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(05/09/05 12:56am)
When IU underwent an administrative reconstruction period many years ago, several offices and positions were eliminated. One of the cuts made was current political science professor Larry Hanks' position as administrator and director of One IU, a student organization which focuses on race and diversity issues. Hanks founded the organization about 10 years ago, but since his position had been eliminated the organization slowed down.\n"This is the first year it's been reactivated," said Aurora Marin, a graduate student coordinator for One IU.\nMarin said the organization has been focusing on a "Readings on Race" series, where issues are discussed in an open forum and speakers come in once a month to talk about their own experiences and give lectures. Speakers vary from faculty members to students and outside professionals, but they are all familiar with and have dealt with specific issues regarding race and diversity.\nAntonio de la Cova, a professor in the Latino studies department, led One IU's last reading for the semester April 27 at the Neal Marshall Cultural Center.\nDenis Deflorville, a fifth-year IU senior who has been a member of One IU for three years, said he was pleased with the program's turn-out rates. \n"This year has been the most active it's ever been because there's more group membership and higher attendance," Deflorville said.\nAt a previous reading, Hanks said an IU professor discussed his own personal experience as a minority faculty member and the conflicts brought about by interracial marriages for some people. These issues have always existed, but have not always had a chance to be shared and discussed in an open and positive environment. One IU provides a forum where anyone can feel free to ask questions and everyone is encouraged to offer different perspectives, Hanks said.\n"Learning is not as complete and effective when you have a homogeneous group of people because you don't get as many different backgrounds," Hanks said.\nHanks and Marin said they agree that the University has put in much effort and resources to get people to think about the benefits of a diverse campus.\n"When we talk about diversity and demographics we talk about two different things because diversity encompasses much more than race, beliefs, ideas and ways of life," Marin said. "IU itself is probably a very diverse university in terms of an institution being able to generate different ideas."\nStudents like Deflorville joined One IU in hopes of meeting a diverse group of people on a campus where he said it seems everyone sticks to their own racial groups.\n"I wanted to be involved in something that breaks those barriers," Deflorville said. "The lectures are enlightening for me because I'm white, on the other side, and I get to hear other students' perspectives."\nOne IU heartily promotes learning and discussion, but does not partake in political issues of diversity or race, Hanks said.\n"We welcome people who are political but One IU itself would not be politically involved in terms of pursuing various issues," he said. "We focus on education and bringing people together into an atmosphere where they would be comfortable discussing racial issues."\nHanks said One IU looks forward to the next school year and is planning to hold a film series dealing with issues of race, as well as continuing the "Readings on Race" series.\nMarin said additional hopes for the future are to get individual ethnic organizations to work with One IU, helping to promote and sponsor events.\n"I think that the multitude of organizations sometimes eliminates cohesiveness because they all have their own agenda," Marin said. "I would like to see One IU bring together more organizations to one particular umbrella, which was part of the focus back in the day"
(03/09/05 6:17am)
With freedom comes responsibility, and with capitalism come taxes. Most students come into college having never filed taxes themselves. Some students are able to put it off longer than others. But eventually, everyone either learns or finds a great accountant.\nThe goal is to not pay any more than one has to and to get back as large of a return as possible. Making mistakes on tax forms can become costly. For students who want to take extra precautions, or who are clueless on where to begin, the Monroe County Public Library offers tax services. \nFrom Feb. 1 through April 15 each year, the library's branches on Kirkwood Avenue as well as in Ellettsville have volunteers from the American Association of Retired Persons who help taxpayers with middle- and low-incomes fill out basic tax forms.\n"We have lots of students come in and many have never done a tax form before," said Mary Bent, a volunteer in the program. "International students especially seek help because they have to fill out different forms." \nThe Volunteer Tax Help is a cooperative effort by the AARP and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, under a grant from the Internal Revenue Service. The effort pays special attention to senior citizens, but the service at the Kirkwood Avenue branch is open to all on a first-come, first-serve basis. \nThe service only requires that taxpayers bring along copies of all income statements such as W-2 forms, their previous year's tax return, a Social Security card or individual tax identification card and valid picture identification.\nStudents who work on campus can opt to manage their W-2 forms online as well. IU's Financial Management Services has a Web site where IU employees can go to receive their W-2s and tax statements. The move to online was made earlier this school year, once the IRS had approved it. To take this option, employees must log into OneStart and register by clicking on the "Electronic W-2" link under the "My Finances" tab. More information about registering to receive W-2 forms electronically can be found at www.fms.indiana.edu/tax/w2/w2express.asp.\nSenior Peter Cheun said he has been filing his own tax forms since he started working his first part-time job at 16. \n"It was a 1040EZ, so it wasn't rocket science, but it was my first time so I just wanted to make sure I was doing it right," Cheun said.\nThe 1040EZ is the shortest and simplest tax form, which also means the least hassle. But looking into more complicated forms can be worthwhile -- some offer more opportunities to write off expenses. \n"I always recommend using Form 1040 because it is comprehensive regarding deductions and credits, some of which are not included in Form 1040A," said Jerrold Stern, an accounting professor at the Kelley School of Business. "Moreover, completing Form 1040 is only slightly more difficult than Form 1040A."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Kye Lee at kyelee@indiana.edu.
