood, along with Chris Kase, as the final student recipients.The committee, which consisted of four members from the GLBT’s advisory board, determined the winners based on the work they had done to promote GLBT awareness.The office also gave the awards to Mary Gray, associate professor in the Department of Communication and Culture, and Scott Jones, a volunteer during the IU Department of Theatre and Drama’s production of “Rent.”The office also recognized the IU Athletics Department for supporting the GLBT community with events throughout the summer and fall.“People from other universities in the nation always ask me why we can have such an office on campus,” Bauder said. “My answer to that is always simple — with great deal of our supporters and allies.”
(11/28/10 7:49pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Two separate incidents of vandalism to University Jewish centers were reported this past week.Saturday, a rock was found thrown through a back kitchen window of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center at 730 E. Third St., while on Tuesday, members of the Chabad House Jewish Student Center at 518 E. Seventh St. found a limestone rock thrown through a back window of the center.The incidents mirror previous vandalism in October 2007, when a beer bottle was thrown through one of the windows of the Chabad House. A few weeks later, the word “Jewish” was stripped from the building.Because the Chabad House is located just off campus, the Bloomington Police Department is investigating the first incident, while the IU Police Department responded to Saturday’s. IU Chief of Police Keith Cash said detectives from both departments will meet and discuss any similarities seen in the incidents but that it is “too soon to tell” whether they are related. No suspects or arrests have been made for either incident.Although the vandalism was reported by the Hillel Center Saturday, Cash said it could have taken place any time since Tuesday. President of Chabad House Alex Groysman said when he heard about the incident Tuesday, he immediately drove to the building on Seventh Street. Shocked, Groysman said he could not believe what he saw.“Glass was shattered throughout the main prayer room causing damage in the building,” Groysman said. “We believe it was an act of anti-Semitism because the window shattered was less than a yard away from a sign that says Jewish Student Center. “After everything the center does to build understanding and friendly relations in the community, there are people out there that just want to destroy. By throwing that stone, that person was sending a message that they do not want us here, and that is something that is not OK.”The Bloomington Police Department sent patrols to the scene after a source called to report the incident. Through on-site investigation, they identified the limestone rock and confirmed the damages it caused inside the building, BPD Sgt. Scott Myers said.Myers said the attack occurred between 1 and 5:30 p.m. while no one was in the center.“We received no threats before or after the event, so there is no way of knowing who was specifically responsible for it,” Groysman said. “The only thing we can do is to bring light to this event and expose it for what it is.”Groysman said the Chabad House plans to build a 12-foot menorah to celebrate Hanukkah, and the center has been raising funds from the community for the menorah for about a month, but the recent incidents will push them to complete it in time.Rabbi Yehoshua Chincholker, co-director of the center, said since the center is made of solid limestone itself, and he wants to incorporate the limestone rock used in the attack as part of the foundation to the menorah.“This will emphasize that deep mutual respect for each other,” Chincholker said. “Freedom of body and strength of spirit — which are the rock and foundation of our land, our homes and our communities — are cherished principles that serve as the bedrock of our society.”Contact the center at chabad@indiana.edu or 812-332-4511 to make a donation.
