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(08/28/03 5:56am)
In late December, Linda Kapolas eagerly waited for the news while her daughter Nicole was on the phone. She broke into tears when she got the thumbs up that her daughter had been named a 2003 Wells Scholar.\n"I was ecstatic," Nicole said.\nNicole is one of 18 incoming freshmen this year who have been awarded scholarships by the IU Wells Scholar program. Among many other perks, every scholar receives free tuition and fees, and a living stipend for four years of undergraduate work at IU. \nKapolas said though her family would have been able to pay for college without the scholarship, the award makes things a lot easier. She plans to major in viola performance and said while the money somewhat influenced her decision to come to IU, just the experience of being a Wells Scholar was reason enough. \nLawrence Mazur II, another 2003 Wells Scholar, said initially the finance part of the scholarship was the main reason why he would attend IU. However, after researching the rankings of the Kelley School of Business, he became a direct admit to the program, which sealed the deal for Mazur. \n"Being a Wells Scholar makes everything easier because they will help me with studying abroad, job placement and many other things," he said.\nIn addition to the 18 freshmen winners, three IU undergraduates also received the scholarships. They each receive tuition, fees and a stipend for the balance of their education at IU.\nVickie Shamt Ellis said she was "thrilled beyond belief" when her daughter Nola Stephens was chosen for the award. Stephens, a junior, is studying German and linguistics in Fryeburg, Germany for the school year. \nEllis said the nomination process for her daughter was "quite an adventure."\nStudents who are already enrolled in IU-Bloomington can be eligible for the Wells Scholar Program by having completed three semesters at IU, ranking in the top 1 percent in the University's academic programs and being nominated by a faculty member. \nThe nomination process for incoming freshmen is a bit different.\nAccredited high schools in Indiana and selected high schools from other states are allowed to nominate up to two students for the award. In order to be eligible for the award, a student must have a GPA of 3.8 or higher, score at least a 1350 on the SAT or 31 or higher on the ACT. \nThe program "seeks ethnic, cultural, and intellectual diversity among its participants," according to the Wells Scholar Program Web Site. \nHigh school seniors are usually nominated by their high schools by October. Director of the Wells Scholar Program J. Timothy Londergan said each year there are around 500 nominations, but only 50 are invited for a required interview in December. Londergan said the interviews are conducted by a diverse panel of faculty, staff and administrators here on campus.\nThe 18 freshmen and their families were invited for a reception for the new Wells Scholars on Sunday in the Frangipani room of the Indiana Memorial Union.\nThe 21 new Wells Scholars include: Khalil AbuGharbieh, Granger, Ind.; Aaron Cantrell, Indianapolis; M. Brandon DeLeeuw, Louisville, Ky.; Caitlin Dugdale, Indianapolis; Isabel Estevez, Louisville, Ky.; Justin Farlow, Indianapolis; Ryan Funk, Indianapolis; Matthew Gichohi, South Bend; Mark Johnshon, Charlotte, N.C.; Nicole Kapolas, Des Plaines, Ill.; Laura Emmy Malament, Indianapolis; Lawrence Joseph Mazur II, LaPorte, Ind.; Zachariah Overley, Zionsville, Ind.; Camille Rice, Indianapolis; Daniel Stanko, Crown Point, Ind.; Morgan Tilleman, Valparaiso; Laura Wallace, Wyoming, Ohio; Aaron Remenschneider; Nola Marie Stephens and Everett Stuckey Jr. \n-- Contact Nation & World editor Christina Galoozis at cgaloozi@indiana.edu.
(05/09/03 5:31am)
U.S. Sen. Richard "Dick" Lugar will deliver his first IU commencement speech to the Class of 2003 Saturday after years of the University asking the senator to address outgoing seniors.\nMembers of the IU community said they believe his invitation illustrates the nation's focus on international affairs and also provides an excellent example of how Hoosiers can be successful. This was also the first year Lugar was able to fit the commencement in his schedule.\nIU spokesperson Jane Jankowski said this is a year IU is certainly pleased to have the senator speak, given the many world events that have occurred and his involvement with international affairs.\nPolitical science department chair Jeffrey Hart said he believes Lugar's expertise most likely entered the minds of the commencement committee members while choosing the speaker.\nLugar, who has chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since 1995, has had a strong presence in the Senate during the war with Iraq. He was invited to IU by a commencement committee headed by Ken Beckley, president of the IU Alumni Association. \nPolitical science professor Edward Carmines said while he doesn't see Lugar's speech as an indication of a national focus on international affairs, he believes Lugar was chosen because senators are important figures in American political life and because universities are dependent upon the political process. \nHart said he believes the graduates and their families will welcome Lugar because he is a moderate who gets a lot of credit from both sides of the spectrum, and because he's a long term politician who knows how to compromise.\n"It would be another thing if they invited someone like Newt Gingrich," he said. "Now that's a statement."\nJankowski said the University has not yet received a copy of Lugar's remarks and will most likely receive them Saturday morning. \nWhile Hart said he cannot speculate on what Lugar will speak about, he predicted the senator will probably mention the effects of both the war in Iraq and Sept. 11. \n"He's a guy who can speak pretty well," he said. "He's got a lot of experience and a lot to say."\nLugar, a fifth-generation Hoosier, will also be able to provide a strong example for the Class of 2003 of how successful Hoosiers can become in the world after graduation. Lugar's roots as mayor of Indianapolis from 1968 to 1975 and his involvement with local Indiana politics helped paved the way for his ascent to the U.S. Senate. He is the only Indiana senator who has been elected to more than three terms. \nJankowski said she believes it's a great opportunity -- as well as relevant -- for IU graduates to hear him speak, because he has accomplished a great deal for Indiana and the country.\n"I think that he is certainly someone who has set a very fine example throughout his life for not only residents of Indiana but for Americans, too," she said.\nJankowski said the senator will not be in Bloomington for a long period of time, because he has other engagements in Washington, D.C., and Indianapolis, and he will be delivering another commencement speech at his alma mater, Denison University, on Sunday. \nLugar has been busy this week with his sponsorship of the NATO expansion treaty which was ratified by a 96-0 vote Thursday in the Senate. \nIn light of a struggling economy and flat employment numbers, Lugar will also host a statewide Job Fair. The two-day event, taking place today and Saturday in Indianapolis, will feature dozens of employers looking for candidates to fill law enforcement, defense and security related jobs.