(03/04/05 5:44am)
Since the early 1990s, IU has joined the efforts of numerous law schools throughout the country in recognizing National Law Student Recruitment Month. Those efforts continue with the IU Minority Law Day Program for minority students interested in studying law. The free program will be held 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the IU Law School.\nThe program focuses on giving minority students an early start and a better means of preparation for law school by providing Q&A opportunities with practicing lawyers, financial aid and placement counselors, law professors and admissions officers. \n"It prepares them in advance, because applying for law school is such a complicated process," said Dani Weatherford, associate director of Admissions at the IU School of Law.\nWeatherford said panel sessions will address several important topics. One session will include IU alumni discussing what the actual workplace is like and how to go about the job search. Another session includes current law students who will discuss classes and the workload in law school. \nFrank Motley, former dean and current associate vice chancellor, will talk about preparing for the LSAT. \nIU School of Law Professor Don Gjerdingen, plans to speak to students in his panel session about preparing personal statements, which is required by most law schools. \n"We had 3,000 applications last year for a class of about 200," said Gjerdingen. "I've been on the admissions committee for many years and read thousands of personal statements, so I know what works and what doesn't." \nMegan Lewis, a first year law student at IU, will be going to the program for the first time this year. Although Lewis has already been admitted into law school, she said her main reason for attending this year would be to show support for the event. Lewis also noted that the program offers opportunities for current law students.\n"The luncheon is networking opportunity," said Lewis. "It'll give me a chance to meet with firms around town and make good contacts." \nWeatherford said while the program is open to the public, students who pre-register are provided with lunch and some preparatory materials for the program. Interested students can still pre-register for the program today. Students can call 855-4765 e-mail lawadmis@indiana.edu.\n-- Contact Staff Writer at Kye Lee at kyelee@indian.edu.
