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(02/02/07 2:15am)
Chocolate has filled the streets of Bloomington all week, but as the six-day Chocolate Festival comes to an end, the role of chef is up for grabs.\nMore than 60,000 samples of chocolate creations will fill the Bloomington Convention Center Saturday evening as guests are invited to sample, indulge and create, said Melissa Copas, director of volunteer and fundraising for Options for Better Living, the organization benefiting from the event.\nWhat makes tomorrow's event unique is a Chocolate Creations Contest. Chefs of all ages and skill levels are invited to bring their handiwork to face a panel of local celebrity judges, Copas said.\n"Anyone can enter. Even the day of the event you can bring your entry into the convention center in the morning," Copas said.\nAside from professional chocolate creations, these "amateur" submissions will also be available for public sampling.\nIn a way, this inclusion directly relates to the work Options for Better Living does.\n"Options for Better Living helps people with disabilities, and their communities, to bring about better lives," Copas said. More specifically, residents of surrounding counties are offered, free of charge, assistance in gaining places to live, jobs to perform and skills to maximize their lives.\nThe organization also aids families of those with disabilities. Proceeds from tomorrow's events will directly benefit one of these programs, known as Respite.\nRaising children with disabilities can be very consuming, Copas explained. In response, Options for Better Living provides a couple hours each week for parents to step away from taking care of their children, Copas said.\n"Respite gives them a couple hours to get away, focus on their other kids, focus on their marriage or focus on their selves," Copas said.\nThe program is very in demand right now as there is currently a six-year waiting list for families with children with disabilities to get state funding.\n"It's really about community living," Copas said.\nBut tomorrow night is also about chocolate. There are 300 vendors expected at the Convention Center, each with about 200 samples on hand, Copas said. As the 10th anniversary of "Chocolate Week" Copas also said to expect new vendors.\nXocai, a chocolate-making company, is starting what is called a "healthy science revolution," Copas said. Xocai's anti-oxidant chocolates will be available for nibbles as well as standards like Godiva. Local beverages will also be on-hand to cleanse the palette. Oliver Winery will have samples of its wines, Upland Brewery will serve its chocolate stout and Kroger will provide milk and soft drinks, Copas said.\nLive entertainment will be provided along with a silent auction featuring an autographed Colts helmet, Copas said.\nTwo thousand people are expected to attend, but Copas insists that the chocolate will not run out. Tickets are $12 in advance for adults and $5 for children ages 6 to 10. At the door, admission costs $15 for adults and $6 for children. Admission for children ages 1 to 5 is free.\nAdvance purchases can be made at Bloomingfoods, Chocolate Emporium, Kroger, the Sunrise Box Office at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, the Bedford Chamber of Commerce, Koffee House of Spencer and Options for Better Living in Bloomington or by calling (800) 875-9615.
(02/01/07 5:07am)
Two IU students were arrested Monday on multiple drug-related charges as a two-month undercover investigation by IUPD came to an end.\nIn November, the IU Police Department started making marijuana purchases from sophomore Andrew L. Wolfe through an undercover person, said Detective David Hannum, who oversaw the case.\nAt the last of these purchases, the undercover person noticed that Wolfe appeared to have a fairly large amount of marijuana in his safe, Hannum said.\n"At that point, we decided to pursue a search warrant," Hannum said.\nWhen officers arrived at 265 Varsity Villa on Monday night, they found more than 100 grams of marijuana, a digital scale and more than $800 in cash, some of which had been marked from the undercover transactions, Hannum said, reading from a police report.\nOfficers also found Adderall, a Schedule II controlled substance, in Wolfe's safe.\nHannum said the substance was later determined to belong to Wolfe's roommate, junior Brandon L. Francis.\nIUPD officers found a valid prescription bottle for Adderall, in Francis's name, that had been filled Jan. 27, two days before the arrests were made, Hannum said. However, of the 30 pills prescribed, only 17 remained in the bottle.\nDuring questioning, Francis "admitted that he had given them to his roommate to sell," Hannum said.\nBoth men were arrested on class B felony charges of possession with intent to deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, class D felony charges of maintaining a common nuisance and five class A misdemeanor counts of dealing marijuana.\nWolfe was also arrested on a class-D felony charge for possession of more than 30 grams of marijuana with intent to deliver.
