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(09/11/07 4:53am)
Only 12 percent of teens received a U.S. Health Department-recommended meningitis shot this year, according to a government survey released Aug. 30. On IU’s campus alone, only 7 to 9 percent of incoming students have received the vaccine in the past five years, said Dr. Hugh Jessop, director of the IU Health Center. \nThis is worrisome, considering 5 to 10 percent of the population are carrying the meningococcal bacteria in the nose or in the back of their throat in a harmless state, said Dr. Hugh Jessop, director of the IU \nHealth Center. \nEach year, new students receive a letter from the University providing information about meningitis and the strongly recommended vaccine, Menactra. Before they arrive on campus, IU requires a signature from every student saying they have read the material. The signed form is sent to the registrar. \nMenactra, approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, became the preferred vaccination as of 2005, replacing a previous version of the meningitis vaccine, Menomune, \nJessop said. \nThe state does not require the vaccination, but strongly recommends students to consider it, Jessop said. \n“Students get to select whether or not they want the vaccination and I think that is exactly the right thing to do,” he said. \nThere are two types of meningitis, bacterial and viral. Viral meningitis is more common and usually occurs in late summer and early fall, Jessop said. Symptoms can include abdominal discomfort, chest pain or a rash. Because this is a virus, antibiotics will have no effect. However, most cases of viral meningitis run a short course, according to the health center’s Web site. \nThe other form, bacterial meningitis, is rare but can be very serious and requires antibiotic treatment. This disease can be very deceptive in that it surfaces as minor cold symptoms for a few days before progressing to severe meningococcal meningitis in a relatively short period of time, according to the Web site. Left untreated, the meningococcal infection can be fatal. \nMenactra can prevent four types of meningococcal disease, including two of the three types most common in the U.S. and a type that causes epidemics in Africa, Vickie VanDeventer, infection control practitioner for Bloomington Hospital, wrote in an e-mail. \nShe added that the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4 or Menactra) is preferred for people 11 to 55 years of age, especially those in certain risk groups, including U.S. military recruits, college freshmen living in dorms, anyone with a damaged or removed spleen and people with an immune \nsystem disorder. \n“Both vaccines (MCV4 and the older meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine) work well, and protect about 90 percent of those who get it,” said VanDeventer. “MCV4 is expected to give better, longer-\nlasting protection.” \nJessop said that Menactra lasts about three to five years. The price of the new vaccine depends on individual insurance plans and the vaccination site. Jessop said the shot costs $100 at the heath center. Jessop also said the health center always has the vaccine stocked, unlike most smaller private practices that will not have the vaccine stocked because it is too costly to do so. \nThe vaccine is highly recommended because the bacteria can be spread from person to person by direct contact with an infected person’s nose or throat secretions. Jessop said people ages 16 to 29 are most likely to contract the disease because of \nlife situations. \n“College students over 21 are going out to bars, they aren’t sleeping and eating well and they are under stress, which can happen in college or even at a job,” Jessop said. “These factors can compromise the immune system.” \nAs long as carriers maintain a healthy immune system, the bacteria may stay inactive. A suppressed immune system can make a dormant bacteria \nflare up. \n“If a person has a preexisting disease that affects the immune system in a negative way, they should give (the vaccine) a higher level of consideration,” Jessop said.
(09/11/07 4:48am)
The IU Foundation recently broke its benchmark endowment earnings for the fiscal year, which earned 21.5 percent and took IU’s endowment market value to $1.6 billion, according to a press release. The IU Foundation has also been ranked 15th in the country in university endowment market value, said Barbara Coffman of the IU Foundation, which manages the University’s endowment. \nIU’s endowment provides scholarships, fellowships, equipment, research funds and other support for IU students, faculty and programs. \nEach donor decides where their investment goes, Coffman said. She added the endowment has about \n5,000 accounts. \n“It is to the credit of our excellent Investment Committee of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and the IUF staff that our invested funds continue to beat the benchmarks,” said Curt Simic , president of the IU Foundation, in a press release. \nThe endowment process works by distributing a portion of the earnings to the benefiting IU department or program. Managers’ fees are paid, and the remaining earnings are invested to ensure that the principal continues to grow, Coffman said. \n“We (the foundation) have to make 9 percent to maintain the purchasing power of the endowment,” \nsaid Coffman. \nThe idea is to have enough money invested so that in time the University can benefit from the donors’ generosity, she said. \n“Our directors have hired managers and adopted strategies that have enabled us to grow IU’s investment funds over time,” said Gary Stratten, vice president and chief investment officer at the IU Foundation, in a \npress release. \nThe goal of the foundation is to balance out any ups and downs in the market, and to provide a more consistent and growing income stream to IU departments and programs, Stratten said. \n“Donors love to make these gifts because they do go on forever,” \nCoffman said. \nWhen donors believe in higher education and in IU, it is a way for them to leave a legacy, Coffman said. Anyone can be a donor to the Foundation, whether they are IU alumni or not. She added that often time corporations and foundations will invest and \nbecome donors. \n“Our donors can feel confident that their gifts for IU are being handled wisely by the IU Foundation,” Simic in the press release.
