28 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(12/09/13 4:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Student Foundation, Union Board and the Office of First-Year Experience Programs introduced IU freshmen to a long-standing IU tradition with the launch of their “Breaking Away” viewing party program Sunday.The viewing party served as a freshmen introduction to the annual Little 500 bicycle race, the largest college intramural event in the country.At the event, students and Bloomington residents watched the movie “Breaking Away,” about four teenage high school graduates who decide to race in the college Little 500 bicycle race.IUSF students plan and execute the nation’s largest collegiate bike race every spring on the Bloomington campus. Union Board reminded the audience to fill out a survey about who they wanted to come to IU for this year’s Little 500 concert. “Really it was about the Bucket List initiative,” said Amanda Hammerman, spirit and traditions director for the Union Board. As part of the FYE Bucket List Programming initiative, watching “Breaking Away” has become a tradition on campus. By attending this event students were able to check “Watch ‘Breaking Away’ and point out familiar campus landmarks” off the FYE bucket list. Lilly Moore of the freshman student council committee for IUSF said the event was meant to bring back the spirit and traditions of Little 500. “It’s not just a week of partying, it’s for this, too,” Moore said. “It’s to remember why we do Little 500.” IUSF handed out information about the history of Little 500 and organized a Q&A about potential involvement in the organization.“We teach them about the IU Student Foundation, the IU foundation itself and history about the Little 500 race,” said Sam Alderfer, member of the freshman council committee. “We help them develop leadership skills and have résumé workshops. This is our big program of the year.” Moore and Hammerman said UB and IUSF were very happy with the turnout for the event. “It’s a Sunday, almost finals week, there’s two feet of snow on the ground and still freshman are here experiencing this movie for the first time, and that’s what this event was about,” Hammerman said. Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(12/09/13 4:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Friday Union Board selected the second set of eight students who will represent IU on the 2014 Union Board. One by one, candidates that were not elected by the student body for director positions were interviewed before a panel of 10 previous Union Board members and other organization leaders. “It was intimidating to have to stand in front of a bunch of leaders of different organizations that are two, three years older than me,” freshman Adam Fialkowski said. The interviews took place in the Fletchall room on the seventh floor of the Indiana Memorial Union. Union Board used to meet in the room years ago, but because of the organization’s growth, it had to move the meeting to a bigger location, said sophomore Laura Schulte, former IDS reporter and new addition to the 105th Union Board.Union Board now uses the room only for the selection process. The new Union Board, which includes the eight members chosen by the student body and the eight new members chosen by interviews, will be installed in January. Fialkowski said he was both surprised and honored when he got the call that he would be a director for the 2014 year.The new Union Board celebrated the occasion with a brunch Sunday. The brunch allowed the new members to get to know one another, Schulte said. The 16 members of the 105th Union Board will divide director and executive positions soon. Positions are determined within the board.“We met today and we’re thinking about having multiple directors per committee so that the responsibilities are more divided and so that each program will get more attention,” sophomore Greta Smith said. Smith and Schulte both served as committee members and assistant directors, so they are both familiar with the past Union Board system of having one director per committee. The system would allow for broader committees with more directors working on projects. The goal is to be able to offer more events for students more often, Smith said. The 104th Union Board will have its last meeting on Thursday. “I think that our board is going to be very, very strong,” Schulte said. “I can already tell from meeting them today. We have a lot of independent thinkers, and I think that we’re not going to have that many challenges.”Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(12/06/13 4:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore Michael Zak was on his way to the library on Nov. 18 when he received a call from a current Union Board director. He said he was thrilled to hear from Union Board Concerts Director and Election Commissioner Asher Wittenberg that he had been selected to be a member of the 105th Union Board. Eight candidates were chosen to become directors of next year’s committees by a popular vote of the IU student body that day, based on platforms released to students. The remaining eight directors will be chosen internally through an interview process. A panel of non-returning Union Board members and supervisors will conduct the interviews. The 105th Union Board will be finalized today. “Everybody did their best job possible trying to get elected,” new Union Board member and IU junior Victoria Stevens said. “I kind of went hands-on, brought my laptop around and just did a lot of work on social media trying to get people to vote for me.”Candidates did not run to be a specific committee director, but to serve on the board in general. The board will choose director and executive positions for the 2014 year once all members have been selected. “I’ve been on concerts for the last year and a half, and it’s obviously something I have a lot of fun with,” Stevens said. “I think it would be awesome to be able to do concerts.”Stevens said she would be happy taking charge of a brand new committee, as well.Students also voted and passed a motion to make amendments to the Constitution regarding word choice. IU sophomore and member of the 105th Union Board Jason Gross said he and the other members of the board are eager to get started.“I want to make people aware that Union Board does a lot more than the Little 5 show,” Gross said. “I want to involve different types of activities that will involve a lot of people like ‘water balloon fight for charity’ or a paint party.” Some students like freshman Paul Yoon have never stepped foot in the Union Board office before. Yoon ran on the platform that his enthusiasm and “good-lookingedness” will help charge Union Board with energy.