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(10/06/04 5:47am)
If the Halloween costumes that fill stores this month are any indication of what a little girl aspires to be, anything with a tiara is at the top of the list. \nDreams of being crowned were carried into adulthood for freshman Sarah Brand, who was selected to join contestants from around the state to compete for the title of Miss Indiana USA from Nov. 12 to 14.\n"Every girl wants to have a crown," Brand said.\nWhen she was a senior at Greenwood High School in Greenwood, Ind., last year, Brand was looking for scholarships online and came across the Miss Indiana USA pageant. Brand, who had never held any pageant titles but was her high school's reining homecoming and prom queen, decided to give the pageant circuit a try.\n"I thought I'd just sign up and see what happens," Brand said.\nAfter a three-month selection process that included applications and interviews, Brand was chosen for the competition.\nWhen she first received the letter saying she had been selected to be a contestant, Brand said her mother's reaction was almost as excited as her own.\n"She was like, 'Wow, I wish I could have done something like that,'" Brand said.\nBecause she was new to pageants, Brand met with Michele Shannon, the 2001 Mrs. Indiana USA and pageant consultant, to help her prepare for the process.\n"I don't think people realize how much it takes to win a title," Shannon said. "There is literally a whole culture surrounding pageants."\nDuring an intensive six-hour session, Brand and Shannon discussed a variety of pageant particulars, including pageant applications, wardrobe and what Shannon considers most important: the interview.\n"The judges weigh it more than anything else," Shannon said. "It's really a chance for (the contestants) to show a part of themselves."\nJunior Tara Price, who holds three titles and was a finalist in the 2003 Miss Indiana USA competition, competed in pageants when she was little and began competing again when she turned 16.\n"The No. 1 rule is to always be yourself," Price said. "Judges can see a genuine person, and they will remember you more. Always smile."\nBrand said an emphasis on community service sets the Miss USA pageants apart from other pageants. Brand decided to focus her platform on eating disorder awareness and said if she wins, she hopes to travel to middle schools across the state to speak on the issue.\n"It's a way to influence a lot of people," Brand said. "People tend to listen to people with a title."\nShannon said support for contestants is important even during the pageant.\nBrand said even being new to pageantry, she hopes to be a strong contender for the title. \n"I was very impressed with Sarah," Shannon said. "The fact that her high school peers see her as royalty sets her apart."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.
(10/05/04 5:01am)
At 9 a.m. the sidewalks and courtyards of campus are empty, with students either tucked away in bed or looking bleary-eyed at their 8 a.m. professor. In Room A200 of the theater building, graduate student Samuel Wootten leads his seven sleepy students through a series of yoga exercises to wake them up.\n"Think of your body as a corkscrew," Wootten said, twisting his long body around itself, "with a string pulling you up through your head."\nWootten's class, Acting II: Scene Study, is one in a line of acting classes available for the aspiring actors at IU. Unlike students who aspire to be lawyers or doctors who have a very concrete process to complete, the best way for aspiring actors to make it big is to simply act, Wootten said.\nWootten hands out sheets of paper with titles of plays written on them to his students.\n"Find six of these and read them," he says. "The best way to become more accomplished as an actor is to know the text."\nWootten tells his students to focus on characters who are age-appropriate, characters to whom they can relate.\n"My hope is that you come out of this with an audition piece," Wootten said.\nAuditions play a key role in theater majors' lives, giving them the chance to practice their skills and gain experience if they are cast.\n"Auditions are coming up at the Bloomington Playwrights Project," Wootten told the class. "If you don't have a project going on now and have some free time in the evenings, and you want to be an actor, you should audition. Remember, the best way to get better is by doing it."\nSitting in the empty room after class, Wootten again emphasized the best way to become an actor is to act as much as possible.\n"Go to an audition and get cast," he said. "If you don't, get involved in an independent project, but continue to act."\nWootten's students, including juniors Buki Long and Josh Cole, are self-described aspiring actors and directors.\n"When you say you want to go to Hollywood, no one ever believes you," Cole said. \nThe two said they were actively involved in school-sponsored drama productions in high school, but since they've come to college, they have mostly concentrated on independent projects.\n"I'll pick and choose what I want to do," Long said. "I won't work on a project unless it's something I'm interested in."\nIn the morning class, Wootten took his students through a series of exercises based on the ideas of Rudolph Von Laban. He had them move around the room based on different words such as flick, glide and wring.\n"Put it in your hands. Put it in your hips. But try not to control it too much," he said as they paced across the floor.\n"Flicking makes me feel like an interior designer," one student said.\n"Good, find something, commit to it and live with it," Wootten said.\nWootten said an actor's instrument is his body and voice, and the best thing students can do is to perfect their instrument, partly though exercises like the ones he used in his class.\n"(They) will eventually become more adept and less likely to ask questions," he said. "The movement becomes instinctual."\nWootten said it is also important for students to act as much as possible to surround themselves with other actors.\n"Then you too will become more professional," he said. "Continue to find ways to act, and get better."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.
(10/01/04 6:28am)
Before the presidential debate began Thursday night, students piled into Woodburn Hall for a forum sponsored by OUT, a group supported by Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Support Services, to hear representatives of the College Republicans, College Democrats and College Libertarians present their presidential candidate's perspectives on GLBT issues.\n"Our main goal was to provide access to GLBT students," said OUT vice president Kim Ruggles, "I think a lot of students were confused where the candidates, especially John Kerry, stand on gay issues."\nCollege Democrats Vice President junior Matt Brunner spoke on behalf of Kerry.\n"John Kerry and John Edwards support gay rights," Brunner said, listing a variety of bills Kerry has supported on behalf of the gay community. "However, they don't support the language 'gay marriage.'"\nSenior Angel Rivera, chairman of the College Republicans, told the assembled group he would tell them nothing they hadn't heard before.\n"The Republican Party supports a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage," he said. "They support the idea of the traditional family."\nSenior Nicholas Blesch, president of the College Libertarians, said his candidate, Michael Badnarik, presented a hands-off approach to many of the topics discussed at the forum, including gay marriage and hate crime legislation. He said if the government had to create laws to govern marriage and hate crimes, then they should be as inclusive as possible.\n"Otherwise you get into arbitrary line-drawing," he said. \nGay marriage was such a contentious issue for the crowd that OUT President and senior Michaela Martin-Almy had to cut off questions about it to provide time for other topics, including hate crime legislation.\nBoth Blesch and Rivera said their candidates weren't in favor of hate crime legislation because there are already laws in place that punish the actions of those who commit the crimes, and that their candidates were opposed to telling people what they can and can't think.\n"You are free to think what you want," Blesch said. "Matthew Shepard was murdered. It doesn't matter why. To make it a crime to hate someone is a step in the wrong direction."\nShepard was a Wyoming college student who was beaten to death in October 1998 because he was gay.\nBrunner presented a different view on hate legislation. He said hate crimes aren't always violent deaths and sometimes a gay person may be punched because he is gay but some state and county laws don't persecute the attacker.\n"The laws are not preventing hate, they are preventing acts of hate," he said.\nTension hung in the air throughout the hour-long forum, but all representatives and audience members remained calm, even though they were discussing very personal and sensitive subjects.\nJunior Chase Downham, political director of the College Republicans, said he has participated in similar forums and was impressed with Rivera's composure.\n"I think he did very well," Downham said. "These are touchy issues that people take personally. He was courteous to everyone, and they were to him."\nFreshman Jen Foster said Ruggles' goal of using the forum as a medium of education for students was achieved.\n"I knew this forum would be more open about the issues than anywhere else might be," Foster said. "Yes, I learned a lot."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.
