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(12/01/04 4:52am)
When the Wild West mentality mixes with a college culture of liquor appreciation, otherwise law-abiding students sometimes abide by no laws at all. \nThe legal jurisdictions of several police and government agencies crisscross the IU campus within the boundaries of Monroe County. Not including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency or the U.S. Secret Service, five police agencies are primarily responsible for enforcing legislative law and patrolling social order. \nTroubled students or students in trouble will most likely encounter the silver and brass of the IU Police Department, Bloomington Police Department, Indiana State Police, the Monroe County Sheriff's Department or the Excise Police -- whether the blue and gold are adorned in fresh pressed uniforms or hidden in the shadows underneath a plain-clothed façade.\nSince the University owns property throughout Bloomington and the surrounding counties, IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said police and government agencies participate in a "mutual aid agreement" because criminal activity transverses between the campus and the county.\n"IU has the fifth largest residence population for a college town (nationwide), with about 13,000 students living on campus," Minger said. "A greater number of students live off campus."\nWhen a student, town resident or guest dials 911 to contact an emergency controller, a Master Street Address Guide computer program recognizes which police jurisdiction is responsible for responding to the call -- either the IUPD or the BPD. \nThe state police concentrate their patrols along state highways and major traffic thoroughfares, while the sheriff's department patrols the outskirts of the county boundaries and assists the other three police agencies in serving the public's social well-being; the Excise police migrate from between towns to regulate illegal alcohol activities and tobacco sales.\nCiting examples of student mischief from nights gone by, BPD Captain Mike Diekhoff said common courtesy and common sense can keep students an arm's length from the locks and chains of local law enforcement personnel.\n"We don't focus only on students; we don't have the resources," Diekhoff said. "We focus on all citizens of this community, whether they are a student or not. We get reports of people tipping over trash cans, beating on street signs, stealing patio furniture or ripping flowers out of flower beds. When you draw attention to yourself like that, there is a good chance you are probably going to run into a police officer."\nFor example, according to IUPD reports, freshman Ashley Lowery was arrested at 12:53 a.m. on Nov. 20 in front of Forest Quad for disorderly conduct, resisting law enforcement and battery on a police officer. Initially, she joined a mob of about 20 students who verbally assaulted IUPD officers responding to a potential drunk driving situation, according to IUPD reports. \nAccording to IUPD reports, Lowry was asked several times to go inside. When threatened with being arrested for not complying to police instructions, she screamed multiple expletives and struck IUPD officer Collin Whitesell twice in the chest. The perceived drunk driver was released with a warning about talking on his cell phone while driving, according to IUPD reports. \nLowry was not available for comment at press time.\n"It is really sad when things like this happen," Minger said. "Our department actually works for the students, not against them. Sometimes we have to protect people from themselves; I wish it were different. I guess college is in some ways an educational process in more ways than academic."\nDiekhoff said police officers have a lot of discretion in deciding how best to proceed with subjects when they arrive on the scene of a potential crime.\n"The officer can decide to (release) a person or write a citation versus taking a person to jail," he said. "The more polite you are, the better chance you have the officer will give you a break."\nConsidering the University community is transient, and therefore lacks respect for the local community, Minger said IUPD and other police agencies in town have a zero-tolerance to crime, no matter what it is.\n"We can only do as good of job as the community at-large will allow us to," Minger said. "Some students don't have folklorists to pass down stories from one generation to the next; they don't know how to act in a community."\nFor instance, Diekhoff said a lot of the time the police encounter people who have been drinking, but if they are walking down the sidewalk, they don't get bothered. Some intoxicated pedestrians don't realize they're supposed to walk on the sidewalk, Diekhoff said, but the police won't bother people who have been drinking if they behave themselves.\n"Act responsibly all the time, not just over the (holiday) season," Diekhoff said. "We are not against people going out and having a good time; we ask, if they do, to be responsible. A lot of people do make sure there is a designated driver or they make sure they have cab money. When you're intoxicated and walking down the middle of the road, pedestrians and vehicles don't mix well together."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(11/29/04 5:28am)
The traditional Thanksgiving tale often blends stuffed birds, traveling families and the ringing sound of cash registers into a melody of grumbled gobbles.\nDuring Thanksgiving break, many IU students traded the rigors of schoolwork for the holiday traditions revolving around family, food, football and shopping. Junior George Yoritomi, who returned home to Chicago, said his favorite part of Thanksgiving was seeing friends he hasn't seen in a while, spending time with his family and eating.\n"We had the good traditional Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, yams, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce," Yoritomi said. "There were a lot of leftovers. My mom made all of it, but we helped out. My dad was working around the house, and I watched football and slept real late."\nBut, not all students appreciated the traditional menu items offered on dinner tables across the nation. Junior Joanna McCallister, who returned home to Fowler, Ind, said she only ate turkey and stuffing since she is a picky eater.\n"I had pecan pie because it was my birthday," McCallister said. "It was my birthday on Nov. 22, but we celebrated it on Thanksgiving."\nSenior Laura Meyer, who returned home to Columbus, Ohio, said her family enjoyed some modifications of tried and true Thanksgiving side dishes. \n"My favorite Thanksgiving dish is broccoli casserole," Meyer said. "It has broccoli, cheese, bread crumbs and some sort of creamed soup. It is a lot like green bean casserole."\nDemonstrating the traditional Thanksgiving gender roles often associated with American kitchen rituals, some students witnessed the busy holiday work necessary to sustain the ceremonies involved in family gatherings and feasts. Sophomore Kelly Maden, who returned home to Kokomo, said her favorite Thanksgiving feast was seeing and spending time with her family.\n"I ate lots of food, hung out with my cousins and slept," Maden said. "My mom did the cooking; it was wonderful. My favorite is pumpkin pie, and there were plenty of leftovers to bring home to school. I don't think my dad did anything -- he didn't help out in the kitchen."\nExemplifying the changing times in traditional Thanksgiving rituals, some students participated in the holiday feasting festivities from both the kitchen stove and the living room couch. Meyer said the Thanksgiving mess created by dirty dishes lasted several days after her family's traditional feast.\n"My cousins came from Indianapolis, and both sets of grandparents were there," Meyer said. "My uncle did the turkey; my cousin carved it. There were definitely women in my family watching football, too."\nIn the name of philanthropy, good-will toward fellow person or a need to continue their holiday traditions of years gone by, some students moved their Thanksgiving celebration outside and away from the home altogether. \nMcCallister said last week's Thanksgiving holiday was the first traditional celebration her family experienced without the physical presence and projected love of her grandfather. \n"I spent my Thanksgiving in a nursing home," McCallister said. "My grandmother is there, so we spent the day with her. We had lunch, opened presents and put Christmas stuff around the room. It was a boring day, but we were together and that is all that is important."\nMeyer said her family traditional Thanksgiving celebration involves community involvement. \n"I participated in the Turkey Trot, a five mile race in Columbus," Meyer said. "Every Thanksgiving my dad, my uncle and I run with 2,500 other people. We do it in the morning." \nIn addition to traditional Thanksgiving family gatherings, marketed foods and professional football, some students sought out post-Thanksgiving shopping as a traditional form of participating in the winter holiday season. \n"I live in the middle of nowhere on a farm," McCallister said. "The closest mall is an hour and a half away, so my mom, my sister and I left to go shopping at 4:15 a.m. Thanksgiving is my holiday because it's family time; so is Christmas, but people get caught up in material things then."\nOn the other hand, not all students enjoy the commercialization of post-holiday traditions like "On-sale Friday for one day only."\n"It was a pretty late (Thanksgiving) night, so I spent the whole day recovering," Yoritomi said. "Shopping is hard enough, without all those people there."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(11/29/04 5:05am)
