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(04/01/11 3:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At the corner of East Thornton Street and Huntington Drive, senior Bob Zerface held what appeared to be a small, smooth rock in his palm as Cheryl Munson, research scientist in the department of anthropology at IU, examined it.The object was actually not a rock at all — it is what archaeologists call a flake, something produced by Native Americans thousands of years ago. “Flakes are debris from the process of making tools, produced by applying pressure against a larger piece of flint or chert to shape the tool,” Munson said.The presence of flakes meant there had been prehistoric Native Americans on the land at some point, Munson said.“I’m not at all surprised that we found prehistoric site there. There is a nice, gentle hillside, and it’s relatively close to water sources,” she said.This find, along with many other artifacts discovered at the site, will contribute to the city’s knowledge and understanding of the area in which three Habitat for Humanity homes are planned to be built, Munson said.Munson, along with Susan Alt, professor of anthropology and instructor of the students who helped excavate the site, led efforts to conduct cultural resource management work at the properties on which Habitat for Humanity will be developing homes, a state requirement that usually costs money to do. Munson and Alt volunteered their efforts free of charge.“Habitat is a really great organization, and I thought this would be an excellent intersection of educating the class, helping the city and helping Habitat,” Alt said. “Everyone got something out of it.”After Bloomington’s Historic Preservation Officer contacted Munson and asked her to survey the land, Munson said she thought this opportunity was a perfect chance to do a service-learning project with students. Alt also said she felt the project would give the city a better understanding of the historic remains of the property.“We knew it was a low-income area, and there was a push in the ’90s to get higher cost housing,” Alt said. “The detailed history of the area was just really lacking, and no one really knows a lot about it.”Along with prehistoric flakes, excavators found more recent artifacts, including limestone from the nearby mill, pieces of brick and coal clinker from coal furnaces.“I didn’t expect to find as much disturbed soil, and it surprised me,” Alt said. “The city didn’t know a lot about the history, so they thought the area wasn’t as used as much as it turned out to be.”Zerface, an anthropology major who helped excavate the site, said he thinks a wider understanding of the archaeological past of an area can educate people on how to handle present concerns and issues.“When you do archaeology, you learn that people really haven’t changed, but exactly what they do and how they do it has changed,” he said. “It’s exciting because you’re essentially digging through history.”
(02/24/11 3:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>What do “The Vagina Monologues,” V-Day Bloomington and Middle Way House have in common? The answer: a cause to empower women.On Saturday, the Buskirk-Chumley Theater will present a production of “The Vagina Monologues” in celebration of V-Day Bloomington, with proceeds from the show going to Middle Way House. V-Day Bloomington is part of a global movement that works to end violence against women. Middle Way House’s mission is also to end violence in the lives of women and children. Co-producer and co-director of “The Vagina Monologues,” Julie Thomas, said V-Day, Middle Way House and the show itself work together to give women a strong voice in society.“What Middle Way House is about is ending violence against women, and that’s exactly what V-Day organization does,” she said. “The idea is to raise awareness, educate and entertain at the same time.” Thomas said this is the first time she has worked with a local Bloomington cast. Cast members range from IU students and elected officials to business owners and realtors.Cast member Kyla Cox said the most unique aspect of the show is its ability to shed light on issues that are not normally addressed. “It really takes voices that may otherwise have been marginalized and not heard and brings them out in a very, very public setting, and I think that is something very key and important to the Middle Way vision,” she said.Toby Strout, executive director of Middle Way House, said she has seen various productions of “The Vagina Monologues” nine times, but she looks forward to seeing this one because of her close connections with the cast.“I’m looking forward to seeing people that I know in their off-stage life, performing on stage with what is very challenging material,” she said.Thomas, who has volunteered for Middle Way House for almost 16 years, also said the show will provide community members with a chance to support Middle Way House, whether through offering volunteer help or purchasing ticket donations. “Funding is so short right now for Middle Way, and this will give community members a chance to say, ‘I want to do more for Middle Way,’” she said. “If they don’t know anything about Middle Way House, this is a great way to learn about it and to give a little and come away with a new appreciation for the work that they do.”Tickets for the 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. shows are on sale at the Buskirk-Chumley box office. Prices are $10 for balcony and $20 for the main floor for the 3 p.m. show and $25 for balcony and $35 for main floor for the 8 p.m. show.Thomas said she promises the people attending the show will have an unforgettable experience.“It’s a really fun show for a group of women to go to, and a great date show,” she said. “It’s not male bashing either. It’s really about embracing the strength, the power and the mystery of women’s lives.”
