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(03/04/04 4:53am)
Gov. Joe Kernan announced the creation of a new task force last week that will evaluate the efficiency of Indiana's military bases. Lt. Gov. Kathy Davis will spearhead the committee's initiatives, working closely with the Southern Indiana Business Alliance, as well as personnel at state bases. \nAccording to an executive order Kernan filed Feb. 20, the task force will primarily address the issues of improving existing infrastructure and engaging state universities, as well as the private sector for research projects. Kernan met with Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Navy H.T. Johnson and Acting Secretary of the Army Les Brownlee Feb. 23 to discuss the latest round of military base closings sweeping the country and maintained the importance of Indiana's bases to both the local economy and national security issues. \n"While in Washington, I wanted to take the opportunity to once again present Indiana's concerns and interests when it comes to realignment and closure," Kernan said in the order. "Indiana's facilities -- all of our active, reserve, and National Guard bases -- are extremely important to Indiana, but also to the nation's defense and homeland security efforts."\nJeff Viohl, the governor's federal liaison, said Kernan also discussed plans to build I-69 that would increase Crane's capacity to move shipments to and from the base. \n"The two conversations should help assure them of the state's commitment to working with both the Navy and Army in support of their missions at Crane," Viohl said. \nThe Bush administration remains a staunch supporter of extensive military base closings across the board. In the president's budget for fiscal years 2002-03, the Department of Defense is said to "waste money on infrastructure it does not need." \nThe U.S. Department of Defense stated savings from military base closures across the country totaled $14 billion in 2001 and $5.6 billion in 2002 and 2003. And according to Pentagon estimates, the 200-plus bases still running are operating at 23 percent above capacity. Deputy of Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz stated during his confirmation hearing "we have more base structure than our force structure needs."\nYet closing facilities also translates into the loss of jobs, often in rural pockets of the state largely dependent on the base as a solid, economic base. Throughout the 1990s alone, base closing resulted in a 41 percent change in personnel in Indiana alone -- 5 percent of the total U.S. loss, according to a 2002 study by the Northeast-Midwest Institute.\nIndiana is currently home to six major bases, including Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center, located about 30 miles southwest of Bloomington. Crane is one of the largest military facilities in the world, employing in excess of 6,000 personnel, and generated more than $241 million in wages, as well as $22.2 million in tax revenues to state and local funds. Closing a base such as Crane could be potentially devastating to the communities surrounding the facility, and Davis says the task force will center its energies on "making the case" for Crane to federal lawmakers. \nDavis, whose background as an MIT-educated mechanical engineer led her to work, coincidentally, on submarine acoustics, visited the facility in late January. In February, business operations and corporate planning officials at the base also met with Davis to discuss Crane's role in Indiana's Peak Performance Project. \nYet federal initiatives are already underway to privatize many technical and engineering tasks performed at bases like Crane, according to an impact study conducted in part by IU's Institute for Development Strategies, and two more rounds of Base Realignment and Closure are likely to follow over the next few years.\nIndiana State Reps. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington, and Dave Crooks, D-Washington, D.C., both represent areas of southern Indiana largely dependent on Crane for economic stimulation and recognize the threat the federal government's Base Realignment and Closure program could potentially pose to the Indiana economy. They introduced legislation in the House Ways and Means Committee delegating a larger role to the Martin County base in economic development efforts. \nSenate Bill 272 would provide additional tax incentives to businesses opening close to or within military bases. It also offers an exemption on paying sales tax for utility costs incurred at businesses built in high-tech parks or industrial areas near Crane. \n"Military facilities like Crane have proven easier to keep open if it can be demonstrated that the closure of the facility would have a real impact on the economic future of the area in which they are located," Welch said in a statement. "Senate Bill 272 will let us use the services and expertise provided through Crane as an incentive to encourage industries that can provide critical support to locate around the center."\nJoel Elliott, press liaison for Kernan, said Crane's value to the state "cannot be overestimated."\n"Crane is an important part of the nation's defense structure," Elliott said. "It provides support to all branches of the armed services and is perpetually working to better equip our fighting men and women ... Crane is the heart and soul of a number of communities in southwestern Indiana. It directly employs about 4,000 people and pumps over $1 million a day into the state's economy."\nOther Indiana military bases include Camp Atterbury Maneuver Training Center in Bartholomew and Johnson counties, Terre Haute Air National Guard Wing, Fort Wayne Air National Guard Wing, Grissom Air Reserve Base in Miami county and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service in Indianapolis.
(02/26/04 5:00am)
Even a healthy dose of vintage-infused Prada can't save Sara Sugarman's latest offering -- in fact, hip fashion sense is about the only thing "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" has going for it. The basic plot is familiar enough: Lola, a teenage New York City socialite-in-the-making (played by the usually lovely Lindsay Lohan), moves to a New Jersey suburb which is stereotypical in every sense of the word. Lola's prepared to claim her rightful title of the most popular girl in school (like, totally!), and is startled to find out (gasp!) the title's already been taken! What's a red-blooded American girl to do? \nLuckily, our Lola's prepared -- she plans on scoring the lead in an upcoming school play, which, of course, reigning school sweetie Carla Santini (Megan Fox) also covets. Kitschy? Yes. Predicatable? Completely. \nThe plot may hold up well with undiscerning, impressionable adolescent audiences, but if you're over the age of 15, you might have to duck out early (I nearly did). It's shot much in the style of such similar teen blockbusters (cough, cough) as "Jawbreaker" and "Drop Dead Gorgeous;" there's extensive use of long panning shots and personal vignettes and commentary throughout. And, of course, there's the requisite rock star crush, played by the adorable Adam Garcia, and the ultimate moral lesson at the film's conclusion: that even a teenage drama queen has to come back down to Earth once in awhile to see what's really important. (Of course, that would be fashion, boys and friends -- possibly in that order.\nThe movie is flashy, with exquisite young leggy things stylishly clad in colorful, form-fitting clothes no high school principal would likely allow. It's also decidedly unrealistic, though that won't deter the latest wave of tweens from lining up for miles outside suburban movie theatres to catch this bomb.
(02/26/04 4:00am)
Even a healthy dose of vintage-infused Prada can't save Sara Sugarman's latest offering -- in fact, hip fashion sense is about the only thing "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" has going for it. The basic plot is familiar enough: Lola, a teenage New York City socialite-in-the-making (played by the usually lovely Lindsay Lohan), moves to a New Jersey suburb which is stereotypical in every sense of the word. Lola's prepared to claim her rightful title of the most popular girl in school (like, totally!), and is startled to find out (gasp!) the title's already been taken! What's a red-blooded American girl to do? \nLuckily, our Lola's prepared -- she plans on scoring the lead in an upcoming school play, which, of course, reigning school sweetie Carla Santini (Megan Fox) also covets. Kitschy? Yes. Predicatable? Completely. \nThe plot may hold up well with undiscerning, impressionable adolescent audiences, but if you're over the age of 15, you might have to duck out early (I nearly did). It's shot much in the style of such similar teen blockbusters (cough, cough) as "Jawbreaker" and "Drop Dead Gorgeous;" there's extensive use of long panning shots and personal vignettes and commentary throughout. And, of course, there's the requisite rock star crush, played by the adorable Adam Garcia, and the ultimate moral lesson at the film's conclusion: that even a teenage drama queen has to come back down to Earth once in awhile to see what's really important. (Of course, that would be fashion, boys and friends -- possibly in that order.\nThe movie is flashy, with exquisite young leggy things stylishly clad in colorful, form-fitting clothes no high school principal would likely allow. It's also decidedly unrealistic, though that won't deter the latest wave of tweens from lining up for miles outside suburban movie theatres to catch this bomb.
