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(05/17/12 12:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sometimes it is easy to dismiss the police officer directing traffic in a construction zone or the police car speeding somewhere with its lights on. Tuesday was all about noticing these civil servants.Fraternity 88 of the Bloomington Police Department hosted an event Tuesday in front of City Hall to commemorate Peace Officers Memorial Day.“Every day, my appreciation grows for what officers do,” Mayor Mark Kruzan said. “At the same time, so does my resentment for those who do not appreciate what these officers do.”Tuesday marked the 50th observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day, which was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy in 1962. The day honors police officers, firemen and other peace officers.The event began with remarks by Senior Officer Bob Neely of the BPD, followed by a statement from Kruzan. The event concluded with the lowering of the American flag, the playing of “Taps” and the “Police Officer’s Prayer.”Neely, a veteran officer with BPD for more than 34 years, said he was one of the “driving forces” behind Fraternity 88’s now annual event, first held in 1996.“We needed to do something to recognize what these officers do,” Neely said. “We sort of got the ball rolling and got the city and county involved.”One of the themes from Tuesday’s ceremony was the unpredictability of a police officer’s work.“We never know what we’re going to run into when we respond to a call,” Neely said.He then referenced the “naked shooter” incident last week, in which BPD officers shot an IU student who allegedly fired a 9mm handgun at homes, cars and then police officers in a neighborhood north of the IU campus.“It sounds funny until you get out there and he has a 9mm pistol,” Neely said. “That dude was trying to kill some people. By the grace of God, all of our officers were able to walk away physically and mentally intact. There have been so many real, close-to-death situations where no one was killed thanks to training or luck or whatever.”Kruzan also had some thoughts on the shooter, as well as the fickle nature of police work.“There’s no such thing as a routine call,” Kruzan said. “What could sound almost humorous when it starts ... could have resulted in the death of a bystander, a police officer or even the suspect.”In his remarks to the crowd, Kruzan shared the story of Indiana State Police Master Trooper Michael Greene who was shot on Feb. 5, 1993, after stopping to question two men urinating alongside I-65.“What struck me is, here’s a man, 43 years old — I was 33 at the time — who lost his life doing his job,” Kruzan said. “It’s been almost 20 years that his wife and kids have had to live without him.”Avoiding stereotypes and changing perceptions were goals several people talked about after the ceremony.“I understand the college student’s mindset towards police,” Kruzan said. “I didn’t always have an appreciation for the job. But I always knew that when I called 911, those same people would be there ready to help. You shouldn’t stereotype any profession, and that goes for police, firefighters, anything.”Master Trooper Doug Perry, a 28-year veteran of the Indiana State Police, stressed the importance of remembering police officers’ purpose.“We’re here to help,” Perry said. “We’re not here to raise revenue or cause problems.”Neely also challenged perceptions about the IU Police Department.“A lot of students view IUPD as a security force,” Neely said. “But they’re a certified, bona fide police force, and they should be given that kind of respect.”The primary message of the day, however, was appreciation. “Today’s a day that’s important to set aside so we remember that some people have a job where they might not come back,” Kruzan said. “Fortunately, it’s a rare instance, but it happens. We want firemen and policemen to know we respect what they do and that we’re here for their fallen.”
(04/04/12 2:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The City of Bloomington recognized nine individuals and one group
Tuesday night for volunteering, during the annual Be More Awards at the
Buskirk-Chumley Theater.“Tonight is about all of you, the faces behind the numbers, the individuals and groups who were nominated for Be More Awards,” Master of Ceremonies Joe Hren of WTIU said to the audience.The numbers to which Hren was referring were statistics about volunteering.“An average of 26 percent of people in the U.S. volunteer, 28 percent of people in Indiana and 34 percent of people in Bloomington,” Hren said.This year, there were 52 nominations for 40 different organizations.“This is Bloomington, not knowing half the faces, they showed up there,” Mayor Mark Kruzan said about a slide show that displayed the faces of all the nominees. “It just shows that we have hundreds of people out there willing to volunteer, and tonight was about recognizing at least some.”Savich agreed that there were many new or unknown volunteers. “The selection committee didn’t even initially know everyone nominated,” said Bet Savich, director of the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network.The tornado clean-up volunteers of Van Buren Township were honored with the Be More Collaborative Award, which is reserved for group efforts.Other award winners included IU student Emily Bornstein (Be More Involved Award) and Bloomington High School North student Hannah Fidler, winner of the Be More Energized Award.Speakers from various Bloomington-area organizations introduced the award winners, as well as those who nominated them, and the award winners gave remarks.They were each then given their awards and a $500 check from the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County to be donated to each winner’s organization.“It’s enough to see that light go on in a child’s face when they learn something or in someone’s face when you help them,” Fidler said, addressing the crowd. “But it’s nice to be with all of you and your accomplishments, and to be recognized is great.”Award winners consisted of a group of varied age and both genders, and this fact was not lost on Kruzan.“The diversity of volunteers ... again, that is Bloomington,” Kruzan said. “Every year, it’s a different group, different team. It’s too bad you can never thank everyone.”Lee Marchant, who won the Be More Dedicated Award for recognition of a lifetime of volunteering, echoed these sentiments.“To me, the real heroes of this community are the ones who are unrecognized, the unknown people,” Marchant said. “I’m so honored and so humbled.”Savich said it’s important to have celebrations like this to both honor volunteers’ hard work and to remind people not to be complacent.“There are always a lot of smiles, and we had another exciting evening,” Savich said. “This is always the most fun work day of the year. But we need to remember not to take things for granted. People look at the Shalom Center and think it’s always been there. They don’t realize all the work it took to develop it.”
