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There are many resources for students on campus, but plenty of organizations are there for parents, too.
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There are many resources for students on campus, but plenty of organizations are there for parents, too.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There are many resources for students on campus, but there are plenty of organizations that are there for parents, too. These are some of the important numbers and resources that might be helpful.IU Parents AssociationIndiana Memorial Union M088900 E. Seventh St.812-856-1626studentaffairs.iub.edu/parentsThis office provides a link between parents and the IU campus and sends two newsletters per year. Any parent or guardian of an IU student will automatically receive the Campus Link newsletter if they have provided their email address to the Parents Association. Email mykidis@indiana.edu for any questions or to subscribe to the newsletter.First Year Experiences (FYE)Wright Residence Center (mid-May to mid-July)501 N. Jordan Ave.Office of FYE (mid-July to mid-May)326 N. Jordan Ave.812-855-4357fye.indiana.edu/This office is geared completely toward orienting and supporting students in their first year, but it can be a helpful resource for new college parents as well.BursarPoplars Building400 East Seventh Street812-855-2636bursar.indiana.edu/If you’re paying the bills, the Bursar is certainly an important contact. The office handles all University billing and payments.IUPD Crime Alertsprotect.iu.edu/news/iubThis site provides updates of all crime and alerts on campus.Counseling and Psychological Services600 N. Jordan Ave.812-855-5711 healthcenter.indiana.edu/counseling/parents.shtmlCAPS can be a great counseling resource for students, but it also provides tips for parents on how to support a student leaving for college.Office of Admissions300 N. Jordan Ave.812-855-0661admit.indiana.edu/parents/index.shtmlThis office’s website has information about adjusting to college, campus safety, overseas study and more. There is also a link to their parent Facebook page.IU Health Bloomington601 W. Second St.812-353-5252If your student has an emergency, IU Health Bloomington, Bloomington’s only hospital, is always open and prepared to deal with anything.Alumni Association1000 E. 17th St.800-824-3044alumni.indiana.edu/Even if you’re not an alum, encourage your child to participate in the association’s events, traditions and leadership opportunities while at IU. It even offers scholarships and great networking opportunities.Disability Services for StudentsHerman B Wells Library W3021320 E. 10th St.812-855-7578studentaffairs.iub.edu/dss/Parents can find information on how their student can receive disability support services as well as academic and other support on campus.Financial Aid408 N. Union Street812-855-0321studentcentral.indiana.edu/financial-aid/index.shtmlThe Office of Student Financial Aid provides information and links about earning aid, federal loans and managing money.Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Student Support Services705 E. Seventh St.812-855-4252studentaffairs.iub.edu/glbt/The GLBT SSS is a resource for both the campus and community on news, events and organizations advocating the GLBT community.Health Center600 N. Jordan Ave.812-855-4011healthcenter.indiana.edu/index.shtmlIf your student has a cold, needs to fill a prescription or even wants nutrition or smoking counseling, direct them to IU’s on-campus health center.Monroe County Convention & Visitors Bureau302 S. College Ave.812-336-3681bloomingtonconvention.com/This is a great place to find information on visiting Bloomington, from hotels to transportation to weather.Residential Programs & Services801 N. Jordan Ave.812-855-1764rps.indiana.edu/RPS covers all housing information, including residence hall living and meal plans.Student Legal Services703 E. Seventh St. 812-855-7867indiana.edu/~sls/If your student should stumble into any legal trouble, Student Legal Services will provide professional counseling for any issue presented
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There are many resources for students on campus, but there are plenty of organizations that are there for parents, too. These are some of the important numbers and resources that might be helpful.IU Parents AssociationIndiana Memorial Union M088900 E. Seventh St.812-856-1626mykidis@indiana.eduThis office provides a link between parents and the IU campus and sends two newsletters per year via email. Sign up for the newsletter at mykidis@indiana.edu.First Year Experiences (FYE)Wright Residence Center (Mid-May to mid-July)501 N. Jordan Ave.Franklin Hall 228 (Mid-July to mid-May)601 E. Kirkwood Ave.812-855-4357fye@indiana.eduThis office is geared completely toward orienting and supporting students in their first years, but it can be a helpful resource for new college parents as well.BursarFranklin Hall 011601 E. Kirkwood Ave.812-855-2636bursar@indiana.eduIf you’re paying the bills, the Bursar is certainly an important contact. The office handles all University billing and payments.IUPD Crime Alertshttp://www.indiana.edu/~iupd/crimeAlerts.htmlThis site provides updates of all crime and alerts on campus.Counseling and Psychological Services600 N. Jordan Ave.812-855-5711http://www.iu.edu/~health/departments/caps/caps_links/caps_parents.htmlCAPS can be a great counseling resource for students, but it also provides tips for parents on how to support a student leaving for college.Office of Admissions300 N. Jordan Ave.812-855-0661http://www.admit.indiana.edu/parents/index.shtmlThis office’s website has information about adjusting to college, campus safety, overseas study and more. There is also a link to their Parent Facebook page.IU Health Bloomington601 W. Second St.812-353-5252If your student has an emergency, IU Health Bloomington, Bloomington’s only hospital is always open and prepared to deal with anything.Alumni Association800-824-3044http://alumni.indiana.edu/Even if you’re not an alum, encourage your child to participate in the association’s events, traditions and leadership opportunities while at IU. It even offers scholarships and great networking opportunities.Disability Services for Students812-855-7578http://www2.dsa.indiana.edu/dss/Parents can find information on how their student can receive disability support services as well as academic and other support on campus.Financial Aid812-855-0321http://www.indiana.edu/~sfa/The Office of Student Financial Aid provides information and links about earning aid, federal loans and managing money.Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Student Support Services812-855-4252http://www.indiana.edu/~glbt/The GLBT SSS is a resource for both the campus and community on news, events and organizations advocating the GLBT community.Health Center600 N. Jordan Ave.812-855-4011http://healthcenter.indiana.edu/index2.htmlIf your student has a cold, needs to fill a prescription or even wants nutrition or smoking counseling, direct them to IU’s on-campus Health Center.Monroe County Convention & Visitors Bureau812-336-3681http://www.bloomingtonconvention.com/This is a great place to find information on visiting Bloomington, from hotels to transportation to weather.Residential Programs & Services801 N. Jordan Ave.812-855-1764http://www.rps.indiana.edu/RPS covers all housing information, including residence hall living and meal plans.Student Legal Services 812-855-7867https://www.indiana.edu/~sls/If your student should stumble into any legal trouble, Student Legal Services will provide professional counseling for any issue presented.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Swim, she tells herself. Go.With less than four minutes to go in the third period against Michigan, their biggest rival, Hanna Eimstad cuts through the water, surrounded by the rest the rest of the IU water polo team.They get set, a teammate at the top looking for options. Hanna swims to the far corner, just right of the goal. She gets the ball, catching it above the water.She’s done this hundreds, maybe thousands, of times — so much she doesn’t even have to think about it.Hanna is a senior on the IU water polo team, and the last four years of her life have been defined by a sport few people in the Midwest have heard of, much less understand. Like other IU student-athletes, she’s traded sleep and weekends, Little Five and time with friends for a chance to play for IU. Water polo is the only way she knows to define herself.But in a few weeks, Hanna will be like any other IU senior. Finally, she’ll be forced to give up her sport, stepping into the void of the real world to figure out what to do next and who she is. “I am done when I’m done here,” she said. “I don’t know what life’s like without a team.”In the water, she runs down the checklist in her mind. Is there anyone else open? Should she pass? She rises and flings. Flip of the wrist, ball to the corner of the net. Score. The team swims back on defense.The crowd is screaming, but her mind is clear.***Hanna never saw herself here. She never really saw herself playing water polo in college, but she definitely never saw herself in Indiana. All she knew about the state was basketball and candy-striped pants. She had other dreams. She always wanted to be a doctor.Since she was young, she’s been playing sports. She was bored with swimming in sixth grade. Then she saw her brother playing water polo.In the water, she felt at home. She loved the mental aspects, the feeling of being on a team. She loved knowing the plays, thinking of strategies and trying to stay one step ahead of everyone else. She loved being a player.In high school, she led her team to third place in the state with an undefeated metro record. She was named MVP for three years. Senior year, she was first team all-state and all-league.In the back of her mind, though, she always had another plan.The University of Washington was her dream school. She’d always seen herself studying medicine there. They didn’t offer water polo, though, and Hanna wasn’t ready to give it up. Senior year, she took a trip to Indiana.Her first time on campus, it was freezing. She thought the trees with no leaves were ugly — not like the evergreens of Oregon. But beyond it all, she found a home. She saw a place for her. She never looked back.