(09/06/07 4:24am)
IU’s “Big Red” is one of the fastest supercomputers in the world, but it will pale in comparison to the new supercomputer being built at the University of Illinois.\nIllinois is planning to create a supercomputer, named Blue Waters that will be built at the university’s National Center for Supercomputing Applications. With $208 million in funding from the National Science Foundation, Blue Waters will have the ability to perform one quadrillion calculations per second, said Trish Barker, a NCSA spokesperson. In comparison, when IU’s Big Red launched in 2006, it was able to perform 20.4 trillion calculations per second. \n“The goal in building a bigger supercomputer is to give scientists more power that they can apply to their research,” Barker said. \n Blue Waters will be available for open scientific research, which means that researchers across the country will be able to use this computer for research in fields such as chemistry, biology, cosmology and high-energy physics, Barker said. \nShe said that scientists use computer simulations to understand things that are very large, like the universe, or very small, like interactions of molecules and folding of proteins. From her example, she deduced that even though today’s fastest supercomputers are capable of trillions of calculations every second, scientists need even more computing power to be able to look at more variables and to look at phenomena at a finer resolution. \nShe added that as with other systems supported by the National Science Foundation, there will be a requests process that people wanting to use Blue Waters will have to go through. \nThere had been no work on the supercomputer, a final decision on whether or not the NCSA will receive the award form the NSF is expected at the end of September, said Barker. \n“The goal is to develop this system over the next several years,” Barker said. “We plan for it to be operational and available for research \nin 2011.” \nAs for IU, Link said in an e-mail that the University’s plans for updating systems are always driven by their commitment to serve \nlocal researchers. \n“This fall we will bring online a new ‘7 TFLOPS’ (TeraFLOPS, which is the measure of a computer’s speed) supercomputer called Quarry,” said Link in an e-mail. \nIn addition, the Quarry will be based on quad-core Intel processors and will particularly benefit researchers in physics, astronomy, geology \nand engineering.\n“We’re upgrading our overall capacity yet again, and doing it in a way that best meets the needs of IU scholars,” she said. \nAfter being named the “#1 wired campus” of public colleges and universities across the country by PC Magazine in 2006, it may come as no surprise that IU is home to one of the fastest computers in the world, Big Red. As of June 2006, it was ranked 23rd fastest on a list of the top 500 computers in the world. It’s one of the most powerful university-owned computers in the U.S. and was built primarily to support research at IU, according to a Knowledge Base article on IU’s UITS Web site. \n“Big Red supports many areas of scientific research, but particularly the life sciences,” said Matt Link, director of research and technology for UITS in an e-mail. “The chembio grid, which provides a library of chemical compound information used to speed drug development, is \none example.”
(08/30/07 1:59am)
For freshman Monica Burris, being a member of the 21st Century Scholarship program is a blessing. \nBurris is one of 350 freshmen in the 21st Century Scholarship initiative, a program that provides lower- to middle-income students the opportunity to attend a college such as IU. \nThe scholarship covers the full cost of attendance, room and board, and textbooks. \n“I am a first generation college student, and if it wasn’t for this program, I wouldn’t be attending (college),” Burris said. \nThis year’s scholars began applying as early as seventh and eighth grade. The program was established to increase college enrollment, prepare students to enter the workforce upon gradation and improve the overall quality of life for Indiana residents. \n“Making IU Bloomington more accessible to qualified students from low-and moderate-income families continues to be a priority of Indiana University and its board of trustees,” said IU President Michael McRobbie, in an IU press release. \nJeanetta Nelms, director of the IU Bloomington scholars, said in order for students to maintain the scholarship, they must live in the state of Indiana, maintain a grade point average of at least a 2.0 and submit an error-proof FAFSA each year. . A student may not receive their scholarship funds for a semester if all of the above are not done. \n“The scholars go through the same admissions process as everyone else on campus,” Nelms said. “Just because the student is a 21st Century Scholar does not mean they will be granted admission into the school.” \nMany of the scholarship students belong to other campus organizations such as the Hutton Honors College, Hudson and Holland scholars program and Groups Student Support Services. According to a pamphlet about the program, the Hudson and Holland scholars program coordinates IU’s efforts to foster the benefits of educational diversity. \nKenyana Williams, a junior and 21st Century Scholar and member of the Hudson and Holland scholars program, said she feels safe with this scholarship, even though she has other grants. \n“What the other grants don’t cover, the 21st Century program will,” Williams said. \nGroups Student Support Services allows between 250 to 300 students the opportunity for academic enhancement and a chance to get acclimated to campus. The program began in 1968 to provide students with a way to gain access to higher education. \nNelms added that many of the scholars serve as volunteers and do community service for organizations such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters. She also said that the program provides sponsorships for the scholars who cannot afford to attend cultural events on campus. She said she serves as an adviser to many students, and as a surrogate parents for others. Her main job is to make sure that students are aware of the resources that are available on campus and to encourage them to feel like they belong. \n“This program has paved a way for my children to pursue higher education in their future,” Burris said. “I’m breaking generational barriers for my family and the 21st Century Scholar program has helped me to that.”
(05/31/07 4:00am)
"Makes Me Wonder" is the perfect name for the first single off of Maroon 5's sophomore studio album. It Won't Be Soon Before Long begins great, and it is different from anything we've ever heard from this band before, similar to the sounds of Prince and Michael Jackson. From there, however, it goes downhill, with few other tracks that really impress, so much so that it makes me wonder what could have been if they had just stuck to their guns.\nThe band has done several interviews in the last year in which they talked about their upcoming album. They discussed how they felt that their first album, Songs About Jane, didn't really portray the true character of the band. Lead singer Adam Levine told fans that they were much weirder than their first album let on.\nThe first track on the album, "If I Never See Your Face Again," introduces the listener to a new Maroon 5. It's the same old pop-rock with a little bit of soul, but it is bigger and more in-your-face. The single "Makes Me Wonder" does the same, but is much more danceable and synthed out. It's definitely a tune that is going to be stuck in your head. Fans might recognize the chorus of "Nothing Lasts Forever" as the hook that Levine provided for Kanye West's "Heard 'Em Say." One highlight that infuses the album with a little bit of rock is "Can't Stop." The band then reveals the truly new, weird sound they alluded to in "Kiwi," which also includes a pleasantly surprising guitar solo from James Valentine.\nIn this album, Maroon 5 really shows what kind of sound they are capable of. Hopefully, we'll be hearing more of it in the future.
