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(10/29/03 6:51am)
Placing the square metal box in her lap, junior Erin Fountain pushes one of the blue buttons on top. Quickly, she pushes two more buttons with her pointer fingers. She glides the tips of her fingers across the surface as different Braille dots move up and down. \nTo some, Fountain's machine might appear to be a hand-held video game. But in reality, the metal box (Braille Note) helps Fountain, a blind student at IU, take notes by voice, tell time and even calculate numbers.\nFor students like Fountain, disabilities can present obstacles in everyday life. But IU, backed by the Bloomington community, is working to minimize these obstacles. Rather than simply raising awareness about handicap needs, they are taking action to cater to the problems.\nFor its efforts, the city of Bloomington was a top-seven finalist the past two years in the nationwide Accessible America competition. This contest, offered by the National Organization on Disability, recognized Bloomington for its efforts in offering disabled citizens opportunities for equal community involvement.\nThese opportunities, offered by both the community and the University, have helped Fountain in her everyday life as a college student.
(09/25/03 5:45am)
Joseph Shamis plans his classes around it. He plans his work schedule around it. He even plans his lunch breaks around it. \nSince converting to Islam while at IU, Shamis, a senior, said prayer has become second nature to him, just like brushing his teeth. It's something he makes time for and something that's become routine.\n"(Prayer) affects everything you do, really," Shamis said. "Even if you feel like you're losing your faith, you do the prayers anyway. It keeps you grounded."\nBefore his conversion in 2001, he spent a lot of time exploring Christianity. It was only when he began reading books on Islam and met some Muslims on campus that he decided to join the Islamic community.\nFor curious students like Shamis, many campus groups and classes exist to assist students in exploring and maintaining religion. Students and faculty agree that college is the best and easiest time to explore religion, although they find different reasons as to why students actually choose to do so.\nThrough reading books and taking classes in anthropology, Shamis learned a lot about concepts of God and understanding different people. It was during this period of exploration that Shamis found what he was personally looking for in a faith.\n"If you're a Muslim, you believe there's just one God, and it's the right religion of God," Shamis said. "I was kind of looking around, and I think the concept of God in Islam is the clearest one -- all-powerful, all-compassionate."
(09/17/03 6:57am)
The Bloomington Faculty Council met Tuesday for the first time this year under new President David Daleke to discuss IU's strategic planning, student recruitment and financial aid.\nAccording to the Web site from IU-Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm's office, the purpose of IU's strategic planning is to "contribute to a significant advance in the Bloomington campus' academic reputation and, therefore, to the esteem in which its faculty and its graduates are held."\nLast year, the Strategic Planning Committee drafted a mission of values as well as a list of academic and general priorities intended to show the committee where to allocate Commitment to Excellence funds. These funds were raised through the $1,000 special tuition assessment undergraduates began paying this semester.\nNow, the committee is in its third phase, working closely with the BFC to create benchmarks and review the entire process.\nSPC Chair Fred Cate said this is the most important part of the planning process.\n"It's only by going back and asking the tough questions that you find out if you're doing the right things," he said. "What's most important is that we put in place a process to make sure we look back every two or three years over the next decade to see what the impact is."\nThrough this long process and ongoing examinations, Cate said advancement is possible.\n"This campus, like many campuses across the country, has many needs," Cate said. "You could just spend every dollar you have plugging the holes, filling the needs, but we're thinking strategically ahead. At the end of this four- or five-year period, we'll still have needs to be met, but we will have advanced the campus, built new programs and started new opportunities for undergraduates."\nBrehm outlined a number of goals for undergraduate education for this year, many that have sprung from the SPC. Brehm said she has always been impressed by IU's undergraduate education, but that coordination is still needed to be effective. She broke the issue into three areas that need to be further developed: recruitment and financial aid, international experiences and internal and external student transfers.\nIn the area of recruitment and financial aid, Brehm said IU has been reactive.\n"There is no way to increase diversity unless we become very proactive," Brehm said.\nThrough the International Experiences program run by the Honors College, Brehm said she hopes to further studies abroad. With money raised through endowments and campus money, Brehm said in four years there should be enough money for 600 students to receive $1,500 each to study abroad. In addition to offering money, Brehm said she wants the Bloomington faculty to become involved in reaching out and recruiting a diverse group to study overseas.\nThe last issue Brehm discussed was transfer students, saying that students often transfer from one school to another to find that their general education credits don't transfer. \n"It may be possible to find commonalities in general education," Brehm said. "We need to work toward more course overlap."\nWhile other universities are encountering budget and program conflicts, Brehm said IU will not develop these problems.\n"We're not scrambling to stay afloat," she said. "We're moving ahead."\n-- Contact staff writer Jackie Walker at jaclwalk@indiana.edu.