(01/25/05 5:14am)
A new project at IU is looking to reverse a decline in local civic engagement and participation. The project is part of a national effort to promote democracy.\nThe American Democracy Project, which is co-sponsored by The New York Times and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, will encourage professors to incorporate community participation into their courses.\n"The initiative here at Indiana University is a little over a year old," said James Perry, director of the ADP at IU. "The work here has mostly revolved around defining what civic engagement is and identifying opportunities for students."\nThe project has now enlisted 190 colleges and universities across the country. Unlike IU's satellite campuses, the Bloomington campus is not directly involved with the ADP but has similar programs that work toward the same goal of increasing interest in civic engagement. Many of these programs are beginning this semester. \nCASE: Conversations about Service and Engagement is one new program that demonstrates the kind of influence the ADP hopes to spread. Co-facilitated by seniors Kathleen Claussen and Juhi Verma, the program will incorporate discussion topics like global citizenship and civic engagement into weekly meetings with students from the Global Village, the Foster International Community and Intensive Freshman Seminars.\n"CASE has been fantastic," said Claussen, who also is on the ADP advising board at the national level and an Indiana Daily Student employee. "We've had new students every meeting. The ones who've been coming have been really committed, and they bring up so many different perspectives in the discussions."\nBecause these programs are very new to campus, Internet information can be vague and of little help to visitors really wanting to look into the program. \nTo increase publicity, the Civic Engagement Task Force, which consists mostly of faculty, has been working to design a Web portal that will "put all the resources you need in a one-stop shopping trip," Claussen said. The Web portal, which is scheduled to be released sometime this semester, should increase access for faculty, community members and students to the resources they need to understand these projects and to get involved in community service and politics. \nPerry said there might even be a pilot program beginning this spring to provide students with the electronic edition of The New York Times. The program is based on studies showing that newspaper reading encourages engagement in the community and sparks discussion and concern among citizens. \nAlso among ADP's plans is an IU Press book for faculty members about how teachers and professors can incorporate the values of the ADP into their courses. Perry said the book should be published sometime next year.\nAlthough it might be some time before more faculty members and organizations around the IU campuses catch on, the ADP already has attracted the attention of one former official of the College Democrats.\n"There hasn't been much press on the ADP, but from what I know about it, the College Democrats will probably cross paths with it sooner or later," said Peter Cheun, former vice president of the College Democrats. Some have criticized the initiative as straying too far from the business of universities and colleges, saying that civic duty and engagement are lessons that can be learned outside of the classroom.\nIn response to these criticisms, Perry said, "I think it's a part of educating our students. If we send them out without any sense of civic duty and responsibility, then I think we've failed in educating them." \nIt remains to be seen if the ADP and programs modeled after the project really will catch on and make their way into more classrooms, but organizers like Perry and Claussen said they are hopeful and determined.\n"If you sum up ADP as a movement, then IU is very much at the heart of it," Claussen said.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Kye Lee at kyelee@indiana.edu.
(05/03/04 4:19am)
Kids! Cinema! Action!\nVolunteer as an usher or festival assistant for Bloomington's first annual film festival, May 8 and 9. The Buskirk-Chumley Theater will be showcasing national and international works produced by amateurs and professionals. Volunteers are needed to help decorate, take tickets, hand out programs and clean. Sara Beanblossom, one of the 15 committee members who put together the event, said each of the film sessions will require volunteers to work 30-minute shifts. Beanblossom said there will be a reception the Friday before the actual festival, which is at 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday. \nFor more information, contact Sara Beanblossom at 219-8494 or send an e-mail to kidsfilm@bloomington.in.us
(04/26/04 4:20am)
Come and See How the Artists Celebrate Earth Day\nJoin the celebration of Mother Earth being held in the Village Green and the nearby basement of the United Methodist Church in Nashville, Ind. Volunteer coordinator Susan Showalter said the Mother Earth Day event began in the 1980s to celebrate Brown County's birthday and eventually had its date changed from April to May because of weather problems. Volunteers are needed to assist with set-up and cleaning, food booths, help with kids' corners and various other activities. There will be three different shifts needing six volunteers each from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. The event itself lasts from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Showalter said volunteers will also be needed to help onstage for an all-day concert put on by nationally recognized Native-American recording artists. For more information about the event, visit the Web site at www.hometown.aol.com/motherearthday/index.\nTo volunteer, contact Susan Showalter at (812) 988-7830 or at MotherEarthDay@aol.com.
