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(10/04/09 10:33pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Most high school athletes only dream of playing for a Big Ten school. But for graduate student and Bloomington North alumna Whitney Thomas, this dream became a recurring one when she was recruited for both basketball and volleyball.“I was recruited to play both, but the basketball coach decided that I shouldn’t do both, so I picked basketball,” Thomas says.So Thomas hit the court, starting in 130 of 131 games, and was the second player in IU history to record more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her career.But after four years of basketball, Thomas wasn’t done with IU athletics. An NCAA rule states that college athletes can play four seasons of one sport, and one season of another. When Thomas decided to pursue her master’s degree in applied sports science, she called on that rule to play volleyball for one season. “Even though I hadn’t played volleyball in a while, I played a collegiate sport,” Thomas says, “and I would have experience because the team’s really young. So I thought, ‘why not? I’ll try it out.’” To get back into peak volleyball form, Thomas started playing with the team over the summer, taking every opportunity for extra practice. The work paid off. As a right-side hitter, she has the third-most kills on the team. When she graduates, Thomas plans to return to basketball as a coach at the collegiate level. However, she won’t say whether basketball or volleyball is her favorite sport. “They’re just so different, it’s hard to say,” Thomas says. “I played basketball much longer, so I know that more, but I really do enjoy playing volleyball too.” Thomas says she would encourage other student athletes to suit up for two sports because of the relationships she’s building. “It’s totally different when you go from one sport to another,” Thomas says. “You get to meet a group of people you wouldn’t have the opportunity to meet. I think that’s the best part. I’ve gotten the opportunity to meet some of the girls on the team, and they’re great, and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
(10/04/09 10:24pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Dining Services is, for the second year, serving apples grown only miles away from Bloomington. Inside tracked an apple from the orchard to your order. The Apple Works, a farm 35 miles northeast of Bloomington, supplies IU’s dining halls with crisp apples every week. Director of Dining Services Sandra Fowler says the Apple Works is the only farm capable of supplying the quantity of apples the school needs for its students. “We continue to look for local food and local produce,” Fowler says, “but sometimes it’s difficult for local farms to provide us what we need.”The Apple Works has been able to keep up with the demand. IU purchases between 40 and 100 bushels each week, keeping in mind leftover stock. The bushels hold about 90 apples, but that depends on the apples’ size.The Apple Works co-owner Sarah Brown said she thinks the University cares about the food it distributes and is catching on to the “buy local” trend. “The fact that these are local means they’re going to be as fresh as they can be,” she says.TASTE TEMPTATIONThe apples are picked, washed, and graded for size, then stored in a chilled (33-34 degrees) room. Every Friday, IU places an order and the Apple Works employees pull and box the apples. The University selects two varieties each week from among Molly’s Delicious, Ginger Gold, and Gala.On Wednesday, Brown’s husband and co-owner, Rick Brown, loads a van with bushels of fruit. Rick drives the apples to RPS Food Stores, an IU warehouse on 10th Street, before 2 p.m. so workers can distribute the fruit.When the apples reach the warehouse, they are stored at 66 to 68 degrees for no longer than a week, says Ancil Drake, the executive chef and associate director for production. Next, the dining halls and kiosks order what they need for the week, and the apples make the journey from the warehouse on IU trucks.Once the apples reach the residence halls, apple lovers can purchase the fruit with meal points or money and crunch away.
(09/22/09 1:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior Joey Mattucci has always been a movie guy.“When I was a little kid, I used to do triple-headers,” Mattucci said. “I’d go to a movie at 12 o’clock with my dad, and I’d be walking out of there at 11 o’clock at night. We’d pay for one movie and sneak into two others.”Mattucci wanted to make a career in film, but one day, a high school film teacher gave him some bad news: Going to film school would be hard.“When you’re younger you have dreams like, ‘One day I’ll be making movies,’ but in reality, I should probably go to school for business,” Mattucci said.So he followed what he calls his teacher’s “Midwest mentality” and went to IU for business.But the movie bug never went away. So three and a half years later, after hearing about the Department of Telecommunications from a roommate, he is now a telecommunications and communication and culture double major. He is also one of the driving forces behind Dark Hound Productions, a new student organization devoted to producing student films and projects.Dark Hound is a merger of two student film clubs: Mattucci’s Future Filmmakers Association and Feature Film Production, which seniors Kevin Domer and Erick Cole started in order to produce their feature-length film “Only Human.”“Only Human” is currently in production and is the largest independent student film in IU’s history. It is the first feature-length film for Dark Hound, and it is using students and people of all ages from across IU’s campus and Bloomington.“Our main philosophy is to give students hands-on experience outside of class,” Cole said. “Telecomm’s great, CMCL’s great, but a lot of the upper level classes you can’t even take until your junior and senior year.”Dark Hound is an official student organization, so it was able to acquire $14,000 in grants from the IU Student Association to pay for equipment. Some members have also taken out loans and received donations. In total, the group has spent more than $43,000 for state-of-the-art equipment.“It’s almost like we’re trying to provide a teaching experience through doing,” Mattucci said. “Rather than in a classroom, we give you the tools, and if you want to put in the time and try things out, it’s kind of like experiential learning.”According to Dark Hound’s business plan, potential projects have to be approved by the club. Once approved, a project is assigned members to fill the producer, director and other roles.With a structure modeling Hollywood production companies, Mattucci said he hopes the club serves as a good resume builder and networking tool.Steve Krahnke, a telecommunications professor and the group’s advisor, said he participated in a film organization at the University of Michigan when he was a student and that it helped his career.He also said what students are learning while producing the film “Only Human” is the most important part of the process.“In my mind, what happens in the end is less important than actually doing it,” Krahnke said.Both Cole and Mattucci said they hope the club is around in the next 10 years. For Cole, “Only Human” and Dark Hound were opportunities to leave a footprint at his alma mater.“I always wanted to do something at IU that I’d be remembered for,” Cole said. “I want to leave something behind for a future generation of students.”