(09/16/03 5:38am)
The Bloomington Faculty Council will meet today for the first time this school year under new leadership. \nEach spring, a new BFC president is elected from a group of council members to serve as president for two years. Earlier this year, David Daleke, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, was selected to replace previous president Robert Eno.\nDuring Eno's term, the BFC established new bylaws for the conflict of interest committee, approved mandatory on-campus housing for students during their first year, worked with PeopleSoft and abolished the GradPact program.\nDaleke said he plans to continue working with PeopleSoft and with two program reorganizations -- the merger of Computer Science with the School of Informatics and the reorganization of the School of Continuing Studies. The BFC will also discuss a number of educational policies and general education requirements. \nBoth old business and future issues will be brought to the attention of the council today.\nWork has already begun among agenda committee members to refine the direction of the committees for the coming year, Daleke said. \nDaleke, who received both a B.S. and Ph.D from Stanford University, said he is excited to work with the faculty and committees this year.\n"One thing about faculty governance is that we're all volunteers," Daleke said. "Every year I am impressed with the amount of energy that the faculty put into this effort. It's a huge effort and there's a lot of work to be done."\nAlso important to Daleke is the student representation present in the council. He said he is looking forward to working with the IU Student Association to give the students a voice.\nThe administration and faculty said they are equally excited to begin working with Daleke.\n"The BFC has a long history of superb presidents, and they contribute a great deal to the University," said IU-Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm. Brehm is the BFC's presiding officer.\nShe will have served on the council with three different presidents: Jim Sherman, Eno and Daleke.\n"Eno was an outstanding president for two years and helped me learn the University," Brehm said. "And now David Daleke is off to a very fast start and will, I'm sure, be extremely effective."\nBFC Secretary William Wheeler said he is also hopeful for the coming year.\n"I think Professor Daleke will do an outstanding job as BFC President," he said. "I have been very impressed with his preparations for this year. He is well-organized, articulate, personable and very bright."\nDespite these qualities, Daleke said he still looks to Eno for direction.\n"Eno had encouraged me to run for this office, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for Bob," he said. "As all of the past presidents have, I think he advanced the BFC. I only hope that I can live up to some of the work that Bob has already started. I hope to not only continue what he's done but to advance it further."\n-- Contact staff writer Jackie Walker at jacwalk@indiana.edu.
(09/12/03 6:07am)
On the second anniversary of a tragic day, while much of the nation was focused on loss of life, there was a glimpse of hope in the University Club room at the Indiana Memorial Union.\nThere, the Indiana University Student Foundation awarded three undergraduates 9/11 scholarships created in memory of the fathers of IU juniors Rachel Jacobson and Jessica Moskal and graduate Joshua Goldflam. \nThe room, filled with inviting refreshments and IUSF members, was marked with a somber atmosphere as attendants reflected on the nature of the scholarships. Jacobson, Moskal and Goldflam, who all lost their fathers in the World Trade Center, worked with IUSF to create the scholarships.\nJacobson was the only one of the three who attended the ceremony.\nAfter IUSF President Vincent Defazio gave a welcoming address, Dean of Students Richard McKaig reflected on the events of Sept. 11.\n"Today was a beautiful, sunny day on campus ... a day so different from 3:00 on Sept. 11, 2001," McKaig said. "I recall the shock, the concern, the uncertainty and sorrow as the events tore at the fabric of the campus and the nation. Then I recalled what happened next ... people stepped up to make a difference."\nIn this light, the 9/11 Scholarship Fund was born. The scholarships, made possible by proceeds from Little 500, are intended to honor the everyday heroes -- the fathers who worked as Little League coaches, attended churches and synagogues and performed the everyday tasks of fatherhood. Students are chosen based on their own heroic qualities in the classroom, on campus and throughout the community.\nSophomore Sarah Irani was awarded the first scholarship for her future in business, her current work in the classroom and her commitment to extracurricular activities. Irani has worked with the Debate Team, the Eigenmann Judicial Board and several other student groups and volunteer programs. \nThe second scholarship required applicants to write an essay on the importance of family, with special consideration to siblings. Senior Brook Mitchell received the award. \n"It's a great honor," said Mitchell. "This money will help me get through my senior year, but it's great because it's in memory of the fathers who were lost."