'Tis the season to be jolly within the Bloomington community, especially when one is illuminated under a canopy of white light stretching from the Courthouse throughout the downtown area.\nDespite the frightful chilling November weather, hundreds of Hoosier residents, families and friends trekked downtown Friday night for the 19th annual "Canopy of Lights" holiday celebration at the Bloomington courthouse square. Beginning with yuletide anthems blared from the Bloomington Brass Band and ending with photo opportunities with Santa Claus in Fountain Square Mall, hundreds of thousands of holiday lights were ceremoniously ignited by the flip of a switch to continue "A Sparkling Holiday Tradition."\nFollowing a brief introduction to the evening festivities by Keith Klein, the master of ceremonies, and Jim Murphy, president of the Downtown Bloomington Commission, Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan welcomed the crowd to the city's winter wonderland, which shows no sign of stopping in years to come. \n"This is why we live in Bloomington," Kruzan said. "It's an amazing experience, such tradition after 19 years. This is the time of the year to think back to what you were doing a year ago -- mark your life."\nAs an integral part of the "Canopy of Lights" procession, the Hospice Community Trees were lit to signify the financial contributions donated to Hospice in the memory and dedication of loved ones. Hospice cares for terminally-ill community residents -- each light represents a single contribution. \nLeading a community winter holiday sing-along, Polka Dot the Clown, Bloomington's favorite sideshow, sent her four red and green costumed elves scattering around town to find Santa Claus so he could command the "Canopy of Lights" countdown. While Polka Dot encouraged audience participation in the way of vibrating vocal chords, some Hoosier moms employed hip-shaking and booty-wiggling to calm their cold and crying children straddled on their sides.\n"If you don't sing loud, Santa won't come," Polka Dot said. "Who's not smiling? Raise your hand if you're not smiling."\nUpon returning to the stage with Santa in tow, the elves joined the crowd in a frenzy of wild cheers; the ruckus drowned out the crumble of dried yellow leaves beneath the trod of freezing feet and frozen hands lining the perimeter of the courthouse lawn four persons deep. \nWhen asked whether he is promoting the corporate hijacking of Jesus's winter birthday celebration or if he was stealing the spotlight away from the myth of Jesus Christ, Santa said he had "no comment." \n"I'm impartial about those things," Santa said while chuckling with children seated on both knees. All three displayed their top row of teeth for the flash of a Polaroid camera. "You have to be good all year. A good kid is one that shows a lot of love to their family."\nGeneil Ison, a reading specialist at Highland Park Elementary School, said Christmas is a time of magic for children -- "the celebration of Christ's birthday."\n"We are Bloomington people, and we came to light up the town," Ison said corralling her two children beneath her sprawled arms. "All kids are good; they all have some good in them. Most of the bad has been inherited or modeled by someone. It is a lot of fun to see children excited." \nAs the "Canopy of Lights" celebratory community fire extinguished itself and Fifth Street reopened to public traffic, the kettle corn vendors from Oden, Ind. were left to pack in Bloomington's traditional holiday season nighttime city lights.\n"We sell kettle corn as a last ditch effort to keep the family farm from going under," Chris Voster said while supervising neighbors manning the copper kettle with wooden paddles. "We work a traditional 1865 farm: corn, soybean and cattle. The small farm ain't no more. They made a lot of kettle corn during the Great Depression times."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(11/29/04 4:01am)
In a world of conflicting cultural identities, confrontational religious doctrines, crippling economic disparities and fanatical national pride, international terrorist acts against civilian populations is on the rise. \nDealing with terrorism from a campus community perspective, IU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger said more players are responsible for responding to terrorist attacks besides the first-response team "hands-on in the street" -- such as ambulance crews, fire and police departments, the Red Cross and government agencies. \n"In Monroe County, emergency plans were initiated years ago for weather-related disasters -- the highest probability being a tornado," Minger said. "With the Y2K scare, all the plans were revamped to include new contingencies. It's the same kind of thing from the perspective of Homeland Security. You can't plan for exact specifics; you have to plan for generalities. You deal with the specifics at the time depending on what the emergency calls for." \nUnlike many villages, towns or cities across the United States, Minger said IU could provide food, electricity and shelter for disaster victims since the University is self-contained. In addition, Minger said several locations within the campus community would serve as make-shift command centers to direct the terrorist attack relief efforts.\nHowever, the most important coping mechanisms occur on an individual level, Minger said.\nSince future terrorist strikes against the people, property and prosperity of the United States cannot be prophesied, the U.S. government has warned all citizens to be prepared for any kind of terror threat the human mind can imagine -- from the radioactive clouds of "dirty" nuclear bombs to the deployment of biological and chemical agents. Highlighted in rhetoric administered in television, radio and print advertisements, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has recommended several steps Americans can take to prepare for the unexpected harm inflicted on civilian populations during times of war. \nAccording to a special national yellow pages insert on homeland security, alphabetically filed under "Homeland Security" in the SBC SMART Yellow Pages, the likelihood of surviving a terrorist attack is similar to surviving a house fire. Tom Ridge, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said terrorism "forces" us to make the choice between being "afraid" or being "ready."\n"Just like having a working smoke detector, preparing for the unexpected makes sense," according to the Homeland Security insert. \nAdopting a "common sense framework," the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommends four steps all Hoosiers should follow to be prepared for a few hypothetical terrorist scenarios -- such as attacks on the water, food and/or air the community population consumes: make an emergency supply kit, make a family communication plan, be informed and remain calm.\nAn emergency supply kit should consist of: water -- one gallon per person per day; food -- canned and dried; warm cloths -- including a sleeping bags; emergency supplies -- flashlight, battery powered radio, extra batteries, first-aid kit, toilet articles, filter masks; duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal windows and vents -- heavyweight garbage bags work as well, according to the insert.\nA family communication plan should include: a phone tree to call in case of emergency; an idea of where to "shelter-in-place," -- an interior room with as few doors and windows as possible; an idea of where to go -- several destinations in different directions; and an idea of how to proceed in an emergency situation if at school or work when the terrorists strike.\nA prepared civilian is also an informed civilian who can articulate the difference between potential terrorist threats such as biological, chemical, explosive, nuclear and radiological -- this information should determine which decision to make and action to take.\nRegardless of the terrorist attack or disastrous threat, according to the insert: "Above all, stay calm, be patient and think before you act." \n"It's not like the days back during the Red Scare of the 1950s, when people were preparing for a specific threat -- a nuclear attack," Minger said. "As we have seen by 9-11 and recent terrorist activities in other countries, you can't prepare for a specific attack. Terrorists might use an airplane, an explosive device or derail a train. There is nothing specific you can tell people other than to assess the current national security level and to take precautionary measures."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(11/22/04 4:43am)
The idea of freedom of speech presupposes a word is just a word; unless the word spoken is "fuck" during an anti-war protest on a college campus. \nOften recognized as the turbulent time in post-modern American, the mid-1960s through the early '70s are credited with birthing several challenges to the perceived American dream of equality and the Western ideal of individual prosperity on university campuses across the nation. No stranger to peaceful confrontation, thousands of Hoosier student anti-war activists protested the escalation of the Vietnam War on the IU campus. \nAmong the 1,500 democratic revelers congregated on or near the Bryan Hall steps on May 13, 1970 to protest U.S. military bombing strikes in Cambodia, then-student Greg Hess was arrested by Monroe County Sheriff Clifford Thrasher for screaming: "We'll take the fucking street later (or again)," according to the Hess v. Indiana diorama exhibit displayed in the IU School of Law lobby. \nKeeping the dream of political activism alive in the 21st century, about a hundred students, faculty and guests gathered for a reflective panel discussion on Hess v. Indiana, a 1973 Supreme Court decision clarifying acceptable protest vocabularies, Friday afternoon in the law school's Moot Court Room. \nInitially charged with disturbing the peace, Hess v. Indiana articulated for law enforcement, government officials and members of the legal system when "incitement to illegal action" is protected by the First Amendment, guaranteeing American citizens the right and freedom of expression. Hess said he deployed the word "fuck" as a motivation tool to encourage other people to continue the demonstration since the protest was being broken up by the police.\n"I'm not sure, to be honest with you," Hess said. "I thought the version offered in court was much tamer than I remember. There was a lot of loud speech going on; (the other protesters) didn't have the sheriff standing behind them."\nAfter facing conviction in Bloomington City and Superior Courts, the Indiana Supreme Court denied Law School professors Tom Schornhost and Pat Baude appeal for Hess, according to the Law School's Hess v. Indiana display. After three years of a "paper case," the United States Supreme Court sided with Hess 6-3.\nIn addition to Schornhost and Baude, the panel discussion included Circuit Court Judge Randy Bridges and Bloomington attorney Tom Berry -- who worked as prosecutors to convict Hess in 1970.\nBesides Hess v. Indiana, the panel discussed various topics pertinent to students 1st Amendment rights during the nation's current war against terrorism -- such as the Patriot Act's perceived violation of American citizen rights and freedoms. The panel also voiced opinion on the issue of perceptual discrepancies by witnesses inherent in word-of-mouth legal cases. \nBaude said the Red Squad mentality of the 1950s Joseph McCarthy anti-communist era has been reinstated under the banner of "anti-terrorism forces."\n"We are practicing methods of surveillance we haven't seen in 40 years," Baude said.\nAddressing a handful of audience questions, the panel discussed their perception of the future of student protest within a suppressed, repressed and censored American political atmosphere.\nRegardless of whether future student protests revolve around a genuine desire for world peace or the opportunity to smoke weed while dancing naked in a grass field, one audience member asked what would happen, hypothetically speaking, if he wore a jacket saying "FUCK THE DRAFT" into a courtroom in the post-9-11 days?\nSimilar to Hess's motivation on May 13, 1970, the panel responded by reframing freedom of speech as one's duty to protest versus one's feeling of protest.\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(11/22/04 4:33am)
When Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, no one could have foreseen 500 years of traditional Thanksgiving feasts and ritualized gorging with family and friends alike.\nProclaimed by President Lincoln in 1863 as a national holiday, Thanksgiving is often celebrated as a family reunion around the buffet-style dinner table. Although the traditions, rituals and customs of America's annual Thanksgiving holiday vary from one family unit and Hoosier community to another, most students are thankful for the opportunity to spend time with family, friends and overdue school work. \nExemplifying the need for reading and writing instead of forking mouthfuls of food down his throat, senior Nathan Dolbee, who is returning home to Evansville for a Thanksgiving feast, said he is looking forward to lots of good food and the opportunity to spend time with his mates.\n"I'm thankful for my friends, my family obviously," Dolbee said. "I'm really not getting a break: I have a presentation and a paper due (today); I have a couple of take-home quizzes; and I have an exam when I get back. It's going to suck, trying to get all that in while trying to see everybody."\nBecause this year's Thanksgiving affair falls weeks after a national election, some students can't help but mix politics into their November food fare, which includes the traditional buffet of white and dark turkey meat, stuffing, hand-mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, Jell-O molds of all flavors, colors or shapes and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. \nJunior Megan Sinnott, who is returning home to the Chicago area, said Thanksgiving is an important time for her since she will be returning home for the first time this school year.\n"My mom makes a really good green bean casserole and cranberry sauce," Sinnott said. "I'm grateful to be at IU: It's a good school, I love my job and I love my friends. I'm looking forward to only four more years of (President) George Bush. We have to look on the positive side and be grateful another election is right around the corner."\nSophomore Amanda Hodges, who is returning home to Newburgh, Ind., said she looks forward to spending her Thanksgiving break in the comfort of her family. \n"My great grandma has made cinnamon rolls every year," Hodges said. "They're huge, homemade and really good. I have a lot of school work to do, so basically I get to eat and that's it."\nJeremy Wise, a first year MBA student, said he is looking forward to a Thanksgiving week of better weather, mountains and the opportunity to speak face to face with some old friends.\n"I'm thankful the country hasn't had any disasters in the last year," Wise said. "I hope that things calm down internationally over the next year; I hope that all the countries in the world can get along better. I'm sure it can get either a lot better or a lot worse."\nApplying fantasy, fairy tale, make-believe and mythology to national holidays, some students offered twisted interpretations of the origin of Thanksgiving within America's proud nationalist heritage. Sinnott, who was born in the "next town over" from Plymouth, said Thanksgiving means something different for different people. \n"I've been to the Mayflower and Plymouth -- been to the wax museums," Sinnott said. "Thanksgiving celebrates the first feast of the pilgrims and the (American) Indians -- all that stuff. The pilgrims were here; the Indians helped them out, brought them corn. They ate it, and the Indians and the pilgrims got along forever and ever."\nRegardless of whether students believe in pilgrims and American Indians sharing turkey legs and cranberry sauce, Wise said his Thanksgiving feast in Los Angeles will involve a little more fusion than traditional family folks -- more dinner party-esq. \n"People were looking for an excuse to eat some good food and have a big party; to rejoice, before it got to cold," Wise said. "I can sympathize with that. Who knows? 2000 years from now, Thanksgiving might be the Last Supper." \n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(11/17/04 5:54am)
Campus community members wishing to smoke outdoors beware: The Community Council of Eigenmann Hall has declared smoking areas students must weather despite the storm. \nAdding several yards to the 30-foot bubble of perceived smoke-free outdoor space, sometimes more than a 100 feet from doors, many campus residence halls have instituted internal smoking policies designating particular pods of approved smoking space. Unlike many residence halls, Eigenmann has about six floors of office space reserved for IU affiliated or sponsored businesses and programs, including the Center for Survey Research, whose employees were notified in late October they might lose their job if they smoke anywhere other than the four designated smoking areas outlined on fluorescent green fliers saturating the residence hall environment. \nKatie Adams, field director for the CSR, said she applauds the University smoking policy. Since the Eigenmann Community Council is responsible for instituting and enforcing the residence hall's modified University smoking policy, Adams said the smoking policy is a majority rules situation. \n"We have been made aware of employees smoking in inappropriate areas," Adams said. "We have spoken to people who work with (Residential Programs and Services); we instituted (smoking) policies within our office. If an employee is caught smoking in an undesignated area, they would suffer disciplinary action."\nInterpreting the University's intention for regulating smoking space on campus, on the other hand, seems problematic since 30 feet is often difficult to gauge. \nSuzanne Ryan, director of Human Resources for IU, said she could not comment on the firing of student employees due to perceived smoking infractions until an investigation is conducted. \nDean of Students Richard McKaig said the campus smoking policy was intended to be compatible with trends going on in the rest of the Bloomington community. McKaig said students and guests are in compliance with University regulations as long as they smoke anywhere beyond 30 feet from building exits, windows, walkways and ventilation systems. That definition suggests the Eigenmann smoking area rule cannot be enforced. \n"The campus didn't designate areas where people can smoke, only where they can't," McKaig said. "(Violating the smoking policy) depends on where it happens and who is involved. In most cases, like smoking indoors, we have a policy you can't do it. We would like individual cooperation, so there is no specific fine or disciplinary action if violations occur."\nJunior John Palmer, Residence Halls Association president, said each residence hall has put ashtrays and picnic tables in specific places to encourage where people smoke. \n"The residence hall community council makes recommendations for smoking areas," Palmer said. "It is not necessarily a mandatory issue. (Students) don't have to smoke in (designated) areas. The idea is to give smokers a comfortable place to smoke so they can enjoy doing it while being in compliance with University policy. Anybody who wants to question the (smoking) policy shouldn't feel threatened by it. Concerned students, if they decide to do it, can take matters into their own hands by contacting the residence hall director."\nSimilar to the 30-foot smoking policy in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Ind., junior and smoker Andrew Kennedy said smoking on campus is not much of a problem. \n"It's not that bad, unless it's raining," Kennedy said. "The wind dispenses the smoke quite a bit. I can see how the litter aspect can be a problem. Sometimes people just throw cigarette butts on the ground instead of putting them in the designated receptacle -- the ashtray."\nDespite the wind-factor associated with outdoor smoking, law student and nonsmoker Laura Koenig said she thinks the University smoking policy has been a great addition to the campus culture. Koenig cited the front doors of Ballantine Hall as the primary source of a nonsmoker's outdoor breathing misery. \n"(Cigarette smoke) is not in my face all the time," Koenig said. "It doesn't come into my daily life anymore unless I want it to. I don't even think about cigarette smoking anymore because I don't see it." \nProving smoking policies work on campus and can transfer to the domestic environment, senior and nonsmoker Claudio Luiselli said he does not allow his smoking friends to feed their nicotine addictions inside his smoke-free apartment.\n"They have no problem smoking on the balcony," Luiselli said. "If I'm walking behind someone (on campus) and I get smoke in my face, I just drop back or pass them."\nSophomore and smoker Osman Shamim, an Eigenmann resident, said the pleasure of smoking in designated areas depends on the day's weather.\n"If it's snowing or something, it's convenient to stand right outside the door," Shamim said before being asked to move 30 feet away from the building by the residence hall graduate student supervisor. "I don't have a place planned where I'm going to light my next cigarette. If they want to go crazy and establish smoking areas, there is nothing we can do about it." \n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(11/08/04 5:55am)
Students celebrated about a half-a-million reasons for children to cheer this past weekend at IU's 14th annual Dance Marathon.\nWhen Hoosier teenager Ryan White died in the spring of 1990 from complications of the AIDS virus, a platoon of IU students embarked upon a campaign to offer campus members: "The Chance of a Lifetime, to Give a Lifetime of Chance." \nFirst held in the fall of 1991, the IU Dance Marathon initially raised $11,000 for Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. \nContained within the metal grates marking the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building space reserved for philanthropic others, the caring efforts of about 650 dancers -- an IUDM record -- 215 committee members, 165 mass members and 19 executive council members raised an IUDM record $468,600.19 for The Ryan White Infectious Disease Center at Riley Hospital. \nAbiding by the business principle suggesting it takes money to make money, senior Ryan Bulan and acting IUDM executive council president said the IUDM trades $40,000 for the use of a stage, the use of a sound system, microphones, a public address system and hotel rooms at the IMU and other local hotels for the children and families of Riley Hospital patients. Bulan said the IUDM is entirely self-governing, self-functioning and independent from the University. \n"Over the past 14 years, we have raised over $3.3 million for children," Bulan said. "With our size, and the amount we have raised this year, this makes us the second largest dance marathon in the country."\nOver the course of the 36-hour Dance Marathon, IUDM committee members and other volunteers served 14 meals to the tune of 18 bands and the thankful testimony of Riley Hospital children and families. IUDM participants were treated to interactive opportunities, games and contests such as "Who's Line Is It Anyway?," a scavenger hunt with Riley kids and karaoke. \nActing as obstacles to the musical bass vibrations bouncing off the rubber floor from the stage, IUDM participants were observed dining on plastic table cloths, tossing Frisbees and tapping balloons through the stale HPER air. IUDM public relations director and senior Denise Feldman said the 2004 marathon was definitely the best IU has ever had.\n"We were flabbergasted as to how well it all went," Feldman said. "Dancers stayed into it and remained happy. I'm so tired right now. The Dance Marathon has shaped my college career. We put so much hard work and effort into it."\nActing as the student organization glue binding the celebration together, IUDM internal fund-raiser director and senior Kristin Selund said student volunteers organize an annual golf outing, date auction and other money raising affairs each year to ensure the future success of the IUDM. \n"This year, we raised $468,600.19," Selund said. "It was a great success; last year's total was $403,000. We implemented a lot of new things this year. Managing 637 dancers is a feat -- trying to feed people and keep them entertained the whole time." \nTestifying for the village support needed to nurture the health well-being of all Hoosier children, Feldman said the IUDM is an event many people come together for which creates an overwhelming sense of pride.\n"It's amazing to have Riley Hospital families look up to us as heroes," Feldman said. "You never know what is going to happen in the 36 hours -- the end result is something unexplainable. The pride you feel is nothing compared to what the Riley Hospital families have been through. There are still sick kids out there; we are trying to do our part."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. \nNosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(11/04/04 6:09am)