(04/26/04 4:17am)
The Miller Showers contractor is back on the job again, as most people driving past the renovation area between College Avenue and Walnut Street can tell. F.A. Wilhelm Construction took a break during the winter months and waited for warmer weather before returning to complete the final stage of work on the Park. \nThe park project, which has been going on since April 2002, is near completion and only has a few finishing touches left before it is ready to be fully accessed by the public, said Utilities Assistant Director Mike Bengtson.\nBengtson said all the piping work was completed last year and very little is left to do for the Bloomington Utilities Department at the park. \n"The other day, we went in and made some minor adjustments on the surface of the asphalt paths to smooth them out, but other than that, we're pretty much done with the park," Bengtson said. \nOther than a few adjustments, all major excavation work at the site has been declared finished. This includes the completed construction of a storm water and treatment infrastructure designed to trap water in five ponds in order to slow downstream erosion. According to Bloomington Parks and Recreations Director of Operations Dave Williams, the technology also makes use of aquatic plants and underground sediment traps to capture sediments from incoming storm water in order to ensure cleaner water flows out of the park system. \nMost of the work now being done on the park is aesthetically oriented, such as landscaping, gardening and paving. Parks and Recreation Administrator Mick Renneisen said planting and gardening will be carried out over the next month and plans for a new parking lot are also underway. As of now, the department has almost finished grating the lawn area to bring in topsoil and is finishing pavement work on the jogging and biking paths. \nRenneisen said the city has had a plan in place called "The Alternative Transportation and Green Ways," which maps out a system of trails that will all be linked together. This plan has yet to take on its full form but is being developed as the Miller Showers Park comes to completion. \n"We've had a plan for the Miller Showers Park for 20 years," said Renneisen, reflecting upon the massive project. "It was a challenge getting funding and trying to match our timing with other facilities such as utilities." \nTo prevent the new parking lot from blending in with the street, it will be smaller than the old lot it is replacing. This means there will be approximately 17 marked spaces, which may sound small for a nine-acre park that hopes to attract residents and visitors from out of town. This has not yet created any problems or concerns, and for now, the Miller Showers Park is enjoying the final stages of beautifying and refining its landscape. \n-- Contact staff writer Kye Lee at kyelee@indiana.edu.
(04/19/04 4:24am)
Be Part of a New Radio Show\nBloomingOUT has recently started a new Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender entertainment show on WFHB Community Radio. No previous radio or communication experience is necessary to sign up for the various volunteer positions offered by the new show. The show is looking for news writers, correspondents, technicians, producers and music directors to join its segment. \nFor more information, contact Mark Brostoff at 855-5317 or mbrostof@indiana.edu.
(04/12/04 5:27am)
Festival fun April 18\nVolunteers ages 15 and over are needed to help out at the Nur Festival. The event was founded by Naomi Komoda, a parent who was looking for venues where children could have a festival-type experience without the commercialism. At the festival, volunteers read to the children, help with games and craft projects, greet visitors and sell snacks.\nFor more information contact Naomi Komoda at 339-4084 or send an e-mail to Naomi-komoda@sbcglobal.net.
(04/05/04 4:30am)
Eighth-graders piled into the gym at Jackson Creek Middle School Thursday afternoon, anxious to start spending their paychecks at the Reality Store. Thanks to the Business and Professional Women of Indiana, middle school students throughout Monroe County have been given a chance to see how the decisions they make now can affect their lives in the future. \nThe BPW began the Reality Store in 1991, working with local organizations such as Monroe County's Franklin Initiative, the educational arm of the Chamber of Commerce. The goals of the program are to prepare students for financial and career decisions, to help them understand how those decisions affect their lives and to motivate them to stay in school. The Store sets up a series of stations at which students spend projected monthly incomes and acquire a taste of real-life decisions made everyday by adults. \n"A reality check is what it's all about, so kids can realize what it takes to survive from a financial perspective," said Dave Schlegel, assistant principal of Jackson Creek Middle School.\nSchlegel said one of the main goals of the program was to connect the students' grade point averages with career choices by setting limitations. Through private meetings with teachers, students found out what career choices they were limited to in the Reality Store. \n"I've learned that it's not as easy as you really think it is and you run out of money really fast," said eighth-grader Erin Baker after having spent her entire paycheck at the various booths. \nThe eye-opening experience was made possible by the sponsors and volunteers who worked behind the scenes to ensure a successful event. Volunteers worked at various booths representing healthcare, childcare centers, grocery stores, travel and entertainment, unexpected events, auto dealerships and housing. \n"We begin preparing for the event six to eight weeks beforehand so there's time to find volunteers, make table instructions and set up tables and signs," said Director of the Franklin Initiative Enid Richards, who collaborated with school administrators to stage the event. \nVolunteers at the booths worked interactively with the students, many of whom poured out questions before spending large portions of their paychecks. Several of the volunteers, such as Sheila VanBree, had returned from previous years to do the Reality Store. \n"This is my second year doing the Reality Store at Jackson Creek," said VanBree. "I got started because people in my office were doing it and they came back saying they really enjoyed working with middle school kids." \nPrior to the event, students were expected to fill out worksheets asking how they imagined their lives as 28-year-olds and read over the "rules of life" in the Reality Store. \nMany students like Erin Baker responded to a survey that the expenses of everyday life in the real world had come as a surprise to them and they could better relate to their parents after this experience. \n-- Contact staff writer Kye Lee at kyelee@indiana.edu.
