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(02/02/01 3:51am)
Fairview Elementary School's third grade wing bustles with excitement and energy Friday morning. \nSomething is in the air.\nCollege and third grade students are scattered on floors and seats throughout classrooms, hallways and crannies in the wing.\nThey are excited because their Book Buddies from the Honors College have arrived for their weekly reading time.\nAbout 60 students come every Friday morning and read to the third grade students at Fairview, 627 W. Eighth St., in a program that began this past fall.\nCollege students arrive at the school at about 10 a.m. and spend about 45 minutes with their buddy.\nJulia Bondanella, Honors College associate director, created the program early last fall when she was looking for a community service activity in which honors students could participate. She spoke with Fairview third grade teachers who came up with the idea of having college students read with the children. The teachers said they believe the program gives the children individual attention and to gets them interested in reading. \n"The teachers have said they feel the IU Book Buddies have made their students make progress in reading," Bondanella said. "I think what IU's students are doing is really terrific. I've seen such pleasure on part of the children, who have gained confidence and improved their social skills."\n Karen Popadopoulos, the third grade teacher in charge of the program, said the program has been wonderful for the students.\n "The two best things about the Book Buddy programs is that it helps their reading skills and it provides a relationship with an adult -- a positive role model," Popadopoulos said. "I've seen both their interest in reading and their reading skills improve. They get excited about their buddies coming and it provides a constant in their lives that many don't have."\nShe said another of the program's positive aspects is that the third graders are given individual attention that sometimes cannot be given in class.\nMark Ewell, a third grader, said his Book Buddy is special because "she is nice, and I read books to her and she likes my reading."\nSenior Melissa Pelky, who has been volunteering in the program since it began in September, said she would encourage anyone to become involved with a program like Book Buddy.\n"There's a large need for students to help out in the community, especially with younger children," Pelky said. "These kids need some mentorship, and this is a great opportunity ... to get to know kids, and if they need help with their reading to help them, and if they're very good readers to pick out some books for them and to really share a hobby with younger children."\nMany students participating in the program are juniors or seniors who have cars on campus. But carpooling is an option for students, said Elizabeth Smith, a senior. \nVolunteers can bring books from home or use books from the class library. \nJunior Amy Steinberg said she bought a few books the first time she volunteered. She said she plans to check out from the library in the future.\n"Here, it's kind of a friendship. There's a nice trust that's built. We got them books for Christmas to encourage them to read over their breaks and their weekends," Pelky said.
(01/29/01 4:58am)
With President George W. Bush in office, some are concerned about the controversial issue of capital punishment. \nPsychologist and author Robert J. Lifton spoke Wednesday in the Indiana Memorial Union Whittenberger Auditorium about the death penalty. He spoke about his new book, "Who Owns Death: Capital Punishment," and the dangers and morality of capital punishment.\nHe began his talk with a joke, but the discussion that followed was far more serious.\nLifton discussed the execution experience from the vantage point of those with a direct role in it, the emotional tolls it takes on them, the family members of those who were wronged and the perpetrator's and victim's family members.\nLifton attempted to answer the question posed in the title of his book. He did not attempt to justify capital punishment during the course of his lecture. \nThe author referred to the death penalty as "man playing God." He also discussed the role of the prosecutors, jurors and judges. Lifton touched on the fact that many jurors feel they do not have the right to "play God" and decide someone's fate.\n"It is interesting to see how society, as well as the individuals surrounding, are affected by forced death," senior Eli Center said. \nLifton concluded with a statement to reinforce his point. \n"The death penalty corrupts everyone who takes part in it," he said. \nLawrence Friedman, a history professor, said he believed Lifton's lecture followed what he referred to as the "golden rule" -- or "what goes around comes around."\nProceeding the lecture, students were given the opportunity to participate in break-out sessions led by various department heads. Some of the sessions were, "Religious communities, religious individuals and the politics of capital punishment," "race and capital punishment" and other related topics. Each session focused on the prevalence of capital punishment in society. \nMany said they found the sessions to be beneficial because it gave them the opportunity to voice their various concerns about capital punishment.