(01/30/07 5:21am)
An IU student reported being raped late Friday night at McNutt Quad, according to IU police.\nThe female student told IUPD she consumed alcohol in her dorm room and then went to a party within the dorm, where she continued to consume alcohol, Capt. Jerry Minger said, reading from a police report.\nMinger said the assault took place with a male whom the female knew. She told police she thought it occurred in the women's bathroom on the first floor of McNutt, in the Bryan wing.\nShe is not certain of the location, however, because she was "drifting in and out of consciousness," Minger said.\nOfficer Brian Oliger was called to Bloomington Hospital around 1 a.m. Saturday morning to meet with the victim, he said.\n"(The victim) is unsure, right now, as to whether she wants to pursue criminal charges," Minger said.\nThe incident is being actively investigated, he said.
(01/29/07 5:55pm)
Religious studies professor Kathryn Lofton advises students to write evaluations like they're appraising a friend's outfit. \n"You want them to look their best, but they can't change their body type," Lofton said. "The bad thing to say is you look bad in that outfit. The good thing is to say maybe pink is a better color for you."\nAside from finals, the end of the semester brings students the opportunity to let professors know how they really feel about the class. The question is: Do professors and administrators really care what students say?\nLofton says they do. Most of the faculty she knows will change their teaching habits after reading evaluations, she said. However, this change is contingent on the criticism being constructive. \n"What is more useful is when students comment on themes and teaching habits, like 'I don't like Power Point' or 'I didn't think this book fit in,'" Lofton said. "If a student simply says he or she doesn't like (the professor), or doesn't like their clothes," a comment Lofton has seen appear on a colleague's evaluation, "the chances of making an impact are not as good."\nSenior Curtis Griner takes a different approach to the evaluations he completes, focusing on personality over specific complaints. \n"It's more useful to be personal because you've probably already told the professor if you have a problem with a teaching style," Griner said.\nEvaluations are not something Griner takes lightly. In fact, he said it's often something he's thought about long before he starts filling in bubbles on a Scantron.\n"It's mainly a release for me," Griner said. "If I don't like a particular professor, I think of ways all semester that I can say things on the evaluation."\nThis "release" has also been used for good, Griner said. Last semester, about 10 students in one of his classes agreed before evaluations that their goal was to help their professor earn tenure, Griner said.\nThis goal was not that out of reach, said Bonnie Brownlee, associate dean for undergraduate studies for the IU School of Journalism. Within Ernie Pyle Hall, full-time faculty on a tenure track are evaluated every year, and evaluations are a big part of that process, Brownlee said.\nWhen it comes to graduate students and adjunct faculty, the school pays even more attention to evaluations, Brownlee said, adding that their progress is discussed both during and at the end of the semester.\nMathematics professor Greg Peters, also monitors untenured professors in his department. \nThe standard evaluation form consists of about a dozen general questions and a corresponding bubble for the student's answer, and a few questions at the end where students are asked more open-ended questions. When evaluations are submitted at the end of the semester, it is the comments students have written that Peters finds particularly interesting. \n"Sometimes, the numerical parts aren't really giving you an accurate read-out, so if you can get half of your class to put down one or two constructive criticisms, sometimes those can be insightful," he said. "Especially if two or three students suggest the same thing."\nThe Italian department provides evaluation forms in addition to the standard Scantron with this intent, said associate professor of Italian Massimo Scalabrini. Scalabrini is charged with overseeing associate instructors within the department. \n"We find that there is some merit in filling out electronic responses, but if they have open-ended questions, they can articulate their thoughts more fully," Scalabrini said. "They give you more meaningful feedback to the teachers."\nScalabrini tries to make sure this feedback reaches professors. While each professor receives his or her students' evaluations after grades have been issued, Scalabrini said he urges all his associate instructors to come and talk with him about responses, good or bad. In the case of negative remarks, another step is taken.\n"I talk to the AIs who got consistently bad evaluations," Scalabrini said. "When I see that there may be a problem, that there may be a pattern, I talk to (them) to see what can be done." \nEvaluations are also a good place to turn for solutions, Scalabrini said.