(09/30/04 5:57am)
Smartly dressed with their leather portfolios tucked under their arms, IU students had the opportunity Wednesday to mingle with possible employers at the annual Information Technologies Career Fair in Alumni Hall of the Indiana Memorial Union, where mini interviews were occurring at every table.\n"What kind of leadership opportunities have you had?" a representative wearing a red sweater from Gap, Inc. asked a suited student.\nBecky Vianden, a career services specialist with the School of Informatics, said the fair occurs every September and is a key to helping students make contacts and grab internships and jobs.\n"I think the fair is very helpful for students," Vianden said, "even for underclassmen because they have the opportunity to make contacts they can keep building throughout their schooling."\nAs she left Alumni Hall, junior Carrie Ganote said she stopped by the fair because she received numerous e-mails from the computer science department. \n"They kept saying I should come," she said, "so I came."\nGanote prepared for the fair in advance by researching companies online, including Eli Lilly and Company, whom she eventually hopes to work for.\n"I got to talk with Lilly. That was exciting," Ganote said. "I was mainly looking for internships and part-time jobs."\nFilling internships was one of the primary reasons Shawn Duster, a team leader in charge of corporate computer security for John Deere, said his company was at the fair. \n"I don't think there will be a problem filling our interview schedule based on the caliber of students we've seen," Duster said. "I think we'll end up with a schedule we are very happy with."\nDuster said he was looking for students who had a passion for what they do and weren't looking at a company to add another item to their resumes.\n"We want someone who wants to grow and stay committed to the company," Duster said.\nBecause of economic downturns, the fair has decreased in size in the past couple of years, with less employers coming. The tables of trinkets, from squishy globes to key chains, that used to woo students into talking with representatives seemed unnecessary because the amount of students interested in IT jobs and internships have not decreased, creating a very competitive field. Students waited in lines six people deep to talk with company representatives. \n"Last year and this year, there have only been about 25 companies," Vianden said. "We're hoping to see an increase with a rise in the economy."\nEven with less companies represented, students left the fair confident for the future.\nA representative from Bloomington Hospital & Healthcare System shook hands with a suited student as they finished talking.\n"Look us up, okay?" the representative said. "It was a pleasure to meet you."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.
(09/27/04 4:58am)
When freshman Brian Litke turned 18, he filled out a selective service card, like the law requires every 18-year-old male to do since the selective service system was reinstated by President Jimmy Carter in 1980. At the time, he thought nothing of it.\nWith the conflict in Iraq showing no signs of ending anytime soon, and almost daily news reports announcing how thinly the military is spread, the possibility of reinstating mandatory military service has entered the minds of political figures and students alike.\nAccording to The Associated Press, Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry has suggested if President George W. Bush is reelected, he might reinstate a military draft.\n"If George Bush were to be re-elected, given the way he has gone about this war and given his avoidance of responsibility in North Korea and Iran and other places, it is possible," Kerry said, answering a question about the likelihood of mandatory military service last Wednesday in West Palm Beach, Fla. \nThe Bush campaign responded, calling Kerry's statement "irresponsible."\nPresident Franklin Roosevelt created the first peacetime draft when he signed the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940. From 1948 until 1973 men between the ages of 18 and 26 were drafted to fill vacancies in the military during both peacetime and war. In 1973, the draft was terminated when the United States switched to an entirely volunteer military. President Jimmy Carter required men to start registering for the draft again in 1980 in response to world conflict.\nIn January 2003, Ernest Hollings, a democratic senator from South Carolina, proposed bill S.89 to the Senate. The goal of the bill was for all young people within the country, including women, to serve a period of mandatory military service. An identical bill, H.R.163, was proposed to the House of Representatives by Charles Rangel, a democratic congressman from New York. \nProfessor of political science Gerald Wright said even with the occasional Congressman talking about reinstating the draft, he doesn't see conscription happening anytime soon.\n"The idea is so unpopular," he said. "Congress would not want to put into policy something so unpopular."\nWright said for the draft to be reinstated, the American public would have to feel strongly about the war, and he says the public does not feel strongly about the war in Iraq.\n"Right now I think it's a pretty bullshit war," Litke said. "I imagine most people my age wouldn't serve."\nIn a survey conducted by the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, 52 percent of Americans eligible to be drafted said they would seek deferment or refuse to serve. Less than half, only 43 percent, said they would serve.\n"I wouldn't want to serve," said sophomore Mike O'Malley. "I would probably try and get out of it, but if I couldn't get out of it, I would serve."\nIf the draft was reinstated, professor of political science Russell Hanson said there probably wouldn't be the number of deferments that occurred during the draft for the Vietnam War.\n"It would likely be an across-the-board conscription, without college deferments, and without exceptions for gender, either," Hanson said.\nHanson is partially correct, college students wouldn't be given blanket deferments. According to the Selective Service System Web site, www.sss.gov, because of changes to the law made in 1971, students currently in school would only be able to finish the semester before induction. A senior would be allowed to finish the academic year.\nWomen are still safe from the draft. The law specifically refers to "male persons," but that could change with an amendment to the law by Congress.\nWright said he didn't see Bush turning to a draft in his current term, or if he gets re-elected, a statement repeatedly backed up by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other Pentagon officials who have said a draft is both unnecessary and undesirable, according to the AP.\nThe SSS's Web site is also trying to calm fears of an insatiable draft saying "Notwithstanding recent stories in the news media and on the Internet, Selective Service is not getting ready to conduct a draft for the U.S. Armed Forces -- either with a special skills or regular draft. Further, both the President and the Secretary of Defense have stated on more than one occasion that there is no need for a draft for the War on Terrorism or any likely contingency, such as Iraq." \nThis is a statement Litke can find some comfort in because he hasn't quite figured out how he would get his desired deferment status.\n"It hasn't occurred to me how yet," he said. "Maybe I'd fake an injury."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.