(02/25/04 5:11am)
Three years ago, Ali Navid packed up and made the days-long trip southeast from North Dakota to Bloomington. Working the graveyard shift in his father's Los Angeles video store and manning the cash register at gas stations led the University of Maryland graduate to think there had to be something better for him elsewhere.\nSo the former chemistry major turned down his acceptance to Maryland's graduate program in chemical engineering and headed to Bloomington, where he's currently preparing his dissertation defense for research into silico modeling of metabolic pathways in eukaryotic organisms -- in layman's terms, a multidisciplinary project culling work in physics, chemistry, biology and computer science. \nIt's a decision he says he doesn't regret. Taking time off before graduate study is increasingly encouraged by major programs of study at large research universities like IU, and Navid said the thought of four-plus more years of even more rigorous study made him flinch after 16 years of pulling all-nighters and heading to school in the first week of September.\n"The only reason I took two years off was that, after my undergraduate studies, I really felt burned out and decided that the time off would really help me -- and it did," Navid said. "When I came back to school, I was very enthused and looking forward to the challenge. I doubt my experience would have been as positive if I had come to grad school right after graduation."\nYet Navid's case doesn't translate well to emerging national trends. Ph.D. candidates are increasingly abandoning the definitive pursuit of intellectual achievement, leaving graduate programs and pushing nationwide attrition figures skyward. \nAnd it's a hot issue.\nAccording to a recent article in the Chronicle for Higher Education, that number is estimated at 40 to 50 percent of students in Ph.D. programs. The Council of Graduate Schools in San Francisco has recently garnered $2 million from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to track attrition rates and conceive ways to curtail dropout figures. The associate dean of Notre Dame's graduate programs has spent 10 years studying data collected from attrition reports and concludes that attrition ultimately amounts to "wasted time and talent," according to the Chronicle article. \nThe CGS New Deans Institute, which convened in June of last year, presented participants with a particularly haunting yet plausible scenario: If attrition truly stands at 50 percent, why couldn't Congress, in theory, cut graduate school funding by half? Still, the much-contested figure appears to be irrefutable in some circles. Whether due to the lack of or incomplete data or because of studies that fail to account for students who declare interest in Ph.D. candidacy and instead switch to professional-track master's programs, much of the research into Ph.D. attrition is "incomplete, inconsistent and inaccessible," according to Daniel Denecke and Debra Stewart, co-authors of an article in the CGS trade paper Communicator. \nIU Dean of Graduate Studies John Slattery believes Denecke and Stewart's assessment is right on target and claims "no information suggests" IU's attrition rates differ from the national norm. The authors have called for a "more concerted effort to harvest completion and attrition data," and Slattery feels a variety of factors work in concert to possibly alter attrition estimates.\n"The question is one of intent," Slattery said. "Students are more likely to get financial assistance if they declare Ph.D. candidacy. Five or six departments offer priority according to a student's terminal degree aspiration."\nThus, students declaring Ph.D. intent are sometimes -- but not always -- privileged over master's candidates. Furthermore, when students enroll or are accepted into IU programs, they're often questioned concerning what type of degree they truly intend to pursue. \n"The problem with interpretation of this data is the intent of students," Slattery said. Data pertaining to IU attrition is compiled by University Graduate School but is often flawed due to incomplete methods of tracking completion rates. It is also often tracked by individual schools and departments, as is the case with the Kelley School of Business. \n"We do compile figures, but they are hard to interpret," Slattery said. " We would need better information on true intended terminal degree upon entering or exit data to understand true initial interest and reason for stopping. It's true to say that I don't want to release them but because of data quality rather than any desire to maintain them secret. They just don't allow a definitive conclusion."\nSlattery acknowledged IU does need to generate more improved data to truly understand the problem of attrition in its graduate programs and said UGS will do that in the future. \nElizabeth Rytting, a graduate student in the Department of English and current chair of the Graduate and Professional Student Organization Campus Affairs committee, said she knows of students in her program five years ago who "were worried about the perceived high rate of attrition, but it hasn't seemed to be a big topic of concern since then."\nStill, that doesn't mean concern isn't prevalent, Rytting said. \n"After all, some graduate students might think attrition is a good thing, from a certain perspective, because the job market for tenure-track professorial positions ... is very tight," she said. "So attrition means less competition for those few jobs -- and the prospect of facing that competition may be one reason for the attrition."
(02/19/04 5:40am)
Former IU men's basketball coach Bob Knight dropped his lawsuit against the University this week, terminating a legal battle that spanned several years.\nMonroe County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Todd previously struck down the case, which was filed in November 2002. \nTodd ruled IU was allowed to fire Knight either "for-cause" or without cause, as specified by the terms of his contract. Knight's lead attorney, Russell Yates, filed an appeal against that judgment in the Indiana Court of Appeals Jan. 19. \nThe lawsuit claimed IU violated proper firing procedures in terminating Knight last semester.\nKnight voluntarily dismissed that appeal, according to a motion filed in the Monroe County Circuit Court Feb. 12, Copies of the motion were served on David M. Mattingly and Curtis W. McCauley, both attorneys at the Indianapolis-based firm Ice Miller hired to represent the University, as well as James H. Voyle's, Knight's co-counsel in Indianapolis. \nYates was traveling Tuesday and Wednesday and could not be reached for comment from his Denver firm. However, sources at Ice Miller confirmed Wednesday that the appeal had been abandoned. \nIn filing the appeal, Yates maintained the University violated the "for-cause" provision cited in paragraph 11 of Knight's contract, which required a formal IU hearing before the coach could be terminated. Yates said Knight received no such hearing. \n"I feel the court was wrong, the contract was wrong and the way Coach was terminated was wrong," Yates told the Indiana Daily Student in January. "I think that because (then-University President Myles) Brand decided to have a press conference in front of 30 million people to say how bad Coach was, that triggered the for-cause provision to fire him."\nYates also filed a motion to correct an error regarding IU's motion for summary judgment in November. The document said IU breached Knight's employment agreement by "announcing the termination in public before notifying Coach Knight in writing," as well as by not allowing Knight the opportunity to have the reasons he was fired explained to him. Yates also said IU failed to allow a 60-day period to transpire between the initial and final notifications of termination.\nThe motion also alleges the University "bargained" with Knight concerning his job security and each party's reputation. It cites paragraph 4(D) of Knight's contract, which states "in many ways, the reputations of Indiana University Basketball and Coach have become synonymous."\nIce Miller attorney David Mattingly was also traveling and could not be reached for comment at press time. Mattingly told the IDS in September the former coach's contract allowed the University to terminate him for any reason, provided his salary was paid in full until his contract expired.\nIf Knight indeed had been fired "for-cause," as Yates alleged, that payment would have immediately ceased and a hearing would have commenced. \nIU Spokeswoman Jane Jankowski, speaking on behalf of University Counsel Dorothy Frapwell, said the University's position on the case has not changed in light of recent events. \n"We have consistently maintained the position that the University did all that was required pursuant to the terms of the contract between Mr. Knight and the University"
(02/13/04 5:48am)
A bill amending existing Indiana open container legislation that passed the State Senate in late January will move on for consideration in the House Public Policy Committee this month. \nThe proposed legislation, authored by Senator Thomas Wyss, R - Fort Wayne, would prohibit possession of an open container in a motor vehicle operating along the right-of-way on Indiana public highways. Current law specifies that driving with an open container in the passenger compartment is only legally punishable if the driver's blood alcohol level is at or above the legal limit of .08. The driver in question would face a Class B infraction, punishable by fines capped at $1,000.\n"This bill is a step in the right direction for our state," Wyss said in a statement. "Not only will it provide safer roadways for Hoosier families, but also it will supply more federal funding for improvements of our state highways."\nThe IU Police Department does not keep statistics on the number of cases involving open container infractions, but IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said the department "deals with it quite frequently, whether with pedestrians or in vehicles."\nFootball tailgating is a particularly sticky area heavily targeted by both IUPD and Bloomington Police Department officers. The Indiana state code defines a "public highway" as "a street, an alley, a road, a highway or a road in Indiana, including privately owned business parking lot and drive that is used by the public or is open to the public."\nMinger said he thinks the proposed legislation wouldn't apply to parked vehicles, however, since they are parked in grassy areas designated for tailgating activities. \nBPD Sgt. Jeff Canada said the force doesn't have the necessary resources to aggressively enforce open container laws. \n"We don't say, 'Okay, we're going to go out and get people with open containers,' but if officers run across someone blatantly possessing an open container right in front of them, they'll obviously take enforcement," he said.\nDean of Students Richard McKaig said students who violate state open container laws and are charged by IUPD officers are referred to the Office of Student Ethics. The University must be granted access to the police report, which is common in instances witnessed by IUPD but less common with BPD or Indiana State Police. \n"The law has a limited impact on the disciplinary system of the University," McKaig said. "Most likely, all cases would be adjudicated through the local criminal justice system."\nA number of state governments are currently reconsidering or have recently amended open container legislation to bring it more in line with federal compliance policies. Indiana's current law, passed in 1994, does not have the specific statutory language to comply with federal open container standards, and the state is thus fiscally penalized by the government, according to Wyss. \nAlcohol education efforts and costs incurred by similar correction programs and enforcement of drunk-driving laws are therefore siphoned off federal funding offered to the state for road and transportation improvements. Only 90 percent of that money is actually transferred into state coffers, as per federal law limiting how many federal dollars can be moved into separate accounts. \nThat translates to a loss of roughly $1.35 million, according to the fiscal impact statement. \nThis isn't Wyss' first effort at changing Indiana's open container provisions. He's been lobbying for change since early 2001, when he claimed he was "appalled" that late Gov. Frank O'Bannon's administration, as well as the Indiana Department of Transportation, allegedly had not initiated efforts to change the law. \n"I was appalled to learn from the Governor's appointees that INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation) has decided to not even attempt to change the law regarding open alcoholic beverage containers in vehicles," Wyss said in a 2001 statement. "The administration's lack of interest in bringing our law into federal compliance has already cost the state $15 million in highway construction money and will cost us $15 million more next year."\nSimilar legislation authored by Wyss and introduced in the 2002 session also passed the House in 2002 but was not granted a hearing in the House committee, then controlled by a majority of Democrats. \nThe pending legislation could in fact bring in additional revenue to state resources, he says. According to the fiscal impact statement offered by Wyss, between 55 and 70 percent of monies extracted from infraction judgments and court fees would be deposited in the state's General Fund. \nMcKaig said he thinks the legislation will reap positive benefits for the state. \n"I'm not a big believer in having the right to drink to excess or endanger others," McKaig said. "I'd ask students to think about their own friends dying in drunk-driving accidents when they are innocent and the other person was drinking. It's not a question of rights but of what you want the other people in the car coming at you to do. Personally, I wouldn't want them to be drinking."\n-- Contact senior writer Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
