79 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(03/07/03 3:20pm)
Former U.S. Senator Paul Simon's message was clear while delivering a speech late Thursday night in the Moot Court Room at the IU Law School -- as a nation, we must increase our sensitivity toward the international community.\nThe speech was part of the Chancellor's Forum Series, though Chancellor Sharon Brehm could not attend because she was out of town.\nSimon has been involved in politics since 1954 when he was elected to the Illinois State Legislature. He is now retired from federal office and is a professor at the University of Southern Illinois.\nSimon's speech focused on the importance of water in our world's future, though he also presented his opinions on the recent topics affirmative action, America's image throughout the world and the federal budget.\nSimon said while water is not the sexiest subject, you do not have to be an Einstein to figure out the world is headed for some real problems. Simon also said people are not paying attention to the water problem because it is a quiet issue.\nHe said both quantity and quality of water are at stake because while the population is increasing, the water supply remains at the same level. He said both quantity and quality are at stake.\nThe senator stressed more funding needs to be directed towards the growing global water issue and deserves a piece of the federal budget. Simon said he thinks dedicating a tiny percentage of the defense budget toward water problems would do more for the security of our country.\n"We are viewed by much of the world as the rich guy who isn't paying attention, and unfortunately there's some legitimacy to that," he said. "We're going to have to listen to one another more often."\nSimon noted a large problem for the United States is its sometimes inaccurate portrayal in the international media.\n"However, if you change the substance, you change the image," he said. \nThe senator stressed small actions make a difference. He suggested citizens contact their legislative officials and the media to gain more awareness for the water issue.\n"If people in Bloomington, Ind., said, 'Let's pay attention to this issue,' you can really get something done," Simon said.\nIn response to IU alumna Michelle Gregory's inquiry about balancing the cultural influence of the United States along with its technological and fiscal support to other countries, Simon said it's not easy.\nThe senator praised IU for its efforts in celebrating a diverse student body.\n"I particularly appreciate the international emphasis you have here at IU," he said. "One of the advantages of being at IU is you get diversity."\nAmong the audience was state Rep. Matt Pierce, who worked on Simon's brief presidential campaign in 1988.\n"I'm very supportive of his positions on issues and it was great to hear him speak again," Pierce said.\nSimon praised Indiana for leaders like Sen. Richard Lugar, former Vice President Dan Quayle and former IU President Herman B Wells.\n"It is illustrative the kind of leadership you have," he said.\nSimon closed with a clear message for his audience. \n"We all change history either by what we do positively or negatively," he said. "I want all of you to change our history for the positive"
(03/06/03 10:23pm)
IU students displayed a firm stance against a possible war with Iraq Wednesday as hundreds participated in a national walk-out called "Books Not Bombs!" \nAt noon, students and faculty left their classes to attend teach-ins at the Indiana Memorial Union in the Frangipani Room. \nDean of Students Richard McKaig said there is no University standard on attendance and the policy is always the professor's choice. He said whether the event will be an excused absence is left up to the professor, and students must make their own decisions according to this policy.\nIU was one of 230 universities nationwide and five other countries that participated in the student strike sponsored by the National Student Youth and Student Peace Coalition. \nThe workshops were sponsored by two IU student groups -- No Sweat! and the Coalition to Oppose the War in Iraq. The Bloomington Peace Action Coalition, which works closely with COWI, also helped out with the event. \nLauren Taylor, an active member of COWI, began the event at 12:20 p.m. while people were still filing in.Taylor said the event was designed to "interrupt our daily activities, demonstrate our opposition to the war and educate ourselves on pressing issues with the pending war in Iraq."\nTaylor explained there would be a series of student and faculty teach-ins from noon to 5 p.m. on subjects such as the history of Iraq, the global anti-war movement and corporate benefits of the war.\n"The speakers here today are not necessarily experts," Taylor said. "They are people like you and me who have decided to do some research on their own. We are here to educate ourselves collectively."\nBret Eartheart, who spoke about his personal experiences during a visit to Iraq last month, called the amount of protests "unprecedented."\n"This is an affirmation of how successful the opposition to this war is," Eartheart said.\nSenior Simon Fisher walked out of his Chinese religion class to hear the speakers. Fisher said his professor had encouraged students to walk out of class at noon.\nThe event attracted not only IU students but students from Bloomington High School South as well. Some students asked that their names not be printed because they didn't mention their participation to their parents and said they might get in trouble at school\nGriffin Layman, a freshman from South, said he came to show support for the anti-war movement and thinks President Bush is "making a mistake with this war." \nLayman said his parents don't know he attended, but said "I think they'll agree with me on this one."\nAlex Nysliwicz, a sophomore from South, said he and his friends "ditched class" for the event.\n"We really don't care if we get in trouble at school," Nysliwicz said. \nThe high schoolers said they are primarily concerned with being affected by a possible draft if the war continues for years.\nRegina Weir, a teacher at Harmony School, brought elementary students with her to the event. \n"The kids are very passionate about it and have been researching it," Weir said.\nOther student organizations took advantage of the large attendance. Rafael Davis, the treasurer candidate for the UNITY ticket in the IUSA elections, attended to learn more and to get the word out on the last day of elections.\n"I'm also here to see what the concerns of IU students are in regards to the war because it will affect our education here," Davis said.\nDean McKaig also visited the teach-ins. McKaig said he thought it was a wonderful activity, and he hopes to see more students become involved.\nWalk-outs at other universities were also successful Wednesday. Amanda Crater, from the University of California-Berkeley, said it had an energetic display of events.\n"We attracted a pretty good crowd," Crater said. \nNear the end of the event, about 40 people marched to the Monroe County Courthouse to participate in a weekly war protest sponsored by the BPAC. \nIDS Staff Reporter Micah Maidenberg contributed to this story.
