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(02/07/02 5:00am)
Sophomore Carolyn Heidrich, a Delta Gamma sorority new member educator, participated in Conversations on Race (COR) last semester. This time around, however, she will serve as a co-facilitator for the greek community's COR discussion group. \n"I expect it will be like watching a movie that you've already seen," she said. "You pick up new things that you didn't notice the first time."\nHeidrich and Michael Gordon, a School of Music professor Emeritus and former vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students, held their section's first meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at Delta Gamma. All six COR groups will meet for two hours a week for five weeks to discuss various topics related to racial inequality and discrimination. They'll also participate in activities to enhance their understanding of these issues. \nNow in its third year, COR is primarily sponsored by the Commission on Multicultural Understanding, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Division of Residential Programs and Services. The program is coordinated by Mark Bryson, Office of Multicultural Affairs diversity educator; Doug Bauder, coordinator of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Student Support Services; and Barry Magee, director of the CommUNITY Education Program and assistant director for diversity education in the Division of Residential Programs and Services. \nMagee explained that one of COR's main objectives is to make participants understand that people have different experiences depending on which racial group they belong to.\n"As a white male, I have had certain experiences that an Asian or African-American male in my position would not have had," he said. "We need to validate other people's experiences, and we allow each person who participates in COR to tell his or her personal story. We want people to think about their own experiences as racial beings."\nHe said the ideal co-facilitator partnership is composed of two people of different races and genders, and undergraduate discussion leaders are paired with graduate students, administrators or faculty\nmembers.\nAt the end of the five-week span, all COR groups will have the opportunity to meet at a reception and share what they have learned.\nMagee said the event has previously been held in the Indiana Memorial Union, but COR coordinators are trying to reserve a room in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center for this year's mass meeting. Gordon, who sang in a choir at Malcolm X's funeral, said diversity on campus has come a long way since he served as dean of students.\n"I'm so amazed at how far the campus has come with regard to racial understanding," he said.\nFor more information visit www.indiana.edu/~cor.
(02/06/02 6:11am)
The lights at the University Club reflected off champagne glasses, as guests tasted tempting refreshments. Laughter was heard from all corners of the room.\nDespite the festivities, the mood of this particular reception was bittersweet. Its attendees were saying good-bye to their friend and colleague M. Jeanne Peterson, who retired as COAS executive associate dean after more than eight years in the position.\nOn Tuesday evening, Peterson's co-workers gathered to congratulate her on completing 30 years of service to IU. \nPeterson earned an A.B. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1966. She became a pioneer in the study of British women's history after the publication of her 1967 research paper "The Victorian Governess: Status Incongruence in a Changing Age," which strongly influenced the field during the 70s and 80s. \nFirst appointed to IU in 1971 while completing her doctoral thesis at Berkeley, Peterson came to Bloomington as an assistant professor of history, and went on to co-found the Women's Studies Program (now the Gender Studies Program) during the 1972-73 academic year. While serving as director of graduate studies for the History Department in 1987, Peterson obtained full professor status and took over as the departmental chair. She stayed on as head of the History Department until 1993, when she became the first woman to fill the shoes of COAS executive associate dean. \nGender Studies Program Director Judith Allen praised Peterson as both an administrator and scholar.\n"She always felt that the job of a dean was to bring out the best in people working under her," she said. "She is a great inspiration to us all, especially in the way she has branched out in her research from social history to women's history, and now gender and cultural history."\nStephanie Sanders, associate director of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction, said Peterson is one of the institute's strongest advocates.\n"Jeanne was a strong supporter of the Kinsey Institute as an international resource for scholars," Sanders said. "She has been a terrific mentor and advocate for women and minorities on campus, and the fact that she was very well-liked and so loved says a lot about her style of management."\nGraduate School Dean George Walker served as master of ceremonies.\n"When Jeanne was the chair of the History Department, I was the Physics Department chair, and she was considered the best chair out of all the others," he said. \nLloyd recalled the first time she heard about Peterson.\n"When I left my previous university and told my colleagues there that I was heading to IU, one person said, 'I've been to IU and I met a wonderful man there. His name was Herman B. Wells,'" she said. "Then another person said, 'I've been to IU and I met a wonderful woman there. Her name was Jeanne Peterson.'" \nAllen and Moya Andrews, dean of the faculties and vice chancellor for academic affairs, presented a special certificate to Peterson that named her founding professor emeritus of gender studies.\nWhen Peterson approached the microphone, she expressed her gratitude to her colleagues and explained that her presence would still be felt at IU.\n"I'm losing the pattern of life I've had for 30 years, but I know you'll be here for me as I'll be here for you," she said.\nPeterson may have retired, but she will not be absent from the buildings she once roamed. She announced she would continue to supervise doctoral students who are writing their dissertations and teach individual readings courses for graduate students. \nIn addition, Peterson has two book projects in the works. One, tentatively titled "Victorian Body Parts," will explore medical practices related to gender in the Victorian Era. The second will follow her previously published work "Family, Love, and Work in the Lives of Victorian Gentlewomen," in which she wrote in-depth about the lives of the women in the Paget family, an English family that lived during the Victorian Era. The follow-up will focus on the male Pagets.\nPeterson expressed the feelings that ran through her body as she entered a new chapter of her life.\n"When you retire, your status changes," she said. "It's the same as when you graduate from high school or college. It's kind of scary, but very exciting too"
(02/04/02 5:49am)
When legendary African American filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles released his movie "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" in 1971, it was given an X rating and only two theaters in the U.S. would screen it. To add to his troubles, no newspapers would advertise the film because of its risqué title. \nIn response to these roadblocks, Van Peebles came up with a new strategy to promote his film -- he asked a then-unknown musical group called Earth, Wind & Fire to record a catchy tune for the soundtrack. When black disc jockeys began playing the song with heavy rotation, more theaters started to show "Sweetback" and newspapers advertised it, but only after Van Peebles added more letters to the word "badass" that appeared in the title.\n"Before that, you never used music to market a film," he said. "I told Status Records about this idea I had, and then they told MGM, and MGM used that strategy to market 'Shaft.'"\nVan Peebles, 69, shared this anecdote and more during a lecture entitled "Kickin' Science: An Evening with Melvin Van Peebles," Friday before a crowd at Jordan Hall. The presentation was delivered as part of his duties as the Black Film Center/Archive's first artist-in-residence.Much of his lecture dealt with his journey to success in the entertainment industry and the racism he encountered along the way. After graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University and serving in the Air Force, Van Peebles found work as a gripman on a cable car railway in San Francisco. During his tenure there, he published a memoir entitled "A Day in the Life of a Gripman," and was fired as a result. \n"My supervisor said I fit the profile of someone who would get into an accident," he said.\nIn spite of that experience, Van Peebles' experiences in San Francisco led to his cinema career.\n"After I published the book, someone got on my cable car and asked me to sign his copy," he said. "He told me that it read like a movie, and then it dawned on me that I could make movies."\nVan Peebles produced several short films that were brought to the attention of the Cinematheque Institute in France. After honing his skills at the Cinematheque, he returned to San Francisco as a French delegate to the San Francisco Film Festival, and "embarrassed" the U.S. by winning the top prize for the French.