(11/19/10 3:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Twenty-one international student organizations joined in the fourth annual IU World’s Fare on Thursday.The event — cosponsored by Office of International Services and the Union Board — showcased distinctive cultural displays, performances and food in Alumni Hall of the Indiana Memorial Union.The celebration was also in coordination with the U.S. Department of State and Education’s International Education Week.“Food is my favorite part,” junior Kenny Phillips said of the event. “Though I like everything here, I’d say I enjoyed the Australian meat pie most.”Phillips was among about 2,000 people at this year’s event.Eric Love, director of the Office of Diversity Education, also agreed with Philips — his favorite dish, he said, was the meat pie.Love, who has attended past Fares, said the event is always a great opportunity for students to find out what to appreciate in terms of culture.“We do have diversity at IU, but I don’t think we have taken great advantage of it,” Love said. “By having this event, people can learn about different cultures at IU. It’s always packed. It’s fantastic.”James Hu, vice president of IU’s Taiwanese Student Association, said during the Fare he hoped he could share the message of the Lantern Festival — a traditional holiday in the Chinese community that celebrates family reunion.“We want people to write down their names on the lantern we have here and enjoy our cultural message,” Hu said at his booth in Alumni Hall.Hu said by writing their names on a lantern made during the event, students and attendees helped create a harmonious atmosphere.Courtney Shoemaker, director of International and Cultural Events for the Union Board, said the Union has always been encouraging cultural messages.“We have been preparing the event since February, and we just want to create more culture awareness and make it a symbol on campus,” Shoemaker said.— Kevin Wang
(11/18/10 5:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>More than 40 students and community members gathered under a street lamp in a circle Wednesday in Dunn Meadow to observe the Transgender Day of Remembrance — a memorial event in honor of who lost their lives due to anti-transgender violence.The tradition began in 1999 in San Francisco, where people used a candlelight vigil to commemorate Rita Hester, a transgender women killed in a hate murder in November 1998.This year, IU Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Equality co-sponsored the observance with various campus organizations such as the IU Student Association and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Student Support Services Center.IU participants, along with many those at other college campuses in the United States, observes this memorial moment each November to remind people there are still a lot of transgender issues in this country.For senior and Indiana Daily Student staffer Jain Waldrip, vice president of SAGE, the day is an opportunity to memorialize a friend, who lost her life due to medical negligence in a hospital.“The doctor ignored her concerns and saw her as a loathing object rather than a person,” Waldrip said in the memorial speech. “For me, Transgender Day of Remembrance is to remember those who have lost their lives due to prejudice and hatred.”Holding lighted candles, the participants used the moment of silence to send their thoughts to those who have died as they read the names of the victims in turn.Waldrip said reading the names was important to the observance because it gave recognitions to those who died because of the anti-transgender violence and did not receive a proper memorial.But for the other speaker, junior Evelyn Smith, the observance has a deeper meaning.“There is a great significance in using the word ‘remembrance’ to describe this event,” Smith said, “We observe neither the Transgender Day of Mourning nor the Day of Loss. Instead, we gather to memorialize those who have died while celebrating the living transgender people.”Smith is a member of the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals, which consists of minorities who are employed or interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.“Tonight we will remember the dead,” Smith said. “And tomorrow we must not forget those still among the living.”
(11/15/10 3:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s First Nations Educational and Cultural Center had a seminar Friday that focused on constructing democracy for underrepresented Native Americans in the U.S.As part of this year’s Native American Heritage Month, the seminar featured political science professor Lauren Maclean to present her research study on tribal consultation and the representation of Native Americans in health policy. Maclean is a member of IU’s Committee on Native American and Indigenous Studies, which co-sponsored the seminar with the American Studies Program, the American Indian Studies Research Institute and the FNECC.During her talk, Maclean brought up the issue of why certain Native American tribal communities have their voices heard more effectively by federal and state government than other groups. She also examined how federal and state governments have been influencing the Native American community’s role in health policy-making in the past.Maclean also discussed disparities among federally recognized tribes and how the long-existing differences between dominant tribes and poor ones have marginalized certain tribes.The professor then went on to provide suggestions for how small tribal communities can have their voices heard in policy-making by seeking deliberate participation in bureaucratic policy formulations.Maclean is about to finish the collection process for her current study of the issue; she said she recently returned from Oklahoma, where she spent time observing tribal-state meetings. Christina Snyder, assistant professor in the Department of History, said by inviting scholars from different academic areas to the seminar every year, more opinions and voices can be heard regarding Native American issues.“One of the issues we have at IU is that we have great strength in anthropology but limited resources in other departments to do Native American studies,” Snyder said. “So part of the reason to have people on here is to have those areas represented.”