“I honestly would not have been successful without the loving support of my friends, but being moderately good looking helped too,” Yoon said.Current Fun and Entertainment Director Jacqueline Bales was reelected for a director position for the 2014 year along with the current Service Director, Lexy Parrill. “I learned a lot doing service, and it’s a great committee, and I would be more than willing to do it again. But I really feel like changing it up and getting a new position would really offer me a great opportunity to grow as an individual,” Parrill said. Freshman DeAnthony Nelson said he is confident that the 105th Union Board will be successful as student representatives. “If a challenge appears I have no doubt that we will be able to overcome any obstacles,” Nelson said. Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(11/19/13 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Voting begins today for the 105th Union Board elections. Students can choose from 30 candidates. Polling begins at 8 p.m. and will close 8 p.m. Wednesday. Eight students will be chosen for director positions by the student body through popular vote.Candidates are not running to be a specific committee director, but to serve on the board in general. The 2014 Union Board directors will fill individual director positions and executive positions internally after the official members have all been chosen.Students may vote online through the Union Board website, ub.indiana.edu, or at a polling booth located in the Indiana Memorial Union East Lounge.Union Board directors organize a range of social and academic events for students. They plan concerts, lectures and other events paid for by student fee money.Each candidate’s name is listed on the ballot along with his or her platform, current Union Board Election Commissioner and former IDS reporter Anu Kumar said. Students will also be able to vote on a new constitution passed by the current Union Board.Election commissioners Kumar and Asher Wittenberg will oversee the election process and make voting available to students. “I think we have a great variety consisting of both people with past experience as well as students who don’t have prior experience and just want to be involved,” Wittenberg, the Union Board concerts director and an IU senior, said. In addition to the eight positions voted on by students, eight candidates will be selected through an interview process by a panel of non-returning Union Board members and executives. “We have people who have never really been a part of Union Board but want to program for students and get involved in this organization, which is great,” Kumar said. By Dec. 6, the entire board will be finalized. “The people that they are voting for are going to be spending their money,” Kumar said. “It’s in your best interest to vote for who you want to be on that board.”Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(11/18/13 4:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>More than 3,000 people chanted “FTK” or “for the kids” as they awaited the reveal of the second digit of the total for the 2013 IU Dance Marathon. As the final white poster was dropped to reveal the number six, the gymnasium erupted in a roar of applause, shouts and tears. The grand total was $2,622,123.21, the most money raised in the history of IUDM, the second largest student organization in the country. IUDM celebrated its 23rd annual fundraiser in the Indoor Tennis Center from 8 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Sunday to benefit Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. The Marathon consisted of a 36-hour event that has raised more than $14 million for the Ryan White Infectious Disease Center at Riley Hospital. The marathon was separated by two shifts of 18-hour dancers, in addition to full 36-hour dancers. The Marathon began with the beat of “Eye of a Tiger” and a tunnel made by committee members that led dancers to the IUDM stage. Students stormed the court through the tunnel, sporting different colors according to their team. Dancer and freshman Michael Angelo gathered with thirteen of his fraternity brothers from Sigma Phi Epsilon, waiting for the marathon to begin. He said he was excited to meet the kids but was dreading the 30-hour mark, which he’d heard was the hardest part. “We’ll have to do the first 18 by ourselves,” Angelo said. “But once the rest of our brothers come, that’ll be a nice boost for the rest.”During each 18-hour interval, students learned a line dance, which they would all perform right before the 2013 total was revealed. The dance was created and demonstrated by the IUDM Morale committee. The group was tasked to keep everyone at IUDM active and excited through the long hours of the event. Sophomore and Recruitment Committee member Tess Ropp said even though she was already exhausted after completing 18 hours of her 36-hour shift, the Morale group helped keep her going. They are “basically the craziest people in IUDM,” Ropp said. “They keep everyone pumped up.”The line dance, which lasted about eight minutes and thirty seconds, consisted of a compilation of music clips and dance moves memorized by IUDM participants and committee members. The dance was taught five or six times during each hour to keep dancers moving. Dancers flicked their hands, jumped, turned and shimmied to the music. They also participated in jumping rope, playing ball and interacting with the Riley kids. Committee members made sure dancers were fed and hydrated during the event. More than 920 people volunteered for this year’s planning committee. Dancers had to raise $500 in order to participate. Ropp said she personally raised more than $846 for the event. “I got an online donation of $475, and it was anonymous, so that got me to my total,” Ropp said. “I still don’t know to this day who it was.”Hearing the Riley kids’ stories are really what kept her going, Ropp said. The children and their families each shared their stories to encourage the dancers to fight the exhaustion. One Riley patient, Benjamin Edwards, was diagnosed with a brain tumor Apr. 18, 2011. His father, Chris Edwards, spoke to students about the toddler’s tumor. “His balance deteriorated to the point where he regressed to crawling,” Chris Edwards said. “He would wake up frequently, in pain and looking disoriented, clutching his stuffed zebra.”He talked about how scared the family was as surgeons prepared their son for the complicated procedure to remove the cancer. Two years, four surgeries, and 32 radiation treatments later, Benjamin is now in remission. He is one of many children who will benefit from the IUDM funds for Riley Hospital. He and the other Riley children present were able to enjoy a bounce house and craft tables during the event. Ropp participated in the marathon her freshman year as an 18-hour dancer and says she will definitely participate every year of her college career. “IUDM was the most inspiring and best part of my freshman year,” Ropp said. “Over everything I did last year, those 18 hours were the best. I loved it.”IUDM Director Nick Kolar said the goal is always to exceed the past year’s total amount fundraised. IUDM staff were happy to announce that this year’s event raised over $500,000 more than last year’s total. After the total reveal, dancers laid or sat down on the gymnasium floor, overcome by exhaustion and relief.Emergency Medical Technicians attended the event in case students fainted during the 36-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance. But Kolar said there weren’t any major issues during this year’s event.