\n"My embarrassment got me a lot of job offers, but I didn't take those jobs because they meant that I would be the residential black genius," he explained. "But that caused Hollywood to start looking for more black artists, and that's when people like Gordon Parks and Ossie Davis were discovered." \nBecause racism dictated that Parks' and Davis' early films were to be filmed on location outside of Hollywood, Van Peebles refused to produce his 1970 film "Watermelon Man" unless it was shot in the entertainment industry capital. A reception followed Peebles's speech in the Jordan Hall lobby, where he signed copies of his latest literary work, "Sweetback," which is based on a journal he kept during that film's production. Black Film Center/Archives Director Audrey McCluskey expressed her desire to acquire Van Peebles' film archive and memoirs, and to implement a course at IU focusing on his work.\n"His inventiveness and his passion for what he does are inspirations to young people," she said. "I wanted to have him come out here and see that his archive and his memoirs would be in good hands."\nTyrone Simpson, director of special projects for the BFCA, explained how Van Peebles' work, especially "Sweetback," inspired the "blaxploitation" film genre that reached its peak during the 1970s.\n"Hollywood is inclined to make what works," he said. "Melvin represented that black victory would draw black people to theaters with 'Sweetback,' and 'Sweetback' was copied for profit. But the other films that followed wouldn't have the same political edge as 'Sweetback.'"Graduate student Azuka Nzegwu studied under Van Peebles last week during a one-credit seminar that focused on screenwriting and producing.\n"He really listened to what we had to say and he made us think about what we were writing," she said. "Some people, after they become famous and successful, don't want to give away what they'velearned, but he wasn't like that."\nVan Peebles' advice to students who are eager to become successful in Hollywood was simple and to the point.\n"You need to have the power and money to finance your own work," he said. "And you have to be like Nike -- just do it"
(02/01/02 4:34am)
For junior Johnny Ho, philanthropy chair of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, it seemed only natural to support the Middleway House, a local shelter for victims of domestic violence.\n"I feel really strongly that it's a horrible crime for women or children to be battered and abused," he said. \nHo kept his convictions in mind while collaborating with juniors Abbey Nimmer and Erin Mcnees, philanthropy co-chairs of Gamma Phi Beta, on the sorority\'s tenth annual three-on-three basketball tournament. This is the first time that a fraternity is co-sponsoring the fundraiser, which will be held 9 a.m. Saturday in the Ora L. Wildermuth Intramural Center. \n"We wanted to do this with a fraternity," Mcnees said. "It's easier to market a sorority fundraiser if another greek organization is involved, and the guys at SAE have been amazing."\nShe also confirmed that this also the first year the tournament, which also includes free throw and three-point shot competitions, will occur during the spring semester.\n"The spring is a great time to put on something like this because we have a whole new pledge class that can participate," she said. "That gives us access to students living in the dorms who can form more teams."\nNimmer said half of the proceeds will go toward the Middleway House and the other half will be donated to the Gamma Phi Beta Foundation, a charity run by the national sorority that sends underprivileged children to summer camps. She said 20 teams have registered to participate and hopes that figure will double by Saturday.\n"I would encourage anyone to sign up with friends to play in the tournament, or shoot free throws and three-pointers," she said. "This is a great way for different campus and community organizations to come together for a great cause."\nNimmer explained that more teams can sign up today and Saturday morning for a fee of $40, and the winners will receive a framed portrait of the IU men's basketball team that has been autographed by all of its players. \nShe said anyone can participate in the free-throw and three-point basket contests by donating one dollar, and winners will be rewarded with coupons and prize packages from local businesses such as Pizza Express. All spectators and participants can also purchase T-shirts for $10.\nHo, who participated in the basketball tournament last year, said SAE and G Phi B might work together on the event next year.\n"This may very well become an annual event for both houses," he said. "What's great is that people can come together for a good cause and have fun at the same time."\nSophomore Casey Holsapple, vice president of campus relations for the Interfraternity Council, said that events like the tournament demonstrate that greek organizations are eager to socialize with other groups.\n"We're trying to use these events as a way to go outside the greek community and interact with the rest of the campus," he said.
(01/24/02 4:19am)
Graduate student Carla Seeger will always remember making a difference in the life of Jonathan Marroquin, one of her former students.\n"He would shout that he couldn't learn math and didn't want to," she said. "It was a rocky year, but by the end he was coming after school for tutoring, and he thanked me for what I had done. To have a 13-year-old boy thank you for teaching him math is very inspirational, and it told me that I was doing something right in the classroom."\nSeeger, a graduate student in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, spent three years teaching middle and high school mathematics in South Central Los Angeles through Teach for America, an AmeriCorps program that employs recent college graduates as teachers in underprivileged communities for a minimum of two years.\nShe currently serves as a TFA alumni recruiter at IU and will help host an information session for prospective applicants at 7 p.m. Jan. 29 in Morrison Hall 007. Seeger said graduating seniors from all backgrounds are eligible to apply.\n"We have applicants from a diverse set of majors," she said.\nShe explained that after participants are accepted into TFA, they must attend a five-week summer training institute in either New York City or Houston, and can choose from 16 job placements. When new teachers arrive at their assigned schools, they are supervised by program directors and experienced teachers who serve as mentors. \n"There's a very good support network in place for the teachers," Seeger said.\nParticipants also receive salaries and benefits from their respective school districts, as well as a $4,725 annual stipend from AmeriCorps. \nAfter completing her teaching tenure under TFA in Los Angeles, Seeger came to IU on a SPEA fellowship that waived some requirements and paid for six credits of her tuition. SPEA began awarding fellowships to TFA teachers in 2000 after entering into a partnership with the organization.\nCurrently, 19 seniors from the IU graduating class of 2002 have been accepted into TFA, and Seeger hopes more will apply before the Feb. 21 deadline.\n"Experienced teachers are drawn away from these areas because of the lack of books and other resources," she said. "These kids need teachers, and you can make a real difference in two years."\nAnother AmeriCorps group, the Inner-City Teaching Corps, is also hunting for graduating seniors to serve as two-year teachers in parochial schools on the West and South sides of Chicago. \nRecruiting Coordinator Maite Urriola, a graduate student, said two graduating seniors from IU have already applied, and all seniors are encouraged to apply. But because Monday was the application deadline, anyone interested in doing so must contact her at (773) 265-7240 no later than Friday.\n"We look for people with high levels of energy and commitment to service, education and leadership," she said. \nUrriola said participants undergo eight weeks of training before they begin to teach and attend bimonthly seminars in addition to their classroom duties. In addition, ICTC teachers live together in religious communities and receive transportation, medical insurance and a monthly stipend of $150. She said core members leave the program with a teaching certification from the State of Illinois and 22 credits toward a master's degree at Northwestern University. \n"My teaching experience in the corps gave me a new way of seeing the world, and I left with a firmer grasp on what's really important," Urriola said.\nDavid Kinman, assistant dean of outreach and recruitment in the School of Education, said programs such as TFA and ICTC are beneficial stops on career paths for students who want to teach in underprivileged neighborhoods.\n"Those interested in teaching in the inner-city would find these programs interesting and appealing because they're an alternative route to getting into the schools," he said.\nFor more information about the organizations, e-mail Carla Seeger at cseeger@indiana.edu with questions concerning Teach for America, or call Maite Urriola at (773) 265-7240 with questions about the Inner-City Teaching Corps.