(04/25/07 4:00am)
Microsoft and IU are forming a new partnership that will help make IU’s computer systems safer.\nMicrosoft Corporation and the Research and Education Networking Information Sharing and Analysis Center are forming an alliance that will extend the reach of Microsoft Security Cooperation Program to include colleges and universities.\nAccording to a press release, REN-ISAC is a community for sharing sensitive information regarding cybersecurity threats, incidents, response and protection. The center was established by IU with close cooperation of the Internet2 and EDUCAUSE organizations to help protect the nation’s higher education and research community from cyber attacks, according to the press release. The basic mission of this new alliance is to enhance computer security measures worldwide. \n“The goal of bringing Microsoft in is that it will provide a rich source of information in which we can support REN-ISAC member’s cybersecurity and response,” said Doug Pearson, technical director \nof REN-ISAC. \nThe purpose of the alliance is to have a more consolidated team effort toward protecting computers, according to the REN-ISAC public relations department. The press release states that the agreement will share information regarding computer vulnerabilities, exploits and fixes for bugs and viruses. In addition, it will also provide Microsoft a single point of contact with the REN-ISAC’s growing membership. The membership currently consists of 500 individual members representing nearly 200 \ndifferent institutions.\n“IU established REN-ISAC as a major component of broader efforts to improve information-technology security at colleges, universities and research facilities,” said Mark Bruhn, executive director of REN-ISAC and associate vice president for telecommunications at IU, in a press release. \nHe added the center also facilitates collaboration among higher education, industry and government.\n“Through this partnership, IU will not only become the direct beneficiary of the rich protection and response information shared with the REN-ISAC, but the University will serve as the path for this very important defense information to higher education as a whole,” Bruhn said in a \npress release. \nLead IT security personnel from IU will serve on a Microsoft analysis team, formed by REN-ISAC. REN-ISAC will serve as a conduit for information sharing between the organizations, according to the press release.
(04/25/07 4:00am)
A Sustainability Task Force on campus will address current environmental issues in order to preserve and conserve resources for a healthy, happy future for the IU campus.\nIU recently created the Sustainability Task Force as a way to develop a plan for improving the University’s environmental role in the challenges of reducing energy use, increasing recycling and other environmental issues. \nThe task force is made up of 15 people appointed by IU Vice President Terry Clapacs, according to a press release. The task force defines sustainability as “meeting the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” \n“The issue of sustainability is becoming more important everywhere,” said Paul Sullivan, task force co-chair, in a IU media relations press release. \nSullivan said in an e-mail that the task force is trying to determine what the most relevant areas are for the University. \nMichael Hamburger, co-chair, said currently the task force does not have a comprehensive database of information about environmental issues. He further added that the goal is to gather data about the current environmental state, in order to make recommendations for the future. The task force combines academic and operational efforts, he said.\nThe task force will assess current resource use such as the transportation system and food to investigate where the University will be in the next several years. The task force will develop a set of sustainability indicators for the University, such as assessing the current status of the campus, identifying key areas of concern and establishing a framework for a long-term sustainability plan, according to the press release.\n“A key element of this initiative is the effort to develop a truly integrative approach to sustainability that enables the University’s core missions of research, teaching and service to merge with community efforts,” Hamburger said in the press release.\nHe added that there are many big challenges because a lot of the issues are controversial and cannot be solved easily. The task force does not have a handle of energy use from different departments, he said. \n“Although we are doing some good things, we probably are not as ‘sustainable’ as we could/should be,” Paul Sullivan said in an e-mail interview. \nHe added that the task force could do more in terms of energy efficiency and perhaps more with alternative modes \nof transportation. \nIn addition to the primary task force, a series of working groups comprised of University personnel and community members have been formed under such headings as Resource Use and Recycling, Energy Systems and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Food, and Education, according to the \npress release. \nHamburger said the task force has been asked to bring a report and recommendations in early fall 2007. The report will include initial recommendations for campus, he said. \nAlso being announced is a student internship opportunity for this coming summer. Interns will deal with different aspects of sustainability such as working for the residential program with concern for recycling efforts. Other programs and areas dealing with sustainability are also offered. Those interested in the task force should send an e-mail \nto sustain@indiana.edu.