(11/11/10 2:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Dan Zhu said she likes how the United States looks to her so far. Having stepped down from her familiar rhythmic gymnastics field for almost two years, the 22-year-old former Chinese national athlete said she enjoys being one of more than 40,000 IU students.With the glory of her silver-medal journey in the 2008 Beijing Olympics embedded into history, Zhu said she is more interested in what’s coming next in her career.Zhu is one of four athletes visiting IU as a participant in the new Beijing Sport University Champion Class Program, a high-ranking education and career preparatory hub for retired Chinese national athletes. The program is part of the 21-year partnership between the Beijing Sport University and the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.This is the first time students from the Chinese university have come to the U.S.The athletes will study one year of individualized programs within HPER, including classes in sports management and marketing, athletic training, dance, martial arts and English. Three of the four athletes have arrived, but the fourth, rhythmic gymnast Tao Chou, will arrive later in the month.“The school is very excited to have the Olympic athletes to join us,” said Jennifer Pearl, HPER’s Global and Community Health Program manager. “The Champion Class Program is the first time that HPER has invited Chinese former athletes to IU and helped them prepare for their future careers.”Unlike many people at her age, Zhu did not have many opportunities to experience school life. She invested most of her childhood in training and competitions. Though she was a registered student at a Chinese university from 1997 to 2002, she was still active in the gym and had few chances to relax.“Basically, we are living on the go. Not like here,” Zhu said. “Chinese athletes live with the team. We go out to compete, travel to different countries. But really, that’s it. We didn’t have a lot of time to slow down and look around.”The gymnast retired following the 2008 Olympics. But Zhu said the athletic atmosphere on campus has awoken her motivation to practice athletics again.“I haven’t been doing training for a long time,” she said. “Here it makes me want to get moving again.”Zhong Chen, a 28-year-old two-time Taekwondo Olympic gold medalist who is well-known in China, said her merits earned at the international level and Olympic level competitions only speak for her past. What Chen really focuses on now, she said, is her commitment to the future.Unlike Zhu, whose expertise in rhythmic gymnastics does not have a large venue at IU, Chen is bringing her experience to the IU Taekwondo Club.Chen started practicing professional Taekwondo in 1995 but retired last year. She won two Olympic medals, one in 2000 in Sydney and one in 2004 in Athens, Greece.Chen said she hopes this program will give her an opportunity to learn things she did not get the chance to learn as an athlete.“Our life as athletes were very simple,” Chen said. “Go to training, go to the games, eat and recover. Everything was arranged and put in order for us. We didn’t know much outside our circle.”Chen said she enjoys the life of putting textbooks into her backpack, getting on the bus and figuring out the world that is new to her.“It’s interesting that sometimes we forget to pull the ring to stop the bus,” Chen said. “It just keeps going, so we have missed our stops several times when we first came here.”Zhu said she is also able to develop hobbies without concern.“I also love to eat,” Zhu said. “Every girl loves to. I couldn’t because we have to control our weights as athletes. Now I don’t have to feel guilty.”Chen, who is married and a mother, said she wants to go into the educational field in China. She said she hopes more educational programs, such as Champion Class, will be provided for athletes in the future.“Our careers as athletes are short,” Chen said. “We started at very young ages to devote ourselves into training, day after day, year after year. As we are getting older, we start to think, ‘What we should do and what we can do when we retire?’ I think opportunities like this give us tools that we can use to make contributions to the society in different ways.”