(01/17/02 3:52am)
During her undergraduate tenure at IU, Cassie Wyss' goal was to make a difference in the fate of the environment.\n"I always knew I wanted to do something with the environment, but I didn't know exactly what," Wyss said. "When I was a senior at IU, I worked with the Indiana Forest Alliance to help protect state forests in Indiana and we got some victories and some losses. I wanted to learn how to get more victories."\nAfter graduating in 2001, Wyss decided to make her dream a reality by enrolling in Green Corps, a year-long environmental leadership training program with bases in Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, DC. \nCreated in 1992 by environmental activists David Brower, Cesar Chavez and Lois Gibbs, Green Corps recruits 35 recent college graduates every year with hopes of transforming them into social leaders.\nProgram participants undergo one month of classroom training in August and later participate in four one-week workshops. Between seminars, students serve as full-time, paid "field organizers" at various environmental organizations. These job placements allow the students to exercise their newly acquired skills by orchestrating campaigns to improve the environment of the region where they complete their instruction, Wyss said.\nWyss, a former Wells Scholar who is currently undergoing Green Corps training in Boston, was assigned to the Toxics Action Center, where she lobbies against pollution by corporations. In addition, Wyss serves as the only full-time staff member at Recycling Action, an outgrowth of the Toxics Action Center. \nCurrently, she is leading a Recycling Action campaign to convince the Boston City Council to pass an ordinance requiring all apartment buildings in the city to be equipped with recycling programs.\nWyss' success in Green Corps influenced Midwest Recruiter Colleen Sarna's decision to actively hunt for graduating seniors from IU. \n"I'm excited at the prospect of having IU students work with us," Sarna said. "It seems like a wonderful atmosphere for future environmental leaders."\nShe explained that graduating seniors from all backgrounds can apply.\n"We're looking for people who want to be future leaders in the environmental movement," she said. "Leadership experience is key no matter what organization you were active in during your college years or what subject you majored in."\nJenna Perry, assistant recruitment director for Green Corps, said the program offers employment and networking opportunities to graduating seniors.\n"It's an excellent way to launch your environmental career," she said. "Green Corps is a way for graduates to really get the skills and training they need from leading environmental and social leaders."\nStudents can apply online at the Green Corps Web site (www.greencorps.org) no later than Jan. 21. All applicants will be contacted by telephone and can schedule a phone interview or an in-person interview in Chicago. Applicants who advance to the second round of interviews will be interviewed Feb. 15-16 at Northwestern University. \nWyss will complete her Green Corps requirements in August and feels her training has taught her valuable career information.\n"I was taught to look at a problem and think strategically about how to change it using tactics I never knew before," she said.
(01/09/02 5:00am)
After several years in the entertainment industry, Busy Philipps has become a familiar face to young audiences. Her big break came in 1999, when she was cast as high school outcast Kim Kelly on the short-lived but critically acclaimed NBC series "Freaks and Geeks." After the show's cancellation, the 22-year-old Philipps won roles in the independent film "The Smokers" and the MTV television movie "Anatomy of a Hate Crime."\nSince the beginning of the current television season, she has been riding a wave of success playing Audrey, the snobby college roommate of Joey Potter (played by Katie Holmes) on the popular WB series "Dawson's Creek." In addition to being a regular on "Dawson's Creek," Philipps can be seen in the upcoming independent film "Home Room," which focuses on the repercussions of a school shooting.\nRecently, Weekend asked Philipps, who attended Loyola Marymount University and whose father is a Purdue University alumnus, to analyze Audrey, discuss why audiences enjoyed "Freaks and Geeks" and relay some of her experiences working with her "Dawson's Creek" co-stars.\nQ: Your birth name is Elizabeth. How did you earn the nickname "Busy"?\nA: It started when I was a baby, before I was even cognizant, really. My parents thought I was a crazy little kid, and they started calling me Busy Liz, and then it turned into Busy. I was a wild baby.\nQ: "Freaks and Geeks" was only on the air for one season, but it developed a cult following. Why do you think it struck a chord with teenage audiences?\nA: The people I've met who were fans of the show were not really teenagers or high school students. Viewers who were college-age or older really clung to the show. I think the show appealed to people who had some distance from high school and could laugh at it. The show took place in 1980, so people who grew up in that era could relate to the music and styles and what we were talking about. I think we did a really good job of being a realistic high school where everyone's not attractive and the guy doesn't always get the girl, and if he does, it's not what he expected. I think the people related to the weirdness of the show. It's not what they were used to seeing in a high school dramedy. It's interesting to be on "Dawson's Creek" now because it is the opposite of what "Freaks and Geeks" was.\nQ: How is Audrey different from Kim?\nA: I think they're worlds apart. Kim was this burnt-out girl from the wrong side of the tracks in 1980 who was sort of a bully and didn't have any friends. She smoked a lot of pot and cigarettes, she didn't have a lot of money and she didn't do very well in school. She was the "bad girl," but there was so much underneath; she really wanted to be accepted by the other freaks. Audrey is this rich girl from Beverly Hills who has always gotten what she wants. She has some bitchy qualities, but she's not unintelligent because she's at this fictitious Ivy League East Coast university. She always has the best clothes and is very fashion-forward, outgoing and crazy.\nQ: What dynamic do you feel Audrey brings to "Dawson's Creek"?\nA: I don't pause because I think a lot of the show's talent is very quiet and pensive, and I made the decision that Audrey talks really fast and gets it all out there. It's really interesting because they have written her so that she doesn't really talk like the other members of the cast.\nQ: Do you feel "Dawson's Creek" realistically portrays the lives of college students?\nA: Yes and no. I think topically it does, but I went to college, and my dorm room was about the size of Audrey and Joey's bathroom on the show. It's the glamorized television version of what college is like.\nQ: Do you enjoy working with Katie Holmes and the other cast members?\nA: Everyone's really great and very professional, and it's a great environment. Katie is really sweet, Josh (Jackson) is really funny, James (Van Der Beek) is very sweet and quiet, but Michelle (Williams) is my best friend on the set. She's not just a work friend; we're going to continue our friendship after "Dawson's Creek" ends. I think Michelle is going to have a great career for the rest of her life.\nQ: Have you have any interesting behind-the-scenes experiences that you wish to share?\nA: Josh brings his dog to work every day, but his dog smells really bad and will follow you around if you're eating food. I love dogs so much, and I'm the biggest animal lover, but that dog is gross. Michelle and I hang out in my trailer and listen to music, and when we're not working, Katie and I go out for dessert. Katie introduced me to bananas foster, which is bananas cooked with rum and caramel.\nQ: Tell us about your upcoming movie "Home Room."\nA: I worked with Erika Christensen from "Traffic," and it focuses on these girls in high school who are victims of a school shooting and their forced friendship because of it. They forcibly come together, and through the course of the movie, forge a friendship to survive.\nQ: What are your long-term career aspirations?\nA: I've always said since the beginning of my career that my ultimate goal is to just work as much as I can for the rest of my life in projects that are interesting to me and to take parts that are different than other parts that I've played. Kim Kelly is so different than Audrey on "Dawson's Creek" and both of them are different than the part I play in "Home Room." I've gotten a chance to play all sorts of different roles, and that's what I hope I can do for the rest of my life.\nQ: Do you have any advice for aspiring actors in Bloomington?\nA: My biggest advice is that if this is what you want more than anything else in the world, then you owe it to yourself to try. I never doubted that I would work, and every time I went to an audition, I went into the room with the knowledge that I was going to get the part. Ninety-nine times out of 100 I didn't, but I think you have to have confidence in yourself, because people are going to tell you tens of thousands of reasons why you're not going to work and why you're not going to get parts. If you don't really want it with everything that you've got, you may as well not even try. Also, if you want to do theater, move to New York. If you want to do films and TV, move to Los Angeles.