(03/29/04 5:40am)
Be an Advocate for Children in Juvenile Courts\nThe Monroe County Court Appointed Special Advocates has an urgent need for volunteers who are willing to make a commitment of one or two years to their program that extends to all counties in the Monroe district. Training and supervision are provided, but volunteers must be at least 21 years of age. Abused and neglected children in juvenile courts need volunteers to advocate for them in judicial, educational, medical and social domains. The application deadline is March 29. \nFor more information, contact Sandy or Tiffany at 339-1551, or at casakids@bloomington.in.us.\nMiddle Way House Needs Wishes Granted\nMiddle Way House, a shelter for women and children fleeing abusive households, needs the following donations: cars and pickup trucks, lawn mowers, phone cards, alarm clocks, cleaning and laundry supplies, and office supplies. For the complete listing of items on the wish list, go to http://www.bloomington.in.gov/volunteer/. Executive Director of Middle Way House Toby Strout said the life of working women without cars is impossible since they need the cars to go to work, drop off children at daycare and many other obligations required of them as working women. \nFor more information or to grant a wish, contact Clara Wilson at 333-7404 or at pungo710@aol.com.\nVolunteer Positions AVAILABLE at Gardening and Landscape Show\nThe annual Gardening and Landscape show will be held April 17 at the Bloomington Convention Center. Volunteers are needed a day in advance to help set up for the event, working in two-hour shifts between 2 and 7 p.m. The day of the show, volunteers must arrive an hour early to receive name tags, free show passes and lunch tickets. Volunteers can work at the front table taking tickets, directing patrons, and selling books and publications about gardening, at a children's corner during the day. All shifts will be two hours long. According to volunteer coordinator Betsy Whitehead, all of the proceeds for this event will go to the Sycamore Land Trust, a non-profit organization that preserves natural land habitats. \nFor details, contact Betsy Whitehead at 339-1782 or at betdon@earthlink.net.\nCollect Donations for Annual Food Drive\nThe Hoosier Hills Food Bank is holding its annual food drive April 10. At least 100 volunteers are needed to collect food, sort items and drive out to donation locations. Volunteer coordinator Tony McGovern said the food drive is almost like a scavenger hunt because volunteers are teamed into groups of two to ride in cars and go to assigned neighborhoods. The shift for each volunteer is two hours. \nTo sign up today, contact Tony McGovern at 334-8374 or at hhfb@bloomington.in.us.\n-- Contact staff writer Kye Lee at kyelee@indiana.edu.
(03/23/04 6:34am)
Local volunteer agencies need students to help with homeless projects, nursing homes and animal care. Each week the Indiana Daily Student focuses on different service opportunities in the community.
(03/08/04 5:15am)
TEACH KIDS HOW TO SWIM\nFor those who plan on staying in town over spring break, the YMCA's SPLASH Learn to Swim Program will be needing swim instructors for a one-week intensive class that will be held from March 15 through 19. No CPR or life guarding certificates are necessary because the lesson plans will be very basic, but some teaching experience is preferred. There will be two sessions everyday, from 9 to 11 a.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m. The minimum age requirement is 12. \nTo volunteer or for more details, contact Sara Herold at 332-5555, ext. 235 or send an e-mail to sherold@monroecountyymca.org.
(03/01/04 5:01am)
YMCA needs help checking blood pressures \nThe Monroe County YMCA needs volunteers to help check its members' blood pressures. No previous experience is necessary because the YMCA will provide volunteers with all the training they need. Volunteer Special Event Coordinator Sara Herold said the YMCA began providing the free service for its members as part of a cardiac rehabilitation class then gradually opened the service to become available to all YMCA members. Volunteers can call in to set up an individual training time, and they must be at least 18 years of age. The YMCA will be needing anyone who can work anytime from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday. \nStart volunteering today and call Sara Herold at 332-5555, ext. 235 or send an e-mail to sherold@monroecountyymca.org.