\nMitchell is a student supervisor for RPS, a member of the Dean's advisory council at the School of Education and is listed on the National Dean's List. \nThe final scholarship was awarded based on campus and community service. Junior Virginia Vasquez received this scholarship for her work in coordinating service events for such groups as the Honors College, the Monroe County Humane Society and the Community Kitchen. She has also worked as a reporter and intern, performed with the Singing Hoosiers and is a part of the National Dean's List.\nAfter the scholarships were handed out by IUSF Director Jonathan Purvis and IU-Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm, Indiana University Foundation President Curtis Simic took the podium to make a few closing remarks.\nSimic said, despite recent tragedies, he is hopeful for the future because he recognizes some people are trying to do something positive.\n"Each of us can show consideration, show kindness," he said. "I urge each of us to seize those opportunities. Seek them out and do something positive."\nScholarship winner Virginia Vasquez said she was encouraged by Simic's words.\n"When you hear we can make a difference in the future, you think, 'Yes, I could' rather than focusing on what you have already done," she said.\nVasquez's parents, Alex and Barb Vasquez, who were also in attendance, were equally encouraged by the ceremony. \n"It's such a nice way to commemorate the lives of these men," Barb Vasquez said. "(The scholarships are) exciting, but the day seems so unfair, and you can't help but think about the kids who lost their family members. The best thing we can do as humans is turn tragedy into something positive."\n-- Contact staff writer Jackie Walker at jaclwalk@indiana.edu.
(09/05/03 6:18am)
The Chamtse Ling temple dedication at the Tibetan Cultural Center is just two days away, and student and academic groups are busy with last-minute preparations. Professors and students attending the event are also gearing up for what they consider a very significant visit by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso.\nIU Students for a Free Tibet is helping with preparations at the Tibetan Cultural Center. In addition, the group has been informing both the campus and community about the visit through fliers and promotions at the Indiana Memorial Union. At the event Sunday, members plan to hand out information on Tibet, stickers and T-shirts. \n"This event not only inspires the local Tibet movement, but it also invigorates the Tibet movement on a worldwide scale," said IUSFT Director Mary-Kate Oreovicz. \nThe Department of Religious Studies also finds it important to acknowledge the Dalai Lama this weekend. However, because tickets for the event are $75, the department was afraid many students wouldn't be able to attend. To resolve the issue, they bought two extra tickets and decided to raffle them off to one undergraduate and one graduate religious studies major.\n"It has nothing to do with the religious connotation," said Religious Studies Adviser Caroline Dowd-Higgins. "It has more to do with what's happening in the world. We wanted to take advantage of the opportunity for both students and faculty to hear this important person."\nTwo names were drawn for the raffle Wednesday morning: graduate student Holly Folk and undergraduate student Meagan Haberman-Ducey. These students will go to the actual event, listen to the panel discussion and spend the whole day at the TCC. \nDr. David Haberman, chairperson of the Department of Religious Studies, will accompany the students to the event.\n"I've met him before and have always been deeply moved being in his presence," Haberman said. "I'm just looking forward to being with him again. The Dalai Lama has emerged as a global voice for tolerance, and he has spoken of the need to respect and maintain cultural diversity … we, as a department, are involved in the process of promoting tolerance through a greater understanding of religious traditions."\nAssociate Professor Steven Weitzman, director of the Jewish Studies Program, also plans to attend to support his wife, Rabbi Mira Wasserman, who will be featured in the day's events.\n"I think it's a great moment for interesting dialogue," Weitzman said. "The Dalai Lama has invited a number of religious leaders. … The idea that all of them will be in one room is an exciting opportunity."\nAlso in the room, representing IU, will be Patrick O'Meara, dean of international programs. He will be presenting Emeritus Professor Thubten Norbu, the Dalai Lama's brother, with an award for his contributions to Tibetan studies and the academic community. His Office of International Programs is also involved with a writing competition between four teenagers called "Let Peace Begin with Me." \nO'Meara will make presentations to Muhammad Ali, IU, and the Dalai Lama. \n"I think (his visit) is more important than it's ever been because…his message of peace is so important given the conflict we're all living through," O'Meara said. "I'm particularly pleased that the young people will be dealing with this idea of 'Let Peace Begin with Me' because I think that's a very significant message. I don't think the Dalai Lama's visit will transform the world automatically but if you can change the way the young people think and believe, you can have a great impact."\n-- Contact staff writer Jackie Walker at jaclwalk@indiana.edu.
