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(07/14/15 6:41pm)
Moving onto campus involves more than putting clothes away and setting up the mini refrigerator. Students also need to set up the Internet on their computers, learn how and where to print those upcoming assignments and figure out how to keep their laptops safe.
(06/06/14 5:21pm)
Listening, listening and more listening.
(05/30/14 5:51pm)
Moving onto campus involves more than putting clothes away and setting up the mini refrigerator. Students also need to set up the Internet on their computers, learn how and where to print those upcoming assignments and figure out how to keep their laptops safe.
(06/07/13 8:40pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Moving onto campus involves more than putting clothes away and setting up the mini refrigerator. Students also need to set up the Internet on their computers, learn how and where to print those upcoming assignments and know how to keep their laptops safe. Charles Rondot, former manager of University IT Communications, offered a variety of tips and important information for incoming freshmen. He suggested visiting the custom portal first at nu2it.iu.edu/iub and offered more advice for students setting up their computers and learning how to use campus Internet. PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONSRondot suggests students run Get Connected (getconnected.iu.edu) before coming to campus, so that it only takes a few minutes to set up once you’re there. He said doing this will also set up a wireless connection. PRINTING PROCEDURES In addition to the 650 page printing quota every student gets, UITS asks all to only print 50 pages at a time, to not reuse paper in the printers and to not use special paper, labels or transparencies. For a list of computer labs on campus, visit: stcweb.stc.indiana.edu/framework/apps/public/SiteRes/LabInfo.cfm.KEEP YOUR COMPUTER SAFERondot suggests running anti-virus software and OS updates and being sure not to click suspicious links or give out your username and password.Go to protect.iu.edu for more information about safe computer habits.STILL NEED HELP? UITS provides support 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 812-855-6789, or at ithelplive.iu.edu or email help at ithelp@iu.edu. Walk-up help is available at the UITS Support Center in Herman B Wells Library. Hours for the support center are 8 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to midnight Sunday.
(06/07/12 7:28pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Moving into to campus involves more than putting clothes away and setting up the mini refrigerator. Students also need to set up the Internet on their computers, learn how and where to print those upcoming assignments and know how to keep their laptops safe. Charles Rondot, manager of University IT Communications, offered a variety of tips and important information for incoming freshmen. He suggested visiting the custom portal first at nu2it.iu.edu/iub and offered more advice for students setting up their computers and learning how to use campus Internet. Problems and solutionsRondot suggests students run Get Connected (getconnected.iu.edu) before coming to campus, so then it only takes a few minutes once getting to campus. He said doing this will also set up a wireless connection. Keep your computer safeRondot suggests running anti-virus software and OS updates and being sure not to click suspicious links or give out your username and password.Go to keepitsafe.iu.edu for more information about safe computer habits.Printing proceduresIn addition to the printing quota every student gets, UITS asks all to only print 50 pages at a time, to not reuse paper in the printers and to not use special paper, labels or transparencies. For a list of computer labs on campus, visit: stcweb.stc.indiana.edu/framework/apps/public/SiteRes/LabInfo.cfm.Still need help?UITS provides support 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 812-855-6789, or at ithelplive.iu.edu or email help at ithelp@iu.edu. Walk-up help is available at the UITS Support Center in Herman B Wells Library. Hours for the support center are 8 a.m. to midnight Mon. through Thurs., 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fri., noon to 5 p.m. Sat. and noon to midnight Sun.For other answers to technical problems, visit the UITS Knowledge Base at kb.iu.edu.
(06/07/12 7:01pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Listening, listening and more listening. During day one of orientation, incoming freshmen hear from Residential Program Services, the Office of the Bursar and University Division, to name a few. But day two is where it gets tricky. Students have a one-hour advising appointment and then are responsible for creating a schedule from the list of classes complied during this meeting. It’s up to the students to make their schedule a successful one, but University Division advisers are there to help. “It’s a ‘step up’ moment,” Joyce Miller, an assistant director of advising for UD, said. “We want to see kids get off to a good start.”Miller shared several ways students can schedule for their classes with ease.Prepare for advising appointmentsMiller said it’s very helpful if students have an idea about what they are interested in and what they want to study.“This needs to be a two-way conversation,” she said.Take the placement tests and the results seriouslyThe tests are created by departments at IU and are good indicators about how well a student will do in a class, Miller said.Waitlisting a class is an optionMiller said students should keep this in mind but warns that this doesn’t guarantee a spot in the class. “When you waitlist, you have to have an alternative plan in mind and in place,” she said.Don’t skim the reading during orientationIt’s important for students to read the screens carefully because of the tiny differences between course numbers, Miller said. “You have to be careful you’re in the right course, not just the right department.”Be flexible when schedulingMiller said students need to realize they are taking classes full-time and their schedule might not turn out exactly how they wanted it. Schedules aren’t set in stoneStudents can make changes to their schedule if something isn’t working or interesting to them. Miller said she doesn’t encourage it, but it’s an option if necessary.Walk your scheduleMake sure there are no surprises your first week by walking through your schedule before classes start, Miller said. This way, students will realize if 15 minutes is enough time in between classes or not.“Work that out before classes begin, so you know what you need to do.”
