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(05/31/07 4:00am)
Forty-five seconds into Memory Almost Full's opening song, "Dance Tonight," Paul McCartney reminds us why we still love him at 64. He croons, "We can do anything we want to do" and turns the last "do" into three syllables, making me giddy as my mind flooded with images of the head-bobbing, charming, mop-top Paul who co-fronted my favorite band of all time.\nThe album peaks at the rhythmic second song, "Ever Present Past," which explores Paul's post-middle-aged mind, looking back on his childhood and questioning his current state. It's touching to hear Paul reminiscing about his childhood, but it is hard to believe über-stud McCartney when he claims in the song that he "don't have no time to be a decent lover." It's much more believable to hear him talking about his life later in the track, saying "It went by, it flew by in a flash." \nAt the classic Beatle age of 64, McCartney is often retrospective on the album, and by the middle of Memory, I was missing the first two tracks. The quality dips down with "See Your Sunshine," which sounds like standard, cheesy '80s McCartney, and "Gratitude," which is just painfully repetitive and sounds like it's addressed to his recent ex-wife. \nAs the album inches toward its end, it becomes underwhelming, except for the rocking, guitar-heavy "Only Mama Knows" and the menacing guitar solo halfway through the long-winded "House of Wax." \nMcCartney spouts off touching life lessons during the album's poignant second-to-last track, "End of the End," in which he adopts the perspective of a dying man giving his last words. He asks that his friends have "jokes to be told and stories of old" and that no one cry, because he's going to a better place. It features one of two whistle solos on the album, which would've both been far improved by a guitar or even a piano solo. McCartney ends with "Nod Your Head," the album's equivalent of "Dirt Off Your Shoulder." \nMemory is a sideways step from Chaos and Creation, which is logical, since a number of the songs are leftovers from those sessions.\nThe album falls short of classics like McCartney, Ram and some of the work Paul did with Wings, but it cracks his top 10 albums and is definitely worth a few listens.
(03/01/07 5:00am)
An engaging tale of rivalry between Victorian-era magicians Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman), "The Prestige" is itself like a magic trick, keeping viewers guessing as to how the pieces of this mystery-suspense will finally come together. It is in this way reminiscent of director and co-screenwriter Christopher Nolan's earlier film "Memento," though "The Prestige" is more spectacular and considerably less edgy and original than "Memento." \nBoth Bale and Jackman give good performances. I found Bale to be somewhat more impressive as he displays a greater range of emotion than usual, with both the calculating coldness that earned him praise in his portrayal of Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho" as well as a softer, more sympathy inspiring side. David Bowie plays the role of Nikola Tesla, a character based on the historical figure who contributed greatly to the development of alternating current electric power systems which we still use. The role is a modest but significant one and Bowie executes it well, thereby adding to the film as a whole as opposed to detracting with his presence from the believability of the narrative. The female characters, including those played by Scarlett Johansson and Piper Perabo, are finely played but not overly interesting.\nThough the film is quite enjoyable, the DVD is not that great. "The Prestige" is the sort of film that is a good deal more exciting on the big screen. Also, the story is such that it cannot help but diminish in entertainment value after a few viewings because so much of the film's intrigue is reliant on a first time viewer's ignorance. \nThe special features are quite sub-par. The "Director's Notebook" is in reality a glorified series of making-of featurettes in which the cast and crew discuss the film. This is actually somewhat interesting but disappointing for anyone who is hoping for anything approaching a look inside Christopher Nolan's mind. This is as good as the special features get on this DVD. The other material included on the disc is a called "The Art of the Prestige," promisingly divided into sections for the film, costumes and sets, behind the scenes and poster art. Rather than dividing this into sections, the designers of the DVD could have more appropriately lumped all the categories together and labeled it "Still screenshots that almost no one will actually want to waste time looking through"
(02/23/07 5:00am)
When students return to school after spring break, healthier food will be awaiting them in dining halls across campus. \nSandra Fowler, director of dining services, said Residential Programs and Services will be phasing out the current vegetable cooking oil used in the dining halls and replacing it with a new oil that contains zero trans fats.\nFowler said they tested the new oil at Wright food court a few weeks ago.\nFowler also said RPS has seen a trend toward healthier dining on the IU campus during the past three to four years. \n“The number one item we sell is our turkey breast, and the number two item is our grilled chicken,” Fowler said. “That’s not to say we don’t sell a lot of burgers, but they aren’t our top selling foods.” \nLast spring, RPS began the “Eat Wright” program, also at the Wright Quad dining hall, which is a way of teaching students about making healthy choices regarding what they eat, Fowler said. “Eat Wright” includes low-fat entrees and paninis, as well as soups and a salad bar.\nDespite the recent trend of making healthier options available to students, Heidi Boruff, a RPS dietitian, said she can’t say with certainty that foods containing trans fats will be entirely eliminated at any time in the near future.\n“We have an executive chef who is in charge of purchasing the food,” Boruff said. “I can advise him, but it all comes down to prices and what is available.” \nBoruff said if students are wondering about the nutritional information in the food they are consuming in the dining halls, they will soon be able to access that information online. RPS is currently working on a program which will allow students to select certain foods into a kind of online shopping cart and then view their nutritional facts.\n“Due to technical difficulties, it’s not up and running yet but it will be available in the near future,” Boruff said.\nRPS nutritionists also make trips to visit different floors in various residences halls across campus to promote healthy eating habits, Fowler said.\nHowever, many student diners don’t think there are currently enough healthy items offered.\nFreshman Trevor Alt is one of these students.\n“I think there aren’t enough healthy choices, and the ones that do exist are too expensive,” Alt said.\nFreshman Christy Shirreffs agrees. She said she thinks the problem is all of the options often come mixed together.\n“You can’t just get steamed vegetables or something. It’s always vegetables with butter or something,” Shirreffs said.\nHowever, when she learned about the new cooking oils that will be used after spring break, Shirreffs brightened.\n“I didn’t know they cooked in trans fats,” Shirreffs said. “But taking it out will be a health benefit not only to me, but to the rest of the school as well.”