(03/04/03 4:45am)
Stephen Hartnett, a well-established death penalty abolitionist and distinguished professor of rhetoric, spoke to an eager crowd Friday afternoon at the Department of Communication and Culture.\nIn his speech, titled "Speaking Justice: The Waiting Room and Community Conversations about Crime, Punishment, and the Death Penalty," Hartnett discussed how the death penalty does not lower the crime rate or make the streets safer.\nThe department's Director of Graduate Studies John Lucaites invited Hartnett to discuss his thoughts on the death penalty and his involvement with Richard Kamler's program "The Waiting Room," a re-creation of San Quentin Prison as a multimedia, interactive art installation.\n"Stephen is a great interest to this campus and this department," Lucaites said. "His work is without question some of the best work being done in rhetorical studies today."\nHartnett, who teaches at the University of Illinois, was recently presented with the Winans-Wichelns Award for his book "Democratic Dissent and the Cultural Fictions of Antebellum America." \nHe said he was honored to be invited to IU.\n"I have always thought of Bloomington as this little paradise, so coming here just feels like a treat," Hartnett said.\nHe began his presentation by citing statistics about violent crimes and executions in the United States.\n"The number of violent crimes makes us by far the most violent and murderous country on the face of the earth," Hartnett said. "You can see that the percentage of people executed in relationship to the number of murders and violent crimes might as well not exist."\nAfter Hartnett delivered a thought-out presentation of facts, he reached a final conclusion of his stance against the death penalty.\nHartnett said all the figures he presented show the death penalty does not lower the violent crime rate, nor does it make our streets safer. He suggested we seek other methods of punishment and treatment for criminals.\n"If the death penalty does not serve a criminological function, it must serve some deeper function," Hartnett said.\nHe went on to discuss his involvement with "The Waiting Room," an interactive program for opposing groups to discuss the implications of the death penalty.\nHartnett said the idea behind "The Waiting Room" is to get citizens talking about crime and violence.\n"We want to move beyond the yelling back and forth," he said. "It's about creating a space of trust, letting that kind of crust of trauma break away and then letting the real humanity come together."\nFollowing the speech, Hartnett answered a few questions from the audience. Janet Cheathem Bell, a Bloomington resident, brought up the race factor in the justice system. \nBell said she believes blacks are being disenfranchised as a political maneuver to make non-blacks feel that they are in control. \nBell also said many blacks cheered at the O.J. Simpson decision in 1995 because he "represented one who got away."\nHartnett agreed with Bell, and noted that factually, more black men are executed each year than white men.\n"There's this entire cultural production of a mythology of the pathological black criminal that has no bearing on reality, though everybody buys it," he said.
(02/26/03 6:26am)
A crowd of nearly 100 students, faculty and Indiana Daily Student staff members discussed the connotations of a controversial political cartoon in the IDS at a Black Student Union-sponsored town hall meeting Tuesday.\nThe stated goal of the meeting was to discuss "past and present offenses of our student newspaper and new courses of action."\nThe BSU initiated the discussion because they said the cartoon, published Feb. 5, was an insensitive and inaccurate portrayal of affirmative action.\n"We're basically here because we feel the IDS has a blatant disregard for the student body and constantly disrespects us," said BSU President Gerald Mitchell, a junior.\nCarolyn Randolph, BSU political action chair, said there has been little coverage for minorities in the IDS.\n"It has been very exclusive and elitist," she said.\nFormer Managing Editor Amy Orringer, said 41 percent of IDS front pages this semester have included at least one story about black issues.\nOrringer, who is now the newspaper's director of personnel development and diversity, said the IDS has instituted diversity workshops each semester for all staff members and sought to recruit a diverse staff.\nOrringer also said the lines of communication between the IDS and student groups need a better establishment.\n"The effort is there and the hand is extended," Orringer said. "I promise you that steps are being made every day, and it's evident by our work."\nHowever, most of the crowd agreed the quantity of minority coverage does not determine quality.\nCrystal Brown, the CommUNITY educator for Forest Quad and BSU secretary, claimed the IDS gives more coverage to African-American events that include something like food or entertainment rather than educational events.\n"Every day I realize that I am black on this campus and not part of the norm," Brown said.\nSome agreed the cartoon's stance on affirmative action was not the problem, but the problem was the cartoon's historical significance.\nJP Benitez, assistant opinion editor, has been criticized for choosing to publish the political cartoon. The cartoon was drawn by Dan Carino and taken from the Knight-Ridder Tribune Campus News Wire. Carino is the staff cartoonist for San Diego State University student newspaper, The Daily Aztec.\n"I didn't draw this cartoon," Benitez said. "It is not necessarily my personal opinion."\nBenitez said he sees this controversy as an opportunity for the IDS to become more sensitive and aware.\n"The dialogue that has been going on in the newsroom over the past two weeks has been nothing but productive," Benitez said.\nIDS Publisher Nancy Comiskey said she has worked closely with staff members on the issue.\n"It seems cartoons can always tend to get you into trouble because they are naturally a crude oversimplifications of a situation," Comiskey said. "I think that now all of us wish we had spent a little more time thinking about that cartoon."\nKathryn Helmke, editor in chief of the IDS, said she welcomes criticism and encourages everyone's voice to be heard.\n"Obviously this cartoon was very, very hurtful to a large population on this campus," Helmke said. "We need to learn from that and we need everyone to give us the courtesy to help us grow from that."\nAfter the discussion, the BSU circulated a petition to "reclaim" IU's student newspaper.\nThough the discussion became heated at times, Mitchell said he believes the event was an overall success.\n"I think it went very well," Mitchell said. "I am very excited about the turnout and the IDS participation. I am very optimistic"
(02/25/03 4:35am)
Members of the IU College Republicans marched alongside a thousand other Hoosiers on Monument Circle in Indianapolis Saturday to support U.S. armed forces and President Bush.\nThe rally, though not in direct response to the numerous anti-war protests lately, was sparked by a decrease in soldiers' spirits.\nRobert Greene, president of the IUPUI College Republicans, organized the rally that began at noon and lasted about an hour in cold temperatures and freezing rain. \nAbout 20 to 30 College Republicans around the state made the trip to Indianapolis, including Angel Rivera, president of the IU chapter. Rivera, who works closely with Greene, said he was very impressed at the number of Hoosiers who marched in the cold.\n"There were all kinds of people there," he said. "A lot of parents brought young children. There were a lot of veterans and senior citizens too."\nRivera said the mood was somber but happy at the same time. \n"We don't want our American soldiers in a war," Rivera said. "But if our president deems it necessary to go to war because of national security issues, then don't blame it on the soldiers."\nRivera also said the crowd sang "God Bless America" and chanted "USA" any chance they got.\n"I was very happy to see the supporters," he said. "It was soothing to know that other people feel the same way."\nCamille Baldwin, Political Director for the IU College Republicans, also enjoyed the feeling at the rally. \n"It was so nice to see some positive support rather than negative," Baldwin said.\nShe said the event should not be characterized as a pro-war rally, but as an expression for support of the president and U.S. troops.\n"I went to the rally because I am in support of the Bush administration and their actions," Baldwin said. "I also wanted to support the CR's."\nBaldwin said she was moved when Greene recited a soldier's letter about his low spirits due to extensive media coverage of the anti-war sentiment.\nCollege Republican member Doug La Fave also recalls this story.\n"We did this to let the soldiers know that other Americans support them," La Fave said.\nLa Fave said their message shows another side to the anti-war story.\nHe said it was really cool that the weather was so cold because a speaker gave the important message that "we aren't sunshine patriots." \n"We show up in all weather," La Fave said.