(02/23/04 4:47am)
The volunteer opportunities offered by the vast number of organizations and institutions throughout Bloomington leave students with innumerable occasions to get involved and give back to the community. The Bloomington Volunteer Network works with IU as well as other businesses, agencies and non-profit corporations to promote these opportunities. Here are a few opportunities that are calling for volunteers this month.
(02/19/04 5:36am)
For families who want affordable childcare without sacrificing the quality of treatment and care their children receive, Indiana may have a solution. The state's new voucher system places importance on high health and safety standards from its beneficiaries. \nThe Family and Social Services Administration is a state agency that provides public assistance and services for Indiana citizens. The FSSA's Child Care Development Fund vouchers hold several requirements for providers to receive payments, such as CPR and first-aid training for all staff members.\nThe vouchers are in part made possible by a contract that began on Nov. 3, 2001 between FSSA and PROTRAIN, an organization devoted to providing professional training and assistance in specific improvement programs. In the contract, which will run through September 2005, PROTRAIN grants $750,000 to provide CPR, first aid and blood-borne disease-prevention training to childcare center staffs at no cost to the centers. \nLorna Wagoner, office manager for The Children's Village, a licensed childcare center, works with parents who bring their children to the center and answers questions of concern raised regularly by new or incoming parents. As expected, safety is a common issue addressed by all childcare centers. \n"All of our teachers have had background checks, PB testing, training in CPR and first aid, and so many days a year for extra training," Wagoner said of own center's requirements and policies. \nFederal law requires licensed providers to have training regardless of vouchers but holds less restrictive laws for religious-affiliated registered childcare ministries. Depending on whether a ministry receives vouchers, CPR and first-aid requirements may or may not apply. \n"Ministries do have less requirements, but we still have a state lady who comes in quarterly and checks up on everything like she would a licensed center," said Bethany Nickless, director of the Joy Junction Child Care Ministry in Bloomington, one of the 400 ministries that receives vouchers out of 637 registered ministries throughout Indiana. \nNickless said many regulations may not be checked at registered ministries as rigorously as they are at licensed centers but most ministries carry them out anyway. \nFor example, the ministry does not have hand-washing sinks in every room but makes up for this lack of facilitation by using a system that allows one worker to leave the room to use the sink while another watches the children in the room.\nCurrently, if a family wants to qualify for childcare, they must go to the city of Bloomington's Community and Family Services department where an intake agent determines their eligibility. If eligible, the family is then enrolled with a provider. The provider then submits claim forms that determine the providers' payment from vouchers. \nPolicy Consultant for the FSSA Office of Communications Kari Kritenbrink said this service sector will soon undergo some technological changes in Bloomington and throughout Indiana. In the future, families will receive electronic cards they will swipe through machines to clock their children in and out of childcare centers. Providers will have point-of-service machines allowing claims to be reimbursed electronically. \nBloomington is expected to complete the transition from paper form to the new computerized form sometime in May. \nFor more information on childcare, visit http://www.in.gov/fssa/carefinder/. -- Contact staff writer Kye Lee at kyelee@indiana.edu.