(09/01/03 5:27am)
Madness doesn't even begin to describe it.\nWords like chaos, mayhem and pandemonium might be more appropriate. The buses were packed, the aisles were crowded and the lines were long. Still, students and Wal-Mart associates agreed that Midnight Madness was exciting, spirited and once more, a real success.\nThe annual late-night promotional event put on by Wal-Mart targets students and features lowered prices and raffles. While some students chose to drive cars to Wal-Mart, most boarded one of the eight busses that stopped at each dorm on campus. Anticipating the size of the crowd, two more buses were added to the route this year.\nBus driver Chuck Ritter wasn't overwhelmed by the rush. \n"I've been just fine," Ritter said. "Everybody's been well-behaved and courteous. This is my first time driving for Midnight Madness. Other than packages, it's been just like it's been on school days."\nPackages and bags were many as students found items they had forgotten to purchase for school or discounts that were too good to pass up.\nItems that sold quickly were bath rugs, pillows, plastic storage bins and DVDs. Many students also spent time searching for their favorite snack foods and drinks. Some students were seen buying items that were not on their packing lists, like a golf club, a step stool or a box of condoms.\nFreshmen David Schwarz and Josh Worden had a list in hand to buy such things as hand sanitizer, food and milk. They also spent a little time smelling plug-in air fresheners, attempting to decide which scent to buy.\n"It's just something to make our room smell good because our halls smell bad," Worden said.\nFreshman Jennifer Gantner said she bought "all types of things, food, notebooks. It was a little nuts trying to get through the aisles, but I got a lot for 30 dollars."\nFreshman Lauren Hickey also took advantage of the lowered prices.\n"We heard the prices would be knocked down so we decided to come," Hickey said. "Plus, our parents aren't here anymore to buy us stuff, and we don't have a car."\nOther students came to Midnight Madness for the Wal-Mart experience. \nSophomore Nicky Jessup, a transfer student from Australia, hadn't shopped in America yet.\n"It was my first time at Wal-Mart ever," Jessup said. "I bought a phone so I can call home and a pillow that won't fit in my suitcase."\nOther students had already experienced Midnight Madness. Customer Service Manager and IU-Bloomington senior Arthur Coleman, a seven-year Wal-Mart employee, had participated in the event several times before as a student. This was his first Midnight Madness as an employee, making sure the cash registers had enough money throughout the evening.\n"I'm usually in with the students, but I decided for my last year I'd stand back, watch and help out," Coleman said. "It's been a little stressful, but I'd rather it be stressful than not at all."\nAside from the rush itself, most of them worked during the day, went home and came back or else they stayed later and worked a double shift. \n"We had every register open, every device to check you out and everybody doing what they could,"said Wal-Mart Assistant Manager Rachel Noble."I was getting stressed out, but of course I had been here all day. It's not like it's bad stress -- it's just there's so much going on at once."\nDespite the stress, most employees agreed the event was worthwhile to interact with the students.\n"It gets the community involved and boosts our sales," Noble said. "It's crazy, it's extremely busy and we're all tired, but it's exciting to see all the people come in and to see what they buy."\n-- Contact staff writer Jackie Walker at jaclwalk@indiana.edu.
(08/28/03 5:55am)
Leg cramps and sweat-drenched shirts shouldn't be a problem for students during Welcome Week. Pedestrians won't have to shell out any cash to hitch a ride between classes since all rides on campus buses will be free Sept. 1-7.\nDuring Welcome Week, the Campus Bus Service will run its buses on the summer schedule, which means less-frequent runs. This weekend it will run on the weekend schedule and begin full service the first day of classes. \n"It gets students used to it, to figure out where they are going and how long it's going to take them to get there," said James Hosler, director of Campus Bus Service. "Ridership is always higher during the free week, and then it drops off." \nAfter the first week of classes, students must have a bus pass or 75 cents to ride any campus bus. Although both methods of payment are acceptable, Hosler said only 7 percent of riders pay with cash. This percentage is higher when the weather declines and more students board the bus.\nFor those who already have a bus pass, you may still have to walk to some classes. Bus passes expire on Aug. 30, but new passes will not be available for purchase until Sept. 3. \nDespite rumors of new city bus fees, Bloomington Transit General Manager Lew May said all city buses will still be free to IU students. That fee is paid in part through the transportation fee in your tuition.\n"IU students will be able to use the C route as well as all Bloomington Transit routes by simply showing their Campus Access Cards," May said. "The C bus is one of the most popular routes given it serves the University Commons area and several other locations. It's a great way to get to campus."\nBloomington Transit provides several other routes that cover much of the city of Bloomington and the IU campus, all free to IU students.\nFor those who prefer to chauffeur themselves, parking will also be free in several areas, though only for a short time. All dorm parking is free until Sept. 1. Stadium parking will be free until Oct. 1. \nKatya Pisman, office assistant for Parking Operations, said this perk is offered "to give a chance for all the people that live in the dorms to get their permits and settle in."\n-- Contact staff writer Jackie Walker at jaclwalk@indiana.edu.