\n"If read with a critical eye and a grain of salt, they can tell us a good deal about what works and doesn't work in class," Scalabrini said. "They tell us something interesting, a different perspective on the reality of teaching." \nFor the student who still has a sour taste in his mouth from a disappointing class, even after completing an evaluation, other options for recourse do exist. Junior Kyle Wood inadvertently got his opinion heard when he mentioned to his advisor that a professor he had never returned graded assignments. \n"The next time I went in to see my adviser she said, 'Oh, by the way, that professor was fired,'" Wood said.\nSenior Kimberly Musgrave once took her complaints straight to Dean of Students Dick McKaig.\nWhile McKaig says students are welcome to come to him with problems, he encourages them to first speak to their professor and, if necessary, the department chair. \n"That usually would be the place at which most resolutions of this type would come about," McKaig said. \nHe said he thinks there is a system of checks and balances in place between students and professors, but often students are reluctant to use it.\nHowever, he encourages students to move beyond this, saying, "There is a willingness to listen"
(01/29/07 2:11am)
The IU Police Department has hired a National Guard member and northern Indiana native to join its forces IUPD Capt. Jerry Minger said in a news release.\nStephen R. Winenger, originally from Mishawaka, Ind., spent the last five years as a Sergeant in the Indiana Army National Guard. Thirteen months of that time was served in Iraq. His military experience includes training new soldiers and being involved with a weapons team, Minger said.\nWinenger, who was sworn in Monday, will receive practical in-service training with IUPD until March 26 and then train with an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy Basic Class in Plainfield, Ind., Minger said.\n"The IU Police Department is pleased to be able to employ individuals of Officer Winenger's quality to work effectively in IU's academic environment of over 43,000 faculty, staff and students," Minger said.
(01/22/07 3:39am)
An IU student turned himself in to the Monqroe County Sheriff's Department early Thursday morning in reference to an arrest warrant issued that alleged he assaulted an Aver's Pizza delivery person.\nRobert Matthew Clark, 23 of E. 10th Street, now faces preliminary charges of battery, a class C felony.\nThe incident in question occurred Nov. 2 when IU Police Department officers responded to the south parking lot of the Herman B Wells Library at 10th Street and Jordan Avenue. There, officers found a 25-year-old IU student with a broken right leg.\nThe student told police he had been delivering Aver's pizza to the library. When he returned to his vehicle he found one subject sitting in the driver's seat and two other men standing beside his car.\nOne of the men punched the pizza deliverer on the side of his jaw, knocking him backward.\nAs he fell, he landed on his right ankle, which twisted, resulting in the breaking of both bones in his lower right leg, according to IUPD reports.\nIUPD Detective Richard Seifers circulated composite images of the suspects, leading several witness and one of the subjects involved to contact Seifers. A felony warrant was issued for Clark, who is accused of injuring the pizza deliverer, IUPD Capt. Jerry Minger said in a news release.\nClark turned himself in to Monroe County officials upon learning of the warrant, Minger said.\nMiller underwent surgery at Bloomington Hospital after the attack. A rod and seven screws were used to repair the injury.
(01/19/07 6:34pm)
An IU student reported being fondled at a party at the Chi Phi fraternity house Jan. 11, according to IUPD police reports.\nThe 23-year-old female, whose name was not released, told police Monday she had been at a party at 1400 N. Jordan Ave. on the evening of Jan. 10. Sometime around 2 or 3 a.m. on Jan. 11, she ended up in the basement of the house with two white males, one with dark hair and a medium build and the other with light hair and a thin build, said Capt. Jerry Minger, reading from a police report.\nThe female told police the two men were "trying to kiss her and convince her to have sexual intercourse," he said. During the encounter, Minger said, they removed her shirt, bra and pants, fondling her above and below the waist.\nThe female said she was intoxicated when the incident took place, and "because of this state felt physically impaired and didn't think she could leave under her own power," Minger said. When she did gain enough strength, she left without restraint from the two men, he said.\nThe female brought pictures with her to the police station, identifying the two men involved. However, she requested to not press charges or have police contact the two men, a request Minger said IUPD will comply with. The female told police she didn't think she had been drugged at any point in the evening.\nMinger said IUPD has tried to the contact the woman to see if she has changed her mind and wants to press charges. \nMeanwhile, she is seeking psychological counseling from IU health services.