(02/24/11 3:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>What do “The Vagina Monologues,” V-Day Bloomington and Middle Way House have in common? The answer: a cause to empower women.On Saturday, the Buskirk-Chumley Theater will present a production of “The Vagina Monologues” in celebration of V-Day Bloomington, with proceeds from the show going to Middle Way House. V-Day Bloomington is part of a global movement that works to end violence against women. Middle Way House’s mission is also to end violence in the lives of women and children. Co-producer and co-director of “The Vagina Monologues,” Julie Thomas, said V-Day, Middle Way House and the show itself work together to give women a strong voice in society.“What Middle Way House is about is ending violence against women, and that’s exactly what V-Day organization does,” she said. “The idea is to raise awareness, educate and entertain at the same time.” Thomas said this is the first time she has worked with a local Bloomington cast. Cast members range from IU students and elected officials to business owners and realtors.Cast member Kyla Cox said the most unique aspect of the show is its ability to shed light on issues that are not normally addressed. “It really takes voices that may otherwise have been marginalized and not heard and brings them out in a very, very public setting, and I think that is something very key and important to the Middle Way vision,” she said.Toby Strout, executive director of Middle Way House, said she has seen various productions of “The Vagina Monologues” nine times, but she looks forward to seeing this one because of her close connections with the cast.“I’m looking forward to seeing people that I know in their off-stage life, performing on stage with what is very challenging material,” she said.Thomas, who has volunteered for Middle Way House for almost 16 years, also said the show will provide community members with a chance to support Middle Way House, whether through offering volunteer help or purchasing ticket donations. “Funding is so short right now for Middle Way, and this will give community members a chance to say, ‘I want to do more for Middle Way,’” she said. “If they don’t know anything about Middle Way House, this is a great way to learn about it and to give a little and come away with a new appreciation for the work that they do.”Tickets for the 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. shows are on sale at the Buskirk-Chumley box office. Prices are $10 for balcony and $20 for the main floor for the 3 p.m. show and $25 for balcony and $35 for main floor for the 8 p.m. show.Thomas said she promises the people attending the show will have an unforgettable experience.“It’s a really fun show for a group of women to go to, and a great date show,” she said. “It’s not male bashing either. It’s really about embracing the strength, the power and the mystery of women’s lives.”
(02/07/11 1:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Wonka’s Chocolate Carnival started at 3 p.m., and within the first half hour, there were at least 100 volunteers, parents and children in the Boys & Girls Club. The “chocolate river,” symbolized by a chocolate fondue fountain, was the main course offered at the carnival. Children of all ages gathered around the table and dipped strawberries, cherries, pineapple, marshmallows and pretzels into the gooey chocolate.“Interacting with kids is the best part,” junior and booth volunteer Kyle Smythe said. “I’m a secondary education major. I’m used to being with older kids, so I’m looking forward to helping some younger kids today.”Samantha Meadows, an Amethyst House program coordinator, decided to dress up as Willy Wonka and work the cotton candy machine. She said she was excited to see the event finally take shape.“So many people do so many different things, and it’s fun to see all the pieces come together,” she said.This is the fourth year Amethyst House has put on Wonka’s Chocolate Carnival. The carnival is completely volunteer-run, and the event helps raise awareness of Amethyst House’s mission to provide sober living for individuals, families and communities impacted by addictions and substance abuse. “This event is as much for fundraising as it is for outreach,” said Brian Garvey, Amethyst House board member and volunteer. “Amethyst House is in its 30th year, and hundreds of people’s road to recovery began with Amethyst.”Amethyst House offers a range of outpatient addiction services for people dealing with alcohol, drug or gambling issues. The organization focuses on helping patients live a clean and sober life.“Amethyst House is really about recovery and helping people establish their lives after addiction,” said Kristin Wolfe, Amethyst House board member and marketing coordinator.Wolfe said the carnival provides specific outreach methods to attract interested visitors, including an Amethyst House information booth and goody bags given to children with information about Amethyst House.Garvey said it is important to educate children on Amethyst House’s mission so they will inform their parents of what they have learned. Once parents and family members learn about Amethyst House, they can utilize its services if needed.Executive Director Mark DeLong said talking to different schools was an effective way to pique children’s interests. About six or seven thousand fliers advertising Wonka’s Chocolate Carnival were distributed to elementary schools before the event.“We like to go into the schools and tell them what Amethyst House is all about so they can learn more about us about the carnival,” DeLong said.