***Hanna hung from the black handles above her, fighting the inevitable pull of gravity. Chalk lined her hands. Sweat darkened the front of her red T-shirt. Her muscles screamed as she tried to pull herself up, in a fight with her own body.It was only 7:15 a.m., and as the rest of campus slept, Hanna and her teammates tore themselves apart. This was only their first practice of the day.Most of the time, Hanna doesn’t think about the sacrifices she’s made as a student-athlete. She gets up at 7 a.m. for practice Tuesdays and Thursdays, lifts weights until 8 and is in the water at the Student Recreational Sports Center by 8:30. She swims until 10 and returns for another hour of water conditioning in the afternoon. On Wednesdays and Fridays, she swims for two and a half hours. If the team is around on the weekend, she swims then, too. It isn’t the routine for most college seniors, but it’s the routine she’s followed. “You don’t just miss practice because you’re tired,” Hanna said.Academically, it’s hard, too.Hanna is a biology major. With such a demanding schedule and a team that travels every weekend, there have been semesters in which she’s had to introduce herself to the professor of a Monday-Wednesday-Friday class and tell him she’ll miss one-third of the lessons.In the airport or on the bus, there are times all she wants is sleep, but she has to do her work instead. Her classmates aren’t always understanding. She’ll walk into a room, and someone will sniff the air.“It smells like a pool,” they’ll say.“It’s me,” she’ll reply. If they find out she’s an athlete, they will ask questions.“Did you play water polo before college?” they’ll ask. “How do you get the horses in the pool?”It’s a sport she’s trained for since she was about 11, what she dedicates her life to and the reason she came across the country to go to school in Indiana. To them, it’s something anyone can do — a silly sport with wet horses.Hanna’s mom, Deborah, knows how much her daughter has sacrificed during the years and in college. She and Hanna’s dad fly out to watch her as much as they can.“It’s kind of sad because I think Hanna missed out on some things because of her sport,” she said. “But I think she’ll always be involved with it in some way.”Even with the typical late nights and not-so-typical college early mornings, Hanna knows it’s worth it. “It’s a huge gift,” she said. “Not many students get to experience what it’s like to be a Big Ten athlete.“I can’t imagine my four years without it. With all the times it was awful, it was good so many more.”***Sometimes, though, Hanna can be a normal student. This Wednesday, she’s just another woman out for bowling and hanging with her friends. It’s something from their IU bucket list — something they wanted to do before they graduate. They also want to do a Tour de Franzia, do Open to Close at Kilroy’s BarNGrill on Kirkwood and go to a quarry. It’s hard when they’re in season. Hanna tries to have a life outside her team, but a lot of her friends are still involved in IU Athletics. Hanna stood to bowl her last frame.“Hanna should be good,” one of her friends said. “Her forearms are jacked.” She threw the ball, finishing the game with a score of 69. They high-fived, laughing at how bad they were. “It’s rally time right now! Put your rally cap on right now,” one of them said. They wanted food, but no one could decide which.“Can we compromise on onion rings?” someone said. They added cheese fries, too.Even on a Wednesday night, even away from everything else and just trying to be a normal senior, Hanna couldn’t fully escape. She still had practice at 7 a.m. the next day. Back in her seat, Hanna turned to her friend, a softball player. “What would we do if we weren’t athletes?” Hanna said. “Like next year.”***The hallways of the North End Zone facility glare red. They’re covered with images of students decked out in IU gear, yelling or clapping or cheering at football games.Plaques and posters line the walls, displaying achievements in every sport — high GPAs, All-Americans, placements on pro teams. These are IU Athletics’ accomplishments.Though most students won’t ever see these areas, this is where Hanna’s life subsists. It’s a hub of athletics, and together, they form a bigger family. Her fellow athletes talk about who gets the coolest stuff and what music each team plays in the weight room.It’s one perk, and Hanna knows there are a lot. Whenever she needs medicine or a doctor, it’s right there for her. When she broke her nose this season, she got a mask fitted for her. But still, when she’s walking through the facilities, she can’t help noticing the surroundings. There are huge pictures of the football team, a whole wall dedicated to them. Sometimes, when she’s walking through to put in two hours of studying or running the halls to warm up with her team, she wonders.They’re treated like gods among men, and where is she? Everyone talks about how IU Athletics sucks lately, but her team won the Eastern Championship and went to NCAAs last year. They’re in the hunt for it again this year. Who sees that? There’s a banner by the pool. CWPA Champions, it says. 2011. All Hanna can hope to do is add a 2012 to that banner. “The IU water polo universe is very small,” IU Coach Barry King said. “I think we’re somewhere around 80 alumnae. It’s a small club to be part of, so you get some ownership of that.”That, Hanna hopes, will be her quiet, lasting legacy.***The stands were quiet, tense. It was inevitable then. Michigan was going to win. The team had come back to take the lead 10-7. Hanna’s team would not take this game.On the bench, Hanna sat. Her face was blank. Her team, mostly freshmen and sophomores, would have another shot at this. She wouldn’t. All that was left for her now was one last tournament and May 5 — graduation. Maybe NCAAs.After that, she will have a summer — her first without practice in almost half her life. She’ll get a job, maybe researching or at a hospital, and study for the MCAT. She’ll go back to school. She’ll send in a resume that isn’t only sports stuff. Eventually, she’ll come back, maybe to coach or play.But this is it for her college career.“I’ve been a water polo player for nine years of my life,” she said. “I’m excited to see how to define myself in some other way.”The sport that’s been her life won’t be there anymore. The early mornings will fall away. The weekend flights and hotels and games won’t press her schedule anymore. But she’ll find a new way, treading water until she gets there.
This is the story of people who've gotten close — a groundskeeper, a funeral director, and a professor. They've seen hardships most of us haven't, but from the very bottom, each found something elusive and rare — their secret to happiness.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was game day at Assembly Hall, and six hours before fans would take to their feet, before candy-striped pants would trail across the floor and the ball would leave the referee’s fingertips, John Harmon stood under the lights.He whistled and pushed his cart to the scorer’s table, his shadow gliding across the pale wood. He pulled off a monitor. This is what the referees would use to watch replays. He pulled off a gray box — the mixer board — and plugged it in with blue and red cords. Without it, there would be no sound for the Kiss Cam and no “Indiana Hooooosiers” ringing through the arena.John is usually the first one here and the last to leave, but he would never wear a number on the back of a jersey. He would never see the fans stand up and cheer for him, and he would never hear his name boom out of the speakers in the dimmed lights. Without him, there would be no sound, no lights and no atmosphere. John is the man who shines the lights on everyone else, but he stays in the shadows. When the first whistle blows and the ball hits the floor, most fans never know he’s there. ***John is the lighting and sound technician for Assembly Hall and all 13 IU Athletics venue He’s been here since 1997.When basketball season ends, his job does not. He’s still in charge of other events, including commencement. If there’s a swim meet, he makes sure the team has the right extension cords to run the audio equipment and timing devices. He helps hang speakers for track meets. If someone asks him to take the trash out, he’ll do that, too.When there’s not something going on, though, John sits alone in his office. It’s a cinderblock room tucked just outside the Varsity Shop, and crowds of people walk by it every day without taking any notice. There isn’t even a nameplate outside.Inside, he solders wires while “Modern Family” or “Andy Griffith” plays in the background. Some days, he’ll say hi to the worker in the Varsity Shop when he comes in and not talk to anyone else all day. “I get more done before 8 and after 5 and on Saturday and Sunday than almost any other time, just because there’s no one around,” he said.Most of his job is preventative — making it hard for anything to go wrong. But when things do, John is the person people call. He knows every nook in Assembly Hall, and he can find them in the dark. He’s walked the catwalks high above the court and climbed the steep ladders to the roof. When the lights won’t get to the right setting, he knows three or four ways to make them work. “It’s never the same thing every day,” he said. “If it is, I’m a dumbass.”Even when he saves the day, John won’t take the credit. He just slips back into his room, back to the shadows, and keeps working.***“God, I wish I was home today,” John said.He plugged in the last of the equipment on the scorer’s table — the announcer’s microphone, headphones and wires — to give a clean audio feed to the control room. John’s head was aching, and he was afraid he was catching the flu from his wife. Still, John is the only person who can do his job. He’s only missed one full game — a few years back when he hurt his knee — and he talked someone else through it while on a morphine drip.John’s philosophy doesn’t allow him to have bad days. He just pushes through. On the balcony level, he punched buttons straight down the row and turned the speakers on. When the fans came rumbling in to find their seats, they’d be able to hear the music playing. Back on the court, John tapped a code into a screen. He made sure the shot clock would run at 35 seconds every time, each half would be 20 minutes and halftime would be 15. He pulled the pair of glasses off the mixer board and put them at the end of his nose.“Getting old’s a bitch,” he said. On the screen, he typed the names. “N’Western” and “Indiana.” He looked up at the scoreboard to check.It would still be four hours until any fans would see the team names.“We could all probably blow in here two hours before the game and be fine,” he said. “But, you know, if you have a problem, well, where are you?”***With three minutes until game time, John lowered the lights in Assembly Hall. Fans filled the seats, and then they were on their feet. The beat of drums pulsed through the still air. John had his finger on the sound board, monitoring the noise.