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(07/16/09 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the summer it’s easy to walk into a bar in Bloomington and get a drink. You can walk from the front door to the back of the bar without having to maneuver through a crowd, and wait-time for a drink is practically nonexistent. But in a little less than a month, students will return in droves to get settled in before classes start. Downtime before the start of school will inevitably have students trekking down Kirkwood and up Walnut Street, jamming the bars and making it nearly impossible to get service ... unless you have proper bar etiquette.WEEKEND sat down with three local bartenders and talked about what it takes to get service, why some people seem to be treated better than others and the things that will make bartenders ignore you the second you walk in the door.Everyone wants the bartender to pay attention to them, but throwing things doesn’t work.“Anybody that throws shit, just don’t come to the bar,” said Chris Wilds, a bartender at The Upstairs Pub.Common sense says that throwing things is bad, especially when the target is your bartender, but Wilds said this is something that happens repeatedly. Matt Suter, agrees. He said someone threw a 9-oz. glass at him about a month ago at Kilroy’s Bar and Grill where he works.“Oh, ah, actually now I’m going to serve you,” Suter said. “Like you got my attention. Thanks for throwing that glass at my head.”Everyone has to wait in line, but some people get to cut.It’s common for customers who lack bar etiquette to do things like wave their credit cards, reach over the bar and try to touch a bartender or even scream at them to get their attention. But this kind of behavior leads to the opposite result.“That’s going to piss the bartender off so much more because it’s messing with their system and they get all flustered, and, you know, it’s going to take a lot longer to get their drinks,” Suter said.If you want to get a bartender’s attention, have your credit card in your hand, but don’t tap it on the bar annoyingly, Suter said. It also helps to pay in green. Bartenders like to see cash even more than a credit card in hand because it’s quick and simple. They don’t have to run a card and wait for a customer to sign the slip, Suter said.If you’re standing at the bar and haven’t thrown any glasses at your bartender, he or she will make his or her way over to you, Wilds said.“You tend to work the line,” Wilds said.But sometimes some people get to cut.“You’re going to have people we’re going to go out of our order just because we know they tip more percentage wise,” Suter said.The opposite holds true as well.“If you don’t want to tip, that’s fine,” Suter said. “Just don’t expect to get served.”You don’t have to buy the bar to get service.That doesn’t mean you have to tip 100 percent on every order to get a bartender to pay attention to you. Someone who consistently tips a proportionate amount might not get a drink in front of 10 people, but he or she won’t be ignored like the cup throwers andcard tappers either.“If you’re tipping 20 percent or 15 percent, being a good customer over and over again and we know that’s what we’re going to get out of you when you say an order, we’ll get to you,” Suter said.Staying within your budget is another way to keep your money in your wallet and a smile on your bartender’s face. Crazy Horse bartender Andy Schull has a name for people who don’t adhere to this rule.“I call them the 30K millionaire, the wannabe baller,” Schull said. “He buys like six shots of Patron and tips you a dollar. It’s like, dude you just dropped like 48 bucks.”Wilds agreed. “Just buy a cheaper shot,” he said. “You don’t have to buy Patron for everybody.”In the end, a little kindness goes a long way.If you’re not snapping your fingers or whistling to get a bartender’s attention and you’re tipping proportionately with regard to your bill, you will get served. But if you want to be treated well when you go out, but don’t have enough money to tip like a rap star, you can simply treat the people who are serving you well.“One thing that I really appreciate is people that understand and appreciate good service,” Schull said. “Like if you give them good service and at the end of the meal they say, ‘hey, thank you for your hospitality, we’ve had a great time,’ that means a lot.”
(07/16/09 12:40am)
Local bartenders Andy Schull, Chris Wilds and Matt Suter list the 6 things patrons do that piss them off the most.
(11/04/08 5:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Richard “Dick” Barnes, owner of Bloomington landmark Nick’s English Hut, died Sunday at age 83.“He was a gentleman in the old sense of the word,” said Bob “Hebe” Hebenstreit, Nick’s bartender.Nick Hrisomalos founded Nick’s in 1927. When Hrsimalos died, his son sold Nick’s to Barnes in 1957. Barnes, a 1952 graduate from IU’s business school, was then the owner of Café Pizzaria a few doors down on Kirkwood Avenue. Since Barnes took over, Nick’s patrons cheered the IU men’s basketball team to three national championships and shook hands with presidential hopeful Barack Obama.Hebenstreit got a call Monday morning from Nick’s General Manager Mike Hall, who told him Barnes died.“I was sorry to see him go,” Hebenstreit said.Hebenstreit met Barnes when he started working at Nick’s “somewhere in the ’80s.” Barnes stopped in at least five days a week at that time, and he always treated everyone with respect, Hebenstreit said. Barnes was respectful and demanded they respect his bar.“He insisted on beer-clean glasses,” Hebenstreit said, or glasses that have a line of foam on the side, marking the level of beer after each sip.Barnes wanted every part of his bar as clean as the glasses, Hebenstreit said.“The old line was ‘a clean bar is a happy bar,’” he said.
(08/07/08 7:18pm)
The body of William F. Kline, 51, of Bloomington was found behind Marsh Supermarket on Bloomington’s West side.The Bloomington Police Department received a call at about 3:30 a.m. Thursday regarding a man, 42, who appeared to have been in a fight, said BPD Capt. Joe Qualters. The caller had seen the man walking through the strip mall area near Marsh Supermarket at 3516 W. Third St.When police arrived at the scene, the man said he had been involved in a verbal argument earlier that night. He told police the argument turned into a physical fight before he left the scene.Police found Kline's body in a camp site set up by homeless people in the wooded area behind Marsh. Kline's body had injuries that appeared consistent with being in a fight, Qualters said. It is too early to tell whether Kline's death is the result of natural causes or a criminal act, Qualters said. An autopsy is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday in Terre Haute. The 42-year-old is still being treated for injuries at Bloomington Hospital.Alcohol was probably a factor in the altercation, Qualters said.Keep checking idsnews.com for further updates on this story.
