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(02/01/06 4:58am)
Japanese animation, musical theater, enigmatology (the study of puzzles), contemporary dance and fashion design are just some of the unconventional majors that students can pursue through the Individualized Major Program. \nSince its inception at IU in 1969, the IMP has enabled students in the College of Arts and Sciences to construct their own major based on their interests and professional goals. The students are not only able to construct their major, but can also construct the listing of the courses they take throughout their college careers.\nRaymond Hedin, IMP program director for the past nine years, said he believes the program enables students the freedom to explore areas of interest that are not traditionally found in the IU curriculum. \n"The IMP serves a double function: making it possible for students to create for themselves majors that don't exist, and may never exist institutionally, and serving as a proving ground for new majors that then become institutionalized," Hedin said. \nEach potential member of the IMP has to go through the application process. In this process the students are asked to write an application explaining the major they want to go into and the reason IMP will be able to help them with this major. The students are then interviewed by the staff and are accepted on the merit of their interest and validity of the major of their choice.\nJackie Brown, a Japanese animation major in the IMP program, was recommended for the IMP by her academic adviser because she wasn't content with her secondary art major. Brown said she felt the general art major was not exactly what she was interested in. \n"I told my adviser how much I really wanted to animate," Brown said. "She told me that I could create my own major. I thought, 'No way!'"\nAs Brown looked into the IMP and her major in Japanese animation, she became more excited as she was able to explore and construct the courses she would be taking. She was able to model Japanese culture and learned about computer programs in animation through telecommunications courses. \n"Techniques of Japanese animation as well as the culture that is presented in it are obviously different than other countries in so many ways," Brown said. "I want to learn and create my own animations that will stay true to the real Japan, not the stereotypical Japan."\nThe IMP also helps students gain experience in the workforce through internships available through the program. \nAbbey Stemler is a member of the IMP student activities committee and is responsible for coordinating and attending student events for the program. She said she believes the IMP gives students a step in the right direction in achieving success in their endeavors. \n"You can receive grants to complete internships or research for your senior project," Stemler said. "For example underwater archeology majors could go to Rome and dive, or music business majors could go to Nashville (Tenn.) The possibilities are endless."\nStudents like Brown in the program are responsible for completing a final project that is evaluated by an IMP faculty committee. The project encompasses the knowledge they have accumulated in the major of their creation.\n"The project can be a research paper akin to an honors thesis, a creative project such as a dance performance, a collection of stories or a film, or an internship in their field, so long as the internship includes professional responsibilities," Hedin said.\nThe program has gained much acclaim from the students and faculty who are part of it. \n"I give mad applause to the IMP program, and everyone who works for it," Brown said. "The IMP program allowed me to study a subject in-depth that I would not be able to study elsewhere."\nWhile the program poses challenges to many who enter into it, Hedin said the students who go through the program are well on their way to successful careers.\n"The experience can be initially daunting, since students must put in quite a bit of effort and thought up-front," he said. "But the great majority of students feel that the effort is worthwhile because they come out of the program with a degree that means a great deal to them"
(01/26/06 5:04am)
The works of Congressman Lee Hamilton -- former representative from Indiana's 9th District -- will be on display at the Lilly Library until April 1.\nThe exhibit lauds the more than 30-year tenure of Hamilton with personal photos and over 3,500 cartons full of documents detailing the contacts and affairs that occurred during his congressional career.\nHamilton's wife Nancy Hamilton provided more than 600 photos to compliment the congressman's writings, said Kate Cruikshank, curator of the exhibit. \n"The exhibit is extremely informative in describing the inner workings of a congressman," she said. "I believe this is what Congressman Hamilton wanted to convey to viewers."\nThe exhibit, organized by Cruikshank, contains much of the correspondence between Hamilton and the people that he represented. The documents include 35,000 letters to his constituents and the prompt responses that he made addressing their concerns.