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(01/26/05 6:31am)
After nearly a month of investigating a string of "peeping tom" incidents in the women's locker room of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building, the IU Police Department filed a probable-cause affidavit against a male suspect Tuesday. Police are recommending charges of voyeurism, a Class B misdemeanor, and trespass, a Class A misdemeanor, against Bloomington resident John Wesley Graves, who has a lengthy criminal record including sexual misconduct and rape.\nTuesday night, IUPD officers responded to another possible "peeping tom" call at the HPER. Whether the incident is related to the string of previously reported events has not been determined.\nAccording to IU police reports, the first incident occurred Jan. 7 when a swim coach called IUPD to report a male in the women's locker room in the HPER building. When officers arrived, three juveniles told them they saw a man in the restroom standing on the toilet and watching them over the stall. They described him as a college-aged, 6-foot male with a short haircut and dark clothing. When the officers entered the restroom, they were unable to find the subject.\nThe IUPD received another call Jan. 14 from HPER Building Manager Larry Patrick in reference to possible evidence he found. According to police reports, Patrick told officers he found a metal bucket outside of the women's locker room Dec. 20, an object he suspected was used as a stool to peek over the window of the locker room. Patrick also stated he found a cigarette urn in the same location as the bucket on the morning of Jan. 14. He suspected the urn might have been used for the same purpose. Patrick could not be reached for comment.\nA final call to the IUPD was made by a HPER locker room attendant around 4:30 p.m. Jan. 17 regarding another "peeping tom" situation. According to police reports, the HPER employee told officers a building employee spotted a man in the women's locker room. The witness saw the man walk around a row of lockers several times. When officers arrived, they did not find anyone in the women's locker room. However, they questioned Graves, who had been escorted upstairs by HPER employees because they suspected he might have been in the area. When officers asked him why he was around the locker room, he said he was "looking for a friend."\nGraves, 23, was brought down to the station for an interview, and police discovered he had a lengthy criminal record including prior arrests for battery, theft, battery with a deadly weapon, sexual misconduct with a minor, domestic battery and rape. Police reports also indicate Graves was carrying a knife with him, which was later confiscated.\nIUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said Graves was released from the station because police did not have anything to hold him on. However, Minger said because his physical description matched the description given to the IUPD in the earlier case, the IUPD conducted a photo lineup to identify the subject.\n"We (gathered) the people who observed the male in the earlier case," Minger said. "One of the juveniles who was at swim camp earlier in the month positively identified (Graves) as the person she encountered when he attempted to watch her change clothes."\nMinger said he is hoping to get a warrant for Graves' arrest after the probable-cause affidavit goes through the prosecutor's office.\nAssociate Dean of HPER David Skirvin said any incident like this is handled through the IUPD.\n"We follow their instructions, take their advice and make necessary precautions to ensure the personal safety of our employees and those who use our facility," Skirvin said.\nMinger said it's hard to determine how frequently "peeping tom" incidents happen on campus because it's possible that many go unreported.\n"This is not all that common," he said. "Particularly not with people who have such a lengthy criminal record as Mr. Graves."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
(01/25/05 4:50am)
Adam Ahlfeld, a walk-on freshman basketball player, was cited this weekend for illegal consumption of alcohol at Foster Quad. \nAccording to IU Police Department reports, officers arrived at 3:22 a.m. Sunday at Foster-Shea in response to a complaint made by a residential assistant on the floor. The RA told officers she suspected several uncooperative subjects were consuming alcohol.\nWhen the officers responded to the complaint, they noticed a half gallon of rum lying in the room just inside the doorway.\nThe officers questioned several subjects on the floor, including Ahlfeld, 19. They asked him if he had been consuming alcohol, and Ahlfeld stated he had "a couple of drinks." A portable breath test confirmed Ahlfeld had been consuming alcohol. Ahlfeld was issued a citation for illegal consumption of alcohol, a Class C misdemeanor.\nAccording to the police report, Ahlfeld was "cooperative and truthful with the officers about having drank alcohol." \nA court date has not yet been set. IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said the judge will make a determination regarding Ahlfeld's punishment. \n"The judge has quite a bit of latitude in terms of a punishment," Minger said. "Because he is an athlete, the court might ask that he do voluntary community work in lieu of paying a fine. Then the community benefits, and he might learn something in the process."\nAhlfeld is a walk-on guard from North Central High School in Indianapolis. His father, Steve Ahlfeld, has spent the last 20 years as the team's orthopedic surgeon. \nThe athletics department contacted men's basketball coach Mike Davis after the incident.\n"I am aware of the situation, and we are addressing it internally," Davis said.\nThis citation is the second legal action against an IU basketball player this season. In September, freshman Lucas Steijn also was cited for illegal consumption of alcohol.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
(01/24/05 8:24pm)
An Ivy Tech student will be deported home to Pakistan after it was discovered he was an illegal immigrant with a lengthy criminal record, according to the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement division.\nMohammed Alam, 20, resident of the Varsity Villas, was arrested Jan. 14 for public intoxication. Because of his suspicious behavior, officers patted him down and found more than five different forms of identification in his wallet. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was contacted following Alam's arrest.\nIUPD. Lt. Jerry Minger said any time officers find anything that "doesn't seem to be in order," officers are duty-bound to report the case to the appropriate agency.\nAlam was booked into the Monroe County Jail without bond while the FBI conducted preliminary investigations. FBI spokeswoman Wendy Osbourne said after interviewing Alam, the FBI had "no reason to suspect any association with terrorism."\nHowever, Osbourne said proper proceedings required Alam's case to be forwarded to the Department of Homeland Security's ICE division, which has complete jurisdiction over multiple identity cases. The agency later discovered Alam was an illegal immigrant.\n"He had a fake green card," said Gail Montenegro, spokeswoman for ICE. "According to record checks, we found he had several criminal convictions in Elkhart ... those convictions make him an aggravated felon."\nOfficer Nicholas Gaff of the Elkhart County Police Department said Alam was arrested in 2002 for possession of marijuana, resisting law enforcement and carrying a handgun without a license. Additional drug charges for Alam were later dropped.\nFollowing his recent arrest, Alam was transferred from the Monroe County Jail to the Marion County Jail on Jan. 20.\n"The subject is currently on federal hold for immigration-related violations," said Adam Wilkie, employee at the Marion County Jail. "He is currently awaiting transfer to another facility."\nMontenegro said ICE placed a "detainer" on Alam, which guarantees he will be kept in jail and can only be released into the ICE's custody.\n"He will be transported to Chicago on Monday to go through proper deportation proceedings," she said.\nMontenegro said Alam's case fits with the agency's enforcement priorities.\n"One of our main goals is public safety," she said. "As far as immigration violations are concerned, our main priorities are to go after those who are not here illegally or legally but are committing crimes that make them deportable. But first and foremost, we are going after those who are committing crimes and threatening public safety."\nMinger said in retrospect, his officers "absolutely did the right thing" by contacting the FBI.\n"After finding all of the IDs, including a Virginia driver's license that was not him, the officers' suspicion later became probable cause to hold him," he said. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
(01/18/05 4:30pm)