(01/12/07 2:41am)
A man was arrested early Thursday morning after police say he unlawfully entered the rooms of two female students in Briscoe Quadrangle.\nOfficers from the IU Police Department responded to a call made at 4:55 a.m. Thursday, which reported that around 4:35 a.m. an unknown white male, who was later determined to be 21-year-old Bohdi Lewis, entered her room, which was unlocked, and started taking the covers off her, said IUPD Capt. Jerry Minger, reading from a police report. She told police the male asked her if it was OK, and she responded, "Yes, but who are you and why are you in my room?"\nThe male then reportedly left the caller's room, entered another unlocked room of a female resident down the hall and passed out, Minger said. The resident of that room then went to her resident assistant's room to report the incident, and the RA call IUPD.\nThe responding officer found Lewis passed out and arrested him for burglary and public intoxication. Lewis had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and could not maintain his balance, according to the report. He said he had no idea where he was, that he had 10 drinks earlier at Kilroy's and thought he had walked to his friend's home on South Dunn Street.\nLewis was transported to the Monroe County Jail. Since he entered two separate rooms, he was booked into jail on two counts of felony for entering a residence and a class B misdemeanor for public intoxication.
(01/12/07 2:39am)
Ione Auer, a public supporter of the IU Jacobs School of Music, passed away earlier this week. She was 103.\nThe Jacobs School of Music greatly appreciated Auer, whose name adorns a performance hall in the Simon Music Center, said Jennifer Naab, an employee in the office of Gwyn Richard, the music school's dean.\nAuer joined the Society of the Friends of Music, a fundraising organization that supports the music school, in the early 1970s through a relationship with Robert Schilling, the president of the society from 1970 to 1972. Over the next two decades she became a board member of the society, Naab said.\nHer donation of $2.5 million led to the creation of Auer Hall within the Simon Music Center, which holds nearly 400 patrons. Auer Hall "quickly became the primary venue for chamber and solo-sized performances for a broad geographic area," Naab said.\nIn 1992 the Jacobs School of Music hired a Los Angeles organ designer to construct the first and only performance pipe organ on campus in Auer Hall, according to a news release from the music school. The job was supposed to be completed in 1997, but the designer filed for bankruptcy in 2005, leaving the school in legal arbitration. Alain Barker, the music school's marketing director, said progress is being made to have the organ finished.\nNaab said Auer's donation is one that will continue to benefit students for years to come. \n"Ione Auer's gift to Indiana will live well beyond our time," Naab said, "as young emerging artists will take the stage of her hall to display their newly realized potential"
(12/08/06 5:14am)
Traveling down East Third Street, those looking to purchase alcohol can stop at Big Red Liquors, Speedway, CVS Pharmacy or Office Lounge for their drinks of choice. \nBut beginning in January, another Third Street stop will join the list when Target Corp. starts stocking its shelves with beer, wine and spirits. \nThe reason behind the addition is simple, said Alison David, the human resource team leader at the Bloomington Target.\n"It's something the market down here wants," she said.\nAlthough David doesn't expect the move to bring in new customers, she does anticipate an increase in sales. She said when the change comes, they will provide beer, wine and hard liquor right away. \nSenior Ben Rabunski, a Target shopper, is excited about the change, and said he's likely to pick up drinks when in the store. \n"It's convenient. I come from New York, where you're not allowed to buy liquor anywhere except liquor stores," he said. "This makes it a one-stop shop."\nSophomore Kevin Domanico, also from New York, said he has always been somewhat indifferent to the liquor sales in Indiana. \n"It's still a little weird to go to Kroger and you can buy your pizza and then turn around and get your Jack Daniel's."\nWith Wal-Mart already selling alcohol, Domanico wasn't too surprised that another chain store is joining the fray. He said he doesn't plan on making Target his first stop when making an alcohol purchase.\nThe decision to sell alcoholic beverages was one made by the corporate office of Target, said Don Price, executive team leader of hard lines of alcohol at the College Mall Target. He said alcohol is already sold at many Target locations nationwide.\nBesides the extra stocking, the addition will also require special training for employees. \n"All cashiers will have to go through training to learn how to check IDs," David said. \nAlthough an exact location has not been determined for the alcohol, Price said it will be somewhere in the grocery section. David said alcohol sold in Target will be available the first week in January 2007, but he didn't know the exact date yet.
