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(02/10/04 5:56am)
On February 9, 1964, an estimated 73 million Americans tuned their television sets to the Ed Sullivan Show in heated anticipation. The hottest import, in the form of four young, adorable Liverpool lads, had finally touched down in the States to perform. Little did the British band know, this particular performance was about to change the world forever. \nAnd although the Beatles' first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show was broadcasted in black and white, the vibrant color of their personalities showed through the screen, and straight into the heart of American culture. From this moment on, Beatlemania would run rampant throughout every home. \nWhile they shook their trademark mop tops and tapped their feet, the deafening screams from the crowd proved their music and charm were undeniable. According to www.CNN.com, the entire nation was so mesmerized by their five song set the crime rate in U.S. cities dropped dramatically during this particular broadcast. It was also the most-viewed U.S. television program in history at that time. \nIn commemoration of the event, music professor Glenn Gass gave a speech Monday in the Fine Arts building to a full audience. The audience, ranging from younger students to older adults, all joined together to celebrate this historical and musical memory.\nGass fondly recalled how he felt the Sunday night in 1964 watching the Beatles perform for the first time. \n"It was like a bomb going off. The next day at school everyone was going 'Well … Well … ' It was all anyone wanted to talk about. Which one was which? Which one was George? Was he in the middle? Wasn't it great? It was just huge," said Gass.\nSandy Johnston,a Beatles fan, vividly remembers watching the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. Exactly 40 years later, her daughter, Corey Johnston, a senior at IU, watched the same programming in the Fine Arts building with Gass and the other fans that came together. In a format similar to Gass' history of rock 'n' roll classes, he took the audience step-by-step through some of the history behind the Beatles and their legacy. Together they sang songs in unison and watched a number of live appearances, early press conferences and pictures documenting their lives. \n"The Beatles' music is so ubiquitous that it's so hard to grasp that they weren't even a band in my lifetime. Their music transcends all genres in the generation," said Johnston.\nGass said the Beatles were an escape from the social norms of 1964. After the assassination of President Kennedy, their presence was a hope to the youth of the nation. \n"They did show you a world that was separate from your parents' world, which was also separate from Vietnam and prejudice and all of the social issues that arose," Gass said. "They sort of offered an alternative way of thinking that was hopeful -- not despairing. With the Beatles, there was always hope, always love." \nAfter their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Beatles were on the following two shows. Gass explained for a band to have been on the show three consecutive times, was unprecedented before that time. \nGass' multimedia presentation revealed the Beatles were so many different things to so many people. They were poets, musical geniuses, spiritual guides, pacifists, role models, demonstrators, innovators, opinion leaders, brothers, sons, husbands, fathers and most importantly an enormous social force in history. \nThe presentation showed the love people shared for the four men and the lasting legacy that will be left with us forever. The late Derek Taylor, the Beatles' publicist and longtime friend, said it best when he referred to the "Fab Four" as the "20th century's greatest romance"
(12/15/03 6:36am)
When renowned pianist Menachem Pressler entered this world, it seemed he was destined to be great. This is partly because the distinguished professor of music shares his birthday with one of the world's greatest composers, Ludwig van Beethoven.\nPressler, who began teaching at IU in 1955, will celebrate his 80th birthday a little differently this year. Hundreds of his current and former students will gather together to thank and honor him with a special concert, reflecting on his past teaching experiences. \nAlthough his real birthday falls on Tuesday, this commemorative event will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday in Auer Hall at the IU School of Music. It will feature a number of ensemble performances and special guest speakers. To account for the large number of former students traveling into town, seating is by invitation only. After these reserved seats have been filled, limited seating will be available to the public. \nStudents expressed interest in throwing something special for Pressler's 80th birthday. Doctoral student Melinda Baird, who threw his 79th bash, thought it was important to include some of the 500 that have passed through his studio over the years.