(11/15/01 5:00am)
Jonathan Silverman's first professional acting experience came at age 17, when Neil Simon cast him as the lead in the Broadway play "Brighton Beach Memoirs." Since that time, the actor has gone on to great success in movies and television. Silverman reprised his stage role as Eugene Morris Jerome, Simon's on-stage alter ego, in the film version of "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and on Broadway in the play's sequels, "Biloxi Blues" and "Broadway Bound." His other film credits include "Little Sister," "Little Big League," "The Odd Couple II" and the popular comedy "Weekend at Bernie's." His most famous role came in 1995, when he played the titular character in the NBC sitcom "The Single Guy," which ran on the network for two seasons.\nEarlier this year, the 35-year-old Silverman appeared in the made-for-television movie "These Old Broads" as Shirley MacLaine's son and had a small role in the independent film "Made." In April 2002, his TV film "Bobbie's Girl" will premiere on Showtime. At around the same time, his new sitcom "Baby Bob" will debut on CBS midseason. During a break in his schedule, Silverman spoke to the IDS Weekend about his future projects, his working experiences with legendary actors and why his father is his favorite public speaker. \nQ: Tell us about your film "Bobbie's Girl."\nA: "Bobbie's Girl" is a project that I have been attached to for a number of years and am very excited about. I play a sexually and otherwise completely confused young man living in Ireland with his American sister, played by Bernadette Peters, and her lesbian lover, played by the very beautiful Rachel Ward. Of course, Ms. Peters is also very beautiful. In fact, I've had a crush on her since I was 12 years old. I've aged, but she hasn't. It was directed by a wonderful and very respected filmmaker, Jeremy Kagan, who directed "The Chosen," which is one of my favorite movies. We filmed the entire production in Dublin, and it gave me the chance to do something that few actors have -- to perform Kol Nidre (a Jewish prayer recited during Yom Kippur) in a movie.\nQ: What is the premise for "Baby Bob"?\nA: "Baby Bob" is a mid-season show for CBS and Paramount that we begin filming next month. My high school friend Joely Fisher and I play the parents of a beautiful, healthy six-month-old baby, who happens to talk. The talking baby was featured in commercials with Shaquille O'Neal about a year and a half ago. \nQ: What was it like to work with the late Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau?\nA: It was extreme honor to work alongside them. They were not only two of my favorite actors, but they were two of my favorite people. I had the pleasure of playing Jack's son in an HBO film called "For Richer, For Poorer," and then had the opportunity to play Walter's son in "The Odd Couple" sequel. They are both very missed. \nQ: What was it about you that made Neil Simon cast you as a younger version of himself?\nA: I don't know what Neil saw in me, but I am forever grateful. He gave me my big break in "Brighton Beach Memoirs" on Broadway and has kept me gainfully employed ever since. I consider myself a proud member of the Neil Simon Repertory Company; I've been in four of his movies and three of his Broadway plays. I've played him four times and his older brother once. \nQ: Your father is a rabbi, as was your grandfather, the well-known Rabbi Morris Silverman. How did this impact your decision to become an actor?\nA: I never really knew my grandfather; he passed away when I was 6. But he was one of the biggest and most influential religious leaders of his generation. I get to see his name every time I sit down in a synagogue. He edited and compiled the High Holiday and Sabbath prayer books that are used in almost every Conservative temple in America. I try and see my father preach as often as I can. In fact, I think he is one of the best public speakers I have ever heard. I learn a lot from watching him deliver a sermon -- how to make people think, laugh and cry. I admire what he and others like him do, but it was never my own personal calling. \nQ: Were there any similarities between you and Jonathan Eliot, the character you played in "The Single Guy"?\nA: We both answered to the name "Jonathan," but that's about it. Ironically, I was not even single when we made that show because I was in the middle of a five-year relationship at the time. \nQ: Why do you feel "Weekend at Bernie's" was so successful?\nA: I think people liked it so much because we made fun of death, something we all have to face one day but don't really want to. We saw this guy having more fun dead than he did when he was alive. \nQ: Is there any legacy you want to leave behind?\nA: I don't want to leave anything behind. I'm taking it all with me when I go.
