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(12/09/03 6:49am)
The daunting gray walls and brownish desks of typical classrooms can get old fast. \nBut next semester, some students will be in classes surrounded by emerald green trees and crystal-like snow-topped mountain crests. They will hike through craters formed by volcanic eruption, ski down California's Mammoth Mountain and observe 5,000-year-old bristlecone pines with the U.S Forest Service.\nAll this is made possible through the Volcanoes of the Eastern Sierra Nevada: Geology and Natural Heritage of the Long Valley Caldera course. \nThe three-credit course is taught in two parts. First, students take an eight-week class in the spring semester that covers the course's general topics. They then go through a two-week field-oriented program in the Sierra Nevada Mountains located in Eastern California. The program, developed by the Collins Living-Learning Center and the Department of Geological Sciences, is intended to enrich and expand the minds of students.\n"The purpose is to expose beginning undergraduates to how the science of geology is practiced and the value of that science," said senior research scientist of the Geological Survey John Rupp. "It's to show both the generic dance of observation and interpretation."\nThe course is taught by Rupp and Michael Hamburger, professor of geological sciences. Carl Ziegler, director of Collins, is the sponsor and helped initiate the program four years ago.\n"I patterned the concept of 'Expeditions' courses after the kinds of semester break courses traditionally offered by small liberal arts colleges," Ziegler said.\nThis experiential course offers students a chance to learn hands-on a variety of glacial, volcanic and structural assemblages and landforms. The 14 to 18 students that take the course stay in a cabin-like dormitory that overlooks the White Mountains of California. Each day, students study a different location and topic.\n"The best part of the course was that every day was an adventure," said senior Ganesh Krishna, who took the course last semester. "One day we were studying geologic formations in nearly 115 degree desert heat, the next we were hiking in the snowy mountains studying volcanic deposits."\nWhile in the Sierra Nevada area, the students find time to enjoy its perks. They swim in natural hot springs, kayak on Mono Lake and shop at nearby stores.\n"The course also included a 'recreation day' where we could do whatever we wanted," Krishna said. "Several of us went skiing and snowboarding on Mammoth Mountain, which was awesome."\nThe class trips are not just informative, they are entertaining and adventurous.\n"We climb over the Tioga Pass into Yosemite Valley; we see extraordinary mountain spectrums and beautiful mountain roads," Hamburger said.\nRupp said the course is a way for students to excel as individuals and to build positive group dynamics. It also helps them to understand the ground rules of science.\n"I think they get a fundamental understanding of how science works and the value of that process," Rupp said.\nThe course is not limited to geology majors or Collins residents. The hands-on atmosphere is presented clearly for students with no previous knowledge of geological studies. \n"It's designed to attract an eclectic student body, including drama, business and music majors," Rupp said. \nAs part of their grade, group members must keep a journal in which they write down observations and interpretations of their daily excursions. At the end of the course, they write a 10 to 15 page research paper that covers a topic related to geological, biological, cultural, historical or political aspects of the study area.\nMay 22, students fly into the Las Vegas airport before departing to the Sierra Nevada area. The course fee is $560, which includes tuition, airfare and textbooks. The course fee, however, also covers room, board and local travel. \nThe class requires registration by authorization only.The application, along with more information, is on the course's Web site, www.indiana.edu/~sierra/. \n-- Contact staff writer Rebecca Rutherford at rrutherf@indiana.edu.