(05/02/03 5:41am)
The double-decker McDonald's on Kirkwood Avenue will close May 10 after 16 years of business. \nStore owner Gerry Stieglitz said business has dropped significantly in the last five years or so. He said he chose to close the store, 420 E. Kirkwood Ave., on graduation day because it signifies the students leaving town.\nStieglitz, who also owns store locations in Martinsville and Nashville, Ind., said many factors contributed to the closing, but the "Big Dig" -- the storm sewer reconstruction project that closed Kirkwood Avenue for several months in 2000 -- hurt the store's business the worst. \nBusiness never bounced back, he said.\n"The 'Big Dig' really hurt us bad," Stieglitz said. "A lot of people have found different routes to go around town. There's not much traffic down here now."\nHe also attributed the sales decline to the large amount of construction in the area over the years -- such as the Monroe County Public Library expansion and Carmichael Center project. He said the closings of the Indiana and Von Lee theaters also hurt business.\n"People would go to a discount movie and pick up a burger on their way out," he said. "That just doesn't happen anymore."\nHe said the restaurants built along Fourth Street in the past 10 years also contributed to the store's decline.\nStieglitz said although the McDonald's in Read Center didn't take away from much of his customer base, it didn't help their situation. \n"Any time another store hit, it hurt us," he said.\nMelissa Daley, first assistant manager of the McDonald's in Read, said she believes the Kirkwood store closing will have little impact on their business.\n"It probably won't affect us as much as we would like because they are closing down the same time we are," Daley said.\nThe building will be turned over to the McDonald's corporation regional office in Indianapolis, which will decide the property's future.\nStieglitz said he notified his employees of the store closing last week. The employees' had three options: travel to a different location owned by Stieglitz, apply at a different Bloomington McDonald's location or search for a different job.\n"Some have already indicated they are traveling with me," he said.\nStieglitz said he will not post any signs that say the store is closing. He has instead begun to inform his regular customers of the situation. \n"They're disappointed," he said. "They're the customer base we've survived on."\nBloomington resident Michael Sullivan, who was playing chess at nearby People's Park on Kirkwood, said he believes the closing is a good thing.\n"The quality of food is not good," Sullivan said. "I hope they put something better in, like Taco Bell or a sandwich shop"
(04/23/03 6:01am)
The Union Board launched a series titled "Perspectives on War" on April 21, which includes five different topic sessions where students can discuss the war with faculty experts. The remaining four discussions will be held in the Indiana Memorial Union Commons.\nUnion Board Debates and Issues Director Libby Lewis said the luncheons are designed to encourage students and professors to think, interact and discuss current international issues in an informal setting. \nLewis said the Union Board decided to make these discussions less formal because they wanted to diversify their debates and issues program. They also wanted to provide students with events scheduled during the day. \n"We've noticed there are a lot of panels and other events planned in the evening," she said. "We wanted to provide students other avenues."\nOne topic session has already featured professor of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Zaineb Istrabadi who commented on the war from an Iraqi cultural perspective. Istrabadi is an Iraqi-American woman who fled Iraq twice in the 1960s and 70s.\nVice President of Membership Mzilikazi Kone attended Dr. Istrabadi's presentation Monday afternoon. She said she enjoyed hearing about Dr. Istrabadi's personal experiences and said she made many good points about the relationship between different religious sects and the war. Kone said she thought it would be a good time to learn something out of the classroom for a more personal experience.\n"I liked the setting," Kone said. "It was really effective."\nUnion Board member Daniel Beben, who will facilitate two of the sessions, said the series differs from other war discussions and panels on campus because they are made for smaller groups.\n"Instead of having someone talk at you, this will allow students to ask direct questions and tailor the discussion to the students' needs rather than the other way around," Beben said.\nToday, Dr. Salih Altoma, also of the NELC department, will be speaking about Arab and Muslim views of the war. Altoma is also an Iraqi-American professor at IU.\nLewis said she believes the series shows how students and faculty at IU are proactive in their responses to world events.\n"By students and faculty being willing to take their lunch hours to discuss the war shows a recognition that these issues are important and they do impact us here in Bloomington," she said.\nRemaining topics include U.S. international business relations, foreign policies and relations with Syria, Iran and North Korea. The luncheons will feature Dr. Alan Rugman from the Kelley School of Business, Dr. William Bradford IU-Purdue University Indianapolis law school and Dr. Dina Spechler from the political science department.
(04/23/03 6:01am)
The Kelley School celebrated Earth Day by honoring three Indiana companies for their environmentally sound approaches to business at the second annual Kelley Green Awards Tuesday night. The ceremony was filled with exceptional ideas, fun and lots of laughs.\nAssociate dean of the Kelley School of Business John Hill presented the Green Awards to both the students who nominated the company and the company itself.\nWinners this year are: Bloomingfoods in Bloomington, nominated by Asima Biswas; One World Enterprises in Bloomington, nominated by senior Gabe Watson; and NiSource Inc. in Merrillville, Ind., nominated by Heather Haworth.\nEach student received a $200 grant along with their awards.\nAs George Huntington received the award on behalf of Bloomingfoods, he challenged all Kelley students in the room to keep their environmental concerns in mind as they move into the business world.\n"It does my part good to see the school of business generate awards like this," Huntington said. \nThe Environmental Policy Committee of the Kelley school narrowed the three winners down from 120 nominations submitted by Kelley students. \nJohn Maxwell, associate professor of business economics and public policy and master of ceremonies, said the Kelley Green Awards are special because they are distinguished from other business-environmental awards by being student-motivated.\nBefore the Kelley Green Awards, students presented "green ideas," or solutions to environmental problems. At the end of all eight presentations, the audience voted on the most creative, effective idea to promote awareness among environmental issues. Presenter Andrew Branoff said students did the projects for extra credit in their consumer psychology class.\nAmong the top three finalists was Wes Adkins, who addressed fuel efficiency problems within the IU mass transit system. Adkins suggested to burn purified corn oil as fuel, recycled from RPS dining halls.\nSenior Steve Cornwell introduced the "Kelley Enviro-vac" -- a truck that would collect and separate salt and sand from Bloomington streets to improve conventional street clean-up methods. \nThree business majors won the competition by a close vote with their "Don't Pollute" campaign designed to encourage IU students to reduce, reuse and recycle.\nThe plan, created by seniors Scott Gross, Armando Vera and Navin Jayaram, hypes students to recycle by rewarding them with half-price drinks at Nick's and half-price admission to sporting events.\nTheir presentation received many laughs as the three performed skits to demonstrate their ideas.\n"We didn't want to do an ordinary presentation," Vera said. "It feels awesome that our ideas can motivate students."\nVera noted that these are issues everyone must be concerned with because as students, they are the future. The three winners commended their presenters.\nSenior Ken Blidner, who helped decorate the room with cardboard tree cut-outs, said he attended the ceremony to support his friends who were presenting and to promote an activity he helped plan. Blidner also said many business students were given extra credit in their classes for attending the ceremony.