(04/25/12 3:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jumping around the stage at the Bishop Bar, Lewis Rogers, 22, bangs his head and strums his guitar. It’s the middle of the performance, and he’s getting into this song.Addison Rogers, 26, also nods his head to the beat while playing the drums next to Lewis. Instead of a regular bass drum, he’s using a suitcase he converted into a drum by bolting a metal pedal to the back of it. He stares at his younger brother as they perform “Alone,” a song Lewis was inspired to write after listening to Maurice Ravel’s classical piece “Rapsodie Espagnole.”So just leave me alone, I will love you no more / Let this time that we spent grow old, slip and die on the floor / Half of what I say will never reach your heartTogether, the brothers are Busman’s Holiday, a band they’ve grown up with and grown into. They’ve matured through the music they started recording about 10 years ago, and they’re ready to make careers out of it. As they disappear into their next album, “A Long Goodbye,” they look to each other to find the harmony for success.***Lewis slowly pours water into a wine glass, dips his right middle finger in and rubs it around the rim, listening closely to the sound. The water level has to be just right to get it perfect. “It’s amazing to see how much water it takes to get this right,” Lewis says. “A spoonful is probably like half of a note.”He’s recording sounds for the track “World” on the next album. Then the outside door swings open, and Lewis is interrupted. His mom is home. Lewis and Addison live with their parents to save money, which means dealing with the occasional interruption.His mom greets him, and they discuss who needs the car and when. For four family members, they only have two cars. Realizing he’s busy recording, Doreen, 55, leaves. “OK, I’ll shut the door,” she says, smiling as she slowly closes his bedroom door.“Yeah, please do,” Lewis responds, slightly frustrated.He swivels in his chair and gets back to work on the next part of the song, but his mom’s footsteps upstairs can still be heard. ***When they’re not playing music, they’re still spending time together.“I’ve always told them, you can trust your brother, but you don’t know about other people,” Doreen says. “They acknowledge each other’s strengths. I think they have a good harmony together.”Sometimes they bicker; sometimes they laugh. Before their show at the Bishop, they bickered.Addison was still getting ready, and Lewis was trying to hurry him along. “You know we have to be there at 4, right?” Lewis asked as he knocked on the bathroom door.“I know,” Addison said.“OK. I just want you to know that because it’s getting close to 4,” Lewis said.“I know,” Addison replied.“So, you should hurry up,” Lewis said. “I know...”***There’s no backup plan in place, but that doesn’t worry them. As long as they’re playing music, they’ll be happy.“We were lucky not to grow up with parents or around people who really told us to make money,” Lewis said. “I’d much rather just play music, even if I had to work at McDonald’s. It would suck, but at least I would still have something to look forward to.”They also aren’t concerned about moving out. They like living at home. Doreen said there are days when she doesn’t even see them because they come and go as they please. She’s always encouraged them to stay at home because she wants them to use their money for the band, not for rent.“I guess that’s the way for us to support them until something bigger happens,” Doreen said.Lewis and Addison like the idea of staying in Bloomington and appreciate the support from their parents.They won’t rule out the idea of big cities like New York, but it doesn’t seem likely.“Bloomington, I think, will always be our home,” Addison said.***About 30 minutes before they take the stage at the Bishop, they don’t have a plan for the show. Lewis tells Addison they should make a set list.“Should we, though?” Addison questions.“Yeah, I like set lists,” Lewis responds.“Alright, we can do that,” Addison says. Lewis pulls out a red pocket notebook and pen but doesn’t write anything.They do the show without a set list, just as usual. They prefer it this way so they can interact with each other and with the audience more.Once they’re ready to go on stage, they have to think quickly.“What are we playing?” Addison asks Lewis.“Uh... ‘Child Actor,’” Lewis says. Lewis strums a few chords on his guitar and closes his eyes as he sings. Addison bangs his drums, but his eyes are glued on his younger brother. Don’t they think of my future, this person that brought me into their home? / You think you’ve got nothing then all just seems to be goneThey finish the song singing together, with their eyes closed. Both of them are focused on the performance. “The best shows, I’m thinking about nothing,” Lewis says. “I’m just completely in it.”***When Lewis was 11 years old, he got his first guitar and learned to play “Yesterday” by The Beatles. That’s when the obsession began, and he played every chance he got. In middle school, he played with the high school band. As a junior in high school, he got into the lowest-level jazz ensemble at IU, and as a senior, he was in the highest-level ensemble. These ensembles, directed by David Baker, usually only accepted upperclassmen and graduate students, but Lewis was an exception. “I was very intimidated by everyone,” he said. “I think it was the best thing that happened to me.”After that, he didn’t see the point in going to college. He had already been on tour with Busman’s Holiday and had been writing songs since he was 12.“I really got sick of school at a very young age,” Lewis said. “Music seemed like the best thing to do.”Music consumes his life, whether he’s playing, listening, performing or recording. Walking underneath a bridge near campus one morning, he stopped to listen to the water and the echoes.He pulled out his harmonica, turned on his recorder and played for a few minutes. He was looking for unique sounds to put into new songs.“If I could do that and get paid for it, that’d be the dream,” Lewis said.***Addison got a toy drum set at 2. He was playing real drums in elementary school and continued in high school when his passion for acting became the priority.Lewis wanted someone to play with, though, and he knew his big brother could do it. “He’d be annoyed, but he’d do it,” Lewis said.When Lewis got a Tascam 788 recording system at 12, he and Addison, 16 at the time, spontaneously created an album. “Shirts and Skins” was the first record the brothers produced together as Rogers and Rogers, the original name of the band. They started playing at the Farmers’ Market and on Kirkwood Avenue, and soon they were known throughout town.Addison channeled his acting talent in their performances by interacting with the crowds. He realized it was easier to pursue music with Lewis than acting alone.“It was also just a lot more clear as to what Lewis and I were doing as opposed to what I was doing with acting,” Addison said. “At some point, I realized you can sustain yourself as a musician here in Bloomington.”The performing aspect of the band is the best part for him. He can connect with the audience between songs while he sings. From talking in a country accent to joking with Lewis to giving a shout-out to John Mellencamp, he assesses how the crowd is feeling.During their show at the Bishop, he told the audience about his and his brother’s love for Mellencamp. They’ve camped out multiple times to see him in concert. The crowd laughed as he told the story, but Addison doubted their interest.When he talked about it after the show, he laughed it off, knowing there was nothing he could do about it.