When the Election Day dust settled atop the decaying leaves Wednesday, many students were left wondering the words, "Will I be better off in four years than I am now?"\nThe 2004 re-election of President George W. Bush is not surprising to many Hoosier students, since Bloomington's own Monroe County and the residents of Lake County were the only two counties throughout the state of Indiana in which the majority of voters supported democratic hopeful Sen. John Kerry; Nationally, Bush won the popular vote by more than four million votes.\nSince the report of a President Bush electoral win in Indiana was announced before all the votes had been tallied, some students seemed bothered by the lack of importance weighed in each American citizen's vote. Senior Traci Bates, a first time voter on Election Day, said she looks forward to the next four years.\n"It felt good to vote," Bates said. "I guess it felt like you make a difference. I'm definitely happy Bush won; we can now look forward to what will happen, and not worry about what has happened. You never know what is going to happen when you bring in a new president -- dealing with the whole terrorism thing. I believe in a lot of things Bush does."\nWith a Republican Party stronghold gripping the social, economic and moral future of the Hoosier state, some students voted to not vote on Election Day. Despite being registered Americans willing to cast their ballots, sophomore Mark Thostesen said he and his friends decided not to vote as a political statement of democratic freedom. Tuesday was Thostesen's first opportunity to vote in a national election.\n"There is a big group of us that decided we didn't like either candidate," Thostesen said. "So we decided not to vote. But we registered, so it was recorded that we are able to but chose not to. I think it is important to note I didn't vote for the third party. I do not favor Bush; I am not a Bush supporter. Since the third party vote is seen as voting for Bush, I didn't want to be labeled as such. "\nBesides registering and not voting for any of the three presidential candidates on the ballot in Indiana, some students voted to not participate in the political processes at all. Avoiding all Election Day scenes, freshman Sam Jerome said politically-minded people know a third party isn't going to win. However, he said third party votes matter despite the attention they avert from Democratic and Republican candidates. \n"Registering to vote and voting was in the back of my mind, between school and stuff," Jerome said. "I'm really not for Kerry or Bush. I think things will turn out OK in the end; we won't know for 20 years. I think we will still be here, we as Americans, more so than the human race."\nConcerned with the current political debates about abortion, stem-cell research and the war on terror, junior Jeremiah Cosner cast his vote for apathy instead of a great American democratic ideal; he voted to vote for the voice of his family, although he never registered.\n"I come from a Republican background," Cosner said. "My parents voted for Bush; I agree with what they chose. With Bush, I'm confident in his choices and the decisions he makes. They've already asked him once if he was for the draft; I see no problem. There are plenty of (American citizens) willing to go over (to Iraq)."\nAs the trials and tribulations of Election Day 2004 fades into the fine print of newspaper pages, at least one student recommended health and wellness tips for Hoosier voters feeling regret, remorse or sorrow after Tuesday's Republican spanking -- take a fresh look in the mirror when coping with President Bush's re-election.\n"You don't have a choice but to deal with it," Jerome said. "There are only a limited number of ways to deal with the problems our country has. Unless those problems change, which is possible, the way you deal with those problems must change." \n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(11/03/04 7:18am)
As the campus community closed the doors to the polling places at 6 p.m. Tuesday, America's democratic right to vote had cost some IU students time in lines lasting throughout the day. \nWithin Monroe County's 96 precincts, many Bloomington residents experienced poll booth scenes similar to a day trip to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Richard Hackman, a Monroe County resident who was acting as election inspector for the Teter Quad voting scene, said about 60 students waited to vote after the polling site closed.\n"I don't know how many voted, whether there have been 250 or 300 students," Hackman said while scurrying to-and-fro between lines of students. "Voting turnout in the past, here on campus, has been extremely low in all the buildings -- one or two students, maybe."\nSince most of the campus precincts were unprepared for a significant student voter turnout, election officials did not plan for the need for more voting machines, poll workers said. Although the individual voting choice resides in the voter's brain, the voting machine's brain flips between the ballot pages and saves each individual's cast vote on a memory card to be tallied after the polls close. \nSophomore Brian Vlnicka, who registered as a first-time voter in Indiana, said he was looking forward to getting a chance to have a voice after waiting in line for about three hours.\n"I'm hoping the person I vote for wins; hopefully it's a sure thing because we are in Indiana," Vlnicka said while standing in line at the Read Center polling place. "I feel a little nervous because this is my first time voting. I don't know who to vote for other than the president; I'm thinking straight ticket, which kind of stinks. I'm not from Indiana. I don't know these people or know how they think."\nTo prepare for Election Day, poll workers and election officials prepared a plan to efficiently move voters through the voting process. Bibiana Pipher, who was acting as an election judge at the Teter polling place, said Election Day begins Monday for many election volunteers.\n"I've been tired ever since this line started to get real long," Pipher said while blocking the door at closing time from further wishful voters. "I've been on my feet since 5 a.m. making sure everyone gets the chance to vote so there is no voter fraud. I like the activity of voting. I really like to see (voters) come out and be real enthusiastic about it."\nBecause of University and other academic commitments, some students discovered many problematic Election Day scenarios. Junior Cody Bell, a first-time voter, said he could not have arrived on the Read Center polling place sooner.\n"For some reason, a professor scheduled a test on Election Day," Bell said. "I'm trying to beat the clock. I'm happy just to be able to have my voice heard; right now, I don't know who I'm going to vote for. I'll decide when I get there. We'll see; it's a game-time decision."\nMegan Trusnik, a poll booth worker at Read Center and president of the Ivy Tech College Democrats, said hundreds of student voters still waited in line at 8 p.m. Tuesday.\n"We have had far more voters come in than we expected, but that is a good thing," Trusnik said. "The most common question has been: 'Am I allowed to go the bathroom?' This election is absolutely crucial. People don't understand they are voting for the opportunity to feed their family for the next four years -- for the opportunity of four years of education."\nExhausted from Election Day activity within the wooden cubicles of the Monroe County Clerk's Office, Jessica White, the Monroe County election deputy, said her day had been "very, very, very busy." \n"The precinct inspectors and judges bring the machine back to this office," White said while dodging the path of several stretched phone cords. "There is no phone game. The results from each precincts' memory card are fed into the computer, and the computer spits out the reports. It does the whole 9 yards."\nRegardless of the brain guiding the voter to the voting machine, Hackman said voting is always important.\n"I don't care if it's for the local dog catcher," Hackman said, "every election is important. Trying to convince everyone of that is another story. I got no favorite candidate today; yesterday I did and tomorrow I will." \nDespite the length of the wait or the perceived hassle of waiting in line, freshman Shane Whittington, a first-time voter, said his voting experience was worth the weight off his mind.\n"I feel a lot better after standing for three and a half hours," Whittington said. "I'm glad, though, I got to vote. People have died for me to get the right to vote, so it feels good to alleviate that. (The poll workers) treated us well, all around very nice. It was a good time."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(11/02/04 5:31am)
Today is Election Day, but not every student feels good about it.\nSome students said they believe one vote in Indiana doesn't make a difference in the national political scheme. Sophomore Ryan Whitt, a registered voter who served in the U.S. Army as a medic for one year in Iraq, said Indiana is pretty much decided as a Republican-sponsored state; his solution: national election reform.\n"Get rid of the Electoral College," Whitt said. "I think that America has to come to the point where we are educated enough not to need the Electoral College."\nSpeaking of a politically educated student body, some students said they didn't register to vote because of laziness, lack of knowledge about issues and apathy for the political processes. Junior Brandon Brown, an unregistered voter, said voting in this election is especially important, despite his registration activity to the contrary. \n"If I was going to vote, I guess I would have a hard time deciding who to vote for," Brown said. "I saw the (registration) tables on campus saying it was my duty to vote. I said: 'Whatever, I'm just on my way to class.' I have no real reason as to why I'm not registered. I'm just lazy, I guess. I'm not into politics: I just watched parts of the debate. If I did vote, it would be an uninformed decision."\nBecause of the current political environment on Capitol Hill is discussing national policy on the topics of pre-emptive war, international coalitions, same sex-marriages and the legality of abortion, some students said they believe a two party system is mismanaging and misrepresenting democracy in the voting processes. \nSophomore Christine Jachetta, a registered voter, said she has trouble believing her vote matters at all in a demographically Republican state.