(12/09/03 5:18am)
The daunting gray walls and brownish desks of typical classrooms can get old fast. \nBut next semester, some students will be in classes surrounded by emerald green trees and crystal-like snow-topped mountain crests. They will hike through craters formed by volcanic eruption, ski down California's Mammoth Mountain and observe 5,000-year-old bristlecone pines with the U.S Forest Service.\nAll this is made possible through the Volcanoes of the Eastern Sierra Nevada: Geology and Natural Heritage of the Long Valley Caldera course. \nThe three-credit course is taught in two parts. First, students take an eight-week class in the spring semester that covers the course's general topics. They then go through a two-week field-oriented program in the Sierra Nevada Mountains located in Eastern California. The program, developed by the Collins Living-Learning Center and the Department of Geological Sciences, is intended to enrich and expand the minds of students.\n"The purpose is to expose beginning undergraduates to how the science of geology is practiced and the value of that science," said senior research scientist of the Geological Survey John Rupp. "It's to show both the generic dance of observation and interpretation."\nThe course is taught by Rupp and Michael Hamburger, professor of geological sciences. Carl Ziegler, director of Collins, is the sponsor and helped initiate the program four years ago.\n"I patterned the concept of 'Expeditions' courses after the kinds of semester break courses traditionally offered by small liberal arts colleges," Ziegler said.\nThis experiential course offers students a chance to learn hands-on a variety of glacial, volcanic and structural assemblages and landforms. The 14 to 18 students that take the course stay in a cabin-like dormitory that overlooks the White Mountains of California. Each day, students study a different location and topic.\n"The best part of the course was that every day was an adventure," said senior Ganesh Krishna, who took the course last semester. "One day we were studying geologic formations in nearly 115 degree desert heat, the next we were hiking in the snowy mountains studying volcanic deposits."\nWhile in the Sierra Nevada area, the students find time to enjoy its perks. They swim in natural hot springs, kayak on Mono Lake and shop at nearby stores.\n"The course also included a 'recreation day' where we could do whatever we wanted," Krishna said. "Several of us went skiing and snowboarding on Mammoth Mountain, which was awesome."\nThe class trips are not just informative, they are entertaining and adventurous.\n"We climb over the Tioga Pass into Yosemite Valley; we see extraordinary mountain spectrums and beautiful mountain roads," Hamburger said.\nRupp said the course is a way for students to excel as individuals and to build positive group dynamics. It also helps them to understand the ground rules of science.\n"I think they get a fundamental understanding of how science works and the value of that process," Rupp said.\nThe course is not limited to geology majors or Collins residents. The hands-on atmosphere is presented clearly for students with no previous knowledge of geological studies. \n"It's designed to attract an eclectic student body, including drama, business and music majors," Rupp said. \nAs part of their grade, group members must keep a journal in which they write down observations and interpretations of their daily excursions. At the end of the course, they write a 10 to 15 page research paper that covers a topic related to geological, biological, cultural, historical or political aspects of the study area.\nMay 22, students fly into the Las Vegas airport before departing to the Sierra Nevada area. The course fee is $560, which includes tuition, airfare and textbooks. The course fee, however, also covers room, board and local travel. \nThe class requires registration by authorization only.The application, along with more information, is on the course's Web site, www.indiana.edu/~sierra/. \n-- Contact staff writer Rebecca Rutherford at rrutherf@indiana.edu.