“Let’s go,” Chuck Crabb’s voice rang through the speakers. “It’s Indiana basketball time!” The crowd erupted. On the scoreboard above John’s head, images swirled. “Big Ten Champions,” it said. “Undefeated season.” John looked at the schedule to his left, his glasses on the end of his nose. Fans screamed, hoping the Hoosiers would beat Northwestern. John unscrewed the green cap of his water bottle and took a swig.The clock hit zero. On the floor, the players took their positions. The referee threw the ball into the air, and every fan focused. John became just a face in the crowd. Everything was going well, and he could basically just watch. Everything he’d set up was making the game go.On the floor, Cody Zeller hit a layup, and the crowd buzzed. John checked the sound levels and kept a poker face. He reached into his pocket and popped a cinnamon hard candy into his mouth. He felt the same things everyone else there did, but because he was working, he couldn’t show it.He only cracked a smile when one of the players missed a pass, and the ball went flying into the hands of an unsuspecting fan. ***John’s attitude is what most people notice. It’s something he learned when he was only 23.On Dec. 7, 1978, his dad’s birthday, he got a phone call. His dad had died. It was the worst day of his life, and still is. As he was driving back to work, he saw a kid on the sidewalk with a radio, and he was dancing and singing. It’s probably the best day of this kid’s life, he thought. And no one cares about my problems. He realized then that he just had to work through it all — through being sick, through being frustrated — and it shows. His bosses rave about him. Stephen Solie, director of technical production for IU, has known John for years. Together, they put in hundreds of hours every year getting ready for commencement. John has even had to sleep on the couch in his office some nights.Crabb, John’s boss and assistant athletic director of facilities, echoed that.“I always look at John as being that unsung hero,” he said. “He’s the man in the trench that can get it done.”But John won’t have it. When people say he’s indispensable, he says the cemeteries are full of indispensable people. He says if he dies tomorrow, he hopes people will miss him, but he knows the world won’t stop. There will still be a game the next day.“I try to make it simple,” he said. “I’m not gonna live forever.”***The players ran down the court, and IU took the lead, 22-21. John could feel the heat of the LED lights on the table rising up to his face. IU Coach Tom Crean was yelling down the court. “Slide! Swing!” John was only a few feet away. He could hear every word, but he didn’t know what they meant. He was just looking forward to getting some food, driving home and having a Bourbon and Coke.The clock ticked down, 7:49, 7:48, and the score was tied. The fans were on their feet, and Assembly Hall was hot and loud and hopeful. John checked the levels, but he didn’t really need to. He’d done this more than 500 times. He could do it by ear. Finally, the Hoosiers pulled away, 71-66. The fans left, climbing up and down the bleachers and leaking into the parking lot, smiling and laughing.Though the spotlights were dimming and everyone was going back to their lives, John had to make it all come apart.***When the buzzer hit 00.0, John walked around the front of the scorer’s table. He had to watch for the signal for Crean to make his final remarks. While John waited, he pulled out cords, blue and red, and packed them away.“Put it together, take it apart. Put it together, take it apart,” he said. He whistled the last chords of the band’s song. The fans were almost all gone, and the quiet was returning.When Crean was done, John flipped off the speaker and put the last things — the cords, the mixer board — on his cart. A few kids were shooting at the basket. John rubbed his eyes.“One thing about it is you gotta be patient,” he said. “Just because I’m ready to go doesn’t mean other people are.”Back in his office, he picked up the phone and dialed Peggy, his wife. She waits up for him after every game, every event.“Well, it’s over,” he said. “I’m just waiting for Crean to clear the press room. OK, you gonna try to go to sleep?” He waited and took the microphones back to his room. He grabbed his duffel back and slung it over his shoulder.In the Hall, all was slow. All was quiet. There were no more baskets, no more towering players, no more shrieks and cheers and chants. “All the sudden, you’re not in as big a hurry anymore,” John said.He would be back tomorrow, back when the lights were off and no one was watching. He walked down the hall, whistling a few notes, just another face leaving Assembly Hall.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The morning dawned perfectly, eerily clear. Every other day my dad and I had spent in Tokyo that week had been cold and cloudy, but that day the sky stretched on, a vivid, crystalline blue.I didn’t know that day would change everything.“You know earthquakes are common here, Megan,” my dad had told me on the plane. He had been traveling to Japan for work for as long as I can remember. This time, I got to tag along.“Yeah, I know,” I said.“I just don’t want you to panic,” he said. “It’s kind of a weird feeling, but it’s only about 10 seconds.”I’d listened to him then, but I didn’t know how much I would need his advice. Later that day, I’d be caught in the shock of a nation fighting for survival. That morning, my dad left for work. We were going to meet for dinner later, and I was left to explore on my own. After I showered, I went to look for souvenirs for my friends at home.In the Ginza shopping district, I discovered a golf shop. Inside, I wandered over to a wall of golf balls. They were stacked three in a box, stretching over my head. As I was looking, they started to shake. One by one in their tiny cases, they rattled, the plastic pock marks clinking against each other.Had I bumped into it? I looked around the store. Across the room, a mannequin fell. The women who were working realized I was nervous. My red hair and freckles gave me away as a visitor, and they reassured me it was OK.It was just an earthquake, like normal. They were all used to it, like my dad said. But as I looked longer, I saw their faces start to falter. One of the women opened her mouth and screamed.Someone tugged me from behind, pulling me into a corner. They gave me a helmet, and I put it on. I wanted to stand, but everything was shaking with me. The balls fell from their shelf, and outside the store front, I could see cars bouncing on the streets of Tokyo. When the shaking stopped, we all sensed it was something big. Slowly, we peeled ourselves off the floor and started filtering into the streets. We looked to see what damage had been done, to see if it was real.I joined a stream of people headed toward my hotel, the safest place in the city. Blank TVs were blaring instructions and updates in Japanese, but I couldn’t understand anything. All I could do was watch the faces of the people around me. People would come up to me and tell me, in English, it would be all right. The aftershocks kept rolling in, and we would all duck into the nearest buildings as they hit. Eventually, I made it to the hotel. We had to stay in the lobby, but I was allowed to get some essentials from my room.In the silence of my room, I could finally hear my breathing. I was hyperventilating.I collected my things quickly and went back to the stairwell. Where was my dad? How would I get home? I couldn’t even speak the language.From three stories up, I heard people speaking English. I decided then that no matter who they were, I was sticking with them. They were my ticket home.I descended flight after flight, coming closer to the voices. When I turned the last corner, I saw my dad and fell down the rest of that flight into his arms. As a 21-year-old woman, I didn’t want to need my dad. But I did. I couldn’t control it anymore, and the tears ran down my face. Seeing him — knowing he’d take care of us — was the first relief I had all day.Getting home was a challenge. We booked eight flights right away, on anything going to America. We walked for miles and finally caught a crammed train to the airport.When we cleared security, we got on one of the last flights out via Singapore Airline.Flying over the towns and villages we’d visited just days before, I couldn’t help but think of the people we’d met. We’d eaten in their restaurants, shopped at their stores. They’d taken us in. Now, there was no way to know what happened to them, if they were even still alive.When we landed in Los Angeles for our layover, I saw the damage on TV for the first time. It was everywhere, and I couldn’t look away. No one knew we had been there. Had I even been there? It felt like something from a book.For reasons none of us can understand, we were there that day. But I won’t remember that day because of the earthquake. It was the spirit of the nation and its intrepid humanity that will live on in me, clear and bright as that morning in March.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Before screams echoed across campus, before masses of women spilled into the street, banged on buses and hugged, and before the tears and the pictures painted with giant Greek letters, there was a process.Before the process, there was Jana Kovich and there was Becca Powers. Formal recruitment for IU’s 20 Panhellenic chapters ended with Bid Night on Monday, and the chosen few potential new members (PNMs) received bids to their future homes.But the process is more than just the women seeking a sorority. Members of the houses, such as Powers, go through the rounds waiting for their new sisters, and Rho Gammas, such as Kovich, help counsel the PNMs and make recruitment run smoothly.As they both played their parts in helping new members find a home last week, their journeys to Bid Night were just as emotional.14 PartyOn Thursday, Powers got up and got ready with the rest of her chapter at 8:30 a.m. They all put on their sorority shirts and jeans and gathered in the basement, ready for the rounds to begin at 10 a.m.Powers went through recruitment last year as a sophomore, and Bid Night ended for her with a place at Alpha Xi Delta. This was her first time going through recruitment from the other side, and she was excited. She remembered going through it last year. She had been nervous then, but she almost felt more nervous now. She wanted to recruit women who would add to Alpha Xi’s sisterhood and who would love the house as much as she did. Fourteen Party had been her favorite round then, and she wanted to make it great for the PNMs this year, too.Soon, it was time. The women in her house lined up along a curtain, and as the PNMs filed in, the first chords to “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses played. They cheered to the song, forming a tunnel as they ushered the new women into another room.There, they put on skits, as many chapters do during 14 Party, and Powers had a conversation with a PNM about the house’s values. “It’s almost like speed dating,” Powers said. “You try to get to know the girls fast. The hardest part is that you only get to talk for four minutes.”She would have many conversations during the 14 rounds during the two days. She’d talk about movies and where each girl was from, but mostly, she would just try to find girls she could see herself in. “I think about my relationship with my brother, because I don’t have any sisters, and how much I would love a new sister,” she said. “I think about how they would get along with my sisters in the house.”She just wanted to bring in a great pledge class for Alpha Xi, but when time was up, she had to move on. The PNMs might not end up in her house, even if the conversation was great. She cheered the PNMs out the door, and they went back out, 13 rounds to go.