(02/03/11 2:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The fourth annual celebration of Amethyst House’s “Wonka’s Chocolate Carnival” is complete with everything Wonka’s Chocolate Factory is famous for, from the chocolate river to the Oompa Loompas. “I get talked into dressing up like an Oompa Loompa every year,” said Annie Cheek, case manager of the Amethyst House women’s branch. “I will help with setup and stuff, but I also dress up and get in character.”The carnival Saturday is open to all ages at the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington and usually draws in children from ages 4 to 10, said Gina Lovell, Amethyst House associate director of administration.“This carnival is about more than recreating Willy Wonka’s world,” Lovell said. “The event seeks to promote Amethyst House’s mission by raising more awareness of the organization.”Lovell said their mission is to “provide foundation for sober living by partnering with individuals, families and communities impacted by addictions and substance abuse issues, offering quality recovery services and guidance for clean, sober and healthy living.”“This is the only function we have throughout the year that focuses on young ages,” she said. “It’s a good way for families to learn about us, so if they have a family member who can utilize our services, we can provide some outreach to them.”Cheek said that, like Lovell, she is excited to sponsor the carnival because it brings families together to an event that promotes drug-free fun.“We try to advertise so that families in the area know about it,” Cheek said. “We also advertise within the AA and NA community because it’s a great thing for families to do that doesn’t involve drinking or using drugs or anything like that.”Amethyst House usually works with individuals, but is trying to expand its reach to families in order to help family members understand and adjust to the recovery process.“One of our goals that we’ve been really talking about is trying to get families more involved so we can provide support for them but also to help that process of going back with the family after treatment,” Cheek said.Cheek also said planning the event for four years now has made the production process easier. With the stress of planning off their minds, the workers at Amethyst House have created many fun events for this year’s carnival celebration. A chocolate fountain will represent Wonka’s Chocolate River, and children will be given pineapple pieces and strawberries to dip into the chocolate.Lovell also said there will be a ring toss, a golden ticket prize contest, a spaghetti and gumdrop tower-building contest and a moon bounce, which was a huge hit last year.“We had one of those gigantic moon bounces, and the line pretty much went from the back of the gym all the way out the door,” said Lindsay McClung, office manager of Amethyst House. “It’s just cute to see all the kids having a good time.”“Wonka’s Chocolate Carnival” will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. and tickets cost $5 per person and $15 per family.
(01/19/11 3:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Universal design is a concept centered on creating products and environments that are accessible to all people, including the physically disabled.It’s also a concept that South Central ArtsWORK Indiana wants to bring to its monthly meeting’s presentation, “Transitioning into an Art Career.”The meeting is 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Bloomington City Hall and is free and open to the public. Jane Harlan-Simmons, a research associate at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, said the purpose of the meeting is to promote employment skills, improve arts skills, network and build professional relationships.There is also time for people to bring up issues or concerns they have and share information on upcoming events. Harlan-Simmons said it was important to make the meeting local so that physically disabled people, people without transportation and people with less financial resources would be able to have access to arts career information.“We’re really trying to level the playing field, I guess, is the best way to put it,” she said. “But we invite all people who are interested in art careers to come to the meeting, and we certainly don’t want to limit it just to people with disabilities, although that’s the focus of our efforts.”This upcoming meeting is part of the monthly meetings that Indiana’s ArtsWORK has been having regularly. The organization usually meets in Indianapolis. This is the first time they are getting Bloomington residents involved.“We recognize that not everybody can travel to Indianapolis, and of course when you add issues of disability, then access, transportation and getting to places can be even more challenging,” Gayle Holtman, worker for VSA Indiana, a partner organization of ArtsWORK Indiana, said.Holtman explained that with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the organization decided to localize its efforts. After exploring where artists with disabilities were active and at work, the organization chose Bloomington as one of the meeting locations.“We know that there is a lot going on in the Bloomington community artistically, so it seemed like a logical place to try to develop a network,” Holtman said.Martina Celerin, who worked as a former molecular geneticist at IU, will present “Transitioning into an Arts Career.” Celerin is a Bloomington artist who creates works using dimensional weaving.“She is somebody who really made a successful transition from one very different career into an arts career in a self-employment kind of context,” Harlan-Simmons said.Kristina Davis, who works with another partner of ArtsWORK, the Indiana Arts Commission, said she is looking forward to sharing as much information about the arts world as she can with as many people as possible.“I’m excited about the genesis of ArtsWORK South Central in general, and that’s because careers in the arts are difficult at best but can be even more difficult for artists with disabilities,” she said. “Any situation where you have networking and opportunities of sharing informational resources means the more resources, the better, and a great opportunity for folks.”