In a few weeks, the IU Police Department will be completely surrounded by yellow caution tape, and IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger is thrilled about it.\nFor the first time 35 in years, the department will undergo major renovations to add new equipment, thanks to a hefty $300,000 from the 2003 State Homeland Security Grant Program.\nIUPD will use the money to replace its dispatch system and install a higher radio tower with base radio equipment. \n"There's never been an influx of this much money to do this scale of renovations," Minger said.\nThe funds were allocated to the state of Indiana and funded by Monroe County Emergency Management. The grant specifies the money to be used for "the protection of the public and private central infrastructure." \nJohn Hooker III, Monroe County Emergency Management director, received the $300,000 and had the job of deciding how to allocate the money.\nHooker said he gathered merchant responders and determined that the No. 1 problem facing the county was communication.\nHooker said the IUPD currently serves as a backup to the central dispatch system. In an emergency situation, the IUPD assumes the role of the primary emergency responder. However, the aging dispatch system has potential to fail, Minger said. The new equipment will allow the IUPD to take over for the BPD more quickly and efficiently.\nMinger said the new equipment, which includes 13 800-megahertz portable state-of-the-art radios, will bring IUPD to the same technological level as the BPD, and if needed, IUPD can take over the emergency dispatch system.\n"We are ecstatic about having this grant to get us off and running," Minger said. "Emergency outlets in the state will be able to look at us as a flagship because we are finally making the change."\nHooker said the IUPD is long overdue to be "brought up to the 21st century."\nPatrick Luzadder, senior associate university architect, who has been assigned to the project, said the construction will be underway within a month.\nMinger said he was a little skeptical when he first learned the IUPD would receive the majority of the grant money.\n"It's always one of those things when you wait and wonder if it's going to happen," he said. "The date has been pushed and continues to be pushed back. When I'm constantly sitting here, I realize I want it done yesterday."\nLuzadder said the one challenge regarding the project has been the placement of new antennas.\nCurrently, the IUPD addresses different frequencies in emergency situations by utilizing a 50-foot antenna on top of the police station at Nelson Hall.\nHowever, to reach higher frequencies, Minger said there would need to be about 17 smaller antennas, each 4 to 8 feet and attached to a larger antenna.\nLuzadder said the University is currently evaluating three possible locations to place the array of antennas. "There's several considerations that we must take into account, like the need for emergency power and an emergency generator," Luzadder said. "Some locations don't have it and some do."\nLuzadder said the University is also contemplating the aesthetic side of the construction to make sure the project will be pleasing to passersby.\n"It would be better if we can locate (the antennas) off of the main campus," he said. Despite the delay in construction, Hooker said when it is all complete, he will rest easy knowing the money was well spent.\n"Communication is the one thing I have always stressed," Hooker said. "This is a team effort, and we needed to look at how the money would be used to benefit the county, and I believe this was the solution to our No. 1 problem."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
(01/18/05 4:11pm)
A simple arrest for public intoxication turned out to be much more than expected for the IU Police Department.\nAfter confiscating more than five different forms of identification from an Ivy Tech student around 1:30 a.m. Friday, Mohammed Alam, 20, of Varsity Lane, was taken to jail and the case was turned over to the FBI.\nAccording to jail logs, Alam also goes by the alias Azeez \nZohaib.\nAccording to IUPD reports, officers noticed Alam running and stumbling in the Waffle House parking lot. After he began to stagger toward the street, causing a car to apply the breaks to avoid a crash, officers began to question him. The officers noted Alam smelled of alcohol, had watery, bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.\nAlam stated he was 23 years old but could not provide an address or further identification. He only knew he lived at "228 Indianapolis."\nAfter sensing Alam was acting extremely intoxicated, the officers patted him down and discovered a Virginia driver's license that didn't appear to look like him. They also found four other different forms of identification in his wallet.\nIUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said because of the suspicious nature of the way Alam was acting, it was advised the IUPD contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation.\n"It is noted in the police report that he appeared suspicious from the start," Minger said. "Because of the terrorist incidents before, we thought it was best to advise the FBI, because we couldn't even determine the identity of this individual."\nFBI spokeswoman Wendy Osborne said anytime the FBI is conducting investigations, the agency cannot confirm or deny it is conducting them. However, she said, in this case, she knew people would be worried about relations to terrorism.\n"I definitely want to say that the FBI has no reason to suspect this individual has any connection to terrorism," Osborne said.\nOsborne said the FBI's role in the case is complete, and the information has been passed on to the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement division, who will "work to find out why Alam had multiple ID's."\nSgt. Sutter of the Monroe County Correctional Center said Alam is currently being held in jail without bond.\nOfficials from the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement division could not be reached for comment. The office was closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
(01/18/05 4:11pm)
With the help of the IU Police Department, a female who reported being raped at the Delta Tau Delta fraternity Thursday night found her alleged rapist through http://thefacebook.com.\nIUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said the victim's friends initiated the online search because they had an idea of who he was, but wanted to confirm his name and identity.\n"We have never used Thefacebook," Minger said. "Personally, I had not even heard about it. It wouldn't be good for any kind of person who is going to commit a crime to put their profile in there, but (the service) is of great benefit for the police department."\nAccording to IUPD reports, the 18-year-old woman, whose name has not yet been released, had a sample taken for a rape kit following the incident. Minger said evidence has been collected, but no more reports have been filed as far as additional interviews.\nPolice reports also indicate that the victim was an unwilling participant and did not consent to any sexual relations.\nMinger said the IUPD often uses Web services to locate suspects or to see what sites they log on to. For example, he said just this week, two computers were brought in for a hard drive analysis in connection with drug dealing.\nYears ago, Minger said, the IUPD had access to photo identification cards distributed through Campus Card Services.\n"We used to get copies of them and had a photo ID of every student who went to IU," he said. The photos were used to assist officers in identifying students regarding crimes. \nHowever, Minger said a recent provision ruled academic and police records could not be intertwined, making it difficult for the IUPD to obtain student photographs. \nThefacebook is an online directory that connects people through social networks at colleges and universities, according to Thefacebook's Web site. The service allows members to build profiles with their picture, contact and personal information, including interests, extracurricular activities and courses they are taking.\nArvind Verma, associate professor of criminal justice, said police are indubitably becoming more computer savvy, using more sophisticated methods of tracking down criminals as a large amount of data can be better searched by computers.\n"They started training officers in use of modern technology," Verma said. \nVerma said using Thefacebook presents no ethical questions.\n"If you put any information on the Web, it's for public domain," he said. "There are no privacy issues involved. If you want to have a personal site, password protection is available."\nMinger said he views http://thefacebook.com as an "advantageous tool" for IUPD.\n"I will absolutely use (Thefacebook) in the future," he said. "Whether it's valid or fraudulent information, it's something that police departments need to know about for identification purposes."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
(01/18/05 4:04pm)
Two IU football players were arrested on charges of class-B felony theft and larceny Saturday evening after police discovered a sign taken from Memorial Stadium hanging in their dorm room. The sign read "No alcoholic beverages permitted in the stadium."\nA spokesman at the Monroe County Jail confirmed that Brandon Joyce, 21, and Brian Faires, 20, were bonded out of jail Sunday on a $2,000 security deposit and $500 in cash. The two sophomores will appear in court at 1 p.m. today.\nAccording to IU Police Department reports, an officer was dispatched around 10:15 p.m. Saturday to the seventh floor of Eigenmann Hall after receiving a call from a residential assistant claiming there was a problem with several males involving alcohol. When the officer arrived, he noticed a sign from the football stadium hanging in the room of Joyce and Faires, who later told the officer they did not know how the sign got in their room.\nIUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said the Athletics Department was contacted after the incident.\n"If we do find out they are athletes, many times we will contact the Athletics Department to make sure they know what their players are doing," Minger said. "They will take action against them. We don't want something to slip through the cracks and the coach not find out about it."\nIU athletics department spokesman Pete Rhoda said new head football coach Terry Hoeppner is handling the situation internally.\n"Coach Hoeppner is aware of the situation, and he's handling it," Rhoda said.\nThis is the second legal incident involving members of the IU football team in recent months. \nOn Oct. 31, sophomores Troy Grosfield and Tyson Beattie were arrested for criminal mischief and resisting law enforcement after a domestic incident.\n- Contact Staff Writers Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu and John Rodgers at jprodger@indiana.edu.