(04/21/03 5:48am)
The IU College Republicans is sponsoring an "Axis of Evil" panel discussion at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Georgian Room at the Indiana Memorial Union. \nThe discussion consists of three panelists who will examine U.S. foreign relations with Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. Panelists include former U.S. Ambassador James R. Lilley, trial lawyer and Iraqi activist Feisal Istrabadi, and professor of Near Eastern languages and cultures John Walbridge. \nLilley has previously served as a U.S. ambassador to the Peoples Republic of China and the Republic of South Korea. He is currently a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research where he researches China, Taiwan and Korea. Lilley, who will offer expertise on North Korea, was invited to IU by his great-niece, a member of the CRs. \n"He's doing it because he feels it will be beneficial to the student body," CR Press Secretary Lucretia Fernandez said. \nIstrabadi is an Iraqi-American who has provided testimony to the U.S. Congress and spoken at several universities. According to CNN, he has worked with other Iraqi-Americans alongside the Pentagon toward designing a post-Saddam Iraq. Istrabadi, who will provide expertise on Iraq, currently practices law in Chicago.\nCR President Angel Rivera said the CRs wanted to provide some expert information for students because they feel many of them are quick to form opinions without substantial arguments about U.S. foreign policies. Rivera said there has never been a more important time for this discussion.\n"Our nation is at a crossroads in foreign policy and it is important that Americans understand the history and present situation facing our country," he said. "The College Republicans want to open up the discussion with the best information possible, so we assembled this amazing team of experts."\nFernandez said the panelists will be able to explain the complex relationships between these countries and the U.S. He also said though the discussion is sponsored by the CRs, the panelists will not represent any party affiliation.\n"These speakers don't necessarily have a connection to any party, they are just three experts in areas that will be very interesting and beneficial," she said.\nFernandez said the panelists will each have 10 minutes to speak and questions from the audience will be allowed after each speech. She said the discussion should last at least an hour and everyone is welcome to attend.
(04/18/03 5:35am)
The European Union decided Wednesday to induct 10 new Eastern European countries in May 2004, which will establish a total of 25 countries in the EU.\nSince most of Eastern Europe supported the U.S.-led war in Iraq which created a distinct division between Western and Eastern Europe, some speculate on the changes in U.S. alliances with Europe. \nProfessor of southeast and modern European History Maria Bucur said she believes countries like Romania and Bulgaria allied with coalition forces because they still have strong memories of the U.S. as a power that could have saved them from the communist empires. Bucur said the alliance was more about the past rather than agreeing with everything that the U.S. has to offer.\n"Nobody expected the French and Germans to come in and save the Poles, Czechs, or Romanians," Bucur said. "They always expected the Americans because they were the guys who won the war. It was pretty clear that the United States saved Western Europe from communism."\nBucur called Eastern European support of the war in Iraq a "make-shift situation" because U.S. forces will not likely stay in countries like Romania and Bulgaria. \n"The U.S. has been rather notorious in relations with small countries in Europe," she said. "They were our last resorts because Turkey denied us."\nBucur said she believes it is up to diplomats of such small countries to remind the U.S. they are on edge because they serve as bridges to the Middle East.\nBucur said she can only imagine the moment when France and Germany look around to see many other members who have supported President Bush and the war, and are forced to speak with a different voice. \nShe said she believes small eastern European countries might serve a purpose of mediating between western Europe and the U.S. However, she also thinks the major power lies in the relationship with Great Britain rather than eastern Europe. \n"Tony Blair has gone along with Bush until now," she said, "but he toned down the direct affiliation with the U.S. at the EU meeting yesterday." \nThough these countries will not be the largest economic members of the EU, their numbers will likely give them an important voice.\nPresident of the European Commission Romano Prodi addressed the rift in his speech at the treaty signing. Prodi said the war in Iraq has demonstrated Europe needs to put forth more of an effort to work as a collective body in order for their voice to be heard. Prodi also asserted that European countries will have much more weight in international decisions if their voice is heard as one.\nThe EU has largely been made up of Western European countries since it was established in the mid-1950s. Bucur said the 10 new Eastern European countries have been kept from the EU mainly because they have certain expectations for countries such as political stability and economic growth. Bucur pointed out eight of the 10 countries have former communist governments.\n"Why would you want to take on a partner in an economic union whose going to be a liability to you as opposed to being and active member?" she said.
(04/16/03 5:26am)
Many U.S. media TV stations showed live images of Iraqis toppling a statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad on the morning of April 9. These images sparked a significant development in the war with Iraq by producing a message that coalition forces had taken Baghdad into their control. Though some IU professors said they agree this will be considered an historic event, they speculate on the future for the Iraqi people.\nAssociate director of the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies program Zaineb Istrabadi said she feels the images will be considered historic because the ability to destroy a statue of Hussein was unthinkable to the Iraqi people 24 hours prior to the toppling. \n"They would not have managed to do it without the Americans," said Istrabadi, a native of Iraq, "There's something ironic in that they kept tugging at it until the U.S. marines did it for them."\nBoth Istrabadi and chair of the political science department at IU-Purdue University Fort Wayne James Lutz said they would parallel the events to the fall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989.\n"It will be historic because it's symbolic of toppling the regime," he said. \nLutz also said he feels the media portrayed the events adequately, but not brilliantly due to the lack of perspective, caused by restricted access.\n"The purpose of the news media is to report the news," he said, "not necessarily the news the population is most concerned about."\nChair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and native of Afghanistan Nazif Shahrani said any Muslim in Iraq or anywhere else would be happy about seeing these statues fall. Shahrani said Hussein was certainly against Islamic principles because he was creating an idol of himself.\n"Getting rid of Saddam's regime is certainly a very welcoming development for Iraq and the rest of the Middle East," he said. "The question now is 'At what cost and how?' and 'Has this been worth the lives of so many coalition forces?'"\nShahrani said he feels what the U.S. does with its presence in Iraq is more of an issue than the presence itself. He also said he feels U.S. citizens, as members of the only superpower on earth, must ask themselves how to make use of its immense power. However, he said he is particularly disturbed at the U.S. Department of Defense's strategies in Iraq.\n"The department meticulously planned all aspects of a military invasion of Iraq, but they did not do any planning for the political aspect of occupying the country," he said.\nBoth Shahrani and Istrabadi said they are not thrilled with events during the last several days that included chaos and looting in Baghdad. Shahrani said he is particularly disturbed by hearing the only ministry the Americans are guarding is the Ministry of Petroleum. \n"What kind of a message does that send to the Iraqis and to the rest of the world?" he said.\nIstrabadi said she is upset at everybody because she has maintained for years that the Iraqi people are orphaned.\nAs the direction of the war is changing into occupational aftermath, Istrabadi, Shahrani and Lutz all speculate on the U.S bringing a presence of democracy to Iraq. Lutz said he believes any type of government set up in Iraq will have major problems.\n"I would anticipate that any government set up will have trouble surviving in the near future because of the divisions among types of Islam within Iraq and the lack of organized political forces," he said. "They have no history of democracy to build upon."\nShahrani said he hopes a democracy will work in Iraq, but doesn't believe the signs are promising because the last few days of chaos in Baghdad have pitted Muslims against Muslims and Iraqis against Iraqis. \nIstrabadi said she also hopes a democratic government will materialize in Iraq, but said she will not return to Iraq until she is sure the country is not polluted with radioactive materials as a result of the war.