(02/19/07 5:00am)
On a cold, snowy afternoon in Bloomington, the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building is still buzzing.\nThe cold weather is not enough to stop some IU students from getting in their daily workout in the HPER and Ora L. Wildermuth Intramural Center.\nIn fact, working out seems to be a growing trend for many people at IU. Participation rates at campus recreational facilities are up 4.1 percent from this time last year, said Kimberly Ruff, the director of marketing and sponsorship for the Division of Campus Recreational Sports.\nRuff said it is currently impossible to compare participation at the Student Recreational Sports Center with the participation at the HPER because, each year, one facility closes over winter break, drastically decreasing its participation numbers for the year.\nThis year, the HPER was closed over break, Ruff said. \nThe HPER building, located in the middle of campus, across from the Indiana Memorial Union, may not be the first place students look when they want to get in their workouts. However, the facility offers many of the same services as the SRSC, including an indoor track, basketball courts, treadmills, elliptical machines and strength-training equipment.\nChristine Geary, the director of programming and research for the Division of Recreational Sports, said the HPER is a shared facility between athletics and academics. The HPER has irregular hours due to academic instruction during the morning and early afternoon, meaning students cannot always workout at the building when it is most convenient.\n“People have to really think about it if they are going to use the HPER,” Geary said. “The building is more of a walk-to place during the day because it is right in the middle of campus.”\nHe said this is one of the main reasons why the HPER is the lesser used of the two athletic facilities on campus.\nDespite lacking some of the convenience of the SRSC, some students still prefer to visit the HPER to get their exercise.\nOne reason many students use the Wildermuth Center is they take the classes offered through the HPER school. Karina Garipova is one of those students.\nGaripova was at the Wildermuth Center on Thursday morning for her basketball class.\n“I have basketball class here today, but usually I work out at the SRSC,” said Garipova. She said she usually works out four to five times a week for enjoyment and because she likes to keep in shape.\nFreshman Mary Beth Kime works out at the HPER in the evenings because she said it is much less crowded than the SRSC.\n“It’s crowded between the hours of 4 to 6 p.m. right before dinner,” said freshman Mary Beth Kime. “But after about 7 o’clock it’s great.” \nKime, a resident of Collins Living-Learning Center, also finds the HPER a great place to workout because it is a convenient distance from her residence hall.\nFor a complete listing of the HPER and SRSC facilities’ hours of operations, visit www.iurecsports.org/hours or call Recreational Sports at 855-7772.
(02/08/07 3:00am)
Four-year-old Heidi Dufore loves gymnastics and bowling. When she arrives home from exercising, she usually drinks a glass of water or juice.\nBut after visiting the WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology last week, Dufore has a new beverage of choice: chocolate milk.\nIn association with the Week of Chocolate, a community event that featured different chocolate-related activities, WonderLab, 308 W. Fourth St., held an exhibit that highlighted chocolate milk as a recovery drink after a workout.\nThe display, which ran from Jan. 27 to Feb. 3, was based on IU professor Joel Stager's 2006 study "Chocolate Milk as a Post-Exercise Recovery Aid," which was published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.\nThe study involved randomly giving nine cyclists chocolate milk or an alternative recovery drink, such as Gatorade or Powerade, after exercise and observing the effects during a second round of exercise. According to the study, chocolate milk, with its high carbohydrate and protein content, should be considered an alternative to commercial sports beverages when recovering from exercise.\nDuring her visit to WonderLab, Heidi had the opportunity to put together her own bag of chocolate, sugar and powdered milk.\nAnd she did -- though more of the chocolate powder wound up on her pink shirt than in her plastic bag.\n"Milk is ideal after exercise as an energy booster," said Alison Kaiser, a WonderLab volunteer. "It has a good ratio of protein to sugar."\nKaiser acknowledged the positive effects that chocolate milk has to offer, but she admitted the younger children might not fully understand the point of the exhibit.\n"The little ones may not get that this is (intended) for after exercise," Kaiser said. "There is a concern with obesity, and I think it's important to communicate to kids that a little sugar is OK after exercise."\nWonderLab employee Rob McCrea said the exhibit is a change from what has been done in past years for the Week of Chocolate. In previous years, WonderLab has put on a program called the Science of Chocolate that taught kids about the varieties of chocolate and allowed them to taste different kinds.\n"This year, we decided to do something a little different," McCrea said. "We learned about all of this study regarding chocolate milk as a recovery drink and decided to put something together revolving around that." \nWhen Heidi returned to the table to make her second batch of chocolate drink mix, McCrea laughed as the 4-year-old tried to measure out the correct quantities of each ingredient.\n"It's hard because we have to try to serve all ages," he said. "The older kids can get into the content of what this is."\nAs McCrea helped Heidi fill her measuring cup completely with sugar, he added, "for the younger kids, it's a lesson on portions and just trying to fill one-third of a cup completely"
(12/08/06 5:14am)
Next August when students return to Bloomington, residents of Forest Quad will have the luxury of air-conditioning, students in parts of McNutt and Teter Quad will have private bathrooms, and the rest of the IU community will see renovations in athletic facilities, the School of Informatics and other campus property.\nThe State Budget Committee met with IU administrators Wednesday and reviewed projects the board of trustees requested to begin, said J.T. Forbes, IU director of state relations.\nIndiana State Senator Vi Simpson, D-Ellettsville, welcomed the State Budget Committee's approval of nearly $89 million in funding for these and several other projects on campus. Some funding will also go to projects at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis.\n"As a whole, it just so happened there are a lot of important projects at IU-Bloomington that happened to appear at the same time," Simpson said.\nThe newly approved additional space for the Multi-Disciplinary Science Building Phase II Project, as well as the approval of a 20-year lease of the fraternity-style chapter house on East 10th Street, are improvements Simpson said are important to the future of IU. The IU Foundation will renovate the house on East 10th Street to accommodate faculty and support offices for the School of Informatics, \nThe additional space in the science building will accommodate several programs and laboratories that will help expand the University's research capacity. Those areas include neuroscience and brain imaging, atmospheric science, contaminant chemistry and biogeochemistry, according to a news release from Simspon's office.\n"IU at Bloomington is a major research university," Simpson said, "and I believe making more space in the science building and School of Informatics is important because of the economic development potential that exists from research in life sciences and research in technology areas."