(01/13/05 6:19am)
Students cautioned to conduct research before making their donations\nSince the Dec. 26 catastrophe in southeast Asia, thousands of people have opened up their hearts and wallets to tsunami disaster relief funds. But as the tremendous outpour of support continues to come in large sums of money, officials fear history might be repeating itself. \nSimilar to the period following Sept. 11, many individuals are finding themselves in the midst of e-mail scams claiming to be charitable organizations. The Federal Trade Commission, the Secret Service and the Better Business Bureau all have warned consumers about the issue.\nAlthough no e-mail scams have been reported at IU, IU Police Department Detective Greg McClure cautions students about opening e-mails from unknown sources.\n"Once they (scammers) find an e-mail group like indiana.edu, anyone within that group can then receive an e-mail." he said.\nFor students who receive questionable e-mails, McClure suggests saving the original message for IUPD officers to examine.\n"We can eventually track the e-mails to a server and then to a user," he said.\nHowever, McClure said most of these scams often lead out of the country and originate in Nigeria, Canada and several countries in Europe, making it more difficult to track down the source of the e-mails.\nSenior Laura Barrett donated $20 to a community-run charity for tsunami victims in Clarendon Hill, Ill. Although Barrett knew the charity founders, she admits she would have given in to any plea for help.\n"I just have general faith in people that my money will actually go where it's supposed to," Barrett said. "You have to hope that after seeing these images on television, someone wouldn't just run off with your money."\nMark Bruhn, chief information technology and policy officer at University Information Technology Services, recommends that students do their research before considering making a donation to an organization. Bruhn suggests visiting Web sites such as www.fbi.gov and www.usafreedomcorp.gov, which provide information of various relief efforts and have a list of valid organizations.\n"Most legitimate relief agencies will not solicit funds via e-mail," he said."They know that e-mail is ridiculously easy to spoof."\nLeslie Lenkowsky, professor of Public and Environmental Affairs and Philanthropic Studies, said students can go to various watchdog Web sites (which include comprehensive databases of nonprofit organizations) to see if the organizations they question are reputable.\nDaniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, a nonprofit charity watchdog and information service that posts ratings and reviews of philanthropic organizations at www.charitywatch.org, said a disturbing number of individuals have reported receiving e-mails with pleas that seem to come from victims of the disaster.\n"The people that have access to these e-mail capabilities aren't the most needy people," Borochoff said. "These scammers are taking advantage of good-hearted people who just want to help out."\nAssociate Professor of Informatics Markus Jakobsson said he advises against donating online, with the exception of well-known organizations. \nSenior Katie Voke went to www.cnnnews.com for a list of organizations through which she could donate money. After careful consideration, Voke contributed $10 to UNICEF.\n"I knew it was a reputable charity," said Voke, who received an e-mail update with information about how her money would be spent. \nLenkowsky said as a general rule, students should not respond to e-mails seeking any kind of donation.\n"There are a lot of other ways to give money," he said. "Most reputable charities do have secured Web sites. These charities should also give some type of a confirmation or receipt from because contributions are tax deductible."\nLenkowsky said although it's wonderful for students to get involved in helping with the tsunami crisis, he cautions them about being too vulnerable.\n"The problem with any disaster like this is that our hearts go out to these people and we are a little more susceptible in responding to appeals," he said.\n"We ought to use our brains as well as our hearts when responding to appeals and the money will get where it needs to go."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
(01/11/05 10:20pm)
A self-proclaimed "prank gone bad" might come back to haunt an IU freshman who tossed his guinea pig out of an eighth-floor window.\nAn animal cruelty case is pending against freshman David E. Feldsott at the Monroe County Prosecutor's office. If convicted for the felony charge, he could face fines and possible jail time. \nFeldsott, 19, admitted to IU Police Department officers to using dental floss, masking tape and a garbage bag to parachute the animal out of Briscoe Shoemaker on Dec. 16. \nA case report was also turned over to Dean of Students Richard McKaig.\nAlthough McKaig said he could not discuss the confidential case, he said students can "rest assured that appropriate action will be taken in alignment with the Code of Ethics."\nFreshman Laura Robinson led IUPD officers and Briscoe employees to the animal after she spotted the guinea pig wedged between tree branches.\n"I felt so bad for the poor animal," she said. "From the ground, I could see the guinea pig shaking."\nJanitors used the contraption normally used to pick up trash to rescue the animal by latching on to the "parachute."\nAfter spotting a window with its screen off on the eighth floor, IUPD officers questioned Feldsott.\n"He told us his intentions were to get the animal after it landed on the ground, but (he) couldn't get to it," IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said.\nMinger said Feldsott told officers he accepts full responsibility for the incident and understands what he did was wrong.\nSara Ivey Lucas, residence manger at Briscoe Quad, said the residence hall filed its own report about the incident which will most likely be heard by the student judicial board.\nIvey Lucas, who has served in various capacities in residence halls for 12 years, said this is one of the most bizarre and disturbing actions any resident has taken.\nBob Weith, director of residential programs and services, said this case further illustrates why animals are not allowed in dorms.\nMartin Mersereau, manager of domestic animal abuse for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, one of the world's largest animal rights organizations based in Virginia, learned about the case by outraged Bloomington residents.\n"People wanted PETA to secure justice," said Mersereau, who submitted a letter to Monroe County Prosecutor Carl Salzmann on behalf of the organization.\n"Given the violent and supremely idiotic nature of his alleged actions that day, we implore you to take every measure necessary to ensure that the defendant is barred from all contact with animals," Mersereau wrote to Salzmann.\nMeresereau said he did not expect a response from Salzmann, but simply wanted to reiterate the severity and implications of Feldsott's actions.\n"What this animal endured is horrific to say the least. Anyone capable of this behavior is demonstrating an extreme disregard for life," said Mersereau, who recommended Feldsott undergo psychological evaluations.\nThe guinea pig, now nicknamed "Noel" for a triumphant survival story, was adopted by a local family through the Bloomington Animal Shelter.\nFeldsott did not return phone calls or e-mails seeking comment.\n- Contact Staff Writer Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
(01/07/05 6:46am)
An unconscious woman was found lying on the sidewalk near Lindley Hall Wednesday afternoon. She was bleeding from her head and was pronounced dead after being transported to Bloomington Hospital.\nThe woman, later identified as 65-year-old Judith May, was not breathing and did not have a pulse upon arrival, according to reports released by Scott Smith, deputy chief of administration at the Bloomington Fire Department. \nAlongside the BFD, IU police officers were dispatched to the scene at 3:33 p.m. Wednesday. \nAs IU police officers stood by with Automatic External Defibrillators, a team of firefighters began CPR. May was shocked twice, but it was recommended CPR be continued until ambulances arrived.\nAccording to IUPD reports, May was then transported to Bloomington Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 4:11 p.m. Bloomington Hospital released no further information.\nAlthough May was unaffiliated with the University, her daughter, Phyllis Gibb, serves as a part-time employee in the molecular biology department in Myers Hall. IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said it is believed May was picking up Gibb from work.\nJack Baker, director of facilities at the IU Chemistry Building, was unfamiliar with the incident, although he heard ambulances on Third Street Wednesday afternoon. Baker said Gibb used to work at the Chemistry Building but was later transferred to the molecular biology department in Myers Hall.\nMinger said an incident like this isn't completely uncommon.\n"In a community of this size, this (sort of) thing happens several times a year," Minger said. "Someone will have an ailment, heart attack or stroke and it's our duty to respond as quickly and efficiently as possible."\nAlthough IUPD officers did not perform medical assistance, Minger said all officers are trained in CPR and the AEDs they carry with them. After May was transported to the hospital, Building Services was called for clean up.\n"Whenever there's any kind of blood spill like that due to blood borne pathogens, Building Services employees are trained to do those kind of cleanups," Minger said.\nGreg Fichter, assistant director of Building Services, refused to comment about the incident. Minger said the coroner was notified and autopsy results are pending.\n-- Contact staff writer Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