(04/11/03 5:29am)
Nearly 60 students and faculty members gathered in the Oak Room of the Indiana Memorial Union Wednesday afternoon to participate in a teach-in sponsored by the History Department, "History, Peace, and War." The teach-in sparked discussions about the impact of the U.S.-led war with Iraq on the rest of the world.\nTo represent different parts of the world, the eight panelists ranged from professors of Latin American history to East Asian history. The professors gave brief introductions about their expertise and concerns before the audience was allowed the floor for questions.\nA few topics discussed covered endangered civil liberties in the United States, post-war Iraq and current anti-Americanism felt throughout the world. \nOne international student asked the professors how they teach their students about anti-Americanism in the classroom. U.S. history professor David Thelen said he learned at a conference that European teachers believe it's nearly impossible to teach American history today in other parts of the world because of the intensity of anti-Americanism -- something they had never experienced before. Thelen said there are two questions that don't need to be answered: the ability of the U.S. military to defeat the Iraqis and the popularity of Saddam Hussein.\n"These are not the things we should be talking about, though it's all the media is covering," he said. "I think it's important to think about what we're seeing and what we're not seeing on television."\nThelen said we should be talking about the vision of the future and the question that needs to be asked is how 30 or 40 elitists dragged the entire world into a war.\n"I've resisted conspiracy theories most of my life," he said, "but it's hard to escape one in this case."\nAnother student asked professor Larry Friedman about what the war on Iraq and the war on terrorism signify for civil liberties at home. Friedman said all Americans need to be familiar with Patriot Acts 1 and 2, the legislation passed in response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, and students should be aware of international students on campus, phone taps and detention of naturalized citizens.\n"The Patriot Act was passed with minimal debate and not a single congressperson could admit to reading through all the provisions," he said. "One question we have to ask is not only the nature of these laws, but what they're doing to the democratic process if even the representatives, much less the public, does not know the provisions of it."\nFriedman said it is difficult to undo something like the Patriot Act. \n"Only one of the axis of evil has been dealt with so far," he said, "and whether this war on terror goes on or not, it's hard to undo this process."\nProfessor of East Asian history Jeff Wasserstrom said the public will likely pay more attention to North Korea after military action in Iraq dies down.\n"In some ways it's comforting that there haven't been pushes towards war there immediately," Wasserstrom said. "On the other hand, it's worrisome that there just isn't attention being paid there because of the distraction. I think it is someplace where there needs to be intended direct involvement of the U.S. in conversation with Japan, China and South Korea to try to diffuse that."\nJunior Rebecca Cushman said she attended the teach-in to learn about issues regarding the war. One of Cushman's professors was a panelist.\n"I figured the best way to learn about the issues regarding the war would be from professors," she said. "I felt like it would be a good source of information."\nCushman said the teach-in raised almost as many questions as answers and that is a part of the questioning process. \n"Any form of discussion like this one in an academic atmosphere is important because everyone has a different understanding of what's going on," she said.
(04/09/03 5:30am)
David Lizzo's semester in Israel is a bit different from the college life he left behind in Bloomington. \nA week before the war in Iraq began, Lizzo said he received a gas mask as a precautionary measure. Now all students who attend Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva, Israel, including Lizzo, must carry their masks in order to pass through heavily guarded entrances that prevent suicide bombers from entering campus buildings.\nLizzo, a Jewish studies major, is one of hundreds of IU students currently studying abroad. Though the Office of Overseas Study suspended all their programs in Israel about a year ago due to strong U.S. State Department travel advisories, he thought it was more important to study in Israel while he still had the chance and enrolled in a different university's program. \nInternational students at BGU have had constant updates and security meetings to keep them informed about the war. This is just one of the steps many universities are taking to ensure the safety of all students.\nIn a March 20 statement, the Office of Overseas Study said it does not anticipate to cancel or postpone any IU programs or to have students return home early because of the war in the Middle East. The statement also said the safety of IU students overseas remains their highest priority and emergency plans have been made if a crisis arises.\n"We have a series of documents for our office and the staff at program sites abroad," Associate Director for the Office of Overseas Study Susan Carty said. "In case of a given emergency, there is a protocol for responding to it."\nThe statement also calls for all students to continue their normal routines abroad, avoid crowds and demonstrations, avoid calling attention to themselves as Americans and recommends that students be selective with their travel plans.\nCarty also said the Office of Overseas Study works closely with all its students abroad. However, the issued statement said it will not support any IU students in any location listed for a travel advisory by the U.S. Department of State, including Israel. Carty said to her knowledge, no students have returned home as a result of the war in Iraq.\nCarty said while participation rates for summer and fall programs are similar to past years, there have been individual expressions of concerns for summer and fall applicants to overseas programs.\nThe Office of Overseas Study is also becoming more flexible with stipulations like refundable deposits. According to a press release, IES, the organization that administers the summer program in London, has announced that in order to be as flexible as possible for students and parents it has adjusted its policy to allow the $500 confirmation deposit to be refundable and refunds will be available upon written request up until May 1 for summer 2003 applicants.