***The first time they went on tour, Lewis was only 16 years old. Their mom said she only let him go because she knew Addison, 21 at the time, would watch out for him.“Addison has always had to look out for Lewis,” Doreen said. “They’re funny, but they’ve never been wild, crazy kids.”Still, she bought them cell phones and talked to them almost every day.But the tours were never anything special. The pay was usually low, and sometimes they’d play on the streets to make extra money.At some places, there was hardly any crowd, as in Pennsylvania in 2008, when they played to a line of about 20 people at a haunted house. After a few of these tours, Lewis lost his passion. He didn’t like the reality of a musician’s life — being on the tour bus everyday, making little money and not knowing if people actually cared about the music.The next album was also a big concern for him. He had obsessed about it for two years at this point. It was some of his best work, but he didn’t think it mattered because it was only three songs.A few months passed without Lewis being involved with music, but then things changed.“In my head, there was a big shift,” Lewis said. “I realized I could use this obsession for good.”The writing came more naturally, and he was excited again. He felt as though these were the songs that would make something big happen.“I realized it would have been a waste if I would have stopped playing,” he said.***Albums are statements, and they want to send a certain message with their next album, currently titled “A Long Goodbye.” They agreed that this one is more mature than their previous albums.“This record is kind of what we hoped to make our career out of,” Lewis said. “It’s either now or never.”After four years of working on it, Lewis said a lot of his personal feelings were vested in this one. He went through a breakup during it and spent time worrying about the world and himself, which comes through in the songs, like “Alone” and “Hope To”. Lewis, who writes most of their songs, gets inspiration from everywhere — from walking around town to listening to classical music, Beyoncé, The Beatles or Paul Simon. He writes about his personal experiences but makes it more dramatic. Almost all of it is fiction when he’s done because he doesn’t believe writing about himself is interesting. For one of his favorite songs, he stole the idea from a poem he heard a friend talking about. “Hope To,” on Busman’s Holiday’s next album, is about a man who finally gets what he wants, but then it’s still not right.A conscious state is constant, a waste of time if all you know is a conscious mind“At that time, I was worried about what being a musician was,” Lewis said. “If I got to my final goal, would it really be what I wanted? And then I thought, ‘Wow, that’s an interesting idea.’”***They’ve played five songs, and the crowd is still cheering and dancing. Lewis, trying to be discreet, whispers to Addison for some water, and Addison says into the microphone, “Sure, you can have some water.” The crowd laughs.“If you can’t tell, Lewis and I are friends,” Addison tells everyone, but Lewis finishes the statement.“Of the brotherly kind,” he says smiling. The last song of the show is from their next album. You are you, so show me something that you do, show me something that is trueToward the end of the song Lewis encourages the crowd to clap to the beat. That’s not my problem. That’s not my problem....The clapping fades, and as they sing in harmony, Addison and Lewis glance at each other and back at the audience. They close their eyes and lose themselves in the music as they finish the song.
(03/21/12 2:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Walking along a snow-dusted gravel path, Jim Eagleman’s crunching feet come to a stop as he spots a wounded American beech.“‘Tom loves Susan’ — I’m really happy to know that,” Jim says, pointing out a carving on the tree trunk.He pulls out his pocketknife and asks a volunteer to give him her bare arm, but the woman backs away. Jim has made his point: No one wants to be carved with a knife, not even trees.“Does the tree just stand there and take it?” he asks. “Well, yeah, it stands there and takes it, but it hurts it.”Jim explains to the group he’s teaching that even small carvings, including “Tom loves Susan, cause damage to a tree’s health. Then he moves on to the next tree, a shagbark, and discussed the features that make it easy to recognize. He says recognizing trees is just like facial recognition with people.For Jim, trees are like people. They’re the people he sees every day, the people he studies, the people he works with. But even after 34 years as an interpretive naturalist at Brown County State Park, he doesn’t get bored seeing the same trees every day because they are always changing, just like any other living thing.It’s his job to be curious like this. He doesn’t have an average day because he sees something new every day. Every day, he is learning more about the land.“A naturalist is a curious person,” Jim said. “You’re never satisfied with learning 20 trees when there’s 50 more to know. We don’t know all there is to know yet. That’s an exciting thing.”Growing up on a farm in Pennsylvania, Jim, 62, learned to appreciate nature at an early age.“The love was there from early on, and it’s still there,” he said. Instead of playing baseball with his friends, he spent time working on the family farm. His father was a veterinarian who taught him to care for the animals and land they owned. Jim frequently noticed that his friends never had fresh produce while his family had plenty. “I think it gave me an appreciation for what we get from the land and why it’s important that we respect it,” Jim said.Jim’s father was a driving force behind his interest in nature, from working on the farm to encouraging him to explore the outdoors to taking him hunting and fishing. Educating people of all ages is one of many jobs Jim has as a naturalist for the park. But he doesn’t want to bore anyone with a lecture, so he takes a different approach.“I think my philosophy is get immersed, get involved, touch it, rub it on your body, get it all over you,” he said. One afternoon, Jim visited an elementary school in Indianapolis. Before he spoke to the kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, a falconer addressed the crowd. Jim noticed an 8-year-old boy sitting in the front row of the bleachers. The kid was watching the falcon fly around the gym and pretending to shoot it anytime it came close. Jim knew exactly what the kid was thinking — he wanted to get the bird closer to him so he could see it. When Jim was young, he did the same thing. He was walking to the farm one day and shot a cardinal. He examined the bird, excited to have it in his hands, but threw it away before he reached the barn. He knew he wasn’t supposed to shoot songbirds.“I know exactly what he’s thinking from when I shot the cardinal,” he said. “You don’t shoot it to be mean. You shoot it to get it close to you, and you examine it. And that’s all this kid was doing.”Jim wanders along the trail, looking left to right and up and down. He’s not looking for anything in particular. He’s observing what the woods are like in the winter. His eyes wander, and then he sees two black cherry trees about 50 yards away. The bark looks like burnt cornflakes, a comparison that is his trick for recognizing the tree. Smiling as he tells the group of people he’s out with this mnemonic device, he knows they’re learning something.On his way to the cherry trees, he stops to examine a musclewood. Someone in the group Jim is out with today asks about its age.