(11/16/10 4:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Cathy Barbash, a specialist in Chinese culture and relations, approached Linda Pearse, founder and artistic director of the cornetto ensemble ¡Sacabuche!, about developing a music program based on the music and life of Matteo Ricci, Pearse was immediately on board.“Cathy was running logistics in China and had the foresight to say, ‘You guys should do this project together. It would be fabulous,’” Pearse said. “The spirit of collaboration really makes this project unique.”Through the collaborate efforts of Pearse, ¡Sacabuche! composer Huang Ruo and Ann Waltner, the director of the Institute for Advanced Study and professor of history at the University of Minnesota, the ensemble will present the international premiere of “The Map and Music of Matteo Ricci” at the China National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Dec. 12.The multimedia performance “The Map and Music of Matteo Ricci” reanimates the exchange between Italian Jesuits and Chinese literati in 17th century China.The program features a collection of Ricci’s 16th and 17th century music, ranging from the music he composed in Italy to the music he created while traveling to China.The program will also feature texts from his journals, poems he wrote and writings about him from Chinese intellectuals.The centerpiece that ties the performance together, however, is the digitalized reproduction of the first world map to include both the Eastern and Western hemispheres, created by Ricci in 1602.This feat, along with his music and mastery of the Chinese language and culture, earned Ricci the respect of the Chinese people, and Pearse said she is excited to perform in China, where Ricci was so revered.“It’s quite unique that Ricci was able to rise to be so esteemed by the upper echelons of Chinese society, and it was quite amazing that he reached them in such a highly regarded way,” she said.¡Sacabuche! is a sackbut and cornetto ensemble which specializes in Baroque music from the 16th and 17th centuries. The ensemble features faculty and student performers whose ages range from 19 to 75.Stanley Ritchie, a Jacobs School of Music professor and a guest artist playing with the ensemble in China, said he looks forward to meeting the challenge of preparing this kind of repertoire.“This group has become very successful in this country, and they already have a fine reputation for what they do,” Ritche said. “It will be very interesting to see how the Chinese react to the program.”Jacobs School of Music professor Michael McCraw said ¡Sacabuche! also helps educate the world on early music by offering exciting and innovative selections.“The ensemble itself playing this repertoire of music with this exact combination of instruments is a relatively new thing in the Jacobs School of Music,” McCraw said. “It’s very unique, and some students have gone to China before but certainly not anything from the early music department.”Pearse said above everything, the group is just excited to bring such a significant program to life and share their music with an international audience.“We don’t get paid to play, and we’re just all there in the interest of creating an artistic product, so that’s a really special feeling,” Pearse said.
(10/18/10 3:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Art and science are unlikely subjects to pair together.But that’s what the National Speleological Society did this summer to educate the public.By utilizing this pair of subjects, the Outreach Through the Arts subcommittee of the Environmental Education committee was created to unite arts, conservation and education under one cause.Val Hildreth-Werker, co-chairwoman of the NSS Conservation Division, said she hopes that through the arts, the NSS’s message will reach more people.“The more people can be involved on a visual, audial and kinetic level, the more ownership of the conservation message for caves and karsts will be created as they experience it,” she said. “It’s about creating, understanding and ownership.”The NSS is a national organization committed to the study, exploration and conservation of cave and karst resources.Hildreth-Werker said the organization would like to make “karst” a household term. Karst regions, she said, contain aquifers of all sizes that provide a large groundwater supply, and the water found in these aquifers is clearly exposed and easily vulnerable to contamination caused by human activity of the surface. Hildreth-Werker also said that 25 percent of the United States is underlain by karst, including Bloomington. About 40 percent of the people who use groundwater in the United States depend on karst aquifers, yet many people are not aware that they live on karst terrain.Kriste Lindberg, Chairman of the NSS Environmental Education committee, said the fact that Bloomington is on karst terrain helps make the NSS’s message more relatable for her and the community.“We’re in a karst area, and we’re completely surrounded by it, so the more we take care of it, the better off it will be and we’ll be,” she said.Another goal for the NSS is to bring public awareness to White-Nose syndrome, a wildlife disease severely affecting the bat population. The NSS hopes to educate the public about this issue and other conservation issues dealing with cave-dwelling species.The arts, Lindberg said, offer an opportunity to reach even more people by balancing artistic activities and scientific understanding.“This committee is kind of like a bridge to bring science and art together,” she said. “We don’t know many others who are doing this. We recognize that this is valuable, and it can work, and it has worked so far.”Lindberg will have a demonstration Tuesday at The Venue Fine Arts and Gifts in Bloomington called “Green Halloween.” She will be painting species of cave-dwelling animals on pieces of glassware and paper. “Not much of the work I have here can relate to scientific fields,” Gabriel Colman, curator of The Venue, said. “It’s exciting to now have something here rooted in hard science.”Hildreth-Werker said she hopes to create more opportunities for community art projects dealing with cave and karst conservation efforts. For now, Hildreth-Werker said, the possibilities are endless.“We have so many ideas, and we are limited only by our imagination,” she said. “This fun outlet for collaboration brings the big picture all together.”