(12/02/04 6:07am)
Senior Stacy Fogel is readjusting to the cold and snowy winter weather in Bloomington after spending the last holiday season studying at American InterContinental University in London. Fogel was among 1,379 IUB students who received academic credit for studying abroad last school year. \n"It was unforgettable," said Fogel, who took courses ranging from abnormal psychology to the survey of British museums.\nIU was named No. 9 as a leader for study abroad programs among research institutions for the 2002-03 academic year -- three spots up from the previous year, according to the annual report "Open Doors 2004" released by the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit organization that provides data and resources on behalf of universities across the country.\nSusan Carty, associate director of the Office of Overseas Study, said IU's ranking illustrates the strong quality of its study abroad programs.\n"Certainly being among the top 10 or so in the country was expected," Carty said. "We've maintained a position in and among the top 10 for many years."\nCarty said the results of the report also show an 11 percent increase in the number of IUB students studying abroad from the previous year's total of 1,245 students. \nIU is one of four Big Ten schools represented in the "Open Doors" report. Michigan State University ranked No. 2 with 1,864 students studying abroad; the University of Wisconsin was No. 6 with 1,441 students; and the University of Illinois sent 1,377 students overseas and ranked No. 18 in the report.\nThe report also revealed the number of college students receiving credit for studying abroad increased by 8.5 percent from the previous year, reaching a record total of 174,629 students.\nCarty said the Office of Overseas Study gives students the option of enrolling in a study abroad program through IU or at other American or foreign institutions.\nAbout 25 percent of students choose to go through programs at other universities, Carty said.\nAccording to the Office of Overseas Study's Web site, IU offers more than 80 overseas study programs in 35 countries.\nCarty said IU's most popular destinations -- Australia, Spain and the United Kingdom -- are consistent with national trends.\n"In the last couple of years, we have seen a lot of expansion in the numbers of programs available and in the destinations available," Carty said. "In particular, we have some new programs that IU faculty have designed that are running for the first time this coming summer."\nSenior Cassandra Cogswell spent the spring semester of her junior year studying at Lorendo de Medici School for International Students in Florence, Italy. Cogswell, who traveled with a Connecticut state school, said she was surprised to see the high number of American students studying in Italy.\n"I expected to be one student in a handful of foreign students," Cogswell said. "It was nice to meet people from both other countries and other states."\nCarty said she anticipates the numbers for IU students studying abroad will be even higher next year, though she is unsure of where IU will fall in the big picture.\nPatricia Harrison, the State Department's Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, said she is pleased more students are studying abroad than ever before.\n"By encouraging more students to participate in educational opportunities abroad, U.S. colleges and universities ... help expand our citizens' awareness of global issues and lay the groundwork for the kind of mutual understanding that builds a better future for all of us," Harrison said in a statement.\n-- Contact campus editor Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
(11/30/04 5:36am)
IU just got $26 million richer. \nThanks to a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., an Indianapolis-based philanthropic foundation that supports the causes of religion, education and community development, IU will use the money for three purposes.\nFirst, $10 million will be allocated toward the funding of six new research positions in neuroscience, split between the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis and Bloomington campuses. The money will be divided to hire research staff and do whatever is requested by each researcher.\n"The intent is to find six leading researchers in their fields and bring them to Indiana," said Larry MacIntyre, director of Media Relations for IU.\nThe second portion of the grant will award $10 million to the Hoosier Presidential Scholars Program, which offers annual scholarships of $4,000 to $8,000 for Indiana high school students planning to attend any IU campus. \nMacIntyre said the program is highly competitive and will be determined through grades, applications, essays and leadership roles. \n"The goal is to recruit these in state high achieving high school students," he said.\nFor the next five years, the grant will reward $1 million each year to the arts and humanities program to assist in programs involving music composition, seminars, meetings and bringing notable artists and musicians to IU for lectures and conferences.\n"(IU President Adam) Herbert wanted to be sure that he is doing things to maintain the high quality and energy in innovation that we have in our arts and humanities programs," MacIntyre said. "This will give the faculty over the next five years some additional resources."\nThe University-wide program will be directed by the Office of the Vice President for Research, Dr. Michael McRobbie. \nMacIntyre said the final $1 million will support associated activities in furtherance of the initiative's goals and objectives.\nThe Lilly Endowment, created in 1937 by Eli Lilly and Company, has consistently provided IU with millions of dollars in funding for research. Since 1996, the Lilly Endowment has given almost $1 billion to higher education in Indiana.\nGretchen Wolfram, communications director for Lilly Endowment Inc., said IU has been a grantee for decades and has been the biggest grant recipient for research in contrast to other Indiana schools.\nWolfram said the current initiative, titled "Initiative to Recruit and Retain Intellectual Capital for Indiana Higher Education Institutions," was part of a $100 million state-wide initiative involving 37 colleges and universities. \n"All of the Indiana schools were invited to submit a proposal detailing ways to enhance the intellectual capital of the school," she said.\nLast week, it was announced that 15 schools received allocations of the $100 million grant. The amount of money each school received was based on student enrollment, Wolfram said.\n"Based on IU's proposal designed by President Herbert, I absolutely thought the school was well-deserving of this initiative," she said.\nMacIntyre said Herbert appreciates the Lilly Endowment and its commitment to strengthen IU and its various programs.\n"This grant will serve as a catalyst for expanded efforts to achieve the high institutional aspirations we have established in these areas of strategic priority," Herbert said in a statement. "We are very grateful to the Lilly Endowment for recognizing the promise offered by these initiatives and providing such a generous level of support for them." \n-- Contact campus editor Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
(11/15/04 5:28am)
For a musician, there's no greater satisfaction than returning home to give a sold-out performance -- unless of course that performance also happens to be broadcast live on national television.\nAs John Mellencamp took the stage Thursday night at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater with a cigarette in one hand and a guitar in the other, more than 650 fans cheered on their hometown hero as he broke into an a cappella rendition of his 1985 hit "Small Town."\nAlthough Mellencamp wrote the song 19 years ago, he clearly hasn't "forgotten where it is he comes from," as the lyrics suggest. In fact, Mellencamp pushed to have Thursday night's concert in Bloomington.\nThe performance was part of A&E's "Live By Request" show, an Emmy-award-winning series developed in 1996 to give artists an opportunity to give their fans an interactive experience.\n"Bloomington is pretty much Mellencamp central," said Andy Kadison, executive producer of "Live By Request." "It was really important for John to perform in his backyard, giving his fans the feeling of his artistry and song writing relating to his inspirational background."\nIn his songs, Mellencamp often references the Hoosier state and what it was like for him to grow up in Seymour, Ind.\n"No I cannot forget where it is that I come from/ I cannot forget the people who love me/ Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town/ And people let me be just what I want to be," he sings in "Small Town."