\n"I have almost been in his mind," Cruikshank said. "He knows what it means to be a true congressman, apart from all the monetary issues -- he is there for people that he represents."\nHamilton is also the founder of the Center on Congress in the School for Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton said the purpose of the center is to enhance the understanding of democracy within the University.\n"I hope that the viewers of this exhibit receive a sense of the day-to-day work of a member of the House of Representatives," he said.\nHamilton said the exhibit holds personal meaning -- not only for his family -- but for the people he has represented.\n"This exhibit displays the heart of democracy, which is exemplified through the successful relationship between the men in congress and those that they represent," Hamilton said. "If this relationship does not work, then democracy does not work."\nPatricia Steele, interim dean of IU libraries, believes that the papers will be a valuable resource to both students and faculty at IU.\n"To the libraries, such a gift is a sign of trust in the libraries to provide access, organization and preservation of an important record," Steele said. "Ultimately the scholars of today and tomorrow will benefit greatly." \nVisitors to the exhibit are encouraged to take a glimpse through these documents and discover the complexities of the democratic system while gaining respect for the work Hamilton did for more than 30 years.\n"I hope that those who visit the exhibit come away with an appreciation for what one person can accomplish and what a difference he or she can make," Steele said.\nHamilton said he is looking forward to examining the documents and remembering his time in Congress.\n"A visit to the Lilly Library will be like taking a walk down memory lane," Hamilton said. "It will be interesting to relive each moment as I go through the exhibit"
(09/19/05 3:40am)
Shelley Newby will walk 540 miles from New Castle, Ind., to Washington, D.C., to demonstrate her commitment to peace, a journey she started Sept. 3. \nHer walk for peace will take her through four states on her way to complete her journey by Oct. 13. Newby wears a small white piece of cloth pinned to her backpack with "walking for peace" scrawled across it. \n"I particularly hope it will enliven Quakers and other peace church members to recommit to peace through personal and collective action," Newby said. "Jesus has said 'follow me,' and I have said 'yes.'"\nIn Washington, Newby said she hopes to convey the vision of peace and love to those she encounters by communicating it to members of the Senate and sparking a collective action of faith among people miles apart.\n"I received a vision in which I saw myself walking a long distance," Newby said. "Over time this vision has unfolded as a faith journey on behalf of peace, and the long walk is to Washington, D.C." \nTo prepare for her journey to Washington, Newby contacted churches and faith organizations along National Road 40, the highway Newby travels. Aid from these organizations came in the form of overnight housing, food and companionship from those who support her in her quest. Along her trek, Newby said she hopes to inspire and spread the message of peace through faith in God to those whom she encounters on her way.\n"I hope to speak with (U.S. Sen.) Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and others along the way," said Newby. "I will share with him my message for peace through God's message and through the support that I have received from those I have come in contact with."\nThe beginning of Newby's quest started April 6 when God called her during her daily meditation and prayer, she said.\nDuring her 42 nights on the road, Newby will depend on Friends -- a common term for Quakers. The Rev. Richard Miller volunteered to open his house to her message of peace. \n"She illustrates peace through peaceful actions, not by hostile confrontation," Miller said. "She certainly influenced me greatly. I will take action and spend more time in meditation and prayer about peace. At a Friends meeting we may do some local walking for peace in our local area while Shelley heads for D.C."\nNewby said she averages about 15 miles per day. She is joined on her walk by many people she meets along the way who, she said, gained inspiration from her message and her effort to spread peace throughout the country.\n"I have been touched by people's earnestness to be a part of my project." Newby said. "Some of the classrooms of schools along the way have created bulletin boards following our route and pictures and my updates."\nUsing e-mail and cell phones Newby keeps in touch with her family, getting support from her three children and husband as she travels across the northeastern United States.\n"Ideologically I am with her 100 percent," said Newby's husband John. "But I have concerns about this journey that she is taking. I am worried for her safety and in managing the house on my own, but these are easy inconveniences to overcome when I look at the message that she is sending out."\nNewby said she will use her faith and love in God to ensure her commitment and continuity of this expedition. \n"I know that my faith has been strengthened by my commitment to this task," Newby said. "And I feel in greater measure than ever before God's love for all creation and all humanity and that inspires me to do the same. Beyond these things, who knows"