(02/17/03 5:35am)
Even with a winter storm warning in effect, people from many different backgrounds battled the snow to see John Reese's slideshow presentation "Palestine: It's Hell" Sunday night at the Unitarian Universalist Church.\nReese works with the International Solidarity Movement and the Palestinian Hydrology Group. After spending seven months last year in Palestine, he is currently touring 30 cities across the United States to show his slide presentation. \nReese was invited to Bloomington by senior Deema Dabis, president of IU's Students for Justice in Palestine.\n"I just thought it would be a good idea -- people could see it instead of hearing about it," Dabis said.\nMany students came out to hear what Reese had to say. Though the audience was mainly in agreement with Reese, one student brought another point of view to the presentation.\nDan Lande, a junior majoring in Jewish Studies and Hebrew who studied in Jerusalem for a year, disagreed with many of Reese's beliefs.\nHe said Reese exaggerated the conflict about 10 times and only saw one percent of Reese's presentation as the truth.\n"I came tonight because I was curious about what John had to say about his experience," Lande said. "I know my experiences from living there and I wanted to hear his."\nBret Eartheart, who also works for ISM, introduced Reese Sunday night as an incredible man of courage. Eartheart also spent over a month in Palestine last year and recently spent two weeks in Iraq.\nReese began his presentation by describing how mainstream U.S. media focuses on Israeli matters and disregards a lot of incidents in Palestine. He described events as recent as Feb. 6 such as home raids, searches and murders to validate his claim.\n"Rarely a day goes by someone isn't killed in Palestine," Reese said.\nReese spoke a lot about the biological hazards in Palestine and said solid waste is a big problem. He said garbage trucks are rare because of curfew and shot tires. The truck drivers are also killed for picking up garbage.\n"You might get shot just trying to take your trash out because of curfew," he said.\nThe waste problem extends to the lack of a sewage system in Palestine. Reese said most Israeli settlements are built on top of hills so the sewage pipes are placed downward. As a result, Palestinian orchards and crops are being destroyed due to waste water.\nReese also talked a lot about the Apartheid wall Israel is building on the supposed border between Israel and Palestine. Reese said the wall is a little over 200 miles long so far. He compared construction of the wall to building an interstate highway in the U.S.\n"When I was 13 in 1963 I went to Berlin and saw the wall there," Reese said. "It astounded me -- a sight I'll never forget, but seeing this picture is much, much worse."\nReese went on to describe Palestinian migration, or lack thereof. He said there are about 250 checkpoints in the Gaza Strip controlled by Israeli soldiers. \n"It's very difficult for Palestinians to get through checkpoints," Reese said. "They're often turned away."\nReese said Israeli soldiers "mind their p's and q's" when they notice internationals traveling through checkpoints. He recalled a particular checkpoint where he had to wait 11 hours to pass through. \n"Even though there's hardly any traffic going, maybe a vehicle every minute, you still have to wait," Reese said. "It was the longest red light in the world."\nReese described curfew as a major barrier for the Palestinians because they have to smuggle in food during curfew just so they can eat.\n"It's real erratic," Reese sad. "Often times they'll list curfew hours, but then they come in with their tanks and start shooting up the place, and shooting anybody who is out on the streets."\nThroughout his presentation, Reese reiterated that Israeli weapons and power are possible "because of you and me," and funded "by your tax dollars and mine."\nReese said his mission in Palestine isn't over. \n"I'm going to keep going back to Palestine until they don't let me in anymore," he said.\nAt the end of his presentation, Reese listed a few suggestions for how to be active against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank such as participating in protests, creating our own media, and even making a trip to Palestine.\nReese will present "Palestine: It's Hell" again at 12:30 p.m. today in the Georgian Room at the Indiana Memorial Union. The presentation is sponsored by Students for Justice in Palestine, the Muslim Student Union and Bloomington Peace Action Coalition, among other groups.