(09/24/04 9:27pm)
Dressed in everything from suits to cutoffs, hundreds of students filled Alumni Hall Thursday for Law Day, an annual event that makes admissions officers from across the country easily accessible to students interested in going to law school.\n"These are the people who really do decide admissions," said Mac Francis, assistant director of the Health Professions and Prelaw Center and advisor. "They are the ones who give you a thumbs up or thumbs down."\nRepresentatives from over 100 law schools were represented at this year's Law Day, an impressive number considering there are only 187 law schools in the country.\n"This year, (Law Day) is about the size of the Chicago forum," Francis said. "Very few colleges get this opportunity."\nBefore the doors to Alumni Hall opened at 11 a.m., students gathered at 9 a.m. in the Georgian Room for a panel discussion with four admissions representatives from the law schools at St. Louis University, George Washington University, University of Dayton and IU.\n"I want to make sure I have all the information I need going into taking the LSATs," junior Jackie Jednachowski said. "I'm curious to hear what (admissions officers) are looking for because applying to law school is extremely different than the last time I applied to colleges."\nAfter each representative gave a brief overview of their school's admissions process, students asked questions on a variety of issues, including personal statements, preparing for the LSATs, letters of recommendation and scholarships.\n"The most important thing you will take with you out of law school is your transcript," said Dennis Long, assistant dean of admissions for IU's law school, when asked if a law school's ranking mattered to potential employers, "Your grades will be there forever."\nStanding just outside Alumni Hall at 10:55 a.m., senior Elizabeth Sloan held the red ticket she got at the panel discussion. The red tickets took students straight to the front of the line to enter Alumni Hall.\n"They talked about some ideas I hadn't thought of before, like how you should pick a law school where you will do well and not one that's necessarily ranked high," Sloan said,\nInside Alumni Hall, tables covered in their respective school's banners created a pathway for students to follow that led them past each school. Students and admission representatives mingled and exchanged information. The last two tables were occupied by the University of Wisconsin and the College of William and Mary law schools.\nBeth Kransberger, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid at the University of Wisconsin, described an intensive but fun fall that law school representatives follow, traveling across the country to meet prospective students.\n"This is the best part," she said. "Providing access opportunities to us, and accessing the vision to who (the students) are."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.
(09/16/04 4:08am)
When Jonathan Biss left the auditorium after playing with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, his father remembers him looking back and saying, "This is where I want to be." After playing in venues all over the world, concert pianist Jonathan Biss returns to his childhood home of Bloomington to play a concert at 8 p.m. Friday in Auer Hall with his mother, Miriam Fried, a violinist and IU music professor.\n"He has never looked back," said Paul Biss, Jonathan's father, also an IU music professor.\nLike most professional musicians, Jonathan did not go straight from the cradle to the Met. Jonathan began, like many children, with piano lessons, although growing up in a home where both parents were professors in a ranked music school probably didn't hurt.\n"Music is central in our family," Paul said. "When you're professional, there's rarely a day that goes by that you're not involved teaching, practicing or listening to music. It's a lifelong love affair."\nPaul said Jonathan was always listening to music as a child, including his older brother practicing piano. When he was 5 years old, Jonathan begged to be allowed to take piano lessons, but Paul and Fried told him he had to wait. \n"He was going to concerts, and it became clear he responded to music," Paul said. "It was clear he had an uncommon talent, and he went with it."\nWith his 6th birthday came the anticipated lessons, and Jonathan began instruction with Karen Taylor, assistant professor of music and director of IU's pre-college programs.\n"He adored music," Taylor said, "and he was captivated by the piano almost from the moment he hoisted himself onto the bench. Even at the age of 6, no one had to 'make' him practice. On the contrary, there were times when his parents had to drag him away from the piano."\nTaylor said Jonathan flew through the beginning method books, anticipating learning pieces composed by Bach, Mozart and Beethoven.\n"From the start, Jonathan had very discriminating ears and musical tastes," Taylor said, "as well as a wealth of imagination; not surprising given the musical environment he grew up in, but rare nonetheless."\nWhen he was 10, Jonathan began to study under the direction of Evelyne Brancart, an IU music professor. Brancart said she occasionally takes young students if it's obvious they are serious about music. She could see Jonathan was.\n"He had something you just can't teach," she said. "It's called talent."\nDuring weekly lessons, Brancart said she mainly taught Jonathan coordination, how to work with the piano, because there was a lot he knew instinctively.\n"I tried to bring to him ease on the piano," she said.\nBrancart said working with children is substantially different than working with college students -- college students have so many other things on their minds besides music.\n"Concentration is what one needs to prepare pianists," Brancart said, "and in college, your concentration is everywhere."\nJonathan's concentration, however, was focused on piano. When he was 15, he was in a trio with two IU undergraduate students.\n"He benefited from excellent instruction at IU," Paul said.\nJust shy of his 17th birthday, Jonathan graduated from Bloomington High School North and headed to the Cutis Institute of Music, a prestigious music school in Philadelphia.\nAfter graduating from Institute in May 2001, Jonathan was scheduled to spend a year in Italy with six other pianists. Paul said famous musicians would regularly come and give intensive masterclasses in an effort to create a bridge from formal studies to concerts. However, because of economic troubles, Jonathan's time in Italy was cut in half.\nSince then, Paul said Jonathan has had nothing but success.\n"He's been extremely successful," Paul said. "He's playing with the greatest orchestras in the world with the most famous conductors."\nPaul said Jonathan has a self-titled album he just finished recording on the EMI label that is scheduled to be released in the spring.\nHaving Jonathan come back to Bloomington to perform is exciting for Paul, and it is a chance for those who taught him to hear and see the concert pianist Jonathan has become.\n"I'm especially interested in hearing the Bartok," Taylor said. "I haven't heard Jonathan play Bartok since he was about 10, and we worked on the 'Rumanian Folk Dances.'"\nPaul said while the success is exciting, it's not what he is most proud of.\n"I see how serious he is about the craft and the art," he said. "That means more to me than how successful he is."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligen at kquillig@indiana.edu.
