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(02/28/01 5:14am)
Mardi Gras is known in college circles as an excuse for drinking and a chance to bare breasts for beads (or take pictures of someone else doing so), risking it all for 10-cent trinkets. But behind the madness that is sensationalized by the media, there is more than two centuries of history and tradition that is often ignored. \nOriginally brought to this continent by the French and Spaniards, Mardi Gras is a time for revelry and excess before Lent, a period of 40 days of atonement and reflection when Christians give up a vice or luxury to consider the important things in life. The phrase "Mardi Gras" is French for "Fat Tuesday," indicating the large amounts of food people eat that day to make up for what they won't eat during Lent, which begins today.\nMardi Gras in New Orleans began to resemble the Mardi Gras we know today in the early 1800s. In 1806, Mardi Gras celebrations were banned for being too rowdy, but no one really observed the ban, and festivities were made legal again in 1823, according to the official Web site, www.mardigras.com.\nThe New Orleans celebration is mostly sponsored by Krewes, organizations that finance the parades and play host to much of the social activity of the celebration, a local shopowner said. They also contribute to philanthropic events throughout the year. The first Krewe, the Mystick Krewe of Comus, was formed in 1857 and still exists today. Two of the most famous traditions of Mardi Gras were established during the late 19th century. The tradition of throwing trinkets to crowds during parades began with the Twelfth Night Revelers, a Krewe in the early 1870s. The official colors of Mardi Gras were chosen by the king of Mardi Gras in 1872. Purple is said to represent justice; green, faith; and gold, power.\nAbout 60 Carnival parades decorate the streets between Jan. 6, also known as the Epiphany, and Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, with most occurring during the two and a half weeks before Mardi Gras. These parades are sponsored by the Krewes, which are responsible for making the New Orleans celebration the international phenomenon it is.\nThere is a Krewe for just about everyone. There are Krewes that represent minorities, those that represent the old establishment -- even one for dogs. Two of the most famous big parades are those of the Rex and Bacchus Krewes. Rex's parade is the main parade of Mardi Gras Day. Whoever is crowned King of Rex is also the King of Carnival. Bacchus holds its parade on the Sunday before Mardi Gras and is famous for its large, decorative floats and national celebrity monarchs. Some celebrities who have been given the honor of being crowned Bacchus, the Greek god of wine, include Charlton Heston, Kirk Douglas and more recently, Luke Perry.\nThe Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club has a different vision of Mardi Gras. Zulu is known for poking fun at the Mardi Gras celebrations by donning black face and parading from bar to bar in old, beat-up cars rather than floats. The Krewe never bothered to establish a parade route until recently. While its ways are different than those of the larger Krewes, Zulu hasn't shied away from selecting celebrity monarchs -- Louis Armstrong was King Zulu in 1949. Zulu also has the most unique and coveted throws -- the items each Krewe tosses from its float -- of Mardi Gras: hand-decorated coconuts.\nBeyond the tradition, though, there lies the cold, hard fact that most people travel to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, not for the tradition, but for the mayhem. Many might wonder if locals ever tire of the Mardi Gras excitement. For sure there are those who dread the coming of the crowds and the festivities that draw them, but many look forward to Mardi Gras year after year. Jerome Deal, a 21-year-old native, is one such person.\n"Mardi Gras is an excuse for a whole lot of people to just troll the streets," Deal said. "There's the thrill of catching beads, spending time with the whole family, listening to music and not having anyone tell you to turn it down. It's a time to get your laugh on, wear costumes and not look like yourself at all. You never get tired of Mardi Gras because you always see something new."\nAntonio Whitfield, a student at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, visited New Orleans in the weeks prior to Mardi Gras for the first time this year.\n"This is my first time down here. It's crazy compared to home!" he said. "I ain't had a chance to get into any trouble yet, but…"\nBourbon Street is the center of Mardi Gras madness, but not the history. While most of the breast-baring and hard drinking does occur on this street, not much else connected to Mardi Gras does. Not one parade passes down Bourbon Street.\nJunior Elizabeth Ross went to Mardi Gras for the first time this year, and some of her biggest impressions were of Bourbon Street.\n"There aren't many other places where you can see a five-star hotel next to a voodoo shop, or the see a show put on by the Preservation Jazz Society on a street lined with strip joints," Ross said. "It was a very interesting dichotomy of the ritzy and the sleazy all on one street."\nThere is much more to Mardi Gras than "Girls Gone Wild," even if many never get beyond that stereotype. No matter what the draw of Mardi Gras, though, this is one celebration that everyone should experience once in their life if only to tell their children "Been there, done that"
(11/20/00 4:55am)