\n"For him, his students are like his children. He's very nurturing and invests so much in his students," Baird said. "His life is his music; he never takes a sabbatical, he never takes a vacation … and he's been here for 47 years. He's become a real mentor to so many people."\nKeeping the students in mind, Baird went through class rosters dating back to the 1950s and '60s and sent out more than 300 letters regarding Pressler's birthday celebration. After the initial letter went out, word started to spread all over the world about the celebration -- people from Israel, Europe and all over the United States wanted to come. \nChoosing who would perform seemed a difficult task for this event, Baird said. She served on a committee of IU School of Music professors, department chairs, students and former deans that determined which students would represent the broad range of musical talent molded under Pressler's guidance.\nKaren Shaw, a former student of Pressler's and professor of piano in the School of Music, was one of the individuals chosen for the event. She will be performing with Brancart and former dean Charles Webb. \n"He'll be thrilled about the event, and I think he'll be very appreciative," Shaw said. "It's certainly something that is richly deserved by him in every way."\nIn 1994, Pressler was the recipient of the Chamber Music America's Distinguished Service Award. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from London's Gramophone magazine and the German Critic's "Ehrenurkunde" award in 1998. In 2000, he was also inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Science. As a co-founder of the Beaux Arts Trio, he continues to perform more than 100 concerts around the world and has made more than 50 recordings with this widely-praised trio. Throughout his career, he has completed more than 30 solo recordings and continues to play solo recitals all over the world.\nBaird said Pressler's incredible work ethic, drive and determination help him reach his high standard of performance. His wife, Sarah, has also been "an incredible influence to the studio and his life." She interviews all of his students and determines which ones are willing to work hard and which ones would work well with her husband's personality.\n"He really has done a lot to build up the reputation of the music school. He came at a time when nobody knew where Bloomington, Ind., was," Baird said. "He is really responsible for bringing other prominent names to the music school and making sure that the reputation is strong. He's just been a key player in continuing to promote and build up the reputation of the music school here."\nMusic professor Glenn Gass said Pressler has made a powerful impact on the School of Music.\n"Menachem Pressler is one of the true giants who makes the IU School of Music such a special place, and we all get to bask in the glow created by having such a great artist in our midst," Gass said. "His presence and endless dedication to IU is a real source of pride for everyone connected with the school." \nShaw said, as one of Pressler's students, he offered her a great deal of assistance and wonderful advice when she was young and just starting her career as a concert pianist and a teacher. \nWith this event, it truly seems like students of the past and present are also trying to keep the School of Music's rich tradition alive. \n"(Planning this event) gives me a broader perspective on what I'm really doing," Baird said. "Although it is taking time away from my practicing, I think it inspires me in the long run to really want to embody the principles in this event because I see the effect he has had on so many people for so many years, and it makes me want to be a better pianist."\n-- Contact staff writer Mary DeBrunner at mdebrunn@indiana.edu.
(09/26/03 5:47am)
When you think of art, do metal, magnets, wood, bike wheels and an electrical spool come to mind? What if you piece these together, wrap everything in colorful fabrics, add flags and banners, then hand paint it with unique and intricate designs? Now does it seem like art?\nMaybe it was hard to visualize in the beginning, but these elements come together to create the eight venue sculptures of this year's tenth annual Lotus Festival.\nLocal artist Joe LaMantia is responsible for these massive sculptures, standing 14 feet tall by five feet wide. For over three months, he worked with local community service organization to bring this project to completion. Participants of all ages from these organizations donated recycled items and volunteered their time to work on it. Most of the work was constructed at Stone Belt, the host site for the project.