(11/15/01 4:22am)
Jonathan Silverman's first professional acting experience came at age 17, when Neil Simon cast him as the lead in the Broadway play "Brighton Beach Memoirs." Since that time, the actor has gone on to great success in movies and television. Silverman reprised his stage role as Eugene Morris Jerome, Simon's on-stage alter ego, in the film version of "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and on Broadway in the play's sequels, "Biloxi Blues" and "Broadway Bound." His other film credits include "Little Sister," "Little Big League," "The Odd Couple II" and the popular comedy "Weekend at Bernie's." His most famous role came in 1995, when he played the titular character in the NBC sitcom "The Single Guy," which ran on the network for two seasons.\nEarlier this year, the 35-year-old Silverman appeared in the made-for-television movie "These Old Broads" as Shirley MacLaine's son and had a small role in the independent film "Made." In April 2002, his TV film "Bobbie's Girl" will premiere on Showtime. At around the same time, his new sitcom "Baby Bob" will debut on CBS midseason. During a break in his schedule, Silverman spoke to the IDS Weekend about his future projects, his working experiences with legendary actors and why his father is his favorite public speaker. \nQ: Tell us about your film "Bobbie's Girl."\nA: "Bobbie's Girl" is a project that I have been attached to for a number of years and am very excited about. I play a sexually and otherwise completely confused young man living in Ireland with his American sister, played by Bernadette Peters, and her lesbian lover, played by the very beautiful Rachel Ward. Of course, Ms. Peters is also very beautiful. In fact, I've had a crush on her since I was 12 years old. I've aged, but she hasn't. It was directed by a wonderful and very respected filmmaker, Jeremy Kagan, who directed "The Chosen," which is one of my favorite movies. We filmed the entire production in Dublin, and it gave me the chance to do something that few actors have -- to perform Kol Nidre (a Jewish prayer recited during Yom Kippur) in a movie.\nQ: What is the premise for "Baby Bob"?\nA: "Baby Bob" is a mid-season show for CBS and Paramount that we begin filming next month. My high school friend Joely Fisher and I play the parents of a beautiful, healthy six-month-old baby, who happens to talk. The talking baby was featured in commercials with Shaquille O'Neal about a year and a half ago. \nQ: What was it like to work with the late Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau?\nA: It was extreme honor to work alongside them. They were not only two of my favorite actors, but they were two of my favorite people. I had the pleasure of playing Jack's son in an HBO film called "For Richer, For Poorer," and then had the opportunity to play Walter's son in "The Odd Couple" sequel. They are both very missed. \nQ: What was it about you that made Neil Simon cast you as a younger version of himself?\nA: I don't know what Neil saw in me, but I am forever grateful. He gave me my big break in "Brighton Beach Memoirs" on Broadway and has kept me gainfully employed ever since. I consider myself a proud member of the Neil Simon Repertory Company; I've been in four of his movies and three of his Broadway plays. I've played him four times and his older brother once. \nQ: Your father is a rabbi, as was your grandfather, the well-known Rabbi Morris Silverman. How did this impact your decision to become an actor?\nA: I never really knew my grandfather; he passed away when I was 6. But he was one of the biggest and most influential religious leaders of his generation. I get to see his name every time I sit down in a synagogue. He edited and compiled the High Holiday and Sabbath prayer books that are used in almost every Conservative temple in America. I try and see my father preach as often as I can. In fact, I think he is one of the best public speakers I have ever heard. I learn a lot from watching him deliver a sermon -- how to make people think, laugh and cry. I admire what he and others like him do, but it was never my own personal calling. \nQ: Were there any similarities between you and Jonathan Eliot, the character you played in "The Single Guy"?\nA: We both answered to the name "Jonathan," but that's about it. Ironically, I was not even single when we made that show because I was in the middle of a five-year relationship at the time. \nQ: Why do you feel "Weekend at Bernie's" was so successful?\nA: I think people liked it so much because we made fun of death, something we all have to face one day but don't really want to. We saw this guy having more fun dead than he did when he was alive. \nQ: Is there any legacy you want to leave behind?\nA: I don't want to leave anything behind. I'm taking it all with me when I go.
(11/01/01 5:02am)
The seeds of international fanaticism lie in "uncompromising righteousness," said Israeli writer Amos Oz as he began a lecture Monday.\n"The people who blow up abortion clinics in this country are no different than those who destroyed the World Trade Center; it is just a different scale of destruction," he said.\nThe William T. Patten Foundation welcomed Oz to campus as part of its annual lecture series. Oz advocated a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a speech, "Israel: Peace and War," which was delivered to a packed Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union.\nOz is in the United States to promote his latest novel, "The Same Sea."\nAssociate professor of English Mary Favret, Patten Foundation Committee chair, explained why Oz was chosen to speak.\n"Amos Oz is a world-class writer, and the eminent living writer in Israel," she said. "He is of the stature we like to have for Patten Lectures."\nAlvin Rosenfeld, director of the Robert A. and Sandra S. Borns Jewish Studies Program, introduced Oz.\n"Mr. Oz comes to us at a difficult time," he said. "His position is a reasoned one, but it is not always easy to keep in the present time."\nHe continued by telling the audience how to respond to fanatics, and warned that the ideology is contagious.\n"The cure to fanaticism is developing a sense of humor and learning to enjoy diversity," he said. "Don't catch fanaticism while trying to combat it. God save America from becoming an anti-fanatic fanatic country."\nAn active member of the Peace Now movement in Israel, Oz used his analysis of fanaticism as a starting point in his discussion of the country's peace process.\n "The clash between Israeli Jew and Palestinian Arab is like an ancient Greek tragedy," he said. "It is not right versus wrong, but right versus right."\n He said the conflict is not a war between religious groups or social classes, but an "international dispute," citing that Israelis and Palestinians have never been part of the same society. Oz asserted that by adopting this view of the situation, the problem will be easier to solve. He said the best solution is a compromise between the two parties.\n"The best that Israelis and Palestinians can hope for is a compromise, not a honeymoon," he said. "In my vocabulary, compromise means life itself, and the opposite of compromise is fanaticism and death."\nOz voiced support for the creation of a separate state for the Palestinians, and said he hopes Israelis and Palestinians can separate peacefully, as the Czechs and Slovaks did.\nHe continued by expressing that a compromise will occur sooner or later, but said leaders on both sides are holding up the process.\n"The Israeli and Palestinian leaderships are lagging way behind their populations," he said. "Public opinion surveys say that more than half of Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs are willing to accept two states, but no Israeli or Palestinian leader has the courage to make two states."\nOz concluded his talk by reinforcing the need for a peaceful two-state partition.\n"My colleagues and I have been working for more than 30 years to promote a Chekhov solution, not a Shakespeare solution," he said. "It will hurt and it will cripple, but the alternative is much worse."\nHis speech was followed by a question and answer session moderated by Rosenfeld. In response to an audience member's inquiry, Oz recognized the necessity of removing Palestinian refugees from displaced persons camps in the region.\n"As long as there are Palestinians rotting in those camps, Israel will not know security," he said.\nMary Tilton, executive director of the Patten Foundation, praised Oz.\n"He is a wonderful man," she said. "In interacting with faculty and students, he has gone beyond what we asked"
(10/22/01 5:40am)