The Radio and Television building was the setting for a lively discussion Wednesday night on the crisis in the Middle East and the importance of Jerusalem to Muslims. Khalid Turanni, executive director of the American Muslims for Jerusalem, led audience members on a tour of the conflict in the Middle East from the point of view of Palestinians living in Israel.\nTuranni said the problems in Jerusalem are because of recent developments in the history of the area. He said Muslims have been a presence in Israel since 638 A.D. when, he maintains, they captured Jerusalem without shedding one drop of blood.\nTuranni said the 1,200 years of Muslim rule were a time of peace and harmony between all faiths and all people. During this time, he said, letters written by Jewish rabbis praised the Muslims for their fair rule, saying God must have blessed them with the Muslim leaders.\nFreshman Alaa Alawi Fadag said he went to learn more about the history of Jerusalem.\n"I think that it is very important to point out that in the past that Jews and Christians were treated justly under Muslim rule," Fadag said. "I think that it is very important to have discussions like this because the outcome of such an event allows people to have a better understanding of one another."\nTuranni said Muslims have a particularly strong claim to the land because "everybody and their mother went through that land and left. (The Muslims) stayed there."\nHe said Israel wasn't Britain's to give away and called the creation of a Jewish state a form of apartheid. Turanni said there is ethnic cleansing going on inside Israel today, not only of Muslims, but of Christians.\n"Christianity is dying in the land of Christ," Turanni said.\nTuranni cites statistics showing the falling numbers of Christians and Muslims versus the rising number of Jews. He said those of differing faiths are not choosing to leave, but are being forced out in a fit of ethnic cleansing.\nBut Fadag said he thinks it is possible for Muslims, Jews and Christians to live in peace.\n "It occurred in the past, so there is no reason why there would be no chance in the future. In my opinion, in order for that to occur, the killing of Palestinians must stop. I do understand that the Palestinians have rocks, but the Israeli soldiers have guns, tanks, helicopters shooting from above. I also understand that some Israeli soldiers were killed and that never should have happened, but compare the small number of soldiers to the almost 200 Palestinians that have been murdered."\n Freshman Aaron Minkus said he disagreed with Turanni's message.\n"On a topic such as the Middle East it is very easy to get carried away and get very angry and emotional, but he remained very calm and interesting," Minkus said. "Even though I do not agree with what the speaker was saying, I acknowledge where he is coming from. The only aspect that bothered me was the speaker used the phrase 'ethnic cleansing' and the term 'genocide.' Those words are meant to give people the image of Auschwitz or Kosovo. That image is simply false."\nMinkus said he went to the lecture to make sure the Jewish side of the story was covered. He said it is important people study both sides of this issue and educate themselves on the history of the area.\n"Many people don't know their history," Minkus said. "If you don't know the past, you can't understand the present."\nMinkus said open forums for discussion on the subject, "be they in Tel Aviv, Chicago or even here on campus" are important to the peace process. He said he hopes the lecture will be the first in a long line of forums between Jews and Palestinians.\nFadag said he believes "(Israel) is for people who are of all faiths. Anyone who wants to worship should be given the right to. This land belongs to no one but Allah (God)."\nMinkus said the crisis in the Middle East should be handled in negotiations and not in the streets of Ramallah or Hebron.\n"I feel that the Palestinian Authority and Yasser Arafat have to stop throwing stones and go back to having peace talks," Minkus said.\nTuranni said the solution is to go back to the root of the problem -- Israeli occupation. He said there will be no way to move on with the peace process until the violence stops and there is an end to the occupation.\n"The most peaceful people on earth are dead people," Turanni said. "There will be peace either through a complete genocide or through an end to this occupation. This is the only apartheid system that exists anywhere in the world today. Israel is considered an oasis of democracy in the Middle East. People say (the Israelis) have made the desert bloom. I don't want the desert to bloom. Leave my desert alone"
(11/07/00 4:42am)
Islam Awareness Week, which continues through Friday, began with "Collections and Stories of American Muslims," sponsored by the Muslim Student Union and Union Board. The exhibit, presented Sunday, showcases the Muslim presence in America from the 1680s to around 1975. \n"Most times, when you say you're a Muslim, most people say, 'Oh where are you from?'" said junior Sohaib Sultan, president of the Muslim Student Union. "But you don't have to be from somewhere else. Muslims have a huge history in this country."\nAmir Muhammad coordinates the exhibit, which was created in 1996 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating others about America's Islamic history and culture. Islam is one of the world's most important and influential religions, he said, yet it is often considered a young religion in the United States. Most people associate Islam in America with the Nation of Islam, but do not realize the centuries of influence that came before that, Muhammad said. The exhibit is designed to fill this gap, he said. \nSophomore Naimah Bilal, vice president of the Muslim Student Union, said the organization decided to invite the exhibit to open Islam Awareness Week because it is renowned nationwide.