(12/04/06 5:45am)
Condoms. They come lubricated, ultra-thin, flavored and ribbed for her pleasure, and Friday they filled the Indiana Memorial Union Solarium by the thousands, with the simple intention of promoting safe sex.\nDec. 1 marked World AIDS Day, and graduate student Christopher Fisher, research coordinator for the Sexual Health Research Working Group, celebrated by hosting IU's first Latexhibition. Past World AIDS Days have led people across the globe to experiment with latex. This year, Fisher, who is studying health behavior, commissioned his human sexuality class to make art projects using the material commonly associated with safe sex. Members of the community were also invited to create projects, resulting in about 200 submissions.\nFisher said his hope was to foster discussion about sexuality and protection. \n"One of the things we find in class is people afraid of talking about condoms," Fisher said. "This is an opportunity to talk about and handle condoms outside of a sexual situation, to desensitize the idea of talking about them."\nErin Triplett, a public health graduate student, agreed. \n"It gives people a chance to experiment with condoms and see how far they can stretch," she said as her friends laughed. \n"It's skill training," Amanda Daugherty, also a public health graduate student, said in response.\nSophomore Sarah Wyn, a student in Fisher's class, shared what she had learned in the project. \n"I learned how lube condoms work," she said. "And they're messy. I actually didn't know you could get condoms without lube."\nKathryn Brown, a health educator at the IU Health Center, was one of three judges at the event, a project she said she was happy to support. \n"Anything that gets the word out about condoms and using them in a fun way is good -- like this," she said, pointing to fellow judge Miss Gay Bloomington.\nJazmyn Taylor, the 2006 pageant winner, sported white go-go boots and a blue wig that matched her blue sparkly dress. Stapled to the dress was a multi-colored display of condoms. \nTaylor said she was also eager to judge. Diagnosed with HIV at the age of 21, she said she is happy to promote anything that is going to address the disease and its prevention. \nKelly E. McBride, director of training at Planned Parenthood in Bloomington, has dedicated her professional life to this same goal. Although McBride didn't judge, she was taking in the sights Friday, observing the many heat-damaged and expired condoms Planned Parenthood donated for use in the projects.\nThe entrants found countless ways to display their latex of choice. Christmas trees and snowmen were popular, so much so that a Best Seasonal category was added to the judges' lists at the last minute. Others focused on the sexual angle, attempting to play up the humor of the situation. \nThe judges circled the Solarium of the IMU, commenting on their favorite pieces. Aside from Best Seasonal, a winner was awarded for Best Use of Latex, Most Educational and Best Overall. \nTaylor said her favorite piece was one that featured a wedding cake decorated with condoms and a plastic cake topper of a couple in a compromising position.\nThe winner of the Most Educational category used just one condom, which was inside a converted shoe box (think sixth-grade project). The scene was a table, topped with a basket of condiments and food. The single condom was wrapped around a plastic hot dog, below a sign reading, "Don't forget to wrap your wiener."\nBut the coveted prize was Best Overall, a title that earned the submitting group a year's supply of condoms, determined as 500 by Condomania, an online condom retailer. The recipients were Aimee Heitz and Aubrey Roberts the creators of "The Giving Tree," a Christmas tree that used green-colored latex gloves to represent branches and multi-colored blown-up condoms and packets of birth control as ornaments. \nThese two projects, along with those of the other winners, will be featured around campus, as Fisher hopes to carry the message of Latexhibition forward. Catherine Johnson-Roehr, curator at the Kinsey Institute, said she had offered to display some of the winners there, where novelty condoms are already featured. \nHowever, Fisher chose the IU Health Center instead, which, offers four free condoms per visit to students.