(08/07/08 1:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>An estimated 100 students will live in residence hall lounges at the beginning of the 2008-09 school year, said Residential Programs and Services Executive Director Patrick Connor.“We won’t be able to tell how many students will be living in lounges until the check-in date,” Connor said.This will be the third time in the last nine years RPS has had to temporarily place students in residence hall lounges, Connor said. The situation is the result of continual cancellations and requests from students for RPS housing, and some of the largest freshman classes IU has ever seen. With no way of knowing how many students will need temporary housing, RPS plans to set up more than enough lounge space for students to live in, Connor said. RPS is prepared to house up to 250 students in residence hall lounges, said Residential Operations Director Bob Weith.“That doesn’t mean we will have 250 people living in lounges, but it’s smart for us to put up more than we need,” Weith said.RPS plans to house four students to a lounge because that roughly matches the square footage each student has in a double room, Connor said. Lounges will be furnished like a dorm room, and locks will be changed for the security purposes of those living in the lounges. RPS planned to send e-mails this week to students who have not been assigned a room informing them they could be temporarily placed in a lounge, Connor said.The number of students placed in lounges will depend on several variables, Connor said. In the past, anywhere from 50 to 75 students who had a housing contract with RPS didn’t show up to check in and didn’t call. RPS then called them, Connor said, usually to discover students had found off-campus housing, were no longer attending IU or had other reasons why they no longer needed RPS housing. Connor said he expects a lot of shuffling to occur in the next few weeks leading up to Sept. 2 – the first day of classes.“Every day we get cancellation notices,” Connor said. “We’re still getting requests from students who decided they want to live in on-campus housing.”This situation is connected largely to increased enrollment, Weith said. This is the third year in a row IU has seen large freshman classes. The fall 2006 freshman class was the largest on record at that point, Connor said. The freshman class that came in fall 2007 was slightly smaller, but this year’s freshman class is expected to be the largest, Connor said.RPS had to temporarily place about 70 students in residence hall lounges in 2006 and about 100 in 2001, Connor said. In both instances, RPS was able to get students into a regular living space within the first month, Connor said.The length of time students will have to stay in residence hall lounges will vary, Weith said. Some students who arrive Aug. 27 will probably be placed in regular housing the same week. Others may have to wait several weeks.“It just depends on how many spaces we have and who doesn’t show up,” Weith said. “It’s impossible for us to predict.”
(08/04/08 1:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Campus Bus Service and Bloomington Transit are looking to unify their ridership statistics in an attempt to increase state and federal funding for both organizations.“There is interest on both Bloomington Transit and IU’s behalf toward possible unification,” said Lew May, general manager of Bloomington Transit. “The goal being that there may be some potential to realize additional state and federal funds.”Campus Bus Service recently announced a reduction in services for the 2008-09 school year to balance a budget that did not increase enough to cover rising fuel costs, among other things, according to an IU press release. Bloomington Transit has made a proposal to reduce some services to also cover rising fuel and other costs, according to a Bloomington Transit press release. Adding Campus Bus Service ridership numbers to Bloomington Transit’s numbers would make Bloomington Transit eligible for more grant money if this combination is approved by the Indiana Department of Transportation.Bloomington Transit receives state and federal funding based on the number of riders it carries each year in addition to revenue from bus fares and from IU for providing campus-oriented service, said Kent McDaniel, executive director of IU Transportation Services. Bloomington Transit currently has 2.8 million riders, May said. IU Campus Bus Service had 3.3 million riders last year, but it is not eligible for the ridership-based state and federal funding Bloomington Transit receives, McDaniel said.Despite last year’s 3.3 million riders being the most Campus Bus Service has ever recorded, service for the 2008-09 school year has been decreased to balance what Operations Manager Perry Maull called “the worst budget I have ever had to put together in over 30 years of doing these.” Campus Bus Service does not charge bus fares and is funded primarily by the student transportation fee, which increased by 2.8 percent for the 2008-09 school year, Maull said. This is about a $108,000 increase, but it is not enough to account for rising fuel costs and maintenance for an aging bus fleet, he said.In an attempt to increase revenue, the Campus Bus Service is considering a contractual agreement with Bloomington Transit that would give it funding for performance it has been providing, McDaniel said. Campus Bus Service and Bloomington Transit would still be two separate organizations, but they would appear to be one statistically under this arrangement. Funding would flow through Bloomington Transit because they are the eligible recipient, McDaniel said.May said he wants both organizations to come to an agreement as soon as possible, and he’s hoping they will reach one by 2009. But even though both organizations want to come to an agreement soon, it won’t be easy.“A lot of hard discussion has to occur on details,” May said. “I don’t know what shape and form the agreement will take over the next year to year and a half.”If Campus Bus Service and Bloomington Transit can reach an agreement, they will make a proposal that must be approved by the Indiana Department of Transportation, McDaniel said.Opposition for the proposal could come from other cities in Indiana, McDaniel said.“If Bloomington takes more money out of the pot, there’s less for everyone else,” McDaniel said.