(02/12/04 5:00am)
For a sleepy Midwestern town nestled deep in Indiana quarry country, Bloomington certainly stands out in more than just a few respects. It is politically liberal-minded, to be sure, drawing on a rich repository of University-educated intellectuals, corporate types and activists. It's tolerant: take a stroll through the Sample Gates and onto Kirkwood Ave. at any given hour and you're sure to see North Face-clad frat boys, Prada-carrying fashionistas, Little 500 cyclists swathed in spandex and dreadlocked skateboarders perfecting their skills at People's Park. \nSimilarly, the Bloomington vegan scene, notably more expansive than most any other Indiana town, proves a local interest in supplying grub to people of diverse taste -- rather than just the 'meat 'n potatoes' crowd. The vegan lifestyle specifically shuns dairy products such as milk and cheese in addition to all meat and fish. And to serve these tastes, Bloomington provides a handful of eateries specializing in vegan and vegetarian cuisine for the student population and community at large, including the Runcible Spoon, Cafe Django, Laughing Planet and Little Tibet, to name a few. \nA short trek down Kirkwood leads the conscientious diner to a few particular vegan and vegetarian options. Soma Coffee House and Laughing Planet, located at the corner of Kirkwood and Grant, offer everything from vegan maple syrup chocolate chip cookies (baked with whole wheat flour, egg replacer and grain sweetened vegan chocolate chips) to organic steamed vegetables and, of course, the Planet's famous burritos. \nBrad Hawley has worked at Laughing Planet for close to three years and thinks it's one of the healthiest options downtown.\n"We basically cater to all kinds of tastes," Hawley says. "Bodybuilders can come in here and add a lot of chicken to a burrito. Vegans can come in and ask for things without cheese."\nMost Planet grub can be made vegan by removing dairy products and chicken or meat and using such substitutes as soy and tofu, and a short trip down the brightly painted "Hall of Digestion" stairs to Soma allows vegan diners to cap off a hearty Planet meal with a shot of organic espresso or vegan bakery items. \nAnother recent addition to the cornucopia of vegan-friendly eateries is the Jungle Room. \nWhen co-owner Keenan Gill began conceptualizing the Jungle Room, the upstairs addition to Uncle Fester's, he included vegetarian and vegan-friendly options on the menu, since finding places where he (a self-proclaimed omnivore) and his wife Valerie (a vegetarian) could both enjoy several menu options. \n"We couldn't eat out and find foods we both enjoyed," Gill says. "We always felt as if the other person was sacrificing or compromising too much." \nSimilar to Laughing Planet, most vegetarian options on the Jungle Room menu can be made vegan by removing whatever dairy product the item contains and adding soy-based substitutes. \nDespite eateries' best efforts, however, monotony is likely to set in for strict vegans and vegetarians wanting to shake things up a bit. Finding diverse dining options catering to specific dietary needs is a problem for many off-campus vegans, but on-campus residents can retreat to the Collins Living and Learning Center, which has served vegan food since the 1970s under the direction of foods manager Jim Beeson. Last year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) ranked IU one of the 10 most vegetarian-friendly colleges in the U.S. It was based strictly on on-campus offerings, however. \nFor those vegans set adrift, Bloomingfoods offers options for vegan shoppers. Justin Lloyd works in the bakery at the E. Third Street location and says the demand is "very high" for vegan bakery options. \n"People tend to come in because there aren't very many other options in town," he says. \nThe Bloomingfoods deli offers more than a dozen vegetarian sandwiches, as well as vegan bread, tofu, assorted meat substitutes and tempeh. O'Malia's Fine Foods also maintains a stock of vegan-friendly options. \nBloomingfoods kitchen worker Chris Lombardi has been a vegan for more than eight years and made the switch to the strict lifestyle while in college. \n"Originally it was kind of a lifestyle thing," he says. "I thought I wasn't eating very well and was eating this normal diet of cheeseburgers and fries."\nHe started out as a vegetarian, but moved to strict veganism a mere month later. It was a radical change, but he says he's never looked back.\n"I started reading about factory farming and the industrialization of food and what we're doing to ourselves and our bodies, and I just decided to go vegan," he says. \nLombardi says the industrialization and subsequent pollution associated with typical omnivorous and even vegetarian diets were a major factor prompting him to consider veganism.\n"So many people can equate an animal dying with meat on their plate, but a lot don't seem to think there's anything wrong with milk," he says. "They think, 'Okay, by-products aren't direct,' so they don't care as much about that as what happened to said cow or said chicken. It's just something that worked for me -- I don't mind being a vegan." \nGill says his wife tried the vegan lifestyle for awhile but found it too demanding, especially when she was a college student. \n"There simply aren't enough hours in the day when you're a student to research and take the time to ensure you have the time to truly follow the vegan way," Gill says. "She just couldn't do it while she was a student."\nLombardi says he doesn't take supplements or amino acids like many vegans do to ensure they're getting the proper nutrients to stay healthy, but he'll pop the occasional vitamin C pill when he's feeling under the weather.\n"There are a lot of arguments you can make about supplements," he says. "One is that a lot of what we eat, whether omnivore or vegetarian, is processed. Milk has a lot of calcium not absorbable by the human body, for example. As long as you eat a variety of foods, and not peanut butter and jelly every single day, you'll be okay. Our bodies have the tendency to take care of themselves as long as you're aware of what you're eating."\nHe admits it's difficult when he returns to his hometown to maintain the vegan lifestyle. He simply plans ahead, stocking up on staples he'll need to eat well at home without disrupting his parents' diet. \n"I've gotta just take care of myself," he says. "My mom's not opposed to cooking anything vegan, but if she goes shopping, I have to go with her. She won't label-read like I do."\nLomardi frequents Fourth Street restaurants like Red Sea and Little Tibet, and claims the combination plate of greens, potatoes and cabbage is "amazing" at the former. \n"Any of the ethnic restaurants are fine for most part, but I'm definitely not hitting up Opie Taylor's or anything like that," he said. "Sure, their burgers are good and that's what they're known for, but that's just not where I am"
(02/12/04 5:00am)
With Valentine's Day fast approaching, we at Weekend want to help make your V-Day as spicy, romantic and fun as possible. To do this, we asked reporter Holly Johnson to sit down with the sexually knowledgeable researchers at the Kinsey Institute's Sexual Information for Student Services, the most comprehensive source for sexual tidbits, suggestions and advice in the area. \nWhat follows is a provocative question and answer session where KISISS answers all our burning questions. \nWEEKEND: A romantic night in is a surefire (and cheap) way to impress a date on Valentine's Day; what do you suggest doing to set the mood (aside from the traditional candles and rose petals, of course)?\nKISISS: Often the most romantic thing you can do for a person is something that's very personal. Some people do like candles and rose petals, whereas others want more imagination, creativity or signs that their partner has done something specifically focused on making them happy. A person's ideal evening could be a marathon of "Friends" reruns, ordering a favorite dessert to go and eating it at home, taking a long walk, having a snowball fight, taking a bath together or cuddling in bed. Showing your partner that you've paid enough attention to know what they like can be incredibly sexy.\nWEEKEND: Tell us a little about aphrodisiacs. What foods are considered aphrodisiacs, and how does the biology behind that work?\nKISISS: The research just doesn't support the common "food myths" about aphrodisiacs. The brain is often described as our "biggest sex organ" because our thoughts and emotional reactions can affect how we feel sexually. So if eating a certain food makes you feel sexy, then go for it.\nWEEKEND: What are some creative and interesting ways to use food during sexual play?\nKISISS: If you're using condoms, be careful. We know that oil-based products can easily cause latex condoms to tear. As for other kinds of foods or food products, latex condoms aren't necessarily tested to be used with caramel or hot fudge, and protection of yourself and your partner should be key. You also want to be careful about using food products in the genital area, since men's and women's genital skin can be sensitive. You definitely don't want to spoil the romance of the day by developing a rash or an allergic reaction! \nSo the safest way to incorporate food into your sexual play is to use it on non-genital parts (e.g. belly button, chest, breasts), or to just have a really great meal before or after being sexual with each other. \nWEEKEND: What if you've only been dating for a short while? How can you feel out sexual boundaries, especially on a holiday like Valentine's Day when there's a lot of pressure?\nKISISS: There doesn't have to be a lot of pressure. Valentine's Day is, in the end, just another day. If you've been dating for a short while and you don't want to deal with the pressure of Valentine's Day, then hang out with your friends or your family. The process of feeling out sexual boundaries (your own and your partner's) shouldn't be any different just because it's Valentine's Day. Talk to each other about what you like and what you do (or don't) want to do with that person. Be careful with your use of drugs and alcohol, both of which can contribute to poor decisions surrounding sexuality.\nWEEKEND: How might a slightly timid person go about suggesting a new V-day (and X-rated) position to their partner? Which ones are sure to satisfy both partners?\nKISISS: If you're not comfortable talking about sexuality with your partner, I'd challenge you to consider whether you should be having sex with that person in the first place. After all, conversations about having an unplanned pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection are much more difficult and painful than conversations about sexual positions. \nEven so, in a culture that often leaves out healthy conversations about sexuality, even the most comfortable couples can find it difficult to talk about certain sexual topics. A lot of people are afraid that their partner will reject them or that they'll think poorly of them for expressing certain sexual interests.\nIf you want to suggest new aspects to your sexual life together, start the conversation when you're not in a sexual situation at the time, and when you're unlikely to have other distractions. Tell your partner what you already like about him or her (and your sexual experiences with them), and then talk about whatever it is you want to try and why you'd like that. \nThere are no positions that are sure to satisfy anyone -- either one partner or both. It's often a case of trying different positions to see what one or both partners like. Some positions allow women more control (woman on top) or for deeper thrusting (missionary). Keep in mind there's a full range of sexual expression such as oral sex, anal stimulation, genital touching, kissing, back massages, cuddling, sharing fantasies, looking at erotic images and masturbation. All of these are valid means of sexual expression. So rather than focusing on "positions," it's helpful to think of the infinite ways you can be sexual together.\nWEEKEND: Let's say you're in a committed relationship and looking to spice up your V-Day by using a new "toy." What's out there? \nKISISS: There's a wide range of sex toys and other products available for sale -- just to name a few, there are dildos, vibrators, anal beads, butt plugs, board games, blindfolds, flavored lubricants and so on. Even within these categories there is enormous variation. For example, there are vibrators of all shapes and sizes and targeted toward different kinds of stimulation (e.g. clitoral, vaginal, G-spot). \nSex toys can be used during sex with oneself (e.g. masturbation) or during sexual activity with a partner. \nWEEKEND: Which would you suggest for couples seeking to add a bit of spice to their normal routine and how would you recommend incorporating them into a healthy sex life?\nKISISS: There are no specific toys that we'd recommend for particular couples; people vary considerably on what they like about kissing, touching and frequency of sex -- so why would sex toys be any different? \nIf you're interested in using a sex toy with your partner, communication is key. Talk about what kinds of toys you're interested and how you'd like to use them. You might visit online stores together or visit local adult bookstores to browse their selection. It's important to talk ahead of time about toys or other enhancement items you want to include, rather than springing them unexpectedly on a partner. \nMore information on KISISS, check out the Web site at www.indiana.edu/~kisiss/.