\n"I don't think my vote counts, because I'm Democratic and I live in Indiana," Jachetta said. "At the same time, voting is a nice gesture. If I didn't vote, my subsequent complaining -- if my party didn't win -- wouldn't mean anything because I didn't try to change the democratic system."\nSpeaking about the war in Iraq -- which has been the scene of more than 1,000 U.S. soldier casualties and more than 100,000 Iraqi soldier and citizen casualties -- some students said the current political vision of the Middle East needs revising. Sophomore Laura Miller, a registered voter, said she would like to believe her vote in Indiana matters.\n"I guess it's hard to imagine one vote counting in Indiana," Miller said. "I feel that the war has been dealt with poorly, but I don't think the opposing party has the best solution either. I don't think anything is really clear; nothing is really clear. I like voting. My favorite part is punching the things out." \nSpeaking of the knock-out punch needed for an Election Day victory by either Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry and Republican President George W. Bush, some students are especially bothered about having to choose between two or three perceived lesser hopefuls. \n"I'm not really happy with either two (major) candidates," Whitt said. "I think, from everything I hear -- everything they say -- is just a bunch of B.S. I don't see too much of a plan from either of them. I don't think either (candidate) will make much of a difference with the economy or the war in Iraq -- there will still be attacks and bases there in four years."\nSome students believe an immediate presidential regime change is necessary to secure the future democratic principles inherent in the land of the free and the home of the brave. At least one student has a vision of the United States where she would be proud to live.\n"I'm not voting for Bush," Jachetta said. "I think Bush focuses on the short run, and he doesn't think about the long term national consequences. He hasn't looked beyond his current term. He has been very irresponsible with the trajectory of the country."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(11/02/04 5:31am)
Athletic heroes, University leaders and the pre-Halloween windy weather of IU's 2004 Homecoming Hoosier football win will be recorded throughout the history of time. What can be said for the role of human glue holding Hoosier football games together by the pigskin's seams? \nBehind the festive scene of every home football game Saturday -- win or lose -- many people contribute to the spectator experience of occupying a Memorial Stadium bleacher seat during game time. From the red-shirted IU Student Alumni Association workers to the blue-vested Big Ten officials, the good time felt by most fans at football games would exist nevermore if several roles were left unfulfilled. \nThe IU Virgil T. DeVault Alumni Center was the scene of a pre-game campus community party referred to as the "Big Red Warm-Up," sponsored by the IUSAA. Despite not needing a trick, students, faculty, alumni, Bloomington residents and guests were treated to free food to fill their Hoosier bellies, and soda and juice to replenish their Hoosier spirits. In addition, football fans received free creme and crimson colored pom-poms to cheer the football team to victory.\n"There is a misconception that you have to be an IU graduate to work at the alumni center. Students are welcome, and I'm a Ball State graduate," one red-shirted IUSAA employee said to an inquiring student. "Help yourself to free pizza; drinks are over there."\nWithin the artwork-walled boundaries of the Alumni Center dining room, fathers, mothers, daughters and sons in all permutations gathered for catch up chit-chat and laughter. This year marks the 150-year anniversary of the IUAA.\n"I'm just serving drinks to everyone who comes by," IUSAA Director of Communications and sophomore Ben Blotsky said while pouring a clear carbonated beverage into a plastic cup. "Everybody is welcome, especially Hoosier fans wanting to get a big upset over Minnesota. The wind is going to be a factor. Even if you're not going to the game, it's a free lunch."\nOn the front steps of the Alumni Center shortly before kickoff, several IU students demonstrated their counseling, babysitting and crisis negotiation skills. On careful observation, three friends were spotted supporting the health and wellbeing of an intoxicated friend; perhaps, friends helping friends learn limits.\n"You are our role model," one student said while holding her friend's hair behind her shoulders as she puked into the red and white flower beds.\n"Watch your eyes," another student said while protecting her friend's head and face from the crumbling leaves circulating through the air.\n"You're going to be alright," a third student said while pumping her fist into the air.\nMeanwhile, for the football scene in Memorial Stadium during game time, several Big Ten officials are responsible for moving the bright orange first-down and yard markers -- one Big Ten official is responsible for starting and stopping the game clock. Many of the officials act the role of high school football referee on Friday nights across the Midwest. \n"It's a thankless job; one we enjoy doing," said Big Ten down-marker official Jim Roach. "I've been doing it for probably four years. Of course, it is the best seat in the house; most of the time, it's the most dangerous spot."\nOften seen waving his index finger in a circle into the air, the Big Ten official in charge of maintaining the game clock wears a blue vest and acts as the communication liaison between the officials seated upstairs in the booth and the officials on the field.\n"All I do is start and stop the clock," this official said while standing on the playing surface during a time out; his thumb never hovered from the switch more than a few inches. "On and off -- on and off -- on and off."\nIn front of a sparse sea of Gopher maroon and yellow sheltered in the southwest corner of Memorial Stadium, the Minnesota traveling football fan base was treated to the delightful escapades of the team mascot costumed as a giant gopher with gigantic fur paws and black netting for eyes.\n"Go Gophers, Minnesota love," the mascot inked on the pages of a notebook before drawing a heart. "I am Goldy; and I am from Minnesota; and you are cool." \nNever one to avoid an important task, Army and Air Force IU ROTC soldiers yanked a cannon chain to ignite audience excitement and participation. Army ROTC members, who marched camouflaged while carrying an array of weapons during the Homecoming parade Friday, said the cannon used for football games is nothing compared to the two-foot high M198 Howitzer artillery cannon the U.S. Army uses to fire 96-pound projectiles at an enemy during combat.\n"We shoot off 10-gauge blanks every time they come onto the field or score," sophomore cadet Adam Buehler said. "It's exciting; it always scares somebody. We are here to support the team."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(11/01/04 5:41am)
Political campaigns, pockets of families, packs of students and pools of alumni speckled the campus community Friday for a parade of community politics and a spirited Hoosier pep rally. \nIU's 2004 Homecoming celebration, "The Legend of Old IU," sponsored by the IU Alumni Association and the IU Student Alumni Association provided students, faculty, alumni, Bloomington residents and guests the opportunity to feast on the visual spectacle of people represented as symbols for some organization, political ideology or community idea during the parade. \nDragging in the mud from five straight loses, the IU football team relished in the support of the campus community to help derive the courage to conquer the visiting Minnesota Golden Gophers.\nDecorated alongside the crumbled and decaying yellow and brown leaves sprinkled atop the cemented and paved landscape marking the parade route, thousands of campus community members observed the Homecoming pageantry seated on blankets and on limestone walls, from the comfort of front-yard couches and from the vantage point of parental shoulders.\nFollowing police car sirens, the IU Marching Hundred led the peaceful parade procession to the tune of IU's fight song, "Indiana, Our Indiana," among a handful of other recognized campus favorites. \nSophomore Kendra Dorey, a sousaphone performer in the fall and soon-to-be trumpeter for the basketball band, said it's a lot of fun getting everyone pepped up before, during and after the game.\n"At the beginning of the year, I was struggling," Dorey said Friday night under the glow of generator lights. "You have to march, so you don't bounce around. It's a lot more fun than it is work. In my opinion, it's a good time. Hopefully, we will help out the team a little."\nAfter the Marching Hundred progressed peacefully by, the length of the parade route was consumed by moments of political chaos, student organization pride and community awareness campaigns. Highlighted by Shriners wearing red hats and driving many different "floats" -- such as race cars, motorcycles and dune buggies -- the parade scene mirrored a family gathering of giggles and laughter. \nGuided by three Hoosier Olympians: Cassandra Cardinell, Rose Richmond and Vasili Spanos, acting as the parade Grand Marshals, "floats" consisted of everything from one carrying the Pizza Express guy to a car containing Interim IU-Bloomington Chancellor Ken Gros Louis; from the Singing Hoosiers serenading the crowd with the IU fight song to a man driving a black BMW costumed in a black suit, using his "float" as an advertising tool in support of "Bush-Cheney 2004."\nIU President Adam Herbert floated by the crowd in a Cinderella-esque white carriage drawn by white horses.\n"My two favorite words: 'Go Hoosiers,'" Herbert said while waving his arms to the crowd. "Let's try that. Go Hoosiers. I can't hear you. Let's try it again. Go Hoosiers." \nDespite the perception of a unified campus community supporting the trials and tribulations of the Hoosier football team, the parade was also divided by undertones of political turmoil. For instance, the IU College Democrats were pelted by water balloons by members of one fraternity on Third Street who were hugging a cardboard cutout of President Bush; another fraternity on Third Street verbally bombarded the group of Democratic students with the chant: "Four more years," after confronting them face-to-face in the street.\nBefore a one-minute firework show about three hundred feet above Franklin Hall, IU cheerleaders, the IU alumni band, the Red Steppers and the Marching Hundred kept the campus community pepped in between verbal contributions from Herbert, Football Coach Gerry DiNardo, IU Athletic Director Rick Greenspan, the IU Olympians and IU kicker Adam Braucher, who screamed to the crowd: "We are going to kick some Gopher ass."\n"I want you to know; tomorrow, things are going to change," DiNardo said, not knowing for certain if change was necessarily going to equate to a Hoosier win.\nConcluding with loud pops, bangs and crashes, the 2004 "The Legend of Old IU" Homecoming parade and pep rally generated a base of support for the football team from hundreds of campus community members. \nConrad Nicholas and Lisette Hopkins, fire work specialists from Pyrotechnic Productions Inc., said the fireworks add to crowd excitement and are a great way to cap off the evening for Hoosier football fans.\n"Human beings like big explosions," Nicholas said. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing this. After the show, from this distance, all we hear is car horns because we are so far away. We put on a shooters school. Students graduate to where they are out doing firework shows on their own; it pays well." \n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(11/01/04 4:28am)