\nBarbara Berrones, a Highland, Ind. native, drove three-and-a-half hours in her car with the license plate "MELLNCMP" to see her idol perform Friday night.\n"He has so much energy and his band is phenomenal," said Berrones, a member of the John Mellencamp Fan Club. "He always puts on a fantastic show."\nThroughout the show, viewers and fans from across the country, Canada, Mexico and Latin America were encouraged to call and e-mail in their requests. \nOne caller from Venezuela, who requested to hear "R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A," told Mellencamp the first CD he ever purchased was Mellencamp's 1982 album "American Fool." Since then, he said every time he visits the U.S., he buys another Mellencamp album.\nMellencamp also got an e-mail request from a father in Illinois who thanked him for the great music he was able to pass on to his 9-month-old son, whose favorite song to fall asleep to is "Jackie Brown."\nSenior Chad Motsinger, who grew up in a town outside of Seymour, Ind. said he has been a huge fan of Mellencamp's music since he was little.\n"I am thrilled to be here," Motsinger said, who enjoyed the show from the front row. "This is a huge opportunity."\nA "truly unbelievable" dream came true for another Mellencamp fan - Shelbyville, Ind. resident Blake Sandman. Because of Sandman's enthusiasm during the show, Mellencamp reached out into the crowd and pulled him on stage to perform with him during "Hurts So Good." \n"I've been a fan since I was just a kid growing up," Sandman said. "Now my kids listen to his music."\nSandman said he is glad Mellencamp performed in Bloomington - although he would have traveled anywhere to see his favorite musician.\n-- Contact campus editor Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
(11/02/04 5:31am)
Rather than attending classes or hurrying to fill out her absentee ballot in time for the election deadline, sophomore Jen Sherman spent Monday afternoon on I-70 driving home to Overland Park, Kan., in time to cast her vote for the presidential election. Sherman, an active Democrat, didn't mind traveling through rain and fog that cost her an extra two hours.\n"I want to go (home) because I feel like the underage group in Kansas is poorly represented," Sherman said. \nAccording to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagements, in 2000, only 42 percent of youths between the ages of 18 to 24 voted in the presidential election. Since 1972, the first year 18-year-olds could vote, voter turnout percentage had dipped nearly 13 percent.\nSherman originally intended to vote absentee, but she did not receive her Kansas ballot in time to send it back. She also missed the deadline to register to vote in Bloomington.\nJunior Aaron Waltke also decided to go home to vote. The Greenwood, Ind., native said the decision to vote at home marks his rite of passage.\n"Originally, I was going to vote absentee in Bloomington," he said. "But now I also feel like it's a chance to make my opinion known for smaller ticket elections in my county."\nWaltke, who plans to vote Democrat in the presidential election, said he is not casting a vote for the sole purpose of making a difference in a state that will most likely swing Republican.\n"Just the fact that I'm casting my opinion in my hometown makes a difference to me," he said.\nIndianapolis resident, junior Mark Pallman, who drove home at 6 p.m. Monday night, never looked into getting an absentee ballot, although he wishes he had.\n"It would have been more convenient for me," Pallman said. "That way, I could vote on local issues that will directly affect me."\nBut Pallman, a first-time voter, said he is excited at the prospect of actually going into a voting booth and pushing buttons rather than just punching holes in an absentee ballot.\n"It will at least make my experience more active," he said.\nFreshman Jesse Kuhlenschmidt sent out his paperwork for his absentee ballot more than a month ago, however, because of a "goof" in the papers, he was not able to receive an absentee ballot. After realizing the deadline to register for Bloomington had passed, Kuhlenschmidt decided to drive two-and-a-half hours to Evansville to cast his vote.\n"There wasn't a chance that I would miss out on voting," he said. "I know (my vote) won't make a difference in this state, but you never know what could happen in the next four years -- I might not get a chance to vote again."\nSenior Lev Wismer, who drove home to Fort Wayne Monday evening, said he isn't taking any chances with the U.S. mail system after hearing a number of absentee voting horror stories.\n"I don't feel comfortable voting without going to a poll," Wismer said. "With how close the election will be, I just feel better knowing that my vote will actually count instead of slipping through the cracks."\nAltogether, by 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sherman will have spent nearly 20 hours in her 1993 white BMW and traveled more than 1,000 miles just to make a difference in Tuesday's election.\n"I don't mind doing this," she said. "I truly feel like my vote will count even though we are not a swing state. The more Democrats that get out there and vote, the better."\n-- Contact campus editor Lori Geller at lgfeller@indiana.edu.
(10/18/04 5:43am)
Ariel users who expected their Webmail systems to be up and running again Friday had to wait a little longer. University Information Technology Services originally scheduled the server to be fixed Friday; however, Ariel users didn't gain access to their accounts until Sunday at 1:45 p.m.\nBecause of multiple failures on IMAP4, the mail storage server for Ariel, the system crashed Tuesday, leaving thousands of students at three IU campuses without access to their e-mail accounts.\nRick Jackson, manager of messaging for UITS said in an Oct. 14 Indiana Daily Student story that Ariel users could expect to use their e-mail accounts Friday. But because of more technical delays, UITS predicted the service to return sometime today. However, many students were surprised to find their e-mail accounts up and running Sunday afternoon.\nAfter trying for five days to access his e-mail, senior Jon Harari was relieved Sunday afternoon when he connected to his e-mail without any error messages.\n"I heard all of these rumors that it would take another week," he said. "But I tried everyday just to make sure. "I was so excited to see that my Inbox was over quota when I finally received my e-mail. Everything was still saved and in my Inbox."\nUITS employee Mike Trelinski said the latest UITS update, at noon Saturday, indicated data restoration had been going on around-the-clock and would continue over the weekend. But Trelinski said he was hopeful UITS would restore data over the weekend.\n"It's definitely a hardware and all of the parts had to be special ordered," he said. "I'm sure that those parts are the reason that it's taking so long."\nTrelinski said the UITS Support Center phone line has been "ringing off the hook" since Tuesday afternoon. He said students have been calling and complaining that they have lost internships and jobs because of the e-mail outage.\nSenior Jaclyn Miller checks her e-mail more than five times a day, as she is in the process of applying for jobs after graduation. When Miller realized her e-mail went down, she called UITS right away.\n"At first I thought it was just my account," Miller said. "But everyone else started to have the same problem."\nMiller has called UITS everyday since the outage seeking alternate solutions to receiving her e-mails.\n"They just kept extending the date," she said. "It's ridiculous. They basically told me I could do nothing."\nSenior Andrea Lewen, like Miller, has also called UITS and listened to their pre-recorded message pertaining to the outage. Lewen said after two days, she was tired of waiting for an answer about when her e-mail would return.\n"I finally just set up a Hotmail account," she said. "UITS has been no help at all. They could have at least told me how to forward my IU e-mails to another account."\nLewen said she is relieved that all of her folders, address book and old e-mails are still in her Ariel system.\nJunior Brett Rozanczyk said he felt like he lost communication with his teachers and is currently not up-to-date on his class assignments as a result of the Webmail problems.\n"It was literally the most frustrating thing in the world," he said. "I almost missed an exam Wednesday because I didn't receive an e-mail from my professor confirming the time and room."\nSenior Gwen Rosenthal said the outage has made her realize that so much of communication at IU relies on the Internet -- specifically e-mail.\n"When you take it away for an extended amount of time, it makes you realize just how much you need it," Rosenthal said. "I just felt out of touch all week when I couldn't access my Webmail."\nMiller said her patience has run out with UITS.\n"For all of the money we pay to go to school here, you'd think (UITS) could have done something to fix Webmail in a more timely manner," Miller said.\nJackson said UITS ordered new equipment this summer to replace the five-year-old Shakespeare systems, which he expects will be implemented during the spring semester.\nBrian Voss, associate vice president for telecommunications at IU, said the new environment not only involves brand new hardware, which in itself will improve reliability, but also a new architecture that will further improve the reliability and availability of e-mail as a service. He also said implementing the new technology will also mean standard quotas for student accounts will increase to 100 megabytes.\n"Using a new storage area network technology, the new environment will make failures a thing of the past," he said.\n-- Contact campus editor Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