(04/17/07 4:00am)
On Wednesday, the 11th National Day of Silence will be acknowledged on the IU campus. The day is meant to bring attention to the persecution imposed upon gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals. \nThe day also supports other minority groups that face oppression, according to IU’s National Day of Silence Web site. It is also a time in which groups and their allies “join together to prove that silence can be deafening,” according to the Web site. \nOn Friday, the annual Miss Gay IU drag pageant kicked off the week of events. \nWhile events have been ongoing throughout the week, Wednesday is the actual day of silence, when supporters of the event will stay silent in order to represent those who have felt they have not been able to express themselves.\nSenior Kim Ruggles, president of OUT, the GLBT student union, said the T-shirts that students could get at the Miss Gay IU pageant should be worn on Wednesday. The green T-shirts read “Equality is my Priority.” A student who has not gotten a shirt and would like one can obtain one at various residence halls and in the GLBT Student Support Services office. T-shirts will be available to those with a valid IU student ID until Wednesday.\n“The Day of Silence reminds people that there is still discrimination,” Ruggles said. \nRuggles said discrimination may not be as obvious to IU students because of their busy schedules and their positions on a “liberal campus.”\nGraduate student Stacy Konkiel, library coordinator of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services said this year’s event is about building allies and forming new connections, including reaching out to other groups. The week of awareness will end on Wednesday; however, community educators will be available in the residence halls on Thursday and Friday running their own programs, which will include information on how to become an ally, Konkiel said. \nThere will also be a “kiss-in” from 12:05 p.m. to 12:15 p.m. and 1:10 p.m. to 1:20 p.m. Wednesday at the red clock between Woodburn Hall and Ballantine Hall. People of all sexual orientations will kiss to show public affection, Ruggles said. \nAt 4 p.m. there will be a “Break the Silence” march through campus. This event will be followed by “Religious Allies Come Out” at 7:30 p.m., an event in which leaders from various denominations will talk about how religious people have supported GLBT organizations and the community, Konkiel said. \nThe National Day of Silence events are organized through a planning committee comprised of several executives members from OUT and the Hoosier Rights Campaign, Ruggles said. \n“I think it’s a really good, tangible way for students to show their support on gay rights,” Konkiel said.
(04/13/07 4:00am)
It’s the end of the year, and students all over campus are finding ways to get rid of unwanted furniture. Rather than throwing it away, some students are donating it to a good cause. This Saturday, St. Vincent de Paul, a faith-based charity, is opening a furniture distribution center, where students can donate furniture they no longer want to less-fortunate people.\nSt. Vincent de Paul originated in France and was brought to America in 1845, said Anne Pollard, a volunteer with the organization. Currently, the Bloomington chapter has 48 members but is always looking for anyone who wishes to volunteer, she said.\nScott Alber, president of the furniture conference, said the main services the organization provides are financial aid assistance and used furniture donations. Alber said that the organization is looking for usable appliances and furniture to donate to the poor. He even said the organization will pick up the furniture and distribute it. Pollard said the organization works in conjunction with all of the other agencies in Bloomington. She added that Bloomington is a wonderful community for volunteering because of the high levels of community support.\n“What makes us unique is that we do home visits; we go out in pairs to visit people asking for help,” Pollard said. \nPollard said the organization visits the less-fortunate to assess their needs. A voucher is given to those in need and goes toward appliances and furniture that can either be picked up or delivered. The organization offers financial assistance by helping with electric bills and rent as much as they can, Pollard said. \nThe organization also can refer clients to other agencies, depending on their needs. Pollard said collectively all of the agencies in Bloomington are able to help. One of the St. Vincent’s main goals is to make people aware of its mission, she said. \nAlber said St. Vincent’s has been growing each year and it’s now in demand for furniture, especially dressers, beds and couches. However, the organization will take any furniture offered provided in fairly good condition. Appliances are also appreciated, he added. \n“The obvious benefit of donating is to do good for the community,” Alber said. “It also saves (students) the burden of having to move it.” \nAlber added that some families have absolutely nothing, so anything they can receive is truly wonderful.\n“I do think I would donate to it because I think it’s a good cause as opposed to just throwing the furniture out,” said sophomore Kyla King.\nFor those students sticking around for the summer, the organization is always looking for volunteers who can lift furniture and help out in any way. Saturday mornings, the organization helps an average of 20 families by picking up and dropping off furniture. Alber said volunteers would start at 9 a.m. and be done by 10:30 a.m. \nThose wishing to donate or volunteer can call 961-1510 or e-mail pickup@bloomingtonsvdp.org .
(04/13/07 4:00am)
For basketball enthusiasts, the Business Careers in Entertainment Club will be holding the second annual King of the Court basketball tournament this Saturday at the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. \nBCEC is a student-run organization that helps students gain experience in the business aspects of planning and putting on a variety of events. \n“The purpose is to allow students to get involved in the business end of organizing a sporting event,” said Emily Finkelstein, director of the sports committee for BCEC. \nFinkelstein said the tournament is run in an NCAA bracket format. As of Wednesday, 48 teams were signed up to participate, which consist of enrolled IU students. The tournament is three-on-three. Registration closed at 5 p.m. Wednesday, with some of the proceeds from the registration fees being donated to a local charity. \n“It’s a great way for students and the community to get involved for the love of basketball since Indiana is such a big basketball school,” Finkelstein said.\nThere are five sponsors for the event including the title sponsor, Hoosierbeat.com, which is making King of the Court T-shirts that students and people in the community can buy for $10. David Modiano, co-director of the BCEC sports committee, said the cost to watch the basketball tournament and to enjoy the other various activities is $3. \n“People can get a really good sense of the talent on campus,” said Modiano. \nBesides watching the tournament, students can play the latest EA Sports video games in a designated area, as well as drink and dine on free Bucceto’s pizza and RockStar energy drinks. In addition, there will be various shooting contests, such as a half-court shot.\n“It was a lot of fun to compete with students around campus, playing for an end prize rather than just a normal pick up game,” Modiano said of his participation in last year’s event.\nFor participating teams, sponsors of the event will be giving out raffle prizes to the winning team. In addition, the business club will be awarding the winning team a plaque, Finkelstein said.\nBCEC members have been involved since the beginning, getting sponsors, marketing, publicity and coordination of event rules, Finkelstein said. To become a member of the club, students pay a $20 fee that grants them a full year of membership. Members can be voted into certain committees within the group such as performing arts, sports, television and film, according to the BCEC Web site.\n“Based on the number of teams, I think we got a lot of people that liked the tournament last year and have come back again this year,” Modiano said.