(10/13/10 1:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington is known for its beauty, especially during the changing of the seasons. The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, the Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District and the Bloomington Watercolor Society hope to capture that beauty with their newest project, “We Paint ... Parks!”The project and competition will be a yearlong effort for the 83 members of the Bloomington Watercolor Society. Members are asked to paint a watercolor of one of 45 parks, trails and other natural sites in Bloomington by October 2011. The sites are assigned randomly by drawing from a hat.All of the paintings will be on display in the Showers Atrium in City Hall at the annual Bloomington Watercolor Society Membership Show in November 2011. The winner of the competition will receive a small cash prize, and the winning painting will be featured on the cover of the 2012 Bloomington Parks and Recreation program guide. Miah Michaelsen, assistant economic development director for the arts for the City of Bloomington, said adding an award component unifies the project on a bigger scale. Kriste Lindberg, the activities and workshops chairwoman for Bloomington Watercolor Society, said that although the project is designed as a competition, participants should find the experience fun and relaxed.“It’s a friendly competition, I guess you could say,” she said. “Even though names are drawn out of a hat, if they want a certain site, they can always trade with someone else. It’s a friendly way of competing.”Lindberg is also painting Jackson Creek Trail in the competition. She said one of the most important goals of this competition is to feature Bloomington parks to which people might have never had access to before.“I hope it will help with education and educating people about what’s around us,” she said. “It encourages people to see more and take advantage of what’s available to them.”Another aspect of the competition is journaling. Participants are asked to record their experiences in writing and sketches. “I think it will be fun to experience a site, to see it for what it really is and the beauty it has to offer, in painting and in writing,” Lindberg said.Michaelsen said she hopes this competition will encourage artists who have not found an outlet to pursue their passions. Michaelsen said the Bloomington Watercolor Society is a very supportive organization.“They try to embrace the idea of collective artists working in a certain media,” she said. “They offer a lot of encouragement.”The competition is also generating proceeds for the Parks Foundation fund, and part of the percentages of any paintings sold at the membership show will go the Parks and Recreation Department. This is to help maintain the beauty and upkeep of the parks.Jeanne Dutton, publicity chairwoman for the Bloomington Watercolor Society, said this project is exciting in that it exposes the community to the vibrant artistic culture in town. She also said that the partnership between the three organizations fosters a great community effort.“I think it’s exciting that this project is a community project, and I don’t know of any other project that’s been a kind of cooperative deal like this,” she said. “It’s wonderful that we have BEAD and Parks and the Watercolor Society involved. It’s a great trio.”
(09/03/10 2:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Since September 2009, the Bishop has been a stage for local and national performers to showcase their talent to Bloomington. Racebannon, Good Luck, Swords of Exactly and more performers who have yet to be named will help The Bishop celebrate its anniversary at 8 p.m. Sept. 4.There will be no cover for the event.Located at the corner of Fourth and Walnut street, it is situated comfortably in the downtown area of Bloomington. Owner and founder Steve Westrich said he started The Bishop as a response to the lack of live music venues in town. Westrich said he drew inspiration from Second Story, a former nightclub in Bloomington that showcased local and national underground talent. “I’d like to think [The Bishop] is the new Second Story,” he said. “We’re giving a home to live music in Bloomington again.” Westrich also said part of The Bishop’s appeal is its ability to give local talents with star potential regular opportunities to perform, similar to how Second City did. Both the White Stripes and R.E.M. performed at Second City before they became famous.Despite having a bar, The Bishop offers admission to concerts for people 18 and older. Booking agent Andy Goheen said The Bishop also has one of the best sound systems in Bloomington for the size of their venue. These and other unique features draw in huge crowds, Goheen said. “All college students want to come,” he said. “If a group of students want to go to a concert, and some are 21 and some are not, they can all still go, and people will come from all over to see their favorite bands.” Local and popular bands including Tortoise, The Ataris, The Delicious and The Hollows have all played or will be playing at The Bishop. Tyler Damon, frequent performer at The Bishop and drummer for the band Kentucky Nightmare, said the camaraderie between the performers, workers and customers is what makes the venue so appealing.“I know everybody here, and it’s sort of like ‘Cheers’ in a lot of ways,” he said. “Everyone who works here is a really great person, very friendly and very community oriented.” Westrich said he likes to book bands he believes in and respects, even if they aren’t as well known. “What helps us succeed is the abundance of local talent,” he said. “We are a venue willing to take a chance, and I’m proud of that.” Goheen said he hopes this night will attract music fans from around the area, whether they are familiar with the bands or not. “The Bishop is the only place I’ve seen where people randomly come to see a concert even if they don’t know the band,” he said. “They come because they just want to hear really awesome live music.”