(07/31/08 1:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s student transportation fee has not increased enough to maintain transportation services for the 2008-09 school year.“Fuel exploded from last year,” said Perry Maull, Campus Bus Service operations manager. “There’s no way to accommodate that in a budget that only goes up by 2.8 percent.”Service on all campus bus routes will be reduced for the 2008-09 school year, with many of the changes occurring in the evenings, on weekends and over academic breaks. In addition, Bloomington Transit has proposed several changes that could take effect Sept. 1, according to a Bloomington Transit news release. The proposed changes to some campus-oriented routes are the result of increased operating costs for Bloomington Transit and limited funding by IU, according to the news release. Changes might also be made to the Midnight Special, commonly known as the “drunk bus,” when the contract between IU and Bloomington Shuttle Service to provide the Midnight Special ends Dec. 1, Maull said. This contract is about 5 years old and is based on operating costs that have changed, he added.“Their fuel has gone up like everybody else’s,” Maull said. “I’m sure there’s going to be a huge increase in that cost.”Currently, running the Midnight Special route costs $156,000 a year, Maull said. The money comes from the student transportation fee, which is the only source of revenue for the Campus Bus Service.The student transportation fee increased by 2.8 percent for the 2008-09 school year, Maull said. While Maull said he is grateful for the increase, which has allowed bus operators’ wages and medical insurance to increase, it is still not enough to maintain the level of service provided last school year. Maull said as a graduate of IU he understands the importance of the Campus Bus Service for students. But as operations manager, he also understands the importance of having a balanced budget, which has proven to be increasingly difficult.“This is the worst budget I have ever had to put together in over 30 years of doing these,” Maull said.IU’s limited budget is one reason for Bloomington Transit’s proposal to cut some campus-oriented services, said Lew May, Bloomington Transit general manager. IU currently pays Bloomington Transit for some services such as improved frequency on routes that serve the campus population. Bloomington Transit needed about $92,000 to maintain current service levels, but IU didn’t have the revenue because of limitations on student fee increases, May said.“We understand that and sympathize, but at the same time we have to look at ways to reduce costs,” May said.Students, such as IU junior Courtney Williams, think the cuts in services are reasonable when considering increasing fuel costs. Freshman DaJaun Hamilton said he doesn’t think the changes will affect him too much, and he doesn’t want the student transportation fee to increase either.“Prices are already steep enough,” Hamilton said. While changes to Campus Bus Service have already been made, students still have an opportunity to voice their opinions on services provided by Bloomington Transit and the Midnight Special.The Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 5 in the BPTC conference room, located at 130 W. Grimes Lane, to hear comments from the public on the proposed Sept. 1 service changes, according to a press release. The Midnight Special will be the first thing on the Student Transportation Board’s agenda at their meeting at 8 p.m. Aug. 25 in the Charter Room of the Indiana Memorial Union, Maull said. All students are welcome at Student Transportation Board meetings, Maull said.If IU and Bloomington Shuttle Service’s current contract is any indication of how long a new contract could last, freshmen will feel the effects of a new agreement for their entire time at IU. Freshman Mica Stafford, who will not have a car on campus, said it’s not fair that freshmen will not have the same services that previous freshmen classes have had. She has an answer for others who are upset by the changes.“People who need transportation have to be willing to pay for the increased price,” Stafford said.Proposed Campus Bus Service changes
(07/23/08 10:41pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Fueled by Bob Dylan’s “Tambourine Man” and a glass tinkling with ice, Hunter S. Thompson did things no one in American journalism or literature had ever done before. William McKeen’s book “Outlaw Journalist: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson” chronicles the wild ride that was Thompson’s life from his birth in Louisville, Ky., to his funeral at Owl Farm in Colorado, where his ashes were shot from a double-thumbed fist as fireworks exploded in the background.The book begins with McKeen’s recollection of the night he learned Thompson was dead and proceeds to lead readers up the mountain of financial troubles and rejection letters Thompson climbed in his quest to have his work published.Thompson’s love of writing was rivaled only by his love of mischief, and “Outlaw Journalist” shows readers how the combination of these two forces continually pushed Thompson to each milestone in his life. When many of his friends were heading to the East Coast for Ivy League educations, Thompson was on his way to Eglin Airforce Base in Florida to avoid further punishment for a prank he pulled just before his high school graduation.It wasn’t long before the regimentation and structure of the military caused Thompson to begin looking for a way out. He found it as a sports writer for the weekly newspaper at his base, the Command Courier. With no prior newspaper experience (other than the neighborhood newspaper he and his friends put together when they were kids) Thompson broke many rules of American journalism and the English language in his first few weeks with the Command Courier. McKeen explains how this job allowed Thompson to begin practicing the techniques that became trademarks of his writing, such as inserting a fake editor’s note and writing about himself.These forces combined again in the 1970s when Thompson botched an assignment from Sports Illustrated to cover the Mint 400 race in Las Vegas. This experience was the inspiration for Thompson’s most famous book and the 1998 motion picture of the same name: “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” Some of the passages from “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” became famous quotations for Thompson’s biggest fans, such as the opening paragraph that begins, “We were somewhere near Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold.” McKeen challenges readers to look past the drugs and shenanigans most readers remember “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” for by examining the excerpt that Thompson would later refer to as his best work.“History is hard to know, because of all the hired bullshit, but even without being sure of ‘history’ it seems entirely reasonable to think that every now and then the energy of a whole generation comes to a head in a long fine flash, for reasons that nobody really understands at the time – and which never explain, in retrospect, what actually happened.”Most people remember Thompson as the guy who wrote the book about doing a lot of drugs in Las Vegas. They fail to understand Thompson and what he was doing. “Outlaw Journalist” explains what was going on behind the cigarette holder and aviator sunglasses to a generation that has yet to experience a literary rock star like Hunter S. Thompson.
(05/24/08 12:10am)
Sometimes I think I knew more when I was a freshman than I do now. When I was a freshman I knew I was going to write the next great American novel and I was going to be the voice of my generation. Four years later the only thing I know for sure is that life is harder than I thought.