(11/06/03 5:33am)
Local and regional musicians have turned Bear's Place into a jazz club for the almost 15 years that Jazz Fables has played there. \nBut tonight, Bear's features a special performance -- a tribute. Jamey Aebersold will be playing a "Tribute to the Masters" in concert with his All-Star Quintet at Jazz Fables. The quintet consists of IU Professor of Jazz Pat Harbison, Indianapolis pianist Steve Allee, Louisville bassist Tyrone Wheeler, and drummer Jonathan Higgins, who played on Aebersold's most recent recording. The members of the band have worked with each other for several years to put their talents together and have enjoyed making modern jazz music.\nJazz Fables has the promotion of local and regional jazz musicians as its mission. \n"David Miller's Jazz Fables has meant a great deal to the jazz scene in Bloomington," said Jazz Fables regular pianist Luke Gillespie in an earlier interview. "Miller has been a constant supporter and promoter of jazz music over the years, and his Jazz Fables performances with many visiting jazz artists, especially at Bear's Place, have helped to expose jazz to a wider audience, including students, faculty and the extended Bloomington community."\nSome of the jazz masters to whom the band will be paying tribute include Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. The band will also play some of Aebersold's own compositions and arrangements. Aebersold graduated from IU with a master's degree in saxophone in 1962 and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music by the University in 1992. \nAccording to Aebersold's Web site, www.aebersold.com, he was one of the first educators to encourage small group classes concentrating on improvisation and has presented his one-week Summer Jazz Workshops for over 25 years all around the world. Aebersold is best known for his ground-breaking series of over 100 play-along book/CD sets that enable musicians to develop their improvisational skills to the accompaniment of top jazz artists such as Rufus Reid, Ron Carter, Dave Liebman, Grady Tate, Jimmy Raney, Kenny Barron, Dan Haerle, Mark Levine, John Goldsby and Steve Davis. Aebersold received a lifetime achievement award from the International Association for Jazz Education In January 2003.\n"He's established himself as one of the most influential jazz educators in the world," said David Miller, founder and director of the Jazz Fables concert series at Bear's Place. \nAebersold has been coming to play at Bear's Place since the mid 1990s, almost since Bear's opened in 1989. Not only does he contribute to the array of jazz artists who swing by IU annually for shows and concerts, but Aebersold is also a major benefactor of Jazz Fables. The piano sitting in the back room of Bear's Place was purchased by Aebersold specifically for the Jazz Fables concert series to be used by all musicians who perform on the stage, Miller said.\nAebersold's band has been dubbed as a "regional all-star group," perhaps because many people would agree with Miller that they play the best repertoire of modern jazz in the Midwest.\n"They're the best players in this style and in this region," Miller said. "IU is blessed with a tremendous jazz department."\n-- Contact staff writer Kye Lee at kyelee@indiana.edu.
(10/09/03 5:45am)
Sergiu Comissiona, a world-renowned conductor, will lead an IU School of Music orchestra at 8 p.m. Sunday at the Musical Arts Center.\nThomas Wieligman, coordinator of instrumental ensembles at the Music School, said that very few schools in the country can call on someone like Comissiona, who has worked with some of the best orchestras in numerous countries. \n"The School of Music attracts top students from all over and because of that, we can bring guests like Sergiu Comissiona to the University," Wieligman said.\nThe students who are performing were recommended by faculty members. The performance is free to the public. \nComissiona, a native of Romania, began violin studies when he was five years old and made his conducting debut with the Romanian State Opera at the age of 17. He since went on to work with orchestras and ensembles around the world. His name can be attributed to many international guest conducting appearances, musical directorships, recordings and awards. Comissiona is also known as a strong proponent of music education; he founded the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's national competition for young American conductors. One of his recent achievements includes being honored as a knight by in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture and Communication, an award that recognizes eminent artists and writers, and people who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world.\nDavid Effron, professor of instrumental conducting, once met Comissiona on a train from Baltimore to New York.\n"He is an incredibly successful artist and a first-rate musician and conductor," Effron said. "It's a great honor to have him here working with our students."\nBecause Sunday's performance was organized to fit with Comissiona's busy schedule, IU's orchestra will only have about a week to practice together. It will be the first time in four years that Comissiona makes an appearance at IU.\nBrad Weil, a first-year masters student, who will be playing with the orchestra on Sunday, said that the caliber of IU musicians helped them to easily adapt to the pressure, especially at the hands of a first-rate maestro like Comissiona.\n"He is very capable of bringing out the best in us as musicians," Weil said. \nErik Rynearson, who will also be playing with the orchestra, said despite the pressure, he thinks the rehearsals are going well. \n"It's interesting to see how respectful the orchestra is to him," said Rynearson, a first-year masters student. "He definitely knows what he is doing and how to get what he wants (out of the musicians)."\n-- Contact staff writer Kye Lee at kyelee@indiana.edu.