(04/08/10 12:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With Relay For Life approaching, Read Residence Center students found a fun and creative way to raise money for their residence hall’s relay team.The Coffeehouse for Cancer Research, a relay fundraiser and talent show featuring various student performers, will take place at 8 p.m. today in the hall’s main lobby.Freshman Deanna Allbrittin, the event coordinator, said the show will feature many types of student performers, including singers, piano players, bands, comedians and even a ukulele player.“We have students performing from Read, Willkie and Forest,” she said. “The performers involved are doing a great thing for cancer research.”The event is free and open to the public. Coffee and lemonade will also be free, but baked goods and desserts will be sold and donations will be accepted.Some of the scheduled acts include the “Hoos on First” comedy troupe and local band “Eyes of the Prophet.” Freshman Rachel Schoenian, captain of the Relay for Life team sponsored by the Read Hutton Honors Council, said this event highlights the talent Read has to offer.“Read is known as the music dorm, and there’s a lot of talented people in it,” Schoenian said. “There’s also a lot of people that appreciate that talent.”Allbrittin and Schoenian are both part of the same team. The honors council plans academic and social events at Read throughout the school year and the show is their main philanthropy for the year.When the team was created a few months ago, Allbrittin said she extended the invitation to other students living in Read. Since then, the team of 20 has raised about $1,015 toward the cause.“Relay for Life is very near and dear to my heart,” she said. “We want to raise awareness to show support for Relay and cancer survivors, even if people decide to come for the whole Relay ceremony or not.”Allbrittin said she has gone door-to-door selling luminarias, illuminated bags used during the Relay for Life ceremony, as well as asking for donations. She said she hopes the show will raise even more money.“It’s really been the students in Read helping and donating a lot,” she said. “Coffeehouse will help raise even more money and awareness.”Sophomore and Read resident Erica Preusz said she feels the Coffeehouse is a great way to raise money while involving the Read community.“There are a lot of music students here and funding for Relay is hard,” she said. “Finding things like this that really interest people will work well, and it’s always fun to watch people perform.”
(03/24/10 1:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“American Idol” has met its match.Campus Super Star, a talent competition for solo singers, is well underway. Semi-finalists in the three-round competition will be fighting for a top-10 spot at 7 p.m. today in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.Leah Aft, assistant director of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center, which produces the show, said the semi-finalists must perform in an elimination showdown similar to “American Idol.”The competition will feature a wide variety of music, including pop, oldies, musical theater and opera, Aft said.After the first rounds of competition in Bloomington and Indianapolis, 30 semi-finalists will be left. Each will be judged on various factors, including song choice, stage presence, attitude and vocal talent.In the final round on April 18 at the Madame Walker Theatre in Indianapolis, judges will choose the top five performers, and a winner will be selected based on an audience vote.All top-10 finalists will receive cash prizes and one hour of recording time with the Bloomington Recording Company. The winner will receive a grand prize of $5,000.Senior and semi-finalist Carolyn Mehta said her incentives to compete this year include meeting new people, having fun and winning some money for school.“I’m looking forward to meeting and interacting with people and performing for my good friends and family,” she said. “It also would help me a lot financially, since the money would be going straight to graduate school.”Mehta has competed twice before. She made it to the top-10 her freshman year but did not place as a sophomore. “You never know what will happen,” she said. “I don’t have my expectations too high. Regardless of what happens, it’s a fun thing to do.”This is the sixth year of the Campus Super Star competition, said Dick Leventhal, the event chairperson.“I think the talent part of the show is very unique,” he said. “It seems to be more competitive each year.” The competition is open to students enrolled in any college or university in Indiana. This year, the semi-finals will feature performers from four different schools, including IU-Bloomington, IU-Purdue University Indianapolis, Anderson University and Butler University.“This is the only competition in our state, that I know of, which includes all different schools in Indiana,” Aft said.The semi-final show is free to students. Aft said she encourages people to come out and enjoy the talent Indiana has to offer.“It’s going to be a great night of music, free to all students,” she said. “It’s a great way to spend a Wednesday night.”