(02/14/03 5:58am)
Due to a pending Supreme Court case involving University of Michigan's admission standards, the affirmative action debate is on the rise nationwide. \nA goal of IU's Office of Academic Support and Diversity is to "work collaboratively with student organizations, faculty, and administrative units to educate them on the value of diversity." This is exactly what CommUNITY Educator sophomore Crystal Brown intended for her affirmative action discussion that took place in Forest Quad Thursday night.\nStudents listened to a panel of three distinguished members from IU: School of Law Professor Kevin Brown, Director of the Office of Affirmative Action Julie Knost and Diversity Educator Mark Bryson. \nThe diversity issues discussed hit home with audience members, as people from many different backgrounds attended the program.\nProfessor Brown discussed diversity from his own perspective. Brown said it baffles him when his "white colleagues" in the School of Law say they rarely think about their race.\nBryson said the affirmative action process is highly misunderstood by a lot of folks.\n"Quotas are not affirmative action," Bryson said. "Women have been the greatest benefactors of affirmative action -- not African-Americans."\nBryson went on to discuss the University of Michigan Supreme Court case. \n"I don't think the Michigan case is an affirmative active case," Bryson said. "I think it's an education issue."\nWhether or not the Michigan case involves affirmative action, the outcome of the case will affect IU, Knost said.\nShe said the current Michigan case will affect all students, and not just in selective situations. "We have the largest number of freshman that there has ever been at IU and some discussion has gone on about whether or not to have an admissions cap," Knost said. "And if that happens, we may then change our selection process at the undergraduate level."\nKnost also said 70 to 73 percent of all undergraduates at IU are Indiana residents, and that this poses a problem because "we are not a particularly diverse state."\nKnost noted that the percentage of minorities on the Bloomington campus generally reflects the demographics of the entire state.\nSophomore Rahsaan Bartet thought the program helped clear up a lot of misconceptions about affirmative action.\n"I came here tonight because I wanted to hear officials from IU talk about affirmative action," Bartet said. "I thought it was a great program on affirmative action and how it reflects not just blacks, but everyone."\nCrystal Brown agrees with Bartet on the success of the discussion. \n"I think it was very informative," she said. "I sponsored the program because I wanted people to get the truth"
(02/12/03 5:36am)
Muslim students at IU immediately reacted to Osama bin Laden's latest message Tuesday, which calls on Muslims around the world to fight any U.S. led-military action against Iraq. The message aired on the Al-Jazeera network on the Hajj, an important day for the Islamic religion.\nAmr Sabry, president of the Islamic Center in Bloomington, speculates about the timing of bin Laden's recording.\n"Today is the biggest holiday on the Muslim calendar," Sabry said. "I guess this is a message to the people on their biggest holiday." \nBin Laden claimed the U.S. pursuit of war in Iraq is first and foremost an attack on all Muslims. \n"I think a lot of Muslims believe that, even though it may not be the case," Sabry said. "It's basically because Iraq is singled out."\nSabry also disagrees with Bin Laden's claim that they are fighting the United States in the name of God.\n"He probably believes it himself but nobody can speak for God," Sabry said. "There are about one and a half billion Muslims and he can't speak for all of them."\nMisfer Al-Salouli, da'wah of the Islamic Center in Bloomington, had not yet heard of the tape, but he said he also strongly disagrees with bin Laden's reference to fighting in the name of God.\n"Killing innocent people in the name of God is not reasonable at all," Al Salouli said. "Reasonable people cannot even think of what he was saying to be right or correct."\nAl Salouli said most Muslims are not agreeing with what bin Laden is saying. \n"He is saying something different from what I have learned and what I have understood as a Muslim," Al-Salouli said. "As a Muslim, he has a different perspective and different ideas."\nThe Al-Jazeera network broadcast the audio tape released by Osama bin Laden at 11 a.m. (3 p.m. ET) on Tuesday. \nWord of the tape first developed early Tuesday when U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell revealed the news to a Senate panel.\nIn the tape, bin Laden encouraged suicide attacks and advised Muslims to drag the forces into fighting the enemy in street fights. \nThe content of his message called upon Muslims to "fight those who believe in Satan" and not to "take the Jews and the Christians as friends" because "whoever helps them becomes one of them."\nAshraf Khalil, treasurer of the Islamic Center, had already heard bin Laden's comments by 5 p.m. Tuesday.\n"I don't think they are fighting in the name of God," Khalil said. "They are for his own interests."\nIn his tape, bin Laden said "whoever helps America in any war on Iraq … has to know that they are outside this Islamic nation."\nKhalil said he believes bin Laden has no place to judge. \n"He's not the kind of person to declare such things," Khalil said.\nU.S. officials said the tape seems to be from bin Laden and that a technical analysis to test its authenticity will be done.
(02/11/03 5:51am)
In 1960, John F. Kennedy paved a path for future presidential candidates by becoming the first and only non-Protestant president in American history. Now, 43 years later, Senator Joe Lieberman is following the same enterprise as the first Jewish presidential candidate ever.\nSen. Lieberman (D-CT), who was also the first ever Jewish vice presidential candidate, announced Jan. 13 his decision to run for president in 2004. \nJust as Kennedy's Catholic faith became a controversy in the 1960 presidential election, analysts today are discussing Lieberman's Orthodox Jewish faith as an issue in his election campaign and for voters in the upcoming election in 2004.\nChristine Barbour, professor of American politics in the political science department at IU, doesn't view Lieberman's strong faith as a very big issue.\n"I don't think most people have any problem with his religion per se," Barbour said. "But Lieberman brings an added dimension in that he is very public about his faith."\nBarbour said if Lieberman won the Democratic presidential nomination, "it will be fun to watch (the candidates) try to outdo each other in depth of faith since both have shown a real propensity to use their religions in public settings."\nBarbour, however, is uncertain as to how the voter population will view Lieberman's strong faith.\n"For those who believe faith is a private thing and should be separated from affairs of state, this might be a sticking point," she said.\nSenior Daniel O'Neill, president of the IU College Democrats, shares Barbour's uncertainty.\n"I think Lieberman's religion will definitely affect voters in both positive and negative ways," O'Neill said. "There will be people who vote for him and not vote for him because of his religion."\nDespite the controversy over Lieberman's religion, O'Neill stresses this is not the most important issue on the table for the Democratic presidential nomination in the upcoming election.\n"The main issue for Democrats in this presidential primary election is who they believe will be able to knock (President) Bush out of office," O'Neill said. "But from a historical standpoint, I think Lieberman's decision to run is a great one."\nDavid Weisz, the program director of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center, shares O'Neill's optimism.\n"I think it's great that it's even possible for someone of a minority religion to run for president, and to do so in a major political party," Weisz said. "I don't think it's just a Jewish thing."\nAs a concerned citizen, Weisz said he wishes voters could see Lieberman as just a Democratic candidate rather than a Jewish candidate.\n"There are people who have strange reasons for voting for a candidate," Weisz said, "but people still feel a sense pride within their religion. But one hopes that you can separate that pride from political decisions."\nWeisz said he doesn't know how the Jewish community would be affected if Lieberman is elected as president in 2004.\n"I don't know how much effect it would have on the Jewish community," Weisz said. "The Methodist community hasn't been revolutionized because Bush was elected."\nSenators John Kerry of Massachusetts, John Edwards of North Carolina, and House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri are among three other top contenders for the presidential nominations.