***Out on North Jordan Avenue, members of Alpha Omicron Pi did a cheer to the tune of “Sweet Caroline.” “How do I get on the bus?” one PNM asked.The women in Chi Omega screamed and threw open the doors for another round.PNMs walked around following directions on strips of paper with their schedules. Kovich had given the girls in her recruitment group their schedules that morning.Now, she was helping women through their round at Theta Phi Alpha in the Union Street Center. The PNMs were sitting on the couches in boots and jackets, tired from their lunch break.“Are you all tired ‘cause you just ate lunch?” she asked. “You gotta pep up! It’ll be a long day if you don’t.”She called attendance and organized the women into two lines to enter the suite. A woman came up to her.“Do you have mints?” she asked.Kovich rifled through her backpack and pulled them out.“Good, ‘cause my breath stanks,” the PNM said.The Rho Gammas’ primary job during the day is to be prepared to help the PNMs in any way they can. They try to lighten the mood, Kovich said. Soon, the doors opened, and the sisters of Theta Phi started to chant.“My oh my, Oh Theta Phi ... ” Kovich sang along. The Rho Gammas learn all of the cheers for every chapter.“Get excited, you guys!” she said. For now, her job was just to help, but the real work began after the rounds ended.8 PartyWomen ran out of buses and down Third Street, their heels clacking against the pavement. The stained-glass Greek letters of Pi Beta Phi glowed against the white mansion.“Eight Party is more formal than 14,” said Ashley Clark, vice president of communication for the Panhellenic Association. “You really get to see the chapters on a more personal level and see the sisterhood we live with every day.”In her house, Powers was working to share that personal level, too. They showed a video, and the day was dedicated to the seniors.“It makes me really nostalgic,” she said. She would miss the seniors in the house, but as the rounds progressed, the women of Alpha Xi were also getting closer to bringing in a new pledge class.These PNMs were returning for the third time, and Powers was starting to pick out people who could be her “daughter” in the house.“I’m so excited. I can’t wait to bring someone else in,” she said. “Our moms are really our guides to everything in the sorority.”As the seniors spoke about what the house meant to them, she could see herself taking her little “sister” shopping for pair outfits, giving her gifts and showing her what the house means to her. She couldn’t wait.3 PartyOn Sunday, the lines outside Alpha Delta Pi before the final round of recruitment were shorter than before. Fewer women left the bus, and they ran barefoot, carrying their heels, to their next scheduled house. The cuts had become more intense, and as a Rho Gamma, Kovich had to deliver some of the bad news. She talked to each of her girls individually, and she had been listening as they talked throughout the week, so she knew when to expect a certain reaction. Regardless, she tried to remain positive. “Why are you upset?” she would ask. “What did you like about that house?”These were the questions she would ask when the girls were deciding which houses they liked best to try to keep them focused, or questions she would ask when they didn’t hear the news they wanted. She didn’t try to steer them one way or the other, but she tried to help them figure out where they thought they would fit best.Still, it was an emotional job. Kovich had to watch women she had spent the past month with and cared about give up dream houses or drop the process all together. “I told them all this morning I’d be proud to call them my sister,” she said.Still, it was a hard day. Kovich pulled out her phone and texted the other Rho Gammas from houses all across campus whom she’d been living with at the Union during recruitment. She told them she knew they were probably struggling, too, but that day, when they came back to their chapters, they would remember why they did this. This was an opportunity to bring new people into the system, people who had given them so much. It would be worth it.Bid NightOutside Alpha Xi on Bid Night, Powers would be surrounded by her sisters. She would have decorations and presents and signs to greet the new pledge class with open arms. But with every passing bus, she’d still be looking for the girls she connected with.There was no guarantee they’d be getting off at her house and not some other. They could have found a better fit somewhere else or dropped the process altogether. Still, Powers hoped it would all work out.“I will be scouting her out,” she said. “Fingers crossed she’s there.”Kovich, however, would be standing back. Though she’d be allowed to return to her sorority, she might not even make it to her chapter. Her main concern was getting every girl her bid and talking with those who had questions or who needed consoling. The job didn’t stop there. She would be open for any questions after the process, sorority or otherwise.“I foresee this being for the next several months,” she said.Though neither Kovich nor Powers were among the women finding homes on Bid Night, they were part of the community that brought the screams and balloons and photos to PNMs Monday night. Powers said the process, and its many layers, was what brought the new pledge classes in.“I think when people talk about recruitment, they think it’s something we do for the PNMs,” Powers said. “But it’s something we do to make our sisterhood grow more.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Cheerful guitar strumming rings through the air, and freshman Kaylee Cox gets pissed. It’s like this every morning. She grabs her phone and silences the alarm.If this were high school, her mom would have come in and said softly, “Kaylee, time to get up.” Kaylee could have fallen back asleep if she wanted to. Her mom would have been back in a few minutes to turn on the light. But this isn’t high school.Kaylee walks to her classes and falls into the buzz of activity, the grind of the day. She worries about getting into the business school and wonders where she and her friends will go for dinner. This is the life she has created at IU, and she’s the adult here. Some days, though, on her way to class or back in her room in Teter Quad, she’ll look down at her phone and see another text from her mom.“Hav a great day! Is it cold up there and rainy? Dress warm!” A message that’s traveled two-and-a-half hours in seconds, the distance between her old life and her new one.“Have a great day! study hard. Cant wait to see you!”Kaylee pauses, takes a second in her busy life — her college life.“Thanks!” she types to her mom. Send.Kaylee and her mom have just begun a ride that will change their relationship forever. She’s ready to be on her own, but she’s still growing into the adult she’ll become.It’s the beginning of a four year push-and-pull. There will be inevitable arguments and frantic phone calls asking for advice. Eventually, without either of them noticing, they’ll slip into a new normal. This is freshman year, and for Kaylee and her mom, it’s just the beginning.***Kaylee was in her room on a Thursday night. She was alone watching “Jersey Shore,” and all her friends were studying for exams. It wasn’t just any Thursday, though. It was Kaylee’s 19th birthday, her first birthday on her own.A year ago, she would have come into the kitchen and found presents at her spot. If she had a soccer game, her mom, Tammy, would have been there with brownies for the whole team. But that day didn’t have any of that. Her mom sent her brownies, but no one even sang to her.It was weird being 19. Kaylee felt like she was still 15, like nothing had changed. There in her dorm room, Kaylee wasn’t sure she was ready to be an adult.***The basement was dark, hot and sweaty. It was the last day of September, and it was cold outside. The music bumped through the speakers, and a girl grinded with the boy behind her. Boys carried plastic cups filled with a mottled brown liquid that smelled faintly like grape.Kaylee and her roommate stood off to the side. She and her friends went out a lot, but she wasn’t drinking that night. Soon, they decided to leave. It wasn’t even 1 a.m., and it was much too early to admit defeat and go back to the dorms. They started walking.This was how it ended every weekend, them walking in a huge group, looking for a party.They weren’t just worried about where to go, though. The threat of getting caught drinking underage was an ever-present fear.“If you have a cup, throw it down,” someone said.Kaylee was shivering in her sparkly tank top under a netted shirt. “I’m basically not wearing a shirt,” she said. She skipped across the street, bouncing and trying to warm up.“Kaylee, what the hell are you on? You’re definitely going to get us caught,” someone in the group said.Ten people were in the group now, a huge, roving freshmen mob looking for fun. For a while, they just stood at a corner under the streetlight, looking at a party down the street. Next to them, a car drove by. The guy in the passenger seat leaned out. “I remember my first beer,” he screamed.They knew they were being obvious.“God, we are such freshmen,” someone said. “We are all such freshmen.”The group walked through the yard, up to the door. Inside, they could see a crowded, dark kitchen. “I don’t like this place,” Kaylee said. She thought it was sketchy.