(11/30/06 4:31am)
Cathi Norton views art as a healing activity. From painting to dancing to writing, she said she values using the artistic world to help those in need. This weekend, that goal will be extended to the community as she co-sponsors the first Art of Mental Health celebration.\nThe event, which includes art exhibits, workshops and a concert, began with a simple idea. Weekly painting classes are held at the Center for Behavioral Health, said Norton, the community relations specialist at the center. These classes allow clients to express themselves artistically while having access to clinicians to discuss the feelings behind their artwork, she said.\nAn annual event came from these classes, in which the public is invited to judge client work, with the winners being featured on note cards sold to the public.\nNorton said the community response has been so high in the past years that she decided to expand the awareness of using art for mental health treatment. Once the word was out, the community stepped up again, allowing Norton to fill an entire weekend. Financial backing from a number of sources allows most of the events to be free.\nThe workshops kick off at 8 p.m. Friday with a free dance and performance by the blues group the NorTones at the John Waldron Arts Center Auditorium. Bloomingfoods is catering the dance. From 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, the same venue will host five different workshops. Topics range from an improvisational movement theater to an explanation of how the brain responds to art to an open forum with mental health professionals. A "Food for Any Mood" booth sponsored by Bloomingfoods will also be available in the lobby throughout the afternoon.\nGrants from the Indiana Arts Commission are funding these workshops, making them free to the public. However, some workshops have limited seating.\nSaturday night requires an admission fee, but proceeds go to Mental Health of America, a nationwide nonprofit organization that seeks to help others achieve mental wellness, according to the Mental Health of America Web site. For the $12 ticket price, patrons can hear Carrie Newcomer and Malcolm Dalglish perform at 8 p.m. Client art from the Center for Behavioral Health will also be on display in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Textillery Gallery, alongside personal comments from local artists. These pieces can be viewed for free beginning at 7 p.m..\nThe purpose of the weekend is to reduce the stigma people often associate with mental illnesses, Norton said. \n"We're concentrating on overall how art really bridges all kinds of people," she said. "Art touches everyone, and a lot of their art is really quite good." \nFor more information, visit www.artofmentalhealth.org.
(11/09/06 5:28am)
Marcus Randolph promised IU a hip-shaking show from his band, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, and as they began to play The Rolling Stone's "Shake Your Hips" Wednesday night that's just what they delivered. \n"This is IU, and we're about to have a good time. This is ladies time," lead guitarist and vocalist Robert Randolph said, as three dozen women of all ages moved from backstage to center stage to dance along with the music. Then, Robert Randolph showed the group how to really move as he jumped up on his chair to join in the hip shaking. \nIf that wasn't enough, two songs later, another audience member got an even more intimate experience with the band, taking over a guitar on stage. \nFrom the opening riffs of Robert Randolph's signature steel guitar, the band's report with the audience was undeniable. Attendance was low, barely reaching into the back of the orchestra section, but those there proved themselves true fans, moving to the beat and singing along with the words. \nMany of the words were well-known, even to those in the audience less familiar with Randolph's albums, as the band moved seamlessly from original songs to timeless covers. \nSenior Evan Anderson was excited about the covers; he said they helped to break up the show. \n"I like all the solos, too," he said.\nThese solos ranged from a guitar and falsetto guest performance by Robert's cousin to drum features by his other cousin Marcus. Jason Crosby also impressed the crowd, moving through the family of stringed instruments as he alternated between piano and violin. \nIndianapolis resident Craig Lippincott, who enjoyed his 10th concert with the band, was also enthused by the covers, particularly "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson, an artist he had seen the band feature four times before. \nDespite the repeat attendance, he said the music stays fresh. \n"He still plays with the same upbeat tempo," he said. \nLippincott was glad the band didn't focus on the more pop-oriented songs from its recent album "Colorblind." While the band performed many of those singles, it stayed true to the instrumentally-intense sound for which the band has come to be known. \nA sample of music from George Clinton's band Parliament Funkadelic gave insight into the music that influenced Robert Randolph's style. The sound of funk that filled the Auditorium was reminiscent of the September performance of funk legend James Brown. While the crowd last night was not as large as the one to which Brown played, the music was just as energizing and the audience just as enthusiastic.