(01/22/04 4:46am)
The Asian Culture Center will host a celebration of the Lunar New Year today in the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Cultural Center. Each year, the Chinese Cultural Center invites IU students and Bloomington residents to sample the Asian culture through Chinese performances and cuisine.\nTheresa Chen, organizer of the Lunar New Year event, said she is excited about the chance to spread Asian culture throughout the IU campus. \n"It is not just a celebration for a select group, it is for everyone," Chen said. "We really want to stress that the Lunar New Year is an important holiday for all Asian cultures and is an exciting event that all can participate in."\nThe event will include traditional Asian dishes, dance and music, and will feature IU students from Singapore, China and Vietnam who will make presentations explaining the cultural importance of the holiday. \nMelanie Castillo-Cullather, director of the Asian Culture Center, said the festivities which bring in the Lunar New Year will be exciting.\n"The event will have wonderful activities that all can participate in," she said. "We are looking forward to a successful evening."\nThis year, the Asian Cultural Center will celebrate the year of the monkey. Each year, one of 12 animals and one of five elements are chosen to symbolize that year. In addition to the monkey, this year is a wood year, also known as the green year. \nThe cycle is comprised of 12 animals that are associated with a year every 12 years. The sequence of the animals is a popular myth in the Asian culture. It is said that the emperor let 12 animals race through a forest, with the winner's name assigned to the first year on the calendar. The order the remaining animals finished is the order they appear on the calendar. This year's branch, the monkey, is the ninth animal in this cycle. \nThe year of the Green Monkey, or 2004, is the 21st stem-branch in this system, meaning that the full 60-year cycle will be complete in the year 2043.\nCastillo-Cullather said she expects there will be interest in the festivities from the faculty, staff and student population at IU. She said she believes the celebration of the Lunar New Year will be greatly received by all who attend. \n"I am very excited for the event to take place," Castillo-Cullather said. "The culture and festivities are sure to be enjoyed by all."\n-- Contact staff writer Kourtney Schepman at kschepma@indiana.edu.
(01/13/04 5:59am)
Since last spring, IU has been without a chess organization. The lack of faculty support, sufficient finances and student involvement all contributed to the group's fallout. But with a graduate student's efforts, the organization has taken form again.\nGraduate student Ryan Lauer, an accomplished chess player, initiated a petition to the IU Club Sports Federation. Lauer was backed by support from a handful of interested students, and the Chess Consortium was reinstated. \n"I felt there was a need to bring chess back into the University under a formal banner and hopefully entice the myriad informal groups currently found around campus to get involved as well," Lauer said.\nLauer, the creator, was also named president of the Chess Consortium and has since gained the support of over 25 students who are interested in playing chess. Freshman Sam Hobson, vice president of the student group, is hopeful that the consortium will continue to grow and gain even more support from various groups around campus. \n"We encourage anyone to join," Hobson said. "I myself joined to become more involved in campus activities. This club is a good way to meet new people and become affiliated with what IU has to offer."\nThe Chess Consortium is advised by Gary Wiggins, the director of the Chemical Informatics Program. Wiggins said he is proud of the intuitiveness that has been made by the lead officer and founder of the club. \n"He (Lauer) took the sole initiative to create the organization," Wiggins said. \nThe consortium is comprised of many accomplished chess players, as well as students who just want to play for fun. Lauer has played in the United States Chess Federation Games, but the consortium is not exclusive to chess buffs. In fact, students with any or no experience are encouraged to join. \n"Chess is an art that can be fulfilling at any level of play or expertise. Though we do have some very strong players as part of our group, we also like interacting with those who simply enjoy playing and wish to improve their game," Lauer said. \nThe consortium currently meets at 2 p.m. every Saturday in the Indiana Memorial Union. The club discusses issues of leadership within the group, chess and even current events as they gather around to enjoy a game of chess. \n"It is generally easy to spot us with our chess boards, clocks and spry conversations," Lauer said. "We have a great time getting to know one another."