(01/25/01 5:57am)
ISTEP scores released last week brought sobering results to educators statewide. Scores remain low again this year, with third and sixth grade students performing the poorest. \nForty-six percent of the state's sixth graders passed the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress exam, down from 48 percent last year, according to the the Indiana Department of Education. Fifty-six percent of third graders passed the test's math and language portions, compared to 60 percent last year. \nMonroe County schools scored higher than the state average in all four grades, according to the education department's Web site. While 57 percent of its third graders passed both the math and English portions of the test, 61 percent of its sixth graders passed both portions, the site states.\nIndiana students must take the test at four grade levels: third, sixth, eighth and 10th. Eighth and 10th grade students scored significantly higher than the state average; 69 percent of eight graders and 68 percent of 10th graders passed the test, compared with the state average of 56 and 59, respectively, according to the site. \n"What we do is to become very familiar with the Indiana Academic standards, and then we promote quality instruction," said David Frye, associate superintendent of Monroe County schools. "The content of what taught is expected to follow the Indiana academic standards." \nStudents at Marlin Elementary School, 1655 E. Bethel Lane, scored well, according to the statistics. Every third grade student passed the math section and 78 percent passed the English portion.\n"The students, staff and parents at Marlin have worked very hard to meet both the Monroe County Community School Corporation and the state educational standards," said Jeralynn Beghetto, Marlin Elementary principal. \nShe touted the school's strong partnership with the community. \nBeghetto said Marlin focuses on looking at students individually and their different learning preferences. \nBut Marlin Elementary has one third grade class, whereas other schools might have multiple classes composed of children from all backgrounds.\nExperts said the disparities between low-income and high-income schools also play a factor in educational excellence. Students in wealthy school districts consistently score higher than those in lower-income areas, IU-Purdue University Indianapolis School of Education professor Lowell Rose. \n"The scares on the ISTEP are almost in direct correlation with the poverty scores," he said. "The higher the poverty rate, the lower the ISTEP score." \nSixteen to 18 percent of Marlin's students are on a free or reduced lunch program, which Beghetto said is an indicator of a higher-income school.\nStudents at Fairview Elementary, 627 W. Eighth St., where 80 percent of the children are on either free or reduced lunch, scored much lower, but did improve from last year, according to the department of education Web site. Although the school has numerous academic programs and literacy groups, a high transience problem works against them and the teachers, said Kathy Rabold, Fairview Elementary principal. \nFairview had 14 third grade students move in and 20 move out of the school last semester alone, she said. \n"When you have 34 third-graders that move in or out in one semester, when there's only 48 total, that's an unbelievable statistic," Rabold said. "How can kids learn when they're going from one school to another? \n"This makes it really hard on the teachers; I have to give them a lot of credit -- they have to help these children with social and emotional problems, as well as academics," she said. \nKaren Papadopoulos, a Fairview third-grade teacher, said the school is working to improve learning and test scores by enacting reading programs, such as Soar to Success and Literature Based Reading. \nEach Friday, the IU Honors College students read and spend time with her third graders in a Book Buddy program. Fairview also has a professional ISTEP remediation aide who offers support to students who score below standards, Papadopoulos said. \nBut she said the transience problem affects the school's ability to teach. \n"It's really hard to build upon prior knowledge when you don't know what that prior knowledge is," she said.\nLowell said the test scores reflected the results from students who are learning disabled as well as students who don't speak English as their first language. He said students who score lower aren't necessarily incapable of learning, but they require special attention.\n"I think, clearly, we are not meeting the education needs of the kids who come from the poverty level," he said. "They need additional help, and we are not recognizing it"
(01/19/01 4:28am)
By age 9, children in under-resourced school districts are already three to four years behind their higher-income peers, the founder of Teach for America said Thursday in a speech.\nAstonishing statistics such as these had a profound impact on Wendy Kopp, Teach For America's founder and president, who discussed "The New Social Entreprenuerialism" and the program she founded.\nTeach for America is a national program that places a diverse group of more than 1,000 college graduates in two-year teaching positions. They are placed each year in 15 of the United States' most under-resourced rural and urban communities. These areas range from South Central Los Angeles to the Mississippi Delta to the Bronx, reaching more than 100,000 children. \nSince 1989, Teach for America has placed more than 5,000 college graduates in such areas, and 19 have been alumni.\nKopp founded Teach For America in 1989 while she was a Princeton University senior majoring in public policy. Kopp found herself on the verge of graduating and was uninspired by the occupational opportunities available to her. She possessed a strong concern in the educational disparities existing between low-income and high-income students. \nKopp said she knew there were thousands of other college graduates also unsure about what they wanted to do, and she also knew there was a major need for good teachers in low-income areas. \nThe Teach for America program struck her as an idea for her senior thesis. \nShe said she became so passionate about the idea during her research she wanted to pursue it. \nKopp began the arduous process of getting various company executives to support and fund her idea. She said the biggest problem people had with her proposal was no one believed college graduates, especially ones from prestigious universities, would teach in such a program. But Kopp said she believed otherwise, and she was right. \nKopp talked about the qualities successful teachers possess.