“I think this marathon went as smoothly as it could have,” Kolar said. “We did as well as we possibly could have done. We’re just really happy.”Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(11/15/13 5:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU will begin its 23rd annual IU Dance Marathon on Friday, commencing a 36-hour no sitting, no sleeping event to raise money for the Ryan White Infectious Disease Center at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health. The event will take place from 8 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Sunday in the Indoor Tennis Center. “We raised just over 2.1 million dollars last year and 14 million since we started in 1991,” IUDM Public Relations director, Nick Kolar said. “We hope to always exceed what we made last year, but there’s no firm expectation. Nobody knows how much we’ve raised so far, so it’s a surprise for the whole organization.”More than 2,400 dancers raised the minimum $500 to participate in this year’s event. The Riley child patients will also be attending the event. IUDM will offer a bounce house, video games and other activities for the kids to participate in. Kolar said hearing the stories of the Riley kids is one of the most memorable parts of IUDM.“A lot of the kids, a few in particular, told me that this is their second favorite day of the year after Christmas, so they really enjoy it,” Kolar said.Dancers will learn a line dance, compete in a basketball tournament and other games, listen to Riley families share their stories and watch a talent show featuring Riley patients. Students will participate in several events prepared by the entertainment committee. “We have a rave at hour 22 when everyone is completely sleep deprived,” IUDM Director of Merchandising & Apparel Laura Swartz said. “There will be so many bands that will be performing. The entertainment committee did a really great job with that.” Through all these events, the most memorable part of the evening, both Swartz and Kolar said, will be when the total amount of money raised during 2013 is finally revealed. “The most exciting part of the marathon is the end when we reveal how much we’ve raised during the previous year,” Kolar said. “It’s a great culmination of all the hard work we’ve put in. That’s usually a really exciting, emotional thing.”More than 920 committee members will work this year’s event, feeding dancers, running security and preparing the Indoor Tennis Center. Since its establishment in 1991, IUDM has become the nation’s second-largest student run philanthropic organization. If anyone would like to donate, they can do so at iudm.org.“This is really a great opportunity to celebrate what we’ve been working on,” Swartz said. “I love the total reveal. I love getting to be with my committee and my sisters and my friends, but nothing compares to getting to see those families.” Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(11/13/13 4:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Today’s citizens face an invasion of privacy, and a former CIA agent said they don’t often realize the extent. Covert CIA Operations Officer Valerie Plame Wilson spoke about issues of national security Tuesday night in Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union. Bloomington residents gathered to hear Plame’s lecture and voice their own worries about government overstep. As an agent of the CIA, Plame worked to protect America’s national security and prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, according to a press release. Without warning, in 2003, Plame’s secret status was revealed. Senior White House and State Department officials exposed her identity to journalists, including a syndicated conservative columnist, who published her name. “This clearly was, in our eyes, partisan payback,” Plame said. Plame said her group in the CIA was focused on finding the team of scientists in the Iraqi program that were creating nuclear materials, but they found no traces of them. “There was a great deal of pressure on the CIA, and we had very little information,” Plame said. Plame focused her discussion on the issue of national security and privacy within the government. She explored issues within the National Security Agency, which has been found to process vast streams of sensitive personal information from citizens. The information was shared with American partners in Britain, and news of the privacy breach broke with the help of Edward Snowden and Wikileaks. “Virtually all international telephone calls go through the United States,” Plame said. A program called “Upstream” looks at the content and data that passes through the United States. This program has been contracting as far back as the Ronald Reagan years, Plame said. Plame’s talk, titled “Connectedness: Modern Intelligence and My Life as a Spy,” was sponsored by Union Board and the College of Arts and Sciences as part of the Themester series, “Connectedness: Networks in a Complex World.”In a question and answer portion of Plame’s talk, one student asked Plame about the best way to initiate change within the government. Plame said the best thing students can do is to educate themselves and find a group of others who share similar interests. Though she does not agree with the invasion of privacy, she said she is grateful for her years serving in the CIA. “I loved what I did,” Plame said. “It offered a wonderful career. I got to serve my country and do something I thought was really interesting.”Today’s citizens are faced with a vast intelligence center, Plame said. About 1.4 million people have top-secret security clearance, Plame said, so it should not have surprised world leaders in today’s society that they are being watched. “We have become so accustomed to this invasion of privacy that we are giving it up voluntarily,” Plame said. “I, for one, am not willing to take it at face value when they say, ‘Trust us.’” Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(11/05/13 3:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Union Board has prepared for this year’s election by making a few changes.The board proposed some changes to its constitution that will be ready for a student body vote Nov. 19 and 20. It also decided to make public relations and marketing an executive position instead of a committee, as it has been in the past, External Affairs Director Erin Brown said. Brown was the first to propose the idea of making the committee into the board’s fifth executive position. The board wishes to create more student awareness for what Union Board does for the students of IU, said Asher Wittenberg, concerts director and election commissioner. Making the external affairs committee an executive position is an attempt at creating more communication between students and the board that represents them. “We recognized how vastly important our marketing and public relations committee was, and we really wanted that to be a primary focus,” Wittenburg said. “We want to serve them, but they have to recognize who we are. We need to work on raising awareness of what Union Board is because we are ultimately using their money.” Applications for the 2014 Union Board director positions are due 7 p.m. Friday. No previous experience is required for a director position. Once applications are completed and the deadline has passed, those students who have applied will attend a mandatory meeting the night applications are due in the Maple Room in the Indiana Memorial Union. Those students will then go through a process in which they can become a director on the 105th Union Board through a student body election or through a process of selection by a panel of non-returning Union Board members and executives. “People have the option of running by selection or election or both,” Wittenberg said. The campus wide election with be Nov. 19 and 20. Eight students will be chosen for director positions by the student body online or at a polling location in the IMU.The remaining eight positions will be chosen by selection through an interview process. Executive positions will be filled internally by the 2014 Union Board directors after they have all been chosen.“I’d actually never even stepped in the office before,” Brown said. Union Board encourages interested students to apply to become a part of Union Board and ask current members any additional questions through the Union Board website, Wittenberg said. The installation banquet will be Jan. 25. The banquet serves to formally allow the Union Board members of 2013 to pass on their positions to the new 2014 board members. “It’s a symbolic passing of power,” Brown said. “From one board to another.”Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie
(11/01/13 3:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Union Board celebrated Halloween with a haunted house and several festive activities Thursday night at the Indiana Memorial Union.Students participated in Halloween festivities such as drinking hot apple cider, a costume contest and a haunted house. The downstairs area of the room was decorated with a spooky theme for the holiday and featured snacks and crafts. Jacqueline Bales, Union Board director of fun and entertainment, said she was most excited for the haunted house. “I hope it’s really scary,” Bales said. “I know it’s scary enough for me to be scared, so I just hope it’s fun and thrilling for other people to go through.”The haunted house was set up upstairs in the Faculty Room.Five students were allowed through at a time, and they were spooked by volunteers who popped out from coffins and walls. A committee member taught students how to dance to “Thriller.” Students also had the options of painting pumpkins and decorating masks. The event lasted from 7 p.m. to midnight. The event plan was passed by Union Board at a weekly meeting about two to three weeks ago. Committee members at the meeting said a haunted house in the IMU was a new event this year. Union Board Assistant Director Deanthony Nelson scared people in the haunted house.Other committee members helped with the decorations.“I helped with the jack-in-the-box,” Nelson said. “(Bales) really puts her all into this. She’s great at what she does.”Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(10/28/13 2:01am)
At the Third Annual Traditional Powwow, which took place Saturday and Sunday at the Willkie auditorium, Native Americans celebrated their heritage in song and dance.
(10/25/13 3:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There’s nothing that brings a community together more than the beating of a drum and a dance, said Clyde Ellis, professor of history at Elon University, North Carolina. Ellis gave a lecture, titled “This is a Good Way, Get Up and Dance: A History of Modern Powwow Culture” Thursday at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures. He discussed contemporary powwows and their ceremonial meaning. “These dances have long been a vital element in the social and ceremonial lives of the native people,” Ellis said. “It turned out that they had some sort of staying power that policy-makers could have never imagined.”Students packed the room to full capacity to hear the lecture, which was co-sponsored by First Nations Educational and Cultural Center and IU’s Department of History. Ellis spoke about the continued strength of Native American people in the continuation of their customs and heritage throughout time, despite the difficulties they faced. Ellis said the tradition of powwow is moral, spiritual and psychologically profound, but it is also a good time. “They are so powerful as a form of gathering,” Ellis said. “This is an opportunity for people to gather and affirm relationships and the values that they share. People find it as a way to relate to each other in a form of community, it’s very powerful.”Ellis talked about the struggle Native Americans faced, all the while continuing to dance and celebrate life. Powwow is celebrated today during holidays and birthdays, and is used as a way to honor veterans of war. “Powwow people often talk about how this is more than dances,” Ellis said. “It’s our way of life. It is hardly the only way — there are lots of ways to be Indian. “The dance is widely received because of its ability to mark and to give power to these kinds of amenities.” Ellis also described the traditional outfits worn to a powwow and the difference between female and male native garb.Females wear beaded dresses referred to as “jingle dresses” and fancy shawls, while men wear traditional buckskin pants.