“Well, I can see the circumference, so I can guess the diameter,” he says as he wraps his hands around the skinny gray trunk. He shakes the tree, watches the movement and makes his guess. “Twenty to 30 years old,” he tells the group.Betsy More, 68, is in Jim’s group, hoping to learn something new from a man she met a few years ago after moving to Brown County. “It’s clear that he’s done this,” Betsy says. “He’s got all of this down pat. He’s kind of the face of the park.”Jim sits at his computer desk typing notes for his next meeting. During winter, his schedule is mostly meetings. But today, it’s a little different. He’s meeting with Laura Grover, creator and producer of the Bloomington Storytelling Project. She wants him to tell some stories, but he’s slightly nervous because he doesn’t know what to say. He titled his first story “Snake in a Bottle.” It’s about a man who called Jim about a supposed copperhead snake he found on his property. But when the man dropped the snake off to Jim, it was a harmless worm snake. After Laura leaves, it’s back to his office. He has phone calls to answer and programs to plan. He struggles to find time to get outside because there’s office work that needs to be done, especially in the winter, when there are fewer programs to teach. It’s easy to get stuck inside.But if he doesn’t schedule time to wander outside, he won’t know the park, and if he doesn’t know the park, he can’t teach others about it. “You have to know all this stuff,” Jim said. “You can’t know it without getting out and seeing it. I make that my excuse. It’s work-related if I go out.”Living close to the park, Jim enjoys spending time there with his wife, Kay, even when he’s not working.They’re always observing nature when they’re outside. It might be noticing what birds are around or what flowers have started growing. They enjoy hiking, fishing, birding or anything that lets them spend time outside. “We even built our house in the woods because we love being outside,” Kay said.A pair of white socks is attached to a plaque hanging in Jim’s office.The plaque is surrounded by his other awards, including the 1992 Naturalist of the Year for Indiana State Parks, but it stands out among the rest.He didn’t receive this award for his dedication to being a naturalist. It was for his knowledge about music.Jim played banjo and guitar in a band one night at the park lodge, and a former state parks director was surprised. “He said, ‘Boy, you really knocked my socks off,’” Jim said with a laugh.The director was serious, though, serious enough to create the “Knock Your Socks Off” award and have socks mounted to a plaque.“I guess he was impressed I not only know about nature, but I know about music, too,” he said. In Jim’s office, there’s a black-and-white photo of a man who reinforced what he learned as a kid from his dad. The man’s is Aldo Leopold, and one of his biggest contributions was the idea of land ethic, that we need to love and care for the land.“I could see that early on as a kid,” Jim said. “And so when I started reading him, it just made sense.”To Jim, loving the land should be just like loving a spouse or parent. “You get so much from them. You’d never hurt them. You’d never take away anything that you couldn’t return,” he said. “Well, you can think of the land that way.”Part of respecting and appreciating the land is being knowledgeable about it and sharing that knowledge. He said he’s not an expert, but more of a generalist who knows a little bit about a lot.“Really, it’s a life pursuit,” he said. “We’ll never know it all.”
(02/21/12 2:57am)
My 3-year-old cousin walks over and touches the scar at
the end of my left arm. She stares, eyes wide, head tilted."Where's your hand?" she asks."I lost it in a car accident."Her eyebrows scrunch as she tries to work out what that means. "So it's in your car?" she says.It takes more explaining before she starts to understand that my hand isn't coming back, that it's not out there somewhere, waiting for me to bring it home. Her uncensored curiosity is refreshing. Most adults, I've learned, avoid such blunt questions out of fear of being impolite. My young cousin has asked me the same questions repeatedly for years, but she's still trying to make sense of it, just like I was at first. My accident happened three years ago, but it will always be with me every time I button my shirt or type an email.
(11/11/11 5:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There’s a group of three, then a few more join, and a few more, until gradually the small gathering turns into a giant flock. The sky is bright and colorful. Crunchy leaves are slowly falling to the ground, uncovering the looming darkness in the trees. The black-feathered bird is back for the season. For years, crows have invaded Bloomington and other Indiana cities, such as Terre Haute and Indianapolis, during the winter months. This year is no exception as the large flocks of crows begin to settle in.Josh Griffin, district wildlife biologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, said the reason for the noticeable increase of crows could be that some don’t naturally migrate during winter, and some crows coming from farther north might stop here. He also said there are a number of reasons why Bloomington is an attractive place for crows to live, including the availability of food, increase in light, warmer weather, fewer weapons and plenty of green spaces, such as public parks. “There are a number of attractive things to urban areas for crows,” Griffin said.Graduate student Gregory Kohn focuses his studies on birds and has done various research projects on crows. He said he’s seen crows especially near the tailgate fields, the cross-country course and on the south side of Bloomington. Originally from Albany, N.Y., Kohn said he saw large numbers of crows on the East Coast, but he was surprised when he came to Indiana. “I’ve never seen in smaller towns the sheer number of crows I’ve seen in the Midwest and Indiana,” Kohn said. Despite the high number of crows in the area, Kohn said he thinks there is only a perceived increase. “I wouldn’t say there are any more crows,” Kohn said. “They just form these giant congregations.”Terre Haute created a crow committee responsible for using pyrotechnics to control the excessive crow population.But Bloomington does not have such a committee in place, so residents handle crows on their own. It is legal to shoot crows, according to state law, but within the city limits of Bloomington, it is illegal to shoot a firearm, regardless of the target. But there is a legal hunting season for crows, which begins Dec. 13.Other than shooting crows, Griffin suggested people should try to scare them away if there is a problem. Even with large numbers of crows, Laurie Ringquist, director of Animal Control in Bloomington, said they haven’t received any complaints but would only get involved if one was sick or injured. “Other than that, we don’t really have any responsibility,” Ringquist said. The Bloomington Public Works Department would be responsible for cleaning up after crows but hasn’t seen any complaints this year. On IU’s campus, Michael Girvin, Campus Division manager, said they never know where the crows are going to show up, so it’s difficult to know where to watch for clean-up. He said typical protocol is to wash down the area with a water wagon if there’s a mess. Kohn said the bigger groups of crows can be seen more easily at night than during the day because the crows stay at their family roosts during the day and then congregate to the bigger roosts at night, perhaps for protection.“It’s a weird system,” Kohn said. “It’s strange, but that’s why I’m fascinated by it.”