\nThe project had to gain state approval because it is so costly, IU's Director of State Relations Forbes said.\nHowever, state funding is being provided to help with other projects, including the upgrades being made to the dorms. Simpson said she believes the improvements are needed.\nThe changes for next year include the addition of an air-conditioning system in Forest, which will also benefit the campus by helping with the chilled water system, said Pat Connor, executive director of Residential Programs and Services.\nThe bathrooms in the Teter-Elkin and McNutt-Bocobo dorms will be upgraded as well.\n"They are going to gut the old facilities and create individual bathrooms, so when students go down the hall to go to the bathroom or take a shower, they will go into a room with a toilet, sink and shower and be able to lock the door," Connor said.\nConnor said each floor will have several of these individualized bathrooms instead of a single communal one.\nLack of privacy is one reason why a student chooses to leave the dorms after his or her first year, Connor said, so RPS is working to increase students' privacy.\nWork for these projects will begin in the spring, and the affected dorms will be closed for the summer. The renovations should be complete when they reopen in August, Connor said.\nOther projects that were approved include the construction of the new Campus Office and Classroom Building. The facility, which will be located on East Third Street, will house specialized classrooms and teaching labs for the departments of biology and communication and culture, along with departmental and faculty offices, according to the news release. The building will also include a new anatomy lab.\nForbes said IU was fortunate to have all of the proposed projects on the agenda for the State Budget Committee this week. He said this was likely the last time the committee would meet until after the current legislative session.\n"It would have been next May or June before we could have gotten approval after this," Forbes said. "It would have caused significant delays."\nSimpson noted there is some controversy over the approval of the athletic-facilities project, which is estimated to cost $55 million. Specifically, the improvements include the Hoosier Education and Performance Center at the north end of Memorial Stadium, the renovation of space under the east stands of Memorial Stadium for the Academic Center for Excellence, the creation of the new Basketball Development Center next to Assembly Hall and the construction of the new Hoosier Baseball/Softball Complex. \nHowever, Simpson argued there is no good reason for the controversy because the state is not funding the athletic project. \n"No state funded money is being used for the athletic facility projects; however, it did require authorization in order to move forward," Simpson said. "I believe $45 million in athletic money and $10 million in gift money are being used to cover the cost"
(11/03/06 4:29am)
Passersby on Fee Lane Thursday night might have noticed a crowd of students standing around the cemetery in front of Foster Residence Hall. More than 40 IU students gathered together despite the evening's cool temperatures to learn more about Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead.\nDia de los Muertos is a three-day Mexican holiday celebrated from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 to honor relatives who have passed away.\nIn the cemetery, members of La Casa served hot chocolate to keep students warm while Lillian Casillas, director of the La Casa Latino Cultural Center, spoke about her own family's traditions for celebrating Dia de los Muertos when she was growing up.\nThe cemetery is traditionally used as the location of the celebration during the holiday as graves are cleared and decorated and gifts are left for the spirits of the dead, Casillas said. \n"My family would have a meal, for instance, in honor of my grandmother," Casillas said. "We would eat her favorite food -- enchiladas."\nCasillas also recalled spending the entire night in the cemetery, but said the holiday is not meant to be frightening at all and is in no way similar to the American tradition of Halloween.\n"It's not meant to be scary. It's about celebration and remembering your family," Casillas said. "And not even just family, but sometimes other things like animals, too."\nThe tradition began with the Aztecs and was originally celebrated at the end of July or beginning of August. When the Catholic Church came to America, it had the tradition of All Saints Day which was celebrated Nov. 1 and 2, and the two holidays were merged because of their similarities, Casillas said.\nThe Aztecs believed souls continue to exist after death, resting in Mictlan, the land of the dead, not for judgment but "sort of just hanging out," said Antonio de la Cova, a professor in the Latino Studies department at IU. \nThe belief continues that for one day each year, the souls could return to their home land to visit their loved ones, de la Cova said.\nAside from the trip to the cemetery, a buffet was set up inside Foster with snacks for the students, including chips and salsa. The room was brightly decorated with neon-colored shredded papers and an altar for students to use for their own memorials of their family and loved ones.\nMany of the students present were members of Sigma Lambda Gamma, a co-sponsor of the event. Others said they came to the event because of pure interest and curiosity in the holiday.\n"I came because it is something I know very little about, but I have always been interested in since I was a little kid," sophomore Samantha Lomax said.\nA candle is left on the altar and lit for each family member, and the light is said to attract the spirits.\n"You always light an extra candle to be sure that no one is forgotten," de la Cova said.
(10/13/06 3:12am)
A parade of cars will circle campus Sunday afternoon, and it won't just be typical Bloomington traffic.\nPhi Kappa Sigma fraternity hosts its second Charity Auto and Cycle Show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of Assembly Hall. \nThe show includes a live disc jockey, food, several contests with trophies for the winners and a parade of the cars across campus.\nThe idea for the auto show began last spring, and the inaugural Charity Auto and Cycle Show took place in April. \nLast year's event included about 40 cars, said junior Joe Boscia, a Phi Kappa Sigma member who is in charge of the show.\nThis year, the fraternity is hoping for even more success than last year, when Boscia said it raised a few hundred dollars.\n"I wanted to try it in the fall this year and see if more people come out," Bosica said.\nWith other major philanthropies such as Big Man on Campus and IU Dance Marathon taking place in the fall, Boscia said he thought the turnout might be larger.\nThe idea for this event began with Boscia, who said he has always had an interest in cars. He decided to combine this interest with the Phi Kappa Sigma national philanthropy, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.\n"We wanted to do a fun philanthropy, and there has never been a car show on campus before," Bosica said.\nSome of this year's sponsors include Papa John's, Smokin' Jack's Rib Shack and Kilroy's.\nShane Kennedy, a senior and member of Phi Kappa Sigma, has a niece who is affected by leukemia. His niece, 4-year-old Kaeli Hale, will be honored at the auto show. Hale was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in February 2004, and the proceeds from last year's show were donated to her.\nAll cars can be registered the day of the event for $15. However, if the car is registered prior to the event, registration is $10.\nTo obtain a registration card or receive further information, contact Joe Boscia at 732-513-1919.