(04/04/03 5:28am)
The Office of Overseas Studies and the Kelley School of Business made a joint decision this week that recommends seven international business students in Hong Kong return home to the U.S. in light of the spreading disease, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.\nAssociate Director for the Office of Overseas Study Susan Carty said six of the seven undergraduate students have responded with an indication they are making plans to return home. \nAccording to the World Health Organization, SARS has been responsible for 2,270 cases and 79 deaths in 16 countries. In the U.S., 70 non-lethal cases have been reported. \nThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released a travel advisory strongly advising U.S. citizens against non-essential trips to China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Hanoi, Vietnam.\nCarty said the Overseas Study has been following news reports on SARS since the beginning and paid particular attention to information on affected countries that currently have IU students enrolled in their universities. Travel advisories from the CDC and WHO were strongly motivating reasons to bring the students home, but the final decision was made after City University of Hong Kong suspended classes this week due to rapidly spreading SARS.\n"Any potential danger is a risk to students," Carty said. "We're in touch all the time with our students."\nThe IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis School of Law also called off its summer program in Beijing due to the virus. About 32 students had signed up for the four-week long China Law summer program which has been established at IUPUI since 1987.\nAssociate Dean for Graduate Studies at IUPUI Jeff Grove said he spent a day or so consulting with the law school dean to make sure the reactions were sound, and he was making the right call. \n"It's a terrible shame for the students who were preparing for four weeks in China," Grove said, "though it seems pretty clear we can't expose students to SARS when the CDC says, 'Don't go to mainland China.'"\nGrove said all the students had already made deposits, but not all had paid the full expenses for the trip. After cancelling the trip, they began a full-refund process.\n"One of my main worries was if we continued to wait, students would probably have had difficulties making other plans," he said.\nDr. Tom Hrisomalos, an infectious disease specialist for the Internal Medicine Associates in Bloomington, said he understands IU's decision.\n"In the face of something unknown, I can certainly understand not wanting to put anybody at an unnecessary risk," Hrisomalos said.\nHe said as time goes by, more data will be received and people can make more careful and sound decisions about what the true risks are. \nHrisomalos said the current theory about SARS is it is a coronavirus, a strain of virus that causes many other respiratory diseases like the common cold. He said SARS may be a new strain of a coronavirus that is more virulent than what thas been noticed before. \n"It's always difficult to judge the severity or extent of an outbreak when you are just using clinical syndrome diagnosis," he said. \nCarty said the Office of Overseas Study and the Kelley School of Business are working together to help the seven students complete the credits they would have received from the City University of Hong Kong here at home.\n"Having them leave mid-semester, we certainly didn't want them to leave without full credit," she said.\nCarty said each faculty member will make the decision about how the students will finish the course by distance. \nGrove said IUPUI has also offered its students alternatives to the canceled program.
(04/03/03 6:01am)
The campus group Grand Old Cause participated in National Support Our Troops Day Wednesday, along with more than 30 other colleges and universities nationwide, by handing out yellow ribbons to students in front of Ballantine Hall. The ribbons represented support and solidarity for U.S. troops in Iraq. \nGOC member freshman Brent Smith said he started handing out ribbons at 10 a.m. Within one hour, the supply of ribbons was gone, and other members of GOC were alerted to create more.\n"We want to let our troops, both at home and defending our freedoms abroad, know that their college campuses are behind them," Rich Moha, national operations director for the Campus Leadership Program said.\nSmith joined the GOC two weeks ago because he wanted to get involved in a political group on campus. He said he believes if the troops do not feel they have Americans' support, it will hurt their morale.\nThe GOC also passed out flyers asking students to remember the soldiers and collected signatures for a national letter of thanks to be sent to all branches of the armed forces. \nIU's College Republicans also helped with the event.\nGOC president Karl Born founded the group last spring to be a conservative activist group on campus that recruits conservative students and helps them with political training. Born said the GOC is just beginning to become active about the war because it was launched during spring break.\n"We haven't had much of a chance to say anything about the war," he said, "but we will."\nBorn and Smith agree that for the most part, students received the ribbons enthusiastically.\n"Most people have been very positive," Smith said. "There have been some declines, but no one has been inflammatory in any way."\nGOC member Chase Downham said one student refused a ribbon -- the student said he doesn't want to support the troops because he doesn't support the war. \nDownham disagreed with the student's reasoning.\n"Our troops need our support whether you are for or against the war," he said. "We all agree that we want the war to end and have our troops come home as soon as possible."\nFreshman Mike Schott, who opposes the war in Iraq, said he would not accept a ribbon because he doesn't feel U.S. troops are victims.\n"It's a nice cause," Schott said, "but ribbons are for victims, and U.S. troops are just doing their jobs."\nBorn said while he disagrees with protesters, he agrees with their right to protest.\nNational Support Our Troops Day was organized by the Campus Leadership Program.\nTo get involved with the GOC, contact the group at goc@indiana.edu.