Breast cancer was both a curse and a blessing for Shayla Holtkamp. In her successful fight with the disease, Holtkamp found a new love for life.\n"I discovered a lump during a breast self-exam," said Holtkamp, a graduate student. "It was not picked up by a mammogram."\nAnd six weeks after being diagnosed with breast cancer, her 14-year-old daughter, Jolie Crider, died from bacterial meningitis. \n"Cancer slowed me down and allowed me to spend a lot more time with my daughter," she said. "It also made me a much more spiritual person. We receive tremendous growth opportunities through tough times, and when you accept the reality of death, then you can truly live and appreciate life."\nClad in red sweatshirts, Holtkamp and other cancer survivors participated alongside students and community members in the second annual Hoosiers Outrun Cancer 5K run and walk Saturday. Starting and finishing outside Assembly Hall and Mellencamp Pavilion and sponsored by the Bloomington Hospital Foundation, Bloomington Hospital and Healthcare System (BHHS) and the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, the event raised money to help fund cancer research and support programs in Monroe County and other counties served by BHHS.\nTwo thousand runners and walkers wore signs bearing the names of relatives or friends that died from cancer or those currently undergoing treatment. They raced individually and as part of a team. Families had the option of walking a separate one-mile course.\nThe event is designed to raise awareness of the disease and encourage general wellness, said Dorothy Ellis, co-founder of the event and race chair. \n"It's been proven that physical activity and exercise are very important in the fight against cancer," she said. "Our focus has, and continues to be, now more than ever, to help cancer patients."\nIrene Somes, a breast cancer survivor and breast health educator at the Olcott Center for Breast Health at BHHS, participated in the race as a member of the Olcott Center Team.\n"The Olcott Center provides education, advocacy and support for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, and there's never a charge for our services," she said. "I'm glad to see that the people here today have a desire to help in whatever way they're able to."\nPart of the Hoosiers Outrun Cancer proceeds will go toward expanding the Olcott Center so it can assist patients infected with all types of cancer, said race chair Debbie Sibbitt.\n"The problem is that a lot of people don't know what to do when they are diagnosed with cancer," she said. "There's no 1-800 number they can call. That's why it's very important to have a place like the Olcott Center where they can go for help."\nOf about 90 teams at the event, one of the largest was Team Jenny, formed in memory of Jenny Suhr, a junior and president-elect of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, who lost her battle with brain cancer in the summer of 1999. About 250 people walked to remember Suhr, including her mother, Jane.\n"Jenny was a person who was good to everyone and made you better just by being near you," she said. "I hope people leave here today with an awareness of the people who are fighting cancer and the people who have died in the process."\nSarah Iba, a junior and president of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, cheered on her sorority's team.\n"We're here to support the Bloomington community and remember our fellow sister Jenny," she said. "The response from Alpha Chi Omega has been overwhelming because many of us have been affected by this disease. Our team leader's mother died of cancer, and my mother is a breast cancer survivor."\nMedals and certificates were awarded to winners of each age group and the overall events. Bedford resident Teri Forsyth was named top overall female, graduate student Will Hafner won the prize for top overall male and junior Timothy Greives was the first cancer survivor to cross the finish line. \nSenior Grace Waitman, a returning runner from last year, expressed her admiration for the cancer survivors at the race.\n"When you see all of these survivors who overcame such huge obstacles run in a race, it's just amazing," she said.
(09/25/01 4:02am)
Three women who call the same place home but believe in drastically different things came to IU for the weekend to share their world views.\nThe Committee for Peace in the Middle East, Students for Justice in Palestine and Partners for Peace presented a lecture entitled "Jerusalem Women Speak: Three Women, Three Faiths, One Shared City" Sunday in the Monroe County Library Auditorium.\nThe event featured three women from Jerusalem -- a Jew, a Christian and a Muslim -- who expressed their views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.\nJerri Bird, president of Partners for Peace, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., introduced the speakers, each of whom lectured for 10 minutes.\n"These women have one commonality: they are willing to speak under the banner of three women, three faiths, one shared city," she said. "We want to let people in the United States know that in Israel, there are three religions, two peoples and one land. The conflict is over how and if that land will be shared."\nRawan Damen, a Muslim who in June graduated from Birzeit University in the West Bank, described the hardships she experienced as a Palestinian.\n"My family watches the news every night, but when reports of our situation come on the air, my brother turns them off because they are so depressing," she said. "Many Palestinians are living below the poverty line, and many Israelis don't know anything about the Palestinian people. "\nMichal Shohat, a Jew who serves as secretary general of the Meretz Party in Israel, stressed the importance of peace in the region.\n"This is a very complicated conflict," she said. "We've reached a time where we need to find a solution. I served in the Israeli Army for three wars, and I know the horrible violence that war brings. Israel must leave its settlements and occupied territories in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank for there to be peace."\nJean Zaru, a Christian and vice president of Sabeel -- a grassroots organization that campaigns for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- accused the Israeli government of ignoring United Nations resolutions and demonizing the Palestinians.\n"I come with a heavy heart," she said. "I leave a nation held in captivity. Israeli occupation has hijacked security, and has denied human security to the Palestinians. Palestine is a handicapped nation, and our children are handicapped for life."\nThe lectures were followed by a question and answer session moderated by Bloomington City Councilman David Sabbagh.\nRabbi Sue Shifron, Hillel director, questioned the objectivity of the program.\n"I really don't understand why, at this time of difficulty and national tragedy, any group is trying to be divisive," she said. "They presented a one-sided portrait of a complicated situation. I was told by one of the organizations that endorsed the event that they would not have advertised it if they had been given a realistic view of what it was."\nShe also responded to accusations of Israeli cruelty toward Palestinians that were put forth during the lectures.\n"In reality, the Israeli government is doing everything it can to respond to terrorism the best way it knows how and with the best intentions," she said.
(05/07/01 1:43am)
Jennifer Beals is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Alex Owens, a welder who moonlights as a barroom dancer, in the immensely popular 1983 film "Flashdance." Her performance netted her a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Image Award for best actress, as well as a Golden Globe nomination.\nIn the years following her successful debut, the 37-year-old Beals has added a wide range of projects to her resume, including the 1995 movie "Devil in a Blue Dress," in which she co-starred with Denzel Washington. She has also appeared in the Showtime television films "The Twilight of the Golds" and "A House Divided." \nLater this year, Beals can be seen opposite Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Jason Leigh in "The Anniversary Party," which will hit movie theaters in June, as well as the miniseries "Feast of all Saints," which will premiere in November on Showtime. Beals and Leigh recently collaborated on an original screenplay entitled "Inside Job," which will begin production next year.\nNow, the beautiful Chicago native speaks about her upcoming projects, the legacy of "Flashdance" and what she learned while a student at Yale University.