(04/12/06 5:48am)
On the ground floor of Ballantine Hall, tucked in a corner, sits a little-known lost and found office. A wall filled with misplaced keys exemplifies just how few people know of the existence of this room.\nA retiree by the name of Don Hash is the sole employee of the lost and found. Hash, who worked for the IU Police Department for 44 years, and retired just five years ago, said he enjoys the time he spends working the lost and found.\n"I came back looking for something to do," Hash said. "It's a service, and I like to serve the people."\nHash said his responsibilities mainly include e-mailing and making phone calls to people whose lost items have been found.\nHash tries to track down the owner whenever a name is available on the item. However, when they are unable to find an owner's name, the item remains at the lost and found and awaits a claim. Unclaimed items are held for two semesters, after which they are donated to various organizations.\n"Cell phones that don't get claimed are donated to the \nwomen's shelter," said IUPD Sgt. Craig Munroe. "Other unclaimed items are donated to places like the Salvation Army or the Opportunity House, or any place that could use the donations." \nThe lost and found was created in the summer of 2004, and is staffed by the IUPD. Between August and December of the opening year, $34,660 worth of merchandise was returned to students. In total, $42,484 worth of merchandise has been returned.\n"The first year there were a ton of returns because a lot was in here when we got it," Munroe said. "Building services used to run it."\nMunroe said the IUPD took over the lost and found mainly for convenience purposes. \n"Most people who found property before were turning it into us, so we put it all under one roof," Munroe said.\nMunroe said there is a rumor that a wooden leg was once turned in, but Munroe and Hash agree that most of the items returned are just everyday items.\n"We mostly just get common property," Hash said. "We've had everything from baby clothes to cell phones to cameras."\nMany students are unaware of the lost and found, resulting in the surplus of lost items which have accumulated in the room.\n"I had no idea there was a lost and found located in Ballantine," said freshman Austin Francalancia.\nFor students searching for lost items, the room is open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Students can also call the lost and found at 855-7372.
(04/10/06 4:56am)
After returning from spring break, students dining in the Wright Food Court were offered a healthy alternative to the usual cafeteria choices as Residential Programs and Services launched its new Eat Wright concept.\nThe Eat Wright concept involves putting all of the healthy choices in the Wright food court in one quick stop for students. The salad bar, potato bar, soups and a new panini station are all situated together to form Eat Wright. The new concept also includes the addition of fruit salad to the salad bar, as well as the option of one entrée, which changes daily. There are plans to increase the number of entrées to two by next fall. \nThe Eat Wright concept was designed to help erase negative views on the kinds of foods available in the food courts, said Mark Winstead, manager of the Wright Food Court.\n"There has been a stigma that you can't eat healthy in the food courts," Winstead said. "We're trying to re-educate and show students the things we do have that are healthy and that the choice ultimately resides in the customer." \nIn addition to offering students healthier meal choices, Eat Wright provides nutritional information to students so they can educate themselves and make healthy choices elsewhere in the food court. Registered dietician Heidi Boruff is making pamphlets with suggestions of where to find each of the major portions of the food pyramid within the food courts. In the coming months, a message board providing different nutritional facts will be designed and displayed next to the Eat Wright station in the food court.\n"The goal of Eat Wright is to provide a central place where students can go as a starting point for the rest of the court, but also a source of information," Boruff said.\nA team composed of Boruff and Winstead, the other managers and chefs from Wright and others created the concept. The team began meeting and planning in early February, and its goal was to have Eat Wright up and running after spring break, which it accomplished successfully.\n"The exciting nature of this new concept is that it was designed by students and staff working together to create a healthier residential community at Indiana University," said Sam Scarpino, chairman of RPS meal plan committee.\nAlong with the Eat Wright concept, other developments are in works for the future. The department is currently working on a Web site where customers can type in a potential menu and look up the nutritional information, Winstead said.\nThe current setup of the Eat Wright station is not the final product. A second entrée will hopefully be added by the end of the semester, but will be available in the fall, Winstead said. Marketing containing nutritional information for students to use to make healthy decisions will also be available. In the future, similar concepts will be launched at the Gresham Food Court and possibly other areas as well, Winstead said.\n"We mainly wanted to get the students' attention even though it's not up to full expectations yet," Boruff said. "We want to let them see that things will be different every day"
(03/21/06 5:50am)
When Residence Halls Association executives take office next month, they will do so after competing in a race closer than many past campaigns. But despite the close margins, current executives already have a slate of changes in front of them involving changes to the constitution. \nFor the Griffin ticket, Matt Jarson, president-elect, won with 54 percent of the vote, Sarah Clark, vice president of student affairs-elect, won 55 percent, and Greg Fitch, vice president of internal affairs-elect, won 52 percent.\nCurrent RHA President Owen Sutkowski attributes the close vote to the many similarities that existed between the dueling campaigns.\n"Both tickets used the themes of communications, student advocacy and programming throughout their respective campaigns," Sutkowski said in an e-mail. "These parallel themes, even if the modes of achievement are different, stick with students and thus forced residents to closely examine the ways in which each ticket will reach these goals."\nBoth parties also had very articulate candidates with lots of leadership background, which also played a role in the closeness of this year's \nelection results, Sutkowski said.\nAside from the new RHA executives, students will also see changes to the RHA constitution.\nThis is the first time the RHA constitution has been changed in more than 40 years, said Vice President of Programming Adam Wiszowaty. After a review, the changes that were approved on March 8 were made, Wiszowaty said.\nThe major changes include the name switch of the governing body from president's council to a general assembly. The new constitution allows for greater representation from the residence halls within the general assembly. \n"The general assembly will consist of the president from each center, as well as two additional delegates, for a total of 33 representatives," Jarson said.\nThe current president's council consists of 11 people. Jarson said he anticipates changes with the jump to 33 representatives.\n"I think there's going to be much greater student involvement," Jarson said. "The more people you bring to the table, the more points of view you get."\nThe changes to the constitution also allow for the creation of a funding board, which will help control finances within RHA. The primary goal of the funding board is to try to keep the money coming in from the student activities fee within the residence halls. The funding board will allot a set number of dollars to each residence center to program with, said Sam Scarpino, meal plan committee chairman. \n"Our goals for the reconstruction are to increase student involvement, increase student voice and to better RHA," Scarpino said.