(10/31/03 4:20am)
The Southern California wildfires made their journey to Indiana this weekend not by flame, but by flight. \nIU student travelers were stuck in airports across the country as smoke and quick-spreading fires raged from San Diego to San Bernardino, Calif. Many planes arriving and departing from area airports were not allowed to continue their flight paths, thus causing air traffic delays in other areas of the country.\nBy 4 p.m. Monday, 152 Southwest Airline flights were canceled, according to a statement. A Southwest spokesperson said that although the numbers of canceled flights have decreased since Monday, flights are still being delayed because of the shutdown of a southern California air traffic control center.\nContinental Airlines also suffered from delays and cancellations.\n"The main problem that we have faced is delays in flights, which we then try to reroute the customers with another flight that will suit their needs," said a spokesman from Continental Airlines.\nThe spokesman said Continental does not compensate travelers in cases like these. Instead, they will reroute or reissue the customers' tickets. A Southwest spokesman also said it does not routinely compensate customers, but it will consider everyone's situation.\nTravelers heading to Indiana felt the fury of flame. Freshman Rishi Patel was scheduled to depart on a Southwest flight from Chicago's Midway International Airport at 6:55 p.m. Sunday. His flight was delayed for six hours before finally being canceled at 1 a.m.\n"Diwali, the Hindu New Year, was on Sunday so I got absolutely no sleep the night before, which made it difficult to deal with the stress and hassle of all the cancellations and delays," Patel said. "I spent a total of 22 hours waiting for my flight to get me back to school."\nPatel missed two classes, but he was able to make them up with documentation of his flight. In situations like these, students often miss classes. It is under the professor's discretion as to whether a student can make up the missed work.\n"It depends on the circumstances of each individual student," said Jon Dilts, a journalism professor. "It also depends on the students' reason for traveling, like a vacation or a family emergency."\nWhile some students spent time talking with professors in order to reschedule assignments, others were focused on their families and friends who live in Southern California.\n"Many friends of mine go to school in the San Diego area, which is scary," sophomore Brittany Porter said. "The fires encircled San Diego and no one could get out. Luckily I don't know anyone who was injured." \nAs of Thursday, 20 people have died from fire-related injuries. The American Red Cross opened 37 shelters in southern California by Wednesday, housing 6,000 people, said Ryan Todd of the Monroe County Chapter of the Red Cross. \nTodd, a graduate student and captain of the Red Cross Disaster Action Team, said the Monroe County Chapter is contributing to families in Bloomington by providing immediate disaster relief and financial support. \n"Right now it's basically a family reunification program, so if people from Bloomington, including students, are having difficulty contacting family members in California, we try to reunite them through our different channels of communication," Todd said.\nTo inquire about a missing family member or friend in southern California, call the Monroe County Chapter at 332-7292. For more information about the American Red Cross's efforts in southern California, visit its Web site at www.redcross.org.\n-- Contact staff writer Rebecca Rutherford at rrutherf@indiana.edu.
(10/06/03 6:30am)
Deep purples, vibrant blues and calming portraits of humans, chalices and lotus flowers line the second floor walls of the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre. Patricia Coleman's friends and family mingled Friday night at the opening of her art exhibit "The Purple Show," which runs until Oct. 31.\nColeman's work focuses on the idea of peacemaking among humankind.\n"The world is here and even though there are so many crazy things in (it), I hope we humans can find a way to live with ourselves and with the creatures of the planet," Coleman said. \nIn each of the 26 pieces on display, Coleman strives to display the concept of harmony with the use of color and realistic figures.\nAt the opening, visitors ate hors d'oeuvres, drank wine and had the opportunity to talk to the artist herself. Even those who have known Coleman for many years continue to support her and respect her art.\n"I have known Patricia for 20 years, and I am fascinated by her imagination and creativity with color," said friend Glenda Breeden, of Owen County. \nAlong with her local supporters, Coleman encourages IU students to see her work.\n"It's lively. The images are things that will stay with (students)," Coleman said.\nColeman's art ranges from $140 to $600 per piece. She also has a Web site to promote her ideals and art. According to the Web site, www.hartrock.net, her "artistic goal has been to create images that uplift the spirit and make visual music which sings to the soul." \nFor a local resident, the artwork does just that.\n"(The artwork) touches me spiritually … It exemplifies inner peace and living peace," said Bloomington resident Sandi Clothier.\nColeman's Web site has links to her contact information and other forms of her artwork. She is a member of the local poetry group "Five Women Poets." The group has its annual readings in October at the Rose Firebay in the John Waldron Arts Center, but meets monthly to critique work and share ideas. \nColeman also has work featured at the By Hand Gallery, 100 Fountain Square, and various exhibits at the Bellevue Gallery, 312 S. Washington St., and the John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St. Her book, "Peace Words," is hanging in the IU Fine Arts Library as part of the extensive artist book collection.\n-- Contact staff writer Rebecca Rutherford at rrutherf@indiana.edu.