(02/12/04 5:00am)
It's been a year since Harry Connick Jr. released Other Hours: Connick on Piano, Vol. 1 on the Marsalis Music label, and on his latest offering, Only You, the supper-club crooner sticks to what he does best: covering the great standards of bygone days without really offering any original material. It's not that Connick couldn't one day emerge as a creative songwriter; he just knows what he's good at, and that happens to be wrapping his rich contrabass around the good stuff Sinatra and Noble wrote decades ago. \nOnly You features ditties much along the lines of what Connick's done in his latest three albums, only this time they're somehow more fresh, more intricate. His lazy stroll through Ray Noble's "The Very Thought of You" particularly shines, featuring a dexterous string section and Connick's sustained, deliberate vocals. \n"Save the Last Dance for Me," the album's sixth track is all the better with Connick's lightly stylized vocals and the addition of strings and congo beats, which update the Doc Pomus standard. Connick appears to have a considerably free hand in arranging classic songs, and this is especially apparent on "For Once in My Life" and other tracks that feature extensive piano solos and breakaway sections featuring Connick's horn section.\nThe record tends toward the overly-sentimental at times, and the extravagantly-arranged "More" that opens the album perhaps sets the listener up for more flamboyant, up-tempo tracks that never follow. Yet the latest Connick offering is sure to vamp up your Valentine's Day, at least: chicks (at least this one) dig sultry-voiced saps setting the mood.
(02/11/04 9:51pm)
It's been a year since Harry Connick Jr. released Other Hours: Connick on Piano, Vol. 1 on the Marsalis Music label, and on his latest offering, Only You, the supper-club crooner sticks to what he does best: covering the great standards of bygone days without really offering any original material. It's not that Connick couldn't one day emerge as a creative songwriter; he just knows what he's good at, and that happens to be wrapping his rich contrabass around the good stuff Sinatra and Noble wrote decades ago. \nOnly You features ditties much along the lines of what Connick's done in his latest three albums, only this time they're somehow more fresh, more intricate. His lazy stroll through Ray Noble's "The Very Thought of You" particularly shines, featuring a dexterous string section and Connick's sustained, deliberate vocals. \n"Save the Last Dance for Me," the album's sixth track is all the better with Connick's lightly stylized vocals and the addition of strings and congo beats, which update the Doc Pomus standard. Connick appears to have a considerably free hand in arranging classic songs, and this is especially apparent on "For Once in My Life" and other tracks that feature extensive piano solos and breakaway sections featuring Connick's horn section.\nThe record tends toward the overly-sentimental at times, and the extravagantly-arranged "More" that opens the album perhaps sets the listener up for more flamboyant, up-tempo tracks that never follow. Yet the latest Connick offering is sure to vamp up your Valentine's Day, at least: chicks (at least this one) dig sultry-voiced saps setting the mood.
(02/11/04 8:57pm)
For a sleepy Midwestern town nestled deep in Indiana quarry country, Bloomington certainly stands out in more than just a few respects. It is politically liberal-minded, to be sure, drawing on a rich repository of University-educated intellectuals, corporate types and activists. It's tolerant: take a stroll through the Sample Gates and onto Kirkwood Ave. at any given hour and you're sure to see North Face-clad frat boys, Prada-carrying fashionistas, Little 500 cyclists swathed in spandex and dreadlocked skateboarders perfecting their skills at People's Park. \nSimilarly, the Bloomington vegan scene, notably more expansive than most any other Indiana town, proves a local interest in supplying grub to people of diverse taste -- rather than just the 'meat 'n potatoes' crowd. The vegan lifestyle specifically shuns dairy products such as milk and cheese in addition to all meat and fish. And to serve these tastes, Bloomington provides a handful of eateries specializing in vegan and vegetarian cuisine for the student population and community at large, including the Runcible Spoon, Cafe Django, Laughing Planet and Little Tibet, to name a few. \nA short trek down Kirkwood leads the conscientious diner to a few particular vegan and vegetarian options. Soma Coffee House and Laughing Planet, located at the corner of Kirkwood and Grant, offer everything from vegan maple syrup chocolate chip cookies (baked with whole wheat flour, egg replacer and grain sweetened vegan chocolate chips) to organic steamed vegetables and, of course, the Planet's famous burritos. \nBrad Hawley has worked at Laughing Planet for close to three years and thinks it's one of the healthiest options downtown.\n"We basically cater to all kinds of tastes," Hawley says. "Bodybuilders can come in here and add a lot of chicken to a burrito. Vegans can come in and ask for things without cheese."\nMost Planet grub can be made vegan by removing dairy products and chicken or meat and using such substitutes as soy and tofu, and a short trip down the brightly painted "Hall of Digestion" stairs to Soma allows vegan diners to cap off a hearty Planet meal with a shot of organic espresso or vegan bakery items. \nAnother recent addition to the cornucopia of vegan-friendly eateries is the Jungle Room. \nWhen co-owner Keenan Gill began conceptualizing the Jungle Room, the upstairs addition to Uncle Fester's, he included vegetarian and vegan-friendly options on the menu, since finding places where he (a self-proclaimed omnivore) and his wife Valerie (a vegetarian) could both enjoy several menu options. \n"We couldn't eat out and find foods we both enjoyed," Gill says. "We always felt as if the other person was sacrificing or compromising too much." \nSimilar to Laughing Planet, most vegetarian options on the Jungle Room menu can be made vegan by removing whatever dairy product the item contains and adding soy-based substitutes. \nDespite eateries' best efforts, however, monotony is likely to set in for strict vegans and vegetarians wanting to shake things up a bit. Finding diverse dining options catering to specific dietary needs is a problem for many off-campus vegans, but on-campus residents can retreat to the Collins Living and Learning Center, which has served vegan food since the 1970s under the direction of foods manager Jim Beeson. Last year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) ranked IU one of the 10 most vegetarian-friendly colleges in the U.S. It was based strictly on on-campus offerings, however. \nFor those vegans set adrift, Bloomingfoods offers options for vegan shoppers. Justin Lloyd works in the bakery at the E. Third Street location and says the demand is "very high" for vegan bakery options. \n"People tend to come in because there aren't very many other options in town," he says. \nThe Bloomingfoods deli offers more than a dozen vegetarian sandwiches, as well as vegan bread, tofu, assorted meat substitutes and tempeh. O'Malia's Fine Foods also maintains a stock of vegan-friendly options. \nBloomingfoods kitchen worker Chris Lombardi has been a vegan for more than eight years and made the switch to the strict lifestyle while in college. \n"Originally it was kind of a lifestyle thing," he says. "I thought I wasn't eating very well and was eating this normal diet of cheeseburgers and fries."\nHe started out as a vegetarian, but moved to strict veganism a mere month later. It was a radical change, but he says he's never looked back.\n"I started reading about factory farming and the industrialization of food and what we're doing to ourselves and our bodies, and I just decided to go vegan," he says. \nLombardi says the industrialization and subsequent pollution associated with typical omnivorous and even vegetarian diets were a major factor prompting him to consider veganism.\n"So many people can equate an animal dying with meat on their plate, but a lot don't seem to think there's anything wrong with milk," he says. "They think, 'Okay, by-products aren't direct,' so they don't care as much about that as what happened to said cow or said chicken. It's just something that worked for me -- I don't mind being a vegan." \nGill says his wife tried the vegan lifestyle for awhile but found it too demanding, especially when she was a college student. \n"There simply aren't enough hours in the day when you're a student to research and take the time to ensure you have the time to truly follow the vegan way," Gill says. "She just couldn't do it while she was a student."