(03/10/06 5:28am)
A proposal that requires companies that produce IU apparel to do so in "sweat-free" factories will likely be implemented this summer. The plan, which IU President Adam Herbert signed earlier this semester, adopts the Sweat-Free Campus Campaign to require companies such as Nike, adidas and Reebok to manufacture collegiate apparel under standards pushed for by IU's No Sweat! group. \nThe proposal will be phased in slowly, said Jessica Rutter, the national organizer of program for United Students Against Sweatshops. \nThere will be a six-month grace period, where companies will be told the requirements for factories. A list of factories that meet the required conditions will be provided, and companies will have to have a certain percentage of their university apparel produced in these factories. The percentage will increase each year, said Ursula McTaggart, a member of No Sweat! at IU.\n"We're hoping to get around 50 universities supporting the proposal by spring," Rutter said. \nThe Sweat-Free Campus Campaign has had a positive response from IU administrators, McTaggart said. Dean of Students Dick McKaig was involved with helping No Sweat! get the administration to approve the Sweat-Free Campus proposal, in addition to Herbert signing the proposal.\nThe Sweat-Free Campus Campaign is one of three cornerstone campaigns supported by USAS. It is a "multi-faceted, extremely successful program in which students organize anti-sweatshop campaigns on their campuses, mandating that the clothes bearing their collegiate logos be manufactured under fair and ethical conditions," according to the USAS Web site. \nThe idea behind the campaign is to support factories with better working conditions and living wages for employees. "We want college students to be able to wear their apparel with pride," Rutter said. \nIn the past, it has been hard for universities to enforce policies about conditions in factories, but under the new proposal, the Workers Rights Consortium will enforce the regulations. \n"The Workers Rights Consortium is an international, nonprofit organization whose whole job is to work on issues in the garment industry," McTaggart said. "They do the monitoring for us."\nThe proposal will not be implemented until enough schools are backing it, and McTaggart said there is not a set number of schools needed.\n"It all depends on the size of the school and the number of orders they'll be able to put into the factories," she said.\nBut not all students share the same sentiments as those in No Sweat!. \nFreshman John Fitton has his own concerns about the program.\n"I worry about the kids in the factories that will no longer be used. Those jobs were keeping them straight and off the streets," Fitton said.\nStudents at IU have been pushing for this proposal since the fall and activists have been fighting for similar issues for years.\n"We've been campaigning since September for this particular program," McTaggart said. "And we've been working on general non-sweatshop issues on campus for quite a few years. Our long-term goal is to have all universities involved in the program."\nThe University of Connecticut, Georgetown University and Wisconsin are among the other schools that have currently approved the proposal, \nMcTaggart said.
(03/09/06 5:32am)
Students cast their votes Wednesday in the Residence Hall Association elections, marking the end to a week of being inundated by Griffin and Spark advertisements. Students were voting to appoint RHA executives for the 2006-2007 school years, as well as deciding on a referendum to approve a revision to the RHA constitution.\nIn this year's election there was no sole winner of the executive positions. A combination of representatives from each platform were elected. The Griffin ticket saw the success of President-elect Matt Jarson, Vice President of Internal Affairs Greg Fitch and Vice President of Student Affairs Sarah Clark.\nSpark candidate Meg Palm was the sole candidate for vice president of programming. \nThe referendum on the RHA constitution passed as well, which will bring several changes in the coming year. \nA governing body known as the general assembly will be formed, replacing the president's council, in an attempt to increase representation. Also, a new funding board will be formed to ensure RHA money is spent on RHA needs.\n"The funding board will streamline the process making it so that more residence hall student activity fees stay in the centers," said Adam Wiszowaty, current vice president of programming for RHA.\nAnother change brought about by the new constitution will be a new student drop-in system, which will allow for students who are busy in other campus organizations to stay involved with RHA. Instead of forcing students to commit themselves totally to RHA for an entire year, the drop-in system allows students to select those programs they are passionate about while participating in student government.\n"If a student wants to help with advertising but doesn't want to work on budget, they will be able to work on what it is they care about," said Wiszowaty.\nThe Griffin candidates said they are looking forward to beginning their positions, which will take effect on April 1.\nJarson said he can't wait for the beginning of the term, though his party probably won't do anything major right away.\n"We'll probably start off making sure we have people in all of our director positions," Jarson said. "And I'll be meeting with administrators right off the bat after spring break." Jarson, who currently serves as president of Foster Quad, says he is most looking forward to the interaction that will come with his position. "I'm looking forward to the interaction between students and administrators. \n"I had a lot of fun at Foster and I can't wait to do it again," he said.\nClark, on the other hand, said the planning stage is over, and she is ready for action.\n"Now is our chance to get in there and get things done," Clark said.\nGriffin members said have no doubt that they will work well with Palm, the lone Spark executive candidate elected.\n"Though they campaigned under different platforms, they had some very similar ideas," Wiszowaty said. "One of Griffin's main objectives is to create an annual large-scale RHA event -- Meg has wanted to do that as well."\nThough the Griffin Party came out on top, all of the ideals behind the Spark platform are not lost in the aftermath of the election. Palm's presence in the Griffin administration will help to carry out some of the Spark ideas, Wiszowaty said.\n"I hope that those that did not win the election will still want to be involved," said Wiszowaty. "Clearly all of these individuals are passionate about representing and serving students and I hope that they can all work together and stay involved in the future"
