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(01/26/05 6:31am)
While the IU bar scene is adjusting to the newly imposed cigarette smoking ban, there is a new kind of puffing quickly gaining popularity with local students. Smoking hookah (or nargile, pronounced nar-gee-la) is a centuries-old tradition that began in Turkey and has roots across the Middle East. But do not associate hookah with cigarettes or marijuana smoking, for avid hookah smokers will be quick to call attention to the uniqueness of the growing hookah culture among college students.\nSmoking hookah begins with having the right apparatus. A hookah is essentially a 2- to 3-foot-high device that filters smoke through water as a smoker takes a pull on one of the device's hoses. At the top of the hookah is a small basin that holds flavored tobacco.\nThe sticky tobacco is soaked in molasses and blended with natural fruit flavoring. The tobacco is available in a wide range of flavors including mint, mixed fruit, peach, cappuccino and cola. Once packed into the top of the hookah, the tobacco is heated from above by a small piece of coal sitting on a perforated piece of foil. As smokers draw on the hoses, the hookah fills with a thick white smoke, and the fun has begun.\nThe appeal of hookah for most people is the social atmosphere it provides. Sitting around a hookah and sharing a smoke with friends is a great way to relax and get to know people.\n"I think the best part of hookah are the quality conversations that get started while smoking," senior Chris Rosen said. "When you sit down with your friends to smoke the hookah, you always seem to find something interesting, like the evils of the world and how to make life better."\nHookah also has become popular as an accompaniment to many students' weekend social activities.\n"I found that the hookah provides for setting up a great pre- and post-party experience," senior Riley Alexander said. "Most people I know that smoke hookah don't even smoke cigarettes. And hookah is a much more acceptable smoke than a cigar."\n"Having hookahs is just another great way to meet girls and socialize even without needing to have a lot of alcohol," Alexander said.\nAlthough people may experience a slight "buzz" from the activity, part of the appeal of hookah is that it offers a very social but relatively sober experience.\n"I think most people have the misconception that people smoke weed out of a hookah, which is untrue, and that if people took the time to learn about it from people who know, they would find this to be false," Rosen said.\nIn Bloomington, one of the largest inventories of hookah supplies can be found at the Tenth Street Market at 1809 E. 10th St. In the last year, the store has reported an increase in the sale of hookahs, indicating the trend's substantial growth among IU students. \n"This year we have sold a lot," said Ali Akhras, Tenth Street Market Manager. "I was surprised the way they sold. People tell each other, and they keep coming back."\nAkhras said he feels one of the main reasons the sales of their hookahs have increased is because unlike other cities, Bloomington does not have a hookah bar where students can go and pay to smoke hookah -- however, its Big Ten neighbor Purdue has entered the hookah bar market. Bloomington students visiting their Boilermaker friends can sit for a smoke at Café Hookah. As a result of the trend, students are purchasing their own hookahs for home use.\nAkras said hookahs sell for $30 to $80 dollars, and the store sells a lot of supplies and spare parts. \nAkhras also said the Tenth Street Market has attempted to keep its prices low to make hookahs affordable to students. The strategy seems to be working well, as students who purchase hookahs seem to return often to stock up on new flavors of tobacco, Akhras said.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Ron Neroda at rneroda@indiana.edu.
(01/21/05 6:12am)
Books are too expensive, tuition increases every year, rent never goes away, and in spite of $.15 beer nights, a social life gets expensive too. With every resource available to allow for a mind's growth, keeping their fiscal strength on part with their mental potency is challenge No. 1 for college students. Still, there are ways to make that financial grade.