\nLombardi says he doesn't take supplements or amino acids like many vegans do to ensure they're getting the proper nutrients to stay healthy, but he'll pop the occasional vitamin C pill when he's feeling under the weather.\n"There are a lot of arguments you can make about supplements," he says. "One is that a lot of what we eat, whether omnivore or vegetarian, is processed. Milk has a lot of calcium not absorbable by the human body, for example. As long as you eat a variety of foods, and not peanut butter and jelly every single day, you'll be okay. Our bodies have the tendency to take care of themselves as long as you're aware of what you're eating."\nHe admits it's difficult when he returns to his hometown to maintain the vegan lifestyle. He simply plans ahead, stocking up on staples he'll need to eat well at home without disrupting his parents' diet. \n"I've gotta just take care of myself," he says. "My mom's not opposed to cooking anything vegan, but if she goes shopping, I have to go with her. She won't label-read like I do."\nLomardi frequents Fourth Street restaurants like Red Sea and Little Tibet, and claims the combination plate of greens, potatoes and cabbage is "amazing" at the former. \n"Any of the ethnic restaurants are fine for most part, but I'm definitely not hitting up Opie Taylor's or anything like that," he said. "Sure, their burgers are good and that's what they're known for, but that's just not where I am"
(02/11/04 8:56pm)
With Valentine's Day fast approaching, we at Weekend want to help make your V-Day as spicy, romantic and fun as possible. To do this, we asked reporter Holly Johnson to sit down with the sexually knowledgeable researchers at the Kinsey Institute's Sexual Information for Student Services, the most comprehensive source for sexual tidbits, suggestions and advice in the area. \nWhat follows is a provocative question and answer session where KISISS answers all our burning questions. \nWEEKEND: A romantic night in is a surefire (and cheap) way to impress a date on Valentine's Day; what do you suggest doing to set the mood (aside from the traditional candles and rose petals, of course)?\nKISISS: Often the most romantic thing you can do for a person is something that's very personal. Some people do like candles and rose petals, whereas others want more imagination, creativity or signs that their partner has done something specifically focused on making them happy. A person's ideal evening could be a marathon of "Friends" reruns, ordering a favorite dessert to go and eating it at home, taking a long walk, having a snowball fight, taking a bath together or cuddling in bed. Showing your partner that you've paid enough attention to know what they like can be incredibly sexy.\nWEEKEND: Tell us a little about aphrodisiacs. What foods are considered aphrodisiacs, and how does the biology behind that work?\nKISISS: The research just doesn't support the common "food myths" about aphrodisiacs. The brain is often described as our "biggest sex organ" because our thoughts and emotional reactions can affect how we feel sexually. So if eating a certain food makes you feel sexy, then go for it.\nWEEKEND: What are some creative and interesting ways to use food during sexual play?\nKISISS: If you're using condoms, be careful. We know that oil-based products can easily cause latex condoms to tear. As for other kinds of foods or food products, latex condoms aren't necessarily tested to be used with caramel or hot fudge, and protection of yourself and your partner should be key. You also want to be careful about using food products in the genital area, since men's and women's genital skin can be sensitive. You definitely don't want to spoil the romance of the day by developing a rash or an allergic reaction! \nSo the safest way to incorporate food into your sexual play is to use it on non-genital parts (e.g. belly button, chest, breasts), or to just have a really great meal before or after being sexual with each other. \nWEEKEND: What if you've only been dating for a short while? How can you feel out sexual boundaries, especially on a holiday like Valentine's Day when there's a lot of pressure?\nKISISS: There doesn't have to be a lot of pressure. Valentine's Day is, in the end, just another day. If you've been dating for a short while and you don't want to deal with the pressure of Valentine's Day, then hang out with your friends or your family. The process of feeling out sexual boundaries (your own and your partner's) shouldn't be any different just because it's Valentine's Day. Talk to each other about what you like and what you do (or don't) want to do with that person. Be careful with your use of drugs and alcohol, both of which can contribute to poor decisions surrounding sexuality.\nWEEKEND: How might a slightly timid person go about suggesting a new V-day (and X-rated) position to their partner? Which ones are sure to satisfy both partners?\nKISISS: If you're not comfortable talking about sexuality with your partner, I'd challenge you to consider whether you should be having sex with that person in the first place. After all, conversations about having an unplanned pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection are much more difficult and painful than conversations about sexual positions. \nEven so, in a culture that often leaves out healthy conversations about sexuality, even the most comfortable couples can find it difficult to talk about certain sexual topics. A lot of people are afraid that their partner will reject them or that they'll think poorly of them for expressing certain sexual interests.\nIf you want to suggest new aspects to your sexual life together, start the conversation when you're not in a sexual situation at the time, and when you're unlikely to have other distractions. Tell your partner what you already like about him or her (and your sexual experiences with them), and then talk about whatever it is you want to try and why you'd like that. \nThere are no positions that are sure to satisfy anyone -- either one partner or both. It's often a case of trying different positions to see what one or both partners like. Some positions allow women more control (woman on top) or for deeper thrusting (missionary). Keep in mind there's a full range of sexual expression such as oral sex, anal stimulation, genital touching, kissing, back massages, cuddling, sharing fantasies, looking at erotic images and masturbation. All of these are valid means of sexual expression. So rather than focusing on "positions," it's helpful to think of the infinite ways you can be sexual together.\nWEEKEND: Let's say you're in a committed relationship and looking to spice up your V-Day by using a new "toy." What's out there? \nKISISS: There's a wide range of sex toys and other products available for sale -- just to name a few, there are dildos, vibrators, anal beads, butt plugs, board games, blindfolds, flavored lubricants and so on. Even within these categories there is enormous variation. For example, there are vibrators of all shapes and sizes and targeted toward different kinds of stimulation (e.g. clitoral, vaginal, G-spot). \nSex toys can be used during sex with oneself (e.g. masturbation) or during sexual activity with a partner. \nWEEKEND: Which would you suggest for couples seeking to add a bit of spice to their normal routine and how would you recommend incorporating them into a healthy sex life?\nKISISS: There are no specific toys that we'd recommend for particular couples; people vary considerably on what they like about kissing, touching and frequency of sex -- so why would sex toys be any different? \nIf you're interested in using a sex toy with your partner, communication is key. Talk about what kinds of toys you're interested and how you'd like to use them. You might visit online stores together or visit local adult bookstores to browse their selection. It's important to talk ahead of time about toys or other enhancement items you want to include, rather than springing them unexpectedly on a partner. \nMore information on KISISS, check out the Web site at www.indiana.edu/~kisiss/.