\n"It's a nice way of blending one organization with another and introducing people that serve different functions," said 56-year-old LaMantia. "This creates experiences where segments of the community never meet each other. It's just a wonderful way to meet others and work in a creative way."\nThese collaborative works will be placed outside of their respective locations: Buskirk-Chumley Theater, First Christian Church, First United Methodist Church, InterArt tent, John Waldron Arts Center Auditorium, the Monroe Bank tent, the Union Board tent and the Convention Center.\nThis year's Lotus Festival started Sept. 25 and will close Sunday, Sept. 28. \nKnown as a celebration of world music, this year's Lotus Festival concentrates more on street art that the public can enjoy without necessarily stepping into a gallery. Organizers thought LaMantia's sculptures -- marking each of eight venues -- fit the bill.\nSusan Sammis, a member of the visual arts committee since its very inception in 1994, found that festival attendees of the past had little interest in both hearing music and seeing art in galleries. This led to a major shift in 2001 to focus more on visual arts.\n"It is truly festival art, public art, this year," said visual arts chair Lucy Schaich. "It's giving the community an opportunity to take it all in."\nNightly street parades have been integrated into the event this year as well. The festival headquarters are located on Kirkwood Ave., between College and Lincoln Streets. The parade will include handmade flags, noisemakers and a giant puppet. It is planned to start at the Lotus Gateway, which has been constructed at the intersection of Lincoln Street and Kirkwood Avenue. \n"We've had spontaneous parades kind of burst out in the past and we really wanted to build on that," Schaich said. "So in honor of that, we created the Lotus Gateway."\nNick McGill, responsible for the design and construction for the Lotus Gateway, worked on it for about eight weeks. This 14 by 13 foot structure is almost entirely made from recycled materials. Not only is it visually appealing, it is also interactive. One of the chains hanging from the columns rings a bell when it is pulled. \nThe archway will go up today in the afternoon, but will be open to the public at 5:30 p.m. It will remain up for two days.\nAnother important asset to the visual arts aspect of the festival is the stage backdrop that will be displayed during musical performances. A new backdrop is designed every year for the festival and displayed at the following festival the next year in one of its venues. This year's backdrop was designed by Joan Hershey and Daria Smith.\nThey quilted fabric on their own and then dyed, cut and sewed 55 yards of theater muslin to make a drop in five panels to cover an area of approximately 36 feet wide and 22 feet tall. This particular backdrop will be displayed in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater from Sept. 24 to Sept. 29. \n"It's kind of a cacophony of colors, a mix of texture and pattern. We saw that as a reflection of what happens in Lotus," Smith said. "There is a layering of color and sizes and a pattern which reflects what happens in music-the layering in music with percussion and singing."\nAlthough this collaboration illustrates a mixture of artistic styles that flow together, there are certain aspects that remain representative of each artist's particular style.\n"If you saw Daria's work, you would recognize her influence," Hershey said. "If you saw mine, you would see my influence too." \nOther visual arts opportunities include an exhibit of Bloomington music posters from the 1970s. These hand silk-screened color posters were designed by local artists and will be displayed at the John Waldron Arts Center until Sept. 28. \nAnother important aspect to this year's Lotus Festival is "Lotus Turns 10," a retrospective of the festival's first decade through photographs, posters, t-shirts and more. These are on display at Bloomingfoods East, Theater Café and Encore Café through September, and on display at the Convention Center today and Saturday.\n"Lotus Under Glass," which consists of portraits from the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival by Levi Thomas, is also being displayed at Michael's Uptown Café though Sept. 30. \nFinally, a reception will be held on Sept. 27 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Fountain Square Mall atrium displaying Monroe County Community School Corporation student art which has been inspired by the Lotus Festival. Admission is free.\nIf you're interested in learning more about the festival, visit www.lotusfest.org.\n-- Contact staff writer Mary DeBrunner at mdebrunn@indiana.edu.