(04/02/08 6:55pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Billy’s Chicago Place proves that nothing is as good as the original. Although I was pleased with my overall dining experience, I’m convinced that I’ll have to go to Chicago if I want to experience the authentic Chicago-style food so many IU students rave about.I fantasized about eating a Chicago-style deep-dish pizza all day before I went to Billy’s Chicago Place. Sadness crept into my heart as I read the limited menu, which did not include pizza of any style. Basic entrees such as hotdogs, hamburgers and Italian-meat sandwiches made up the majority of the food menu. The beer menu included an average selection of bottled and draft beers. The iconic Old Style beer synonymous with Chicago’s Wrigley Field was available for $2.50 a bottle.I ordered a Chicago-style hotdog and a gyro while my friend ordered french fries. We chose a table near a large picture of the Chicago skyline. Other items commemorating the city and its teams, such as a multicolored Cubs light, were hung throughout the restaurant. Banners commemorating IU men’s basketball national championships were also hung inside the restaurant, in stark contrast to the Chicago theme. My observation was quickly interrupted when our food was brought to us shortly after we had ordered. My gyro toppings included tomato, onions, tzatziki sauce and nothing else. I’m used to having more toppings crammed into a gyro, but the thick slices of meat made up for the lack of toppings.My friend noted that my Chicago-style hotdog appeared to have all the necessary ingredients such as onions, tomatoes and pickle spears. The menu lists “bright green relish” as one of the toppings, and they weren’t kidding. This stuff looked like it would glow in the dark.The fries weren’t salty enough for my friend, who admits to being a fan of cholesterol. I was able to grab a few before she devoured them and suggested we order something else. She changed her mind when I informed her that the IDS would not reimburse me for the meal. Just like the rest of the food, the fries were OK, but not worth writing home to Chicago about.The take-home menu I picked up claims that Billy’s Chicago Place has been “A Bloomington tradition since 2007.” The food is comparable and prices are lower than at other establishments that consider themselves Bloomington traditions, but until alumni start bringing their kids to your restaurant, I think you need to change your menu cover, Billy.
(02/25/08 3:36am)
IU alumnus Shannon Hogan was on his hands and knees waxing the floor of his new store Friday. The store, GlobalTalk Wireless LLC, is the latest business venture for Hogan, who began his entrepreneurial career before he graduated in 2001. Hogan didn’t know exactly what he would be doing after college, but he was sure of one thing.\n“I can’t work for another person,” Hogan said. “I think too fast.”\nHogan said his entrepreneurial aspirations took him from Chicago to Michigan before he returned to Bloomington and became the town’s first authorized T-mobile dealer. He entered the wireless business selling Helio wireless carrier devices and services from a kiosk in College Mall.\nHe now sells devices and services for both Helio and T-mobile from his own store, located at 2624 E. 10th St.\nHogan’s first business was a clothing line called Sxcels. Shortly after the creation of Sxcels, Hogan said he was able to “weasel” his way into R & B singer R. Kelly’s crew. Hogan said he worked with R. Kelly for two years, and during that time, R. Kelly began funding the production of Sxcels clothes. Things were going well for Hogan and his clothing line until about the time R. Kelly released his album “Trapped in the Closet.” R. Kelly’s priorities changed and he stopped funding Sxcels, Hogan said.\n“After that, I was history,” Hogan said.\nAfter dissolving Sxcels, Hogan said he began working for a Chicago-based consulting firm. His new job required him to travel throughout the Midwest. During a trip to Michigan, he met a woman who said she had made a significant amount of money selling body jewelry at a kiosk in a mall.\nTired of traveling, Hogan began selling body jewelry at College Mall in Bloomington from a kiosk. He then opened a second kiosk at Mall St. Matthews in Louisville, Ky. That kiosk was near an AT&T store.\n“I saw all the traffic at the AT&T store,” Hogan said. “I heard about Helio at about the same time and decided I wanted a cell phone company.”\nHogan switched gears and began selling Helio devices and services in the College Mall. He chose Helio because it is a Korean company, and IU has brought a Korean market to Bloomington. Helio allows its customers to text message Korea for free.\nHogan was looking to leave College Mall because of high rent prices when he found a location next to a Korean restaurant called Mama’s Restaurant.\n“Everything just kind of fell into place,” Hogan said.\nThe success of GlobalTalk Wireless, or any other new business, will depend on the value-added services the business offers, said Johannes Denekamp, senior lecturer of management and entrepreneurship at IU.\n“What is the value of going to his store over the competition?” Denekamp said.\nHogan said the value of his store is that it’s the only one in Bloomington. The nearest T-mobile and Helio stores are in Indianapolis, Hogan said. Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club carry some T-mobile devices, but they do not offer SIM cards and cannot accept T-mobile bill payments, Hogan said.\nGlobalTalk Wireless is one of several businesses - such as Butcher’s Block and Fortune Cookies, - started by IU graduates that have opened in Bloomington recently, Denekamp said. The energy of business owners who are recent IU graduates is often their greatest asset, Denekamp said.\n“They have much more hustle and understanding of student need and lifestyle, and students can identify with that,” Denekamp said.