(02/11/04 6:03am)
When sophomore Elliott Robinson moved into Eigenmann Hall last year, he was thrilled to find a campus convenience store located in his building's foyer. He was startled, however, when he perused the receipt from his first foray into C-store shopping. \nThat bag of beef jerky he'd been coveting? \nEight dollars.\nHad Robinson sauntered across the street to the Village Pantry at the corner of Tenth and Union streets, he would have found the same product for two dollars less. In fact, he likely would have found a number of products -- ranging from batteries to Pringles to maple syrup -- for at least a fraction less than the C-store. The only drawback is not being able to use his campus access card and meal plan to buy the goods.\nRobinson's concern is one widely shared by many undergraduates living in on-campus housing, and it's not a new issue. Debate over products sold at campus outlets is ongoing and has been for several years. Sandra Fowler is used to student dissent over seemingly sky-high prices in campus convenience stores.\nAs director of dining services for Residential Programs and Services, she's dealt with public concern over C-store prices, which at times is double those of local chains, such as the Village Pantry and Kroger, for years. She meets routinely with the campus Meal Plan Committee, consisting of the six presidents of IU residence centers, six dining administrators and one student at large -- a task she says she "truly enjoys." \nFowler said the reason University prices are often substantially higher than those of other convenience stores and chains like Wal-Mart and Kroger boils down to buying power: the University -- which caters to thousands of local consumers as opposed to the millions served by nationwide chains -- can't buy items in bulk to the same capacity as their "competitors."\n"When the VPs and the Wal-Marts buy products, they're buying for the entire Midwest region," Residence Halls Association Vice President of Student Affairs Jonathon Greene said. "Vendors charge a higher price because we're not buying in a volume comparable to that of Wal-Mart or Marsh."\nTo help students and parents grasp the cost breakdown of where each penny of their food dollars goes, RPS issued a brochure last year breaking the total cost into percentages on a "pie" chart.\nAccording to the brochure, 39 percent of total revenue goes toward purchasing food wholesale. Thirty-three percent covers labor costs, while 13 percent contributes to "administrative overhead." Repair and maintenance accounts for 6 percent of the total budget, and 5 percent is shelved away in a reserve fund for future repairs and renovations. The remaining 4 percent accounts for paper and cleaning supplies and miscellaneous needs. \n"We have to include in the cost of every item enough to cover all of these other costs," Fowler said. "Many retail establishments don't have to cover all these other costs. We're not for profit -- we're for break even."\nRPS currently operates on an approximately $20 million budget, the bulk of which is garnered specifically from the 9,000 to 10,000 students typically living in the dorms each year. \nGreene stressed that RPS is a non-profit organization, which means the budget must balance at the beginning and end of each fiscal year. Greene, who also chairs the RPS/RHA Meal Plan Committee, said while there may be ways to tweak the pricing structure, the resulting changes would likely cause just as many concerns as current meal plans. \n"There are two ways RPS makes money -- from students paying for their rooms and from the meal plans," Greene said. "There are a lot of costs behind the scenes that students don't realize."\nThose costs include paying janitorial staff, residential assistants, residence hall managers and C-store employees.\nFowler agreed.\n"The only money we have is what students pay to live here," she said.\nGreene said he understands the student position. He's had experience on the Meal Plan Committee since his freshman year, when he sat in as a proxy. As a sophomore, he served as president of Wright Quad and said roughly 10 percent of his residents complained about C-store prices.\n"They'd say RPS had freshmen living in the dorms as a captive audience and thus could charge outrageous prices," he said. "But after working with the Meal Plan Committee, I realized the prices are set by who we get the food from."\nRunning out of meal points is a problem students often encounter as a result of high prices. Sophomore Lizzie Oldberg lived in McNutt Center last year and said she ran out of meal points before the end of the spring semester, forcing her father to add points to her Campus Access card every few weeks.\n"I tried to eat well during my freshman year, but all of the healthy foods -- the vegetables, the fruit, the sandwiches -- were high-priced," Oldberg said. "Before the year was over, I was out of meal points. It's like you're sacrificing health for meal points."\nFowler claims RPS tries to keep "staple" items like milk and bread stabilized at comparatively lower costs than other C-store items. Because these are products many students buy on a regular basis, IU is able to buy them in bulk.\nGreene said the prices of many such staples aren't increased at all, but he could not speak as to which, saying he "didn't get to look at the price sheet too often."\nOldberg feels this wasn't true, however.\n"I feel like any food or drink students were eating every day were of a higher price than they should have been," she said.\nA cost comparison of IU to other Big Ten universities revealed that RPS prices are the third lowest in the system, however. Furthermore, the IU structure features food court-style dining in addition to the traditional option favored at most Big Ten institutions.\nIU made the move to expanded dining options in 1996, and convenience stores hit in 1999, making IU the only Big Ten university offering C-store plans. The new options allowed students to use meal points at places like McDonald's, Chester Fried Chicken and Sbarro.\nThe University maintains a contract with all franchises contained in residence hall food courts. McDonald's, for example, receives all funds garnered from meal point purchases and then pays a commission percentage of those proceeds back to RPS. Taco John's and Sbarro maintain a licensing agreement with RPS, which ends up being more profitable for the University on average. Under this agreement, RPS trains the franchises to operate according to RPS standards, and all money goes directly to RPS. The department then pays a commission to the franchise.\nFowler stressed that the meal plan prices themselves have not increased over the past five years. When IU operated a strictly traditional dining structure in which students had the option of eating a certain number of meals per week and any money left unused was discarded, meal participation by students was 55 percent. Approximately 99 percent of all meal points are spent with the current extended options plan, she said.\nHowever, "we'll be the first to acknowledge that many products are expensive" at C-stores, Fowler said.\n"We realize, frankly, that there are items in the C-stores that students could get cheaper elsewhere," she said. "Items that aren't marked up as much mean we could get a better cost on them, and that depends on the manufacturers."\nRobinson said he definitely would have considered living in the dorms another year if prices were lowered in C-stores and food courts. Robinson currently rents a house off-campus and buys most of his groceries at Kroger.\n"I liked dorm life, but in college, money is so important," Robinson said. "If you have no money, you have no weekend. I think they know that because we have meal plans, they can rip us off a little bit."\n-- Contact senior writer Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
(02/10/04 6:07am)
Legislation geared toward increasing privacy for tenants leasing Indiana properties was struck down in the State House last week. Despite garnering more votes in favor than against, HB 1096 failed to pass with 45 votes. The Indiana state constitution requires at least 51 votes for passage. \nDubbed the "Tenant Privacy Bill" by its author, Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, the legislation required landlords to give tenants one day's notice before entering rental units. Property managers could only enter "at reasonable times," and tenants could not deny access once proper notice is received from the property owner. \nThe bill was welcomed by students who feel landlords often enter properties unannounced. Senior Mackenzie Robinson, who leases a five-bedroom house off First Street with several buddies, said her landlord has a tendency to just show up to show the house to prospective leasers -- she's even been surprised in her bathrobe on a few occasions. \nRobinson supported the legislation when it passed the state Judiciary Committee in late January, citing the need for property owners to give tenants "fair warning" before entering units. \n"It's not really our place, so I don't see how we could deny access anyway," Robinson said. "Even though it didn't pass, perhaps just as a courtesy landlords could notify tenants if they will be coming by. As long as they make an honest effort to get ahold of their tenants, I think that would be good enough for most people."\nSenior Paul LeVasseur, a tenant in Omega Manor, hasn't had such problems his current landlord, Omega Properties, but maintains support of the bill, should Pierce reintroduce it in a forthcoming session.\n"It seems to be a very reasonable bill, and as long as there aren't any integrity issues with the landlords there shouldn't be much opposition to it," LeVasseur said. \nOmega Properties manager Rob Friedman told the IDS in January the legislation could create problems for property owners if the day-only clause applied to maintanence visits as well. \n"When there are problems, we tend to get to them very quickly," Friedman said in January. "We want to make sure everyone's well taken care of, and if we can't get in, if there's a water leak or something, it could pose a very large problem."\nRepresentatives of Grant Properties declined to comment Monday, and College Mall Apartments Property Manager Michael Latham did not return calls by press time.
(02/06/04 5:27am)
As litigation proliferates across the country concerning affirmative action in college admissions, University officials say IU will maintain its commitment to recruiting and retaining a diverse student body. \nIU Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services Don Hossler said while the Bloomington campus does not have a specific policy mandating affirmative action-based admissions, administrators and officials within the Office of Admissions feel much can be gained by attracting a diverse cross-section of students. \nIU filed an amicus brief in February 2003 supporting Grutter v. Bollinger, the Michigan case concerning affirmative action policy. In Grutter, U of M said it believes considerations of race in admissions foster a diverse campus. \nIU supported Regents of the University of California v. Bakke and Grutter because the University believes diversity in legal education is a vital component of comprehensive higher education. In a statement last year, then- Interim IU President Gerald Bepko spoke to that commitment.\n"Faculty at the IU School of Law have determined that a diverse student body in the school is an important part of the school's efforts to provide the highest quality education possible to all its students," Bepko said in a statement. \nHossler said that while a number of institutions of higher education filed similar briefs in the Supreme Court, he was unaware of any filed in support of the case's plaintiffs against the use of affirmative action policy. \n"I believe that society and institutions and students are served by having a wide range of folks from a wide variety of backgrounds, whether ethnically, socioeconomically or geographically," Hossler said. "We work hard at getting students from all over the country and world, and we're a richer place for having done that."\nThe 1964 Civil Rights Act stipulated the use of separate procedures pertaining to race were legally applicable in recruitment and admission of a diverse collegiate demographic. However, recent incidents at the University of Michigan, the University of Georgia and the University of Washington law schools have sparked scrutiny into the application of Title VI, as well as the contemporary role of a 1978 Supreme Court decision stating universities could consider race when screening applicants.\nUsing affirmative action policies becomes particularly sticky for more selective institutions, many of which draw on a relatively homogenous pool of students based on standardized testing and GPA considerations. Removing the element of race from admissions across the board may facilitate a "resegregation" of sorts in which students of relatively lower socioeconomic status are be forced into two-year or community colleges, Hossler said. \nIn Texas, mounting pressures surrounding a controversial initiative to admit all in-state students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their public high schools have led lawmakers to reconsider the measure. Since its inception in 1997, HB 588 has allowed state universities and flagship schools in the state to appease opponents of the state's previous affirmative action-based admissions policy overturned by the case Hopwood v. Texas. \nProponents of the Texas' plan cite racial and socioeconomic diversity in freshman classes as key advantages of HB 588. However, their adversaries -- namely parents of students falling just below the 10 percent line or alumni of Texas public colleges -- claim the "10 percent" admits are flooding Texas campuses and limiting opportunities for other, perhaps equally promising, students. \nA recent survey compiled by the Chronicle for Higher Education stated nearly 80 percent of outgoing high school seniors reported a major Texas flagship school, such as the Austin or College Station campuses, as their first choice. The study also claimed 88 percent of the top 10 percent graduates who preferred either Austin or College Station enrolled there. \nThough this data may point to the "flooding" impact of top-10 percent admissions policies, students ranging from the top 10 to 20 percent of their graduating classes also had good chances of admission on major Texas campuses. Nearly 75 percent of those students enrolled at their top-choice flagship campus.\nIU trustee Patrick Shoulders said he feels the Texas 10 percent plan will not be sufficient to ensure a diverse student body. Shoulders said IU's support of the Grutter case exemplifies the University's commitment to diversity. \n"I am proud that IU filed an amicus brief in support of the University of Michigan's position in the Supreme Court last year," Shoulders said. "I believe that action demonstrates the IU trustees' support for the proper consideration of race as one of many factors which should be considered in the admissions process."\nTrustee and Indiana attorney Stephen Backer agreed. \n"I'm not sure the Texas plan would work in Indiana," Backer said. "It wouldn't work as well as trying to come up with some method to ensure diversity. IU was one of the first universities to embrace international students, back when Herman B Wells was president. He was truly a pioneer in those days." \nHowever, Hossler said he believes considerable obstacles remain in leveling the playing field for students of under-represented sectors to gain admission to competitive universities. \n"I personally believe there are still inequalities in society that are not perfectly correlated with race," Hossler said. "There's still high correlation between parental education, family income and ethnicity. We haven't completely wiped that out yet."\n-- Contact senior writer Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