(11/11/11 3:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Alcohol isn’t the only drug available to students, but it’s certainly the most used. In the past year, 76 percent of students in Indiana reported using alcohol, according to a recent study conducted by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center. The second highest used drug was marijuana at 28.4 percent, followed by cigarette use at 28.1 percent. The study, called the “Indiana College Substance Use Survey,” was distributed in spring at nine colleges to more than 5,000 students. It asked students about their substance use, reasons for using these drugs, consequences faced, age at first use, types of alcohol consumed, prescription drug misuse and gambling. This is the third year for the study, and it was conducted in cooperation with Indiana Collegiate Action Network.Rosie King, research associate at IPRC, said there could be a number of reasons for the large gap between alcohol use and all other substances. One explanation, she said, could be that alcohol is easier to obtain because it is legal, unlike marijuana. Another reason, she said, could be the perception of risk involved. “There might be a greater perception of risk of using tobacco than alcohol,” King said. “When people don’t think there’s a risk, they’re more likely to use the substance.”Lisa Hutcheson, director of ICAN, said the perception that everyone is drinking on a college campus can also be a factor in why the majority of students reported consuming alcohol. “I think it’s that social norm of drinking that makes it a bigger problem,” Hutcheson said. In addition to surveying what the most commonly used drug is among students, the survey also asked about binge drinking. About 50 percent of the students surveyed reported binge drinking in the past month, and 40.2 percent reported binge drinking in the past two weeks. For the purpose of the study, binge drinking was defined as four or more drinks in one sitting for females and five or more drinks in one sitting for males. King said she was surprised to see that while men and women generally use alcohol at similar rates, with 71.3 percent of males and 69.7 percent of females reporting alcohol use in the past month, men continue to engage in binge drinking at a higher rate. She also said it was interesting to see age is not a factor in binge drinking. Students younger than 21 reported binge drinking in the past month at 49.6 percent, and students older than 21 reported a rate of 51 percent. The most common reason for drinking was to have a good time with friends, at 85.6 percent. To relax or relieve tension was the second-most common reason, at 62.3 percent. About 46 percent reported drinking to feel good and 20.3 percent because of boredom or nothing else to do. The study also asked students about the consequences of using these substances. The most popular consequence in the past six months was having a hangover, at 63.2 percent, and blacking out was the second highest at 29.4 percent. King said the study also showed the consequences can affect students’ work, with 17.8 percent admitting to missing class or an assignment as a result of drinking. Before the study began three years ago, Hutcheson said statewide data like this wasn’t easily available. “There was no way for us to get a good picture of what was happening statewide,” Hutcheson said. “I think it’s important for all of us to know what’s happening in our state.”Each school that participates in the study receives individual data from the students who answered from that school. Hutcheson said schools should look at this specific data to know what programs to implement. “Every campus has issues, regardless of size,” Hutcheson said. “You cannot address a problem you don’t know you have.”King agreed that colleges need to do something to fix the problem. “We need to give the message that this is not acceptable,” King said. “There needs to be a culture change.”
(09/08/11 10:28pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Sept. 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaida terrorists hijacked four passenger airplanes. Two planes crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Another hit the Pentagon. The fourth was headed toward Washington D.C., but passengers took control and the plane crashed in Pennsylvania.Almost 3,000 people died in these attacks — 2,753 in the Twin Towers, 184 at the Pentagon and 40 in the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.The twin towers collapsed within two hours of the crash.On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan attacked the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Four battleships and two destroyers were sunk, and four battleships and two destroyers were damaged. More than 300 aircraft were damaged and destroyed. There were 2,402 people killed and 1,282 people wounded. These attacks on American soil left a profound mark in the memories of those who were young adults at the time.Howard and Sims’ lives are two of many stories that show the impact of growing up in the aftermath of the attacks. Some people were motivated to join the military or were drafted, some were sent overseas to serve and some gained a new appreciation for life.It’s been 10 years since 9/11 and almost 70 years since Pearl Harbor, but the memories of these young adults remain strong.**Colby Howard turned on the radio in his car as he drove to pick up his graduation outfit from the dry cleaners in Panama City, Fla.It was a Tuesday morning with crisp blue skies. He was thinking about graduating from the Marine Corps Combatant Diver Course and rejoining his unit in Okinawa, Japan.Then he heard it. A small airplane had struck one of the towers of the World Trade Center in New York.His first thought was not terrorist attack, so he kept driving back to base, where he watched the second plane hit the south tower.He was only 19 years old, but because of his military experience, friends from high school called him to ask what was going on, but he had no idea.“Nobody knew what to do.”**Betty Printz Sims sat in her apartment wrapped in a blanket. It was cold that early December Sunday afternoon, but her landlord wouldn’t turn the heat up.The 21-year-old music teacher was listening to the New York Philharmonic on the radio in the small town of Tripoli, Iowa, when an announcement interrupted the music.“I am pausing to tell you that we have been bombed by Pearl Harbor,” Sims recalled.Sims hadn’t learned geography well, and she had no idea where Pearl Harbor was.“I thought, ‘What does that mean?’” Sims said. “We all went into shock, really.”**Classes were cancelled, so Howard spent the day talking to fellow Marines.“It was a serious moment where we were figuring out the consequences,” Howard said. “I don’t think anybody slept for 48 hours after 9/11.”After graduation, he was supposed to fly back to Okinawa but was delayed for two weeks because of the attacks.“My immediate future was just a complete blank,” Howard said.He didn’t know what was going to happen, but he knew what he wanted to happen. He was ready to head to Afghanistan.“We were waiting for something to come down the pipe. We were ready to go, wanting to go, expecting to go, but still hadn’t received any word,” Howard said. “Everybody was waiting to hear they would be the ones going.”But his unit never received orders to go to Afghanistan.“We got back to business as usual,” he said.**The next morning, everyone at Sims’ school was rushed into the auditorium to listen to President Franklin D. Roosevelt address the nation. He announced the United States was going to war and that Dec. 7, 1941, would be “a date which will live in infamy.”“We knew it was serious, but war was not in our vocabulary at all,” Sims said. “It’s just something we were not exposed to.”With no TV, Americans relied on the radio and newspapers.“I think we were shocked with Pearl Harbor,” Sims said. “And I don’t think we ever got over the shock.”She taught for the rest of the term but did not return the following year.**In 2003, Howard’s unit was still in Japan, watching the invasion of Iraq on a big television screen.“Everyone was so upset that they were watching this on TV and they weren’t there,” Howard said. “That was difficult for all of us to kind of swallow.”In the summer of 2004, he was no longer watching the battle on TV. He spent five months in Iraq and was ordered to return in 2006, but the month-long war in Lebanon canceled his deployment.In September 2007, he received orders to fly to Iraq and remained there until April 2008. **Sims wanted to help the war effort.“I thought, ‘I can’t stay here and teach music, I’ve got to do something for my country,’” Sims said.Her family suggested she join the Army or the Navy, but she decided on the Marine Corps.