(02/14/08 5:00am)
In the new family comedy "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins," Martin Lawrence delivers a traditional comedic performance, but the movie is far from original in its efforts to entertain. With a predictable story line, the talent of the cast is the only thing that saves the film from being a complete dud.\nWhen a successful yet resentful talk-show host (Lawrence) from the South moves to the big city and gains fame, fortune and success, it takes the love and support from his family to keep him grounded. Roscoe Jenkins returns home for a family reunion with his newfound love interest and old grudges from past family issues.\nAt home, he returns to much of the same -- still teased by his loud-mouthed big sister Betty (Mo'Nique), beat up by his brawny older brother Otis (Michael Clarke Duncan) and tormented by his arch-rival cousin Clyde (Cedric the Entertainer). This story line was a bit predictable, and it followed with a happy ending. \nNevertheless, the star-studded cast does its part in making sure "Welcome Home" is a funny movie and at the same time keeps each star from overshadowing the others' talents and abilities. The film does try to shed light on real family issues such as father-son relationships (James Earl Jones plays Jenkins' dad), past grievances that haven't been reconciled amongst family members and finding one's true love.\nOverall, "Welcome Home" does its part in entertaining and making the audience laugh. For example, Roscoe's mouth often gets him in verbal and physical altercations with his family members where he is usually the loser of the bout, whether he's wrestling on the floor or getting knocked out. Because the story line revolves around a petty rivalry between Roscoe and Clyde with ample slapstick, it's hard to take the film seriously, but the happy ending feels ultimately satisfying. "Welcome Home" has a cast of modern-day comedic geniuses and a concept that everyone can relate to -- family. Whether one's family issues are similar or different to those in this movie, the fact that it's funny is enough to keep the audience engaged and satisfied with this movie.
(02/07/08 5:00am)
Imagine that for the rest of your life your only means of communication was through blinking one eye. No mobility, no physical capabilities, no control over any part of your body except a sole eyelid. For Jean-Dominique Bauby, former editor of the French magazine Elle, that was his reality. \nIt is remarkable and a testament to his perseverance that the real life Bauby (Mathieu Amalric) was able to compose his autobiography, on which the film is based. With vividly colorful cinematography and artistic direction, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" paints a portrait of the starkness of the human condition.\nThe film's title is outwardly visual yet metaphorically contradictory. After a stroke leaves him almost entirely paralyzed, a victim of "locked-in syndrome," Bauby refers to his incapacitated body as a diving bell, while his mind, consisting only of powerful imagination and memories, is like a butterfly that can set him free. By way of Bauby's vivid imagination, complete with sexual fantasies and flashbacks, we see how he gets through each day.\nFirst-person camera shots create the movie's most stunning visuals. Initially, and then for a majority of the film, we see Bauby's life directly through his eye. While he cannot respond to visitors, we hear his echoing thoughts as if he were actually speaking. And for a man who has endured the worst imaginable circumstances, he manages to keep a sense of humor.\nSimilar to the way Daniel Day-Lewis communicates with his only mobile appendage in "My Left Foot," Bauby learns to communicate letter by letter through blinking, Amalric's subtle performance leaves Jean-Dominique Bauby something of a mystery. We learn about his pre-stroke past only through brief flashbacks, which depict a morally ambiguous character. This leaves the question for the viewer to decide: Is paralysis Bauby's justice, or do terrible things happen at random?\nSuperficially, "The Diving Bell" is the story of a man who had everything and was reduced to nothing. But beneath it, the film depicts the sheer power of the mind. The film leaves us with gaping questions of what makes us conscious and what makes us alive.
(01/10/08 5:00am)
Cedric Yarbrough was dressed in a pimp costume with Arsenio Hall and Brian Mcknight on the set of the blaxploitation parody "Black Dynamite" when he came to a realization: \n"When you look at my life, it's pretty damn ridiculous," Yarbrough said. "And it's due to the success of 'Reno 911.'" \nYarbrough plays Deputy S. Jones on Comedy Central's hit series "Reno 911." The show is a parody of reality law-enforcement programs such as "Cops." It began as a sketch comedy titled "Ugly Americans," Yarbrough said. \nThe pilot episode of "Ugly Americans" was shot for Fox, but it sat on the shelf for two years until another network decided to give it a try.\n"Comedy Central picked it up, and away we went," Yarbrough said.\n Comedy Central will air the first episode of the show's fifth season Jan. 16. The new season will pick up where the last season left off by revealing the father of Deputy Trudy Wiegel's baby. It will also feature several guest stars, including Christina Applegate and George Lopez.\n"Our guest stars are phenomenal," Yarbrough said. "They really get our show."\nGuest stars on the show have to be quick-witted because, while basic plot elements are scripted, much of the dialogue on the show is improvised, Yarbrough said.\nEven though 90 percent of the show is improvised, Yarbrough said, the Writer's Guild of America strike still effects the cast of "Reno 911."\n"It affects all of Hollywood," Yarbrough said. "I stand with the writers. I don't only do 'Reno,' I do other movies and TV, and without words it's difficult to do a show or movie."\nOther cast members such as Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant have supported the strike by participating in picket lines, Yarbrough said.\nComedy Central is able to air the newest season of "Reno 911" because filming was completed before the strike began, Yarbrough said. Scripts for other projects Yarbrough has been involved with, such as a movie with Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn titled "Four Christmases," were also written before the strike.\n"Several movies were written before (the strike) and stockpiled because people knew it would happen," Yarbrough said.\nNew movies will continue to be released to the public for now, but if the strike continues into February and March "people will really feel the pinch," Yarbrough said.\nIn spite of the strike and being set on the shelf, the show is now in its fifth season and Yarbrough is still having a great time playing Deputy S. Jones.\n"I love waking up to do the show," Yarbrough said. "We're like kids playing cops and robbers. It doesn't get any better than that."\nPlaying cops and robbers can, however, have its drawbacks, because you never know how police officers will react to you, Yarbrough said. When he and the rest of the show's cast members flew into Reno, Nevada, for a Comedy Central event, they were greeted by members of the city's police department. The cast didn't know what kind of reception they would receive. \n "I was prepared to get flogged," Yarbrough said.\nThe officers' reaction to the cast's arrival was like a scene from a movie, Yarbrough said. One person in the back of the crowd began clapping and others joined in until the entire group was applauding the cast.\n"Most police really get the show and like the show," Yarbrough said.\nYarbrough said countless police officers have told him scenes on "Reno 911" are similar to the situations they encounter.\n"They deal with criminals that are drunk and disorderly or fighting over a sandwich, and it happens to them on a daily basis," Yarbrough said. "They have to hold a straight face, but they want to laugh."\nYarbrough said he has done "drive alongs" with officers and some of the things he has seen are "pretty damn funny."\n"We really are hitting close to home," Yarbrough said.