(08/28/03 5:55am)
Students will now have to pay to park at the Student Recreational Sports Center.\nThe lots, once zoned for A, C and E permits by Parking Operations, require users to pay a fee depending on length of stay and the use of a parking pass.\nOvernight parking has also been eliminated in the change. Parking Operations turned over the lot to the management of the SRSC Monday.\nDoug Porter, Parking Operations parking manager, explained the reason behind the change of hands.\n"(The SRSC) had a concern with people parking there that may not have been using the SRSC," Porter said. "They'd visit their friends or go to the (Main) Library and weren't in the building. Then when people would come to the SRSC, they'd say 'I want to take my aerobics class ... and I can't get in the parking lot.'"\nThe process now requires people with any type of IU parking pass to take a ticket at the booth when they enter the lot. The ticket is then validated at the turnstiles of the SRSC before leaving. If you are out of the gym within two hours, you pay nothing. However, after two hours you will be charged $1.50 per half hour. To park your car in their lot for the entire day, you must purchase a full-day pass for $13.50, according to SRSC Member Services.\nFor those who do not have a parking pass, you will automatically be charged $1.50 per half hour or $13.50 for the day, bypassing the two-hour rule.\nThese fees and times are only valid within the hours the SRSC remains open -- 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday.\nIf your car is parked in the lot after these hours, it will be marked for a ticket.\n"I think it's better," said senior Dan Day, SRSC member services representative. "The fees will eliminate a lot of arguments over spaces."\nSophomore Mark Sinsko said the change won't really affect him.\n"It's good because at least you can park there for two hours," he said. "I'm not usually there longer than that."\nBut sophomore Jon Jutte said he finds the new ticket charge unnecessary, considering students are already paying more for tuition and housing.\nWhile student reactions are mixed, the SRSC surveyed over 800 students, and over 90 percent said they wouldn't be affected because they didn't stay past the two hours anyway, Day said.\n-- Contact staff writer Jackie Walker at jaclwalk@indiana.edu.
(05/01/03 5:42am)
Breathing deeply as she pulls out a chair, graduate student Jenifer Lasimbang sits with a sigh. She has been walking through campus not only to attend class and meetings, but to get in shape -- and to prepare for her return home to Borneo in Malaysia. There, the hills turn into mountains, and beaches meet rainforests. Lasimbang must be ready for the change in walking distance and terrain. \nThis summer will be a busy time for many IU students from Malaysia. While Lasimbang works on a summer project of bringing computers into rural areas, other members of IU's Malaysian Student Association will participate in the Midwest Games May 24 and 25 at Purdue University. Another MSA member will head home to model, and incoming freshmen will spend the summer filling out paperwork to come to IU.\nSince 1970, the Midwest Games have gathered Malaysian students from the Midwest. This year, more than 900 students will attend a dinner and cultural show, participate in sports, including basketball, soccer, badminton and volleyball, and meet new people and see familiar faces. \n"I think the main reason they come here is because they want to meet their friends," said Purdue sophomore Anwar Ahmad, director of this year's games. "They are probably from the same school back in our country, but when they came (to the United States) they got separated."\nOther students will immediately return to Malaysia. In her hometown of Kuala Lumpur in Selangor, Malaysia, freshman Bahiyah Akip will maintain a social life and work as a model. She has modeled for fashion and bridal magazines, art shows and a cell phone company. This summer she hopes to model for hair products, such as Pantene.\n"I am not a big model or something," Akip said with a laugh. "I just started and it takes a lot of effort, time and contacts to make it in the modeling business. It is just something I really love to do and besides, the payment is good too." \nLasimbang, the 11th of 13 siblings, is one of three IU students from Sabah, Malaysia, in northern Borneo, "where the orangutans and the rainforests are," she said. Malaysia does not provide much higher education, so Lasimbang pinpointed U.S. schools that taught what she was interested in. Lasimbang, who is seeking a degree in human-computer interaction from the School of Informatics, will spend her summer finishing her thesis project -- helping rural communities gain access to computers. \n"You have to get them interested, train them in how to use the computer, and then hopefully the community will take it from there," Lasimbang said. "But some of these communities are not accessible by road and have no electricity…it's like being in the Amazon."\nWhile the mainland Malaysian peninsula consists primarily of three ethnic groups (Malays, Indians and Chinese), the Sabah Tourism Board estimates more than 30 ethnic groups exist on Borneo. Lasimbang plans to help set up technology centers in at least two communities.