(02/10/03 5:41am)
Representative Charles B. Rangel's recent proposal to Congress to reinstate the draft has sparked controversy and fear on college campuses nationwide.\nRangel (D-N.Y.), along with Representatives John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Pete Stark (D-Calif.), has proposed to replace the existing Selective Service Law with a system that would subject all U.S. men and women ages 18 to 26 to obligatory military service or alternative civilian service, with the exception of those with disabilities. \nUnlike previous drafts in U.S. history, Rangel's proposed Universal Service Act of 2003 does not include exemptions for college students.\nRangel said a renewed draft will bring to Congress a greater appreciation of the consequences of decisions to go to war. He further points out there is a malproportionate representation of minorities in the U.S. military, and a draft would allow a more accurate representation of the class system in America.\nAccording to an article from the Boston Globe, Department of Defense analysts have found 21 percent of military personnel are black, versus 12 percent of the general population. \n"We need to return to the tradition of the citizen soldier," Rangel wrote. \nThe bill is unlikely to pass, however. The Bush administration and Republicans in Congress both have voiced opposition to it.\nRepublicans in Congress said the Rangel plan is an effort to rouse anti-war sentiment. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said the Pentagon prefers the all-volunteer force. The Department of Defense said in a statement the all-volunteer military is "experienced, smart, disciplined and representative of America." \nCaptain Heath Dunbar, head of recruitment and retention for IU Army ROTC, personally agrees with the Pentagon's position, he said.\n"I think it's absolutely not necessary," Dunbar said. "Right now we have such a technological advantage above any other military in the world that we don't need to increase our numbers."\nDunbar said a draft would place more of a burden on the U.S. military rather than a relief.\n"From a commander's standpoint, it's challenging enough to lead people who want to be there," Dunbar said. "It would be even more of a challenge to rally people who don't want to be there."\nBecause college students and women would not be exempt from a draft, the controversy is more heated among students.\nFreshman Michael Schuler said a draft is unnecessary, but he would be willing to serve.\n"If it came to that, I wouldn't wait for a draft. I would sign up," Schuler said.\nSophomore Heidi Seidel said she would be scared to go to war.\n"I think it's ridiculous," Seidel said. "I would flee the country."\nFreshman Rob Weber said he would also leave the United States to dodge a military draft.\n"I would be freaked out and move to Canada," Weber said, "so I would not be killed in a war"
(02/05/03 5:58am)
Beginning in May, IU will offer courses to U.S. Armed Forces around the world by joining the ranks of the Army's online university, www.eArmyU.com.\nArmy University Access Online, the Army's distance-education program, was created in January 2001. The program currently offers 111 degree programs and enrolls more than 30,000 soldiers based in the U.S. and abroad in South Korea and Germany.\nThe online program allows soldiers to earn a college degree while actively stationed overseas and within the U.S.\nRecently, eArmyU has invited IU along with 11 other institutions to join the 19 institutions already participating. According to a press release, the new additions will contribute 68 new degree programs over the next six to nine months and will attract up to 80,000 soldiers by 2005.\nJeremy Dunning, dean of the School of Continuing Studies at IU, said he is excited and pleased that IU is extending its distance education program by joining the program.\n"These people who are in the military don't have the option to go study on a college campus," Dunning said. "The idea is to allow service men and women to get the best distance education in the U.S."\nDunning describes this program as beneficial because courses are not scheduled for specific times of day.\nThe SOCS, established at IU in 1975, has received more awards than any other college or university from the University Continuing Education Association and is usually ranked among the top three schools of its kind in the country.\n"Our courses are as good as they come," Dunning said.\nJames Schellhammer, the adviser of IU's relationship with eArmyU, said he agrees with Dunning.\n"We should be involved in a program like this," Schellhammer said. \nSchellhammer believes the University's benefits from this relationship will depend a lot on how many soldiers enroll.\nThe U.S. Department of Defense pays for students' tuition, course fees and books.\nBarbara J. Lombardo, an eArmyU program manager, said in 2001, 16 percent of participating soldiers either extended their enlistments or re-enlisted specifically for the opportunity to enroll in eArmyU.\nAccording to its online statement, eArmyU's mission is to "increase retention by allowing soldiers to earn credits, degrees and certificates at low or no cost to them while they serve on active duty and develop educated, technology-savvy soldiers who will succeed in the missions and on the battlefields of the 21st century."\nIU has not yet officially signed the contract with eArmyU, but they are in the final legal proceedings.\nFor more information about IU's participation on eArmyU.com, contact the School of Continuing Studies at scs@indiana.edu.