(10/14/04 6:33am)
Ariel users who are experiencing difficulty logging in to their Webmail will have to wait until Friday to access their account.\nThe problem can be attributed to a hardware failure on IMAP4, the mail store for Ariel, said Rick Jackson, manager of messaging for University Information Technology Services.\n"Multiple things broke all at the same time," Jackson said. "It was a catastrophic failure for all Ariel users. It was a combination of things that pushed Ariel over the edge."\nJackson said people don't normally notice when UITS has internal failures, but in this case, multiple drives failed, resulting in the overall failure of the Ariel Webmail system, which is part of the Shakespeare system.\n"Usually we can put in another drive so we can rebuild the system," he said. "Generally it happens and nobody knows except for us, but the problem was too large this time."\nJackson said a hardware vendor came into UITS within four hours of the problem and replaced all of the pieces that could be fixed. However, because of the nature of the problem, Jackson said UITS decided to move on to plan B.\n"We are letting the hardware try to rebuild the data and we are also doing a contingency plan in case that doesn't work. We built another server and are restoring data on that server for backup takes," Jackson said. "Hopefully, nothing will be deleted from mailboxes, but we just don't know. It's too early to tell."\nJackson said the restoration process has been going on since 9 p.m. Tuesday and as of Wednesday at 3 p.m., the process was only 25 percent complete. However, he said UITS employees will work around-the-clock to make it so students can start sending and receiving e-mail before Friday on a temporary basis. This system will not contain any previously stored data, Jackson said.\n"After what we've seen over the last few hours, it doesn't look like it will be fully back until Friday," he said. "There's a lot of variables that we just can't control."\nSenior Jon Harari checks his IU e-mail account every two to four hours, and on Wednesday, after clicking away at his mouse, he was surprised to find the hourglass icon on his computer still running after nearly 10 minutes.\n"My Webmail just wasn't working," Harari said. "I thought I entered the wrong password or typed my login incorrectly, but it just wouldn't load."\nIn between class, Harari also tried to access his e-mail from both the Kelley School of Business and Ballantine Hall -- but the system repeatedly told him his login was incorrect.\n"It was frustrating," he said. "I am so dependent on my e-mail, and no matter what I did, I couldn't access it."\nSophomore Erica Beaty, operator at the IU Call Center, said more than 500 students have called with questions and concerns about their Webmail outage between the hours of 4:30 and 10 p.m. Tuesday alone.\n"We have told them what we know -- that the system is down and we don't know when it will be back up," she said.\nThroughout the day Tuesday, UITS constantly updated its Web site with information pertaining to the delays. Rather than UITS listing the problem, the latest update, at 8:48 p.m., Tuesday said "Users are experiencing difficulties accessing their e-mail on IMAP4 (Ariel) ... Administrators estimate service will be restored Wednesday, Oct. 13."\nHowever, many students who attempted to login into their Webmail experienced the same error messages Wednesday morning.\nFreshman Jon Gallagher missed an appointment with his English professor because he couldn't access his Webmail to confirm the meeting time or place.\n"I was really upset because I needed to be there," Gallagher said. \nGallagher, like Harari, also tried to access his Webmail from different locations on-campus, but was unsuccessful.\n"It's just been a really long two days," Gallagher said.\nMary Gray, assistant professor of communication and culture said online resources such as Webmail have become incorporated technologies into our daily life.\n"When these resources aren't there, it becomes disruptive," Gray said. "E-mail is so much a part of most people's day-to-day practices."\nGray said the Webmail outage is especially troublesome to students this week because of midterms.\n"Students may not be able to access what could be important information from professors ... and that can be really stressful," she said. "Our University relies on the system so much. But some are reluctant to rely on it for these kinds of reasons."\nJackson said UITS received funding toward the end of the summer to replace the five-year-old hardware systems. The new system, he said, is designed specifically to deal with disasters like this.\n"The (new) hardware has been ordered and should start getting delivered in the next 30 to 60 days," Jackson said. "Then we will build it. We are optimistic that we can have it in place and ready to go early in the spring semester."\nJackson said the Ariel Webmail crash also affected students on other IU campuses including IU-East, IU-Northwest and IU-South Bend.\n-- Contact campus editor Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
(10/14/04 4:00am)
It's no surprise that Indianapolis' native Rupert Boneham, the son of an IU geology professor and a high school biology and chemistry teacher, often took nature-oriented family vacations. At just three years old, Boneham pitched his own tent, caught his first snake and came home with the realization that he wanted to live in the woods.\n"From then on, I knew that if you stick me out anywhere, I can make it," Boneham said. "I know I can."\nAnd 36 years later, Boneham's wish was granted. After hunting for his own food and shelter and making allies and enemies on the CBS reality hit "Survivor 7: The Pearl Islands," where he finished eighth, Boneham was back and ready to show America what he wanted to do since he was a young boy.\n"I really am a survivor," he said. "I can fend for myself in any situation."\nAmerica didn't disagree. \nAfter placing fourth in "Survivor: All-Stars," which included 18 players from the previous eight shows, Boneham walked away with 85 percent of the votes from 38 million people nationwide, earning him a bonus viewer's choice award of $1 million. Wearing his trademark sleeveless tie-dyed T-shirt, Boneham's popularity has taken him around Indiana "hooting and hollering" during his one man show. "Rupert on Stage" will come to Bloomington at 7 p.m. Friday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, located at 114 E. Kirkwood Ave.\nBoneham said the shows he has done so far have been "outrageous," with an audience range of ages five to 85 and often sold-out shows.\n"It's the most fun I've ever had getting up on stage and telling stories about myself," Boneham said. "It's the best job I've ever had. I get to run around the country and be me." \nBoneham hasn't only touched those who have come to his performances, but also thousands of troubled teens around the country.\nBefore he was a millionaire, Boneham worked as a mentor to at-risk youth through the non-profit, Indianapolis-based organization Choices Incorporated.\nAfter receiving the $1 million, Boneham and his wife, Laura, vowed to start their own mentoring organization and wrote a $100,000 check to Choices to launch a new program, Rupert's Kids.\nAccording to their Web site, www.rupertskids.org, Rupert's Kids is a non-profit organization committed to changing lives by empowering youth to discover their inner strengths, realize their own self worth and realize their value to society.\nRupert's Kids facilitates this process by providing mentoring and educational programming to youth through the rehabilitation of housing for low-income families.\n"I've always wanted to create my own organization for kids, but I've never had the resources until now," Boneham said. "Rupert's Kids is an extension of what my wife and I have done for the last 10 years."\nBoneham said the organization aims to teach youth responsibility and job skills by working on dilapidated homes throughout Indianapolis. The organization will then sell the homes for a nominal amount to low-income families.\n"We are taking kids out of the system from the Department of Education, Department of Correction and Department of Child and Family Services and working on properties that I'm getting from the city," he said. "I'm teaching (the kids) construction, framing, demolition, work ethic and rehab."\nBoneham said its amazing how many kids, families and single parents bounce from place to place, as city shelters are often full to capacity.\n"Once the houses are complete, we are going to have the families pay a small amount to the organization each month," he said. "We will keep them tied to Rupert's Kids and can help keep our eyes on them."\nThe organization recently launched its Web site and is looking forward to the first fundraising event in December. Boneham said he is preparing for the program's official launch in January 2005.