(03/05/12 4:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Huy Quang Nguyen and Anh Thuy Nguyen of the Vietnamese Student Association won first place Friday at the eighth Mr. and Ms. Asia Competition in the Willkie Quad Auditorium. Friday marked the first time the event had taken place since 2009. Senior Arshad Nuval Othman, master of ceremonies and a member of the MMA Committee, said he was happy to see the event return.“It was great to have this event again,” Othman said. “I participated in (MMA) in my freshman year, and I’ve missed it the past two years.”The winners received a $300 cash prize for their student organization and a $100 Barnes & Noble voucher for the couple. The couple will also be endorsed by the Asian Culture Center to participate in the Mr. and Ms. IU Competition.Kartiki Sharma and Ankur Chugh of the Indiana Student Association won second place, earning them $200 for their organization and a $50 Barnes & Noble voucher. Saraswaiti Putri and Alberts Hendrajaya of the Indonesian Student Association won a $100 prize for their group and $25 Barnes & Noble voucher for third place.The Japanese Student Association, the Asian-American Association and the Chinese Student and Scholar Association were also represented at the event.Senior Heong Weng Mak, head of operations of the MMA Committee and the organizing chairperson, explained the reasoning for having the MMA Competition again.“We are reviving the event and hope to reignite interest for this event, as it was a highlight for many student associations prior to 2009,” Mak said.The competition opened with a fashion show that offered the chance for the various student organizations to show the traditional clothing of their choice. A Q&A session with each couple followed, and the contestants were asked questions regarding their favorite spots in Bloomington, what they like about IU and the one word that best represents their culture.The competition finished with each couple performing in a talent show. Acts included dancing, a Bollywood skit, karate, rapping in Korean and duet singing performances. Audience members and participants said they enjoyed the diverse array of cultural displays.“It was a great opportunity for various cultures to show what they’re all about,” Othman said. “The fact that it’s a competition motivates the contestants to do their best and represent their culture.”Sophomore Laura Markou of the Asian-American Association said she enjoyed participating and educating IU about Asian culture.“It was really fun, and we had a great turnout,” Markou said. “This is a great way to raise cultural awareness. I like seeing a lot of people come out and see how diverse we are.”The Leo R. Dowling International Center, the Asian-American Studies Program, the Asian Culture Center and the Commission of Multicultural Understanding sponsored the MMA Competition.Othman said he hopes IU students explore similar events more in the future.“It was a great effort by the international side,” Othman said. “I’d like to see more students take advantage of events like these. They really are great chances for IU to experience other cultures.”
(11/05/08 6:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As the frenetic activity taking place within the looming structure on the corner of Seventh Street and Woodlawn Avenue might divulge, the construction of the new Hutton Honors College is nearly complete.The ground-breaking ceremony took place last fall, said HHC Dean Matt Auer, but the building itself should be basically finished sometime in November. He expects everyone will move in at some point during winter break or soon after, and the dedication ceremony will take place in late January or early February.The idea for a new building for the HHC was spawned near the end of 2004, said Provost Karen Hanson, when Ed Hutton decided to give a multi-million dollar endowment to fund the construction of a facility that could better meet the needs of HHC students and staff.“Mr. Hutton wanted a building more becoming of a real college,” Auer said.The new facility is expected to cost $3.6 million.“We tried to produce something that could accommodate everything we wanted in one space,” Hanson said. Auer described Hanson as instrumental in getting the new building.The current HHC, located on the corner of Seventh Street and Jordan Avenue, is a converted house. While it served the HHC’s purposes, Auer said the new HHC will have much better facilities, including a Great Room to host student functions, speakers and extracurricular activities, along with several classrooms, a seminar room and a collaborative study room that can accommodate between 30 and 35 students.“Having (the new HHC) would only be an improvement on what we have now,” Auer said.Hanson, former dean of the HHC, said having everyone – staff and students – in one place is a major upgrade, saying it will be easier for staff to communicate.Some students are satisfied about having a more concentrated location.“It’s great,” said junior Michael Sampson-Akpuru, a member of the HHC’s Student Advisory Board. “Having a new infrastructure adds more credibility (to the HHC).”Sophomore Jessica Lehfeldt said she deals with scattered meetings and thinks the new HHC will help.“I think it’s a nicer building, and I like the fact that it’s consolidated,” she said.The location of the new building also elicited approval from students and administration.“It will be nice to have a central location,” said senior William Yu.“The location is perfect,” Sampson-Akpuru said. “It’s right across from the IMU, which is the most-trafficked building on campus.”Auer also expressed appreciation for many of the aesthetic nuances of the new building, including a colonnade, an English garden and a copper cupola he said would generate a “quality of grandeur.”“It’s built on the scale of a college you’d see in Oxford or Cambridge,” he said.Hanson said the new HHC would “beautify one of the entry points on to campus.”