(09/14/09 3:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While IU is known for its music school, its wooded campus and its famous coaches, it is still missing something: a film school.But a new group on campus is planning to fill that void with the production company Dark Hound Productions, an organization created to give a hands-on experience for students interested in filmmaking. Official shooting starts next week for “Only Human,” the group’s first feature film and the largest independent student film to be done at IU.The film, which is about a prodigal pianist with a secret past, started with a script senior Kevin Domer wrote in his screenwriting class. He said he didn’t think about actually producing it until his friend senior Erick Cole pitched him the idea.“He asked me first if I was thinking about making it, and I just laughed in his face,” Domer said. “I was like ‘Yeah, right, if you and 50 other people want to help me, we’ll make it happen.’”But by January, Domer had those 50 students on board to turn his screenwriting assignment into a feature film.With the power of the production team, a budget of about $40,000, and students from eight departments across campus, it is the first production of its kind to be shot at IU.While students have produced independent films in the past, Steve Krahnke, a telecommunications professor and Domer’s adviser for his individualized major, said it differs from other projects because it involves so many people and is not a class project.“It’s different in some regards because there’s no faculty member telling them how to do certain things,” Krahnke said. For Domer, the film idea came at the perfect time. As a student majoring in film production in the Individualized Major Program, Domer needed a final graduation project. Krahnke said each student has to complete a “capstone project that demonstrates the full breadth” of his or her education.But when Domer approached Krahnke with his plan to produce a film on such a large scale, Krahnke said he “thought he was nuts.”“I definitely raised an eyebrow,” Krahnke said. “It’s a huge project that requires a level of coordination with other people, which you would think at a university would be simple, but it’s actually the most difficult part.”But when Domer and Cole talked with fifth-year senior Joey Mattucci in a communications and culture class, they found a way to make the coordination happen. Mattucci was already forming a filmmakers club, and Domer had created one to make “Only Human,” so to them it made sense to join forces.“We thought to ourselves, ‘If we’re doing all this short-production work and documentary work, and they’re doing this feature-length film, why don’t we become one entity and become a production company?’” Mattucci said.The group then worked on critiquing their script and recruiting students to help with the project.While Domer said about half of the people working on “Only Human” are telecommunications majors, the rest come from a variety of departments, such as art students making storyboards, theater majors as actors and a law student to organize legal contracts.“It takes a lot of different perspectives, a lot of different talents and skills,” Domer said. “You’ve got to have the organized people. You’ve got to have the visionary people. You’ve got to bring them together, and that’s what we’ve done.”Domer said the structure of the crew also sets the film apart from other student productions. In addition to Domer as the executive producer and Cole as the associate producer, there are three directors and three directors of photography to break up the work.They also purchased state-of-the-art equipment that is “superior, not just at the collegiate level, but even on the independent scale,” Domer said.Dark Hound Productions plans to be finished producing the film by the end of the school year, and then the company plans to screen it locally, with proceeds going to Big Brothers Big Sisters and the National Skin Cancer Foundation. After that, the future of the film is unknown.Domer said he would love the film to win awards at festivals and be widely distributed but said he chooses to be realistic.“If you talk to any professional, they’re going to tell you there’s not even a chance,” Domer said. “So we’re just keeping our feet on the ground, and we’re just running with this right now.”
(09/03/09 1:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“I’m going on a date tonight,” my intern friend – let’s call her Jan – said to me one weekday morning.My cliche response followed: “Oh really? Who is he? Is he cute? How’d you meet him?”Yes, he – let’s call him Bob – was cute, hot actually, but Jan only knew his name, school and job. He had asked her out shortly after meeting her through a younger sibling. His basic stats weren’t enough for Jan, so to Google and Facebook we went.Fifteen minutes later, we had sucked the mystery from a first date that hadn’t even happened yet. It was then I realized, with all the benefits of the Information Age, we have lost sight of how much dating has changed. Gone are the days of spending an evening with a near stranger, or going on a completely blind date. Now any questions we have can be cleared up by our pal, the Internet. Jan and I started by googling the name of Bob’s school, which neither of us had heard of but we found it in seconds. We then started looking for clues about the types of studentsw that enroll there. We skimmed admission requirements, looked at photo galleries and even found a sports team Bob played for. We commented on our findings as we clicked and scrolled, creating a mental profile of a guy Jan barely knew. After our search, we knew where Bob was from, which high school he attended and even how much he weighed. Jan already had negative judgments toward him. Why did he go to such a small school? Did he only get in for sports? Was he smart, too? I felt a bit embarrassed by our background check. We kept saying to each other, “Oh, we should stop.” “Yeah, we are stalking.” But then with more research came more questions and it was too easy to find the answers.I tried to justify my behavior. With more than 250 million active users on Facebook and countless computers with Google as the main search engine, it was a safe bet we weren’t the only ones looking up info that morning. If it’s online, I also thought, why should I feel guilty about reading it? No one is held against his or her will to sign up for Facebook. By creating a profile, the user is agreeing to publish personal information for “friends” to see.But through all the excuses I created, I came to my own conclusion: Even if information is accessible, that doesn’t mean it should be accessed. In Jan’s case, each exciting first date jitter diminished with every new tidbit of info we discovered. Jan and Bob didn’t work out. Nothing catastrophic, the chemistry just wasn’t there. I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if she had saved all her questions for that initial conversation and looked at her date with an open mind.Would it have worked out? Maybe you can’t find everything on Google.