(02/05/03 4:50am)
Military tension is rising on the Korean peninsula as the U.S. military reports it may order 2,900 soldiers to remain in South Korea an extra six months. \nTension has been high between the U.S. and North Korea since October when North Korea announced possession of a second nuclear weapons program, which is in direct violation of the 1994 Nonproliferation Treaty.\nAs the crisis in North Korea escalates, IU professors who are considered experts on U.S. relations with Korea expressed their views about the conflict.\nMichael E. Robinson, a professor of East Asian languages and cultures, said he does not agree with how the Bush administration is dealing with North Korea. \n"They have overturned what was becoming a successful policy in the Clinton years," Robinson said. \nRobinson said Bush's reference to North Korea as an "axis of evil" in his 2002 State of the Union Address played into the worst paranoia of the North Koreans.\nHowever, Heejoon Kang, a native of South Korea and professor of business economics and public policy, said he agrees with the Bush administration's belief that North Korea's behavior is unacceptable.\n"I think North Korea is desperate because their economy has not been growing the last 10 years," Kang said. "This is their plea for help."\nThe threat posed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has been compared to the threat extended from Iraq.\n"I think North Korea is a bigger threat because they are farther along with building bombs than Iraq," Robinson said. "Iraq just looks more aggressive because of its history."\nKang said North Korea is not such a big threat.\n"I don't think North Korea is such a big threat because they didn't have to reveal they were building nuclear weapons," Kang said.\nSPEA professor Roy W. Shin, also a native of South Korea, said the threats from North Korea and Iraq are equal, but the end result is different.\n"The difference between North Korea and Iraq is the end result: We are looking to modify the belligerent behavior of North Korea, but we are seeking a regime change in Iraq," Shin said.\nShin discussed three policy options the United States is currently considering: U.S. military action against nuclear installations, tightening economic sanctions in North Korea and encouraging Japan and South Korea to also become nuclear.\nRobinson, Kang and Shin all said the most important action the U.S. needs to take right now is dialogue. \n"The talking is not very costly," Kang said. "Whether we talk or not, they still have the weapons"
(01/29/03 6:07am)
Student interest on campus in the potential conflict with Iraq is steadily rising, as attendance is increasing at meetings concerning a possible war, discussions are becoming more heated and students are going the distance.\nAlong with four friends, freshman Veronica Jacobs left Bloomington on Jan. 16 and headed to Washington D.C. in hopes of joining a national rally the following Saturday. After their car broke down in Pennsylvania, Jacobs went the extra thousand miles by hitchhiking and riding in the trunk of a hatchback.\n"The rally was just to show Americans have a voice and that they're using it to show the government that there are a lot of people who oppose this war," Jacobs said. "There are so many more intelligent ways of solving a conflict."\nJacobs stayed the whole day to watch speakers Al Sharpton and Jessica Lange. \n"There were some college students there, but it's hard for us to raise the money to travel that far," she said.\nSophomore Kitty Kaler, who was stranded in Pennsylvania and decided not to hitchhike after their car broke down, agrees with Jacobs and wishes she could have made it to D.C.\n"I don't believe there is such a thing as a just war," Kaler said. "I could've stayed in Indy, but tried to get to Washington to be part of a more national crowd. It regains your hope to be around others who think like you."\nSophomore Erin Revtyak also made the trip to D.C. She was in Washington for about six hours and marched for two miles.\n"It was amazing in Washington," Revtyak said. "There was so much diversity."\nShe believes a large part of the U.S. government's justification of this war is oil.\n"I came to show that not everyone backs the U.S. government."\nRevtyak also attended a weekly meeting in Ballantine Hall Monday night to protest the possible war held by the Coalition to Oppose the War in Iraq.\n"There were a lot of people here (Monday)," COWI member Jamecyn Morey said. "We have been meeting for about three or four months now and attendance is really high tonight."\nAt their meetings, COWI usually discusses getting others involved on campus, like tabling at the Indiana Memorial Union. But last night there was more discussion about the actual conflict with Iraq because, for the first time, people with opposing view points showed up.\nMichael Schuler, a freshman from New Albany, Ind., supports the war.\n"I wanted to hear other people's viewpoints, and to convey my own," Schuler said.\nHe said he believes a war with Iraq will potentially save thousands of lives in the future by disarming Saddam now.\nMorey and fellow member James Bourke said COWI welcomes opposing viewpoints such as that of Schuler.\nAmong the diverse attendees was graduate student Serdar Altok, an international student from Turkey. Altok attended the meeting because he was interested in how Americans viewed the conflict with Iraq.\n"I wanted to see if there was something I can do because I can't vote here," Altok said. "The U.S. supports the Turkish government often, so we kind of have to support them back. But most of the people back home are opposed to this war."\nCOWI's meetings are held at 6 p.m. every Monday in Ballantine Hall 209.
(11/04/02 5:13am)
Indiana Chief Justice Randall Shepard recalled the moment that the purpose of his career became clear. \nDuring his high school debate team years, his coach characterized him by telling his teammates, "if Shepard is in a powerful position, he won't relax his efforts," Shepard told the IU law community Friday in the law school's Moot Court Room.\nJustice Shepard said at that point he realized the difference he could make in the world, and that he tries to apply this comment to everything he does.\nShepard has degrees from Princeton University and Yale University. As a seventh generation Hoosier, he was appointed to the Indiana Supreme Court in 1985 and later appointed Chief Justice in 1987. Justice Shepard was highly involved in the creation of the Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity.\nThe atmosphere at the lecture was comfortable and low-key when Shepard addressed the IU law community on diversity and equal opportunity in the law profession.\n"It was great of you all to give up your lunch hour," Shepard began. "Most law students should be out eating pizza right now, but you all are here."\nShepard opened his speech on equal opportunity in the law profession by addressing the question of why it is important the legal system embrace diversity and employ people from different cultures in society. He described the topic as "in many ways, tricky."\nHe pointed out the percentage of minorities in the law profession does not match the minority numbers in society. Indiana, compared to other states, is pursuing the issue well, Shepard said. \n"The idea of the American experiment is that people from all walks of life will build a common endeavor, and the legal system is a crucial part of that," Shepard said.\nHe also compared law to other professions, particularly air pilots.\n"They are both well-paid and highly trained," Shepard said, adding there was little opportunity for minority advancement in the air industry. \n"The main point is the law profession, though still behind in minority representation, is far ahead of some other professions," he said.\nThe Chief Justice's lecture was sponsored by many student groups. David Lee, the former president of the Asian Pacific-Islander American Student Law Association and third year law student, was partly responsible for bringing Shepard to campus.\nCertain student groups got together and decided they wanted someone who could speak on the importance of diversity, Lee said.\n"We work with each other often because if we put all our heads together, we can achieve common goals," Lee said. \nCooperation among the groups was essential, said Terrance Tharpe, the president of the Black Law Student Association. \n"We support each other," Tharpe said.