\nIn the meantime, Boneham is keeping himself busy by doing charity work with the Big Brothers Big Sisters and YMCA organizations.\n"I try to help groups that deal with kids," Boneham said. "I try and help build strength inside themselves. My philosophy is that the strength inside yourself will carry you very far. And everybody's got it. There's not a kid out there I wouldn't help." \nBoneham said part of the reason he applied for "Survivor" was to get himself and his kids groups out of debt. \n"I also knew that darn game was made for me," he said.\nSenior Jennifer Billinson has watched "Survivor" since the first season. When she came to college, she and her friends made a tradition of having "Survivor" parties every Thursday night.\nBillinson said she liked Boneham because of the way he played the game.\n"He didn't lie, cheat or manipulate," she said. "He was real, and he seemed like a normal and loyal guy."\nBillinson spent the semester studying abroad during "Survivor All-Stars." When she returned home, she watched the entire season in a two-day sitting.\n"I liked Rupert the first time I ever saw him," Billinson said. "I thought it was awesome and well-deserved that he won the money. Even though I'm not an Indiana native, I was proud to have him representing the state."\nIndianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson agreed. He proclaimed June 21, the first day of summer, "Rupert Day," stating that Boneham represented the city so well, and it was a great honor to claim him as one of its own. \n"It's very cool," Boneham said. "It was a quiet and low-key day. We had a presentation and got on TV, but it was a neat little recognition to me of Indy saying thanks to one of their own."\nBoneham said he is enjoying his newfound fame, but is trying his best to take in as much time with his wife and 5-year-old daughter, Raya, as possible.\n"The funniest thing is going to the aquarium at the zoo with my daughter and pointing out all of the fish that I ate (on the show)," he said. "I can't believe I ate $500 fish. I was grabbing fish with my bare hands and eating them."\nBoneham said he hasn't let his experience go to his head. The only difference now is that his wife never sends him out to the grocery store to pick up a gallon of milk because a simple five-minute trip turns into hours.\n"I say 'thank you' at least 100 times a day because everybody is constantly coming up to me and telling me that they love me," he said. "I have been the same old Rupert for 40 years, and I hope I will for the next 40 years. But now I have this inner peace inside of me that is beyond compare. I never would have been able to attain that had it not been for 'Survivor.' I can get up in front of thousands of people and talk about myself, stammer and stutter and not feel too bad."\nSuzanne Strick, marketing director at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, said she has heard great things about the stage show and is looking forward to Boneham's performance.\n"Many of us really do watch enough reality shows and can identify with someone leading a laid-back lifestyle like Rupert does," Strick said.\nBoneham said he is taking his 15 minutes of fame and is turning it into the next 40 years of his life.\n"If my face fades in front of the camera, my 15 minutes of fame will still last me a lifetime," he said. "I want this, and I'm going to try to encourage this to last for a long time. I'm going to make it last as long as I can"
(10/13/04 6:58pm)
It's no surprise that Indianapolis' native Rupert Boneham, the son of an IU geology professor and a high school biology and chemistry teacher, often took nature-oriented family vacations. At just three years old, Boneham pitched his own tent, caught his first snake and came home with the realization that he wanted to live in the woods.\n"From then on, I knew that if you stick me out anywhere, I can make it," Boneham said. "I know I can."\nAnd 36 years later, Boneham's wish was granted. After hunting for his own food and shelter and making allies and enemies on the CBS reality hit "Survivor 7: The Pearl Islands," where he finished eighth, Boneham was back and ready to show America what he wanted to do since he was a young boy.\n"I really am a survivor," he said. "I can fend for myself in any situation."\nAmerica didn't disagree. \nAfter placing fourth in "Survivor: All-Stars," which included 18 players from the previous eight shows, Boneham walked away with 85 percent of the votes from 38 million people nationwide, earning him a bonus viewer's choice award of $1 million. Wearing his trademark sleeveless tie-dyed T-shirt, Boneham's popularity has taken him around Indiana "hooting and hollering" during his one man show. "Rupert on Stage" will come to Bloomington at 7 p.m. Friday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, located at 114 E. Kirkwood Ave.\nBoneham said the shows he has done so far have been "outrageous," with an audience range of ages five to 85 and often sold-out shows.\n"It's the most fun I've ever had getting up on stage and telling stories about myself," Boneham said. "It's the best job I've ever had. I get to run around the country and be me." \nBoneham hasn't only touched those who have come to his performances, but also thousands of troubled teens around the country.\nBefore he was a millionaire, Boneham worked as a mentor to at-risk youth through the non-profit, Indianapolis-based organization Choices Incorporated.\nAfter receiving the $1 million, Boneham and his wife, Laura, vowed to start their own mentoring organization and wrote a $100,000 check to Choices to launch a new program, Rupert's Kids.\nAccording to their Web site, www.rupertskids.org, Rupert's Kids is a non-profit organization committed to changing lives by empowering youth to discover their inner strengths, realize their own self worth and realize their value to society.\nRupert's Kids facilitates this process by providing mentoring and educational programming to youth through the rehabilitation of housing for low-income families.\n"I've always wanted to create my own organization for kids, but I've never had the resources until now," Boneham said. "Rupert's Kids is an extension of what my wife and I have done for the last 10 years."\nBoneham said the organization aims to teach youth responsibility and job skills by working on dilapidated homes throughout Indianapolis. The organization will then sell the homes for a nominal amount to low-income families.\n"We are taking kids out of the system from the Department of Education, Department of Correction and Department of Child and Family Services and working on properties that I'm getting from the city," he said. "I'm teaching (the kids) construction, framing, demolition, work ethic and rehab."\nBoneham said its amazing how many kids, families and single parents bounce from place to place, as city shelters are often full to capacity.\n"Once the houses are complete, we are going to have the families pay a small amount to the organization each month," he said. "We will keep them tied to Rupert's Kids and can help keep our eyes on them."\nThe organization recently launched its Web site and is looking forward to the first fundraising event in December. Boneham said he is preparing for the program's official launch in January 2005.\nIn the meantime, Boneham is keeping himself busy by doing charity work with the Big Brothers Big Sisters and YMCA organizations.\n"I try to help groups that deal with kids," Boneham said. "I try and help build strength inside themselves. My philosophy is that the strength inside yourself will carry you very far. And everybody's got it. There's not a kid out there I wouldn't help." \nBoneham said part of the reason he applied for "Survivor" was to get himself and his kids groups out of debt. \n"I also knew that darn game was made for me," he said.\nSenior Jennifer Billinson has watched "Survivor" since the first season. When she came to college, she and her friends made a tradition of having "Survivor" parties every Thursday night.\nBillinson said she liked Boneham because of the way he played the game.\n"He didn't lie, cheat or manipulate," she said. "He was real, and he seemed like a normal and loyal guy."\nBillinson spent the semester studying abroad during "Survivor All-Stars." When she returned home, she watched the entire season in a two-day sitting.\n"I liked Rupert the first time I ever saw him," Billinson said. "I thought it was awesome and well-deserved that he won the money. Even though I'm not an Indiana native, I was proud to have him representing the state."\nIndianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson agreed. He proclaimed June 21, the first day of summer, "Rupert Day," stating that Boneham represented the city so well, and it was a great honor to claim him as one of its own. \n"It's very cool," Boneham said. "It was a quiet and low-key day. We had a presentation and got on TV, but it was a neat little recognition to me of Indy saying thanks to one of their own."\nBoneham said he is enjoying his newfound fame, but is trying his best to take in as much time with his wife and 5-year-old daughter, Raya, as possible.\n"The funniest thing is going to the aquarium at the zoo with my daughter and pointing out all of the fish that I ate (on the show)," he said. "I can't believe I ate $500 fish. I was grabbing fish with my bare hands and eating them."