(01/30/04 6:04am)
After twenty years of active military duty, a seasoned Army veteran is giving up his decades-long tenure with the armed forces to enter public service. \nRepublican Dennis Hardy filed candidacy for Congress in Indiana's fourth district, which includes Monroe County, last Wednesday. Hardy, who most recently served in the Army Operations Center in the Pentagon, seeks to unseat incumbent Representative Steve Buyer. \nHardy has identified three key issues -- integrity, constituent services and homeland security -- around which he has centered his campaign. And for him, the fight is personal. Hardy claims Rep. Steve Buyer compromised both his personal integrity and a responsibility to Indiana voters by sending a letter to House speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, in March stating he had been called for active duty to serve in Iraq and requesting to be relieved of his congressional duties. \nIn a March 2003 press release, Laura Zuckerman, Buyer's communications director, stated Buyer had been "called to active duty in service of his country" and would act as an Operational Law Judge Advocate in the Iraqi theater. \nThat's a claim Hardy refutes vehemently. He maintains that no orders commanding Buyer, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, to serve were ever carried out and the ensuing investigation "sent shock waves" through the Pentagon. According to Joe Hanley, chief of public affairs for the Army Reserve, "there were never any orders out on Congressman Buyer."\nBuyer's actions prompted him to contest the incumbent's seat, Hardy said. \n"I perceived his actions as purely political; he's using this stunt to catapult his political career and run for a higher office," Hardy said. "I perceived his 'mobilization' as purely political."\nBuyer responded by denouncing Hardy's charges as "false" and "vicious." Lobbyist and Army veteran Paul C. Bergson, who worked with Buyer in the Reserves, sent an open letter to republican leaders deeming Hardy's charge as "one of the most ridiculous and mean-spirited allegations I have seen in my 37 years in the Army Reserve."\nBergson said there was no record of Buyer's call to active duty because he was never mobilized nor deployed. Furthermore, Bergson alleged Hardy violated the Privacy Act and other Department of Defense directives by searching soldiers' databases for "personal use."\nHardy, for his part, lets Bergson's allegations roll off. \n"He can't attack the message, so he's attacking the messenger as an alternative," Hardy said. "It's a question of integrity. Without integrity as a public servant, you stand for nothing. If people can't trust you, what good are you?"\nIf elected, he would move Buyer's district offices to more central locations. Specifically, he would open a large office in Tippecanoe County, the heart of the district's northern portion. He would also open headquarters in the central and southern regions, as well as several "temporary offices" in more rural reaches. The offices would be open later than usual business hours to accommodate constituents with 9 to 5 jobs. \n"I'm bringing government back to the people," he said. "We're going to work very hard to get people involved."\nHardy's seasoned military career led him to identify homeland security issues as another pillar of his campaign. Specifically, he believes the National Guard should be called to back up the border patrol and officers with the Immigration and Naturalization Service -- a measure he believes won't incur much additional expense. \nCampaign manager David Lohr said Hardy has been making numerous and varied appearances throughout the state since his campaign began in September.\n"We're looking at people who just aren't having a say in how they're represented, and that's why Denny's going out and getting his message heard," Lohr said. "He's at the Wingate Corn Festival. He's at the dinners and parades and festivals that could fit in one corner of a room."\nLohr said the Hardy team plans to utilize the grassroots to mobilize voter turnover. He realized early in the game that a congressional hopeful with no previous terms of service couldn't expect to match the incumbent with endorsements. That's why Hardy's going straight to the voters. \n"We have to match the incumbent just enough to be competitive, but the grassroots has to carry us over," Lohr said. \n- Contact senior writer Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
(01/29/04 5:42am)
A week after asking the Indiana Court of Appeals to review his lawsuit against the University, former IU Basketball Coach Bob Knight and his legal counsel are taking a closer look at their chances of overturning a judge's decision to dismiss the case. \nKnight's attorney, Russell Yates, said he will use the next 10 days to reconsider Knight's chances of winning the appeal. In October, Monroe County Circuit Judge Kenneth Todd dismissed the suit Knight levied in November 2002 against the University, which claimed IU violated the terms of his contract by not following proper firing procedures.\n"I feel the court was wrong, the contract was wrong and the way Coach was terminated was wrong," Yates said. "I think that because (then-University President Myles) Brand decided to have a press conference in front of 30 million people to say how bad Coach was, that triggered the for-cause provision to fire him."\nThere are two types of clauses in Knight's contract. The provision in question specifies a "for-cause firing," which required a formal hearing by the University before termination, a hearing Yates said Knight never received. His contract also included a "no-cause" clause. \nKnight has 30 days from the date of the appeal to file a brief to the state appellate court. Yates said the process could take up to two years from that point. \nIndianapolis attorney David Mattingly, who was hired in 2002 to represent IU's interests in the case, was traveling and could not be reached for comment at press time. However, Mattingly told the IDS in September that Knight's contract allowed IU to terminate him for any reason, provided the University continued paying his salary until the end of his contract. If Knight indeed had been fired "for cause," as Yates alleged, that payment would have immediately ceased and a hearing would have commenced. \nIU released a statement following Knight's Sept. 10, 2000, firing in which it claimed the University could fire Knight under paragraph nine of his contract. The excerpt specifies "if the University at any time desires, Coach shall cease to serve as head basketball coach when so advised in writing." A hearing would then purportedly be held to discuss the option to fire the coach. \nKnight's contract also specified that a quorum of members of the Board of Trustees could fire Knight through a majority vote. An alumni lawsuit filed in 2001 challenged several meetings held throughout September 2000 in which the trustees met with Brand to discuss possibly terminating Knight, claiming the meetings violated Indiana's Open Door Laws. \nIU released a statement in November 2002 shortly following Knight's initial filing stating its disagreement with Knight's allegations. \n"The University has fulfilled all of its obligations under the contract it had with Mr. Knight," the statement said. \nUniversity counsel Dorothy Frapwell said IU's position on the issue has not changed. \nYates also specifically targeted Knight's "poorly wrtten" contract, which he maintains is wrought with ambiguity. \nYates, a longtime personal friend of Knight, first approached the coach with an offer to lend legal assistance in 2000. At that time, Knight was under a "zero tolerance" policy by the University.\nYates said he hasn't talked with Knight recently concerning the developments of the case. Knight is currently consumed with the Texas Tech basketball season. \n"I am disappointed that Coach Knight's representation at that time would allow such a poorly drafted contract," he said. "Coach did what most people would do -- he relied on his lawyer to make sure the contract was drafted in such a way that he would be protected. Well, it wasn't."\nYates said while he hasn't made the final decision to move forward with the appeal, he probably will indeed follow through with his original intent. However, he acknowledged the difficulty inherent in such action.\n"It's very difficult to overturn a trial court's decision," Yates said. "We're taking a closer look"
(01/29/04 5:28am)
A bill requiring landlords to give tenants at least one day's notice before entering rental units cleared a legislative hurdle this week. Sponsored by State Rep. Matt Pierce D-Bloomington, the bill passed the Judiciary Committee with a vote of 10 to 3. \nAccording to the Pierce Tenant Privacy Act (HB 1096), a landlord may enter a unit without a day's notice only "in case of an emergency that threatens the safety of the occupants or the landlord's property." The landlord may enter only at "reasonable times" and has no other right of access unless as specified under court order or if the tenant has abandoned the unit. \nThe bill also states that tenants may not deny access to landlords if proper notice has been given. Landlords may inspect the unit, make repairs or improvements, supply similar agreed services and show the dwelling to prospective buyers, tenants or contractors. \n"Most people are surprised to learn current law allows landlords to enter a rental property as they please without notice," Pierce said. "We shouldn't make some people second-class citizens just because they pay rent each month instead of a mortgage." \nThe Tenant Privacy Act also expands the definition of "tenant" to include any former occupant of a dwelling unit. The bill was presented Jan. 15 and passed by the judiciary committee Monday. \nThis is not Pierce's first foray into landlord-tenant legislation. Pierce introduced a bill in the 2002 legislative session that, among other things, would have required landlords to create trust accounts to hold tenants' security deposits. \nSenior Mackenzie Robinson said she thinks the pending legislation would work to the benefit of student tenants. Robinson, who co-leases a five-bedroom house just off First Street, said her landlord often drops by unannounced.\n"They (the landlords) will drop by after 'trying to get ahold' of us to show the house to people," Robinson said. "Once I was getting out of the shower in my robe and there were four huge guys and my landlord standing there...They always say they try to get ahold of us, but it doesn't seem like they try very hard."\nRob Friedman, property manager for Bloomington-based Omega Properties, said his company always provides a 24-hour notice to residents before entering units.\nHe said the legislation may pose problems to property owners if the day-notice clause applies to maintenance issues as well.\n"When there are problems, we tend to get to them very quickly," Friedman said. "We want to make sure everyone's well taken care of, and if we can't get in, if there's a water leak or something, it could pose a very large problem."\nFriedman said Omega tenants tend to comply well when given 24-hour notice that management may be entering a unit. \nSenior Paul Le Vasseur believes the bill, if enacted, would serve to the advantage of both landlords and leasers. Le Vasseur has rented units owned by Deer Park Management and currently lives in the Omega Manor on Walnut Street. \n"I think it's an excellent idea," he said. "A tenant should be given fair warning if a landlord is going to be visiting their property."\nRobinson agrees with the tenant responsibilities as outlined by HB 1096 as well. \n"It's not really our place, so I don't see how we could deny access anyway," she said. "But I like the idea of them having to give us fair warning and not just saying, 'Oh, we tried to call."