\nWhile Lasimbang has big plans for returning to Malaysia, high school students are planning to depart the country. In order to enroll at IU, Malaysian students have to go through an extensive process. \nIU's Office of International Services evaluates Malaysian students' applications. In Malaysia, students must apply for a visa at a U.S. Embassy's Consular Section. According to the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia, "to qualify for a non-immigrant visa, you must also show strong financial, social, and family ties to Malaysia, which compel your return after a temporary stay in the United States." \nMSA President Mazri Mahmood, a junior, said the government, a private company or the student's own expenses can finance a student. Students who use their own expenses do not have to prove they will return. Once a student has the mandatory paperwork, he or she can travel to the United States.\n"It was really hard (when we first came here)," said Mahmood, who arrived in the United States in 2001. "When we came here our English was not that good. We weren't feeling too comfortable mixing with other people. If we have help from people that speak our own language, we feel comfortable and it helps us very much."\nSome students might be concerned about traveling because of the spread of SARS and possible terrorist attacks.\n"We're not hearing anything that will make us worry, but one doesn't know what will happen between now and orientation," said Jenny Bowen, foreign student adviser at IU's Office of International Services. "I know there are probably a number of students who are concerned, but right now we haven't heard anything that would make us worry"
(04/24/03 5:46am)
"Afflications, you say?"\nA student leans forward and whispers the correct pronunciation.\n"Oh, afflictions. Yes, it must be the glasses," jokes associate instructor and graduate student Efrat El-Hanany. \nAlthough this incident of an instructor mispronouncing a word might not have interrupted the process of education, instances do occur when students cannot learn concepts because they cannot understand the teacher's pronunciation, accent or language. Students and teachers convey differing opinions about whether multilingual professors create diversity or cause problems in the classroom. But most agree different languages encourage cultural understanding. \nTeaching in English has proven difficult for some teachers. El-Hanany, an Israeli citizen, teaches History of Jewish Art and Renaissance through Modern Art. Because she speaks six languages (French, Italian, Chinese, English, Hebrew and a little German), she has to occasionally remind herself to think in English so she can speak in English. Sometimes, she comes across words she cannot pronounce.\n"But with students I feel free not to remember a word," El-Hanany said. "Elsewhere, I might say instead of 'merchants,' however you say that, I would say 'salespeople.'" \nEl-Hanany said she feels more comfortable around students because they help her with pronunciation rather than judging her by her mistakes. In her classroom, the student helps the teacher with words, while the teacher helps the student learn concepts and ideas. When students attempt to understand or speak a foreign language, others notice the effort and are more apt to open up and comprehend the student, El-Hanany said.\n"A knowledge of foreign languages and cultures is an essential skill in the modern world," said Visiting Professor of Finnish Language Tapio Hokkanen, a citizen of Finland who also speaks English, German, Swedish and Hungarian. "Everybody knows that the codes in communication in Japan are very different from the Western ones. My example comes from Hungarian. When you meet an elderly lady in Hungary, you have to be prepared to greet her, 'Kezét csókolom,' which is, 'I kiss your hand.' I could neither use it in my own culture, nor in the (English-speaking) world. Although foreigners are allowed to violate these codes, we can feel safer when we are aware of them."\nSome people say more classes should be taught in foreign languages. Hearing and speaking different languages can give students a larger perspective on other cultures, Hokkanen said.\nOthers say because many in the United States speak English, classes should be taught only in that language. As a result, instructors who have trouble speaking English could build barriers in education.\n"My calculus teacher was Indian, and when she got frustrated (she) spoke in" her native language, freshman Nicole Biddle said. "I always wondered what she was saying. It's good to get outside views besides American views, but sometimes my calculus teacher couldn't find the proper words and couldn't get her message across to us … or at least to me."\nInstructors can build barriers in such cases when they interrupt discussions to find the proper word or when they cannot answer a student's questions in English. Students can then lose their train of thought or give up trying to learn the concept altogether. El-Hanany said this situation does not happen often. She said language barriers occur more frequently when gestures or expressions are misinterpreted.\n"One of my friends from Bloomington visited me in Israel once," El-Hanany said. "I jokingly said, 'I'll bill you later for the stay.'"