(01/19/05 6:18am)
Most students would agree the college experience is priceless. But for students in Indiana and around the country, the knowledge and memories collected through four years of being a student seem to come at a cost that is becoming more difficult to pay.\nCollege students are finding it increasingly difficult to finance their educations. A recent study conducted by survey.com stated that while about 80 percent of college students are holding some form of full or part-time employment, about 55 percent of them have just enough money to get by.\nReflecting a growing trend of severe financial burdens that are placed on today's college students, the survey was released less than a month after the Department of Education under the Bush administration announced a tightening of the government-funded Pell Grants, which could result in up to one million students seeing their grants reduced or eliminated. \nThe study was conducted in July 2004 with 500 college students ages between 19 and 25. The results are disturbing to both students and parents as college degrees become more important in the job-market, the cost of attending college continues to rise yearly.\nPerhaps the most bothersome figure of the survey is that of those college students who are employed throughout the school year, more than 70 percent believe that their job is a significant distraction from their study time. Students are faced with a catch-22 because they are working long hours to support an education to which they are not able to commit fully while holding the job.\nThe results of the survey ring true to the thousands of IU students who must find ways to simultaneously balance their educational obligation with a job to support that education. Beyond tuition costs, many students find themselves having to hold jobs throughout the school year to pay for rent, credit card bills and spring break trips.\n"It's really hard to balance (having a job) because you also want to be involved in extra-curricular activities also," said senior Susan Liggett. "To not have your nights free, you go to school during the day and then you turn around and go to work, then you end up staying up really late to get homework done."\nLiggett has held a job during each semester since her sophomore year. Currently a server at Olive Garden, she said she believes that too much of a financial burden is placed on college students while they try to earn a good education.\nAt Olive Garden, the majority of Liggett's co-workers are IU students. One of the biggest problems for student workers is simply scheduling. Employers often want workers to work at least one day shift weekly, which becomes a difficult task for students who attend class throughout the week.\n"In order to get good weekend shifts, where all the money is, they want you to work a day shift," Liggett said. "But most classes are only available during the day."\nLiggett sympathizes with her co-workers, as the frustrations of having to balance a work schedule and a school schedule are almost always a topic of conversation at the work-place. Many students rely on their income to support them throughout the school year, but they are often forced to give up a work shift if they have an upcoming exam or extra-curricular obligation.\nWhile some students hold jobs to pay rent and tuition, others seek employment to have personal spending money after the necessities have already been paid for. Jeff Chelin is a second-semester senior who has never, until recently, held a job during the school year. While Chelin receives scholarships and loans to help fund his education, he describes his money situation as always being tight since he has gotten to college.\n"I really wanted to go on spring break this year and there was no way I could have afforded that without getting a job this semester," Chelin said. "I'm going to be working as a (teaching assistant) for a marketing class in the Kelley School."\nChelin said his main concern with being employed during the school year is time-management. Carrying a full course load of business classes this semester, Chelin faces the daunting task of having to balance school work, his job as a T.A., as well as his search for a job following graduation.\n"It's tough for students in general to have money for personal enjoyment after all the other costs that come up while you're in school," Chelin said. "I got my job so that I can make money and hopefully build my resume."\nThe struggles of funding an education and a life in college will continue to have prolonged effects beyond graduation. Senior Randall Madison is expecting to graduate in May and has spent the majority of his college career making time for homework around his work schedule. Madison is like many students in that he simply does not have a choice in the matter. Even with a constant income throughout the semester, he still expects to graduate with significant outstanding loans.\n"I work to make money to pay for rent, bills, and basically to be able to just stay down here and go to school," Madison said. "The rest is paid for by loans that I'll be paying back for years when I'm done with school."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Ron Neroda at rneroda@indiana.edu.
(12/03/04 5:24pm)
The Marshall Scholarship, which was established by the British Parliament in 1953 in honor of the United States' effort to rebuild Western Europe following World War II, has once again found its way to an IU student. Senior Rebecca Homkes of Russiaville, Ind., was recently selected as the 11th IU student to receive the award.\nThirty scholarships are awarded annually to students around the U.S.\nHomkes is a senior in the Kelley School of Business Honors Program majoring in finance, accounting and international studies. Additionally, she is earning a major in political science in the College of Arts and Sciences while working toward a minor in economics.\nA main objective of the Marshall Scholarship program is to bring to Britain some of the brightest and most ambitious young American minds. The scholarship seeks to aid in the education of those who have displayed the skills to become future influential leaders throughout the world.\nHomkes' time at IU is a testament to her ability to make the most of the scholarship and the opportunities that it will offer. In addition to her rigorous course work, Homkes is president of the IU Global Sales Leadership Club as well as an active member of the IU Student Association.\n"Rebecca possesses the ability to develop outlines in her head when she listens to meetings or speeches and immediately recall the points of each one in an organized format ... This particular skill serves her well in interviews with Blue Chip companies like McKinsey, Bain and Goldman Sachs," said Dick Canada, the executive director of the Global Sales Leadership Club and one of Homkes' business professors.\nThe criteria for membership in the Global Sales Leadership Club include a student's previous leadership positions, a grade point average of 3.5 or better, and interactive and social skills. Homkes earned her position as president of the organization by maintaining a 4.0 GPA and establishing herself in leadership positions throughout her college career, including the IU College Republicans.\n"I am a student tutor for finance and accounting business classes," Homkes said. She has been tutoring students in business classes throughout her time at IU.\nShe will begin her studies at the university in London in September 2005.\n"I'll be going to the London School of Economics and getting a master's in economics," Homkes said. \nHomkes has little free time and spends most of her time out of class in one of her many extracurricular activities. \nShe will be graduating in May 2005 and is looking forward to the summer and the unexpected and welcome detour receiving the Marshall Scholarship has provided her.\n"I haven't decided what I am doing (this summer). The scholarship obviously changed some plans ... I had been considering going into consulting or financial investments."\nHomkes will likely be working in some capacity in Washington D.C. this summer, as she has previously held an internship in Washington in Senator Richard Lugar's office. Whatever path she chooses, it seems Rebecca Homkes is marked for a promising career in public service and the development of economic policy.\n"People who have an opportunity to observe her in various situations begin to recognize that she may be headed to greatness. It would not surprise me if she became a governor, senator or even president, since she is interested in pursing an economic and policy career in the private and public sectors," Canada said.\n-- Contact staff writer Ron Neroda at rneroda@indiana.edu.