(11/09/10 6:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU students, faculty, staff and police representatives gathered Monday at the Indiana Memorial Union for a panel discussion regarding the battery case on Oct. 31. The incident involved a group of Asian students being attacked and robbed on campus.Officials from various campus organizations as well as University administration members attended the meeting. IU Police Department Chief Keith Cash confirmed that after the arrest of the first suspect, Terry Lee Campbell, the department has issued a search warrant for 19-year-old male and non-student Aldwin Jamal Shade, who resides in Jeffersonville, Ind.Cash said IUPD has plans to arrest Shade, but they are not sure when the arrest will take place.Cash said the incident was barely seen on this campus and he hopes students can feel safe.“Ninety-eight percent of people on this campus are good people,” Cash said. “Those 2 percent just don’t belong to our community.”Eric Love, director of the Office of Diversity Education, seconded Cash and suggested students move out of their comfort zone and become more comfortable with others.“Students interact with their own group most of the time,” Love said. “That way, they will get cheated out because they don’t know about the others.”Love, along with Pam Freeman, co-chair of the Racial Incident Team, said they are trying to facilitate a dialogue between African-American students and Asian students on campus to overcome the misconceptions.Asian Culture Center Director Melanie Castillo-Cullather said it takes a long time to advance the multicultural interaction, but culture centers on campus will still have events each year.“There is a hope to sustain the long-term interactions among different students,” Castillo-Cullather said. “It will become possible once students find the modelings.”
(11/08/10 5:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Losing to Minnesota 3-0 in its last game Friday, the IU women’s soccer team has officially ended its 2010 season.Five seniors were recognized before the game, and all played later on, but the Hoosiers (6-12-1, 2-8) did not prevent a Golden Gopher shutout. Goals in the fifth, 16th and 25th minutes determined the final result of the game.Instead of blaming the 40-degree temperature that could have slowed down the Hoosiers’ performance, IU coach Mick Lyon addressed the mistake that they made several times throughout the season.“Weather is not a problem for us,” Lyon said. “Again, we let them score some quick goals. We played a tremendous second half and had some great opportunities, but it’s too much for us to come back. We were not at where we need to be.”Senior midfielder Leigh Anne Cummings did not get to show off her famous flip sideline throw-in during her last game as a Hoosier, but she said she had no regret toward what her four years on the team had brought her.“I’m sad it’s ending, but I feel like I have learned a lot during the four years,” Cummings said. “I hope my teammates can still get out there and have more wins.”As freshmen, Cummings, forward Darby Hannon, goalkeeper Lauren Hollandsworth, midfielder Chloe McKay and forward Jocelyn Moses all made contributions to the Hoosiers’ run to the Sweet 16 in the 2007 NCAA Tournament — the best effort in school history.
(11/05/10 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the third straight season, the IU women’s soccer team will miss the NCAA Tournament berth. Despite upsetting Big Ten leader Ohio State on Oct. 31 with a 1-0 victory, the Hoosiers (6-11-1, 2-7) stand No. 10 in the conference and will close their season early again this year.In playing host to Minnesota at 7 p.m. Friday, IU coach Mick Lyon said he hopes the team can take something out of the Ohio State win and finish up the season strong at home.“Our goal right now is to win three out of our last four games,” Lyon said.Without offensive anchor and sophomore forward Orianica Velasquez, who returned to Colombia to join the country’s Women’s National Team for the World Cup Qualifier, IU leaned on a goal by senior forward Jocelyn Moses in the 68th minute to beat the then-No. 18 Buckeyes.In addition to the Ohio State game, IU beat Iowa 3-2 on Oct. 24. Junior forward Carly Samp scored the game-winner in the 94th minute.This week, Lyon did not make a lot of changes to his training sessions except for adding more free kicks and corner kicks.Lyon said looking back into the season, the Hoosiers did improve, but there are still a lot of things they could have done better.“Overall, we played well,” Lyon said. “We are a young team, and I was disappointed sometimes when we let the other team score easy goals. But we have made progress. I’m just excited about next year.” Next year will mark the 10th season of Lyon’s tenure at IU.Though Lyon will not have Velasquez in the last game of the season, he said he was happy to hear of her good news back home.“Ori is doing well,” Lyon said. “She played a scrimmage game with the men’s national team and scored the only goal. They won.”