\nAlthough the comment is a joking expression in Israel, her friend thought she was unwelcome and felt bad about staying in Efrat's home. If her friend had understood the language and expressions of Israeli culture, the misinterpretation might have been avoided.\nEnforcing a worldwide language is one way many hope to dissolve language barriers. Several activist groups have pushed English as the official language of the United States. U.S. ENGLISH, which was founded in 1983, claims to be the oldest of these groups and has more than 1.5 million members. According to its Web site (www.us-english.org), U.S.ENGLISH believes designating English as the official language will increase opportunities for immigrants to learn and speak English, which they need to succeed.\nImposing one language on a country, its immigrants or the world might seem to have benefits. But the utopian idea also has complications. \n"I would not support forcing everyone in the world to speak English," said Ken Gros Louis, IUB chancellor from 1980-2001 and professor emeritus of comparative literature. "Communication would certainly be easier if there were one language, but who decides which one? How about Chinese? It seems to me better to encourage each person to learn several languages, rather than impose one."\nThe number of languages a professor has learned is less important than his or her knowledge of the topics he or she teaches, Gros Louis said.\n"Certainly many faculty were hired during my years as chancellor whose first language was not English or who were multilingual," Gros Louis said. "Europeans especially grow up knowing between three and six languages just to enable them to get around Europe. I don't think anyone would have been hired who was not fluent in English. The hiring (probably had to do with) their expertise in a field of knowledge"
(04/22/03 4:25am)
Black-rimmed glasses sit on her nose, graded papers sit on the podium in front of her and students sit wide-eyed before her, staring with wonder at her wild, new hair-do. As graduate student Viola Milton, 31, prepares to teach her class about communications, she is pleased. This is exactly the stunned reaction she wanted.\n"She had her hair rolled in knobs all over her head. It distracted me the entire day in class. She's the kind of person who does that to see how you'll react," said freshman Nathan Mundy, a student in Milton's C122 Interpersonal Communications class last semester.\nBut her hairstyle is not the only way Milton tries to communicate. In order to better relate cultural communication, Milton often talks about her past and what it was like to grow up in a South African township.\nLife in South Africa was similar to the history of the South in the United States -- segregation was all over. Until apartheid was abolished in 1991, race determined boundaries. Milton recalled a time when even toilets were separated. She was forced to use a hole in the ground when she was about three. \n"I used to be terrified to go in there … what happens when you fall in the hole?" said Milton, laughing at her childhood fears. \nFear was more real and prevalent for her grandparents, though. Her great-grandmother was of Scottish and black-African descent. Because of her mixed race, she experienced pressure from both sides -- the whites discriminated against her for her black family, while the blacks in the market were confused because she was white. \nHer grandfather lived in the infamous District Six in Cape Town where, in 1966, "60,000 people ... were forcibly removed, their homes and businesses bulldozed to the ground," simply because they were not white, said Susan Taylor, writer for East Cape News, "one in six people in (South Africa) is HIV-positive." \nMilton said these numbers are probably even higher. She said AIDS has the "fastest growing infection rate in the world." \nBecause of her background in communications (she received bachelor's and master's degrees in the field), Milton is interested in how the epidemic is portrayed in the media. \n"I'd like to see reporters do something other than point fingers and assign blame," Milton said.\nMilton said one problem the media uses to assign blame deals with the Virgin Myth Theory. This myth suggests that if you have sex with a virgin, you can be cured of AIDS. Although the media makes it seem like a "black" problem, the idea itself probably originated in previous centuries in England with STDs like gonorrhea and syphilis, Milton said. \nSeeing the world from Milton's point of view and hearing her story helps students better understand their classes and their friends.\n"I'm not visibly marked in a way that causes me to be singled out," Trice said. "I've learned (through Viola) not to take my own situation for granted"