“This is a good way,” Ellis said, “get up and dance.” The lecture was followed by a reception that offered an assortment of cookies and hot apple cider for refreshment. Ellis was inspired to speak at IU because of IU’s Third Annual Traditional Powwow taking place Saturday and Sunday at the Willkie Auditorium. It will serve as the local primary event for Native American Heritage Month.The powwow will begin at 11 a.m. each day and will feature performances by drum groups and singers, according to a press release. Each day at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, tribes from across the United States and Canada will perform ceremonial “grand entries.”“Gourd dancing” will take place each day at 11 a.m. Attendees can enjoy a free meal each day at noon and will be able to purchase traditional crafts. “What people are almost always drawn to is the music,” Ellis said. “They hear the drum and they hear the singing. It’s very unique, and very powerful. You know, you can feel the beat of the drum and people find that very compelling.”Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(10/22/13 4:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Union Board rejected a motion Monday for a new committee structure which would allow students to run for a director position with a specific platform instead of being placed on a committee or position after being elected to the board of directors. The Union Board directors present at the meeting were nearly evenly split on the motion. The proposal was rejected by a vote of eight for and nine against.Currently, Union Board elects 16 student directors through two different methods, Cultural Events Director Kelsey Padgham said.Eight directors are elected through a campus-wide vote in December.The other eight directors are appointed through an internal interview process, Padgham said. Each of the elected directors are named to lead one of Union Board’s committees after the election.The new board would have contained four executive positions including president, vice president of finance, vice president of internal affairs and 12 committee director positions. The proposal was hotly contested at Monday’s meeting.Board members said they did not have enough time to discuss the proposal given that it would be enacted in time for the next elections.Erin Brown, Union Board Director of External Affairs, said in the board’s discussion that she voted against the proposal because she thinks the new process would take power away from the future board to make a decision about what committees they would like to have. She said she fears the changes were proposed too quickly for a thorough discussion and decision, and the changing committees would create a division in the board. “I worry that changing committees will create factions within the board and create decision-making routed in self-interest,” Brown said. “I think we would be doing an extreme disservice to students, future boards, and our organization.”The proposal was first introduced to the Board last week by Union Board President Jared Thomas.Anu Kumar, Union Board election and selection commissioner and former IDS reporter, said the new election process would have allowed members to choose the position they’d like to fill instead of being placed in a leadership position they may not really want.Instead of voting for names that sound familiar, students could vote for a platform idea they support, Padgham said. Thomas, Kumar and Padgham were the first to propose the idea to allow for platform-based elections and changing committees. “The changing committee is a way for us to, hopefully, connect more to what the student body would like to see us program,” Thomas said. “They are actually running on a platform instead of as an individual. Whichever platform or committee programming area gets the most votes is added to the Union Board.”Brown said she agreed changes need to be made to the Union Board election process. However, she said she did not think the Board had yet explored all viable options. “I believe we should exhaust all options before making radical changes that are long term, far-reaching, and severe,” she said.After the meeting, Thomas said he understood other’s concerns and was reevaluating his proposal.“The spirit of these changes was in the best interest of what we felt was for the board and give students on this campus a more active part in this process,” Thomas said. “In retrospect, we could have taken more time to evaluate it.”
(10/09/13 3:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Everyone can participate in issues of global effect, said Sam Daley-Harris, renowned author and nonprofit founder. Students and IU faculty members gathered Tuesday to hear Daley-Harris speak in the Kelley School of Business. Daley-Harris is CEO and founder of the Center for Citizen Empowerment and Transformation and author of “Reclaiming Our Democracy: Healing the Break Between People and Government.”He spoke about the political will to end poverty and to empower ordinary citizens to become lobbyists for the end of hunger and disease. The lecture introduced the publication of a revised 25th anniversary edition of Daley-Harris’s book, which describes his journey in encouraging individuals to become global leaders. “My purpose is to get people inspired about the difference they can make,” Daley-Harris said. Daley-Harris is also the founder of international groups RESULTS and co-founder of Microcredit Summit. Such organizations have been leading advocacy voices in child nutrition, climate change, and microfinance, which provides small loans for the poor around the world, Stephen Arnold, RESULTS volunteer and Bloomington resident, said. Kathleen Sobiech, a returned Peace Corps volunteer and current staff member at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, arranged the event. It was co-sponsored by the Institute for Social Impact, the Center for the Study of Global Change, and the Center for International Education and Development Assistance. Daley-Harris has also led Citizens Climate Lobby, an organization that aims to teach individuals how to make persuasive arguments about policies to win bipartisan support, Arnold said. Daley-Harris advised students to make articulate, interactive arguments in their speeches. When Daley-Harris was 17 years old, he began to question his future plans, he said, and was concerned about the state of human nature. “Allow yourself to ask the questions of purpose,” Daley-Harris said. “Why am I here? What am I here to do?” Following the lecture, Daley-Harris spoke to students interested in volunteer opportunities with local nonprofit organizations. “I feel that I’m talking about a piece that many students are not involved in, and that’s using their voice as citizens,” Daley-Harris said. “These kinds of groups would as least begin to give you the tools.”Daley-Harris quoted Man and Superman, a drama by George Bernard Shaw, saying, “Life is no brief candle to me, it is a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as it can before handing it on to future generations.”Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(10/08/13 3:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Faculty members and researchers gathered under vaulted, cathedral-like ceilings in the new Social Science Research Commons Grand Hall.An open house celebrated the formal unveiling of the new research facility in Woodburn Hall Room 200. The SSRC was created and sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, the College of Arts and Sciences and UITS.The space was reconstructed to serve as the SSRC during the summer of 2012 and was finalized in August 2013, Associate Director of the SSRC Emily Meanwell said.The mission of the SSRC is to serve as an intellectual center for social science research on the Bloomington campus, promoting collaboration among scholars and existing social science research centers. It also aims to raise the profile of IU Bloomington’s social science resources and expertise, according to the SSRC website.The Grand Hall of the SSRC occupies more than 4,000 square feet and features a circular stained-glass window on its west wall. The natural alcoves on the room provide space for cubicles for SSRC staff members and consultations.The space also offers a conference room and experimental laboratories, according to the website. The primary focus of the SSRC is supporting and facilitating research, Provost Lauren Robel said.“There’s an exciting second layer to it as well,” Robel said. “This space will serve as a petri dish for classroom technology.”The space provides state-of-the-art information technology, including mobile groupings of computers, collaborative workspace and technology to support remote collaboration, according to the website.As many as 16 conferences can occur at the same time, said James Russel, director of leveraged resources for the College IT Office. A collaborative software program called Bridget can connect to more than 500 people, he said.Although it formally opened Monday, the SSRC was used by a workshop this summer, Russel said.Robel said more than 60 fields on campus are connected to the social sciences.“Every element, from the tables, to the smart boards is engineered for excellence in the social sciences,” Robel said. The SSRC had been an idea for about five or six years before it was renovated, Meanwell said.“In terms of the physical space we have provided workshops and research methods, and conferences on different topics,” Meanwell said. “We see this space as serving as a hub for different resources on campus that social sciences can find useful.”The central location of Woodburn Hall and the size of the space provided the perfect opportunity to create the SSRC while still maintaining its original design, according to the website.The room design aimed to sustain the space’s original purpose as a library for government studies, Robel said.“All of these details from those wise owls that remain, to the beautiful windows, to the crown molding along the side of the room, they all date to this room’s first life,” Robel said.The new technology at the SSRC will serve to connect IU to researchers across the world, Robel said.The space will be used for research purposes by appointment only, which can be scheduled on the website.The space will also serve as a way to introduce new technology to faculty and foster collaboration, said Russell Hansen, chair of the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences.“The mission of the social science research commons is to promote collaboration, but I would also like to say that it is the product of collaboration itself,” Hansen said.Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(10/02/13 3:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The two newest Union Board directors are initiating programs to promote IU traditions and events for students.Amanda Hammerman, a junior, joined Union Board as spirit and traditions director for fall 2013. Her committee present IU Coach Tom Crean’s address, “The State of the Hoosier Nation”, at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the IU Auditorium. “I’m looking forward to seeing IU Auditorium packed on Wednesday night... and to really show that this is an event Union Board should put on every year,” Hammerman said. The event will entail a discussion about recruiting and expectations for the upcoming basketball season, according to a press release. Union Board’s new Fun and Entertainment committee, headed by Jacqueline Bales, introduced two proposals at the Sept. 26 Union Board meeting. The committee was created last semester but struggled after its director decided he could no longer take on the responsibility, External Affairs Director Erin Brown said.IU newcomer Bales decided to take on the role. Bales, a sophomore, recently transferred from Purdue University and started this fall semester at IU.“I got to know the board, so when they released the position, I applied, and then I somehow got it even coming from Purdue,” Bales said. At Thursday’s meeting she proposed a haunted house in the Indiana Memorial Union for Halloween. Bales also proposed a “snack and crafts” program in which students could grab a snack and participate in creating art for a mental break between classes at the IMU.Hammerman’s committee will be focusing on the traditions here at IU by targeting and promoting events on the IU Bucket List handed out by the Office of First Year Experience Programs. “I like that even though Spirit and Traditions is a very specific topic, the ideas that come from my committee members are so creative, fresh and different,” Hammerman said.Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(10/02/13 3:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior Jeremy Fiege took the stage to reflect on his sister’s death. As the older brother of Rachael Fiege, the IU freshman who passed away in August, Jeremy Fiege was one of several speakers at a Tuesday night event focused on the Lifeline Law and the dangers of alcohol consumption. “This is about removing legal barriers,” Jeremy Fiege said. “We have to also address our own ignorance.” Sen. Jim Merritt, R-Indianapolis, and Attorney General Greg Zoellerspoke at “Make the Call Day,” an interactive lecture presented by Union Board and the IU Student Association. Carmel, Ind. residents Dawn and Norm Finbloom, whose son Brett Finbloom died of alcohol poisoning in 2012, also spoke. The Lifeline Law, passed in 2012, provides immunity to persons who reveal themselves to law enforcement while seeking medical assistance for an individual in an alcohol-related health emergency.Merritt, who authored the state bill, introduced the law and why it is so important to him that students know about it. “We really