A lesson in reality reaches elementary school libraries across the Hoosier heartland; funding often affects children's intellectual growth and per pupil prosperity.\nAccess to library books and technology resources is often the reason many schools succeed and some communities thwart violence, drug dependence and the ill-effects of economic poverty. From after-school literacy programs -- both adolescent and adult -- to computer and DVD technology, elementary school libraries often act in constant combat with the possible circumstances a community could become: law abiding versus law breaking, perceptually aware versus intolerant of change, rational thinking versus ignorant thoughts.\nAccording to an IU Media Relations press release, Indiana elementary school libraries need adequate funding for books and services to ensure student success in America's "No Child Left Behind" elementary school classroom. Research provided by the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at IU reported a link between the "quality" of library books, periodicals and other academic resources and students' "literacy" and "performance" on achievement tests, according to the press release.\nIn the 14 elementary schools throughout Monroe County, libraries function as media centers and librarians act the role of media specialist. Linda Black, principal of Arlington Elementary School, said most people would agree that elementary school libraries could always benefit from additional funding.\n"We have an annual budget provided by the school district; part of the budget is for library books," Black said. "Based on the number of students served in each school, a per-student amount of money is allocated to the library through the (Monroe County Community School Corporation). For the 2004 budget allocation, $8.72 per student was given to each library."\nWith the addition of more books, more modern technologies and trained resource staff, Bloomington children might benefit from additional library school funding. Cathy Diersing, principal of Templeton elementary school, said MCCSC elementary school media centers offer students more than checked-out books.\n"It's not that we have trouble with funding; we have tremendous difficulty with funding," Diersing said. "MCCSC has made media centers a priority by continuing to staff media centers. The funding issue is all schools deserve to have full-time media specialists; not all schools do. We do, and that is based on the size of the student population. Smaller schools have part-time staff only."\nThe Indiana General Assembly created and funded The School Library Printed Materials Grant program between 1997 and 2002, which appropriated $13 million for elementary school library purchases, according to the press release. Due to budgetary concerns and financial deficits, the state has partially funded and cut short the grant during the last two years, the release stated.\nAs the city of Bloomington and the state of Indiana tighten the strings on elementary school library funding, hundreds of young people suffer from not having the resources necessary to maximize the potential of each learning opportunity. Diersing said she wishes she had the funding to open the library after-hours so adults and students could benefit from after-school tutoring in reading, English and other subjects. The Arlington elementary school media center also serves as art gallery by displaying student artwork.\n"Our media center is an amazing place for children and students to spend time; it's a hub of activity in our building," Diersing said. "It's a place where we have both parents and community volunteers, as well as students who volunteer once a week. It's an amazing and powerful place."\nBesides being able to check-out library books free of charge, Black said the MCCSC also provides free academic books to students who receive free or reduced lunches. To help fund the Arlington Elementary School media center, Black said the Parent Teacher Organization, book fairs and campus community member financial gifts contribute to the purchase of hardback materials, the maintenance of periodical subscriptions and the pay of media center staff.\n"Having a bigger, better, library would be wonderful," Black said. "Seeing children with library books is a great thing; they like to go to the library to select new items each week."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(10/29/04 6:05am)
If home is where the heart is, campus community members should not feel surprised by the IU alumni traveling to Bloomington this weekend for the 2004 "Legend of Old IU" Homecoming festivities.\nAlumni, students, faculty, guests and Bloomington residents can expect time for meaningful family functioning, spectacular floating fortresses of fun and a fall football frolic with the Minnesota Gophers. \nCynthia Schultz, senior director of communications for the IU Alumni Association, said the concept of an IU Homecoming is similar to what most students experienced at their high schools -- graduates returning to the University.\n"Students are involved in Homecoming; they are running the show," Schultz said. "Go to the parade; go to the luncheon; go to the game; and go see the Four Tops at the Auditorium. It's a festive weekend, a big deal. It's going to be awesome."\nIU's annual homecoming celebration lifted off Thursday evening with the "Yell Like Hell" competition, sponsored by the Student Alumni Association. To "Yell Like Hell," student groups and other participants prepared three-minute performances following scripts of skits, dance routines, musical numbers and lip-syncing.\nFor campus community members with an eye for moving spectacles decorated in crimson and cream colors in Indiana themes, the 46th annual homecoming parade begins at 5:30 p.m. today on Rose Avenue next to Willkie Quad between Third and Seventh streets. The parade route coils campus community members along East Third Street to Indiana Avenue and concludes at the Sample Gates at the corner of Indiana Avenue and Fifth Street for a Homecoming pep rally.\nIU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger said the general safety and security of Homecoming events will function similar to most athletic and cultural events on the campus community. \n"We've had this same type of weekend before. We know pretty much what to expect based on what we have seen historically," Minger said. "The only trouble we usually end up with is people walking into traffic, pedestrians and cars not aware of each other. If everyone is conscious of their surroundings, we don't expect any problems."\nHomecoming parade vehicles will begin congregating at 3:30 p.m. on Rose Avenue and all vehicles will join the parade formation at 4:45 p.m. The campus community can expect the IUPD's "traffic pattern" to go into effect at approximately 5:15 p.m, according to an IUPD statement. The parade will conclude before 6:30 p.m.\nPresident Adam Herbert will join IU Football Coach Gerry DiNardo, IU football team captains, cheerleaders, alumnae RedSteppers and the Marching Hundred alumni band for a pep rally at the Sample Gates. Campus community members can also enjoy the Big-Red Warm Up, a free two-hour open house at the Virgil T. DeVault Alumni Center offering free beverages and snack foods. \nFor those with spending cash in their wallets and an empty belly to fill, the 17th annual Homecoming lunch will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Gladstein Fieldhouse, east of Assembly Hall. Surprise celebrity alumni guests will feast with anyone willing to purchase a ticket for brunch with fellow IU alumni, students, faculty and supporters. Tickets cost $12 for adults and $6 for those 12 and under.\n"Both the parade and the pep rally will be awesome," Schultz said. "Get dressed up, stake out a spot down along the parade route and have fun. Just show up and start shaking hands."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(10/29/04 5:28am)
The ugliness inflicted upon civilian populations in times of war might only be eclipsed by the genuine suffering and misery experienced by the many women victimized by men in times of peace and prosperity in otherwise developed countries. \nIn celebration of the 2004 United Nations Day, more than 60 campus community members convened for a panel presentation and discussion on worldwide violence against women.\nUnited Nations Day is recognized annually by hundreds of countries across the globe to signify the Oct. 24, 1947, worldwide recognition of the United Nations charter. \nCindy Stone, gender studies program administrator, said the panel was invited to speak for the 10th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, a collection of federal laws instituted in 1994 to promote safe streets, homes, civil rights and equal justice for women in American society.\nThe Department of Gender Studies co-hosted the event with the Indiana Commission for Women in accordance with the 2004 United Nations Day theme, "Women's Rights and Empowerment: The Millennium Development Goals and Gender Equity." \nGender Studies Professor Suzanna Walters mediated the panel of speakers that included Indiana Senator Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington, Middle Way House Executive Director Toby Strout, Gender Studies Professor Julie Thomas and Psychology Professor Amy Holtezworth-Munroe.\n"Violence against women affects women of all ages," Thomas said. "The inferior status, secondary status, of women is reflected in the violence -- reinforced by the threat of violence. One out of three women around the world has been a victim of abuse."\nThomas concentrated audience attention on the negative effects of female circumcision, dowry transactions, acid throwing, "honor" killings, sex trafficking and ethnic cleansing. \nWithin the Bloomington city limits, Strout said the Middle Way House serves women who have been victimized by violence in the community. \n"In a context where there are in fact abused women, women have got to be kept safe," Strout said. "All over the world -- not just in this state, country and hemisphere -- we lock up the victims instead of the perpetrators. The newest arena for domestic violence is the courtroom. Nothing short of a revolution is needed."\nThe U.N. vision of ending violence against women asks that all women of the world have equal access to the right of life, of equality, of liberty, security of person, equal protection under the law and the right to be free from all forms of discrimination.\nSenator Simpson said campus community women are represented in the state legislature, since she has pressured legislative leaders across the state to consider modifying laws to protect women from violence. \n"If the public stands up and says, 'We think this is wrong,' legislatures will listen," Simpson said. "We tend to put Band-Aids on things, depending on what's in the news headline. We don't look at the whole picture of how to reduce or eliminate violence against women." \nWhile appropriate legislative changes are negotiated to protect women against violence, Simpson said female campus community members should maintain control of their space as best they can.\n"Be aware of your surroundings and make sure you are not in a situation of risk. If you are in a situation where you feel threatened, there are resources in this community you call upon," she said.\nStone said considerable funding continues to be needed to serve women who are currently suffering from violent and oppressive relationships, situations and work environments. Recently a $300,000 government grant was not renewed for the Middle Way House.\n"Women's bodies are being used as a receptacle for men's hatred," Stone said. "The continuation of gender violence is how far we have to go in re-educating and re-imagining masculine and feminine relations of gender. Young men need to get very involved in solving the problem of violence against women; it is their responsibility not to be violent. One cannot be victimized unless there is a victimizer."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(10/28/04 5:39am)