\nThe meetings begin with a discussion of chess strategies and critiques of one another's games. This critique allows for constructive criticism that enables the players to feed off of each other and improve their chess strategies. The meetings are then concluded with various informal chess match-ups. \n"The strategy here," Lauer said, "is to improve your game by jumping in and playing often." \nThe IU Chess Consortium has officially become an active club sport, part of Recreational Sports. With this will come formal meetings and matches that will allow for more support from the IU community. Lauer said he wishes to bring more people together through chess and to broaden the interest of the chess community on campus. \n"The Chess Consortium has formed to bring people together and help one another in unlocking the mystery of this ancient game. The experience can be both rewarding and challenging," Lauer said. \nFor more information about the Chess Consortium, please call 855-2371 or visit its Web site at www.recsports.indiana.edu.\n-- Contact staff writer Kourtney Schepman at kschepma@indiana.edu.
(11/19/03 5:17am)
AIESEC, an international intern exchange program, has helped many IU students explore the world and cultures around them and students can gain work experience through AIESEC internships with international businesses.\nThe acronym AIESEC is French, meaning the International Association of Students of Economic and Commercial Science. Raphael Schuetz, effective leader of AIESEC, said the group was established with the goal of uniting the world and strengthening international ties by exposing young people to other cultures. University students would be able to experience the world and develop a universal perspective while working overseas, Schuetz said.\nThrough the program, students are placed at various companies overseas where they work as interns.\nThe company issues a stipend for living expenses, including food and lodging. AIESEC members who belong to the local committee are assigned to ensuring the comfort of the student.\nBoth divisions are dedicated to the spread of culture and ideas throughout the world, Schuetz said. "The purpose is to have a cultural exchange, a lifetime experience that would be remembered by the individual forever," he said.\nMembers of the AIESEC program enable students to explore and take part in experiences which would normally be restricted to them. \n"Our purpose is allowing students at Indiana University to explore their world, broaden their horizons and challenge them by stepping out of their comfort zone, all through doing an internship abroad," said Shiela Zhao, vice president of the Outgoing Exchange Team. "Students will not only explore the cultures of a new country, but also meet students from other countries working in the same city through AIESEC." \nThere are two main divisions of the AIESEC program, the first of which is the Outgoing Exchange Team. OGX is responsible for recruiting IU students into the program. Once students have been recruited, they vie for the internships through personal interviews. \nWhen a student is accepted by AIESEC, the Incoming Exchange Team, called INX, contacts companies that are willing to host international interns. The division matches a prospective AIESEC student with a program that corresponds with his or her interests. The company conducts a phone interview with the potential intern before the negotiations are finalized. \nIU offers a variety of different internships in four main categories associated with a major or internship of interest. These categories include linguistics, which offers positions in teaching English at schools or in businesses; management, with positions available in marketing, finance, business administration, economics and accounting; information technology positions and developmental internships, which encompass opportunities to work for non-profit organizations and teaching English for non-profit groups. \nInternships provide the student with background in their field of study and introduce them to a mixture of ethnic backgrounds, said Louis Brownstone, former president of AIESEC Indiana. \n"Internships last between 2 months and 18 months, from doing finance for major public companies such as Kraft or Pricewaterhouse, to working in an orphanage and helping children," Brownstone said.\nLast summer, IU sent 13 students abroad to Turkey, India, Romania, Poland, Belgium and other destinations. Students who travel abroad are strongly supported by the Indiana program, Zhao said.\n"Students are supported because they show interest in wanting to change the world, learn new cultures and meet new people," Zhao said.\nAIESEC was established in France at the end of World War II. The AIESEC program was founded at IU in 1948. IU was one of the first places AIESEC was established in the United States. The program is also found in 87 countries, most recently in Chile and The People's Republic of China. The program has gained world-wide acclaim and sponsorship, including recognition by the United Nations.\nAIESEC strives to give students positive experiences with different cultures that will give the student a perspective into the world around them, Louis Brownstone said.\n-- Contact staff writer Kourtney Schepman at kschepma@indiana.edu.