(11/01/02 5:34am)
Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard will deliver a speech to the law community about the importance of diversity.\nJustice Shepard, a large supporter of the IU School of Law, will speak at noon in the Law School's Moot Court Room.\nThe Chief Justice oversaw the creation of the Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity, the first program in the country to help disadvantaged students attend law school. Shepard is a seventh generation Hoosier who graduated from Princeton University and Yale Law School. \n"He's a huge supporter of diversity in the profession," said Lauren Robel, the acting Dean at the School of Law. \nKenneth Washington, a member of the Black Law Student Association, said he admires Chief Justice Shepard.\n"He believes that everyone, given an opportunity, can be the best they can be," Washington said.\nThe event is also sponsored by the Asian Pacific-Islander American Law Student Association, the Latino Law Student Association and the Middle Eastern Law Student Association.\nLeora Baude, the public relations director for the School of Law, said Shepard will be speaking for about 45 minutes.
(10/18/02 6:04am)
Steven Raymer, a photojournalist and professor at the journalism school, recalled a beer he had in an Irish bar in Bali, Indonesia. \nLast week the same bar was destroyed in the terrorist bombing that killed nearly 200 people.\nAn entire city block in the district of Bali's Kuta Beach was destroyed by two consecutive blasts last Saturday. President Bush has condemned the terrorist attack and has offered help to the Indonesian government. Indonesian Defense Minister Matori Abdul Djalil and other senior officials have linked the bombings to al Qaeda.\nRaymer, who has travelled through 85 different countries, is very familiar with Islamic radicals.\n"They mugged me and smashed one of my cameras, but I did get their picture," Raymer said. "I had a lot of tough times in Indonesia."\nHowever, he described Bali as populated with gentle natives, a young person's playground and a welcoming environment. Bali, to Southeast Asia, is like the Caribbean to the United States, he explained.\n"I feel really sad," Raymer said. "It's another blow to an already strapped economy."\nHenny Hartono, a senior from Tulungagung in Indonesia, said the bombing took her by surprise.\n"We thought Bali was the safest place because a lot of tourists went there," Hartono said. \nRaymond Harsono, a sophomore from Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia, agrees with Hartono.\n"Bali has always been a place most foreigners go to for holiday purposes," Harsono said. "On the surface, historically I would think Bali was bombed because of economic and political dispute."\nRaymer said he believes the people of Bali are now being tarred and feathered with an image of extremism. \nHighly exposed to Islamic culture, Raymer said there is a problem with the religion's ability to adapt to the modern world.\nIndonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world and it is the fourth most populous country.\n"Because of the western media, we see Islam as monolithic and violent," Raymer said. "I don't buy that extremism only appeals to low class 'have-nots.' The Sept. 11 hijackers were all members of the middle class."\nThe Bali bombing site is thought to be a prime target for foreigners. Raymer said the nightclubs, dominated by Australian tourists, were targets because Australia was one of the first countries to announce its support for the war on terrorism. \nRaymer described Indonesia's national security as terrible. \n"Indonesia, until last week, denied any Islamic terrorist groups resided in their country," he said. "Now they are acknowledging the fact they have such groups and that is the first step"
(10/17/02 5:43am)
Jim Bieneman, a freshman from South Bend, sprained his ankle while playing basketball at the Student Recreational Sports Center last month. Left on crutches for weeks, he feared he wouldn't get to class on time.\nBieneman called the IU Disabled Student Services and asked for help. The DSS van service drove Bieneman to every class for the duration of his injury.\nWithout the van service, Bieneman said he wouldn't have been able to make it to class.\nThe van service is one of many services IU provides for students with disabilities. Disability awareness is a growing issue on campus. The services are here, and they are available. \nDisabled Student Services\nThe federal definition of a disability, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, is "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities."\nMartha Jacques has been director of the DSS here at IU for three years. She describes the Bloomington campus as moderately accessible for physically disabled students because it is very hilly and the handicapped entrances to buildings are difficult to find.\n"We are trying to get automatic doors on all the buildings on campus," Jacques said. "The priority is to get students to class."\nThe van service is an excellent example of how the DSS helps students get to class. If a student has an acute injury or a chronic physical condition, the DSS van service drives students to their classes. \n"We usually need to see a doctor's note to determine how long they will need to use the van service," Jacques said. DSS van service drivers are paid students.\nDSS also works to improve the lives of students with learning disabilities. All students are welcome to use the Learning Disability Center. The center provides help with note taking, test taking, study skills and more. \n"We have all levels of students, undergraduates, graduates and even Ph.D. students," said Jody Ferguson, director of the Learning Disability Center. "It is our job to make sure we provide services so their disability doesn't lower their grades."\nThe DSS provides free screenings for students who feel they might have a learning disability such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or dyslexia. This free screening is a preliminary test that can give the student an idea as to whether or not they have a learning disability. Students might be referred elsewhere in Bloomington, or they can choose to go home for medical attention. In order to receive full support, students must provide the DSS with documentation of their learning disability.\nTo serve students as efficiently as possible, the DSS works closely with other organizations on campus.\n"We often refer people to the Career Center, Academic Support Center and Counseling Services," Ferguson said. \nFerguson also stressed that the DSS does not ensure success, but the services to succeed are certainly available.\n"A lot of things differ from high school to college," Ferguson said. "You can't wait until the end of the semester to say 'you can't fail me because I have a learning disability.' Accessibility can't be applied retroactively."\nStudents for Improving Disability Awareness (SIDA)\nThe student organization SIDA has recently been reinstated as part of IU's Student Activities Office. \nSenior Aimee Herring, the group's new president, said the group was originally founded in the '70s, and has been sporadically supported since that time.\n"(Our mission is) to educate people and make them more aware that disabilities are prevalent on this campus, that they are here, and they are real," Herring said. "There is a definite culture that goes along with being disabled."\nHerring first became interested in reinstating SIDA at IU while working as a driver for DSS. She also became more determined to improve disability awareness after a student-run investigation surveying accessibility on campus this past summer. \n"The investigation was prompted by hearing stories from students and faculty," she said. \nHerring recalled a time last year when two deaf faculty members were left inside a building during fire drills because there were no visual alarms.\n"IU is doing close to the bare minimum under ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) standards to accommodate people with disabilities," Herring said. "I would hate to see students choose not to come to IU due to the lack of accessibility."\nThe SIDA holds meetings throughout the school year. The first mass call-out meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Landes Room inside Read Hall. \nAdaptive Technology Center (ATC)\nThe Adaptive Technology Center is fairly new on campus. Director Margaret Londergan founded the ATC three years ago. She said after many years of working with computers at IU, she realized that students with disabilities had difficulties accessing the labs.\n"(We want) to provide assistance for students, faculty and staff with disabilities through adaptive technology as well as raise awareness," Londergan said.\nThe ATC has only two full-time staff members with a handful of student workers. They work very closely with the School of Optometry, the DSS and the Student Academic Support Center. The majority of students who use the ATC are referred by the DSS, but anyone is welcome to browse the equipment. Documentation of a disability is not necessary, but the ATC will not lend the materials to anyone who walks through the door.\nThe ATC offers many resources such as foot mice for people who have difficulty using their hands, special chairs for people with back injuries, electronically adjustable tables for people in wheelchairs and enhanced and enlarged monitors. One of the most high-tech resources is the Braille embosser.\n"We can convert a 700 page book to Braille in about an hour," Londergan said. "We have had people from all over the country come to see our resources here at IU. I would say we have one of the best programs in the nation."\nIf students prefer to work at their own pace in their own home environment, software and laptops can be checked out through the ATC. \n"This is a great program because students can study in their pajamas with the help they need," Londergan said.\nThe ATC is located on the first floor of the Main Library. For more information call 856-4112 or visit http://www.indiana.edu/~iuadapts.\nFor more information on physical and learning disabilities at IU go to http://campuslife.indiana.edu/DSS.