“I wanna leave. I don’t have a clue what’s going on in there, and I don’t wanna find out.”She and a few of the others gathered back in the street outside. Their friends wanted them to come back inside, but Kaylee was done for the night.At the side of the house, a guy was bent over next to a car, puking. The group that stayed went to the backyard, standing under a house lamp next to a keg.Then someone said it. “Cops.” They ran, the underbrush grabbing at their shoes, until they reached the next road over.Kaylee was already back at Teter, warm in her room. In the morning, Kaylee wouldn’t have to lie to her mom about where she’d been. She had told her about the party before they had even gone out. ***Kaylee doesn’t tell her mom everything, but she does give her glimpses of her life at IU. Once, Kaylee texted her mom after 1 a.m. because she was scared. The cops came to a party she was at, and even though she wasn’t drinking, Kaylee wanted to make sure she couldn’t get in trouble for just being there. “Well, you probably shouldn’t put yourself in those situations,” Tammy said. “But ...”Tammy remembers college. She went to the University of Evansville more than 30 years ago. Before Kaylee left in the summer, she talked to her about roommates, professors and what to expect. Tammy knows it’s not the same now as it was then, but she trusts Kaylee will make the right decisions. Still, she’ll send her marathon texts before the night begins.“B careful! Leave with your friends,” she’ll type. “B safe hav fun and don’t come home alone. Wheres the party? Remember everything we’ve taught you.”They’re little reminders from a mom far away, part of their dance of control.Still, Kaylee thinks she knows better.One weekend, Kaylee drove up to Terre Haute to visit her ex-boyfriend, Andrew, at Indiana State University. She didn’t think her mom would approve, and she was right. A few days later, she heard from her mom. She had checked Kaylee’s debit card transactions.“So what was your debit card doing in Terre Haute?” Tammy asked.“How did you know?” Kaylee said.“Your debit card doesn’t lie,” Tammy said. She wasn’t mad, really, but she did mind. Kaylee could have gotten in an accident, and Tammy wouldn’t have known where she was. Tammy knows she can’t worry every second of the day. She trusts God and her daughter, and so with resignation and a prayer, she lets it float away. There’s nothing else she can do.***A couple months in, Kaylee was adjusting to her new normal. Then, one day, she pulled a muscle in her back after working out. It hurt so badly in class the next day that she thought she would throw up. She ran out and sat on the stairs near her classroom in McNutt Quad. The first thing she did was call her mom.“Just go to the Health Center,” Tammy said, helpless from so far away.As hard as she was trying, she still couldn’t totally stand alone.***Winter break came quickly, and Kaylee got to go home. Her first semester in college was over, but now at home, she would have to answer to her mom.She was a different person now, though, and she expected the rules to be different. She wasn’t in high school anymore. Her mom knew it wouldn’t be the same, too. The pressure of the worlds colliding — Kaylee in college and Kaylee the daughter — still gets to them sometimes.During break, Kaylee would go out with friends, and her mom would still ask the mom questions. “Who’s going to be there? Who’s driving? Are they a good driver?”They don’t have it perfect, but they’re getting closer. Tammy lets Kaylee stay out later, knows she sets her own rules at school. She trusts she’s taught Kaylee well enough. Kaylee does her best, and sometimes, she’ll give a little, too. “Thanks!” she’ll type, when her mom texts.It’s just a simple response, but it’s an acknowledgment. Through the miles of airspace and between the lines, it’s the balance of adulthood, the new normal they’ve found and the bond they’ll share beyond freshman year.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Women stepped off of the bus in front of Pi Beta Phi and ran down the street in their cocktail attire and UGGs, heels hanging out of their purses and dangling in their hands.They’d been walking up and down Third Street and North Jordan Avenue all day, watching videos about how much each of IU’s 20 Panhellenic chapters mean to the women who call them home. As recruitment progressed, they were getting closer to being part of it themselves. Formal recruitment wrapped up Thursday through Sunday with First Invite, Second Invite and Preference Round. The process will conclude with Bid Night tonight.Gretchen Catron was among the potential new members, or PNMs. She had been through 20 Party, 14 Party and 8 Party. She submitted rankings, and the houses ranked her. She even started seeing herself in a house, imagined being part of a new sisterhood.But, Sunday morning, Gretchen’s recruitment journey came to an end.“I was hoping to get (my top choice) back, and I didn’t want to take up a potential bid from someone who really wanted it at one of the other two,” she said. “I just couldn’t see myself living there.”Gretchen wasn’t alone. As recruitment continued through the weekend, the field was narrowed. Panhellenic Association uses a process of mutual selection, said Ashley Clark, vice president of communication for PHA. With this system, the PNMs rank their top choices, and chapters make lists of women to invite back, both selecting each other to ensure the best fit for all. The rankings are then checked and entered into a computer. “We use the system to be efficient, organized and unbiased,” Clark said.Freshman Anna Sloss said she felt the pressure of the process during the weekend.“Going from 14 to eight was a really tough cut,” she said. “A lot of people didn’t get a house back that they really loved.”After 8 Party on Saturday, the weekend continued to Preference Round, in which PNMs visited as many as three chapters.“It’s more of getting to know the chapters on a personal level,” Clark said. “They get to see the sisterhood we live every day.”Sloss said spending so much time with the houses made each cut harder.“I’m not a person who cries, but I can see now how people do become emotional,” Sloss said. “You put a lot into it.”Rho Gamma Jana Kovich’s job is to help guide PNMs through the process. She said she tries to encourage the women in her group, even if she knows they are upset.“Not getting a house back that they enjoyed being at doesn’t have anything to do with them as a person,” she said. “I try to remind them of that.”Though Kovich tries to be encouraging, some PNMs do decide to drop from the process. She said she realizes the greek system isn’t for everyone.“Although I’d be proud to call them my sister in the Panhellenic system, I don’t want to push them into anything they don’t feel comfortable with,” Kovich said. “There’s a reason only 20 percent of the campus is greek and 80 percent isn’t.”Though Gretchen said she had imagined herself in a sorority, meeting new people and getting involved on campus, she said she realizes IU has other things to offer. She said the process brought her closer with girls on her floor, and she might live with some of them next year.“I was just frustrated because I’d spent so much time,” she said. “For me, I just wanted to make sure I got the full college experience. I wanted to rush to see if a sorority is where I’m supposed to be.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As Max Walter took things out of drawers and off dressers the night before he left for IU, it was more than just things he was putting into boxes. It was years spent in elementary school, middle school and Bloomington High School South, years when he’d started a band with his friends and delivered his high school commencement speech. Years where he was Max Walter: the funny guy, the honors kid, the friend, the son. It was the only way he knew to define himself.Even though his dorm was only miles away from his home in Bloomington, he could no longer be who he had been. Max was just one face in the crowd. He didn’t have a major, didn’t have a close group of college friends yet and didn’t know what to expect.Max was about to start a journey to make a new life at IU, to redefine himself and to find his place. It’s a journey every freshman has to make, and it’s hard, lonely and sometimes awkward. Though Max knew the city and the school, he had to start all over. Here at IU, he was just as lost as everyone else.***Max sat in the basement of Woodburn Hall in cargo shorts and a T-shirt. It had been about a month since he had moved in, and he was easing in. He’d made friends with people on his floor, and he had auditioned and joined All Sorts of Trouble for the Boy in the Bubble, a sketch comedy group. Tonight was only his second practice.Max sat in a chair near the wall quietly looking at the scripts. A woman came in with a teddy bear in a huge plastic bag. A man dove across a desk, pawing at a woman to get coffee. Max sat off to the side picking at his fingernails.After a few sketches, Max’s moment came. It was a sketch about parents and condoms. Max played the kid.“I just want to take this time to remind you that your seed is precious,” the woman playing the mom said.“Mom,” Max said. “Mom,” he said, louder. “FINE,” he screamed, his voice echoing across the small room. Everyone laughed. For a moment, Max was the funny guy again, basking in the light of it. But he couldn’t hold on to it yet.Sometimes, Max saw buses go by on campus with pictures of Brice Fox and Daniel Weber, two guys who had made up an act and a song about IU. They were known, Max thought. They were just two guys goofing around who got onto something. Now, they were IU legends.Max had a band with his friends in high school called Rattlesnake and the Church of Fresh Beets. He was Rattlesnake. They made a video for one of their songs, and in it, he rapped, flipped pancakes and sat with work boots on in a tub lined with candles. He could do what those guys did, too. What was stopping him?In his classes, Max was still trying to find a balance. In high school, he didn’t have to try. Here, standards were different, and Max was starting to feel like he was falling into the shuffle of B’s and C’s. Calculus was the worst.Max didn’t have to take that math class, but it was a point of pride. He wanted to prove he could do it.The night before the first exam, he studied with his friends in his room. He swiveled in his chair on top of a rug with a picture of a matador. His desk was lined with Arizona Iced Tea bottles in all colors, and a giant stuffed rhinoceros head looked down on him.Over the speakers of Max’s laptop, the first chords of a My Morning Jacket song leaked out. It’s Max’s favorite band.“First you’re up, up, down, down. / One day you’re in, the next day you’re out. / You wanna freak out? Come on.”Max kneeled on the floor, his belly draped over the chair and his notebook on the ground in front of him.“No!” Max slapped the notebook. “I got an imaginary number. Why would I get an imaginary number?” He deflated the chair again. “I don’t know. I quit. I hope she doesn’t ask us that.”He got a C — a 76 out of 100 — after the curve. He thought he’d done worse, but he needed to find a way to do better. In the middle of the semester, Max was still trying to figure out this new system. He was floating through class, finding his way in a group, but he was still lost somewhere in the middle at a big school. He was fitting in, but he wanted to stand out.