(08/30/09 11:35pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If you’ve unfolded the menus of Kirkwood restaurants, stepped foot in Bloomingfoods, or wandered around the Farmers’ Market on a Saturday morning, you know Bloomington natives like to eat locally grown food. However, the freshest food comes with a price that may turn away cash-strapped college students. “It does tend to be more expensive,” says Dawn Goodfellow, Bloomington Bagel Company’s chief operating officer. “We have to pass on some of that cost to our customers.” But never fear, hungry Hoosiers. We’ve done the bargain hunting at a few of your favorite haunts, so you can eat fresh, eat cheap, and eat up. Bloomington Bagel Company113 N. Dunn Street, 349-4653; Seventh and Morton Streets bbcbagel.comWith eggs from Rhodes Family Farm in Newberry, honey from Hunter’s Honey Farm in Martinsville, and cider from Bloomington’s own Musgrave Orchard, BBC supports its neighbors. Goodfellow says using local ingredients helps attract customers. “This is our community as well,” Goodfellow says. “We’re friends with a lot of the local business owners.” But the great bagels don’t hurt the joint’s strong following, either. Each bagel costs 90 cents and with flavors like cinnamon sugar and sun-dried tomato, and more than 10 choices of schmears, lunch can be tasty and less than $5. Nick’s English Hut423 E. Kirkwood Ave., 332-4040, nicksenglishhut.comCraving a burger that doesn’t taste like cardboard and ketchup? With Angus beef from Fischer Farms in Jasper, Nick’s burgers are hormone and antibiotic free. Owner Gregg Rago says he partnered with the farm about five years ago because of Nick’s commitment to supporting local friends and businesses, and also, for plain good eats. “We believe in quality food,” Rago says. To get the most for your cash, enjoy the special on Sunday, when a burger and fries is only $5.25. Pizza X:1791 E. 10th St., 339-7737, and other locations, express.bloomington.comYes, you read right. Your favorite place for a 2 a.m. pizza uses ingredients from around the state. Not only do they use fresh vegetables, says Director of Marketing Sarah Sheikh, but they always use Fischer Farms beef. And no need to remind you how cheap Pizza X is, but at $12.95, the typical Big X Bargain is a regular late night treat. Want to help the environment even more? Walk to the campus location and save the deliverer some gas. Hey, every little bit helps.
(06/16/09 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Olivia Stidham said even though IU is in the middle of the country, she still has a lot of good opportunities to travel to other places to hone her skills. She also likes living a short distance from home. MAJOR: Double major in international studies and FrenchHOMETOWN: IndianapolisDORM: EigenmannQ: Even though you’re in Indiana, how have you gotten involved in international affairs?A: Taking the classes does a lot, and the professors are always very knowledgeable. I’ve had a lot of professors who aren’t actually American, so they can give you a different perspective.Q: Are you planning to study abroad?A: Yes, I plan on spending my entire junior year in France.Q: Do you think IU has a lot of opportunities to go and explore other places?A: I think IU has an incredible amount of study abroad opportunities. I’ve been to the Office of Overseas study, and they’ve got binders all over the walls full of all the information.Q: How did you feel about your distance away from home?A: Sometimes I would think it was too close, but when my car broke down, it was nice being that close. It’s a good distance because you can be far enough away, but if something happens, you’re just a phone call away.Q: What advice would you give to incoming freshmen?A: Read course descriptions carefully. You don’t want to take a class and think it’s going to be one thing, but if you had actually read the description, it would be another. And try not to get too behind on work. It’s really easy to get distracted and procrastinate, but sometimes you’ve just got to buckle down and sit in the library for a couple hours.
(06/16/09 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Matthew Orr took a heavy course load with 19 credits during his spring semester, but he said he found ways to minimize stress and still enjoy college.MAJOR: Economics and political scienceHOMETOWN: Greenwood, Ind.DORM: EigenmannQ: How do you balance school and having a life?A: I schedule my classes early, so that way I have time to do stuff while all my friends are in classes. In the evening I have free time. I also have weekends. You have to make sure you work hard enough to have those weekends free because, otherwise, you just go insane.Q: How do you motivate yourself to get your work done?A: I just think about if I get this done, it’s something I don’t have to worry about. I get stuff done as soon as possible. It doesn’t build up for me.Q: What’s one thing you wish you would have known coming into freshman year?A: I wish I would have used office hours more. That’s one thing I never did until the latter part of this semester.