(03/07/03 2:44pm)
When 24 students enrolled in Stuart Hyatt's advanced sculpture class, they probably never imagined establishing a totally functioning fondue restaurant in four weeks. But they have done so.\nThe idea might seem a little strange to the onlooker, but it all makes perfect sense when one realizes that the aim of this course is to use one's own body as a medium for creativity. These S371 students have actively participated in transforming a previous "hole-in-the-wall" space into "The Lazy Monk," offering a serene and exotic atmosphere and delicious food, its creators say. The only catch -- the restaurant will remain open until March 13, marking two weeks of operation since the March 1 grand opening.\nHyatt's concept for this particular project grew out of his own personal feelings about being an artist and breaking the typical stereotype that a good artist has to be discovered.\n"My whole view is that the idea of being an artist isolated in the studio is kind of an old model for how one works," Hyatt said. "You gotta get out there! There's not going to be some grand patron that walks into your studio and discovers your genius. You have to convince the world everyday and be consistent."\nThe project is a good model of teaching upper-level art classes because everyone brings his or her own creative interests to the table, Hyatt said. Everything from the furniture to the menus, from the food to the pictures on the wall has been a product of his students' creative flair. \nSenior Jenny Oleck designed the menus, a number of flyers, as well as the logo for "The Lazy Monk." She said she thrives on the spontaneity of the project and the restaurant's themes keep it interesting. \nEach night has a different theme that coincides with the decorations and "mystery drinks and snacks" that are presented on that particular night. Some of the varying themes have included "The Disco," "The Prom" and "Las Vegas," among others. Aside from creating the furniture, uniforms, decorations, themes and cooking the food, the students are also the servers.\n"The Lazy Monk" offers a three course fondue meal beginning with an assortment of baked baguettes, as well as slices of apples and pears served with three different cheese fondues. The customer is free to choose mediterrasian beef, chicken, or vegetable raclette skewers, each served with a variety of dipping sauces. And finally, for dessert, five different chocolate fondues are served with a selection of items such as: pound cake, marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, biscotti and cookies.\nSenior Laura Gaskill visited "The Lazy Monk" Sunday and said her favorite part was ordering the "Flaming Campfire S'Mores Galore" for dessert.\n"I went with a big group of people and thought it was a fun experience to do something unique like that with a bunch of my friends," Gaskill said. "We all ordered different things to try and then we all shared them."\nEach entrée costs $10 and includes a combination of a cheese fondue, raclette and dessert. Just ordering a dessert fondue would be $5. After paying off the organizing costs, the remainder of the money the restaurant makes will fund scholarships to be awarded to the most talented and financially needy art students. \nDespite the fact that these students are working for free, they are all enormously dedicated to the project. Each student has to work half of the 13 nights and put in an enormous amount of work for the class, but it doesn't seem that anyone is complaining.\n"I think that this is one of the coolest things I have ever been a part of," Oleck said. "And it's not just because of the art aspect. It incorporates everything: people skills, business aspects, time management … everything!"\nShe was skeptical when her teacher, Hyatt, first mentioned the project. She thought the idea seemed so far-fetched that it couldn't possibly work out in four weeks. But "The Lazy Monk" has enjoyed a fairly successful following. Not even halfway through the project, the restaurant's creators have come close to paying off their costs. \n"I tried to raise the ambition for my students in this class and they've met it and exceeded all of my expectations," Hyatt said. "When you get 24 really dedicated students, it's amazing."\nHis students' hard work has helped to establish the only fondue restaurant in Bloomington, albeit for a short time. Lazy should be the last word to describe this place.