***Max’s old life was never far away. The person he was — the house he lived in, the high school he went to, his parents — were only about 15 minutes away. He wanted to separate himself from it, though, to try living on his own. He hadn’t been back until a little before Thanksgiving when he went home for dinner.He threw his dirty clothes into a gray trash bag from his dorm and carried them downstairs. His mom’s car was waiting for him at the curb. They drove away, traveling farther and farther from the life Max had made in Teter Quad. Down Jordan Avenue to First Street, out and away.Inside his house, the familiar greeted him. He went directly to the washing machine and dumped his clothes in.While his mom made tacos, Max roamed the room, taking in all the things he used to see every day that he hadn’t touched in months. He opened the fridge and poured himself a glass of orange juice. A picture of little Max in a Superman costume looked back at him, next to a newspaper clipping of him at graduation.After dinner, Max walked up to his old room. He hadn’t been there all semester, except to grab a pair of sweatpants. A big picture of him as a little kid dressed as a pirate beamed above the striped bedspread. A warped bike wheel hung on the wall to commemorate one of his rides. On the bed, a dirty pink Carebear sat, forgotten, a reminder of a simpler time.Benton, Max’s roommate and friend from before college, had gotten it for him when he turned 12. Benton had one too. Max’s was bright pink and named Lovesalot.Bringing it to the dorm had been a consideration.“Should we bring our Carebears?” Max had asked.“No,” Benton said. “Let’s wait till people know us better.”Lovesalot sat on the bed alone since then. But something about the way he sat there that night made Max remember. He was going to take Lovesalot back with him. He scooped him up by the pink paw and went back downstairs.His dad popped in a recording of Max giving his speech to his graduating class. Max had been the class’s elected speaker. He wore his purple robe in front of the red curtain, a white shirt peeking out. Max didn’t know he was supposed to dress up underneath his robe. There, he stood in front of kids he’d gone to school with for years, their parents and his teachers, the cameras taking it down for posterity.Max quoted Ke$ha. He quoted Justin Bieber. He let out a thunderous Panther roar. Everyone laughed, and Max took in the spotlight, the last rays of high school fame.While the video played, Max sat at the table. He liked remembering how it used to be, but the present was pulling him back. He had promised his new friends on the floor he’d hang out with them, and he had to go back to Teter.When they got back, Max and his dad got out of the car. Max grabbed the bear, a funny reminder of the life before Teter, a stuffed animal worn with love.“Love you, dad,” Max said. They hugged.“I love you too.” His dad patted his back. “Keep up the good work.”Max’s dad got back in the car to drive home, across town, and Max walked back into Teter, carrying the bear with him.***Near the end of the semester, Max got a break. Someone remembered him from, of all things, his graduation speech. He was invited to do stand up in a show featuring other Bloomington comics.Max was nervous, but he wanted to do it. He had always dreamed of doing comedic writing, and this was another place to practice. It was one step closer to making a name for himself. He accepted.The night of the show, he walked quietly to State Room East in the Indiana Memorial Union after a class. He was alone. He didn’t tell anyone because he thought having friends in the audience would make him more nervous. And what if he failed?He got up in front and faced the crowd of about 25. He hadn’t really practiced at all outside of his head, hadn’t said the jokes out loud. Somehow, he choked out words. He knows he walked around a lot while doing it, but the rest was a blur.He left out some of his jokes, and some didn’t get many laughs, but he survived. And he was in the spotlight once again.***Max’s dad picked him up after his last final. He’d made it through his first semester. He didn’t have the 4.0 grade-point average he wanted, and not many people knew his name, but he had made friends on his floor, learned to handle college standards and found a place, however small.The car ride home was only minutes, but Max wasn’t the same as when he’d left four months before. The boxes were unpacked, and his things had a new place in a new room.He couldn’t be the same person he was in high school, but against the backdrop of his old life, he’d made a new one. He had four years to build on it, and the shine of the spotlight didn’t look quite so far away.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Alli King always knew she wanted to rush, but after 20 Party, she had to wait to go any further.At first it was stressful. She thought about it sometimes through finals and break, but it was mostly in the back of her mind. She had ranked her top 14, but she didn’t know if any of those houses would ask her back.“You really had no idea what houses you’d get back or if you’d be dropped for grades or anything like that,” she said.On Thursday morning, she finally stopped waiting. Her Rho Gamma met with her group at the Union and pulled them all aside individually. When it was Alli’s turn, she was nervous. She got her schedule, and she got back all 14 of the houses she ranked.“I would have been happy getting back 10 or 12 of the houses,” she said.The recruitment process began again this week with 14 Party, which continued Friday. The women visited as many as eight chapters Thursday and six chapters Friday in rounds of 45 minutes each. On North Jordan Avenue, potential new members, or PNMs, strode the sidewalks in jeans and boots, leggings and nice tops, consulting thin strips of paper that told them what house to go to next.The Click Five’s “Just the Girl” poured out of speakers outside of Alpha Epsilon Phi.“Cause she’s bittersweet, she knocks me off of my feet, and I can’t help myself I don’t want anyone else ... She’s just the girl I’m looking for.”First Invite, said Ashley Clark, vice president of communication for the IU Panhellenic Association, is about getting to know the chapters more. Women in the houses often put on skits to impress their values, such as philanthropy, on potential new members.On the extension, PNMs lined up in two lines outside Chi Omega. The women inside burst into chants. “C-H-I-O,” they sang, banging on the doors.Across the street, Alpha Omicron Pi threw open its door, revealing women clapping with their arms above their heads as they welcomed their potential new sisters.Though many women didn’t get all of their top choices back, they learned more about which houses were a good fit for them and continued the process. Freshman Dana Nathan said she still had hopes she would find her place in the greek system.“You get to create relationships,” she said. “Everyone says you’ll have sisters for life, and I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true.”Women gathered outside AEPhi, waiting for the round to begin. Inside, women started screaming and chanting as they walked the PNMs out for the next round.“How do I get on the bus?” one of the PNMs asked. “Where’s Kappa Delta?” Rho Gammas, or temporarily unaffiliated women who serve as recruitment counselors, dressed in everything from wigs to candy striped pants. They helped women get from place to place and offered support and assistance. They used fake names to keep themselves unidentifiable with their chapters. “We’re basically here to be the goofy, lighthearted part of it,” Rho Gamma “Jenna” said. “It can be a really serious process for a lot of girls, so we’re here to bring it back to earth.”The PNMs are only in the middle of the process. After 14 Party, rush will continue Saturday with Second Invite, or 8 Party, followed by Preference Round on Sunday. Those selected receive bids Monday.Though there are many rounds to go, Nathan said she trusts the process will work out how it should. “It’s very competitive. Everyone says, ‘I got this house back or that house,’” she said. “But I think you get certain houses back for a reason.”King said she was excited to continue as well.“I think it’s more exciting because it’s all going to happen so fast now,” she said.
The freshman was soaking in the silence of the Pimp Cave. It was Saturday night, and Ben Wade waited for his best friend Nolan to arrive from Louisville for a visit. For a moment, though, he sat alone.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was a Friday night in Herman B Wells Library, but people kept streaming in. The tables were covered in sandwiches and Starbucks, Monsters and Mother Bear’s. Cell phones and laptops and iPod cords wove together.The victims — students with bleary eyes and wrinkled foreheads — stared at screens. They were hunkered down with their provisions, and they were there to stay.As the semester winds down, students are faced with more stress than ever. They have papers to write, projects to finish and finals to prepare for. It’s a tough time, and it can lead to poorer health and excess stress.Sophomore Lily Mummert was starting the battle. She sat with her knees tucked up to her chest at a desk against the plain library wall. Her computer was open, and her textbook, “Ready-to-Wear Apparel Analysis,” was propped on her lap. She had been on the fourth floor for almost six hours.Mummert was working on a PowerPoint for her apparel class, the first of many projects she has during dead week. To get through, Mummert said she likes to make time for friends and take breaks. She ordered lunch from Dagwood’s that day as a treat.Still, Mummert said the stress of finals can get to students.Dr. Diana Ebling, medical director of the IU Health Center, said health can be a problem during stressful times in the semester. Less focus on eating right can lower immune systems, and students don’t take time to rest. Senior Hannah Hunt said she knows well how finals stress can take a toll on health. During her sophomore year, she stayed up for 36 hours studying for three tests she had in one day. She got through with strong black coffee, but she felt the effects physically and mentally. Now, as a senior, she’s vowed not to live through that again.Hunt said managing time and avoiding cramming can help. Sleep, though, is non-negotiable. “Starting junior year, I made myself get sleep,” she said. “I think you can miss exercise and eating right, but sleep is what you’ll go crazy without.”Ebling said all-nighters are often part of what taxes students’ health. If staying up late is necessary, she recommends planning time during the next few days to sleep more.Senior and University Information Technology Services employee Gary Snee works in the library, and he said you can always tell when finals hit. The atmosphere is tense and quiet, and most of the computers are taken until 2 a.m.As a student, Snee said he relies on his dubstep Pandora station and cramming. He tries to plan, but he said it’s easy to fall back on energy drinks and his headphones. He said this kind of lifestyle often leads to staying up all night, falling asleep in class and getting jittery.Ebling said this kind of diet can be a problem. Students don’t have as much time to cook and often turn to fast food. She recommends staying hydrated and packing healthy snacks to get through the day.She said caffeine is often needed but should not be overdone. Too much coffee or too many energy drinks can make you nauseous and cause heart palpitations, which just make studying harder in the long run.Overall, Ebling said she knows finals time is a stressful time, and students won’t live up to the ideal routine. Still, she said they should try to utilize the more realistic tips. The good news, she said, is most students return to their normal stress levels quickly after the tests end. Thankfully, that’s only two weeks away.