(06/16/09 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Alec McNees joined a fraternity at the beginning of his freshman year, but later decided greek life was not for him. But he had no problem finding friends in his dorm.MAJOR: Business with a French minorHOMETOWN: Naperville, Ill.DORM: FosterQ: How would you describe your freshman year?A: The school part was difficult, but other than that, it was awesome. I’m excited to get out of the dorms, but at the same time, it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.Q: Did you rush?A: I pledged a fraternity for a few months, but found out it wasn’t for me. After I depledged, I found myself with a lot more free time and time to experience all IU had to offer and meet a lot more people.Q: Why did you like it so much?A: I grew so close to everyone on my dorm floor. It wasn’t that Foster was particularly better than any dorm, I just gave it a chance. Q: How did you meet people?A: You’ve just got to make an effort. Go out there, ask anybody any question. They’re all there for the same thing. Everyone here is pretty much in the same boat as you. It’s all about going out and making an effort, and trying to extend yourself to people.Q: What’s something you wish you would have known before freshman year?A: I wish I would have gotten more involved my freshman year, and gone to more sporting events, because you can definitely meet people there.
(05/08/09 3:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With more than 5,800 students eligible to graduate, about 4,500 are expected to walk across the stage in cap and gown Saturday. Two commencement ceremonies will take place at Assembly Hall, one at 10 a.m. and the second at 3 p.m.Assistant director of ceremonies Terri Crouch said the University bases its estimate on cap and gown reservations, but some students do not always show.Crouch also said because seniors are allowed to bring as many guests as they want, it is hard to give an exact number of Bloomington visitors they’re expecting for the event. But based on history, it will probably be a full house.“Assembly Hall seats 17,000,” Crouch said. “Both sessions are, usually, nearly full, but that’s including graduates.”With a large number of people descending on the campus, IU Police Department Capt. Jerry Minger said the police will take the usual precautions.“Every event that draws a large amount of people, in general, we have security plans,” Minger said.Like other events that bring crowds to IU, such as football and basketball games, Minger said parking is an issue, so it’s a good idea to arrive early.But Minger said commencement differs from sporting events because people tend to come to campus to enjoy the time of graduation with their families instead of coming at the last minute.“Festivities around graduation generally start earlier on a personal level,” Minger said. “Parking isn’t quite the issue we have before an athletic event.”One security issue Minger said IUPD is concerned about is the number of older adults who come to see relatives graduate but might need medical attention.Minger said it is best for anyone who has such a problem to call 911 or the IUPD administrative number, 855-4111.While not all graduates choose to attend commencement, senior Kathryn Perkins said she wants to walk across the stage for her family members and to mark the end of her college career.Perkins said she will not receive her degree from the IU School of Education until December when she finishes student teaching in Chicago.“I need some closure because I’ve been having a hard time leaving,” Perkins said. “I’ve grown up a lot in Bloomington, so it’s kind of scary to go somewhere else.”Perkins said the time of graduation is bittersweet. Her parents, both IU alumni, are excited for her to graduate but understand her mixed feelings because they experienced the same process.“My mom said she cried all the way back from Bloomington,” Perkins said.
(05/04/09 3:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If it weren’t for Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Terry Clapacs, the Arboretum would be a parking lot.That’s what Director of Facilities Michael Crowe said of Clapacs, his boss and friend, who will retire May 28.“When I was first hired and we were getting ready to demolish the 10th Street football stadium, Terry faced a lot of pressure to turn it into a parking lot,” Crowe said.But Crowe said he and Clapacs thought in terms of green space, so Clapacs convinced critics the Arboretum would be a better choice.“Can you imagine that not being there?” Crowe said. “He’s the one who made the decision for it to become the Arboretum.”Clapacs has been at IU since his freshman year of college in the early 1960s. During his time in Bloomington, he has had a hand in the beautification of the University, the development of buildings across the eight campuses and athletics.“As a freshman here, I felt the aesthetic beauty of this campus and knew that not all universities were put together like Indiana University was put together,” Clapacs said.He received his undergraduate degree in 1965. Before he finished his MBA in 1968, he started working full-time as a staff member for the University. After graduation, Clapacs never left.IU Foundation President Emeritus Curt Simic met Clapacs when they were both students. When Simic was the foundation’s president from 1988 to 2008, the two worked together in securing money to fund beautification projects, such as the Herman B Wells statue and flower beds throughout campus.Simic said his friend of 40 years sees the University’s need to be functional, but also inspirational, even with a structure like the Atwater Parking Garage.“When you see the end of that garage, it’s a beautiful-looking building,” Simic said. “You’d never know it’s a parking garage.”With Clapacs leaving, Crowe said there’s a fear Clapacs’ vision will fade away. But Clapacs said he chose a new master architect, David King, who will “help preserve the things we’ve built upon for the last several decades” and lead the Master Plan, a guideline for construction projects for future decades.President Michael McRobbie has not announced how he will choose a replacement for Clapacs, said IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre.Clapacs also served as athletic director from 2002 to 2004 and continued to do his job as chief administrative officer, which “required a lot of hours and seven days a week to do the job.”One memory Clapacs said he will never forget was a 9-mile walk he took with former basketball coach Bob Knight down I-70 in Columbia, Mo., back to their hotel after a loss at the University of Missouri. He said it was a cooling-off period for Knight.“When we would lose a game, he just wanted to be by himself or be with someone and just talk about other things,” Clapacs said. “It’s a night I’ll always remember.”Clapacs also said he has had a 29-year friendship with Knight, and is disappointed how Knight’s time at IU ended.“I remember all of it in a positive way, and I will always be sad it turned out the way it did,” Clapacs said.With Clapacs’ duties over at the end of the month, he said he looks forward to spending more time with his grandchildren, and in the fall he will travel to Croatia, where his grandparents and father lived.Phyllis Clapacs, his wife of 45 years, said she knows her husband is sad to be leaving IU. She said he worked constantly, but added that “his work is his enjoyment.”Terry and Phyllis Clapacs also have personal ties to the University. They met at a Little 500 practice when he was a rider for Delta Upsilon, and she came to watch with her sorority.“This guy came riding up to me and said, ‘Hi, you probably know who I am,’” Phyllis Clapacs said.But even though Terry Clapacs’ work duties will be over, he plans to keep an office on campus. For the next couple of years, he will be working on a book about the architectural history of IU.Terry Clapacs’ office will be next to longtime friend Simic, who said he hopes the campus does not lose the vision Terry Clapacs helped create.“Terry’s contributions over the last 40 years are incalculable,” Simic said. “His commitment to the vision and traditions of the University are unsurpassed.”