(04/23/01 4:52am)
Michael Dirda, the Pulitzer Prize winning Washington Post Book World columnist was on hand to sign autographs at an IU Press book sale and signing Thursday. \nThe Frangipani Room of the Indiana Memorial Union was home to the sale from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., held to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the printing of the organization's first book.\nDirda, who won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism in 1993, had his book "Readings: Essays and Literary Entertainments," a compilation of his various columns and writings, published earlier this year by the IU Press.\n"I couldn't have asked for a better publishing experience," he said. "Everybody was extremely professional and attentive. The book was publicized well, and I enjoyed working with the editors."\nDirda also gave a lecture and book signing at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Whittenberger Auditorium of the Indiana Memorial Union.\n"IU has a wonderful campus," he said. "It's a fun place to be. I studied to be a college professor, so being here has made me realize my lost fondness for university life. It's been very gratifying."\nGraduate student Kendra Boileau Stokes, assistant sponsoring editor of the IU Press, said she felt the sale was successful.\n"We offered a good selection, and from the looks of things, people were really interested in what we offer."\nStokes discussed the organization's future plans.\n"The director's plans are to promote growth in titles, areas of publication, staff and income," she said.\nFounded in 1950 by former IU President Herman B Wells to publish scholarly literature and journals, the IU Press did not print its first work until 1951. \nDirector Peter-John Leone described the publishing company's expansion since then.\n"The IU Press has grown remarkably fast in the past 50 years," he said. "We have become the largest university press in the Big Ten and the ninth-largest in the country, as well as the publisher of choice for many scholars. Many of the other university presses are twice as old as we are."\nSponsoring Editor Dee Mortensen said IU Press employees hope to expand into online publishing.\n"We want to branch out into electronic publishing, and we want to offer a searchable Web site," she said. "Publishing is a good area to be in right now, and the IU Press is in an excellent position to take on the next 50 years"
(04/04/01 5:08am)
Conflict Resolution Services held a two-hour discussion panel Monday at 7 p.m. in the Oak Room of the Indiana Memorial Union to inform students about diversity on campus as well as discrimination and local resources available to victims. The event was the second installment of the organization's Week Without Violence program.\nThe panel consisted of three representatives from various campus advocacy groups. \nMark Bryson spoke on behalf of the Office of Diversity Education, graduate student Eloiza Domingo represented the Commission on Multicultural Understanding and Doug Bauder participated on behalf of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Student Support Services.\nResolution services member Marissa Codey, a graduate student, helped organize the panel.\n"Our goal throughout the week is to bring the campus and residential communities together to discuss the issues of diversity and discrimination," she said.\nThe workshop began with Bryson, a diversity educator, explaining how and why people develop stereotypes and prejudices.\n"We are only born with two fears -- a fear of falling and a fear of loud noise," he said. "Everything else is learned. When toddlers play together in a park, color doesn't come into play." Bryson said that while growing up, humans receive misinformation about other groups of people from sources such as their families and the media. He said these prejudicial ideas are stored in "mind tapes," which are played in the brain whenever someone sees members of groups they have stereotyped. Eventually the mind tapes "go on automatic" and cause impulsive reactions.\n"That's why we need these workshops," Bryson said. "They can't transform us, but they can inform us. Through awareness, we can check ourselves."\nDomingo, a graduate student employed by the commission, explained the organization's functions.\n"We try to consistently provide diversity programs on campus," she said. "In addition, deans and faculty sit on the board of COMU. If you need information or help regarding multicultural issues quickly, you can contact us and we can help you avoid any red tape."\nDomingo said the commission is trying to combine all IU multicultural resource pamphlets into a single booklet. In the past, the association has intervened with regard to the Ku Klux Klan murals in Woodburn Hall Room 100 and the swastika floor and wall tiles in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.\n"We produced an eight-minute video to make the students who have classes in Woodburn Hall Room 100 feel less overwhelmed by the murals," she said. "We stated the history of the murals and why IU commissioned them. We also made the point that the KKK is a sad chapter in the history of Indiana, but it must not be forgotten. In terms of the swastikas, we put up a plaque in the HPER to explain that the building was built before World War II and the Nazi regime, and that the swastika was a religious symbol before the Nazis adopted it. These are examples of how COMU tries to promote understanding."\nBauder discussed the objectives of GLBT, for which he serves as commissioner. He said the organization provides counseling and support for homosexual, bisexual and transgendered students, as well as educational tools for students to learn more about these groups.\nBauder said a team of GLBT workers review sexual orientation harassment complaints made to the Student Ethics Office and decides how to rectify the situations.\n"Does harassment stop by reporting it?" he asked. "No. But we can collect enough information to intervene effectively."\nHe asked audience members to pretend they were members of that GLBT team and to create settlements for two complaint scenarios.\nBryson said he hoped those who attended benefited from the discussion. \n"We want people to take what they heard here and apply that knowledge elsewhere," he said.\nThe Resolution Services will continue its Week Without Violence with a discussion panel on school violence at 7 p.m. today at the First United Methodist Church, 219 E. Fourth St. \nThursday, a domestic violence discussion and a wrap-up meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. respectively in the City Council Room of the Showers Building.
(03/08/01 5:19am)
Vincent Ventresca has a special place in his heart for IU. The actor graduated in 1989 with a degree in education, but theater was his second concentration and first love. After graduation, Ventresca set out to make his mark on the entertainment industry.\nIn 1994, he received his big break when he won a small part in the CBS made-for-television movie "Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills." That project led to a slew of other acting ventures including the NBC miniseries "Degree of Guilt" in 1995. He also joined the casts of the short-lived TV series "Medicine Ball" on Fox and "Boston Common" on NBC. Both series went off the air after one season. In 1997, Ventresca made his film debut playing Mira Sorvino's love interest in "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion."\nShortly after, he returned to television in two more TV series: "Prey" for ABC and "Maggie Winters" for CBS, both of which were canceled. In addition, Ventresca has guest-starred twice on "Friends" as Fun Bobby and appeared in the independent films "Macarena," "Can't Stop Dancing," "The Learning Curve," "Love & Sex," "This Space Between Us" and "Madison," which was filmed in Madison, Ind.\nNow 34, the Indianapolis native portrays the title character in the TV series "The Invisible Man" 9 p.m. Fridays on the Science Fiction Network. Recently, Ventresca discussed the impact that his years at IU have had on him, his working experiences with big-name stars and his take on the Bob Knight firing.
(03/08/01 5:00am)
Vincent Ventresca has a special place in his heart for IU. The actor graduated in 1989 with a degree in education, but theater was his second concentration and first love. After graduation, Ventresca set out to make his mark on the entertainment industry.\nIn 1994, he received his big break when he won a small part in the CBS made-for-television movie "Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills." That project led to a slew of other acting ventures including the NBC miniseries "Degree of Guilt" in 1995. He also joined the casts of the short-lived TV series "Medicine Ball" on Fox and "Boston Common" on NBC. Both series went off the air after one season. In 1997, Ventresca made his film debut playing Mira Sorvino's love interest in "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion."\nShortly after, he returned to television in two more TV series: "Prey" for ABC and "Maggie Winters" for CBS, both of which were canceled. In addition, Ventresca has guest-starred twice on "Friends" as Fun Bobby and appeared in the independent films "Macarena," "Can't Stop Dancing," "The Learning Curve," "Love & Sex," "This Space Between Us" and "Madison," which was filmed in Madison, Ind.\nNow 34, the Indianapolis native portrays the title character in the TV series "The Invisible Man" 9 p.m. Fridays on the Science Fiction Network. Recently, Ventresca discussed the impact that his years at IU have had on him, his working experiences with big-name stars and his take on the Bob Knight firing.