(03/07/06 6:27am)
Walking down the street to class, students might have noticed sidewalks chalked with promotions and flyers for one or both of the tickets campaigning for the Residence Hall Association elections. RHA is the student government body for the approximately 9,000 students who live in the residence halls. RHA is holding its elections for the 2006-2007 officers Wednesday, and the two running tickets -- Griffin and Spark -- have been advertising around campus.\nStudents have the opportunity to cast their votes Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.. Tables will be set up in each residence hall center, and students can vote for their center executives and the RHA executives.\nBoth tickets have their own vision of what needs to be done to make RHA better in the coming years. Griffin's campaign is focused on the idea that humor is an essential part of leading. The ticket's name, Griffin, comes from the TV show "Family Guy" and is symbolic of this idea of humor, said Matt Jarson, the Griffin ticket's presidential candidate.\n"With humor, we want to pull together administrators and pull together students as well," Jarson said. \nThe Spark ticket, however, is focused on increasing communication. \n"We want the concerns and ideas of each and every student to be heard," said Ryan Goodwin, Spark's candidate for vice president of internal affairs. \nWhile the two campaigns vary in many ideas, there is some common ground. Each group has plans to begin a newsletter to keep students informed of what is going on within RHA. They also each have plans to organize a yearly RHA event to make the organization more well-known.\n"The Student Foundation has Little 500," said Sarah Clark, Griffin's candidate for vice president of student affairs. "If we can make a campus-wide event, we can really bring RHA's name out." \nThe Spark ticket said the problem in the current RHA programming is a lack of \nfrequency.\n"I plan to have monthly programs and there needs to be a large signature event," said Meg Palm, Spark's candidate for vice president of programming. \nThe Spark platform also includes plans to increase its presence on campus during Welcome Week to be more visible to incoming freshmen. Anthony Smith, Spark's candidate for president, is a freshman, which he says will be an asset.\n"I'm only a freshman, so I know the freshmen mindset," he said. \nSpark also has plans for a form on the RHA Web site where students can voice their concerns, Goodwin said.\n"I'm personally committed to meeting with those people," he said. \nGriffin has a different approach to handling student opinions. It plans to hold monthly forums to meet in different residence halls where students can go to voice their concerns, Jarson said.\n"We want to try to get students to sit down and talk to us as much as possible," he said. \nThe Griffin ticket also has plans to use online surveys as another method of receiving student feedback, Clark said.\n"We realize not all students want to go to a meeting," she said. "This is another way for students to really express what they want to say." \nAside from the two RHA tickets, students will also have the chance to vote to approve a new referendum to the RHA constitution. The current RHA structure has been in effect for more than 40 years, and the current administration decided changes needed to be made, said Adam Wiszowaty, vice president of programming for RHA. After meeting with various residence hall administrators, advisers and student leaders, a new constitution was drafted and approved at the last presidents' council meeting, Wiszowaty said. \nThe new constitution allows for increased representation from the residence centers at the RHA level on the general assembly (which is currently known at the presidents' council) and a new funding board to streamline the funding process from the residence halls, Wiszowaty said.\n"This funding board will keep more of the residence hall student activity fee within the residence halls and it will encourage more collaborative programming with other student organizations," Wiszowaty said.\nThe new referendum to the constitution will require a two-thirds vote to pass.
(03/03/06 4:31am)
Students will have the chance to walk in disabled students' shoes at the third annual Disability Awareness Fair on Monday. \nDisability Services for Students is holding the all-day event in the Frangipani Room in the Indiana Memorial Union on Monday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.\nThis year's fair will include tables featuring technology demonstrations provided by the Adaptive Technology Center. These displays will allow students an opportunity to experience life with a disability. \n"(The technology) gives a taste of what it's like to be a person struggling with a disability," said Martha Jacques, director of DSS. "And hopefully it'll be kind of fun, too." \nThe fair will also display artwork and personal quotes from students with disabilities. The idea behind displaying student work is to show that disabilities do not have to be limiting, said Elly Romer, test coordinator for DSS.\nThe fair will include more than just displays. Cramer, a chocolate Labrador service dog, will also make an appearance, demonstrating what services dogs provide.\n"We really want to educate as many people as we can," Romer said.\nScholarships will also be awarded to various disabled students, as well as to instructors whom disabled students have recommended and said were most accessible to them, said DSS employee Karen Luerssen. \nDSS's main job is to ensure equal access in services at the University to students with disabilities, Jacques said.\n"We coordinate academic modifications that will offset the limitations of a disability in class," she said.\nDSS also advocates for physical improvements, such as automatic door openers, and provides keys for the elevators at Ballantine Hall to students with physical disabilities, Jacques said. \nDSS employees said they want students to realize that being disabled does not necessarily mean a student is in a wheelchair. \n"Approximately three-fourths of students with disabilities have a learning disorder or attention deficient disorder," Romer said. "The limitations are pretty much academic; learning procedures do not occur as they should."\nThere is an ongoing debate as to whether or not learning disorders really exist, and the fair is part of an effort to clear up this debate, Jacques said.\n"We really want to show that this is real and how it affects people," she said.\nJacques said she thinks the fair will be beneficial because it's a great way for students to learn.\n"It's the best possible kind of education. It's interesting in a really practical and zippy way," Jacques said. "It beats a lecture because it's a lot easier for people to learn when they can interact"