(02/21/03 5:53am)
This Saturday the Extreme Road Rally is rolling into town, and it isn't the first time. For three years now an organization run through the School of Public and Environmental Affairs called "Students Taking Active Roles Today" has organized this event as a way to get people, mostly students, to see what volunteer opportunities are available in the local area. \n"This event gets students exposed to the community and allows them to do good work in a fun way that is also competitive," said Denise Wessels, S.T.A.R.T. coordinator. \nWessels said the idea behind Extreme Road Rally, or XR2, is that teams of about four or five people join together and drive around Bloomington, making donations and performing various community service activities to gain points. This year there are 10 different teams competing. Each team is assigned some type of required activity they must complete in an hour and a half. Some of this year's activities include flower seed repackaging at the Wylie House, cleaning and shelving at the Monroe County Library, and cleaning and helping the kitchen staff at the Helene G. Simone Hillel Center. \nAfter these required activities, they are free to pick and choose any flexible or "flex" activity they wish. These activities last for various lengths of time, but are much shorter than the required activity. Some examples of these "flex" activities include donating clothes to goodwill, recycling cans and bottles, donating food to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank and cheering on youths playing basketball at the Banneker Community Center. For each activity it completes, the team is awarded a certain amount of points. The three teams with the highest points are then awarded prizes that have been donated by local Bloomington businesses. The event lasts about three hours and ends with a pizza party.\n"The rally offers the typical format for volunteer activities, but I think that it works because you do get exposed to so many different things," said two year participant, senior Laura Neumeister.\nS.T.A.R.T. is mainly comprised of graduate students with a small number of undergraduate students. Neumeister is one of the few undergraduate students involved in this organization, and this year she actively helped organize different activities and acquire donations from local businesses. All of the money that is collected this year from the Extreme Road Rally will be donated to the Amethyst House, Middle Way House and Shelter, Inc. \nLast year the organization donated over $300, as well as 940 pounds of clothing, 3 sets of skis and a 32 inch television to goodwill, 300 cans to the food bank, an enormous amount of recyclables to the recycling center, cleaning supplies to Shelter, Inc., and dog food to the Humane Society. Overall, participants performed 150 hours of community service in the City of Bloomington. \nThe Extreme Road Rally was created almost three years ago by two former graduate students, Helena Miller and Jenn Hanink. S.T.A.R.T. had been around for quite some time but started to fade after awhile. Almost three years ago Miller and Hanink took charge and revived it. Miller said they wanted to do something big as a kind of publicity for the organization that would help people learn more about it and be more interested in helping the community. \nBecause of their hard work and groundbreaking idea, this will be the third Extreme Road Rally to date. Miller said the first rally raised somewhere between $100 and $150. With last year's amount being significantly higher, she expects this year's event will raise even more money.
(02/13/03 4:56am)
Many students are starting to feel frazzled as the month of March approaches. And no, it's not because they have been sitting on the couch, biting their nails, wondering what would happen if the IU basketball team did not make it to the NCAA finals (although some probably have been). Instead, it is because a majority of the application deadlines for graduate schools fall in February or March at the latest.\n"I was going to take a year or so off after I graduated to apply to grad schools, but for a number of reasons I find myself more eager to start my search for programs now," senior Katie Toth said. \nWith the slumping economy and uncertainty of the future job market, many students like Toth have placed their trust in the benefits of higher education. This recent surge of graduate school enrollment has created many questions in the minds of prospective grad students: Which school has the best program for me? What school has the best location? What requirements does that school look for?\nNow imagine having the answers to those questions literally at your fingertips, just a point and a click away, at no charge. \nWell, you needn't imagine any longer because GradSchools.com does just that. The Web site lists a directory of more than 26,000 grad school programs. \nMike Pedemonti, PR representative from Gregory FCA Communications and current senior at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, says Gradschools.com has the only directory of grad schools searchable by academic program. \nA search can even be narrowed further by including a preferred geographical location. These searches provide links to a school's home page or particular department's Web site, contact information and general facts about each school. In addition, the site also includes a number of tips about how to get into the school of your choice and how to do well on certain tests, such as the Law School Admissions Test (LCAT) or the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).\nAfter looking at the Web site, Toth was able to narrow her search to a field she was hoping to pursue in a geographical area that was desirable to her. She found a number of different programs that interested her and was able to choose the ones she wanted. \nThis is exactly what the online service provider, Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc., was hoping to provide when they first started GradSchools.com in 1996 as an additional Web site to their already successful StudyAbroad.com\nMark Shay, president and founder of Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc., said the Web site is a broad overview of the available options and hopes it will introduce schools to students who are in the searching process. The importance of picking a grad school depends on the relationships you could potentially make with certain faculty members, he said.