“That was almost unheard of, because the Marine Corps did not want women,” Sims said.She joined in 1943 and was sent to boot camp at Camp Lejeune where she learned about aviation. She became a fixed gunnery instructor, piloting a mock plane while men were trained to shoot from it.“It was very exciting,” Sims said. “You were working for a purpose, and that was to defeat the Japanese and the Germans.”She spent most of her military career in North Carolina and left the service in 1945.**Howard was in the military before the attack, so 9/11 became a factor only in where he would serve. When he joined, he didn’t expect to be sent to Iraq.“I had no idea joining the military where I would go,” Howard said.He also didn’t plan to stay in the military for eight years, but when his four years were up he wanted to do more, so he re-enlisted.After leaving the service in 2008, he enrolled at Georgetown University. Now 28, Howard is president of the Georgetown University Student Veterans of America. He is a senior in the School of Foreign Service and a first-year graduate student in the security studies program.**Now 91, Sims said the attack on Pearl Harbor was the main reason she joined the Marines, and she’s glad she did it. In her generation, women generally became secretaries, nurses or teachers after college, but she wanted something different.After leaving the military in 1945, she was a flight attendant for four months and then moved to New York, where she sold records. She was married in 1948, and her husband died in 1984. Now she lives at Leisure World of Maryland, a retirement community in the Washington suburbs.Sims said as much as the memories remain from Pearl Harbor, the discussion fades.“As we get older, we get tied up in our own life in a way, and less and less publicity is being given about Pearl Harbor, which I think is wrong,” Sims said.**Pearl Harbor wasn’t the only attack on the United States that Sims witnessed. She also lives with the memories from 9/11.She was lying in bed, listening to a classical music radio station. Once again, her music was interrupted by critical news, but this time she was able to turn on a TV. She watched the south tower get hit by the plane.“It was just unbelievable that it could happen,” Sims said. “It was just a horrible, horrible situation.”Sims said Pearl Harbor changed the rest of her life, because it was the main reason she joined the military instead of continuing to teach.Ten years on, Howard is starting to put the attacks into perspective, just as Sims has done for the past 70 years. Howard said 9/11 changed his life, too, and will continue to have an impact in the years to come.“At the time, I didn’t know and I didn’t appreciate how it was going to impact my life,” Howard said. “It changed every decision career-wise, like to stay in the military, to be in the military, the actions that I did in the military. It affected all that.”In addition to affecting Howard’s actions, 9/11 caused him to think about things he never thought of before.“It caused me to go places where I had to think about other things,” Howard said. “It changed my life as far as how I think of myself as an American and how I think about America in the world.”And thinking is exactly what he will do this Sept. 11.“9/11 greatly impacted my life. I think everybody will pause and definitely take thought on that day.”From SHFWIRE
(09/07/11 3:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU alumni, graduate and undergraduate students have come together to speak their minds in Indianapolis.The IU-Purdue University Indianapolis School of Journalism recently made faculty and staff changes. These upset some students who wrote letters to voice their opinions.Recent graduate Tara Puckey organized and delivered about 40 letters on Aug. 18 to multiple organizations and offices, including that of IU-Bloomington School of Journalism Dean Brad Hamm and IUPUI School of Journalism Dean Dan Drew. “I had a lot of questions,” said Dimitri Kyser, a graduate student in IUPUI’s public relations program. “It just raised an eyebrow.”Puckey said members of the school’s faculty and staff, including Tim Franklin, Maggie Balough, Bob Dittmer, Deb Perkins and Suzy Mulligan, are no longer with the IUPUI Journalism School.Kyser said he received an email from Dittmer, who was then director of the public relations graduate program, saying he would no longer be with the school. Alumnus Kristofer Karol received the same email. “I was shocked and a little bit upset,” Karol said. “Something just didn’t seem right.”Hamm said the changes are routine since faculty and staff changes are regularly made within schools. He explained that the goal is for the IUPUI Journalism School to become nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. He said they also want the public relations program to become certified.“You don’t have to have either of those, but they are credentials that are worth aiming for when you put together a program,” Hamm said. “In terms of rankings, or in terms of qualifications, we would expect all of our programs to try and aim for the highest level that they can.”He said interviews are taking place this week to add new faculty and staff members who will help the school earn national accreditation. Some of these faculty and staff additions will be in place by the end of the month. The school is also trying to add some of the programs already in Bloomington, such as the honors program, travel experiences and speaker series. “All of these things that have worked so well in Bloomington and across the nation in a lot of programs need to be in place there, and you need to have the people in place that can do it,” Hamm said.After receiving the letters, Hamm met with some of the graduate students in late August to discuss the future of the school. Little was said about the faculty and staff changes because Hamm is unable to comment on personnel issues.Not all of the students were happy with the answers they received at this meeting. Graduate student Alice Hoenigman said Hamm wasn’t focused enough on the present or short-term future. “I felt like he was in the meeting very focused on the future,” Hoenigman said. “I felt like I was getting reached over.”Hoenigman said she wrote the letter because Dittmer was her mentor and a “critical component” in her education. She said she wasn’t necessarily upset about the reasoning, but was upset about how it happened.“We’re in public relations, and this was a public relations disaster,” Hoenigman said.Senior Denis Jiménez agreed communication with students could have been better. “No one really knows what’s going on,” Jiménez said. “It’s just been infuriating.”
(06/01/11 4:01pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Listening, listening and more listening. During day one of orientation, incoming freshmen hear from Residential Program Services, the Office of the Bursar and University Division, to name a few. But day two is where it gets tricky. Students have a one-hour advising appointment and then are responsible for creating a schedule from the list of classes complied during this meeting. It’s up to the students to make their schedule a successful one, but University Division advisers are there to help. “It’s a ‘step up’ moment,” Joyce Miller, an assistant director of advising for UD, said. “We want to see kids get off to a good start.”Miller shared several ways students can schedule for their classes with ease.Prepare for advising appointmentsMiller said it’s very helpful if students have an idea about what they are interested in and what they want to study.“This needs to be a two-way conversation,” she said.Take the placement tests and the results seriouslyThe tests are created by departments at IU and are good indicators about how well a student will do in a class, Miller said.Waitlisting a class is an optionMiller said students should keep this in mind but warns that this doesn’t guarantee a spot in the class. “When you waitlist, you have to have an alternative plan in mind and in place.”Don’t skim the reading during orientationIt’s important for students to read the screens carefully because of the tiny differences between course numbers, Miller said. “You have to be careful you’re in the right course, not just the right department.”Be flexible when schedulingMiller said students need to realize they are taking classes full-time and their schedule might not turn out exactly how they wanted it. Schedules aren’t set in stoneStudents can make changes to their schedule if something isn’t working or interesting to them. Miller said she doesn’t encourage it, but it’s an option if necessary.Walk out your scheduleMake sure there are no surprises your first week by walking through your schedule before classes start, Miller said. This way, students will realize if 15 minutes is enough time in between classes or not.“Work that out before classes begin, so you know what you need to do.”