(04/28/09 3:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Graduate and Professional Student Organization has been working since last summer to improve graduate students’ salaries and course-change penalties, and its efforts now appear to have paid off.The Bloomington Faculty Council passed the organization’s resolution to create a committee to examine the salaries of student academic appointees and another resolution about drop/add fees specific to graduate students.Organization President Nick Clark said the initiative to study student academic appointees’ pay was one of the first the group took on when he was first elected in November 2007.“We wanted to promote the issue of salaries,” Clark said. “As long as I’ve been here, it’s something graduate students complain about quite often.”To research the current state of graduate students, Clark said the organization commissioned a report to compare student academic appointees’ salaries with other salaries on campus and graduate students’ salaries at other institutions.From the results of the report, the organization concluded it should survey IU graduate students.About 10 percent of the graduate student population – 803 students – responded to the survey, according to its findings. All major schools were represented.The survey reported the average monthly salary of graduate students is $957 after taxes and that 46 percent of students work a second job. About 44 percent said their second job impeded their research progress.When graduate students were asked what the highest priority to be addressed was, 28.3 percent – the most common response – mentioned the availability of financial aid, and 26.3 percent cited stipends for student academic appointees.Clark said the organization decided to “seek an institutional solution” to the problem, which led to the BFC committee. The committee will meet every other year to look at stipends for student academic appointees.“I think it’s an important step forward,” Clark said. “I don’t necessarily see salaries for any grad student rising because of all of this in the near future, but what it does do is create a mechanism by which grad students can make the case for getting paid more in the future.”Organization Vice President Amanda Meglemre said examining stipends not only helps graduate students, but also the whole University.“Stipends help us recruit better graduate students, which improves research opportunities, which improves teaching for undergraduate students,” Meglemre said. “It benefits everyone.”Brian Horne, a professor in the Jacobs School of Music and chair of Student Academic Appointee Affairs Committee in the BFC, said his committee was unanimously in support of the resolution.“The resolution we passed is self-perpetuating,” Horne said.Clark said the salaries will not improve immediately.“The nice thing about this committee is that it will continue to meet every other year into the future, so hopefully when times are better, there will be the case for grad students to say the minimum threshold should be higher,” Clark said. “We shouldn’t be expected to live below poverty to do this.”The BFC also passed a resolution regarding graduate student drop/add fees at its meeting April 21.Clark said there are currently two sets of fees assessed for graduate students. The first is a standard administrative fee assessed for all students who make a course change. The second is a refund schedule because, according to federal law, the University has to give a type of refund if a student drops a course.Clark said if a graduate student drops a course and adds another after the first week of classes, he or she will only be refunded 75 percent of their paid tuition.“An out-of-state grad student that’s changing a four-hour course is looking at a fee of around $800,” Clark said.The organization found the policy harsh and unfair because it does not apply to undergraduates, law students and business students.The resolution still requires approval from the Office of the Registrar.“It would have to go further up the chain, but we would endorse it to go further up the chain,” Horne said April 21 at the meeting.Meglemre said she was glad the the organization’s resolution passed because of the time her organization has spent on it.“We’re obviously very happy to see that pass,” Meglemre said. “It’s something we’ve been working on for almost this entire academic year.”