(02/07/06 7:05pm)
Students looking for housing after their freshman year might have several new options, including suite-style rooms and a new apartment complex, to consider in the coming years.\nAn average increase of 3.22 percent in housing fees approved by the board of trustees Friday is aimed at renovating both Briscoe and Forest residence halls into suite-style living as well as building new on-campus apartments at Ashton Center. The new housing options are part of an effort to encourage students to live on campus for more than one year.\n"There is a lot of research that indicates that students who live on campus for four years perform better academically than those who do not," said Pat Connor, executive director of Residential Programs and Services. "In our market research, we have found that there are many students who would stay on campus if there were more suite-style and apartment-style options available."\nThis new rate includes the additional $100 fee for first-year residents that was approved by the trustees Thursday as an alternate to the current system in which all residents are charged a one percent fee. \n"Most students are paying about $25-$50 per year (in capital fees)," said Bruce Jacobs, vice chancellor for auxiliary services and affairs. "What we want is a one-time fee." \nUnder the current plan, a student who lived on campus for four years might wind up paying about $200 in capital fees. The new one-time fee aims at encouraging students to live on campus longer by paying less.\nIU is trying to keep housing prices low while still upgrading the residence halls and adding more options, Jacobs said. Currently, IU ranks fourth in the Big Ten for cheapest housing.\nIn the past, the money from the one percent surcharge has gone to projects such as the reconstruction of Eigenmann Hall from small single rooms to large double and triple rooms as well as the $22 million Campus View Apartments renovations, Connor said. \nRPS hopes that with the profits from the increased fee, the new housing options will make living on campus more appealing to a wide variety of students in the long term.\n"The biggest effect on students short and long term will be the creation of new types of living spaces on campus that will be attractive to entering students and provide more choices for students who would like to stay on campus beyond their first or second year," Connor said. \nStudents who have spoken with RPS have been positive about the fee if it brings new choices in student housing to the Bloomington campus, Connor said.\nFreshman Maureen Faller said she likes living in the dorms and agrees the new fee will be beneficial in providing alternative housing options for students.\n"If you like the dorm life, you should stay in the dorm life," Faller said. "Students can stay with friends and live in a community. It's a good option for people who don't want to rush."\nAside from new projects, which will begin in the coming years, the profits from this increase will also go toward upkeep of current facilities.\n"Long-term maintenance of the facilities is an important part of any increase, as well as trying to provide other services," said Stephen Ferguson, president of the board of trustees.
(02/03/06 5:45am)
After this year, students with meal points might never again have to storm the C-store for junk food to spend their leftover points each May.\nBeginning next spring, 75 percent of leftover points from every meal plan contract will roll over into the fall semester. \nThe Residential Programs Services' Meal Plan Committee has been discussing the possibility of making changes to the current contracts for two years, said Sandra Fowler, director of dining services. \n"The 25 percent of points that don't rollover were a compromise with the University," said Errol Huffman, business manager for Residential Programs and Services. Before now, RPS budgeted knowing it would absorb leftover points, he said. \nThe Indiana General Assembly and IU board of trustees has placed pressure on RPS to consider the impact of allowing students to retain meal points, Huffman said.\n"We've wanted to move toward this for the last couple years," Fowler said. "This is something that our department feels is a move in the right direction."\nThe current meal plan contracts are still fairly new. The idea of students having only meal points instead of a set number of meals per week came in 1998, Huffman said. Many other universities with similar plans do not allow points to rollover from year to year, and IU modeled the current contracts off this idea, Fowler said.\nFowler said that students' questioning why their meal points didn't roll over was one of the major reasons for this change.\n"The contract hasn't changed drastically, and I don't think that it will," Fowler said. "But we'll continue to fine-tune it."\nFreshman Amanda Topper said the new contract will be a benefit to future students using meal points. She said she thinks the change will cut down on frivolous spending by students in a rush to use their remaining points at the end of the semester.\n"I think it's great that RPS has finally realized the need for this," Topper said. "Now students won't need to worry about having too many meal points at the end of the year and rushing to the C-Store."\nFreshman Alana Hahn agrees. Hahn said that several girls on her floor had more than 400 extra points last semester, which she attributes to the large size of meal plans.\n"Letting the points roll over is a good thing because even the smallest plan has too many points, especially for girls," Hahn said. "At least now the extra points won't go to waste."\nHuffman said that the leftover points will be beneficial to all students, even those who don't choose to live a second year in the residence halls.\n"It will be easy for residents to utilize (the leftover points) even if they don't move back in to RPS housing, especially with the new SRSC kiosk," Huffman said. \nHe also said students who choose to remain on campus during the summer will benefit from the ability to use their extra meal points instead of purchasing a new plan.\n"In the long run, we believe this will benefit everyone," Fowler said.\nThe contracts will continue to evolve in the future, and student suggestions are taken into consideration each year, Fowler said.\n"We've already got plans for next year and the years to follow," Huffman said.