\n"It's not magic, and it's not about charisma, "Kopp said. Being a successful teacher in difficult conditions requires having a "big idea" and being clear about what goals they want students to reach. She said the most successful teachers hold a "sense of urgency that is literally palpable." \nKopp said she has gained an immense amount of knowledge during the past decade since starting Teach For America. The most important piece of wisdom Kopp said she learned from watching the many success stories in her program is "I've seen not only a belief that it should happen, but an absolute conviction that it can happen." \nTime recognized her in 1994 as one of the "40 most promising leaders under 40." \nKyle Waide, director of public relations at Teach for America and a former teacher who worked in Compton, Calif., said Teach for America has two goals. \nThe first goal is to build a core of exceptional teachers, he said. The second is to address achievement gaps in the U.S. educational system.\nWaide said there are many good reasons to join the program.\nHe said the first is that teaching is one of the few jobs a person can have immediately after college where one holds a leadership position. The second reason is there are few jobs right after college that allow people to impact children's lives that teaching allows, Waide said.\nNew corps members participate in an intensive five-week training program that teaches them educational theory under the guidance of veteran Teach for America educators.\nThe graduates then travel to their respective communities, and the school districts there hire and pay them regular beginning teacher salaries. Waide said 60 percent of Teach for America alumni stay beyond their two-year teaching commitment.\nWaide said safety should not deter graduates from becoming a teacher, and that teachers become part of the community they are living in. \n"Local offices do provide you with help in finding a safe place to live," Rich Nourie, said School of Public and Environmental Affairs coordinator of graduate student recruitment. "I've never heard of anyone having problems with where they've lived." \nGraduate students who participate in Teach for America receive six credit hours.\nWhile some alumni continue to teach, many others have careers in a variety of fields. But all continue as lifelong teachers striving for educational excellence for children. \n"The whole emphasis of this school in our teaching and in our research is to somehow have an impact on the quality of life around the world," Sandra Bate, SPEA director of communications and marketing, said. "Programs like this give our students incredible opportunities to do this"
(12/11/00 5:55am)
As the world's population has increased, there have been more mouths to feed and a need to grow more crops. As a result, more fertilizers have been used, but these fertilizers have polluted areas such as the Mississippi River Basin.\nU.S. Environmental Protection Agency Representative Joseph Schubauer-Berigan spoke to about 30 people Thursday addressing this issue. Schubauer-Berigan's speech was the last in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs' semester-long environmental science seminar series.\nSchubauer-Berigan, more specifically from the National Risk Management Research Laboratory in Cincinnati, was asked to speak by Chris Craft, a SPEA associate professor.\n"Having never heard him speak before, I thought he gave a really good talk," Craft said. "Having never seen him give a presentation before, I thought he really hit the nail right on the head in terms of addressing a national issue relating a lot of resources that ties in the Midwest."\nSchubauer-Berigan's seminar was titled "Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico: Assessing and Managing Risks from Nonpoint Source Pollutants in the Mississippi River Basin." A nonpoint source is one that literally does not have a point. Factories equipped with smokestacks, are considered point sources.\nHypoxia is the environmental term for the absence of oxygen getting to living tissue in water systems as a result of low dissolved oxygen levels, Schubauer-Berigan said. Low oxygen levels occur from overabundant nitrogen amounts, or too much nutrients, getting to plants dwelling in the water. This nutrient excess causes too much algae growth, which results in reduced sunlight and aquatic habitat loss, according to the EPA's Web site at www.epa.gov/.\n"Then, the area isn't useable by the organisms living in the hypoxia areas," Schubauer-Berigan said. \nCraft further simplified this and said, "It's like too much of a good thing."\nHypoxia is caused by excessive amounts of fertilizer. A nonpoint source which contains fertilizer is from the Midwest farming area that runs into the Mississippi river and ends up in the Gulf of Mexico, Schubauer-Berigan said.\nThe nitrogen that enters the Gulf of Mexico comes from sewage treatment plant discharge, storm water runoff in northern cities and nonpoint source pollution, primarily fertilizer used by farmers, he said.\nFarmers worldwide are faced with the problem of needing the fertilizer for their crops but now having to ask, "Do I use less fertilizers and get less crop?" Schubauer-Berigan said.\n"This type of hypoxia is a big issue all over the world," Craft explained. "As population increases, we're turning more land into farmland, and we're using more fertilizer, and all this excess fertilizer is ending up in our aquatic systems."\nThe area of the hypoxia problem is about the size of New Jersey or Delaware off the coast of northern Mexico, Schubauer-Berigan said.\nAlthough hypoxia affects 31 U.S. states, it is most severe in the states near the Mississippi river, which includes the Midwest, he said. The Midwest has the highest nitrogen level yield, and therefore, a higher risk for ground water contamination, Schubauer Berigan said.\nHypoxia is especially harmful for the fish and shrimp industry around the Gulf. Over 1.8 billion pounds of fish is harvested in the region each year, Schubauer-Berigan told.\nShrimp numbers in the Gulf have decreased over the years while nitrogen flux has greatly increased, tripling since the 1950s, he said.\nGovernment agencies have teamed up and organized themselves into a task force to evaluate and assess the hypoxia problem in hopes of decreasing it. The task force's goal is to reduce the amount of hypoxia in the Gulf, which varies yearly, to 5,000 square kilometers. This number is down 3,000 from its current 8,000 square kilometers this year, Schubauer-Berigan said.\n"I thought the lecture was interesting and very well done," said Elizabeth Spalt, a senior who attended the seminar.