(04/27/09 3:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Congressman Baron Hill spoke at a union workers rally Saturday expressing his thoughts on IU support staff’s campaign for better wages and other labor issues. They campaigned for health care and the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for workers to unionize.Speakers outside the Monroe County Courthouse voiced their concerns for labor workers, who stressed the need for health care for everyone and how important unions are in corporate America.“You all keep the big corporations honest,” Hill said. “As a member of Congress, I will always support the labor unions.”Another speaker, Communications Workers of America Local 4730 President Peter Kaczmarczyk, said he does not want the fight for wages to be “an us against them” argument, but Kaczmarczyk said IU needs to recognize its support staff.“This is the time to give real raises to IU staff,” Kaczmarczyk said.About 75 people turned out for the rally on the square. Many carried signs with slogans that read, “It’s time our economy worked for everyone again!” and “Wall Street, you’re not above the law.” Others wore T-shirts and buttons supporting their unions.Victor Kinzer, a member-at-large on the CWA 4730 board, said the purpose of the rally was to bring awareness to current labor issues, specifically to the Employee Free Choice Act.According to the Library of Congress Web site, the Act is to make unionizing more efficient for employees and “to provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during organizing efforts.”“Hopefully people walking by will ask us questions. They’ll see all these people care,” Kinzer said. “Maybe they’ll go home and look up the act and see what’s actually going on.”IU support staff employee Karen Adkins-Fleener, who has worked at IU for 29 years, said she attended the rally because she wanted to find out more about the issues. She also said she feels positive that support staff will eventually get what they have been striving for.“I think staff has been slighted in years past, and we’re the ones that can really make the economy start working if they give us good raises,” Adkins-Fleener said.Kaczmarczyk and his union has contacted IU President Michael McRobbie and the board of trustees. The trustees have recognized the union’s plea, but the University’s budget cannot be made until the state budget is finalized and the trustees approve it. With the economy as it is, the University has not given a definitive answer to the union workers.But in order to get the raises and improve the problems labor workers face, Kinzer said workers have to come together and “speak with one voice.”“It’s very easy to push aside one person,” Kinzer said. “It’s hard to push aside a group of people that represent a constituency of voters.”
(04/24/09 3:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As Hoosiers’ budgets remain tight, IU’s support staff union, Communications Workers of America Local 4730, continues to plead for raises and representation.The union is fighting for livable wages and a “seat at the table” on the health care blue ribbon committee, a group formed by IU President Michael McRobbie to find more cost-effective methods for health care.To bring attention to its issues, a rally at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Monroe County Courthouse, 100 W. Fifth St., will bring workers from all over Indiana.CWA 4730 President Peter Kaczmarczyk said the rally is being publicized in Bloomington and southern Indiana.“We’re pushing for several hundred people, and I think that is doable,” Kaczmarczyk said.The event, which is sponsored by the CWA 4730, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the White River Central Labor Council and Jobs with Justice, will cover issues such as IU workers’ wages.“That’s our really big final push,” Kaczmarczyk said. “While it may be delayed somewhat, early May is when the trustees will make a decision on wages, so we’re getting down to the wire on this.”It is not definite exactly when the trustees will decide on salaries and tuition. IU bases its budget on the allocation given by the state, and then submits it to the IU trustees to approve.The board is meeting May 7 and 8, but IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said it is unlikely the budget will be created by then. The state budget is supposed to be finalized by April 30, but state law requires a public hearing regarding tuition and fees before the trustees may vote.Kaczmarczyk and the members of CWA 4730 have been working for better raises for months. In February, they had a press conference explaining their plea, and Kaczmarczyk wrote a letter to the IU board of trustees dated April 2. He said he thinks the union has made progress since February and has been getting good feedback.Trustee Pat Shoulders said he is sympathetic for the IU support staff.“My hope is that IU, in these tough economic times, will make the effort to treat all employees fairly with our economic constraints,” he said.While Shoulders said he is sympathetic, he also said that “the ability to pay what they deserve is really hampered” by the economy.In addition to the hope for wage increases, the rally will also address health care reform, another concern of CWA 4730.McRobbie announced the blue ribbon committee for health care in February. The measure was one example of actions McRobbie took to cut administrative costs and prevent educational expenses from being affected.The committee consists of faculty and administrators with health and finance expertise from multiple IU campuses. But IU support staff member Bryce Smedley said the committee is missing worker representation. The union has asked the committee and McRobbie to be included.“The main reason why we’re asking for a seat at the table is I think there’s a lot of experience that comes to the table when you have somebody who makes under $30,000 a year,” Smedley said. “Having that experience at the table, I think gives a lot more credibility to any recommendations or ideas.”CWA 4730 has also reached out to other groups who want say in the committee, such as the IU Graduate and Professional Student Organization.GPSO President Nick Clark said he understands the union’s request to be on the committee, and the GPSO has asked its members to e-mail the committee asking for representation.Clark also spoke with the Office of the President and said he finds its side “fairly convincing.” He said the purpose of the committee is not to shut out groups from the IU community.“I don’t think we can say at this time that it’s not going to lead to a cut in benefits for support staff and for grad students,” Clark said. “I’m sure that’s a possibility. But the idea is they’re going to, from an objective, expert-based angle, provide the president with recommendations about how the University can contain health care costs.”The union will continue to plead for what it wants because, Kaczmarczyk said, workers “have been ignored on the wage front for too long.”“We will continue to promote the issues we think are important to staff,” Kaczmarczyk said. “We think most of these issues dovetail with what we think the University is all about. We’ll continue to raise our voice in a civilized manner and hope that they’re paying attention.”