(09/13/04 5:57am)
The American, Indiana and Firefighter's flags, hanging at half-mast, twitched in the slight breeze as the group assembled in front of them traveled back in time to Sept. 11, 2001.\nSaturday marked the third anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon when thousands of Americans lost their lives. \nThe Bloomington Township Fire and Volunteer Fire Departments chose to commemorate that day by remembering not only victims of the attacks, but also those who tried to save them.\n"(Lord,) be with us as we remember those who sacrificed their lives," BTFD Chaplain James Dawson said in a prayer to the small crowd. "Be with the firefighters, police and EMTs who are sacrificing all the time to keep us safe."\nBTFD President Scott Fleck looked out at the audience before him; from the over 40 members of the 377 Military Police Company Army Reservists standing at attention, to the children of fellow firefighters squirming in their seats. He told a story of a friend who has an American flag with the names of all of the fallen firefighters from Sept. 11, 2001, on it hanging in her place of business.\n"She said someone said to her, 'I couldn't hang such a thing on my wall. It would make me too sad to look at it,'" Fleck said. "I don't look at those names with sadness. I look it as strength."\nEven though it has only been three years since the attacks, Fleck said people already are starting to forget.\n"We are remembering," he said to the crowd. "We won't forget."\nBTFD Trustee Nancy Brinegar said the department is prepared to protect. Since the attacks, the department has assembled a Hazardous Materials team and recently received a new Haz Mat truck paid for by federal funds.\n"We will be strong, and we will be ready," she said.\nThe audience stood as Fleck read the names of all the BTFD men who have ever died while on duty. Fleck also remembered the 77 firefighters who have died this year across the country, the victims of the terrorist attacks, and 343 New York City firefighters who died on 9-11 during the attacks. A single bell toll followed the reading of each group.\n"I can't hear that bell without feeling it," Dawson said, his voice catching. "It's Pavlovian. It does get you right here," he said, tapping his chest over his heart.\nAfter the ceremony, Dawson said the BTFD remembered its fallen firemen even before Sept. 11, 2001, but since the attacks, both 9-11 and the department's fallen men are remembered in one ceremony.\n"We're walking wounded," he said. "When you have a fireman hurt, everyone is hurt. You have to put it out of your mind and keep on going, but when you close your eyes you see every one of them. This is to help us deal with that."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.
(09/13/04 5:35am)
Hundreds of students gathered under a bright blue sky Saturday morning in front of Sigma Pi Fraternity, and around a bench dedicated to the memory of sophomore Nicolas Habicht.\nJuniors Jacob Surface and Joseph Alexander also died in the off-campus house fire that claimed Habicht's life in late May. Their friend, senior Paul Dayment, survived the blaze.\n"He loved IU and he loved Sigma Pi," Habicht's mother Mary Habicht said before the memorial service began Saturday. "He was a good kid who made the right choices in life."\nSigma Pi president, junior Josh Robb addressed the respectfully silent crowd that gathered on the house's front yard, remembering Habicht, who always asked Robb to tuck in his shirt, and applauding the Bloomington Fire Department for trying to save the men.\n"Nic will be in our hearts forever," Robb said. "He will be in our memories. Hopefully now we can begin to heal a little bit."\nAndy Hahn, the fraternity's chapter director, said he couldn't begin to describe what Habicht meant to the chapter.\n"Thank you for sharing Nic with all of us," Hahn said to Habicht's parents. \nHahn said Sigma Pi is starting an initiative on Habicht's behalf, dedicated to remembering those students who have died. The initiative, called In Remembrance, will occur every year at Sigma Pi on the second Saturday in September and will provide an opportunity to share the memory of students who have died.\n"It's a chance to show that the greek community is strong and caring and can create a positive impact," Hahn said.\nWith tears in her eyes, Mary Habicht spoke to the group surrounding her son's memorial bench.\n"I had no idea this many people would come," she said. "If it wasn't for all of our friends and community support, it would have been a lot worse than it was."\nBill Kershner, a representative from the Christian Fellowship House, said a prayer on behalf of Habicht, Surface and Alexander.\n"As people walk by Nic's bench, hopefully they will read the words inscribed on it and remember Nic and remember life," he said. "Never take this life for granted."\nHabicht's sister, Malia Casper, chose to remember Habicht by releasing three boxes of Monarch butterflies.\n"If Nic were here," she said, "he'd say 'you guys go on and have fun.'"\nThe crowd watched in silence as the butterflies flew up into the cloudless sky. A single butterfly rested on Habicht's bench next to the inscription that said "Nic Habicht, our brother forever. Pin 1711." \n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.
(09/10/04 5:33am)
Freshman Lindsay Bell's only concrete plans for the weekend include going home to Greenfield. Ordinarily, this might not be enough to raise an eyebrow, but since Saturday marks the third anniversary of two planes hitting the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, it feels a bit empty.\n"I've done things in the past with my high school," said Bell, a graduate of Greenfield Central High School, "but I don't have any plans for this year."\nBell said it's not apathy that drives her decision; she simply is unaware of any planned commemoration events.\n"If I knew of something going on, I'd probably go," she said. "There's definitely a good chance."\nAlthough the fanfare of anniversary tributes appears to be absent this year, memorials have not disappeared. Both on and off campus, Bloomington will respectfully remember the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.\n"I've been involved in organizing (memorials) in the past," said Dan Enslow, organizer of the InterFaith commemoration. \nEnslow has organized a new kind of remembrance ceremony, one that makes its audience participate and challenges them to think about what has happened in the years since the terrorist attacks.\n"Tensions have mounted in the past year," Enslow said. "This is a way for the (audience) to share what they've learned and bridge the gaps between cultures and religions."\nEnslow said his program, which begins at 6:30 p.m. in Dunn Meadow Saturday, is not simply a devotional program, but is a chance for participants to share their thoughts on the terrorist attacks and what has happened since then.\n"It's essentially a three-part program of people sitting in circles sharing their visions of the future," Enslow said.\nThe discussions will be followed by a chance for participants to share poetry, songs and even dances sharing their feelings about Sept. 11. However, Enslow is quick to emphasize any political material should not be brought into Dunn Meadow.\n"It's simply out of reverence," he said. "We don't want to turn it into a partisan political commentary. There's lots of time coming up for that. This is about spiritual solutions."\nEnslow has invited a variety of spiritual leaders to participate in the event to add an interfaith dynamic.\nDean of Students Richard McKaig said that since the attacks there have always been programs in Dunn Meadow, so he was happy to secure it for the memorial service.\n"I was actually wondering myself what was going on on campus as far as commemoration, so I was pleased when I was approached by the InterFaith Commemoration," he said.\nAlong with the ceremony in Dunn Meadow Saturday evening, those who wish to remember Sept. 11, 2001, can participate in the Bloomington Township Volunteer Fire Department open house from 2 to 6 p.m. at 5081 N. Old S.R. 37. \nAt 2 p.m. a memorial service will be conducted to remember the victims of the terrorist attacks.\nAlthough Enslow said the newness of the attacks is wearing off, it is still important to remember what happened.\n"We need to look at what we've learned," Enslow said, "and decide where we go from here."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu .
(09/09/04 4:00am)
Bloomington city councilman and volunteer WFHB radio programmer Steve Volan doesn't know where to begin when he talks about the Lotus Festival. \n"It's overstimulating," the festival veteran finally says. "It's like Bloomington needs a giant dose of Ritalin to deal with the overstimulation Lotus festival causes."\nBeginning September 15, the five-day Lotus World Music and Arts Festival brings musicians together from all corners of the globe to serenade the people of Bloomington with an eclectic mix of music.\n"I've been involved with the festival since the beginning," Volan said. "For me, it's hard not to be involved in it."\nVolan was given his own radio show in June 1993. After a few months at the station, he began advocating that the station create an event they could annually promote. Volan's call for a perfect event was answered when two musicians came forward who wanted to create a festival that would treat its artists and audiences with a mutual respect and they decided on a world music theme. The first Lotus Festival lasted one night and included eight artists at three venues.\nIn it's 11th, year, the festival has grown with 10 stages and 33 scheduled featured artists.\n"The festival has increased significantly since 1994," said Lee Williams, executive and artistic director. "To grow wasn't the goal, it was simply the outcome."\nVolan said he knew from the beginning, something special had been created.\n"It's become the most well known festival in Bloomington," Volan said. "It's competitive with sporting events with how much money and attendance it brings in from out of town."\nFestival patrons say what makes the festival special is not it's economic pull.\nWhen senior Lisa Simmons heard Honeyboy Edwards, a blues artist, was scheduled for the festival last year she was amazed.\n"I was impressed they got him," she said. "He's a living legend."\n"There are very few events in the music community with as broad a scope as we have," Williams said.\nBecause Williams says he feels it's important to work in as many types of music as possible, he doesn't like to book bands for more than one year.\n"There's so much that's out there," he said. "There are new types that have never been heard before."\nWilliams said, for example, there is a band called Jamesie & the All-Stars from the Virgin Islands who play a type of music called Caribbean scratch, something Williams has never heard before.\nBut the festival is not just music. It has daily street parades and workshops. Films are shown, and a visual arts section is included.\n"It's like Disneyland where you have to pick and choose what you want to do -- except the lines are shorter," Volan said.\nPart of Volan's personal Lotus festivities is his annual Saturday night party for the artists.\n"If you're out on tour, it's incredibly grueling," Volan said. "A festival gives them an opportunity to relax and hang out, with other artists, and that's what my party's about." \nAlthough Volan admits he still needs to work out the majority of the details for his party, he is sure of one item at the top of his list of things to do.\n"I need to make sure my piano's tuned," he said laughing, "because they bang the heck out of it."\nVolan added he's also looking for someone who wants to volunteer a stand-up bass or drum set.\nAdvance tickets are available at Bloomingfoods, the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, TD's CDs & LPs or by phone at 323-3020. Students can buy discounted tickets at the IU Memorial Union Activities Desk.\n"If there's only one time a year you go west of Indiana Avenue," Volan said, "the Lotus Festival is the time to do it"
(09/09/04 2:39am)
Bloomington city councilman and volunteer WFHB radio programmer Steve Volan doesn't know where to begin when he talks about the Lotus Festival. \n"It's overstimulating," the festival veteran finally says. "It's like Bloomington needs a giant dose of Ritalin to deal with the overstimulation Lotus festival causes."\nBeginning September 15, the five-day Lotus World Music and Arts Festival brings musicians together from all corners of the globe to serenade the people of Bloomington with an eclectic mix of music.\n"I've been involved with the festival since the beginning," Volan said. "For me, it's hard not to be involved in it."\nVolan was given his own radio show in June 1993. After a few months at the station, he began advocating that the station create an event they could annually promote. Volan's call for a perfect event was answered when two musicians came forward who wanted to create a festival that would treat its artists and audiences with a mutual respect and they decided on a world music theme. The first Lotus Festival lasted one night and included eight artists at three venues.\nIn it's 11th, year, the festival has grown with 10 stages and 33 scheduled featured artists.\n"The festival has increased significantly since 1994," said Lee Williams, executive and artistic director. "To grow wasn't the goal, it was simply the outcome."\nVolan said he knew from the beginning, something special had been created.\n"It's become the most well known festival in Bloomington," Volan said. "It's competitive with sporting events with how much money and attendance it brings in from out of town."\nFestival patrons say what makes the festival special is not it's economic pull.\nWhen senior Lisa Simmons heard Honeyboy Edwards, a blues artist, was scheduled for the festival last year she was amazed.\n"I was impressed they got him," she said. "He's a living legend."\n"There are very few events in the music community with as broad a scope as we have," Williams said.\nBecause Williams says he feels it's important to work in as many types of music as possible, he doesn't like to book bands for more than one year.\n"There's so much that's out there," he said. "There are new types that have never been heard before."\nWilliams said, for example, there is a band called Jamesie & the All-Stars from the Virgin Islands who play a type of music called Caribbean scratch, something Williams has never heard before.\nBut the festival is not just music. It has daily street parades and workshops. Films are shown, and a visual arts section is included.\n"It's like Disneyland where you have to pick and choose what you want to do -- except the lines are shorter," Volan said.\nPart of Volan's personal Lotus festivities is his annual Saturday night party for the artists.\n"If you're out on tour, it's incredibly grueling," Volan said. "A festival gives them an opportunity to relax and hang out, with other artists, and that's what my party's about." \nAlthough Volan admits he still needs to work out the majority of the details for his party, he is sure of one item at the top of his list of things to do.\n"I need to make sure my piano's tuned," he said laughing, "because they bang the heck out of it."\nVolan added he's also looking for someone who wants to volunteer a stand-up bass or drum set.\nAdvance tickets are available at Bloomingfoods, the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, TD's CDs & LPs or by phone at 323-3020. Students can buy discounted tickets at the IU Memorial Union Activities Desk.\n"If there's only one time a year you go west of Indiana Avenue," Volan said, "the Lotus Festival is the time to do it"
(09/08/04 6:25am)