(04/12/07 4:00am)
Identity theft is a crime everyone must be made aware of, especially college-age students.\nA recent study conducted by analyst group Javelin Strategy and Research found that students ages 18 to 24 are most at risk to have their personal information stolen and financial status damaged.\nThe study, released Feb. 1, provides compelling information about the reduction in identity fraud across the country, in addition to identifying important risk factors that differentiate by age and income demographics. This is the third consecutive year the survey has been conducted. Javelin Strategy and Research considers itself the nation’s largest and most-up-to-date point of reference on identity theft.\nThe study defines identity theft as any access to personal account information that leads to fraud. In October 2006, the analysts conducted 5,000 telephone interviews to various consumers.\nThe study found that young adults are least likely to take easy but important safeguards such as shredding documents and using antivirus software and firewalls on their computers. More than 5 percent of those surveyed in the 18-to-24 age range reported having fallen victim to identity theft.\nThe study offers some tips on how to protect oneself from identity theft, such as carrying only credit and identification cards that are used constantly and never carrying a Social Security card. All documents containing personal information, such as checkbooks and passports, should be locked in a secure place. \nScott Wilson of the Information Technology Security and Policy Office referenced an IU Knowledge Base tip sheet for avoiding identity theft. The article says students need to be careful on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, which are open to anyone on the Internet.\n“The general rule of thumb with these (sites) is not to post anything that you wouldn’t want to end up on the front page of the paper, at your next job interview or on your parents’ computer screens,” Wilson said in an e-mail.\nAccording to the Knowledge Base Web site, even if you are careful with Social Security information, it’s possible that such data is available publicly without your knowledge. One way to find out if personal information is on a Web site is to contact the owners of sites on which a Social Security number is needed and have it removed, the IT Security office recommends. The IT security office goes further in saying to never enter a social security number into a search engine to try and find it. \nFor more information on how to stay protected, visit the IU legal studies Web site. If you have fallen victim to identity theft, be sure to make an appointment with Legal Services to figure out the next step to take.
(04/12/07 4:00am)
When Brett Kuhnert was a Peace Corps volunteer, he was assigned to a remote area of Morocco with no running water or electricity. But the village did have satellite TV, so he was able to watch “The Jerry Springer Show” in French. Still, Kuhnert said the trip was one of the greatest experiences of his life. \nKuhnert, who is now IU’s Peace Corps campus representative, led a panel Tuesday night to give students more information on volunteering with the organization.\nAt the beginning of the meeting, students watched a video on the Peace Corps, which offered insight into what volunteers experience when they get to their designated locations.\nAccording to a pamphlet distributed at the beginning of the meeting, serving as a Peace Corps volunteer is an experience like no other. In fact, volunteers serve in 75 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and Central and South America.\nVolunteers serve for 27 months, spending their first three months in training.\nKuhnert said the basic goal is to provide people in interested countries with volunteers to meet their needs. Volunteers assist the people by using the skills they already have, he said. For example, IU graduate student David Mitchel said his main job was to teach English to villagers in Kyrgyzstan.\n“It changed two things for me personally: my behavior and my entire world,” Mitchel said. \nIU graduate student Rachel Powers, a former Peace Corps volunteer, was sent to Panama to do environmental education work, mostly with children. Her experience helped her decide to continue her education in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. \n“What I thought I wanted to do right out of college completely changed,” Powers said. “I’m now doing what I want to do.”\nThe Peace Corps is looking for dedicated people to serve, Kuhnert said, and people join for many reasons.\n“Just about everyone is looking for overseas experience,” he said. “Most learn a brand-new language.”\nAnother reason people join the Peace Corps is because they can gain professional skills. For example, Kuhnert said working in another country can increase a person’s appeal to international private businesses.\nSome advantages of joining are that volunteers are given 48 vacation days, they are allowed to defer on student loans and they can have their Perkins loans partially dropped, Kuhnert said. Travel to and from the destinations and free medical and dental care are provided. The organization covers travel expenses to and from destinations, medical and dental care, and a living allowance, he said. In addition, the Peace Corps allows “home leave” for family emergencies. \nAfter they serve as volunteers, the Peace Corps gives its volunteers support, such as a readjustment allowance of more than $6,000. \n“It keeps you from moving back into your parents’ basement,” Kuhnert said.\nIn addition to an allowance, volunteers are given special options for graduate school. For instance, SPEA offers former volunteers six credits toward a degree, as well as reduced tuition.\nThe selection process consists of filling out an application, going through an interview; being nominated into a program; and passing a medical, legal and suitability review. Upon final approval, the Peace Corps Placement Office sends the new volunteer a package that includes information about where he or she will be going.\n“As long as you stick though the entire process, there will be a spot waiting for you,” Kuhnert said.