(03/06/01 5:45am)
Soon the long lines waiting to register at Franklin Hall will be a distant memory. So will the endless telephone voice menus to drop a class.\nNow registration is just a click away.\nUniversity officials announced last week that students will be able to register for their fall 2001 courses at a new Web site, regweb.indiana.edu. The Web site adapts the computer system that has been used in the registration center to the Internet.\nLaurie Sullivan, acting director of University Information Systems for University Information Technology Services, said the program lets Web browsers connect directly to the mainframe computers that house registration information.\nStudents will be able to register at the same time they would have been able to do so at Franklin Hall, Sullivan said.\n"Campus registrars will phase in this new service throughout the spring semester for the fall 2001 registration period," she said. "Students can register as soon as their appointment times will allow. Individual student eligibility to register will continue to be determined by the dean of the school in which the student is enrolled."\nThe Web site will not be open 24 hours a day, but will operate weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.\nSenior Angela Ayalin said although she will not have to register for fall classes, she enjoyed registering offline.\n"I liked it the way we had it," she said. "We do so much online already. I liked going to the registrar's office to register; it felt more official."\nStudents can still construct their schedules in the registration center and via telephone.\n"It will provide yet another option that students can choose from," said Brian Voss, associate vice president of information technology. "Modernization of our systems is needed, and the benefits that both the students and the institution will receive are great"
(02/26/01 4:20am)
The winners of the Web site design contest co-sponsored by Web Technology Club and Discover Financial Services were announced Saturday at a banquet held at the Bloomington Convention Center. Entrants had two days to construct an online shopping mall with a personalized feel.\n"The case was to design a virtual mall Web site," explained senior Kristin Wagner, WTC president. "The teams were to design a site that would make you feel like you were shopping at a mall so that you could visit specific stores if you knew what you were looking for and also browse if you were unsure."\nAt noon Thursday, the contest topic was posted on the WTC Web site (www.indiana.edu/~wtc). The 16 teams, consisting of three club members each, had until Saturday to complete their projects.\nAll teams presented their sites to one of four judging panels Saturday at 10 a.m. Each panel was composed of one faculty member and two Discover employees. Professors Dwight Worker, Thom Gillespie, Patricia Setser and Brian Arthaud-Day and graduate student Nate Stout participated as judges.\n"The judges were looking for a 3-D look, which was more futuristic," Wagner said. "The basic idea was to create something that would replace going to a mall."\nAfter the first round of presentations, four teams advanced to the finals. Those four teams consisted of: juniors Chris Hilbert, Cliff Dickinson and Aaron Dobbins; junior Ajit Kalra, senior Sidharth Bhatia and sophomore Namrata Gandhi; seniors Vicky Dugar, Mani Sidhu and Christine Villano; and seniors Amy Jeffs, Lawrence Fraser and Elizabeth Leuck.\nThe four finalist teams presented their sites to Eugene Thomas, business school lecturer, and two Discover representatives at 5 p.m. in the Bloomington Convention Center. At 7:30 that evening, the WTC held a banquet in the convention center that was open to all members.\nDuring the banquet, the judges' decisions were announced. The winners were Dugar, Sidhu and Villano, who each received $1,000. The runners-up were Jeffs, Fraser and Leuck, all of whom were awarded $250.\nJeffs said she and her teammates were satisfied with the results.\n"Our team worked together before on another competition and we made it to the finals there, and when we were finalists again this time, it really made us feel good," she said. "We were happy that the judges liked what we had done."\nFraser said he felt he had benefited from entering the contest.\n"In any e-business competition, you get a chance to apply what you learn in a curriculum to a real world situation, and that kind of experience is very valuable to me," he said.\nWagner noted that WTC and Discover are planning another case competition and banquet for next year.\n"We are definitely talking about doing a case competition for next year and making it even bigger," she said. "We're looking to have more teams enter and other companies attend the banquet for next year. We want to make this an annual event and by the response we got this year, I think it will definitely happen"
(02/22/01 7:15am)
An online site design competition co-sponsored by the Web Technology Club and Discover Financial Services began at noon today when the contest topic was posted on the technology club's Web site www.indiana.edu/~wtc. The entrants have two days to build a Web site to be evaluated on its operation.\nBrian Kennedy, a Discover information technology college recruiter and a 1997 IU graduate, had the idea for a Web contest in conjunction with the club.\n"I wanted to do a case study at IU and give the Web Technology Club some exposure at the same time," Kennedy said. "Also, as a company, we want to have a good relationship with the students and let them know what technology we offer."\nSixteen teams, each composed of three club members, have signed up. \nJunior Disha Puri, a club member and one of the event coordinators, said the contest has been well-received.\n"We had to close our registration last week because we had such a big list. Within four days, we had 16 teams," Puri said. "We have 18 teams in all, but two are on standby in case a team doesn't show up to present. We even have people waiting to be on standby."\nPuri said the entrants can use any computer program to design their presentations, which must run 15-20 minutes.\n"If they're not technologically inclined and don't know how to use HTML, that's okay," Puri said. "They can make a Power Point slide show or use another program to get their ideas across."\nToday and Friday, all teams can meet with a Discover employee for 20 minutes in Kelley School of Business Room 209. \nThe 16 teams have been divided among four judging panels. Each set of four projects will be viewed by two Discover representatives and one faculty member at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Kelley School of Business.\nProfessors Dwight Worker, Brian Arthaud-Day, Patricia Setser and Thom Gillespie and graduate student Nate Stout are the judges. Four teams will advance to the finals. \nThe final four teams will present their sites at 5 p.m. that day at the Bloomington Convention Center to Eugene Thomas, business school lecturer, and two Discover employees. At 7:30 p.m. the club will hold a banquet in the convention center that is open to all members. \nThe judges' decisions will be announced during the event. \nMembers of the winning team each receive $1,000, while members of the runner-up team will be awarded $250. Several $50 gift certificates to Best Buy will be raffled off to banquet attendees.\nKristin Wagner, a senior who serves as the club's president, said the competition was planned to coincide with the launch of the club's Web site. The site was first made available to users Feb. 1.\n"We are very excited about (the site) because it is very educational, which is the focus of the WTC," Wagner said. "I really hope that people are going to take advantage of all it has to offer because it's a great resource for anyone interested in Web technology. We've already had almost 200 members sign up in the last three weeks. \n"Our club is one of the few that is free to members and I'm sure that that attracts many people." \nWagner said both organizations hope to collaborate again next year.\n"The WTC and Discover would like to see both the case competition and the banquet as annual events," Wagner said. "We're hoping to get some of the kinks worked out and possibly make them bigger events for next year"