(12/31/07 12:31am)
IU will activate the text messaging component of the IU-Notify emergency notification service Dec. 14, but many students have not taken advantage of the service. \n"I haven't signed up for it," said IU sophomore Tony Ranard. "I read about it, but I didn't get the sign up thing, and I didn't think it would be a big deal." \nWhile some students agree the service is a good idea, they have not taken the time to register for it. Mark S. Bruhn, associate vice president for information and infrastructure assurance, said cell phones are the fastest way for IU to notify students in an emergency. He encourages all IU students to update their contact information on onestart so they can be part of the system. \nApproximately 2,600 students have registered for the text messaging component, Bruhn said. Those students will receive a confirmation message within 24 hours of the system's activation. The number 23177 will show up in the "from" box on the recipient's cell phone, according to an e-mail Bruhn sent to students who have registered for the service. The message will read, "IU NOTIFY: You are now confirmed to receive alerts from us. More info text reply 'HELP' or 'STOP IU' to opt-out," according to the e-mail. Students who receive this message will then be able to receive any critical notifications from IU through text messages, according to the e-mail. \n"It is important students understand where the message is coming from and do not ignore it," Bruhn said.\nStephanie Lanyi, a senior, said schools have an obligation to keep their students informed of dangerous situations. She said utilizing cell phones to do this is a good idea because other means of communication, such as e-mail, are not fast enough. She is not currently signed up for the service, but said she would if she knew how to do it. \n"If I knew how to access it the system, I would sign up because personally I would want to know if something is happening," Lanyi said. \nStudents register for the service by providing a cell phone and text message number to the University, Bruhn said. Each student had the option to list those numbers when they first came to IU. Students can still register for the service by updating their contact information on OneStart. Once students log on to OneStart, they can click on the notifications tab and then the click on the "add student contact info" link to the left of their screen, Bruhn said. Students can add a cell phone number and a text number, which is the same number in most cases, Bruhn said. Only those students who filled in the text number will receive the confirmation message today, Bruhn said. Anyone who updates their contact information on OneStart will receive the service. \n"It's important students add this information because that is going to be the best way to reach them in the event of an emergency," Bruhn said.
(12/12/07 9:39pm)
The IU board of trustees approved a five-year plan to upgrade housing for 2,000 students at an estimated cost of $113.5 million Friday at its meeting on the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis campus. \nThe renovations call for the construction of a new housing facility at the former Ashton Complex and the conversion of Forest and Briscoe dorm rooms to suite-style housing. \n"It's time to create some new housing and the kind of housing we think students will want," said Larry MacIntyre, IU's director of media relations. \nThe plan will be implemented in two phases, according to a Dec. 7 press release. The first phase will be the construction of a new facility at the former Ashton Complex site at 10th and Union streets. Construction could begin in early spring, MacIntyre said. This phase must be completed within a year-and-a-half before the University can begin the second phase of the project, MacIntyre said. \nThe second phase will transition the current dorm rooms in Briscoe and Forest to suite-style housing, according to the press release. Those facilities currently hold 2,080 beds with the traditional dorm rooms, but that number will decrease to 1,200 when the dorm rooms are converted to suites. The new beds in Ashton will compensate for the reduced number of beds in Briscoe and Forest, according to the press release. \nThe plan is a result of President McRobbie's desire to upgrade student housing. IU has done much to improve the learning environment on the Bloomington campus, but living arrangements – specifically student housing – have remained largely unchanged since the 1960s, McRobbie said in his Oct. 18 inaugural address. \n"If we are to attract and retain the best students in the state and the nation, we must ensure that both environments are of the highest quality," McRobbie said in the address. \nMcRobbie also said he plans to upgrade all of the residence halls at the Bloomington campus over the next 15 years. \nIU decided to change the current dorm rooms to suite style rooms as a result of student demand. IU hired Brailsford & Dunlavey Facility Planners and Program Managers to conduct a market analysis, said Pat Connor, executive director of Residential Projects and Services. The group looked at factors such as current enrollment patterns and determined the dorm rooms do not meet students' demands, Connor said. \nSuite-style housing could consist of two double rooms or two single rooms that share a bathroom, Connor said. Suites that share a bathroom may also share a common space similar to a living room, he said. There would still be a community lounge on each floor, but the suite style rooms would most likely not include kitchens, Connor said. \nSome of the rooms in the new Ashton complex might be built as apartments with amenities students would expect to see in off-campus apartments, such as kitchens, Connor said. These issues have not been finalized, Connor said. \n"The plan is to come back to the next trustees' meeting with the next step," Connor said. \nOther Big Ten universities have recently built new residential facilities with suite-style rooms. The University of Wisconsin built two new building with all suite-style rooms, and Penn State opened a new building three years ago with all single rooms and private bathrooms, Connor said. \nIU will sell bonds to banks to pay the estimated $113.5 million price tag on the five-year plan, MacIntyre said. He doesn't think the upgrade will result in a significant increase in residential fees. \n"I suspect fees will slowly increase, but there's not going to be a big jump," MacIntyre said.