(04/02/03 5:36am)
Student groups on all sides of the debate about the war on Iraq plan to step up campus action this week.\nCollege Republicans will be participating in National Support Our Troops Day today by handing out yellow ribbons in front of Ballantine Hall, signifying a solidarity with the troops, CR President Angel Rivera said.\nOn Thursday, the Coalition to Oppose the War in Iraq will be sponsoring another demonstration in protest of the war at 11:45 a.m. in Dunn Meadow.\nBefore spring break, members of COWI were still hoping for a peaceful solution between the United States and Iraq. But as students were returning to campus, people began to recognize a change of tone in the anti-war movement. \nCOWI senior member Lauren Taylor said she feels a sense of hopelessness and resignation on campus. Taylor said attendance at their weekly meetings has decreased slightly due to the disappointment of some members who wish they could have prevented the war from happening. Taylor also attributes the changes on campus to two diverging trends among the national anti-war movement. \n"The start of the war changed the tone of the opposition to a significant extent," she said. "There seems to be a movement either towards more respectful, moderate protests or more access to civil disobedience."\nAnother senior member of COWI James Bourke said he believes membership has remained relatively stable and said campus involvement needs to increase.\nTaylor said though COWI and other protests could not prevent a U.S. war with Iraq, they are still active in their anti-war stance and a long-term anti-war movement will be the most effective.\n"Whether it's pending or happening, we can always end the war earlier," she said.\nEvents director for the College Republicans Derek Molter said while there may not be a group whose sole purpose and agenda is supporting the war, he believes many groups on campus support it nonetheless.\nMolter said the CRs have been very vocal and active on campus in expressing the conservative position regarding the war in Iraq by actively supporting U.S. troops and participating in panel discussions.\nTaylor said a key aspect in the anti-war movement now is to be vigilant about government policies. She said she believes the media needs to pay more attention to civilian casualties in Iraq, the types of weapons being used, and human rights violations. \n"The idea is to make people pressure the U.S. government to end this as quickly as possible and make it difficult for such a war to happen again," she said. \nMolter said he feels the media coverage is a question of taste, not bias.\n"Some things are so gruesome that it is in bad taste to display pictures of, but that is not a 'pro-American' position," he said. "I wonder if COWI feels it was anti-American for the media not to show more pictures of corpses from Sept. 11."\nSenior Deema Dabis said she feels people walk around campus like nothing is going on. \n"I think we need more visible, in-your-face action," Dabis said. \nTaylor said she believes COWI's voice has been heard on campus to a limited extent because certain departments are more aware of the anti-war movement than others.\n"I think its hard to do, but I would like to reach all parts of campus," she said, "though the debate has reached all parts of campus, whether or not it's us who articulates the opposing side."\nTaylor said COWI is pushing for an updated IU Student Association resolution now that the war has begun. The IUSA Congress voted against a previous resolution presented by COWI on March 10. Bourke said members of COWI have asked certain IUSA representatives why they voted no to the previous resolution. \n"We are hoping to create a more focused resolution while staying sensitive to the political atmosphere at IU," he said.\nRivera said he believes COWI attempted to fool our student government with their resolution and IUSA should be tending to the students' needs, not the political agendas of a few. Molter said he thinks IUSA's decision to vote it down was appropriate and necessary.\n"I do not think that COWI was able to demonstrate that an anti-war stance was the position of the majority of students," Molter said. "IUSA should of course not pass resolutions that purport to be the position of the student body when that is in fact not the case"
(03/31/03 4:54am)
As the United States dropped its first bombs on Iraq the night of March 19, 21 IU students and two professors heard the news in the middle of a busy Tokyo day inside the newsroom of the world's largest newspaper, The Daily Yomiuri. The group, comprised primarily of juniors and seniors, spent nine days in Japan learning about Japanese culture and international business practices, though their time was eclipsed by the war in Iraq.\nBusiness professor Marc Dollinger said a tour guide was about to show their group the printing press when a Daily Yomiuri reporter brought them a stackful of special editions that announced in both Japanese and English that the war in Iraq had begun. \nDollinger said some of the students were aware that they were far from the United States during a major historic event.\n"It was a moment people were anticipating but not prepared for," Dollinger said. "A number of the students kind of gasped."\nSenior James Morris, an international business studies major, said the newsroom in the Daily Yomiuri was chaotic.\n"It felt very significant that everything was happening," Morris said. "Seeing all these reporters running around trying to get news to people in Japan, and here we were Americans and learning it for the first time as well." \nDollinger said the group had also taken a tour of the Japanese legislature building the same morning Prime Minister of Japan Junichiro Koizumi announced the country's support of U.S. military action in Iraq. Students also witnessed one of the world's largest anti-war demonstrations in Tokyo later in the week.\nMorris said the protest in Japan wasn't too dissimilar from the anti-war protests in the United States, but he was a little concerned there would be some major movement among the people.\nSenior James Malenkos said it was refreshing to be outside of the whole picture as the war with Iraq began. He said he felt less a part of the negativity surrounding America.\n"On a college campus where people are young and liberal with few responsibilities, it's easy to protest something like war," Malenkos said. "It seemed more real to see people outside of the college community that were protesting."\nHe said he thinks after visiting Japan, many Japanese citizens, to a large extent, do not support the war. \nMalenkos, Morris and Dollinger all said they never feared for their lives as Americans in Japan. The war did not interfere with the group's itinerary in any way, Dollinger said.
(03/26/03 5:54am)
While the U.S.-led coalition launched its first attack on Iraq last week, protesters across the globe swarmed the streets of the world's largest cities. Though places like Cairo and San Francisco seem far from Bloomington, some students consider these events close to home.\nMore than 5,000 people marched toward the U.S. Embassy in Egypt's capital last Wednesday, many of whom were students of the American University at Cairo. Graduate student Noha Shawki was born in Cairo and lived there until she graduated high school. Shawki said she remembers only one other major demonstration in Cairo's past that is similar to this one, which occurred a year ago during the Israeli incursions in the West Bank. \nDuring the protest, AUC students called upon other Arab nations to support the Iraqi defense. Shawki said she believes religion is just one reason Egyptians oppose the war. \n"I do not think it's the only reason," Shawki said, "especially since there have been widespread protests in many countries that are not predominantly Muslim. I guess many people feel that there was no imminent threat emanating from Saddam Hussein's regime."\nAn Egyptian protester told Fox News that Americans shouldn't feel safe in the Arab region. Shawki said that while many people in Egypt and all over the world have problems with U.S. policy in the Middle East, she believes most people can make the distinction between American citizens and U.S. foreign policy.\n"When I was growing up in Cairo I had quite a bit of contact with Americans living in Cairo," she said. "I don't remember any of them ever being afraid or feeling unsafe despite the many crises. I do not think that this has changed because of the Iraqi crisis."\nOn the opposite side of the globe, sophomore Leah Schultz witnessed one of the largest protests in her home area, San Francisco. Schultz said it got to a point where the protests dominated the news.\n"I don't remember a time when anything got such big media attention," she said.\nThousands of demonstrators took over streets and blocked several exits from the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge last Thursday. One protester even committed suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge wearing a rope and a harness.\n"I think it's definitely gone overboard," Schultz said. "I think everyone is entitled to their opinion, but it's not fair to inconvenience everyone else."\nSchultz said she also believes this is bad publicity for the city, though extremely liberal views are the norm in California.\n"I think the country already knows that the West Coast is already more liberal," she said. "You wouldn't hear about something like this in Texas."\nSenior Deema Dabis did not expect to be involved in the anti-war movement on her spring break vacation. But she visited New York City where thousands of people have marched every day since the war began. On many occasions, Dabis said she saw armed soldiers walking around the city.\n"I've never seen something like that before," she said. "The mood in New York City is very tense."\nCNN reported a heavy presence of police officers. Dabis said she saw many people that were arrested.\n"The police just ran in and started arresting people for no reason," she said. "It's like we're turning into a police state."\nEleven New York police officers were maced and some had to be taken to hospitals. Freshman Dyan Kleinman, who lives in Westchester, N.Y., said she thinks things got out of hand.\n"The point of a protest is to speak your opinion -- not use actions that are inappropriate," Kleinman said. \nKleinman said a lot of New Yorkers' fears are negatively affecting their daily lives. She said she believes many people in New York are especially scared because no one could have predicted something so tragic as Sept. 11.\n"It's definitely having a dramatic impact on people just getting to work," Kleinman said. \nChicago is another major U.S. city that suffered one of the largest protests in the world. Over 500 arrests were made last Wednesday night when demonstrators blocked Lake Shore Drive during the city's evening rush hour traffic. Over the weekend, an estimated crowd of 10,000 packed inside Federal Plaza downtown where police stationed barriers between the opposing groups.