(04/15/09 4:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The search committee for the dean of students had its last meeting Tuesday. The candidates have all flown back to their respective schools. Now the campus waits.With the search for the replacement of the dean of students and vice provost for students in its final stages, it is now up to Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson to choose a new dean before current Dean of Students Dick McKaig retires July 1.But before Hanson can make a final decision, she said she wants to get a sense of the IU community’s reaction to the candidates.“The next step is to gather the feedback from everybody who participated in any of the meetings with the candidates,” Hanson said. “I used that same procedure when I chose the vice provost of faculty and academic affairs and the vice provost for undergraduate education, and I found it very useful.”Hanson said she anticipates a lot of response because of the large number of “student constituencies.”“Student feedback could have a big impact,” Hanson said.Bloomington Faculty Council President Herb Terry, who attended all four of the public forums, said he expects varied opinions from students.“I would be shocked if all the students and all the student groups lined up behind one of those candidates,” Terry said. “I think they’ll split.”Even though students might have their own favorites, Terry said students should point out what’s important to them and show how the candidates “stack up.”“Ultimately, the provost will make her own assessment, but sometimes these outside comments can lead the appointing officer to think about something in making that decision,” Terry said.Hanson said she does not have a specific day on which she plans to make an offer, and it is not guaranteed that the candidate will accept.“It can often take a while from the point an offer is made to things that have to go along from both sides in solidifying an agreement for someone to leave whatever job,” Hanson said.But whomever she chooses, Hanson said she liked the candidates the search committee brought forward. Terry said he agreed.“I was impressed by both the quality and diversity of the candidates the search committee turned up,” Terry said. “In one sense they’re all alike. I didn’t see any of them I would look at and say ‘no.’”Hutton Honors College Dean Matthew Auer, who headed the search committee, said he was glad the IU community reacted to the candidates the way the committee thought they would.“We felt that when folks got to meet candidates, they’d be impressed with what they saw,” Auer said. “We were proud of them and thought they were good.”One element missing from the final four was an internal candidate, but Auer said he could not say who, or if anyone, from the University applied because of confidentiality. But Hanson said having a candidate from the inside or not was irrelevant.“This was a search that wasn’t limited,” Hanson said. “It could have ended with an internal candidate, or an external candidate, or a mixture.”But Hanson also said she is taking her decision seriously and appreciated that students, faculty and staff were engaged in the search. “I do think the anxiety level can rise on the campus about how we can replace somebody who was so well-liked and so well-respected,” Hanson said. “Nobody’s going to be Dick McKaig, but I think the search committee did find people who are very, very good and they all have special strengths.”
(04/09/09 4:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Geneva Walker-Johnson covered an array of material Wednesday at her open forum but related all her answers to serving the college student as a whole.“Learning is a continuous process,” Walker-Johnson said. “It isn’t confined to the classroom.”At the IU Maurer School of Law, faculty, students and staff came to hear the fourth and final candidate for the dean of students and vice provost of student affairs position.Walker-Johnson, the current dean of students and chief student affairs officer at Old Dominion University, answered questions about main topics that came up at each of the other three open forums, such as greek life, student advocacy and improving the relations between students and faculty.She said as a member of the greek community herself, she would support self-governing if greek members can be responsible as well as independent.“It’s an awesome responsibility, to be greek,” she said, comparing the role of representing a sorority or fraternity to representing herself as an African-American woman.She also talked about student advocacy and how the role of the dean of students is to be the student voice when trying to accomplish large tasks. She used an example from ODU, saying she helped a group of students improve safety issues caused by a busy street that crosses ODU’s campus.Another main theme of the night was improving the rapport between students and faculty, especially at a large research institution such as IU. Walker-Johnson said she helped set up events at ODU for students to speak with professors about different issues away from the traditional classroom setting.“We’re trying to expose the other to the other, instead of force the other to the other,” Walker-Johnson said.With every answer, Walker-Johnson provided examples from her background to support her position on certain issues. Judy Speer Palmer, who represents the Greek Advisory Board and the IU Student Foundation, said she thought it was good to see how Walker-Johnson affected change.“She definitely has a lot of examples how she has made things better and innovative ideas that affect students and faculty, students and campus,” Palmer said.Informatics professor Marty Siegel, who also attended the forum, said he was impressed by Walker-Johnson’s “freedom with responsibility” attitude.“I love that she emphasized responsibility along with independence and growth and learning,” Siegel said. “She’s not a pushover. She will expect a lot from students.”With the open forums finished, the next step in the search is for Executive Vice President and Provost Karen Hanson to make the final choice.Palmer said the decision will be difficult, because the four candidates are different and have varied expertise.“Each candidate could be good for the University,” Palmer said, “but it’s which candidate could be the best for the University.”
(04/08/09 4:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The fourth and final candidate for the dean of students and vice provost of student affairs position, Geneva Walker-Johnson, said she likes to serve college students for one reason: They are the future.The final open forum of the four finalists for the next dean will be at 5 p.m. today at the IU Maurer School of Law in room 123. Walker-Johnson will have the chance to share her background and learn more about IU. Walker-Johnson said she thought it was appealing that the dean of students reports to the provost and executive vice president, who deals with academic policies, because this mixes experiences inside and outside the classroom.“I was very intrigued that this was part of the formal structure,” Walker-Johnson said.Walker-Johnson is the current dean of students and chief student affairs officer at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., a public research university with more than 23,000 students enrolled, according to its Web site.Walker-Johson said one difference between ODU and IU is that ODU shares a naval base with Norfolk.“We have a military culture that is unique compared to other universities,” Walker-Johnson said.She also said world conflicts have a direct impact on ODU students.“We have students who might be here for one or two semesters, but then their family has to go to Afghanistan, so they have to leave,” Walker-Johnson said.Before working at ODU, Walker-Johnson received her bachelor’s degree at Loretto Heights College, her master’s at the University of Northern Colorado and her doctorate in education at the University of Pennsylvania.According to her resume, she served in student affairs at a variety of different universities from Wellesley College when it was an all-women school to Johnson C. Smith University, a historically black college.“At each institution, there’s a real unique culture and character, which, for me, has enhanced that experience,” Walker-Johnson said.Having an effect on students’ potential is something Walker-Johnson said she enjoys.“What I do today shapes the lives of the students I serve,” Walker-Johson said.