(01/30/06 4:52am)
Students now have the option to grab a snack without even leaving the gym. The Student Recreational Sports Center, along with Residential Programs and Services, has just launched a new café inside the SRSC. \nThe new café has been in the works for about 14 months said Brian Barker, convenient store coordinator for RPS. Its goal is to provide students with a variety of nutritional snacks to refuel their bodies post-workout. \nSome of these healthy options include cereal, granola bars, smoothies, sandwiches and wraps; however, less healthy options like cookies are available as well.\n"Most of what we've been selling is drinks -- more specifically bottled water and smoothies," said senior and employee Christina Cavazos. \nThe café is staffed by about 20 student employees, many of whom are experienced RPS employees and are supervisors in other buildings, Barker said.\nThe idea for food options inside the SRSC isn't a new one. Barker said the comment cards available at the SRSC have continually proved students were showing a desire for food services.\n"All the response has been positive," Barker said. "The SRSC has been waiting on this for a long time."\nThe café accepts meal points and Campus Access, as well as cash. There are future plans to accept credit and debit cards as well.\n"It's a great opportunity for students to grab-and-go," Cavazos said.\nJerry Russell, the on site manager of the SRSC Café, said business has been going along pretty well for the first week of operation.\n"It's been a little slow getting started, but that's good," Russell said. "It gives us a chance to train our crew and feel our way around." \nRussell said business peaks in the evening, as this is when most students work out because they are finished with classes.\n"A lot of students aren't aware that we're here, but the ones that are have given us a very favorable response," Russell said.\nJohn Pedersen, the facility support director for the SRSC said the new café has been beneficial to both RPS and the SRSC.\n"It's a win-win situation. They're in the food vending business and we have participants who would really like to have a healthy snack after exercising," Pedersen said.\nThe café is planning a grand opening to take place in the next month, after things have settled down.\nRussell said he would encourage students to stop by and take advantage of the new café.\n"After (students) finish their workouts, they can choose something healthy to give them a little energy boost," Russell said.\nBoth Russell and Barker agreed the café will be an asset to the entire community, not just the students on campus. With the Men's Big Ten Swimming Championships being held in Bloomington from Feb. 23-25, the out-of-state visitors will also have the chance to use the services provided by the new café.\n"We'll be here for students, staff and faculty and outside visitors," Barker said. "It's a great additive to the community"
(01/27/06 4:37am)
Students throw away 1,280 red-and-white Coca-Cola cups each week at the Market food court in the Indiana Memorial Union alone, said Market Manager John Shay.\nJunior Andrea Webster knew something had to change.\nLast September, Webster had an idea. She knew that recycling was available in every residence hall on campus, but she wanted a way to reduce waste in the dining halls. The solution Webster created is just beginning to be phased in on campus, though she isn't at IU to see the results.\nFreshman Sarah Colan has taken over what has been dubbed the "Green Nalgene" project for Webster while she studies abroad in France.\n"I heard about the Residence Hall Association and it sounded like a great way to get involved," Colan said. "This is really Andrea's baby -- I'm just carrying it on and seeing it through."\nThe idea is simple -- a person purchases a Nalgene bottle for $3 ($2 for students living in the residence halls) and then can reuse it for only the refill cost, which is 35 cents at any dining hall on campus. \nThe project is continuing to grow, as places off campus are slowly becoming involved.\n"I've been talking to places off campus who would be interested in letting people come in and refill," Colan said.\nThe Read Center, McDonald's, the Den and Dagwood's are currently accepting the bottles.\nWithout advertisement, more than 90 bottles have been sold since Jan. 17, Colan said. Fraternities and sororities on campus have already purchased group orders.\nDuring the sale, RHA registered the sale of 48 bottles in a 2-hour period. The next sales are tentatively scheduled for Feb. 14 and 15 in various food courts and residence centers around campus.\nFreshmen Jessica Wilson has already purchased her green Nalgene bottle and is excited to be using it.\n"I love the Nalgene project because it helps the environment," Wilson said. "You're doing something amazing and for $2, you get a bottle that can be refilled each time you eat for just the refill price. How awesome is that?" \nAdam Wiszowaty, vice president of programming for IU's Residence Hall Association, encourages all students to take this opportunity to help out and "give a sh*t." The "give a sh*t" phrase was originally coined during the 2004 national voting campaign and is used to show student passion for a particular cause. It's now being geared toward recycling and the environment.\n"As students, we all claim that we want to help the environment and recycle but how often do we actually take the time to do it?" Wiszowaty asked. "Simply by owning and using one of the green Nalgenes, students can show that they really do 'give a sh*t' by not wasting the paper cups in the food court at every meal."\nFor now, student organizations can purchase bulk orders by e-mailing RHA at rha@indiana.edu, while individual students should wait for the next sale to buy a bottle.\n"Right now, we're really trying to get it out there, get people talking and excited about it," Colan said. "And hopefully we can carry this right on through to next year"
(01/24/06 5:08am)
Gray days and huge amounts of schoolwork are enough to get anybody down. However, the National Resident Hall Honorary Retreat might be the perfect solution to the January blues. \nThe NRHH is hosting its 16th annual retreat this weekend at the Fourwinds Resort and Marina on Lake Monroe. The cost for an entire weekend away at a hotel is only $20. \nThough the retreat is \nprimarily aimed at first- and second-year students in the residence halls, the event is open to any IU student.\n"The content is beneficial to any student, even those who have been involved on campus for years," said senior and president of NRHH Jenn Leitner.\nThe theme for this year's retreat is "Leadersheep: What the Flock?" The weekend is set up with conference-style programming, meaning students are able to pick and choose the sessions which are most appropriate to their needs.\n"The best part of the retreat is the program sessions where the retreat becomes personalized," said Adam Wiszowaty, vice president of programming for IU's Residence Halls Association. \nA wide variety of topics will be offered, including "How to Say No," "Massage for Stress Management," "Resume Building and Interview Skills," "Team Building." Sessions will be led by a variety of people, ranging from Kelley School of Business professors Keith Dayton and David Rubinstein to representatives from the health center. \nMeals will be covered by the participants' payment for the weekend. Dean of Students Dick McKaig will be the keynote speaker at dinner Saturday night. McKaig will speak about leadership from his perspective.\nFollowing the scheduled activities Saturday, participants will have the evening to socialize and enjoy the pool and sauna at Fourwinds. Sunday morning's events include diversity training and a closing brunch. Students will return to campus around noon.\nThe retreat offers learning and networking opportunities for students, as well as the chance to leave campus for the night.\n"Not only does it expose (students) to valuable information to develop as a student leader, but it's a great networking experience and a great off-campus getaway," Leitner said. "All the information is easy to apply to everyday life."\nJunior Anna Saraceno, president of Collins Living-Learning Center, is attending the retreat this year for the first time.\n"I'm looking forward to meeting people from other residence halls and hopefully networking with other student governments," Saraceno said. "I decided to go because I knew it would help improve my leadership skills as president of my residence hall."\nApproximately 100 participants are expected to attend the event. Applications for the event will be accepted until Thursday, and the cost for the weekend is $20. Applications are available online at www.indiana.edu/~nrhh.