More than 300 students gathered on the front lawn of the Alpha Phi sorority Tuesday to say goodbye to Brynn Bergin.\nBergin, a 20-year-old IU student entering her sophomore year, was killed in a car accident Aug. 7. She was on her way home from visiting friends in Michigan when she lost control of her car and struck two trees. She died at the scene.\n"We wanted to have the ceremony on the one-month anniversary," said senior Karrie Stine, vice president of operations for Alpha Phi. "We're thrilled with the support we've received."\nAs the lawn filled Tuesday night, the assembled students stood in respectful silence and looked at the photos of Bergin that sorority members had posted the yard prior to the ceremony.\n"We come together to celebrate a life and remember a smile," junior and member of Alpha Phi Venetia Pristavec said.\nJunior Courtney Marvel, Bergin's "mom" in Alpha Phi, said Bergin was known as a fun, driven and caring person who dreamed of going to medical school. Marvel mentioned donations were being accepted to set up a scholarship in Bergin's name.\n"This way her dreams will be carried out through others," she said.\nBergin's best friend, sophomore Bethany Meadows, spoke with tears streaming down her face about their friendship.\n"No story can ever justify what kind of person she was," Meadows said. "She radiated so much beauty on the outside and inside. Her heart was made of gold."\nMeadows said Bergin put a little life into everyone she touched and that their friendship touched both her heart and her soul.\n"I know she will be holding my hand every step of the way," Meadows said. \nSophomore Amy Harshbarger was Bergin's roommate their freshman year and was in the same pledge class at Alpha Phi.\n"I want to see her again," Harshbarger said. "I want to tell her how much I love her. I'll never be the same without her."\nAs the crowd lit candles, members of Alpha Phi held hands and sang "I Will Remember You" by Sarah McLachlan. The song was followed by a moment of silence during which the only sound heard was the hum of traffic on Third Street.\n"There's not a minute of my life that goes by that I don't think about her," Harshbarger said. "I love her, and I'll miss her forever."\n-- Contact staff writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.
(09/06/04 6:35am)
By 11:30 a.m. Friday, the Park and Ride parking lot at Bryan Park is full, except for one lone spot in the middle of the back row. Across the street, another Park and Ride lot is nearly empty, with only a few cars sprinkled throughout.\n"It's Friday. There's always less people on Friday," bus driver Rhonda Dyson said with an explanatory shrug. "You know this is the last day for Park and Ride, right?"\nPark and Ride was created 12 years ago by Bloomington Transit to serve students who lived off campus, providing a place to park and shuttle them to campus, free of charge. But in recent months, the residents who live near Bryan Park and on the bus route expressed their dissatisfaction with the system, its noise and continuous loops through their neighborhoods.\nIn response, Bloomington Transit proposed to move the Park and Ride parking lot to the Winslow Sports Complex, but that proposal was rejected at a Bloomington Parks Board meeting Aug. 31. Without a parking lot, the system was eliminated and a new shuttle express program began today.\n"I love that I won't be driving this route anymore," Dyson said. "Woodlawn is too narrow for a bus like this. But I feel bad for the students. I know that's why a lot of them moved out here."\nJunior Josh Kreigh boards the bus after his criminal justice class and sits down heavily in a seat.\n"I think this is horrible," he said. "I think this will be inconvenient for a lot of students."\nKreigh, who used Park and Ride since last year, tried a variety of ways to get to campus before settling on the system.\n"I tried walking to class," he said, "but in the winter, when it snowed, no one cleaned the sidewalk. And if I walked on the street, cars would come close to hitting me."\nDyson makes one loop after another picking up students from class and dropping them off at their cars, picking them up at their cars and dropping them off at class, calling out each stop before she reaches it.\n"They should have kept Park and Ride," junior Josh Shideler said. "The new system is a pretty big inconvenience."\nDyson said she's looking forward to driving a bigger bus for the new route. She hopes it will help with some of the overcrowding, because she hates having to leave students standing in the cold when the bus is already full.\n"The students are so nice," she said. "They always say 'please' and 'thank you.'"\nShe said she has heard some students say the new shuttle will be more convenient for them, but feels bad for the ones it will trouble.\nBloomington Transit passed out fliers explaining the new express shuttle, which will run every 15 minutes along Henderson and Walnut streets. The schedule and map of the route are available online at www.bloomingtontransit.com, but sophomore Angela Groff hasn't been able to make sense of them yet.\n"I don't know where the new system picks up or drops off. And I'll still have to drive somewhere to park," said Groff. "I really don't know how I'm going to get to class now."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at
(09/06/04 5:08am)
When freshman Bailey Foster went to her freshman orientation, she was hoping to meet some people so she would already have a group of friends when she came back to school in August. But Foster did better than that - she met her roommate, Elizabeth Emerson.\n"We just started talking and we got along really well," Foster said.\nWhen she applied for housing, Foster, like many freshmen, had decided to leave her roommate to chance and go "potluck," letting the University pick her roommate for her. \nWhile some schools have students fill out complicated and intensive questionnaires to match roommates with similar sleeping schedules and study habits, Director of Planning for Residential Programs and Services Buck Walters said IU's matching secret is pretty simple -- it's completely random.\n"If you try to pair people based on characteristics, there's a chance the information you receive isn't always accurate," Walters said.\nFor example, if a survey asks if a student is a smoker or non-smoker and the student's parents don't know he smokes, he may be more inclined to answer the survey untruthfully, Walters said.\n"A survey may create an implied guarantee," Walters said. "It could engineer and create false expectations."\nWhile the University leaves the selection to chance, it does want to make sure roommates get along. Walters said after roommates are paired, they fill out a survey and make a roommate agreement\n "It's an opportunity for them to work through their difficulties before they even start" Walter said.\nFreshman Erica Weyer, who went potluck with her roommate, said she is realizing she and her roommate are very different.\n"Sure, there have been some problems," she said. "But we're adjusting and it's still early."\nWalters said he thought it was good for students to live with someone they don't know.\n"It's a great way to meet new people," he said.\nWhen students like Foster find someone who they would like to room with, Walters said RPS works hard to make sure their requests are granted.\n"If two people request to room with each other, and they list that as their most important housing request, we do whatever we can to make sure that happens," Walters said. "We usually meet those requests 100 percent of time."\nFoster said she couldn't be happier with her roommate situation.\n"She reminds me of my best friend who goes to Purdue." she said. "I couldn't have asked for anyone better. We got really lucky."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.