(03/25/03 5:38am)
Nicole Beaupre, mother of the first Marine killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Ryan Beaupre, called into NBC "Nightly News" last week to tell Tom Brokaw the extensive coverage is incredibly difficult for families to watch. The same feeling plagues those students on campus who have loved ones serving overseas.\nWhile advancing technology has helped to make coverage of this war more graphic and detailed than any previous combat media, it is also reminding people in the United States of the reality and repercussions of war for the men and women fighting it.\nSophomore Margie Conely said she and her boyfriend Jamarcus Newsone had been together for only four months when he was called to service on Valentine's Day. Sgt. Newsone, a Ft. Wayne resident, had been stationed in Jacksonville, N.C., and was sent to Kuwait in February. \n"There is no talking on the phone," Conely said. "I can e-mail him occasionally; it just depends on how much time he has."\nShe said she often watches CNN but has to force herself to turn it off.\n"Sometimes my imagination will just run," Conely said.\nFreshman Jill Krieg said she feels the same way. She and her boyfriend, James Cameron Hall, have been together for three years. Hall, 22, is expected to graduate from the Army infantry in two weeks, and the Army has given him the indication he will be shipped to Kuwait if the war is not yet over.\n"I feel so bad for the families," Krieg said. "You really don't know how much it affects loved ones until you have a loved one over there."\nKrieg said she talked to Hall last night for the first time in months. She said he was scared and wished he could be home.\n"I feel a lot of the media coverage is too much," she said. "I feel like they should give more information to the families than anyone else."\nKrieg said she doesn't think they will be able to write to each other once Hall leaves for Kuwait. \n"The hardest thing will be when he goes," she said. "The news will be my only information and contact with him."\nSenior Dan Keeler's fraternity brother, Jared Farnsworth, a Marine reservist, was called to active duty earlier this year for up to two years. Keeler said Farnsworth has written about five letters to the house so far, but the mail has been slow.\n"I totally fear for their lives," he said. "I fear them being captured and tortured more than I fear them being killed"
(03/25/03 5:38am)
Alongside more than 50 other nations, the United States launched a military strike the Pentagon penned Operation Iraqi Freedom against Iraq last week. While students and faculty were enjoying spring break, some faculty members have closely followed the U.S.-led coalition to disarm Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.\nThousands of U.S. citizens have taken to the streets in both approval and reproach of the war effort.\nStill, there are some IU faculty who remain wary of adopting extreme positions, despite their close relations to the Middle East. \nScott Pegg is one of them.\nPegg, a political science professor at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis, taught classes on international relationships and security issues at the University of Bilkent in Ankara, Turkey, from 1998 to 2001. Pegg said he thinks the Iraqis are using coalition casualties as a strategy to manifest concern in U.S. leadership and public opinion.\nThe international community should be on high alert, Pegg said, especially American citizens.\n"Obviously we're attacking another country in a part of the world where we are not seen in a positive way," he said. "There's certainly more of a motive for people who want to do terrorist attacks."\nTurkey's recent diplomatic decisions of allowing coalition forces to use Turkish air space did not come as a surprise to Pegg, but he said he doesn't think their decision to send troops into northern Iraq to suppress Kurdish movement into Turkey is a smart move.\n"I think that their fears are a bit exaggerated, and they are risking getting themselves into a messy situation," he said. "But I don't think they feel 100 percent assured by United States' efforts."\nThe media has positioned one of Turkey's close neighbors, Israel, as a possible target for the Iraqis. \nDirector of the Jewish Studies Program at IU Alvin Rosenfeld said the Israelis have been prepared for war because there were some predictions of an Iraqi attack on Israel, though he said "an attack doesn't look likely at the moment."\n"So far (the war) has had no impact," Rosenfeld said. "Life, in fact, is going on as normal."\nHe also mentioned though life seems normal, Israelis are well prepared for a missile attack due to their "very effective" anti-missile shield in place. However, Rosenfeld said, biological and chemical agents would be a different story.\n"They are thinking about it," he said. "Gas masks have been distributed around the country. They are very alert to the war because they're just down the street."\nRosenfeld said the Israeli people are supportive of the American effort, but "they should simply be left alone because they're not partied to the war."\nKaren Rasler, an IUB political science professor who specializes in international conflict and societal consequences of war, said she does not believe the United States is doing the right thing by disarming Hussein without international support. \n"It's a very narrow alliance and lacks international legitimacy," Rasler said. "It will lead to a long post-war occupation that will be financially costly and will lead to economic debt."\nRasler also said the rest of the Middle Eastern community will not act positively because the United States, in their view, has invaded Iraq without moral legitimacy and that is reinforced by the fact there is no U.N. backing. She said she thinks the Iraqi people will generally welcome U.S. forces.\n"I think the Iraqi community will be very eager to rebuild their country," she said. "That doesn't mean there won't be resentment to the fact that there will be American military present."\nJames Lutz, chair of the political science department at IU-Purdue University Fort Wayne, said he would have liked to have seen more diplomacy on the part of the U.S.\n"I'm not in total agreement of the technique they're using," Lutz said. "I would have preferred a longer period of diplomacy."\nBut, Lutz said he believes Bush is doing a good job militarily.\n"I think they're doing the right thing in regard to stopping civilian casualties," he said.