(02/02/10 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As the full, luscious melodies of the violin, guitar, cello and piano echoed through Auer Hall, the audience enjoyed the talent and skill of the finalists in the 13th Annual Competition in the Performance of Music from Spain and Latin America.The final rounds of the competition were held at 4 p.m. Sunday and welcomed an audience full of faculty members, students and fans of Latin-American music.The event featured two categories of competition. The special focus category featured a specific instrument, the violin, while the open interpretation category featured a more varied repertoire of guitar, cello and piano. Matvey Lapin, a student in the Jacobs School of Music, was the only competitor in the special focus category for the semifinal and final rounds this year.Lapin said part of being in any competition is learning about new music and understanding it.“On one hand, you have to immerse yourself in this music,” he said. “On the other hand, you have to play at the highest quality.”Lapin took second prize in the special focus category and was awarded $500. No first prize was given in this category.With the first prize money left, however, an honorable mention prize of $200 was awarded to cellist Francisco Villa for what the jury called research and creativity in his selection of pieces.In the open interpretation category, three prizes were given. Two second place prizes of $800 were awarded to the two guitarists in the competition, Jonathan Godfrey and Erol Ozsever.First prize was given to pianist Matthew Cataldi, who received $1,200 and will record a documentary CD.Cataldi, a graduate student in the Jacobs School, said he was happy to be part of a competition that featured great, although less widely-known, music.“When you have the opportunity to explore this corner of the repertoire, I think it’s a wonderful thing,” he said. “It’s great that the competition has been providing this opportunity.”Cataldi received cheers from the audience after he played “Rudepoema” by Heitor Villa-Lobos without using sheet music. He said he spent two months of the fall semester perfecting the 41-page piece.“It’s like a workout regimen,” he said. “If you take it easy for a day, you end up losing time. Consistency is very important.”Espen Jensen, a competition juror, said the audience reaction to Cataldi’s piece contributed to their decision. He also said compared to other years, this year’s competition had a more diverse repertoire.“We had more variety of instruments,” he said. “The variety was excellent, and the level of talent was excellent.”The talent level impressed the audience as well. Matthew Bilik, a freshman in the Jacobs School, said he attended because he has a strong passion for Latin-American music and culture.“The main reason I came today was because I just want to hear good music,” he said.
(02/02/10 2:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Cost is a main factor when hunting for student housing options in Bloomington.Smallwood Plaza, a popular living community for students, is located at 455 N. College Ave. Living at Smallwood, however, means paying a more expensive monthly rate than at other apartments farther away from campus. The cheapest room at Smallwood is the Soho style at $1,350 per month.Millennium Property Management, which has five different apartment communities for students to rent, offers a monthly rate that is cheaper than $1,000 for all of its housing options. Millennium’s apartments are located farther away from campus than many others.Audra Boesen, senior leasing and marketing manager of Millennium and Bloom Apartments, said the contrast in distance gives the two housing communities different atmospheres.“Walk-to-campus locations typically include a heavy atmosphere that meets the needs of only a select few,” she said. “Here at Millennium and Bloom Apartments, you have a choice. We offer a Resident Life Program that is filled with community activities, personal service and resources that are focused on meeting the needs of students.”The Millennium apartment communities have more property room and offer a wide variety of amenities at a cheaper price because of their distance from campus. Boesen said there are biweekly activities for students and the community. Workout centers, tanning, a pool and basketball courts are also available to residents. Distance from campus is also a factor for The Village at Mueller Park apartments. The Village is another popular housing option for students, located about a mile and a half away from campus.Danie Leatherman, a leasing agent for The Village apartments, said distance works in the complex’s favor.“We’re more spread out, and because we are farther out, we can provide a lot more room and amenities for our residents at a cheaper price,” she said.Leatherman said The Village offers its residents a shuttle to and from campus, two fitness centers open 24 hours, a spa area, tanning beds and a spa bed.Leatherman said that because the apartments are basically brand-new, the prices are very reasonable for what the customer is getting. Sophomore Liza Masih, a resident of The Village, said she agrees. “The price is really reasonable for how nice it is,” she said.However, Masih said the distance is hard for her. Without a car, she and other students can’t make it to many weekend events or late-night study groups. Masih said she feels that location is the key to cost.“Student housing fluctuates on a huge spectrum in terms of the cost,” she said. “Expensive doesn’t always mean nice. It could just be about location.”
(01/29/10 3:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>These musical finalists have definitely added some spice to their repertoires. The 13th Annual Competition in the Performance of Music from Spain and Latin America will take place 4 p.m. Sunday at Auer Hall and is free and open to the public.Luiz Fernando Lopes, competition manager, said the more students research the Latin music genre, the more rewarded they will feel.“We want them to find pieces that are very valuable, technically challenging, musically interesting and helps them to learn more about this type of music,” Lopes said.There are two categories of competition: the open interpretation category, which will feature a wide variety of pieces including singing, piano and guitar and the special focus category, which will feature only violin.Two prizes will be awarded in each category for first and second place. First place winners will receive up to $1,200.Anna Hofmann, a student in the Jacobs School of Music singing in the competition, said she wants to have fun and do her best.“I just want to perform well,” she said. “Singing is my passion. I cannot do anything else.”Matvey Lapin, a fellow competitor and music student, said he was excited to share his new-found passion for Spanish and Latin music.“I think the best part of it is that we have an opportunity and a reason to discover a new repertoire for music,” Lapin said.Lopes said he hopes people will come to the competition and recognize the talent and hard work of the competitors.“This is an opportunity for them to do what they like to do best,” he said. “Perform.”