\n"If you are really interested in a school, pursue them," Shay said. "Contact different faculty members to get a feel for their reputation. Grad school is tied more closely to faculty members and focuses on your relationship and how you interact with them."\nOnce you make these connections you can decide which program is right for you. GradSchools.com is the starting point where students can begin to narrow down their choices and decide which schools they would like to contact and eventually apply to. Since searching for a grad school is something important to one's future, this site might be the answer to many students' frustrations, Pedemonti said.\n"I am a college senior, so I know what type of stress looking for a graduate school can be," Pedemonti said. "I think that many students would be interested in finding an easy, free way of searching for graduate schools"
(11/26/02 4:28am)
After being involved in the business school curriculum for some time, junior Eddie Anderson has been exposed to the real options that are offered to students at the Kelley School of Business. Lucrative job opportunities with companies from Phillip Morris Companies Inc. to Proctor & Gamble are all available to them. But for Anderson, a once aspiring Broadway actor, this wasn't what he wanted.\n"I was seeing the options that were available to me, but it depressed the hell out of me to think about selling mayonnaise or cigarettes for a living," he said.\nAs fate would have it, Anderson stumbled upon a copy of the Tenth Street Times that he saw lying on the ground while storming home after a heated argument with one of his business professors. One particular headline jumped out at him: "New Entrepreneur's Club."\nFrustrated with the lack of opportunities for students to learn about entertainment careers, he realized he would have to start what he was looking for. Ultimately, this little brush with fate created the concept for the Business Careers in Entertainment Club.\nWhile attending a Union Board-sponsored lecture for people interested in careers in the arts, Anderson met sophomore Virginia Vasquez. He told her about his idea and hope for the club and she told him that she wanted to be involved. She assumed the role of vice president and with that came the responsibilities of sharing presidential duties, formulating board meeting agendas, helping to write the constitution and acting as an advisor. \nThis semester the BCEC started taking members on eight different committees representing all aspects of the entertainment industry: television, music, film, sports, gaming, publishing, theater and radio. The club's goal is "to provide internships, job opportunities, hands-on-experience, and career information to undergraduate students interested in the business end of the entertainment industry," according to their promotional pamphlets.\nThere are about 100 active members, but students from any major who are interested can join the club at any time. All one has to do is attend any committee meeting and speak with the respective leader. Starting Thursday, the BCEC's Web site, www.indiana.edu/~bcec, will be available and will provide contacts and general information about the club. There will also be another call-out meeting at the beginning of the spring semester.\nAnderson said there are a number of benefits that are involved in joining the club. \n"If the club brings a prominent speaker to campus, the public is welcome to come and listen to them speak," Anderson said. "But members have the option of maybe going out to dinner with them or getting the chance to spend more time with them."\nAside from getting to know guest speakers, members can also attend club trips. Each committee is responsible for doing research and finding internship opportunities related to their committee's field. These are all posted to the BCEC Web site and provide a valuable wealth of information about various major companies within the entertainment industry. Non-members can also access the site, but not all of the information. \nVasquez said it helps students build their contacts within the entertainment industry and exposes it to them firsthand.\n"It's a great learning experience that allows students to bring their resumes to the attention of prime entertainment industry locations such as New York and L.A.," she said.\nA $20 club fee is all that is required to join. The fee goes toward any industry-related trips or other expenses the executive board or individual committee might want to make. Frequency of committee meetings are also decided by each individual committee and committee leader.\nSophomore Pete Bruton, co-director of the music committee, said they have weekly meetings discussing how they can work with local bands and venues to build a connection base and bring in bands that normally wouldn't come to IU. \n"We want to establish ourselves as the people to come to in Bloomington," Bruton said. "So we're going to keep working with artists who normally would not have a voice."\nAnderson said he agrees that enthusiasm and determination are main factors in the success of the club. \n"People in the entertainment industry love to find students from a Midwestern school that are passionate and willing enough to come from halfway across the nation to do these jobs," he said. \nAnderson added that when contacting companies as a representative of a professional business organization, they know that you are legitimately going to give something back to them. You provide them with students that have the passion and drive to work for them in the future.\nIn starting the club, its executive members hope to create a valuable resource for all students to come.\n"It's a really great feeling knowing that you're leaving a legacy behind at Indiana University that encompasses everything you love," Anderson said. "I eat, sleep, and breathe BCEC"