(11/18/04 4:51am)
There is a new business in Bloomington and it might be coming to bars or house parties across town soon.\nSeniors Dave Johnson and Pablo Svirsky, and junior Zach Martin are the founders and employees of Three Rivers Jackson, Bloomington's only student-run, custom beer pong table company.\nThe venture began nearly a year ago when the three roommates collaborated and built their first beer pong table for personal use. The table was a hit, and soon friends and neighbors were beginning to take interest.\nThis past June, Johnson began piecing together a business plan for the tables. In late July, he went to bars in Bloomington and pitched his idea of having a night dedicated to this popular drinking game. Johnson spoke with bar owners and presented them with his own financial figures of how having a successful beer pong night could increase revenues and customers.\n"I negotiate all the contracts and make sure the work is getting done according to the date of completion I quote for our customers," Johnson said.\nIn September, the trio received its biggest order yet from Axis Nightclub, 419 N. Walnut St. The club placed an order for eight custom-made tables for its weekly beer pong tournament. Axis manager Ken Nickos said he was pleased with the company's professionalism and the quality of the tables Axis purchased. \n"They made us one table that looks like the floor of Assembly Hall," Nickos said. "They had all of our tables done in four days."\nThe three-man team makes sure each business partner does his share of the work. While Johnson handles the business side of the operation, Svirsky and Martin both work on constructing the tables.\n"It's pretty much one-third, one-third, one-third. We wanted to make sure everyone was doing equal work," Martin said.\nThe 8-by-4-foot tables, which can be customized with different types of wood, are primarily assembled by Svirsky. Once the tables are assembled and have an initial coat of paint, Martin, a fine arts major, applies the artistic designs to the tabletop. Each table can be designed with a logo or piece of artwork to the customer's specifications.\n"It's been a huge learning experience for all of us," Svirsky said. "Since we all come from really different academic backgrounds, we each bring something different to the table and that's what makes this work so easily and efficiently." \nEven though they take their business seriously, the group is enjoying its current success and is looking to expand its operations. The trio is in the process of increasing marketing for the tables in the Bloomington area. In addition to building beer pong tables, they have also taken orders to place custom paint jobs on existing tables.\n"The business is a great way to capitalize on the talents and time of all three of us, and lets us create something people like with time we would have just spent hanging out with each other anyways," Martin said.\nTo learn more about Three Rivers Jackson or to contact the owners, e-mail Dave Johnson at davcjohn@indiana.edu.\n-- Contact staff writer Ron Neroda at rneroda@indiana.edu.