\n"CSAM's traveling museum is known around the country in Muslim circles for the wonderful documentation of Muslims in America," Bilal said. "Given the fact that many people perceive Islam to be a relatively new entity in America, it is very important to let people know that the history extends across seven centuries. It's exciting knowledge. Very revolutionary in that so many Muslims have paved the way for this America we know. It is our obligation to make people aware that Muslims helped to build this country."\nMuhammad said many people overlook the presence of Islam in America because of negative media attention and the desire of American Muslims to keep a low profile, yet this is an important part of American history that should not be ignored, he said.\nThe exhibit is set up chronologically highlighting various steps in Islamic history in the United States, beginning with the Muslim presence in America before Columbus' explorations. \nMuslims are still an important force in America, Muhammad said. There are about 600 mosques in the United States and more than three million adherents to the religion. The Muslim community continues to grow through new generations of native-born Muslims, immigrants and converts, the exhibit stated.\n Muhammad said he was a convert to the religion. "I found the Nation of Islam, and what I liked was the unity," he said. "I didn't agree with everything, but the unity really drew me to it."\n But studies have shown that the majority of white converts are women. Reasons for this include conversion through marriage, and women preferring the Islamic definition of role of women, according to the exhibit.\n Lori Goshert, a senior, said she converted her sophomore year. \n "The religion really clicked with me," she said. "I realized I believed in everything and got in touch with some friends in my dorm who helped to set me up with a mentor and teacher here. I learned to pray and attended services at the mosque, and then studied at home on my own in the summer. I converted when I got to school my sophomore year"
(10/30/00 4:47am)
To show her first grade students that characteristics such as ingenuity, determination, courage and cooperation can serve to accomplish almost any dream, local elementary school teacher Andrea Hobson Aufder-Heyde took to Alaska's 1,049 mile-long Iditarod trail two years ago in the annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Wednesday, the University Club hosted Aufder-Heyde, known as Finney, to speak about her experience.\nFinney said she decided to take an innovate approach to education when she worked to become the first "teacher on the trail."\nShe stressed that the trip was not a "vacation," but a challenging, learning adventure she was able to share not only with her students, but with children from all around Indiana.\nEvery year on the first Saturday in May, Finney said around 50 mushers line up to race the 1,049 miles of the Iditarod across the terrain of Alaska. The distance is symbolic of Alaska's standing as the 49th state in America. Prizes are awarded to the first 20 teams to finish the race, with the winner receiving around $50,000 in prize money.\n"I marvel at how mushers can keep their sanity on the last part of the trail because all you can see is white, white, white," Finney said. "Miles and miles of white."\nFinney said the health of the dogs is taken very seriously, and on the trail they are of supreme importance. She said all dogs wear booties to protect their paws from the snow and dampness.\n"Dogs are fed better and sleep better than the mushers," Finney said. "I was definitely the lowest on the totem pole out there. It was the dogs, then the mushers, then the volunteers at the checkpoints, and then, finally, me."\nBob Cutter, a University Club member and IU alumnus, said he admires what Finney has done.\n"I could never do what she did," Cutter said. "I particularly admire her for being a woman and doing this. One would have to be especially focused and driven."\nFinney said she was most impressed with the intelligence of the animals.\n"It's incredible how smart these dogs are," Finney said. "Once a dog has run the Iditarod, they never forget it. These dogs are born to pull. That's what they want to do. When you have sixteen dogs, it's like being hooked up to three tractor trailers."\nFinney said she was so fascinated with the amount of time it took to train and prepare the sled dogs for the race that she decided to return the following summer, and again last summer, to work with a female musher training the dogs.\n"Alaskan women are really tough and I think when she saw me, she saw this Midwestern lady who was the 'teacher on the trail' and really wanted to test me," Finney said. "When I arrived I was using a pick ax to clean around the area where the dogs lived and cleaning out the winter straw in the dogs houses with my bare hands."\nWhile working at the kennel over the summer, Finney said she found her own sled dog, Annui. Annui, Eskimo for "falling snow," joined Finney at the talk, much to the enjoyment of the audience.\nCutter said he thought it was nice to learn about Alaska since he thought it was a place many club members would be interested in visiting, but didn't know very much about.\nClub president Kate Kroll said the club decided to invite Finney to speak because of the unique way in which she communicated to children the importance of having skills such as courage, teamwork and determination to accomplish goals.\n"It's a lesson for all of us, not just the children," Kroll said.