The flow of human traffic came to a near standstill Wednesday in the registrar's office for students wishing for a second chance at succeeding academically during the fall semester. \nFor one reason or another, hundreds of students stood in lines that snaked through the lobby of Franklin Hall to drop or add classes during the campus community's transition into the second eight weeks of the scheduled 16-week academic term. \nWednesday marked the University registration deadline for dropping a 16-week class with an automatic "W;" throughout the rest of the semester, professors have the responsibility of granting students permission to withdraw from the 16-week semester with either a grade of "W" or "F."\nAlthough the exact number of registration changes entered into computers couldn't be tallied at press time, IU Registrar employee Roland Cote said the students lined through the door for the last three days seemed motivated by three primary reasons: drop a 16-week class and pick-up or drop an eight-week class.\n"I cannot break down the numbers," Cote said. "The amount of signatures needed by students depends on the activity going on here. In order to frame this with a clear and logical focus, you must understand student registration is performed between the faculty, (University) departments and the particular (University) school." \nBesides the troublesome nature of navigating bureaucratic hierarchies, some students seemed especially bothered by the problematic policies required of every student working to reform their semester schedule. Throughout the registration process, most students traveled across the campus community to acquire the necessary signatures, in pen form or rubber stamp, from one to five official persons assigned to this job. \nIn some cases, many of the required signatures could be forged by approved faculty members to help burden student time responsibilities, obligations and commitments within the framework of the drop and add processes. Junior Geoff Hufford, a first year transfer from IU Purdue University-Indianapolis, said the student processes involved in registration changes is dramatically different at the Bloomington campus. He said his registration ordeal lasted about an hour and a half. \n"We did (registration) a little bit different up there," Hufford said, while hustling out of Franklin Hall. "At IUPUI, we had to pick up a form from the commons area, have the instructor sign it and turn it in. The whole deal takes about 10 minutes. Today, I had to get at least three signatures from three different places." Once on the scene in Franklin Hall, registrar personnel corralled students into one of two routes for resolving their registration needs. The first line, which coiled like an amusement park path to a roller coaster, directed the flow of student feet to the left, into the auxiliary registration space. The second line, which resembled raw meat cranking through a meat grinder, led students along a straight path of brown carpet into the green paint and yellow light of the registrar's office. \nSophomore Charlotte White, who orchestrated student traffic as a traffic cop for the line moving left, said students had been lining the room for hours.\n"I have no idea how long this has been going on," White said Wednesday afternoon, while waving her arms at the next student in line. "Next, please. Go right there."\nIn between occasional screams of "keep the line moving," registrar employees conducted several screenings while students waited in line to determine if all their paperwork was completed and in proper order. Beneath the sound of student grunts, moans, howls and breathless pants, the noise of rubber shoe soles dragging two steps at a time contributed to an environment undertone of borderline pandemonium exemplified in beads of sweat dripping down exhausted student faces. \nCote said the hassle felt by students during the registration process is recognized and appreciated by the registrar's office staff.\n"After the first week of classes, all enrollment control -- the registration system -- is transferred to the course departments," Cote said. "Since classes have already begun, the specific department needs to determine: one, the space in the class; two, if the instructor's opinion corresponds in that decision. The departments control how many students get into a class; the department chair stabilizes enrollment for the instructor. Even though registration is about communication between instructor and professor, the departments usually prefer students do not go the instructor if the class is full."\nLooking ahead to next semester, students and registrar faculty recognize the benefits of modifying schedules as early as possible to avoid long waits. Cote said students should use the knowledge and resources an academic advisor possesses.\n"The advisor is in the position to determine what classes fit for a student," Cote said. "Part of the difficulty is timing all this. This is not an unusually high level of this kind of activity -- students come in late to complete the registration process. I'm surprised we are able to get through them so quickly; the staff has been trained to deal with the systems in place." \nNot necessarily comforted by the artwork lining the walls of the registrar's office after his wait in line, Hufford said he learned his lesson today, after about two hours of panicked and bothered instruction.\n"Don't wait until the last day to drop or add a class," Hufford said. "I've known for a month, I was going to drop a class. I waited two hours before the deadline to start; that's definitely not the best way to go."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(10/26/04 5:34am)
The slogan "Where is the love?" is tattooed on walkways in sidewalk chalk, stapled onto bulletin boards in buildings and painted on the sides of bridges blanking significant portions of the IU campus landscape.\nHowever, many campus community members wonder if this so-called "love" can be located, or whether students, faculty, town residents and guests have fallen victim to missionary propaganda? Although a clever rhetorical question engineered to stimulate curiosity, "Where is the love?" has infiltrated the mindset of campus community members because of its graffiti like nature.\nFortunately, the love can be found in many ways at many places within the campus community. Junior Laura Bonano, a food service worker at Sugar & Spice, said some Indiana Memorial Union patrons locate their love in cookies, ice cream and other delicious desserts.\n"It usually takes students one second to decide what they love," Bonano said. "The no-bake cookies are our best seller -- we sell about 22,000 each school year, followed by the chocolate chip. My favorite is the iced cookies, it doesn't matter what kind of icing. We change the icing seasonally, it depends on the decorations."\nFor the current season, campus community members can project their love toward pumpkin-face cookies, peanut butter cookies, cranberry oatmeal cookies, turtle cookies and sugar cookies iced in yellow, green, blue or purple icing, to name a few.\nFor campus community members without a sweet tooth, the IU Main Library offers students, faculty, Bloomington residents and guests the opportunity to locate love in books.\nSenior Adele McCormack, a Main Library assistant, said there are millions of pages of love within the 11 floors of limestone walls.\n"I don't know if students really love the books here," McCormack said. "The graduate students seem to. We have about 6 million books; there is a wide variety for any reading pleasure students may have. I definitely should have read more during my undergraduate career."\nWhen confused with ambiguous questions, campus community members will often look to locate love in problematic places. Anne Reese, director of Health and Wellness Education at the IU Health Center, said the IUHC can assist campus community members in their quest to find genuine love.\n"All of the services at the IU Health Center are confidential and private," Reese said. "We help students with relationship problems: intimacy issues and sexual issues; any 'couple' issue is something you could talk about with a counselor as long one person is an IU student. We can teach students how to communicate better or how to discover what he or she wants. We can also help students work through their sexual relationships."\nAbiding by the principle "no glove -- no love," students can obtain one to four free condoms from a punchbowl at the main desk on the third floor, or in the Health and Wellness office on the fourth floor.\nBehind the scenes of the "Where is the love?" campaign, sophomore Shannon Perkins, who was wearing a yellow shirt with a question mark printed on the front Monday afternoon near the IMU, said the IU Campus Crusade for Christ is responsible for tempting the natural curiosity of campus community members with sidewalk chalk and Web site advertisements.\n"A couple people introduced 'Where is the love?' to (our group) one day," Perkins said. "A good 50 or 60 of us -- Campus Crusade for Christ members, showed up to do chalking and postering last week to spark interest in what's going on. This week, it's getting the Web site out and we're getting people to it. Basically, we are not after fun; we have fun doing this."\nSpotted throughout the borders of campus this week, IU CCC participants are wearing yellow T-shirt costumes to advertise the Web site www.wherelove.com to anyone who looks their direction. Perkins said the IU CCC meets at 8 p.m. every Thursday in Woodburn Hall, room 100. During each meeting, students join in the worship of God and praise of Jesus Christ through song.\nBased on faith driven love, the IU CCC would like to see campus community members forming a closer relationship with God while living in this "hate-filled world," \n"God is the source of our love and that when Jesus came to this Earth, he loved people first and foremost," CCC participant Alexandre Costa said in a statement.\nSenior Cori Boersma, who was also adorned in a yellow costume masked by a question mark, said she was wearing the T-shirt because she's asking herself the question: "Where is the love?"\n"I personally believe that real love can only be found through God and Jesus," Boersma said. "I think that a lot of people here have messed up what the message of Jesus is. I think the real message is love; the real point is that God is the greatest power in the world."\nLove can also be located and shared by the merchants offering business and services to campus community members. \nBloomington resident Chris Toon, who works at Amused Clothing -- a smoke shop and alternative lifestyle retailer, said love can only be located in the hearts of campus community members.\n"Love is inside of you; whether or not you realize it, that's a different story," Toon said. "Love is a form of self-expression that can be experienced by driving across the country, sitting in a hot spring, climbing a mountain, swimming in the ocean or by visiting a redwood tree. It's in you; you have to find your own way. There are a million ways to find yourself: yoga, church or climbing a tree."\nRegardless of God-like love, projected love for Jesus or the soul search for self-love, campus community members can locate love just about anywhere on campus. \n -- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(10/25/04 5:41am)