(11/16/04 4:13am)
As most students prepare to head home for the holidays and brace for the winter ahead, some students are looking forward to the third week in March with thoughts of spending spring break on a warm beach. Although spring break is nearly three and a half months away, some eager students have gotten a head start on making their plans for 2005. \nNovember marks the unofficial start of the peak season for college students to book their spring break trips. One of the most popular travel agencies used by students at IU and across the country is STA Travel, 514 E. Kirkwood Ave. STA has received calls from students for spring break inquires as early as June, but the majority of bookings occur in the month preceding winter break.\nThis year, STA is reporting a growing trend of students booking cruises for their spring travels. Especially among experienced spring breakers who are 21 years or older, cruises have become a popular alternative to usual spots in Mexico.\n"A lot of students have done the Cancun thing (and) are looking for something new. Cruises are making up a lot of students' spring break plans this year," said STA Branch Manager Mia Martin.\nOne of the problems that students face when booking cruises is the necessity of having to travel to the port of departure for their trip. Airfare can be expensive during peak spring break times, and convenient flight times often are hard to come by. \nFor students opting not to take a cruise, there are many other destinations offered by STA and other travel agencies. So far this year, Negril, Jamaica, has taken over as one of the most popular tropical locations for students. Martin said there have been several bookings for Negril as students choose new cities for their vacations.\nSenior Landon Rush has already booked his trip to Negril through STA. \n"It's nice having it already taken care of," he said. "We looked into a few places, but we got a good deal on going to Negril and it seems like a cool place to go this year."\nRush is traveling with nine of his fraternity brothers and found it easy to book his trip for spring break. \n"The only real problem I had was getting everyone together. People like to procrastinate. We booked our trip with STA, and it was pretty easy," Rush said.\nFor those who have a harder time booking their trips, there are common considerations students should think keep in mind when planning their trip and while they are on vacation.\nMany travel agencies recommend students purchase travel insurance, which is often offered for around $50. When purchased at the time of booking, travel insurance can provide students with refunds should they have to cancel their trip. It can also help cover emergency expenses on a vacation should a traveler have to return home prior to their scheduled date.\nFor those students traveling out of the country and with groups, Jean Welp of STA Travel said one of the most common problems is students lacking proper documentation for their trips. Especially with increased security around peak travel times, students often are required to have a driver's license, passport and birth certificate before beginning their trip. Lacking these items could cause considerable delays and even cause students to miss their flights, Welp said.\nStill, the biggest consideration for many spring breakers is money. Many times students will look only for the best deal and end up with less than they expected to get. When evaluating vacation opportunities, Welp said students should not let their expectations exceed how much they are choosing to spend on their trip. There are a wide variety of spring break locations available this year for any budget.\n"There are a lot of choices. You get what you pay for," Martin said.\n-- Contact staff writer Ron Neroda at rneroda@indiana.edu.
(11/01/04 4:14am)
Each fall, seniors in the Kelley School of Business trade in their backpacks and IU sweatshirts for new suits and leather-bound portfolios. \nFor the majority of graduating business students, fall semester marks the beginning of their job-search processes. But the act of seeking employment following graduation can become a job in itself. Having a flawless resume, finding a suit that fits just right and scheduling interviews are just a few of the steps seniors take to find that perfect job; And the Kelley School provides its seniors with many resources to make finding a job as painless as possible.\n"For business students, the process of finding a job is hugely time-consuming," said April Legler, lecturer of business administration. "IU is one of the few schools that approaches the education of students in career topics the way we do."\nMore than 13,000 interviews are conducted annually through the Business Careers Services Office, according to the Kelley School Web site. Kelley seniors have access to the business Undergraduate Career Services office's services through the required class X420, Career Planning.\n"Very few schools have a required class ... X420 provides students with the knowledge and tools to get jobs," said Legler, who is also one of the course coordinators for X420.\nSenior Jeff Carter is currently enrolled in X420 and has made use of the resources the UCSO provides to help seniors schedule interviews.\n"I had no idea it was this easy, you take three minutes to look over a company and then thirty seconds to put in your bid for an interview time," he said. "The UCSO does make it easy."\nFor some seniors, conducting the process of finding a job and setting up interviews is not so easy. Senior Jeff Chelin, a marketing major, has encountered many obstacles while searching for jobs.\n"While I do feel the UCSO offers many students valuable services, I feel the services would be more useful if there were jobs offered in other fields outside of sales and retail," he said. "As a student seeking a job in sports and entertainment, I would like to see more diversified interview opportunities." \nSome students are fortunate enough to have completed their job-search early on. Senior Bigel Doshi accepted an offer with Goldman Sachs, a New York-based investment bank, at the start of this school year. \n"I was a summer analyst there and received an offer as a result of the internship," he said.\nDoshi's story is reflective of the current trend of internships playing a major role in students finding jobs. In today's job market, almost all major companies want to see students with internship experience before offering them a job.\nWhen students receive offers, Doshi recommends they continue to be thorough in evaluating their options.\n"Even if you have your dream offer in hand, if there's something else out there that you seriously want to explore, do it," he said. "It's tempting to jump at the first offer you get, but right now, in college, is one of the few opportunities you'll have to access a wide variety of companies."\n-- Contact staff writer Ron Neroda at rneroda@indiana.edu.