(11/13/03 5:25am)
Monroe County has long been seeking a way to get students excited about school and to offer preparation for advanced learning while involving parents in their children's education. The community might have found an end to its quest in the Community Alliance to Promote Education. \nThe CAPE program is headed by Executive Director Michael Conn-Powers, who said he believes strongly in the program and has confidence the program will bring improvement to the Bloomington educational system and to the community. \n"I believe that the CAPE program has and will continue to build a partnership between families and the community. It will give the youth of the community initiative to succeed in school and will make school fun again," Conn-Powers said. \nThe four-year CAPE program was established in December 2001 and has since provided many families with a positive outlook on education. Already, the program has raised $890,000 in grants which have benefited the students of Monroe County both with family involvement and education. \nThe program strives to build community learning with emphasis on family involvement and community literacy. \n"We are looking to build many strong families that are actively involved in their children's schooling," Conn-Powers said. \nThe main goal of the program is to have strong resources and information that are conveniently accessible to the community and will benefit the community as a whole. \n"Our big goal is to promote strong families that care about education," said Melanie Rieth, the Family Literacy coordinator of the Banneker Community Center. "We promote education in safe, caring and healthy ways while working with existing agencies to form a comprehensive, coordinated and easily-accessible family educational support service."\nThe CAPE program heads three education-oriented initiatives that help form strong families. Each is targeted toward a specific age group and involves different activities that are specific to each group's needs.\nThe first initiative is Strong Families. This initiative focuses on children that are not yet old enough for a formal K-12 education. Family Resource Center coordinators, like Shelly Turnbaugh from the Shalom Family Resource Center, strive to get parents involved in their child's education at an early age. Parents are encouraged to read to their children and support them in everything that they accomplish, both academically and otherwise.\n"We provide the resources and the answers to questions that parents have regarding their child's education," Shelly states. "We are here to help provide support and assistance." \nThe second initiative is Family Literacy, which is designed for students at the elementary level. Groups of families are given a literacy coordinator who helps both the child and the parent to communicate and learn to read and develop together. \nBrenda Trent, a Family Literacy Coordinator for Rogers Elementary School, takes on many duties in her line of work to ensure the success of early childhood education. \n"Our current programs involve engaging families in at-home activities that support literacy and learning; having families experience positive working relationships with the schools and increasing the amount of time and the level of enjoyment children experience reading at home," Trent said.\nThe coordinator will also schedule events that are geared to make learning fun. One of Trent's favorite events is a student-to-student interaction which benefits both the younger and older participant.\n"Our 'Book Buddies' program is a collaboration with Binford Elementary School in which sixth grade students come over to Rogers each Tuesday and spend part of their recess reading stories to small groups of first graders," she said. "It is a wonderful opportunity for all of the students to get together and enjoy reading."\nAnother favorite is "movie night," when parents and children gather together to watch a movie. After the movie, parents are instructed to help their child construct a book based on the movie that they can both read together.\nThe third initiative is Strong Communities, encouraging junior high and high school students to keep a positive outlook on school. The initiative recommends that parents remain active in their child's education and encourage their child to succeed. \nThough the community continues to struggle with keeping its youth interested in school, the CAPE program strives to benefit the community and commits itself to achieve its goal. \n"We are committed to learning," Conn-Powers said. "We are optimistic about the future of our program and we are confident that we will be able to help the Bloomington community." \n-- Contact staff writer Kourtney Schepman at kschepma@indiana.edu.