(04/14/03 5:41am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- As announcers broadcast the approaching start of the race over the speakers, thousands of runners and walkers began to line up. Soon, the sea of people began to flood New York Street, some streaming up the embankment on the side. The mass of participants was awe-inspiring, stretching over a half-mile from Blackford Street past University Boulevard. A group of women walked through the tunnel built over the street between two buildings. Peering across the massive crowd, one woman began to skip down the passageway. \n"Look at all the people!" she shrieked with delight.\nThe 2003 Komen Indianapolis Race for the Cure, held at the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis campus Saturday morning, was a real lesson in numbers. Part of a series of races held nationwide to raise support for breast cancer awareness, the size of the event has grown over the years. The number of people present at this particular race, including the number of survivors dressed in pink, proved to many the importance of breast cancer research and education in Indiana. \n"The people and the turnout were exceptional," said IU graduate student Jason Karp, who finished seventh in the race. "I think it really speaks volumes for how many people are affected by breast cancer. The majority of the people who were there probably never run any other races throughout the year. This is their one day to be a part of something like this."\nCoordinators of the race had anticipated 32,000 participants. They were not expecting the estimated 39,000 people who registered for the race. T-shirts were snatched up, entry numbers assigned, until finally registration assistants ran out. They began hand-writing entry numbers on blank papers so that each new participant could still pin a number on his shirt.\nSince its inception in Dallas, Texas, in 1983, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race for the Cure Series has not only grown in numbers of participants -- it has also expanded into something more like a festival than a race.\n"With the toll breast cancer has taken on so many people, I think it's a great thing that this has turned into such a huge deal," said Teeda Suwannetr, IU president of Zeta Tau Alpha, a sorority that adopted the Komen Foundation as its national charity. "Not only is this spreading the awareness of breast cancer, but it's also a wonderful celebration in support of the men and women who survived and are currently fighting the battle." \nBetween the parking lot and the starting line tents and booths sprang up, featuring merchandise and food items from sponsors like Yoplait, Starbucks and The Finish Line. Participants also had the opportunity to have their picture taken with a milk mustache at the Got Milk? booth or to bid on items at a silent auction.\nWhile songs like "YMCA" and "Ice, Ice Baby" sprang from nearby speakers, children tottered through the pink balloon arch toward their parents. Aside from a few loose balloons and two television news helicopters, the sky was clear. As participants passed the finish line, amid cheers and clapping, they could not keep the smiles off their faces.\n"There was really great spirit today," said IU graduate student Anne Arici. "People came together in a really neat way"
(02/28/03 5:15am)
The aroma of freshly-brewed coffee fills the air above the inviting maroon couches of the Leo R. Dowling International Center. Students softly converse with one another, discussing the week that has passed and their plans for the weekend. This is what most would expect to see at a traditional coffee hour.\nBut if this is what you are expecting from the Malaysian Students Association's upcoming meeting, you are in for a big surprise.\nThe MSA has planned a coffee hour for Friday, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Leo R. Dowling International Center. All who wish to attend are invited.\nAt the coffee hour, members of the MSA create exhibitions about the country, perform Silat (an intense, gender-neutral martial art that originated in Malaysia), and demonstrate the Malaysian wedding ceremony. In addition, students will be able to sample a variety of foods. Each demonstration and exhibition helps to display the diversity and cultural integration that exists in Malaysia. \n"Malaysia consists of many cultures and is rich in diversity," said freshman MSA member Aslam Izah Selamat. "Many people say, 'Malaysia is really only Muslim or Malay,' but there are more than 20 or 30 other races."\nAccording to the Leo R. Dowling International Center and members of the MSA, coffee hours are designed to informally educate local people on the culture and population of a given group. \n"It gives a block of time where the group can exchange information about their cultures," said Sandy Britton, International Center student events coordinator. \nMSA is comprised of about 50 members, all students or alumni born and raised in Malaysia. Membership is open only to Malaysian students and is a way for them to support one another.\n"When we come here, we just try to help each other because our Malaysian Student Department is far away in New York," said sophomore MSA vice president Rosie Rianie Rosli.\nAs a group, MSA celebrates Malaysian Independence Day on Aug. 31 along with the Chinese New Year and several religious festivals. Generally these activities are open only to MSA members.\nHowever, everyone is invited to watch the demonstrations and participate in discussion at coffee hour.\nWhile Silat and traditional dance are the main attractions at the Malaysian coffee hour, the beauty and intricacy of the demonstrated wedding ceremony should not be overlooked.\n"Every step you have to have rules for it … one step … then another," Rosli said, moving her hands together in different directions as if they were feet. \nFrom the movements and gifts to the detailed costumes made of songket (a silk-like fabric worn by the bride), the ceremony proves to be entertaining and educational.