(09/03/04 4:50am)
After a two-month search, Larry MacIntyre has been named as the new director of public communications at IU. He will begin the new position Sept. 7.\n"The breadth of his experience in journalism is amazing," said Bill Stephan, vice president for university relations and corporate partnerships. "He had significant experiences as a reporter. His skills, experiences and background all relate directly to the kinds of things we are looking for."\nAccording to a statement released by the University, MacIntyre most recently worked in Washington D.C., as an aide to Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., but also spent 25 years working in newspapers in Michigan and Indiana, including 14 years at The Indianapolis Star.\n"He knows Indiana and Indiana politics," said Perry Metz, a member of the director selection committee. "That context and background will be very helpful."\nMetz said there were six candidates from the original field of 40 who were qualified for the position, but MacIntyre's experience and knowledge of Indiana made him stick out.\n"He has such a strong print background and has spent so many years in the state that I think he has the personality to deal with both everyday things and personal crises," Metz said.\nAs director of public communications, MacIntyre will report to Stephan, serve as the primary spokesperson for IU President Adam Herbert and consult on a variety of public and media relations issues, including management and crisis communications.\nStephan said he knew of MacIntyre's reputation and his strong strategic approach when working.\n"We don't have a large media relations operation," Stephan said. "We are relatively small, and you have to work strategically to be effective. Larry will really work to help advance Indiana University's interest."\nThe position opened up after former Director Jane Jankowski left IU in May to work at a sports publishing company, according to a May 17 article in the Indiana Daily Student.\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.
(09/02/04 5:43am)
Students who use the Park and Ride system can now eliminate the parking step from their daily routine.\nIn a meeting Tuesday, the Bloomington Parks Board voted unanimously not to transfer the Park and Ride parking lot from Bryan Park to the Winslow Sports Complex. After the conclusion of the park board's meeting, the transit board met to find a solution.\n"The board opted to provide an express bus down the Henderson and Walnut corridors in lieu of Park and Ride," Bloomington Transit general manager Lew May said.\nThe shuttle buses will begin Sept. 6 and will run Monday through Friday during the University's fall and spring semesters. May said the buses will begin their routes at 7:15 a.m. and continue every 15 minutes until 5:45 p.m.\nPresident of the Moss Creek Village Homeowners Association, Rose Mahern, counts the park board's decision as a victory. \n"Residents from both (the Bryan Park and Winslow Sports Complex) neighborhoods came together and said Park and Ride should not be in anybody's backyard," Mahern said.\nConflict rose after residents surrounding Bryan Park, the Park and Ride parking lot location for the past 12 years, voiced their concerns about the buses' noise and pollution in their neighborhood where buses ran every 10 minutes. Bloomington Transit suggested a temporary solution of moving the parking lot to the Winslow Sports Complex, but the residents of that area had concerns that echoed those of the Bryan Park residents.\n"We want what's best for the kids," Mahern said, "but we also want what's best for everybody."\nJeff Sorensen, junior and IUSA director of public relations, used the Park and Ride system his sophomore year and had a personal interest in the IUSA-backed student campaign to continue the program.\n"It kind of reminds me of being picked up in front of your house like they did in grade school," he said.\nWhile Sorensen is optimistic about the new service, IUSA president and senior Tyson Chastain is frustrated by the process of the decision.\n"I feel such a huge student issue should be considered when students are here and able to go to the meetings," Chastain said, referring to the board's original summer decision regarding the Park and Ride.\nChastain said he attended all of the meetings concerning the issue during the summer, but did not attend Tuesday's meeting or a meeting Aug. 25 because IUSA was not informed of them. He said he thinks students were underrepresented not because they don't care but because they were not in town to attend the meetings.\nMay said that although he was disappointed to see the era of Park and Ride come to an end, he thought the express shuttle was an acceptable alternative. \nSchedules and maps of the new bus route are now available on the Bloomington Transit's Web site, www.bloomingtontransit.com. May also said fliers with the new schedule will be passed out at Bryan Park beginning today through Friday.\n"We think it's a solution for the moment, but it could become permanent," May said. "Our board still feels strongly for Park and Ride. It's just a matter of finding a good location. "\n-- Contact staff writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.
(09/02/04 5:26am)
When she's thirsty, freshman Kari Robinson asks for a "Coke," but she's used to carbonated beverages being called a variety of things.\n"I've heard it called seltzer, pop and cola. In Louisiana they call it soda water," Robinson said. "My family's from all over, and we've had this discussion more than once."\nDepartment of Linguistics Chair Stuart Davis said such language variation is called dialectal geography and occurs when certain terms or expressions are only used within a restricted geographical zone.\nDavis said language changes for many reasons, partly because children learn the language that surrounds them, which differs from what their parents use.\n"We no longer speak in the language of Beowulf or Shakespeare," Assistant Professor of Linguistics Julie Auger said.\nWith the invention of television, Auger said it was assumed the geographical differences in language would become obsolete, and they have to some degree. The pronunciation of certain words, however, still creates a barrier between people from different areas trying to carry on a conversation.\n"Bloomington is interesting because it's actually on the line that divides the North from the South," linguistics graduate student Kathryn Tippetts said. "If you go a little north, you'll find people don't really have an accent, but if you go south around Bedford, people begin speaking with an accent."\nDavis, of northern California, remembers being in Boston on an extremely cold day and ordering a cup of coffee. He asked the woman behind the counter if she could make sure it was extra hot. She looked at him confused.\n"She said, 'Did you say extra hard?'" Davis said.\nThe woman misunderstood Davis because in Boston, words are often spoken without pronouncing the letter "r." Thus, "hot" sounds like how some Bostonians would pronounce "hard."\nRobinson said even with her wide range of synonyms for carbonated beverages, she was confused when she heard someone asking for a "pop" when she came to IU.\n"I didn't understand what they meant," she said. "Well, I understood. It was just different."\nAuger said that while it's common to misunderstand specific words from region to region, people are still able to understand each other because of context, no matter where they're from.\n"In most cases, it's not too difficult to understand what's going on," Auger said, "because you have a whole sentence or more to help you figure it out. Thank God we have context."\n-- Contact staff writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu .
(09/01/04 5:53am)
It was a simple question, but the three women looked at each other from across the room unsure.\n"I don't know how it's locked. I think it's just a normal lock," senior Ashley Ruivivar said as she sat on a large beige leather sofa, her legs tucked underneath her body. \nHer roommate, senior Emily Potempa, agreed. \n"We just use a normal key to get in," she said.\nWhen the women decided to move out of Delta Zeta for their senior year, they began the familiar house and apartment search students face as they move off campus. The five roommates compiled a list of requirements for their new home, but high security wasn't included.\nThe building the women decided on was an old church converted into spacious apartments.\n"We're lucky we live in the Sunday School wing," senior Lauren Hulse said. "We don't have the stained glass windows some of the apartments do. It would be kind of creepy."\nPerhaps their nonchalance is because of the building's former use, but the roommates agree they feel safe. Dressed in sweatshirts and wrapped up in blankets to battle their overzealous air conditioner, they each take up a couch in their den and discuss their apartment.\n"We feel very safe here," Ruivivar said. The others nodded.\nWhile many students living in apartments say they feel comfortable, Bloomington Police Department Capt. Joe Qualters said students aren't always as secure as they think.\n"There appears to be a belief that this is a small town with no crime and/or that fellow students will not take advantage of one another," Qualters said. "While our crime rates are low, there are those students and others who will steal from others if the opportunity presents itself."\nAngela Nevins is the property manager for Abodes, Inc., a local company that owns apartment communities. Nevins said their properties come equipped with a dead bolt in every door and doesn't think too much more is necessary.\n"I think overall Bloomington is a pretty safe place," she said. "What we offer in terms of security is comparable to what most complexes offer."\nLike in the properties owned by Abodes, Inc., students living in Hoosier Courts are protected with a dead bolt on the door. \nBut Bloomington is not without crime -- and whether students live on or off campus, IU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger said it is important for students to protect themselves.\n"People should secure everything," he said.\nWhen it comes to safety hazards, parties, window peepers, cars and intruders are among the biggest culprits.
(08/27/04 5:42am)
Lying on the ground under a table, sophomore Daya Pillai, student assistant from the Asian Culture Center, attempts to fasten a tablecloth to the table with long strips of masking tape. Fellow assistant sophomore Rosalyn Nguyen leans over the table with tape stuck to the ends of her fingers ready to hand them down to Pillai.\n"Ahh, this is ridiculous!" Pillai says as the wind picks up a corner of the tablecloth and throws back all of her work.\nCultureFest, an annual Welcome Week event, is sponsored by a variety of IU offices to help introduce new students to the diversity around IU's campus and to provide awareness of the various ethnic and support groups the University provides to its students.\nAt the Asian Culture Center booth, Pillai and Nguyen continue working on the tablecloths as the smell of egg rolls, crab rangoon and pad Thai, wafts by.\n"Last year this was the most popular food booth," Nguyen said. "We hope it will be again this year, too."\nBoth assistants said they came from small, undiverse public schools and were excited when they came to IU to learn more about their Asian heritage, thanks to the Asian Culture Center.\n"I was finally able to meet and learn about other Asian people," Pillai said.\nThat, the two said, is the goal of the Asian Culture Center's booth, to raise awareness.\n"We're a hub," Pillai said. "People come to us with questions. For example, if someone wanted a tutor to learn an Asian language, we would know where to direct them."\nInside the IU Auditorium, students chat in small groups as they wait for their seats for the keynote speaker, Kevin Wanzer, an international public speaker and graduate of Butler University.\nStudents decided to attend the event for a variety of reasons.\n"I came to Culturefest to meet people," freshman Autumn Kaylor said. "I came on my own, but I'm sure I'll see people I know here."\nSophomore transfer student Aaron Cook came for the keynote led by his stomach.\n"I'm here for the free food," he said settling into his seat ready for Wanzer to begin speaking.\nAfter a welcome from students senior Patrick Mcdaniel and junior Ronni Moore, \nEdwardo Rhodes, the interim vice chancellor for academic support and diversity addressed the packed auditorium.\n"Culturefest is many things," he said, "It's a way to welcome you and expose you to people different than you and outside your comfort zone."\nWanzer spoke to the group about the Aloha philosophy, which is based on the Hawaiian culture. He said a lei symbolizes how everyone is connected as one and how people spend their lives trying to get back to what they knew as a child. \nAfter cracking jokes about kazoos and the drive-thru at McDonalds, Wanzer said a study conducted by USATODAY revealed that when they're born, children are only afraid of two things, falling and loud noises.\n"Everything else is a choice," he said. "No one is born prejudiced."\nDuring his speech, Wanzer told a story about visiting the Wall of Remembrance at the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. The wall is composed of tiles designed by children under 10. \nA tile that said, "It shouldn't hurt to be different" caught Wanzer's eye and he pointed it out to the young girl standing next to him.\n"I said to her, 'Isn't it awesome?' and she said, 'I don't think it's awesome -- I think it's true.'"\nWanzer finished his speech by telling the assembled students the key to ending prejudice is to take a stand for someone different than yourself, and he reminded them laughter is a universal language. \nThe auditorium gave him a standing ovation.\nFreshman Ashley Foster said she wasn't initially very excited about the speech, but was pleasantly surprised by how good it was.\n"I thought he was funny," she said, "And he definitely kept my attention. I also liked how he stressed a variety of different topics."\nAfter attending the keynote, students received four vouchers for free food and beverages from the vendors. Filing outside, students were serenaded by the music of the IU Steele Pan Ensemble as they chatted in groups and met new people.\n"In Hawaiian, Ohana means's family," Wanzer said during his speech, "And family means don't leave any spirit behind. IU is your Ohana for the next four years." \n- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.