(12/01/00 6:52am)
The IU Health Center has still not received its full influenza shot vaccinations shipment after two and a half months of delay, forcing it to cancel all flu clinics scheduled to take place this past week and next.\nThe Health Center hopes its larger supply will arrive next week, and they will set up the clinics finals week, said Dr. Hugh Jessop, Health Center director.\nFor students who have asthma or other respiratory problems, the Health Center does have a limited supply of the vaccine, and these students would be considered a priority and could receive a shot now, Jessop said. They should call the Health Center at 855-7688 to schedule an appointment.\nVaccine manufacturers had told the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control to expect delays in flu vaccine shipments this year, according to the CDC's Web site at www.cdc.gov. But few anticipated this long a wait.\nThe Health Center was originally set to receive its vaccination doses from the pharmaceutical company around Oct. 12. The clinics would be held sometime after because October and November are the best times to get flu shots, according to the Health Center's Web site at www.indiana.edu/~health. \nBut it takes adults up to two weeks to develop antibodies against viruses, said Ruth Ann Cooper, clinical director of employee health services at Bloomington Hospital, and flu season begins in December/January. But Jessop assured the flu shot will still be beneficial if given in December.\nThe pharmaceutical companies have had to prioritize who receives the shots, because of a national shortage, and they are already catching up with this demand.\n"They've been really slow getting the vaccine out -- there's no question about it," Jessop said. "And haven't been able to get any information from the company about when they'll be shipping it out."\nA limited yield of the vaccine component and manufacturing issues are responsible for the shortage. The flu vaccine is composed of three sub-viruses, and one of the type A viruses was slower growing than anticipated this year, and pharmaceutical companies had to wait, Cooper said.\n"Our (Bloomington Hospital's) initial order of 10,000 doses was cut to 8,500, but we were fortunate in even getting that amount," Cooper said. But she wanted students and faculty to know that vaccines are available at Prompt Care East or West.\nThe manufacturing problems stem from hold-ups in the process for developing the vaccine. Nancy Macklin, director of nursing at the Health Center said each year the CDC researches and predicts which strains of influenza will be the season's most serious. They then recommend to pharmaceutical companies what they think the year's most dangerous strains will be. The pharmaceutical companies are responsible for developing immunization shots that will protect people from these particular strains.\nThis year, the CDC originally found three strains of the virus. But late in the process, it noticed another strain of the virus was appearing in some parts of the country. It had to examine the other virus strain and relay this information to pharmaceutical companies who had to manufacture a new vaccine.\n"It's really been a problem. We're having a hard time because the supplies aren't coming through," Jessop said. "We're all very disappointed"
(11/17/00 4:04am)
IU's Alpha Kappa Alpha and Zeta Tau Alpha sorority houses cosponsored the third annual "Carnival for Charity" Wednesday evening, raising more than $200 for Homes for Black Children, an Indianapolis adoption agency for African-American children.\nThe carnival, held in McNutt's Flame room, drew about 100 people and included basketball, balloon animal-making, Twister, a cake and cookie walk, pie-in-the-face, fortune-telling, karaoke and a pinata.\n"The carnival was open to everyone," said senior Felecia Bell, Alpha Kappa Alpha's president, who worked with Homes for Black Children when she was younger. "We wanted to put on an event that everyone would have fun at, and we thought a carnival would be good, because it would bring out the kid in everyone. It was a pleasure to work with Zeta Tau Alpha; the carnival was a success due to the collective efforts of everyone."\nCarnival admittees paid a $2 entry fee which allowed them four tickets that could be used to participate in the carnival's various booths. Four additional tickets could be bought for a dollar. Winners were awarded fake money that could be "cashed in" for prizes, donated by local businesses, at the prize table.\n"This is an annual event, and all of its proceeds go to Homes for Black Children," said junior Katie Underwood, the carnival's coordinator. "No matter how much we raise, every little bit helps and whatever we can contribute to the community is worth the effort."