(10/30/03 6:38am)
By Nov. 4, Indiana's 11th casino could be approved for construction in Orange County.\nApproval for the riverboat casino, which includes the towns of French Lick, Orleans, Paoli and West Baden Springs, is set to be located between French Lick and West Baden. A referendum is pending on whether a gambling establishment should be placed there. \nFrench Lick and West Baden, famous for their picturesque scenery and historic hotels, are deeply divided over the establishment of a new riverboat gambling hall. \nThe economically-struggling county has been polarized over the pending construction of the casino that would be docked between two hotels struggling for solid business. \nJody Ream, president of the Paoli Chamber of Commerce, said the town has lost 1,000 manufacturing jobs in the past two years. \n"The manufacturing business in this town has been the staple of the community for many generations," Ream said. "With the loss of these jobs, the people of this community need an economic boost." \nOrange County residents are debating whether gambling is an appropriate solution to their economic woes. Supporters of the project believe the new casino will replace many of the jobs that have been lost. \nRobert Hoyt, a member of the Orange County Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, disagrees that the casino would boost the county's economy. \n"The 2001 Crowe Chizek report stated that 90 percent of gamblers that go to a casino are from the area in which the casino is built," Hoyt said. "This would not solve our economic troubles, it would just make them worse. People will spend the money that they earn on gambling and won't put it back into the community businesses." \nThose opposed to the Orange County casino have constructed a Web site, www.No-Casino.org, that champions their ideals. They have also entertained guest speaker Rob Walgate, a former addicted gambler, to promote the dangers of college and community gambling. \n"Gambling is addictive and community members and college students from nearby Bloomington are in danger of losing their savings and college tuition should a casino be built nearby," Hoyt said.\nThose who oppose the casino have also called upon the head official from the Illinois State Crime Commission to speak on their behalf and express the prospects of an increase in crime associated with the gambling industry. \nOpponents fear the casino could create an environment for illegal activity, causing increased crime rates and gambling addictions as well as drawing transients into the towns. \nProponents of the construction of the casino emphasize the prospect that many jobs will become available with its opening, and other businesses will be attracted to a growing local economy. They argue that jobs that have been lost would be replaced, turning around the county's economy. \n"A casino is not necessarily the best cure-all for our economic problems," Ream said. "But in this situation, I find there to be more positive aspects to bringing the casino here than negative ones." \nThe casino would be located between the French Lick and West Baden Springs hotels, both of which have had financial trouble in past years because of the loss of business and economic hardship. The casino would also generate tax dollars, which could potentially revitalize the community's government and public services.\nCasino supporters, like resident Adena Cloud, dream of the return of Orange County's economy to the fortunes of the 20s when the rich and famous would come to relax in the natural springs of the resort community. Cloud said she believes a casino would be the end to economic hardships.\n"We need this casino to boost our commercialized economy," Cloud said. "The casino will create many different forms of revenue. If we do not receive this revenue, Orange County will become desolate and crime will increase, making this a place that my daughter will not feel safe living in when she raises a family of her own." \nSupporters of casino development have rallied together and have organized fund-raisers, finance brochures and advertisements persuading others to join their cause. \nTwo main figureheads are vying for the rights to the casino. The first is an investment group headed by Larry Bird, the president of the Indiana Pacers. The Indiana native has stated that all of his profits will be donated to charity. The second group interested in the property is headed by Donald Trump. \nThe final decision made Nov. 4 will force the county to vote on a referendum. If the referendum passes, it will then be reviewed by the Indiana Gaming Commission. According to the commission, it will decide which company would gain the property rights to the casino. The judgment will be based on the reputability of other endeavors in Bird's and Trump's dealings, their financial stability and the number of jobs and other contributions that each casino plan would provide for the community. But ultimately, the decision of the casino is left in the hands of the people of the Orange County community.\n-- Contact staff writer Kourtney Schepman at kschepma@indiana.edu.