(10/16/02 5:17am)
Zora Neale Hurston's literary voice will spring back to life today as the Black Film Center/Archive and the Department of African-American and African Diaspora Studies co-sponsor a three-day celebration of Hurston's works, entitled Zora, O Zora!\nHurston, a graduate of Howard University and Barnard College, is considered among the 20th century's most important writers. She is best known for her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) and for her active participation in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s.\nDr. Audrey McCluskey, director of the Black Film Center/Archive, has been a long time fan of Hurston's work. Audrey has taught Hurston's work in many of her courses.\n"I thought it was about time we did something here at IU to honor Zora Neale Hurston," Dr. Audrey McCluskey said. "She was able to make her own path. If she were living today, she would still be unique." \nThe festivities begin today with a panel discussion comprised of faculty, graduate and undergraduate students. Discussion topics range from the Harlem Renaissance and folklore to issues of gender, race and power.\nJohn McCluskey, a professor in the AAADS department for 25 years, will be discussing Hurston's involvement in the Harlem Renaissance.\n"We will be talking heads for about 10 to 15 minutes each, then the panel will be open for questions from other panelists and the audience," John McCluskey said.\nHe said Hurston's literature has affected him both personally and professionally.\n"As a writer I'm impressed by how much confidence and respect she had in black folks," he said.\nSophomore history major Heather Essex said she definitely plans on attending Zora, O Zora! Essex read Hurston's Mules and Men for pleasure in high school. \n"She captured images and tales of black history and has an interesting personal story," she said.\nThe celebration continues Thursday when the Black Film Center/Archive presents The Gilded Six Bits, a film adapted from one of Hurston's short stories. The film has been nationally televised on Showtime and was recognized as the best film featured by the Hollywood Reporter, a daily entertainment paper, according to a statement.\n"I wanted to have a film event to frame the whole festival," Dr. Audrey McCluskey said.\nBooker T. Mattison, the award-winning filmmaker, will be available to meet after the screening which begins at 7 p.m. in Lindley Hall.\nThe celebration will close Friday with Maxine LeGall's program Time Well Spent: Stories from Zora Neale Hurston. LeGall is a member of the National Association for Black Storytellers and a professor of communications at the University of the District of Columbia. \nDr. Audrey McCluskey said she believes IU is an ideal place to celebrate Hurston's works.\n"Both the students and the community can benefit by having a more in-depth knowledge about her spirit," she said. "We want everyone to learn about her place in American literature."\nSupporters of Zora, O Zora! are looking for big crowds at each event.\n"My hope is for people to seek out other works by Hurston and of the Harlem Renaissance," John McCluskey said. "I hope it doesn't stop on Friday"
(09/19/02 5:52am)
Sigma Lambda Gamma, a Latina-based sorority affiliated with the Latino Cultural Center, La Casa, is holding "Loteria," a night of fun and games, tonight from 7 to 9 p.m.\nLoteria has become an annual event for La Casa since the Psi chapter of Sigma Lambda Gamma was established at Indiana University in 1997. The sorority has sponsored Loteria night for the past five years.\nLoteria is a Mexican-style bingo game played with beans, by both children and adults.\n"It's a fun way to promote Latino culture," Lillian Casillas, director of La Casa, said. "It's a way for others to learn about culture, and even a little bit of Spanish."\nCasillas also mentioned there would be refreshments and door prizes for those who qualify to claim "Loteria!" (much like announcing Bingo!).\n"Sometimes we get so many people that they're spread out on the floor," Casillas said. "Everyone gets into it and has so much fun."\n"We are very busy right now because it's National Hispanic Heritage month," Casillas said. "It's a great way for newcomers to learn about the culture and for Latinos who are homesick to feel more at home." \nSigma Lambda Gamma is a sorority made up of about ten girls. Most of the girls are Hispanic, but not everyone; in fact, all cultural backgrounds are welcome. \nAccording to Sigma Lambda Gamma's brochure, the group believes that "as women, we feel that our primary goal is to promote our evolving, rich and diverse culture by sharing with others."\nCorrina Garcia, the sorority's historian, explains the group's mission as one of community service and promotion of Hispanic heritage.\n"We're very involved on the whole campus," Garcia said. "Last week we had a cookout and all kinds of people showed up."\nAll students are welcome for a night of Loteria at the Latino Cultural Center on Seventh Street across from Dunn Meadow.\n"Loteria is a gathering when we just want to have fun," she said, "and to help people understand Hispanic life"