IU 2011 Homecoming Queen Caroline Shurig and King David Osborn
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Clarence Knapp sat under a red and white tent across from IU’s football stadium, cutting his biscuits and gravy on a paper plate with a plastic fork.Behind him, a house — blue siding, white trim — rose from the tailgate fields on platforms. Ten days ago, it was not there. Knapp spent eight to nine hours a day for the last 10 days in this field, working with volunteers and Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County to make this a reality. He and his wife, Tora, put in 250 hours of sweat equity working on other homes to get to build their house. They went to classes and worked to maintain little debt, even on their single income with their two children, Teresa and Bailey.This was the last step in the journey — the last day building the Knapps’ new home. Saturday, they were given the keys. Sunday, the house was moved to its permanent location near 13th Street and Woodlawn Avenue. The build was a joint effort by IU, the Kelley School of Business, Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County and Whirlpool Corporation. “This has been a one-of-a-kind experience,” Knapp said. “I’ve been grinding forward, trying to keep our family safe and secure and sane. Habitat’s finally given us a chance to be up forever.”***A year ago, Clarence Knapp was in the same spot on 17th Street. His and Tora’s first hours of work toward their house were on Trish Vosekas’s house, the first Habitat built with the University.Then, the Knapps were living in a two-bedroom apartment in a busy complex. The kids shared a room, and as they got older — now 6 and 8 — it wasn’t working. There also wasn’t an area for them to play.Clarence worked at the eastside Kroger, and Tora watched the kids and took social work classes at Ivy Tech.They had good credit, but most places couldn’t give them a mortgage without a larger down payment. On a single income, they couldn’t save $15,000 right away.The first time they applied for Habitat, they didn’t qualify. They stayed in a holding pattern, waiting and working. Then the news came.He and Tora built up their Habitat hours by helping future neighbors finish their homes. They worked steadily, balancing a full-time job and the kids. They learned to frame houses and work saws. They worked mostly during the winter.Sometimes it was 30 degrees at noon. Snow would fall while they framed a house. Every 30 minutes, someone would have to come by with a shovel or broom to sweep the slush off the foundation.“Even the worst stuff they have you do with Habitat, I love,” Clarence said.Clarence had grown up in Bloomington. He was born just off Rockport Road.Tora had moved a lot, living in Washington, Idaho, California, Utah and Michigan.The house they were working on would provide them a stable place to raise their family. It would ensure they wouldn’t have to move every nine months when rent got too high.“Now we’re back in a place where the kids have already gotten to know other kids,” he said. “We helped build our neighbors’ homes, and they have green space.”Their lot would be a stable place in a city they knew - a city with good people. It would be a symbol to their kids and an example to be successful. The corner lot, his neighborhood, Bloomington.“This is my home,” he said. ***Inside the Knapps’ house, volunteers in the kitchen scrubbed and poked fingernails into cracks to dig out crusts of paint and dust.Clarence stood in the laundry room, pulling off Whirpool tags and fiddling with the new appliances.“Is this really mine?” he asked.Outside the side door, there was a bit of the blue wrap still exposed. Volunteers had written messages. “Much love from the Wells family.” “May all the love that went into this house help you raise your loving family.” “Wishing you many years of happiness! Congrats.”There are more messages under the siding.“It’s like a house written with good karma all over,” Clarence said.The house still didn’t feel real to Clarence. They’d talked about ways to set up the living room, but they weren’t sure about decorating. There might be pictures of big cats — both he and Tora love lynxes, tigers and the like — and there would definitely be a room with pictures of the kids from newborns to elementary school.Bailey’s room will probably be Legos and Transformers. Teresa’s will probably be pink and covered in toy cats. They still think it’s silly to have separate rooms, Clarence said. They haven’t figured out how great it is.The kids want a dog or cat to complete things, Clarence said.Clarence was told it would hit him in a few months when he was just sitting in his living room looking at everything — that they were here, that this was his.He touched the new washer.“This wasn’t here last week,” he said. “It’s crazy.”***At the dedication for the house, important people spoke.“It’s neat to see them come full circle to be this year’s family,” said Meagan Niese, development director of Habitat for Humanity Monroe County. “They’re hard-working people, and they cut their debt down. And they’re excited to pay a mortgage. It’s an emotional day.”Clarence was crying. He said it was like summer camp or an awesome family vacation. He didn’t want it to end. He would have camped there breakfast, lunch and dinner, and he would have worked another week if he had to.They were handed their key, and the kids cut the ribbon on the door. It meant family barbecues, their first Thanksgiving and Christmas. The number 303 hung on one of the white pillars on the porch.“Home is where the heart is,” Clarence said to the crowd. “And you will all be in ours forever.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A young woman had just finished urinating. Now she was crying, her hands cuffed behind her back.She was being led up the hill by Cpl. Travis Thickstun, an Indiana State Excise Police officer in plain clothes. She wore a red bandana around her blonde ponytail and her phone was still in her right hand.Early Saturday afternoon, before IU’s defeat of South Carolina State, a group of uniformed IU Police Department officers stood looking down. The Red Lot of the tailgate fields was a sea of red, pulsing as one. It was a sea of sunglasses and Solo cups, bare midriffs and backwards hats. Blow-up beer bottles were smacked toward the sky.To many IU students, tailgating is a place where the rules of real life are suspended, a bubble of protection. But with 99 citations in the first two weeks of IU’s home football season, it also has consequences.***Thickstun led the woman to a white tent at the edge of the parking lot on Fess Avenue. It serves as a booking unit, organized by the Monroe County Sheriff’s office to keep things running smoothly and allow officers to return to the fields quickly.Thickstun found her at about 2 p.m., near a clump of trees, exposed and urinating. He asked her to pull up her shorts, but she wasn’t finished. When she was, she couldn’t stand. She fell against a tree and leaned on it for support.Now, inside the tent, a female officer came up behind the crying woman and gently tugged at the bow in her hair. The hair fell in a loose curtain, hiding the tears rolling down the tailgater’s face. The officer took out the woman’s earrings and placed them in a plain, brown, paper bag. Nothing metallic is allowed in the jail.A few minutes later, the woman stepped into one of the big white vans used to transport the arrested students to the jail. She was being cited for minor consumption of alcohol, public nudity, public intoxication and resisting an officer. She’s only 18 years old, but her blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit to drive a car. She was taken to the Monroe County Jail and required to stay in detox until she blew zero on the breathalyzer. Soon, she’ll be in court. ***Director of Student Legal Services Randy Frykberg often deals with the people who get in trouble. He said thinking the tailgate fields are a rule-free zone can often be part of the problem.“The greatest misconception is that somehow this is a protected zone or a law-free zone where you kind of drink at your will, and that doesn’t apply at all,” he said. “All that it is is essentially a big pen of people often doing illegal things, which makes it remarkably easy for police to ticket them.”Because they cannot target everyone, many IUPD officers said they look for people who are drawing attention to themselves — those starting fights, urinating in public or causing harm to themselves or others. “If they wanted to haul in everyone who was drunk at the tailgate lot, they’d have to essentially put bars on the tailgate lot,” Frykberg said.Still, IUPD Chief Keith Cash said there is no reason to arrest everyone.“You’ll see it’s loud, but it’s people tailgating,” Cash said. “Just because you’re loud and having fun doesn’t mean you’re breaking the law.”***Farther back in the Red Lot stood David Fishler. He was visiting from New York for his daughter’s sorority weekend, and he stood near the back of a dance area while his daughter showed him what tailgating is all about.“There doesn’t appear to be any rules,” he said. “I think you really have to go over the limit to get in trouble.”Two girls sat on the ground, surrounded by officers. One was leaning back on her friend, cradled between her knees. Her right leg was tucked under her body and she was whimpering. She didn’t know what was going on.