(05/31/11 4:39pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Moving into to campus involves more than putting clothes away and setting up the mini refrigerator. Students also need to set up the Internet on their computers, learn how and where to print those upcoming assignments and know how to keep their laptops safe. Charles Rondot, manager of University IT Communications, offered a variety of tips and important information for incoming freshmen. He suggested visiting the custom portal first at nu2it.iu.edu/iub and offered more advice for students setting up their computers and learning how to use campus Internet. Problems and solutionsRondot suggests students run Get Connected (getconnected.iu.edu) before coming to campus, so then it only takes a few minutes once getting to campus. He said doing this will also set up a wireless connection. Keep your computer safeRondot suggests running anti-virus software and OS updates and being sure not to click suspicious links or give out your username and password.Go to keepitsafe.iu.edu for more information about safe computer habits.Printing proceduresIn addition to the printing quota every student gets, UITS asks all to only print 50 pages at a time, to not reuse paper in the printers and to not use special paper, labels or transparencies. For a list of computer labs on campus, visit: stcweb.stc.indiana.edu/framework/apps/public/SiteRes/LabInfo.cfmStill need help?UITS provides support 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 812-855-6789, or at ithelplive.iu.edu or email help at ithelp@iu.edu.Walk-up help is available at the UITS Support Center in Herman B Wells Library. Hours for the support center are 8 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to midnight Sunday.For other answers to technical problems, visit the UITS Knowledge Base at kb.iu.edu.
(05/26/11 12:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In 1989 Victor Thiessen quit his job, moved out of his apartment and joined the African Children’s Choir, an organization he knew very little about at the time.“I had friends at church that were traveling with the choir,” Thiessen said. “They strongly encouraged me to come on tour.”He admitted it was risky, but has no regrets with his decision.“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it since the first day,” Thiessen said.The African Children’s Choir was created in 1984 after Ray Barnett traveled to Uganda and rescued about 30 children from poverty. Barnett soon created a choir and began touring. The choir typically consists of children ages 7 to 11 from poor families.Now the choir is touring the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe, including a stop in Bloomington.The group coming to Bloomington consists of 15 children from Uganda and will perform May 29 at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship and Sherwood Oaks Christian Church.Thiessen is the tour leader and a chaperone for this group, along with fellow chaperone and head of the choir, Mary Kirabo.Kirabo, originally from Uganda, joined the choir in 1995 as a student, and then decided she wanted to give back to the program and help the new children involved.In addition to performing three to four concerts per week, or about 200 during the year, the children receive schooling. “The best thing for the kids is that they will get a full education,” Thiessen said. “They love going to school.”Thiessen said since the program was created, more than 1,000 children have gone on tour and received a complete education.“There’s a marvelous success rate,” Thiessen said. “They are so eager and bright.”Kirabo said receiving an education is one of the best parts of the program because of the opportunities it opens up for the children.“If you don’t give up, there’s a lot there for you,” Kirabo said.While on tour, the children also spend time with the host families they stay with.“We share our culture with other believers,” Kirabo said. “We learn from each other.”While the children love going to school and learning from the host families, Thiessen said performing is still the favorite part for many of them.“The concerts are probably the highlight of their week,” he said. “The entire experience of the tour is just amazing for them.”With 80 minutes filled with about 20 songs ranging from contemporary Christian to older hymns to African music, Thiessen said he is certain the concert will be enjoyable for audience members as well as the children.“It’s a great performance,” he said. “Everyone from two to 102 will love the concert.”SINGING ON SUNDAY- 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. May 29 Cornerstone Christian Fellowship- 6:30 p.m. May 29 Sherwood Oaks Christian Church- Admission is free, but donations are accepted. - T-shirts and CDs will also be sold.
(05/18/11 9:23pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After finals were finished and bags were packed, students eventually left town for the summer. This reduction in the Bloomington population left Campus Candy with 90 percent less of their customers. “It’s a heavy drop off,” Jake Udell, chief marketing officer and creative director for Campus Candy, said. “Business does fall a lot during the summer.”Businesses throughout Bloomington face this struggle every year as the population of the town significantly decreases after the first week of May. Closing down for four months isn’t an option for most, so businesses have learned several ways to adapt.Chris Gray, resident district manager for Indiana Memorial Union dining, said similar trends can be seen almost every year.“It almost becomes a science,” Gray said. “Historically, that last week is less in numbers.”Gray explained that during finals week is when the initial drop off in business occurs, and then it drops off slightly more after graduation. When orientation starts in mid-June, business picks up again. Gray said when the IMU staff is working on the budget for the year, they actually have to plan on losing money during this time and make up for it during other parts of the year. “But we don’t feel it’s right to close down,” Gray said. “We still need to be open.”Udell said Campus Candy sees the same decrease during finals week, and also chooses to remain open.“It’s something you have to be prepared for and accept,” Udell said. “What can you do? There’s not enough people in the town.”To attract more customers, Campus Candy is starting Bloomington Appreciation Month. All items will be 20 percent off from now until the end of June. Udell said this is their main marketing strategy for the summer. “It gives us the opportunity to give back to the people who are there,” Udell said. “They deserve it. They’re with us 12 months a year.”Campus Candy will also be decreasing its hours and the number of employees working. Gray said IMU dining venues adjust by reducing hours and taking advantage of the time to do renovations. He said the downside to renovations is having to close some food services, but they just advertise the remaining open ones more to make up for it.“It’s always a tricky thing when you do renovations,” Gray said.Aside from renovations causing some difficulty, Gray said attracting Bloomington customers is a big issue because of the lack of an outside presence. None of the IMU dining options have a sign outside letting people know where it is located, whereas all the venues on Kirkwood Avenue are visible.“It’s a difficult operation,” Gray said. “We’re very close to Kirkwood Avenue, and that’s probably our biggest competition in the summertime.”The upside to the IMU dining business is the catering aspect of it. While two-thirds of the business is retail, which is mostly students, one-third is catering, Gray said. The increase in the number of weddings keeps the catering business strong. Gray said there are some weekends with five or six weddings booked.Gray said he believes in terms of business, this summer will be similar to previous ones. Since this is only Campus Candy’s second summer in Bloomington, Udell said he thinks Bloomington Appreciation Month will make a difference from last year.“Those relationships with people in Bloomington, Ind. are even more important than with the students,” Udell said.