(04/09/07 4:00am)
IU teaches its students from the second they walk into their first classes freshman year that in academic writing, if someone’s concepts and idea are used, they must be cited. When in doubt, cite!\nThe real world follows the same model. Unfortunately, sometimes in the mix of all the research and interviews an author does to get work published, not adding enough footnotes can sometimes pose a problem.\nThis was the case for Mark Mitchell and his book titled “Vladimir de Pachmann: A Piano Virtuoso’s Life and Art.”\nAllegations of plagiarism over the last four years finally led IU Press, a publishing company run through the University, to halt publication of the book and recall existing copies in October.\nAn article from The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that when Edward H. Blickstein picked up a copy of Mitchell’s work, he found similarities between it and a manuscript he had written. This fueled Blickstein to involve his editor Gregor Benko, sparking a letter being sent to IU Press stating that Mitchell had plagiarized, said Janet Rabinowitch, director of publication for IU Press. \nBenko determined that Mitchell could not have gotten some of the information in the book from any source other than Blickstein’s manuscript, Rabinowitch said.\nRabinowitch said that, in May 2003, Benko came to Bloomington and sought the director of the IU Press to discuss Blickstein’s manuscript and the possibility of plagiraism.\nFrom here the issue had stalled, Rabinowitch said, until Benko sent a letter to IU President Adam Herbert in December 2005. Upon receiving the letter, Herbert then involved Michael Klein, university counsel, in the situation, she said. In the letter that Benko sent, he again claimed that Blickstein’s manuscript had been plagiarized. In the spring of 2006, Klein received 40 pages where similarities were found, she added.\n“If (Mitchell) had done better footnoting sources, (IU Press) would have been on firmer ground,” Rabinowitch said.\nRabinowitch said she later learned from Benko that Blickstein’s manuscript had been sent to Mitchell with the idea that he would edit it. Mitchell worked on a few chapters and sent them to Blickstein and Benko, however, both Blickstein and Benko did not like the work that was done to the manuscript and asked for it to be sent back with no further work to be done on it, she said. Mitchell did not keep a copy of the manuscript, but later became interested in the subject and began researching material for his own manuscript, she added.\n“The manuscript was far from being publishable,” Rabinowitch added.\nSince Mitchell had not cited the particular passages that Benko had sent, in addition to the fact that he had access to Blickstein’s manuscript, IU Press had no choice but to withdraw the book, she said.\nAs of now the issue has been closed. The book has been out of the print since October 2006, and copies that IU Press still had were destroyed, she said. IU asked for any copies that had been sent out to be returned, she added.\nKlein prepared the University’s response in a letter that he sent to Blickstein in October which explained what the University was doing and why. \n“IU does not believe Mitchell’s work infringed upon Blickstein’s intellectual property rights,” Klein stated in the letter. \nAlso stated in the letter were steps that the University would uphold which included the recall of the books, and a written apology to Blickstein, she said. The letter, she said, contained information that stated that the University would pay no compensation to Blickstein for two reasons: one, because IU Press had no knowledge of a prior relationship between Blickstein and Mitchell; and two, because the University did not profit monetarily from its publication.
(04/06/07 4:00am)
University Information Technology Services released the results of its 2007 User Survey on Wednesday.\nThe results indicated that students, faculty and staff are mostly satisfied with IU’s technology services, but some expressed concerns regarding OneStart. \nThe results of the survey have been posted to the UITS Survey Web Site and include the list of questions asked and a summary of the results. Some of the text comments included compliments such as “keep up the good work,” but others had negative things to say, such as one anonymous comment that said, “Please get rid of OneStart. It is such a horrible application and never works most of the times I need it.”\nEach year, the Center for Survey Research selects a random sample of the IU community to survey on behalf of the UITS department to measure user satisfaction. \nThe survey was conducted online and assesses UITS computing facilities and services in the areas of instructional support, research, administration and satisfaction with telephone services. Those selected to participate received an invitation, which included instructions for accessing the survey. \nAccording to the UITS 2007 Web site, the survey provides critical information that helps evaluate performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and generate ideas for new services.\nGarland Elmore, IU’s deputy chief information officer, said students, faculty and staff have identified areas that improved. Elmore said users are about 97 percent satisfied with the computing and networking environment and about 94 percent satisfied with e-mail systems. “This is very good news for us,” he said in an e-mail.\nDespite such good ratings, there are some areas in need of improvement, such as continuing to focus on the transition of users to Oncourse, he said. About 85 percent of Oncourse users at IU-Bloomington indicated that they were satisfied with the system, Elmore said.\nBased on the results from the survey, Elmore said UITS will analyze the data to calculate the relative cost and quality of each resource and service. The data collected and analyzed over time will provide a picture for how well the organization is using resources and meeting the needs of students, faculty and staff. \nWith the results released, now the process will begin for the UITS service providers, who will study the results. They will define actions that might be necessary to improve services as well as to maintain the level of excellence in many areas that have been consistently rated in the top tier, Elmore added in the e-mail. \n“Both the Senior Management Committee and the Chief Information Officer’s Cabinet will review suggested plans of action to establish the priorities for departments and their directors,” Elmore said.
(04/03/07 4:00am)
Passover is a time for Jewish families to celebrate together, but in the absence of that environment many college students turn to IU’s Jewish community and the on-campus events it offers.\n“The important part of Passover that I think everyone can agree on is bringing the community together,” said Andy Gitelson, assistant director at the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center. “It is your family in the Jewish community providing a home away from home for students who can’t get home.”\nPassover is a festival celebrating the Exodus, which commemorates the freeing of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Passover started Monday night with various sites on campus hosting Seders, which are celebratory dinners. In addition to enjoying a Seder, the story from Exodus in the Torah is read. For those students who are unable to make it home to celebrate the holiday, there are plenty of outlets on campus for them to celebrate. \nMichael Simon, a sophomore from New York, said that for him Passover is a time of recollection on the past of the Jewish people. \n“It’s a period of time where you reserve what people in the past went through,” he said. “At the same time, it is a joyous holiday.”\nSimon said that for some students it is difficult to get home, especially since the holiday falls during the middle of the week.\n“It’s great that Hillel provides so many options for students,” he said.\nAt 6:30 p.m. today Hillel will be having a Seder open to all students. For those who cannot make the meal at Hillel, Chabad Jewish Student Center, 518 E. Seventh St., is also holding another Seder dinner later in the evening. \nHillel will also be serving kosher lunches through April 10 and dinners through April 9. Lunches will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and dinners from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The price for students who do not own a Discover Hillel Card is $8 and $5 for those who do. \nIn addition to the Seder and the kosher meals, at the end of the holiday everyone gets together for the conclusion of Passover. The event will take place at 9 p.m. April 10 at Buffa Louie’s, 114 S. Indiana Ave. The cost is $5 and the meal is all you can eat. \nFor those who do not understand the holiday, Rabbi Micha Wiesenberg said it is the celebration of the Jewish people becoming a nation. When celebrating Passover, “It is a holiday commemorating social redemption, as well as personal redemption,” Wiesenberg said.\nWiesenberg said Jewish people eat matzo, a bread that does not have a rising element such as yeast. He said the bread is significant because it is a symbol of the ego. \n“People walk around with a lot of ego, it is the source of their slavery,” Wiesenberg said.\nGitelson, the Hillel Center’s assistant director, also said that a new group has been formed on campus and will celebrate Seder together. A group of people have joined forces to create Keshet, a support group for GLBT and Jewish students and their friends. The group will celebrate the holiday with its Seder on today at a private residence. \nFor more information on this dinner, Gitelson asked that students contact the Hillel Center at 336-3824.