(12/12/07 4:06am)
The IU board of trustees approved a five-year plan to upgrade housing for 2,000 students at an estimated cost of $113.5 million Friday at the board of trustees meeting on the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis campus. \nThe renovations call for the construction of a new housing facility at the former Ashton Complex and the conversion of Forest and Briscoe dorm rooms to suite-style housing.\n"It''''''''s time to create some new housing and the kind of housing we think students will want," said Larry MacIntyre, IU’s director of media relations. \nThe plan will be implemented in two phases, according to a Dec. 7 press release. The first phase will be the construction of a new facility at the former Ashton Complex site at 10th and Union streets. Construction could begin in early spring, MacIntyre said. This phase must be completed within a year-and-a-half before the University can begin the second phase of the project, MacIntyre said. \nThe second phase will transition the current dorm rooms in Briscoe and Forest to suite-style housing, according to the press release. Those facilities currently hold 2,080 beds with the traditional dorm rooms, but that number will decrease to 1,200 when the dorm rooms are converted to suites. The new beds in Ashton will compensate for the reduced number of beds in Briscoe and Forest, according to the press release. \nThe plan is a result of President McRobbie''''''''s desire to upgrade student housing. IU has done much to improve the learning environment on the Bloomington campus, but living arrangements – specifically student housing – have remained largely unchanged since the 1960s, McRobbie said in his Oct. 18 inaugural address. \n"If we are to attract and retain the best students in the state and the nation, we must ensure that both environments are of the highest quality," McRobbie said in the address. \nMcRobbie also said he plans to upgrade all of the residence halls at the Bloomington campus over the next 15 years. \nIU decided to change the current dorm rooms to suite style rooms as a result of student demand. IU hired Brailsford & Dunlavey Facility Planners and Program Managers to conduct a market analysis, said Pat Connor, executive director of Residential Projects and Services. The group looked at factors such as current enrollment patterns and determined the dorm rooms do not meet students'''''''' demands, Connor said. \nSuite-style housing could consist of two double rooms or two single rooms that share a bathroom, Connor said. Suites that share a bathroom may also share a common space similar to a living room, he said. There would still be a community lounge on each floor, but the suite style rooms would most likely not include kitchens, Connor said. \nSome of the rooms in the new Ashton complex might be built as apartments with amenities students would expect to see in off-campus apartments, such as kitchens, Connor said. These issues have not been finalized, Connor said. \n"The plan is to come back to the next trustees'''''''' meeting with the next step," Connor said. \nOther Big Ten universities have recently built new residential facilities with suite-style rooms. The University of Wisconsin built two new building with all suite-style rooms, and Penn State opened a new building three years ago with all single rooms and private bathrooms, Connor said. \nIU will sell bonds to banks to pay the estimated $113.5 million price tag on the five-year plan, MacIntyre said. He doesn''''''''t think the upgrade will result in a significant increase in residential fees. \n"I suspect fees will slowly increase, but there''''''''s not going to be a big jump," MacIntyre said.
(12/12/07 4:04am)
The IU board of trustees approved a five-year plan to upgrade housing for 2,000 students at an estimated cost of $113.5 million Friday at the board of trustees meeting on the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis campus. \nThe renovations call for the construction of a new housing facility at the former Ashton Complex and the conversion of Forest and Briscoe dorm rooms to suite-style housing.\n"It''''s time to create some new housing and the kind of housing we think students will want," said Larry MacIntyre, IU’s director of media relations. \nThe plan will be implemented in two phases, according to a Dec. 7 press release. The first phase will be the construction of a new facility at the former Ashton Complex site at 10th and Union streets. Construction could begin in early spring, MacIntyre said. This phase must be completed within a year-and-a-half before the University can begin the second phase of the project, MacIntyre said. \nThe second phase will transition the current dorm rooms in Briscoe and Forest to suite-style housing, according to the press release. Those facilities currently hold 2,080 beds with the traditional dorm rooms, but that number will decrease to 1,200 when the dorm rooms are converted to suites. The new beds in Ashton will compensate for the reduced number of beds in Briscoe and Forest, according to the press release. \nThe plan is a result of President McRobbie''''s desire to upgrade student housing. IU has done much to improve the learning environment on the Bloomington campus, but living arrangements – specifically student housing – have remained largely unchanged since the 1960s, McRobbie said in his Oct. 18 inaugural address. \n"If we are to attract and retain the best students in the state and the nation, we must ensure that both environments are of the highest quality," McRobbie said in the address. \nMcRobbie also said he plans to upgrade all of the residence halls at the Bloomington campus over the next 15 years. \nIU decided to change the current dorm rooms to suite style rooms as a result of student demand. IU hired Brailsford & Dunlavey Facility Planners and Program Managers to conduct a market analysis, said Pat Connor, executive director of Residential Projects and Services. The group looked at factors such as current enrollment patterns and determined the dorm rooms do not meet students'''' demands, Connor said. \nSuite-style housing could consist of two double rooms or two single rooms that share a bathroom, Connor said. Suites that share a bathroom may also share a common space similar to a living room, he said. There would still be a community lounge on each floor, but the suite style rooms would most likely not include kitchens, Connor said. \nSome of the rooms in the new Ashton complex might be built as apartments with amenities students would expect to see in off-campus apartments, such as kitchens, Connor said. These issues have not been finalized, Connor said. \n"The plan is to come back to the next trustees'''' meeting with the next step," Connor said. \nOther Big Ten universities have recently built new residential facilities with suite-style rooms. The University of Wisconsin built two new building with all suite-style rooms, and Penn State opened a new building three years ago with all single rooms and private bathrooms, Connor said. \nIU will sell bonds to banks to pay the estimated $113.5 million price tag on the five-year plan, MacIntyre said. He doesn''''t think the upgrade will result in a significant increase in residential fees. \n"I suspect fees will slowly increase, but there''''s not going to be a big jump," MacIntyre said.