(05/02/11 3:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Sunday at about 11:35 p.m., President Barack Obama announced in a public address that Osama bin Laden was killed in a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.Bin Laden was responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 citizens and has since been public enemy number one. During Obama’s address he referred to bin Laden as “a terrorist who is responsible for the murder of innocent men, women and children.”Obama said he was briefed in August on a possible lead to bin Laden’s whereabouts. Last week he decided there was enough evidence to take action.A small team of Americans carried out the operation. No Americans or civilians were harmed. After a firefight, the team killed bin Laden and took custody of his body.“The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s efforts to beat al-Qaida,” Obama said.From the beginning of his time as president, Obama said he would take action in Pakistan if it would lead to bin Laden, which was seen as a controversial statement, former terrorism adviser Richard Clarke said on ABC News. Obama mentioned during his address that he spoke with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan officials who were involved in the operation. “They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations,” Obama said. “And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al-Qaida and its affiliates.”Obama also made it clear that this is not an issue with Islam.“The United States is not and never will be at war with Islam,” Obama said. “Bin Laden is not a Muslim leader. He was a mass murderer of Muslims.”In 1998, former President Bill Clinton gave the first order to capture bin Laden. After 9/11, the War on Terror began, and former President George W. Bush placed a $25 million bounty on bin Laden. After becoming president in 2008, Obama continued the fight to find bin Laden. “Shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al-Qaida,” Obama said.Now a concern for American troops in the Middle East are possible riots or attacks from al-Qaida, so the military is taking precaution.“An order is going out tonight to step up all of those posts in case of attack,” Clarke said on ABC News.In addition to addressing the background to the strike against bin Laden, Obama also acknowledged the families who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks.“The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war,” Obama said. “And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace.”In Bloomington, citizens were celebrating as fireworks could be heard shortly before midnight.Students Zach Otto, Phil Sollman and Shayne Guinn showed their support by displaying a small American flag outside of their apartment in the Varsity Villas.“Cause I love America, and I’m glad we killed Osama,” Sollman said.Chants of “U-S-A” erupted outside of the White House in Washington, D.C. and at Ground Zero in New York City, shortly after Obama's speech.“We will be true to the values that make us who we are,” Obama said. “And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al-Qaida’s terror: Justice has been done.”— Charles Scudder contributed to this report
(01/13/11 1:41am)
A small hallway with boxes stacked in the corner and a narrow, tightly packed bookshelf leads to Dale Steffey’s “store.”
(11/30/10 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>From Indiana to Arizona to California, people are talking about Scholar’s Inn Bakehouse. But the conversation isn’t on the phone or in person — it’s on Twitter. Kirk Marky, assistant general manger of the Bakehouse, said he was searching on Twitter one day and found a conversation between someone in Arizona and someone in California. The Arizona resident was searching graduate schools and wanted a city with good coffee shops. The California resident suggested Bloomington because of Scholar’s Inn. “That was very gratifying,” Marky said. “I enjoy that contact even though it’s not in person.”Scholar’s Inn is one of many local businesses using social media, like Twitter, to advertise as well as to connect with current and potential customers in the community.Jennifer Hileman, systems and planning coordinator for Bloomingfoods, started a Twitter account for the business about two years ago. There is also a Facebook page for all four locations.“Nobody here was really catching on to the business side,” Hileman said. “Our marketing team is a little bit older, so they needed a little convincing.”Hileman said there aren’t any guidelines for how they use social media and only occasionally run into problems. “We’ve run into issues when you get feedback from our customers that is particularly harmful,” she said. Recently a follower of Bloomingfoods complained on Twitter about a bad sandwich they purchased from the store, but Hileman said she saw this as an opportunity to reach out to the customer.“You can’t have guidelines for your users,” she said. “If their sandwich sucked, they have every right to say that.”Marky said the Bakehouse occasionally receives negative feedback as well, and he also tries to remedy the problem. “I think it’s naive to think we won’t have negative comments,” Marky said.Hileman said Twitter is also useful for hearing positive comments and being able to connect directly with customers.“When you start using social media, it becomes conversational,” she said. “That conversation can be really, really meaningful.”Marky said the Bakehouse also enjoys reaching out to the customers with Twitter.“We want to participate with other people in the community,” he said. “It helped to cement the bond with Bloomington.”Aside from reaching their customer base, some business owners in Bloomington use social media for advertising. Hilary Martel, co-owner of Hartzell’s Ice Cream, said she started using Twitter and Facebook for the store a couple months after it opened in September 2009. “It’s an inexpensive way to contact a broad number of people,” she said. Martel said the majority of the tweets focus on new ice cream flavors or special deals. She said there is a noticeable increase in business when they do that. Despite good intentions for using Twitter and Facebook often, Martel said it’s difficult to keep up with it sometimes.“You just kind of get wrapped up in everyday business,” she said. Martel said she is going to brainstorm new ways to use social media and might start looking into Foursquare, one of the newer additions to social sites. Currently, Hartzell’s isn’t involved with Foursquare, but Bloomingfoods allows customers to check-in to any of its locations. Hileman said there aren’t any promotional deals yet.“That one is a little trickier,” she said. “I don’t think Foursquare has a very high adoption rate.”Hileman and Martel said Foursquare could become more important in the future, even if it isn’t right now, along with Twitter and Facebook gaining more prominence.“I definitely think it’ll keep on expanding, especially as we keep using it to our advantage,” Martel said.