(10/23/00 5:09am)
Thursday evening Latinos Unidos held one of its biggest celebrations of the year -- Dia de la Raza.\nDia de la Raza falls on the same day as Columbus Day and used to be celebrated as the holiday's Spanish equivalent.\nMore recently, the holiday has become a celebration of Latino culture.\nTo celebrate this holiday, Latinos Unidos put together a special blend of education, entertainment and authentic dining. Displays exploring different indigenous tribes in South and Central America were set up around the room. Colorful paintings and pictures adorned the walls, pinatas hung from the ceiling, lights and streamers abounded and books on everything from poetry to politics were scattered around the room.\nA large crowd was expected, but La Casa wasn't large enough to hold the near 150 people that attended the event.\nPeople spilled out of the house onto the back porch where they jockeyed for a prime position to listen to the bands. Co-president of Latinos Unidos and senior Kian Karimi said he was very pleased with the turnout. \n"Dia de la Raza was a huge success," Karimi said. "People really got a chance to learn and get a more intimate sense of what the holiday means to many Latinos."\nLatinos Unidos arranged two bands representing two very different types of music to play at the festival. The Mariachi de la Flor performed first. They play traditional celebratory music and helped to kick off the festivities. Then Alma Azul played, led by singer Melisa Benavente, with a more modern mix of Latino favorites. The group played modern songs like "Smooth" from the Santana album and some of their originals.\nMario Brothers and Tortilla Flat provided food for the event.\nLuis Salazar, a senior and athletics coordinator for Latinos Unidos, said he was very pleased with the entertainment.\n"You can always tell a party is a success when the food disappears in two seconds and everyone actually gets up and dances," Salazar said. "Dia de la Raza is a very serious holiday, but it is also a time to celebrate, and this is a great time to do it since the weather is so nice and midterms are finally over with."\n There was a very diverse crowd at Dia de la Raza. Grandmothers mixed with college students, and professors sat side-by-side with small children. Senior Lucas Schroeder, a Spanish major who studied in Madrid last year, said the event gives people another perspective on Columbus day. \n "This is a fabulous celebration not only because it educates people on a different aspect of Columbus day than they are used to thinking about -- namely the mixing of the races -- but also because it is able to attract so many people who might otherwise not know anything about Latino culture"
(10/20/00 4:54am)
Wednesday afternoon the IU Auditorium played host to a distinguished set of guests.\nMembers of the IU Foundation Board of Directors, volunteer chairs of the various colleges of IU and IU president Myles Brand, gathered for the yearly national endowment fund dinner. Held every fall, the dinner honors donors to IU and thanks them for their contributions. \nCurt Simic, IU Foundation president, recounted the remarkable success of the IU endowment fund in recent years. He said for the last three years IU has made great strides in increasing donations. In that time, nearly $27 million has been raised to benefit IU through Brand's income matching plan.\nThis plan is designed to directly match any faculty gifts. Simic said money raised through the income matching plan has allowed for 118 new chairs and professorships.\nWhen Brand took the podium to speak, he discussed some of the rankings that featured IU, but said there is "nothing to fear." \n"IU is a great university," he said. "Let me say that again in case you didn't hear me. IU is a great university."\nBrand said he believes a large part of that success is because of IU's generous donors. \n"IU is going forward," he said. "We're a university on the move."\nAfter the speeches, guests were treated to a performance by IU's "Broadway Cabaret," which has been performing at the endowment fund dinner for several years. Senior member Angel Cabral said that performing at the dinner is a great way of showing donors their money is used to put together fabulous programs and departments.\n"It was really good for us to perform in front of influential people like this because we need more money for the arts, and this is one way to demonstrate our potential to the very donors that could help us," Cabral said. "Also, we can show them the caliber of the program here at IU. This is a fabulous show to do for a fabulous group of people.\" \nWells Scholar Christine Pacold, a senior, said she was pleased with the night.\n"I think this is a great way to recognize all the work and dedication that goes into making this university so great," she said. "It's wonderful that the University takes the time to recognize donors and all they do for us"