(11/04/10 3:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As America’s midterm election brought politics to the forefront of discussions, a group of 12 guests from seven different countries also took part in the debate This week’s International Spouses Circle at the Leo R. Dowling International Center, created by the center in 2005, the program provides a venue for married international students to have English conversations, share cultural experience and make new friends.“We felt that most of the international spouses do not have a good command of the English language, which keeps them from meeting new people and getting involved,” Director Sandy Britton said of the weekly conversation.Every Tuesday, a small group of married couples gather at the center and get to know more about American culture, current issues and each other.This week’s conversation started with the spouses’ Halloween adventures and extended to American manners and customs.Class instructor Janice Goddard — a representative from Bloomington International Student Ministries — has been volunteering part-time at the international center since 2008. Goddard said she has been using special means to help the spouses to benefit from the hour and a half sessions.“We use small talk that can be used in day-to-day life,” Goddard said. “I chose topics based on the survey I handed out and ranked their interests. Usually we cover practical things such as telephone skills.”Goddard said she will also add current issues to her class calendar regularly to keep her students up to date with trends. This week’s discussion on politics went from the ongoing U.S. midterm election to electoral procedures in their own countries.The group is also planning a trip to the Monroe County History Center on Nov. 11 to help the couples learn more about American culture and history.Hyejone Jang, from South Korea, has been accompanying her doctoral student husband to the circle. Jang said activities in the program really deepened her understanding of American culture, and most importantly, helped make America feel like home.“We are coming here for the same reason,” Jang said of the weekly meeting. “The circle gives us a chance to know each other, as we all come from outside the United States.”
(11/01/10 4:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s soccer team (6-11-1, 2-7) benefited from an entire game of high-quality defense and a lob shot from senior forward Joselyn Moses, defeating No. 18 Ohio State, 1-0, on Sunday.Coming off a 6-1 loss to Penn State on the road Oct. 28, the Hoosiers saw little hope to get anything out of the meeting with the conference leader, who had only lost one game in Big Ten play before Halloween weekend.But IU coach Mick Lyon said he believed in the power of mentality.“All we talked about after the Penn State game was not about the attacking skills,” Lyon said. “But it was about the passion we should have within our heart.”With that in mind, the Hoosiers played one of the best games in terms of showing their defensive presence on the field. Led by three defenders and freshman goalkeeper Shannon Flower, IU’s backline rendered Ohio State’s offensive pressure in vain, though the Buckeyes bested the Hoosiers in both shot attempts and corner kicks the entire game.Flower recorded six saves on the day en route to her first career shutout.The highlight, as well as the game winner, came in the 68th minute. Moses unloaded a low pass sent by junior midfielder Kaylin Clow on the left side of the Ohio State box, and instead of looking for the cutting teammates in the middle, she lobbed a shot toward the far post of the Buckeye goal that looked exactly like a high-pitched center pass. The distracted Ohio State defenders could do nothing but witness the ball spinning into the upper right corner of the goal.It was Moses’ first goal of 2010.Though the Buckeyes did not give up attacking the Hoosiers’ end until the last second, they ultimately were shut out for just the second time this season.Besides giving a lot of credit to the Hoosiers — especially those who did a great job defending the goal — Lyon said he would not forget about the holiday weekend.“Now I can have two pieces of candy,” he said.The Hoosiers end regular season play Friday when they play host to Minnesota at 7 p.m. at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