\nThe evening's most popular event was the pie-in-the-face. Participants bought two tickets and were given two tries to throw a whipped-creme pie into the face of an Alpha Kappa Alpha member.\n"I'm actually having fun," said pie-encrusted senior Sherron Moore, one of the two girls working the booth. "I signed up to work this because I thought it would be the main event and fun. Plus, I don't mind, because it's for a good cause."\nPrevious to the carnival, Zeta Tau Alpha invited the Alpha Kappa Alpha women to their house. The two sororities got to know one another, chalked sidewalks and made posters advertising the carnival.\n"It was such a bonding experience for us to work with the AKAs on this great community service event," said junior MacKenzie Mayes, Zeta Tau Alpha's Pan-Hellenic representative. "We've made some lifelong friendships in the process, as well"
(11/07/00 4:45am)
More than 600 students were recognized for their achievements Sunday evening as Golden Key National Honor Society held its annual induction ceremony. The ceremony included a keynote speaker who highlighted the importance of striving to achieve more, and a reception featuring a cappella ensemble Straight No Chaser.\nGuest speaker Barrett Ward, an IU alumnus and district sales manager for Southwestern Publishing Company, gave a keynote address about the importance of goals and ways to achieve them. He stressed "crystallizing your goals," or writing them down on paper. \n"If you do not have a vision, then you cannot see where you're going," Ward said.\nHe encouraged inductees to get "passionate" and "fired up" about about their goals, as this is the only way a person can stay motivated in difficult times, he said.\n"It went very well. The music was entertaining, and Barrett Ward's speech was inspiring," said Golden Key Vice President Dietrich Willke, a senior, who coordinated the ceremony.\nGolden Key President Carrie Friedrich, a senior, said Willke asked Ward to speak because Willke had worked with him this summer and was inspired by him.\nWard began his speech with an anecdote about legendary Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz. One night, after another loss by his high school football team, Holtz sat down at his kitchen table and made a list of goals he wanted to achieve. Ward told how Holtz went on to accomplish all of those goals, which included winning a national collegiate championship, meeting the president and earning $25,000 for a speech.\nTwo Ford Motor Company/Golden Key Undergraduate Scholarships based on academic performance, extracurricular activities, work commitments and leadership positions were awarded to junior Douglas Bolton and senior Matthew Culp.\n"This is our most important evening as a kickoff event for IU's Golden Key Chapter," said Chapter Adviser and Associate Director of Student Activities Darrell Ann Stone. "Not only was it an honor to induct over 600 members, but also, it was wonderful to see the current executive board work so hard to welcome and encourage new members. It was a beautiful evening -- music by Straight No Chaser, an inspirational speaker and refreshments."\nGolden Key is an international honor society that recognizes scholastic achievement, according to the Golden Key Web site at www.indiana.edu/~goldkey. Lifetime membership is awarded to college juniors and seniors who rank in the top 15 percent of their class. \n"Golden Key is a great experience, because it offers many community service opportunities and leadership positions," Friedrich said. "You meet a diverse group of people, as well. I'm glad I was given the opportunity to be president; I've definitely learned a lot from the experience and would encourage others to become involved, also."\nGolden Key is student-run and participates in various community service events. This year, IU's chapter trick-or-treated for Shelter, Inc., a local organization offering subsidized housing for low-income families. Golden Key sponsored Turkey Bowl, where members bowled with rubber chickens to raise money for the Bloomington Housing Authority, and held debates between campus political groups. The chapter plans to participate in an AIDS awareness project and an Earth Day event in the spring.\n"Community service is the primary focus for our chapter at IU, because we believe we have been given so much, and therefore, should give some back," said Community Service Officer Michelle Dube, a senior. \nGolden Key was founded in 1977 and now has more than 300 chapters internationally and more than 800,000 lifetime members and 11,000 honorary members including former president Ronald Reagan and President Bill Clinton and Nobel Prize Winner Elie Wiesel.