(12/14/09 3:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Adventurists Parker Lynch and Aubrey Hang, one of five finalist teams in the Ultimate Thailand Explorers travel competition, are ready to begin their exploration of Chiang Mai, Thailand. The Ultimate Thailand Explorers competition was started by the Tourism Authority of Thailand in an effort to promote travel to Thailand and reveal the country’s beauty and diversity. The finalist teams must travel to a designated city in Thailand and post their daily cultural experiences online with videos, blogs and pictures. The five teams will head to Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui for six days.“We are trying to market and promote Thailand via internet, blog, Twitter and YouTube,” said Poolsri Nimpoolsward, liaison and translator for Lynch and Hang. “In this location, it’s beautiful. The contestants have to highlight this.”Lynch, an IU alumnus, and his girlfriend Hang, will be traveling north to Chiang Mai. The couple was chosen out of 25 semifinalist teams by receiving more online votes than any other team in the Chiang Mai division. Hang discovered the competition from a Facebook advertisement. Lynch said that with his writing talent, Hang’s skill in graphic design and photography and their experience in traveling, they were the perfect candidates for this opportunity.“I’ve got traveling down to a science,” Lynch said. “It’s really cool for us to show the public back home how we can take people to places that aren’t in the guidebooks.”Both Lynch and Hang are seasoned travelers – Lynch backpacked through Europe after graduating from IU, and Hang lived and studied abroad in Rome for four months. The couple met in Bangkok, where they now work as teachers and experience the hospitality and generosity of the people of Thailand daily.“I really like exploring a new culture and teaching at an international school where the families are so supportive,” Hang said. “It’s really neat to be able to meet people from all different cultures.”The couple will leave for Chiang Mai this week. Once there, they will visit the city’s many attractions and participate in cultural activities. “We’re really adventurous,” Lynch said. “We’ll try anything. I really hope to get some interesting videos.”The five finalists’ blogs will be visible to the public. The team that receives the most online votes will win the title of the Ultimate Thailand Explorers, as well as a cash prize of $10,000, a holiday package in Thailand valued at $3,000 and other prizes worth $2,000.Voters can find Lynch and Hang’s blog and cast their votes online at the Ultimate Thailand Explorers official Web site, www.ultimatethailandexplorers.com. Voters can vote every day, but only once per day, until Jan. 8. Voters are also entered to win cash prizes. Hang and Lynch are prepared to offer an exciting look into Chiang Mai’s culture. Lynch hopes that his fellow Hoosiers will support his cause.“I’m really proud to be a Hoosier,” he said. “I’d really like to represent my undergraduate school in a positive light.”
(12/08/09 4:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the town of Santa Claus, Ind., down Kringle Place Boulevard, the official Santa Claus Post Office can be found. It is here that the holiday picture postmark, a special commemorative stamp available only during the month of December, awaits eager collectors everywhere. The town has offered this special holiday picture postmark every December since 1983. Because this postmark is the only official Santa Claus postmark, the town attracts many new customers during the holiday season.“People drive from all over the United States to get this postmark,” said Marian Balbach, postmaster of the town of Santa Claus.The design for the holiday postmark is chosen as part of an annual contest. Balbach said the Heritage Hills High School senior class is asked to create two- by four-inch designs for the postmark and submit them in the beginning of the new year. The winning design is usually picked by September. Heritage Hills senior Abby Wilmes created this year’s winning design. Wilmes’ design shows Santa near a lamppost, and the date acts as the light atop the post. This new postmark has attracted the attention of many potential collectors.“This year’s winner is a really cute one. We’ve had a lot of good comments about it,” Balbach said.Submissions for the holiday picture postmark contest are open exclusively to seniors of Heritage Hills High School. Heritage Hills art instructor Kim Brown explained that this contest is an opportunity for the students to be acknowledged nationally and internationally for their work.“Giving the kids this opportunity is a good way for them to be recognized,” Brown said. “We have many talented kids.”Mail is sent to the town of Santa Claus from all over the world. People from New York, California, Philadelphia, Japan, Germany, France and a variety of other places have requested the postmark, Balbach said.Sue Hurst, curator of the Santa Claus Museum, also deals with the incredible amount of mail that comes to the town every year. The museum is in charge of answering all of the letters sent to Santa by children nationwide. Last year alone the museum answered 35,600 letters, Hurst said.Since thousands of letters are sent to the post office during the Christmas season, the holiday postmark is requested often because it is a unique collector’s piece.“We are the only town of Santa Claus in the United States and I think, the world,” Hurst said. “That postmark goes on thousands and thousands of pieces of mail. It’s an honor for the person who wins the contest.”As children rush to the mailbox to read their replies from Santa, Hurst said she hopes the postmark stamped on the envelopes will be a special piece of Santa Claus, Ind., that families can cherish forever.“Just seeing the kids’ faces light up is my favorite part of this time of year,” she said.