(10/29/10 2:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This Saturday, IU Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association — an affinity group of the IU Alumni Association — will bring LGBT fans from in and outside Indiana to Memorial Stadium.The first-ever LGBT Appreciation Day is geared toward IU alumni as well as their family and friends. IU GLBTAA secretary Jon Kitto, who has been planning this event since summer, said the idea of LGBT Appreciation Day came from the partnership between the GLBTAA and the IU Athletics Department.Kitto said the GLBTAA advises and facilitates the relationship among IU LGBT students, faculty and staff on all eight campuses. He said that among about 1200 members in the IU GLBTAA, 80 percent are IU alumni.“We have met and worked with the athletics department in the past,” Kitto said. “This time, they are showing their support for our group and have great offers for LGBT fans.”Kitto said he met with Senior Assistant Athletics Director for Marketing Pat Kraft at this year’s LGBT pride event in Indianapolis, and Kraft soon expressed IU Athletics’ interest in bringing LGBT groups to a football game at home in the fall.Kraft and Assistant Director of Marketing Andrew Rosner then put together a ticket package plan and reached an agreement with Kitto.For the day, LGBT fan can purchase the $20 fan package from the IU Alumni Association. The package includes a game ticket, hot dog, soft drink and popcorn.Kraft said the Athletic Department had been reaching out to events all across Indiana during the summer at places like the Indiana State Fair and the 500 Festival Parade, touching bases with potential fans.“We have group rates out there for fans who want to come in as a group,” Kraft said. “The groups’ size varies from 20 to 1000. We are open to any idea that can bring in groups to fill in our seats.”The Appreciation Day will invite Northwestern LGBT fans as well, who can also purchase the fan package.Kitto said LGBT fans will have a section in the North End Zone. Before the game, they can also tailgate with other fans at Hoosier Village next to the stadium.Kraft said the Athletics Department hopes to make the Appreciation Day an annual event in the future.“Our partnership with the LGBT is great,” Kraft said. “We hope to grow this partnership in the future and make it a successful event. But all we want to do is to bring our fans in, no matter who they are. We just want our 53,000 seats full.”Kraft said he did not know how many seats will be filled by the LGBT fans on Saturday, but he expects a high turn out.
(10/29/10 2:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This Saturday, IU Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association — an affinity group of the IU Alumni Association — will bring LGBT fans from in and outside Indiana to Memorial Stadium.The first-ever LGBT Appreciation Day is geared toward IU alumni as well as their family and friends. IU GLBTAA secretary Jon Kitto, who has been planning this event since summer, said the idea of LGBT Appreciation Day came from the partnership between the GLBTAA and the IU Athletics Department.Kitto said the GLBTAA advises and facilitates the relationship among IU LGBT students, faculty and staff on all eight campuses. He said that among about 1200 members in the IU GLBTAA, 80 percent are IU alumni.“We have met and worked with the athletics department in the past,” Kitto said. “This time, they are showing their support for our group and have great offers for LGBT fans.”Kitto said he met with Senior Assistant Athletics Director for Marketing Pat Kraft at this year’s LGBT pride event in Indianapolis, and Kraft soon expressed IU Athletics’ interest in bringing LGBT groups to a football game at home in the fall.Kraft and Assistant Director of Marketing Andrew Rosner then put together a ticket package plan and reached an agreement with Kitto.For the day, LGBT fan can purchase the $20 fan package from the IU Alumni Association. The package includes a game ticket, hot dog, soft drink and popcorn.Kraft said the Athletic Department had been reaching out to events all across Indiana during the summer at places like the Indiana State Fair and the 500 Festival Parade, touching bases with potential fans.“We have group rates out there for fans who want to come in as a group,” Kraft said. “The groups’ size varies from 20 to 1000. We are open to any idea that can bring in groups to fill in our seats.”The Appreciation Day will invite Northwestern LGBT fans as well, who can also purchase the fan package.Kitto said LGBT fans will have a section in the North End Zone. Before the game, they can also tailgate with other fans at Hoosier Village next to the stadium.Kraft said the Athletics Department hopes to make the Appreciation Day an annual event in the future.“Our partnership with the LGBT is great,” Kraft said. “We hope to grow this partnership in the future and make it a successful event. But all we want to do is to bring our fans in, no matter who they are. We just want our 53,000 seats full.”Kraft said he did not know how many seats will be filled by the LGBT fans on Saturday, but he expects a high turn out.