want to make sure people do the right thing and that they make the call,” Merritt said. “This is something I will probably do for the rest of my career.” Merritt addressed issues concerning texting and driving as well as the use of synthetic drugs. Zoeller discussed student concerns about getting prosecuted for calling 911 while under the influence. “The likelihood of being prosecuted for making the call is very slim.” Zoeller said. In addition to Indiana, there are 17 states that have passed the Lifeline Law. Merritt said he would like to see all 50 states pass the law.The Hoosier Proactive Alcohol Care Treatment policy, enacted by IU in spring 2012, was the stepping-stone for the Lifeline Law. Since 2004 more than two dozen Hoosier students have lost their lives due to alcohol poisoning, according to the Lifeline Law website. “Here’s what I want you to think about,” Zoeller said. “You are the ones who have to take the leadership in getting the word out. It’s your responsibility to get the word out on your campus and in your community.” Norm Finbloom asked students to spread Brett’s message of making the call.“The reality of the fact is that Brett may still be alive today had someone made the call to 911,” Norm Finbloom said. Dawn Finbloom, Brett Finbloom’s mother, commended IU’s safe ride program, but said it is not enough. Every 44 hours a college student dies from drinking too much too fast, Donna Finbloom said. She urged students to understand that the Lifeline Law gives immunity to the caller and anyone involved in making the call. She said she misses her son every day, but she has hope for our generation. “Today, let’s make it our mantra to make good decisions,” she said. “It only takes one person. Make the call.”Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(09/26/13 3:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The sizzle of sauteing vegetables and the tangy smell of Thai cuisine greeted students as they entered the CyberCafé at the Herman B Wells library Wednesday night. The event was the first of five free cooking demonstrations as part of the International Chef Series, sponsored by Indiana Memorial Union Dining Services-Sodexo. The series premiered with award-winning IMU Executive Chef Damian Esposito, one of the IMU’s primary chefs. As Esposito cooked, he talked about the ingredients, technique and flavor of his dish, while providing cooking tips for the audience. Esposito also offered free sample cards to the audience and welcomed any questions students had regarding the food. Esposito served and sampled his rendition of a Thai red curry chicken with basmati rice. He said he had experimented with several variations of the sauce at home before choosing this recipe. “The thing I like about this dish is the vegetables and the color,” Esposito said. “You eat with your eyes first, right?” The International Chef Series is made up of different chefs preparing Indian, Chinese, Thai and Korean cuisine. Each event will feature a free demonstration showing how the meal is cooked followed by a tasting of the dish. The series aims to reach out to IU’s international student population, said Chris Gray, resident district manager, and food and beverage director at IMU Dining Services-Sodexo. “What we notice in this area is that there are a lot of international students,” Gray said. “We really want to know what’s a comfort food for them because we’d like to incorporate some of those things on our menu.” Gray said Esposito’s experience with flipping demonstrations and chef competitions makes him a great fit for the event.“I think a lot of times people feel that they can’t get close to an executive chef or talk to them about food, so its great to be able to get the executive chef out here to talk to people,” Gray said. Chef Esposito has more than 20 years of experience, including working at the Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh, the top private dining club in the country, as well as the USA Culinary Olympic Team, according to a press release. In 2001 Esposito won the grand prize in the Bloomington Chef’s Challenge and the event’s people’s choice award. If the series is successful this semester, it will continue in the spring featuring food from South America, the Mediterranean, Vietnam, Malaysian and beyond, according to the press release. The next International Chef Series event will take place at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 1 in the CyberCafé. Students will be able to sample an Indian dish featuring masoor dal with rotis, Gray said. Additional chef series are scheduled for Oct. 16, Oct. 29 and Nov. 12.Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(09/19/13 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A clown greeted students as they walked into Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union for Union Board’s callout event. On Sept. 18 at the Union Board Callout Palooza, potential members were invited to join in the carnival-themed event to learn about the program and how to be a part of it. Union Board directors gave students information about the group, which oversees IMU events and serves as the largest programming organization on campus, according to its website.In Alumni Hall, decorated with streamers and balloons, several tables showcased each Union Board committee.Some of Union Board’s committees include Design and Technology, Concerts and Fun and Entertainment. The Union Board of Directors meets every Thursday night at 6 p.m. in the Indiana Memorial Union’s Distinguished Alumni Room. The board uses student activity fee money to provide educational and entertaining programs across campus.The committee members spoke to students about their responsibilities. Each committee handed out pamphlets or sign-up sheets that invited people to get involved.Students can also look online at imu.indiana.edu for the contact information of each committee as well as the Union Baord mission statement. Union Board Public Affairs Director Erin Brown said the social event was different than the group’s usual callout meetings. “We tried to make it a lot more fun and interactive this year,” Brown said. The event offered candy, popcorn and prizes to students who participated in games set up by each committee. The Canvas Creative Arts committee laid out several canvases, which when displayed together showed the face of Union Board President Jared Thomas. “Just go ahead and paint any canvas square of Jared’s face,” Canvas Creative Arts committee member Grace Miller instructed students. Students each painted a part of a canvas to form a collage of colors. Behind the committee tables in the back of the room, hula-hoop dancers performed tricks to the beat of the carnival music for people’s entertainment. The group’s music committee invited students to a concert following the meeting on the patio outside of the IMU, the first of a series of concerts called “The Gallery: Evening Music Series.” “It’s like an open-mic night with live music,” Brown said. Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(09/18/13 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Only one percent of neurons in the brain send the majority of nerve signals, according to recent IU studies. Physics professor John Beggs explained why this occurs and how the distribution might actually make an individual’s brain more efficient. The discussion took place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Finch’s Brasserie on Kirkwood, and was part of the 2013 Themester, Connectedness: Networks in a Complex World. Marta Schocket, graduate student and Bloomington Science Café event organizer, said Beggs is a great match for the Themester’s theme of networks and connectedness.“He studies neuroscience from an information theory and physics perspective,” Schocket said. Beggs said each neuron in the cortex makes and receives about 7,000 synapses with other cortical neurons. In this respect, connections are distributed very democratically, Beggs said. Dr. Beggs’ lab uses microelectrode arrays to eavesdrop on how networks of up to 500 neurons send signals to each other. Beggs compared these neurons and synapses to “clown cars” due to how tightly packed they are in our brain. Beggs and his team have tested their research on animal brains as well as human brains. “What we’ve decided to do is get as many wires as close together as possible and take a thin slice of brain,” Beggs said. “Then we put it down on an electrode ray, and you would see lots of wires. This system allows us to record for brain cells.”To Beggs’ surprise, they found only a small percentage of neurons do most of the “talking.” These neurons are called “hub neurons.” Beggs and many other physicists and students have been working on this research since 2006. “The question was, how does information flow in networks of the brain cells?” Beggs said. “The approach was, hey, let’s record as many brain cells as we can.“What we found was that there are these neurons called hubs that have many more connections than the average neuron. It might make the network more efficient.” Beggs and his team of researchers are currently continuing to work on the project and hope to make more advancements in the future, he said. “It’s hard to come up with any firm conclusions,” Beggs said.Schocket and Ellen Herbert organized Tuesday’s event, which was sponsored by Bloomington Science Café. Bloomington Science Café is part of a grassroots, international movement to bring scientists and the public together in informal settings to discuss scientific research and make it more accessible to a general audience. This event was also sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, Maurer School of Law, Department of Biology, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and the Integrative Program in the Environment. “We want to get the community involved,” Schocket said. “People are really interested about finding out and learning about science.”Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.
(09/17/13 4:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Terrin Thomas wasn’t nervous.In a matter of minutes, she would walk on stage to represent Indiana in the 2014 Miss America Competition.She had 52 opponents and all but 15 would be cut from the competition.She had prepared for this moment, working 14 to 15 hour days during the competition. She was ready.The host called Thomas’ dressing room partner Miss New York forward. Miss Minnesota, Miss New Jersey, Miss California, all passed the preliminary round into semifinals.Miss Indiana was not called.Thomas, an IU junior, returned to Bloomington Monday after competing for the Miss America title. Though she was not chosen to win, Thomas said she is ready to come home to all her friends and family who supported her on her journey. “They went above and beyond what I ever expected friends to do,” Thomas said. “It’s insane to know that you’re loved that much and that people believe in you.” Thomas said people really don’t get to see all the hard work and years of service the contestants put into the competition. “We basically have no contact with our family except for about three minutes,” she said. “I mean, I would see my mom a distance away and not be able to hug her.” Aren Straiger, co-director of Miss Indiana, called Thomas “exceptional.”“She puts her mind to doing something, and she does it well,” Straiger said. Thomas said she plans on becoming a television broadcast journalist. One of her favorite memories of the competition was meeting Lara Spencer, anchor for Good Morning America and co-host of this year’s Miss America competition. The anchor told her Terrin Thomas was a good name for a broadcaster. Straiger and Thomas’ mother Joy Thomas said they think Terrin is well on her way to meeting her goals. “Everything that has happened thus far, from her scholarship to her past pageant experience, really led her to this point in her life,” Thomas’ mother said. “As a state titleholder, she’s already getting opportunities she might not have had. ” Thomas was selected Miss IU in February and Miss Indiana in June. Thomas competed in three rounds of preliminary competition for Miss America consisting of evening gown, talent and onstage questions. She said her strength in the competition was her talent portion, where she showed off her musical talents with a vocal performance. One portion of the competition not shown to the public was an interview between the contestants and a panel of seven judges. Thomassaid she liked the interview with the judges because she said she felt confident about her answers. “That’s always the part that can be a little daunting to some girls because you have to stand at a podium while seven judges rapid-fire questions at you,” Thomas said. Thomas’s parents are proud of their daughter’s accomplishments and performance during the competition, Joy Thomas said. “Just being able to get to the Miss America stage is an opportunity that so many girls try to achieve and, unfortunately, aren’t successful,” Joy Thomas said. “Just to get to be amongst all the title holders and be able to compete at that level is special.”Thomas will be taking a week or two off after her exhausting journey, but will be returning to classes at IU for the second eight weeks of the semester. “This is a test of your stamina and your mental strength,” Thomas said. “Before, I left very at peace and very calm about the whole thing. It’s not super crazy, catty and competitive like everyone thinks. These are friends I’m going to have for the rest of my life.”