(03/29/07 4:00am)
Students looking to get ahead in the media industry through networking will have the opportunity to make connections Friday on campus.\nThe IU Department of Telecommunications is sponsoring the 17th annual MultiVisions conference, offering students interested in production, advertising, radio, sales, TV, video production and other fields a chance to preview the careers.\nThe conference will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Radio and Television Building. It is open to all students, regardless of their majors.\n“For freshmen and sophomores who don’t have a good idea of what they want to do, this gives them a good idea of what the industry is like,” said Janelle Nickelson, co-chair of the conference’s promotional committee.\nLegene White, director of alumni affairs for the Department of Telecommunications, said MultiVisions has been a “pretty big deal” since 1992, when the department had a full-day conference that brought 25 professionals.\nA committee of about 30 students plans the yearly conference.\nCo-chair Nelson Spade said the goal of the conference is to bring the professional world to the students so they have a better understanding of what to expect when they graduate. \nMultiVisions will bring 25 professionals from around the country who specialize in different areas of communications. Many of the industry professionals are IU alumni, Spade said. The keynote speaker at this year’s event is Jim Keelor, a 1964 IU telecommunications graduate and retired president and chief operating officer of Liberty Corp.\nSpade and White said many students have attained internships and jobs by attending the conference and speaking with the professionals. “This offers students a chance to make contacts in the industry and get some inside information,” Spade said.\nThe conference, which includes a free lunch, will give students the chance to interview with professionals through mock interviews, which do not require preregistration. Students planning to attend the practice interviews are encouraged to dress business casual.\nStudents can enter beginning- and advanced-level projects they have done for class, such as video, audio, script and Web-based productions, into a media showcase competition. This not only offers students the chance to win an award for their work, but it also allows them to show their work off to other students. The winning entries will be announced and screened at the end of the conference.\nSpade said the conference allows students to sell themselves to professionals in the communications industry.\n“The conference really draws the connections between what students do at IU and what work they will do in the real world,” White said.
(03/27/07 4:00am)
Attention, dog owners of the world: The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first diet pill for dogs.\nSlentrol, produced by Pfizer Inc., was approved Jan. 5 as the first canine diet pill on the market, according to the FDA. Scientists developed it to fight the rising number of obese dogs.\nAccording to FDA surveys, 5 percent of dogs in the United States are obese and another 20 percent to 30 percent are overweight. Slentrol is aimed at dogs that are at least 20 percent over their ideal weights.\nDr. Stephan Sundlof, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, told MedPage Today, a medical-news service, that Slentrol is a “welcome addition to animal therapies, because dog obesity appears to be increasing.”\nIU senior Chris Bryant, an employee at Pass Pets in the College Mall in Bloomington, disagreed with Sundlof regarding canine obesity.\n“If it’s not a medical thing, I would exercise my dog more and start feeding him Ultra dog food. Dogs shouldn’t get obese.”\nSlentrol blocks the assembly and release of lipoproteins into the bloodstream. According to the FDA, the weight loss seems to come from increased absorption of fats and the canine’s feeling that it is full after eating smaller quantities than usual.\nDr. Dale Miller of the Arlington Heights Veterinary Hospital in Bloomington said he thinks dog owners will respond favorably to the product. \n“The pill works out well because there are a lot of people who overfeed their animals and can’t say no to them,” he said.\nMiller said he has no experience with the drug because his office only received information about it recently.\nThe drug is not yet for sale but should be available to the public through veterinary prescriptions sometime this spring, a Pfizer spokeswoman said.\nThe Web site of Pfizerah – the “-ah” ending stands for animal health – says the drug is not a cure for obesity. In fact, the decreased appetite that dogs will experience is only temporary and lasts no longer than one to two days after treatment ends. \nOnce a dog reaches the goal weight, manufacturer Pfizer recommends continued use of the drug during a three-month period. During this time, the company says, the veterinarian and dog owner will establish an optimal level of food intake and physical activity needed to maintain the dog’s ideal weight.\nDogs receive the drug in varying doses during the treatment period. They are given a constant dose for the first two weeks. After 14 days, the dog’s progress can be tracked month to month, and veterinarians can help adjust the dosage accordingly.\nThe drug is not without possible adverse side effects, which the FDA says include vomiting, loose stools, diarrhea, lethargy and loss of appetite. There are some dangers – including abdominal distention, abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence, headache, nausea and vomiting – to humans who ingest the drug.\nIU student Courtney Lang said if her dog were overweight she might use the drug, rather than traditional diet and exercise. \n“I would try to do what’s best for the dog,” she said, “but if I didn’t have the time, I would resort to (using the drug).”