(12/12/07 4:03am)
The IU board of trustees approved a five-year plan to upgrade housing for 2,000 students at an estimated cost of $113.5 million Friday at the board of trustees meeting on the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis campus. \nThe renovations call for the construction of a new housing facility at the former Ashton Complex and the conversion of Forest and Briscoe dorm rooms to suite-style housing.\n"It''s time to create some new housing and the kind of housing we think students will want," said Larry MacIntyre, IU’s director of media relations. \nThe plan will be implemented in two phases, according to a Dec. 7 press release. The first phase will be the construction of a new facility at the former Ashton Complex site at 10th and Union streets. Construction could begin in early spring, MacIntyre said. This phase must be completed within a year-and-a-half before the University can begin the second phase of the project, MacIntyre said. \nThe second phase will transition the current dorm rooms in Briscoe and Forest to suite-style housing, according to the press release. Those facilities currently hold 2,080 beds with the traditional dorm rooms, but that number will decrease to 1,200 when the dorm rooms are converted to suites. The new beds in Ashton will compensate for the reduced number of beds in Briscoe and Forest, according to the press release. \nThe plan is a result of President McRobbie''s desire to upgrade student housing. IU has done much to improve the learning environment on the Bloomington campus, but living arrangements – specifically student housing – have remained largely unchanged since the 1960s, McRobbie said in his Oct. 18 inaugural address. \n"If we are to attract and retain the best students in the state and the nation, we must ensure that both environments are of the highest quality," McRobbie said in the address. \nMcRobbie also said he plans to upgrade all of the residence halls at the Bloomington campus over the next 15 years. \nIU decided to change the current dorm rooms to suite style rooms as a result of student demand. IU hired Brailsford & Dunlavey Facility Planners and Program Managers to conduct a market analysis, said Pat Connor, executive director of Residential Projects and Services. The group looked at factors such as current enrollment patterns and determined the dorm rooms do not meet students'' demands, Connor said. \nSuite-style housing could consist of two double rooms or two single rooms that share a bathroom, Connor said. Suites that share a bathroom may also share a common space similar to a living room, he said. There would still be a community lounge on each floor, but the suite style rooms would most likely not include kitchens, Connor said. \nSome of the rooms in the new Ashton complex might be built as apartments with amenities students would expect to see in off-campus apartments, such as kitchens, Connor said. These issues have not been finalized, Connor said. \n"The plan is to come back to the next trustees'' meeting with the next step," Connor said. \nOther Big Ten universities have recently built new residential facilities with suite-style rooms. The University of Wisconsin built two new building with all suite-style rooms, and Penn State opened a new building three years ago with all single rooms and private bathrooms, Connor said. \nIU will sell bonds to banks to pay the estimated $113.5 million price tag on the five-year plan, MacIntyre said. He doesn''t think the upgrade will result in a significant increase in residential fees. \n"I suspect fees will slowly increase, but there''s not going to be a big jump," MacIntyre said.
(12/12/07 4:02am)
The IU board of trustees approved a five-year plan to upgrade housing for 2,000 students at an estimated cost of $113.5 million Friday at the board of trustees meeting on the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis campus. \nThe renovations call for the construction of a new housing facility at the former Ashton Complex and the conversion of Forest and Briscoe dorm rooms to suite-style housing.\n"It's time to create some new housing and the kind of housing we think students will want," said Larry MacIntyre, IU’s director of media relations. \nThe plan will be implemented in two phases, according to a Dec. 7 press release. The first phase will be the construction of a new facility at the former Ashton Complex site at 10th and Union streets. Construction could begin in early spring, MacIntyre said. This phase must be completed within a year-and-a-half before the University can begin the second phase of the project, MacIntyre said. \nThe second phase will transition the current dorm rooms in Briscoe and Forest to suite-style housing, according to the press release. Those facilities currently hold 2,080 beds with the traditional dorm rooms, but that number will decrease to 1,200 when the dorm rooms are converted to suites. The new beds in Ashton will compensate for the reduced number of beds in Briscoe and Forest, according to the press release. \nThe plan is a result of President McRobbie's desire to upgrade student housing. IU has done much to improve the learning environment on the Bloomington campus, but living arrangements – specifically student housing – have remained largely unchanged since the 1960s, McRobbie said in his Oct. 18 inaugural address. \n"If we are to attract and retain the best students in the state and the nation, we must ensure that both environments are of the highest quality," McRobbie said in the address. \nMcRobbie also said he plans to upgrade all of the residence halls at the Bloomington campus over the next 15 years. \nIU decided to change the current dorm rooms to suite style rooms as a result of student demand. IU hired Brailsford & Dunlavey Facility Planners and Program Managers to conduct a market analysis, said Pat Connor, executive director of Residential Projects and Services. The group looked at factors such as current enrollment patterns and determined the dorm rooms do not meet students' demands, Connor said. \nSuite-style housing could consist of two double rooms or two single rooms that share a bathroom, Connor said. Suites that share a bathroom may also share a common space similar to a living room, he said. There would still be a community lounge on each floor, but the suite style rooms would most likely not include kitchens, Connor said. \nSome of the rooms in the new Ashton complex might be built as apartments with amenities students would expect to see in off-campus apartments, such as kitchens, Connor said. These issues have not been finalized, Connor said. \n"The plan is to come back to the next trustees' meeting with the next step," Connor said. \nOther Big Ten universities have recently built new residential facilities with suite-style rooms. The University of Wisconsin built two new building with all suite-style rooms, and Penn State opened a new building three years ago with all single rooms and private bathrooms, Connor said. \nIU will sell bonds to banks to pay the estimated $113.5 million price tag on the five-year plan, MacIntyre said. He doesn't think the upgrade will result in a significant increase in residential fees. \n"I suspect fees will slowly increase, but there's not going to be a big jump," MacIntyre said.