\nBoneham said he hasn't let his experience go to his head. The only difference now is that his wife never sends him out to the grocery store to pick up a gallon of milk because a simple five-minute trip turns into hours.\n"I say 'thank you' at least 100 times a day because everybody is constantly coming up to me and telling me that they love me," he said. "I have been the same old Rupert for 40 years, and I hope I will for the next 40 years. But now I have this inner peace inside of me that is beyond compare. I never would have been able to attain that had it not been for 'Survivor.' I can get up in front of thousands of people and talk about myself, stammer and stutter and not feel too bad."\nSuzanne Strick, marketing director at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, said she has heard great things about the stage show and is looking forward to Boneham's performance.\n"Many of us really do watch enough reality shows and can identify with someone leading a laid-back lifestyle like Rupert does," Strick said.\nBoneham said he is taking his 15 minutes of fame and is turning it into the next 40 years of his life.\n"If my face fades in front of the camera, my 15 minutes of fame will still last me a lifetime," he said. "I want this, and I'm going to try to encourage this to last for a long time. I'm going to make it last as long as I can"
(09/23/04 6:07am)
Once again, the Kelley School of Business has been recognized as one of the top overall programs in the nation. In national rankings of business schools across the country, the Wall Street Journal and the Princeton Review selected the Kelley school, its programs and faculty, for outstanding excellence.\nIn its annual rankings of business schools, released Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal named the Kelley school No. 13 in a listing of regional business schools. The report also selected the marketing and accounting programs for academic excellence, ranking them fifth and seventh respectively. Kelley was also ranked fourth by recruiters from consumer products companies. \n"I am delighted that we were ranked No. 7 in accounting, No. 5 in marketing and No. 4 by recruiters from consumer goods companies," said Dan Smith, interim dean of the Kelley school. "These results are similar to last year and place us among the nation's top MBA programs."\nTo compile the rankings, the Journal used surveys and interviews with corporate recruiters. Recruiters' perceptions of schools were measured in 20 areas, including leadership potential, teamwork skills and interpersonal qualities.\nTerrill Cosgray, director of the MBA program, said he is thrilled a ranking group has acknowledged the high quality of the school.\n"We are also glad our recruiters have expressed confidence in the quality of our students," he said.\nIn a separate ranking released Tuesday, the Princeton Review recognized the Kelley School as the No. 1 program for "best professors" and No. 3 for "best campus facilities."\nThe Princeton Review, also known for its annual "Best Colleges" ranking, interviewed 11,000 students at 143 MBA programs nationally. According to its Web site, the Princeton Review asked students more than 40 questions about themselves, their career plans, their school's academics, their student body and their campus to determine the school's ranking.\n"We continue to enjoy national status, since 71 percent of our incoming students are from outside the Midwest," Idie Kesner, MBA program chair, co-director of MBA academies and the Frank P. Popoff Chair of Strategic Management said in a statement.\nCosgray said he was not surprised the Kelley school received high rankings from the Princeton Review, since IU has had a long tradition of high quality faculty.\n"We think that we deserved the positive rankings we got," Cosgray said. "We've long known we have had the best faculty in the country and we are glad somebody externally has recognized it."\nDr. Shailendra Jain, assistant professor of marketing, came to the business school two years ago from Cornell University in New York. Jain said he came to IU because of the resources the business school offered.\n"I felt this school was serious about the quality of teaching," he said.\nJain said the faculty at the business school works extremely hard to ensure there's a huge amount of investments and resources placed in helping students succeed.\n"The faculty cares about the students and think about their aspirations and goals," Jain said. "We treat them with an extreme amount of respect and recognition that they come here not just to get an education, but to decide for the rest of their lives what they are going to do."\nCosgray said this is not the first time the Kelley faculty has been recognized. An Oct. 2002 issue of Business Week magazine ranked the Kelley faculty members as the third best teachers in the nation. \nMore recently, U.S. News & World Report recognized the IU Kelley School of Business as No. 11 in the nation out of 248 schools in its annual ranking of the nation's top colleges and universities entitled "America's Best Colleges 2005," released in August.\nThe Kelley School of Business offers undergraduate and graduate education programs to about 4,600 full-time students on the IU-Bloomington campus and about 1,200 students on the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis campus.\n"We have long known that Kelley school faculty are strong in terms of both research and teaching," Smith said. "I view the Princeton Review ranking of our faculty as No. 1 in the country to be confirmation of our own internal performance tracking measures. Likewise, I was not surprised to see that our graduate facilities are ranked highly; they are truly world-class."\n-- Contact campus editor Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu .
(09/14/04 5:57am)
After nearly a year of searching for a new director of the IU Press, members of the search and advisory committees realized the perfect candidate for the job was already among them.\nJanet Rabinowitch, long-time IU faculty member and interim director of the IU Press, was chosen to lead the organization. Rabinowitch is the fourth director and first woman to head the IU Press, which was founded 53 years ago and is among the country's largest public university presses. \nRabinowitch's appointment as director was approved by the IU board of trustees at its August meeting, but IU-Bloomington Interim Chancellor Ken Gros Louis made the official announcement Monday afternoon.\nFred Eichorn, president of the board of trustees, said it was a unanimous decision.\n"(Janet) has been at the press for 29 years," Eichorn said. "She served as a sponsoring editor, senior sponsoring editor, editorial director and was interim director at the time it was made permanent."\nEichorn said Rabinowitch has a strong academic reputation and has written many books that have won prestigious awards. \n"She has worked at the press for a number of years and knows the press exceptionally well," Gros Louis said. "She was the recommendation from the search committee, as they have great confidence in her judgement and abilities."\nRabinowitch's duties will include making decisions on manuscripts that will be published by the press, serving as the IU face at national press conferences, meetings and conventions, and acting as a liaison with the University and all other campuses.\n"Janet is a very upbeat and thoughtful person," Marketing Manager for IU Press Marilyn Breiter said. "She knows how to make decisions, and she is enormously respected and liked by everyone here."\nGros Louis said although it is an extremely hard time for all University presses, he is confident in Rabinowitch's ability to work through challenges.\n"Janet has very strong support from the press staff," Gros Louis said. "We are all very pleased about her style of management."\nRabinowitch said the book market, along with academic library budgets, are currently shrinking. She said it is very difficult to be an academic press at this time, as big chains and wholesalers often return books if they are not sold right away.\n"It's definitely something that we have to work through," she said.\nRabinowitch said she hopes to keep up with the new trend of print-on-demand publishing, which allows members of the IU Press to order one book at a time as requested.\nThe IU Press, which publishes about 140 new books and 23 journals every year, is also working on building the overall program.\n"We are trying to steer our list in the direction of books that reach beyond specific disciplines and that are of interest to the academic world and to serious general readers," Rabinowitch said.\nRabinowitch said she also hopes to partner with units of the University to start electronic publishing, which she said will be the wave of the future.\nAfter 29 years as an editor, copy editor, sponsoring editor, senior sponsoring editor, editorial director and interim director of the IU Press, Rabinowitch said she is excited about the challenges that lie ahead.\n"I've been a central part of the press for so long, and I'm thrilled to be in the position of leading the press and working with its wonderful staff to reach even greater heights," she said.\n-- Contact campus editor Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.