(03/26/07 4:00am)
IU students will soon have the opportunity to one of the driving forces behind the popular sports movies “Hoosiers” and “Rudy.”\n“Hoosiers” will be shown at the Collins Living-Learning Center Coffeehouse at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The film will be followed the next night by a question-and-answer session with Angelo Pizzo, the writer, producer and assistant director of both “Hoosiers” and “Rudy,” in the Edmondson Formal Lounge of Collins at 7 p.m.\nEvent coordinator Tim Gross said he believes that Pizzo is coming to speak as a way of giving back to the community.\n“(Pizzo) knows a lot about IU history,” Gross said. “He is a great resource not only for filmmaking but for the tradition of Indiana as well.”\nGross said he believes that, since “Hoosiers” is about the tradition of basketball, the film represents a lot of IU history. \nBoth events are being organized through the Board of Educational Programming as part of their fireside chats. The board is a student group that helps fund and plan educational activities at Collins and aids in developing courses that become Collins seminars. \nBoard member Meg Hathaway said she believed students would enjoy watching “Hoosiers” and then meeting the man who made it. \n“This (program) will allow students to talk to someone who was in charge of representing ‘Hoosiers’ through film,” Hathaway said. \nEllen Dwyer, director of Collins Living-Learning Center, said Pizzo will discuss his experiences writing screenplays and producing films.
(03/23/07 4:00am)
There are many on IU’s campus who excel in academics, and these students and faculty members have a day in which to be honored by the University, \nFounders Day. Founders Day reminds attendees of the rich history of this University and honors current outstanding students and faculty members, according to the Student Alumni Association. \nThis year, the teaching award ceremony of Founders Day will be begin at 11:30 a.m. Sunday in the Hoosier Room at the Indiana Memorial Stadium, with the student award ceremony beginning at 2 p.m. in Assembly Hall. \nAs it was last year, there will be two separate ceremonies on Sunday. The first is a brunch, which will honor distinguished teaching and service. The meal will begin at 11 a.m. with the awards ceremony following. President Adam Herbert will start the ceremony with a welcome, followed by Charles R. Bantz, the executive vice president and chancellor for IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis. He will announce the teaching awards. Susan Williams, assistant director of Media Relations, said that there will be 15 award-winning, University-wide faculty members who will be recognized at the ceremony.\nWilliams also said that future IU president and current Interim Provost Michael McRobbie will introduce the honor students. In addition, Elizabeth Haugh Oates, an honor student through the College of Arts and Sciences, will be speaking on behalf of her student colleagues.\n“It’s a great honor to be speaking as a representative of the student body,” Oates said in an e-mail. “It serves as a reminder that the ways in which we contribute to IU today are history in the making.”\nThe President’s Award, which recognizes faculty members for their outstanding teaching, research or service, will be awarded to Ahdy W. Helmy, associate professor of clinical medicine at the IU School of Medicine. \nBill Elliott, director of University ceremonies, said students are eligible for honor status by meeting the following criteria, including completion of 12 credit hours, either in the spring semester 2005-06, the 2006 summer session or the fall semester of the 2006-07 academic year. These students must also have received a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. \nSarah Cohen, one of five seniors receiving the Elvis J. Stahr award, said in an e-mail that she will be recognized for her work in the community, specifically at Stone Belt, which provides services to people with developmental disabilities and their families. \n“It means so much to me to know that my four years at IU have been noticed,” Cohen said in an e-mail. “It makes me realize that part of me will remain in Bloomington long after graduation.”\nThe students’ ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. and will last about 90 minutes. Elliott said the majority of the ceremony is comprised of the students walking across the stage. The honor students will be greeted by President Herbert, the provost and separate deans of the school.\nFollowing the ceremony, a reception will start at 3:30 p.m. and last about an hour. At this time, students can pick up their certificates, which state their honor statuses. The certificates can be picked up by the students and parents in Mellencamp Pavilion. \nEliot said students who are unable to attend the ceremony can pick up their certificate in the recorder’s office after Founders Day.
(03/20/07 4:00am)
There are dozens of varieties of water in the world today. They range from tap water to name-brand bottled water, such as Evian, to the local grocery-store water. Water is essential for human life, and for some, choosing the right type of water can be a major decision.\nAccording to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,\nthe issue of bottled water versus tap water is still being debated.\nFor people whose municipal systems do not provide quality drinking\nwater, bottled water offers them a safe and clean alternative that is exclusively\nfor human consumption. For those who have good municipal systems,\nbottled water is not so essential. The FDA points out that Americans once only got their water from taps. But the explosive growth in the bottled-\nwater industry has placed bottled water in nearly every supermarket and convenience store from coast to coast.\nStacey Matavuli, a registered dietitian\nat Bloomington Hospital, said most bottled water is simply tap water that has been filtered, just like using a reverse osmosis filter at home.\n“There are some bottled waters that have special characteristics,” Matavuli said. “These are based solely on nutrients\nthat are added (such as Propel) or naturally occurring minerals, such as Cole’s water.”\nUnder the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, manufacturers are responsible\nfor providing safe, truthfully\nlabeled products and quality regulations,\nwhich set minimum levels of contaminants (chemical, physical, microbial and radiological) allowed in bottled water. This, of course, means that consumers of bottled water can rest assured: The FDA sets regulations specifically for bottled water to ensure the water we buy is safe.