(03/14/03 6:30am)
Students are heading for rays of sun and warmer temperatures as Saturday marks the beginning of spring break. Students have been looking forward to next week during the past months of an abnormally harsh winter in Bloomington.\nSTA Travel Manager Erika Funston said with the current world situation, students are taking more risks by travelling to farther and more obscure places. Funston said some of her customers have had the mindset of "I'm young, why not?"\nFunston said business has increased in the past month, and students have been tying loose ends this past week. \n"There have been a lot more last minute people in the past," she said.\nSTA Travel will still operate under regular business hours over break.\n"We're trying to push summer plans now," Funston said.\nFunston said an unusually popular place for spring break plans this year are the Bahamas. Mexico is also a prominent vacation spot, including Acapulco and a common college favorite, Cancun.\nSenior Erinn Thiele is spending her last spring break as a college student in New Orleans. Thiele said she is looking forward to the warmer weather in the South. \n"Anything is warmer than Indiana right now," Thiele said. "I'm sick of this weather."\nOther students are leaving campus, but headed home. \nSophomore John Palmer said the advantages of going home for spring break are home-cooked meals, sleeping in, few obligations and seeing old friends. \nMany professors who are also eager for a break sometimes cancel their classes in the remaining days before spring break. Assistant instructor Heather Haffner cancelled her comparative literature class Thursday afternoon.\n"Normally I don't cancel class," Haffner said, "but my students have been working pretty hard so I figured if I give them a day off, it gives me a day off."\nHaffner described cancelling class as a mutual advantage for both teachers and students.\n"I cancelled class the same reason a student would want to cancel class -- my spring break started early," she said. "Most people would skip anyway, you might as well cancel it than having to deal with it."\nThe residence halls close at 10 a.m. Saturday morning and will reopen at 8 a.m. Sunday, March 23.
(03/13/03 5:27am)
As the controversy of a possible war with Iraq plagues the globe, some Americans are stunned and perplexed by some of France's recent decisions and actions strongly indicating a lack of support for a U.S.-led military invasion.\nFrance's latest resistance to the United States came with a speech President Jacques Chirac gave Monday night vowing that his country would vote against a second U.N. resolution, which would give Iraq until Monday to disarm, or risk war against the United States and its allies. \nSome Americans remember how the French helped us gain independence by aiding the United States in the Revolutionary War in the 18th century, while others see France as the country the United States bailed out in World War II. The United States and France have had an historically amicable relationship, but as international tension increases with a possible war, the relationship is growing more complex.\nEven members of Congress are questioning France's loyalty. Reps. Walter Jones and Bob Ney pushed for changes on menus in three House office buildings. French fries and french toast will now be known as "freedom fries" and "freedom toast." According to CNN, the representatives called their actions a "symbolic effort to show the strong displeasure of many on Capitol Hill with the actions of our so-called ally, France." Other cafeterias nationwide have mimicked this idea. \nOther Washington officials have criticized the French for not allying with the United States. \nU.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said last month that "going to war without France is like going duck hunting without your accordion."\nThe conflict between Americans and the French is very real and closer to home than most would think. Senior Nathan Proud, who spent his entire junior year in Aix-en-Provence, France, called the stereotype that French people hate Americans untrue. Proud said they are even in awe of how big and powerful we are. However, he said, the French dislike America's involvement in the rest of the world's business. \n"They don't hate us; they just hate our policies," Proud said.\nProud said he never felt resented as an American in France and people went out of their way to express sympathy about the Sept. 11 attacks. However, Proud mentioned he felt most of the French were opposed to Bush and his administration's war on terrorism. \n"They spewed the same cliché accusations you can hear on most college campuses -- that Bush is an idiot, war-loving hick," he said. \nFrom his experience, Proud said he would not call the French culture non-confrontational. \n"They love to protest and go on strike," he said. "It seems like that's all they do."\nHistory professor David Pace said historically, the French have not avoided confrontation. \n"The French are very much concerned with their cultural, political and economic independence," Pace said. "They're very independent, and they certainly go their own way when they want to."\nPace said France has many other reasons for not supporting a war in Iraq that do not include anti-American sentiment. He gave reasons such as French oil contracts with Iraq, concerns about Israel and France's large African population and its connections with the Arab world, going back to colonial times.\nThe interesting element in U.S.-France relations right now, Pace said, is that France represents the mainstream of world opinion and "we are the ones going off on our own this time."\nPace also gave some personal opinions on the Bush administration's policies toward the possible war. \n"The Bush administration was very clear during the election that they didn't think the U.S. should go around being the world's policeman," Pace said. "Now all of a sudden Saddam Hussein has to be overthrown for humanitary reasons, and wars for humanitary reasons are always questionable enterprises."\nPace also said, historically speaking, "this could turn out very badly -- we could end up being very much alone in the world."\nWhether the U.S. wages a war on Iraq alone, the French have made it very clear they are not with us, but they are also not against us. \nThe Associated Press contributed to this story.
(03/11/03 6:02am)
The Kelley School of Business announced Monday that one of Indiana's most prominent business families pledged $1 million to its Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.\nAccording to a press release, the Johnson family of Columbus, Ind., will give $100,000 each year for a minimum of 10 years and will "further the programs" of the Johnson Center.\nThe center was established at IU in 1989 and renamed in 1998 when the Johnson family donated an initial amount of $1 million to the center. The contribution secured the center's spot in the Kelley School's newest building, finished in 2002. \nDirector of the Johnson Center Elizabeth Gatewood said they are thrilled by the gift, and the family's contribution will establish the "Johnson Family Fund." \n"In general, the contribution will support activities that range from internships to student projects," Gatewood said. "It will fund programs that support MBA students and undergraduates."\nGatewood also mentioned she is unaware if the Johnson family initiated the contribution or if it was asked by the Kelley School for support. However, she said, the Johnson family has been very generous in the past.\nThe business school's Director of Institutional Marketing and Communications, Margaret Garrison, also considers the Johnson family as one of the Kelley School's greatest assets.\n"The Johnsons are wonderful, long-time generous friends," Garrison said.\nGarrison said because a lot of programs have been cut recently, the contribution will open doors for the Johnson Center. \n"It gives us the momentum and ability to move forward with new programs," she said. "This new contribution will make us incredibly competitive among other top 20 business schools in the country."\nRichard Johnson and his son, Richard Jr., have strong ties to IU. They both received undergraduate degrees from IU and Richard Jr. is currently an adjunct professor in the Kelley School of Business. Richard Sr. serves on both the Kelly School's Dean's Advisory Council and the IU Foundation Board of Directors.\nRichard Johnson began his career as an entrepreneur in 1957 when he and his wife Ruth founded the Johnson Oil Company, a small distributor of Shell Oil. The family also owned 150 Bigfoot convenience stores until it sold the chain to Couche-Tard Inc. in 2001. \nJohnson and his son are now partners in Johnson Ventures, an investor in three Indiana companies including Indiana Limestone Co., Inc.