(04/08/09 4:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The board of trustees election is not until June 30, but five candidates have already begun their campaigns.Only one of three of the board’s elected positions is available this year.Thirteen people requested applications to run, but only five returned completed packets, which included a petition of 100 alumni signatures. Only IU graduates can run or vote in the election.Three of the candidates are attorneys. They include Crystal Brown from Indianapolis, MaryEllen Bishop from Carmel, Ind., and Kelly Burton Smith from Fishers, Ind.The fourth candidate is Sam Locke, a nonprofit manager from Floyds Knobs, Ind.Incumbent Philip Eskew, who was elected to the board in 2006, is the final candidate. Eskew is a doctor from North Webster, Ind.Except for the student trustee, all trustees serve for three years, according to the board of trustees’ Web site. On the nine-person board, three members are elected by IU alumni, and the remaining six are appointed by the governor.Alumni will receive ballots on May 1, electronically or by mail, said Shawny Taysom, the IU trustee election coordinator.“Every alumnus receives a ballot,” Taysom said. “We’re one of the very few universities that sends them to all IU graduates.”Taysom said alumni should consider voting because doing so allows them to stay involved with their alma mater.“It’s important because it gives grads of IU the ability to take part in the life and governance of IU,” Taysom said.
(04/07/09 4:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Lori Reesor, the third finalist for the dean of students and vice provost for student affairs position, said Monday that Bloomington feels similar to her current school, the University of Kansas. IU has the “it” factor, she said. Reesor, who serves as KU’s associate vice provost for student success, introduced herself to audience members as they entered the Whittenberger Auditorium at the Indiana Memorial Union. She opened the forum with a brief description of her personal background, saying she grew up in the Midwest as the oldest of six children. She also introduced her husband and mentioned her two young children, saying their ages made it flexible for her to move and try for the position at IU.“At times there are opportunities that come up, and people have to look at those opportunities,” Reesor said. “I think this is one of those opportunities.”When the time came for Reesor to answer questions, the audience covered topics such as being a student advocate, working with minority students on a predominantly white campus and greek life, a common subject at each of the three dean candidates’ open forums.Reesor said she worked with greek communities as the dean of students at Wichita State University and KU, and she received an award for her work at Wichita State.“I’ve tried to be a strong advocate of our greek students,” Reesor said.Another topic that came up at the forum was how Reesor balances life with young children and a job as an administrator at a large university.Reesor said her family is her “most important thing” and it gives her “purpose and perspective,” but she does not let her family interrupt her work duties.“I try to concentrate on work when I’m at work and try to be with my family when I’m with my family,” Reesor said.After the audience asked Reesor questions, she took the last ten minutes to ask her own, such as what students were looking for in a dean of students and why “she should want to be a Hoosier.”People responded by emphasizing IU’s traditions, renowned programs and IU’s “it” factor.Laura Whitney, a staff member in the Student Activities Office, said she appreciated Reesor noting students’ opinions are valued.“She did a great job at explaining her stance,” Whitney said.Graduate student R.J. Woodring, who attended all of the forums so far, said he was impressed by Reesor’s range of experience.“The experiences she had at KU would transition nicely to IU,” Woodring said after the discussion. “I think she’d be great, and IU would be fortunate to have her.”The next open forum for the final candidate, Geneva Walker-Johnson, will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the IU Maurer School of Law 123.
(04/06/09 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Two down, two to go.The second week of potential dean of students visits will continue today with Lori Reesor, the current associate vice president for student success at the University of Kansas, at 5 p.m. at the Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union.Reesor said she was attracted to IU because of its similarities to KU.“There are a lot of parallels between KU and IU,” Reesor said.Both universities are members of the Association of American Universities, she said, a group of 62 institutions dedicated to research in the United States and Canada, according to the association’s Web site.Reesor also compared KU’s home of Lawrence, Kan., to Bloomington, since both are progressive college towns in conservative Midwestern states.To prepare to have a conversation with Hoosiers, Reesor said she has done a lot of research, such as reading the Indiana Daily Student, talking to IU students and alumni and catching up on her IU history.“I have a mentor who did three degrees at IU,” Reesor said. “He gave me two books about Herman B Wells.”According to Reesor’s resume, she has been involved with student affairs since she was the head resident assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where she earned an undergraduate degree in business management.Reesor said she enjoys students because of their “general curiosity and passion.”“They’re the future, so it’s important I learn from them and gain more knowledge from their views,” Reesor said. “I value and learn from students every day.”