“Allison, it’s okay. Everyone is here to help you,” her friend said. The officers tried to lift her onto a nearby golf cart, but her left shoe fell off, and her stomach was exposed. Four officers heaved again, this time lifting her limp body onto the back bench, her head hanging off the back. Two of them held her while the other two climbed into the front to drive. As they drove away, a man with a beer and a blue backpack snapped a photo with his phone. The golf cart stalled on its way up the hill, and Allison went tumbling onto the step of the cart like a rag doll. Her feet hung off, her left sock bunched up. The officers carried her off to the grass as the EMT unit arrived. One of the officers tugged her sock back on and pulled her shoe over it. He tied the laces.Nearby someone tossed a beer into the air. The foam went spinning widly, spraying the crowd, and fizzled out like a firework. The EMTs began giving Allison external rubs — hard presses with their knuckles on her sternum — which stimulated nerve endings to pull her back to consciousness. As they tried to hook up tubes to her mouth to give her oxygen, she smacked their hands away. Soon, the ambulance arrived, its lights pulsing rhythmically. Allison was loaded onto the stretcher and pulled under the metal chain that separates the parking lot from the field. Allison went to the hospital, like everyone else who blows more than a .25. Even though she’s 21, she’d have a citation for public intoxication waiting for her.***A golf cart of police officers pulled up to a truck. The Red Lot beyond the silver gates had been cleared, crushed cups and cans left behind. Girls in tutus danced, a baseline thumping. The back of the truck was set up like a DJ stand, the ground in front was the dance floor.The officer made a slashing sign at his throat — turn it off. “Everyone’s just messed up looking to have a good time,” junior Vadim Slezberg said. “Good people, good times. They think they’re trying to help us out, but they’re here to screw us over. Tailgates are the core of this school in the fall. There’s no reason we should be discouraged by cops for supporting our school."Slezberg remained adamant about his rights to party. He stood in the middle of a mass of people, sweaty and sunsoaked. He was going to keep tailgating despite the lack of music. The sun was shining, and the sky was blue.Ways to get locked upPublic Intoxication: If you're 21 and intoxicated in public, it's still a crime, even if you're not above .08. That limit only applies when operating a vehicle. Public Nudity: A lesser offense than indecent exposure, public nudity is still punishable by as many as 60 days in jail. The law was added in 2003 so an act like urinating in public would not be treated the same as intentionally fondling oneself in a crowd of people. Resisting Arrest: Resisting law enforcement, which includes running from an officer or disobeying a lawful order, is a Class A misdemeanor and is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of $5,000.Minor Consumption: It is a Class C misdemeanor to be in possession of, consume or transport an alcoholic beverage. If you're underage and have had any alcohol at all, you've broken Indiana law. Excise police are often in plain clothes and target underage drinkers.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman Kaylee Cox stood still in the bustle of parents, students, cars and carts outside Teter Quad.Behind her was a mountain spread out on the curb. There were boxes, suitcases, laundry baskets and bedding. Almost everything was cheetah print, and what wasn’t cheetah was pink or black. Even the silver “Indiana” letters on her shirt were in animal print.“I have a lot of stuff. But we’re decorating like cheetah,” she said.Kaylee was one of thousands of IU freshmen that moved in across campus Wednesday, IU’s official move-in day. She woke up at 5:30 a.m. and drove two and a half hours from Evansville with her mother and aunt. Hours later, she stood on the curb alone, texting. Her mom, Tammy, and aunt had left to park the car. Her roommate, Kaitlyn, a friend from high school, hadn’t arrived yet. Kaylee was excited to meet people and learn the area, but for the moment, she was waiting.***“Party in the USA” was blaring through the air. Move-in assistants in red shirts danced with balloons at the front entrance. Kaylee’s mom and aunt returned.“Looks like we’ve got a leopard theme going on,” her mom said. From behind them, assistants offered to help carry Kaylee’s things to her room.The first things Kaylee grabbed were some pink photo albums, her pink laptop case and her pink purse. Kaylee’s room was on the fifth floor, but luckily, her building had an elevator. With about six people and all the boxes, it was a tight squeeze. Everyone waited.“Did you turn your key to five?” one of the assistants asked.“Oh,” Kaylee said. “I didn’t know you had to.”Once everyone was out of the elevator, they turned down the hall. 516, 514. They turned the other way. 518.“Welcome home!” Kaylee’s mom said. Kaylee turned the key the wrong way, but then she opened the door and saw her room for the first time. She looked around. It was smaller than she expected.“Well, this is great for Kaylee’s stuff, but now where’s Kaitlyn’s room?” her mom said, laughing. ***About an hour later, Kaylee’s family had acquired a cart. With the help of four move-in assistants, they took the last load. Kaylee had officially moved in. “What do we do now?” Tammy asked. “You’re here, you’ve got your stuff.”They were at a standstill again. The room was cluttered with suitcases, boxes and totes. Kaylee wanted to start with bedding, but she couldn’t until she unbunked the beds, and she couldn’t unbunk the beds until she had more room.“What’s in here?” Kaylee asked, bag in hand.“I think purses, snacks, some tennis rackets, food,” her mom said.They eventually started unpacking. Kaylee put away her running shorts while her aunt draped her jeans in the closet. Her mom set up electrical cords. Her and her roommate’s matching animal-print robes were already in the closets. They already had a pile of things to take back home, and at the same time were planning a Walmart run to buy what they had forgotten. Kaylee was ready to be on her own. Even though she said she’s pretty close with her family and knows she’ll miss them, she’s excited to be more independent. Once everything was organized and it was time to go, though, her mom wasn’t so sure.“I will miss her, and I’ll go home to an empty house, and I won’t have any more functions to attend. And it’ll all just stop,” Tammy said. “They don’t need you as much anymore. It’s different for the kid, but it’s different for the parent as well. We’re both entering a new stage.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Yuchen Wen, who goes by Vince, is the IU Chinese Students and Scholars Association president. He participated in an email interview with the Indiana Daily Student to discuss what it was like to be a new international student at IU.IDS: Where are you from?Wen: Mainland China.IDS: Why did you decide to come to IU?Wen: Because of the great Kelley school, pretty campus, typical American life and friendly environment.IDS: What was it like when you first arrived?Wen: Honestly, the first impression was not that good, as I arrived here in December 2008. You know, the winter here is just horrible. Even though it was my first time seeing such a big snowy place, after 2 days of excitement, I started to get stuck on it. I knew nothing about here before, so I rarely use public transportation. That is true for most of us international students. So, I almost walked everywhere in the snow. You know, in China, we always use air conditioner in winter instead of the heater. That’s totally different. I always put on too many clothes outdoors and took off most of them when I went indoors. Even though my speaking was fine, I had no idea about some local slang. I spent some time and worked it out.IDS: What did you choose to get involved in and why?Wen: As an international student, of course I prefer to get involved with people from my country. So, I hooked up with IUCSSA at the very beginning. After that, I also got involved with some dorm clubs or sports clubs. But obviously, being with IUCSSA was the most convenient.IDS: What’s the best advice you have for new international students?Wen: I think I got a bunch of advice since I had a really tough time being here at the very beginning. The best one I would say is don’t worry too much about everything. Just take it easy. Be confident, and you will attain what you wish to.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There are many resources for students on campus, but there are plenty of organizations that are there for parents, too. These are some of the important numbers and resources that might be helpful.IU Parents AssociationThis office provides a link between parents and the IU campus and sends two newsletters per year via email. Sign up for the newsletter at mykidis@indiana.edu.Indiana Memorial Union M088900 E. Seventh St.812-856-1626mykidis@indiana.eduFirst Year Experiences (FYE)This office is geared completely toward orienting and supporting students in their first years, but it can be a helpful resource for new college parents as well.Wright Residence Center (Mid-May to mid-July)501 N. Jordan Ave.Franklin Hall 228 (Mid-July to mid-May)601 E. Kirkwood Ave.812-855-4357fye@indiana.eduBursarIf you’re paying the bills, the Bursar might be an important contact. The office handles all University billing and payments.Franklin Hall 011601 E. Kirkwood Ave.812-855-2636bursar@indiana.eduIUPD Crime AlertsThis site provides updates of all crime and alerts on campus.http://www.indiana.edu/~iupd/crimeAlerts.htmlCounseling and Psychological ServicesCAPS can be a great counseling resource for students, but it also provides tips for parents on how to support a student leaving for college.600 N. Jordan Ave.812-855-5711http://www.iu.edu/~health/departments/caps/caps_links/caps_parents.htmlHealth CenterThe Health Center is located on campus and can help students with minor injuries or illnesses.600 N. Jordan Ave.812-855-4011http://healthcenter.indiana.edu/index2.htmlBloomington HospitalIf your student has an emergency, the Bloomington Hospital is always open and prepared to deal with anything.601 W. Second St.812-353-5252Alumni Association800-824-3044http://alumni.indiana.edu/Disability Services for Students812-855-7578http://www2.dsa.indiana.edu/dss/Financial Aid812-855-0321http://www.indiana.edu/~sfa/Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Support Services812-855-4252http://www.indiana.edu/~glbt/Monroe County Convention & Visitors Bureau812-336-3681http://www.bloomingtonconvention.com/Residential Programs and Services801 N. Jordan Ave.812-855-1764http://www.rps.indiana.edu/index.cfmlStudent Legal Services 812-855-7867https://www.indiana.edu/~sls/