Academic advisers act the part of a bridge for students to gap the student-institution relationship; offering about 40,000 students great advice is good advice for the University. But bad advice is sometimes prescribed to the tune of thousands of tuition dollars.\nSimilar to some student situations within the campus community, senior Jenn Billinson said the misinformation advised to her during her junior year cost her an extra semester of out-of-state tuition. Billinson, who is from Virginia, said studying abroad shouldn't detour students' four-year academic plans.\n"I had a bad experience," Billinson said. "I went to see an adviser to inquire about studying abroad; I wanted to know if the credits would count (toward graduation). After I was accepted into the program, I was told: 'You will not graduate on time.' I took summer classes to try to make-up for the loss, but I still have to stay an extra semester."\nOn the other hand, some students might suffer without the assistance of an academic adviser. Theater and Drama Adviser Charles Railsback said academic advisers are the key link to curriculum and departmental information for many campus community members. \n"An adviser stands in the middle of the University and the student," Railsback said. "My observation is that advisers see it their mission to help students; advisers will try to help. Students should be cooperative and seek help."\nSchool of Education Adviser Lynn Greenfield said handling changes is often the most difficult part of the job, considering each school on campus has individual advisers offering services to students.\n"Advising is informing students of the options they have; advising is giving good advice to students," Greenfield said. "Most advisers do their best to give good advice to students. Students should keep all documents we give them in a folder, so we can walk through the progress together. That way, the information they need isn't a surprise to them."\nRailsback said any faculty member can act as an adviser for a student.\n"Ultra-independent students might not utilize campus resources to fit their needs," Railsback said. "They miss out on information only the adviser possesses in the department. Across the board, in almost all areas of the University, programs aim to have a general education plus a specific education. Sometimes students define themselves too narrowly."\nInstead of assuming an automatic four-year plan, Greenfield said getting in and out of the University takes a lot of focus and planning by students.\n"Try and make a plan," Greenfield said. "Have a general idea of what you want to do. If you change your major, you will have to add on more time: summers, and that sort of thing. That's the nature of making changes in an academic institution."\nEvery worker in every profession makes a mistake at one time or another. Greenfield said to err is human; mistakes do happen, typically from student and adviser miscommunication.\n"I don't want to blame anyone," Greenfield said. "Either the adviser doesn't advise the student correctly or the student doesn't listen. I'm sorry that happens. I don't think we can really say there is a problem, unless many students can point to a similar situation. I see our job as that of an aide to person controlling the path of the plan. It's possible to have an off day; we strive to not have that happen."\nAdvisers play a particular role in the University structure as gatekeepers to curriculum and specific program information -- what professor teaches which class, which class choice will better serve the student's scholarly breadth -- and "inside" information of the particular school: who can assist the student in a particular direction. Greenfield said students sometimes suffer from misinformation due to frequent changes in registration and computer processes.\n"I really appreciate the student who comes in to see me and takes in the whole picture," Greenfield said. "There is a lot of information to understand; there are a lot of resources available to students on campus. Too bad for students who don't take advantage of the richness that is here. We work with the student in mind; we want to deliver the best services possible."\nFortunately, students can participate in the role of active agent in the student-adviser relationship. Greenfield said many students are ill prepared when making curriculum decisions guiding the course of their study.\n"Students can be prepared," Greenfield said. "They are the one steering the boat. I just inform them of the information -- they are affected by it."\nBillinson said it's a shame students receive bad advice, since the student-adviser relationship should be based on what is good for students.\n"It's impossible for students to know the requirements for everything," Billinson said. "I know each adviser advises hundreds of students; good advice is a huge deal to each person they advise."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
(10/22/04 6:19am)
Led by a peaceful procession of wicked witches in cloaks and gypsies with lanterns, campus community members convened Thursday evening for a treat of spooky scares, tall tales and gruesome ghost stories. \nAbout 200 tickets were sold for the fourth annual Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology ghost walk across the IU campus. For the first of two scheduled ghost walks, Bloomington residents, students, faculty and guests departed from the south side of the Main Library and finished at the Career Development Center. \nThe second ghost walk, already sold out, is scheduled to depart at 7 p.m. tonight from the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, 504 N. Fess St., and will weave through the Indiana Memorial Union, among other buildings and locations on campus. \nRuth Aten, administration service coordinator for the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology who established the first ghost walk on the campus community in 2001, said 24 talented students and faculty are involved in putting the ghost walk together. She said the ghost stories are collected from campus community members and department research.\n"Every year the ghost walk has ballooned; this year, we oversold," Aten said. "Someone said this campus is the most haunted around. We've got great storytellers."\nDepartment of Folklore and Ethnomusicology Chair Ruth Stone said the money will be used to buy a DVD player and viewing screen for the department seminar room and a folklore conference this spring.\n"Folklore is the study of stories and beliefs," Stone said. "We actually have over 100 graduate students and over 50 undergraduates getting degrees in our department. They study lots of dimensions of life, things people might not feel are important: the way people live, and the songs and music they make. A lot of important information is communicated in these stories, and that is what we are studying."\nThe ghost stories shared ranged from haunting voices near the Arboretum that heckle, "Get off of my home," to a posse of guys with a revolver hiding in the shadows chasing a blurred spirit; from the "Lady in Yellow" who was murdered by her boyfriend to the laughter of a little child in the basement of Teter; from the female student who had her neck slashed ear-to-ear in McNutt to students drowning in the former pool of the Student Building.\nFolklore and Ethnomusicology graduate student Terri Jordan, who was dressed as a gypsy, said folklorists concentrate on cultural tradition and creativity.\nSimilar to Greek and Roman mythology, many common threads, motifs and themes tie ghost stories together. Graduate student Mike Pierce said one ghost story or another floats around dorms because of the proliferation of students in these buildings.\n"Ghost stories are about intrusions into the past," Pierce said. "You start to see patterns in ghost stories; you notice people die in fires a lot. I think, this is just me conjecturing, being burned really hurts, and the deceased are mad about it."\nGraduate student Rhonda Dass said Ballantine Hall is known as the suicide tower, and for good reason. She said many janitors refuse to go to the top floor after midnight, at which time orbs of light flash down the hallway and jump out of the window.\n"The most important part of a ghost story is it could be true," Dass said. "It leaves a little bit of suspense. In other stories, like fairy tales, there is no way to prove that little pigs can talk. Ghost stories usually involve one person who experiences a supernatural encounter, a certain condition that must be met: it's dark, it's misty, solitary -- often lonely -- sound ,and it's always late at night."\nDass said all ghost stories shared during the ghost walk are collected from personal accounts and not made-up by the storytellers.\n"Folklorists don't invent stories, we record them," Dass said. "Take the introduction to folklore class, and buy your tickets early for next year."\nSighted periodically throughout the evening covered in blood, the "Lady in Yellow," costumed by graduate student Zsuzsanna Cselenyi, said she was murdered by her boyfriend because she was pregnant.\n"I roam around the campus," she said. "I was killed unjustly, and I haven't had my revenge yet. I want to scare him to death. Don't get pregnant if you don't want to get hurt."\nThe ghost walk eclipsed with a guided tour of the Career Development Center by Director Patrick Donahue, who played the character of and dressed as the "Good Doctor." Besides the back door, which doesn't open to the inside of the CDC building, and the front window, which can't be accessed from within, Donahue said the facility has a haunted past straight from newspaper headlines.\n"When the original owner was unable to sell the house, he shot and killed himself in the basement," Donahue said. "I was supposed to have taken care of female student sexual indiscretions on the third floor. I performed illegal abortions; I would take the fetuses and stick them in the coal shoot until they could be disposed of during the night. I hung myself above the stairs. (Career Development staff) have reported seeing the ghost of a 17-year-old girl who died in my hands."\nDuring the ghost walk tonight, campus community members can expect the same range of scary tales. \nGraduate student Chantal Clarke said her costumed role as ghost will be better utilized in the haunted IMU. \n"I'm just footsteps tonight," Clarke said. "I'll be part of the ghost story tomorrow, an ambiance in the shadows."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.