(01/29/04 5:00am)
Aaron Zeis was perusing old 45s in Kingston, Jamaica, when he came across David Isaacs of the Grammy-nominated Jamaican band the Itals. Zeis, a Ft. Wayne native, had recently formed Bloomington-based One People Productions in response to a palpable need for live reggae shows in central Indiana and was intrigued by the "genuine kindness" of Isaacs and his bandmates. \nBut it wasn't his first chance encounter with Jamaican music legends and lore; on the same trip, he'd hung out in the island's premier studio, The Mixing Lab, listening to Culture lay down a few tracks. The Itals were different, however; in a "crazy place" like Kingston, where Zeis claims "everyone's pulling at you, trying to get something out of you," they seemed sincerely interested in Zeis and his work. \nA few years later, they hit Bloomington for the first time, headlining the Saturday night lineup at the Kneadmore Reggae Festival. Zeis spearheaded planning for the event, and found in the Itals the sort of nationally-renowned act he needed to bring the show together. \n"They were genuinely so interested and nice," Zeis recalled of his weekend with the band. "They were so thankful for everything we provided for them, for the food and everything, and they dealt with all kinds of weather. They were just happy to be there."\nRevered stateside and in their native Jamaica, the Itals will hit Uncle Fester's tonight as part of Zeis' Reggae Thursday series, which in recent months has featured such reggae greats as The Ark Band and Jah Kings. In Rastafarian patois, "ital" means natural, unprocessed and pure. It's also a way of life for the island trio, comprised of lead singer and original member Keith Porter, harmony vocalist David Isaacs and Porter's daughter, Suan. When they're not touring, they shore up in Jamaica's rural Westmoreland Parish, where they claim the living's easier and unaffected. \nPorter, speaking from his tour bus (which he often commandeers himself) en route to a show in St. Louis, says he's ready to hit Bloomington again. \n"I liked the vibe I saw there; it's a positive thing," he says. "We had a great time (at Kneadmore) and I'm looking forward to my next time here... I've been through Bloomington several times and that makes it even more interesting -- you meet people and want to go back."\nThe original band, spawned in 1976 when Porter teamed up with Ronnie Davis to re-voice Davis hit single "Won't You Come Home" (later re-released as "Ina Disa Time"), first achieved critical success with a series of recordings for the SpiderMan label. Joined by harmony singer Lloyd Ricketts, the group completed several 45 releases in both New York and Jamaica and were finalists in the 1981 and 1982 Jamaica Festival Song Competition. \nIn 1981, the band began collaborating with Nighthawk Records. A year later, the label released its first Itals recording, "Brutal Out Deh," hailed as a "stunner" by New York Times music critic Robert Palmer. In 1983, the group began its first U.S. and Canadian tour, backed by jam band The Vitals.\n"They're really known for their intricate vocal harmonies," Zeis said. \nPersonnel changes have wracked the group, but the transitions haven't hurt the Itals' balance. Ricketts was sent to prison shortly after the release of "Rasta Philosophy" in 1987 and was replaced by Isaacs, and Davis left to pursue solo interests. \n"Time changes everything, you know," Porter says. "As people change, so times change, and people move on. I'm the original creator, and I'll never lose it; the foundation is always there and never goes away. The message and the movement is as important to the people as ever, and so is the positive direction that it's going."\nThat's why Porter and crew consistently create music people can relate to. \n"People get the positive vibes, and they want music that makes sense," he says. "Music is like a tree of life to a lot of people."\nTheir current tour is part of an effort to both revive American interest in the one-time Grammy nominees, as well tap into the Midwest market. \n"They were very big back in the day, and it's sort of been up and down since the '80s," Zeis says. "They're trying to play a lot more shows and build things up, especially here in the Midwest."\nThey're heading "all over" in a concerted effort to "let people get the vibes," Porter says. He claims he doesn't have a favorite place to play, though Jamaica will always be home. \n"I've been a lot of different places, and I'm really a world citizen," he says. "Music comes from all different corners, and I am sent to deliver our message. My philosophy is truth and rights, and that always stands. The only way to get the message across is to deliver it to all corners"
(01/28/04 11:35pm)
Aaron Zeis was perusing old 45s in Kingston, Jamaica, when he came across David Isaacs of the Grammy-nominated Jamaican band the Itals. Zeis, a Ft. Wayne native, had recently formed Bloomington-based One People Productions in response to a palpable need for live reggae shows in central Indiana and was intrigued by the "genuine kindness" of Isaacs and his bandmates. \nBut it wasn't his first chance encounter with Jamaican music legends and lore; on the same trip, he'd hung out in the island's premier studio, The Mixing Lab, listening to Culture lay down a few tracks. The Itals were different, however; in a "crazy place" like Kingston, where Zeis claims "everyone's pulling at you, trying to get something out of you," they seemed sincerely interested in Zeis and his work. \nA few years later, they hit Bloomington for the first time, headlining the Saturday night lineup at the Kneadmore Reggae Festival. Zeis spearheaded planning for the event, and found in the Itals the sort of nationally-renowned act he needed to bring the show together. \n"They were genuinely so interested and nice," Zeis recalled of his weekend with the band. "They were so thankful for everything we provided for them, for the food and everything, and they dealt with all kinds of weather. They were just happy to be there."\nRevered stateside and in their native Jamaica, the Itals will hit Uncle Fester's tonight as part of Zeis' Reggae Thursday series, which in recent months has featured such reggae greats as The Ark Band and Jah Kings. In Rastafarian patois, "ital" means natural, unprocessed and pure. It's also a way of life for the island trio, comprised of lead singer and original member Keith Porter, harmony vocalist David Isaacs and Porter's daughter, Suan. When they're not touring, they shore up in Jamaica's rural Westmoreland Parish, where they claim the living's easier and unaffected. \nPorter, speaking from his tour bus (which he often commandeers himself) en route to a show in St. Louis, says he's ready to hit Bloomington again. \n"I liked the vibe I saw there; it's a positive thing," he says. "We had a great time (at Kneadmore) and I'm looking forward to my next time here... I've been through Bloomington several times and that makes it even more interesting -- you meet people and want to go back."\nThe original band, spawned in 1976 when Porter teamed up with Ronnie Davis to re-voice Davis hit single "Won't You Come Home" (later re-released as "Ina Disa Time"), first achieved critical success with a series of recordings for the SpiderMan label. Joined by harmony singer Lloyd Ricketts, the group completed several 45 releases in both New York and Jamaica and were finalists in the 1981 and 1982 Jamaica Festival Song Competition. \nIn 1981, the band began collaborating with Nighthawk Records. A year later, the label released its first Itals recording, "Brutal Out Deh," hailed as a "stunner" by New York Times music critic Robert Palmer. In 1983, the group began its first U.S. and Canadian tour, backed by jam band The Vitals.\n"They're really known for their intricate vocal harmonies," Zeis said. \nPersonnel changes have wracked the group, but the transitions haven't hurt the Itals' balance. Ricketts was sent to prison shortly after the release of "Rasta Philosophy" in 1987 and was replaced by Isaacs, and Davis left to pursue solo interests. \n"Time changes everything, you know," Porter says. "As people change, so times change, and people move on. I'm the original creator, and I'll never lose it; the foundation is always there and never goes away. The message and the movement is as important to the people as ever, and so is the positive direction that it's going."\nThat's why Porter and crew consistently create music people can relate to. \n"People get the positive vibes, and they want music that makes sense," he says. "Music is like a tree of life to a lot of people."\nTheir current tour is part of an effort to both revive American interest in the one-time Grammy nominees, as well tap into the Midwest market. \n"They were very big back in the day, and it's sort of been up and down since the '80s," Zeis says. "They're trying to play a lot more shows and build things up, especially here in the Midwest."\nThey're heading "all over" in a concerted effort to "let people get the vibes," Porter says. He claims he doesn't have a favorite place to play, though Jamaica will always be home. \n"I've been a lot of different places, and I'm really a world citizen," he says. "Music comes from all different corners, and I am sent to deliver our message. My philosophy is truth and rights, and that always stands. The only way to get the message across is to deliver it to all corners"