(11/08/06 6:35am)
JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. -- Early cheers turned to tears late Tuesday night at the Republican headquarters in Jeffersonville, Ind., as U.S. Congressman Mike Sodrel conceded to Democratic challenger Baron Hill. \nAs the polls closed and preliminary numbers came in favoring Sodrel, spirits in the crowd were high. Sodrel walked around the downtown square of his hometown sharing hugs and smiles with the hundreds of locals who came out in his support. Silently showing his authority to return to Washington, Sodrel wore a denim shirt bearing the official U.S. House of Representatives embroidery.\nGiven the close margin of the race, his demeanor seemed calm and confident.\nFor Dee Dee Benkie, District 9 vice chairman of the Indiana Republican State Committee, this confidence was justified as early results began coming in. \n"I think we worked hard to promote the base," Benkie said. "Mike is a perfect fit for this district." \nSodrel spent the day traveling throughout the district, meeting voters at polls all along the way. \n"He feels like there was a good turnout," said Sodrel's press secretary Alison Aikele. "Voters were very receptive." \nBut by 10 p.m., The Associated Press announced that voters had chosen otherwise. The projection came with only 77 percent of precincts reporting and Hill's lead a mere 2 percent margin. \nThis early decision prompted Clark County Republican Party Chairman Glenn Murphy to refuse concession, noting past precedence. \n"We were in the exact same spot two years ago, and we woke up with Congressman Mike Sodrel," Murphy said, referencing Sodrel's defeat of Hill in the last election. "We've got a long night ahead of us, and we're not going to concede."\nBut by 10:23 p.m., the tides had changed as Sodrel entered the anxious crowd. \n"I really feel bad for you," he said. \n"I feel bad for our country," a woman responded from the crowd, a statement that was met with clapping and chanting to the tune that followed Sodrel throughout his campaign: "We love Mike."\nThe 9th District race became a local race with national implications as Election Day loomed, a point proven by the influx of big-name Republicans visiting the area to rally support for Sodrel, including President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush. \nThe race's drama continued as evening reports circulated that a volunteer within the Monroe County Democratic Party stole absentee ballots.\nIn the end, Sodrel felt the votes in question would not be enough to lead him to victory. \n"We may not know what the legal remedy is besides punishing the people responsible," Sodrel said, referring to the incident involving the stolen ballots.\nHe did, however, see a larger problem at play. "We need to preserve democracy for the future of the nation, and you don't do that by stuffing the ballot box."\nAs he looked out on a crowd of tear-filled eyes, Sodrel ended his run with a positive note. \n"In the end, I've got my wife of 39 years this month, two great kids, their spouses and seven granddaughters, so life is good." \nAs for future plans, Sodrel said: "I still have weeks of work left to complete this term, and I probably need some time to reflect."\nHe didn't, however, rule out the possibility of repeating his opponent's political move and running for the seat again in 2008.
(11/08/06 3:25am)
When Robert Randolph and The Family Band take the stage tonight at the IU Auditorium, audiences should get ready to shake their hips, said band member Marcus Randolph.\nThe last few years have sent the group through funk, R&B and more, landing Robert Randolph on Rolling Stone's list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Their latest album, "Colorblind," is geared more toward audience participation, comprised of 11 distinct songs, rather than the instrumental songs they've gravitated towards in previous albums. \n"It might seem a little strange," Marcus Randolph said. "But we're growing as musicians, and we're going to start doing other things."\nHe assures fans, however, that tonight's show will please old and new tastes alike. \n"You never know where we're gonna come from. We're going to be hitting you from all angles," he said. "We'll be jamming and doing what we usually do, and then we'll throw in something totally new."\nThis synthesis of styles comes from a similar mix of influences. Marcus and Robert Randolph, who are cousins, were first exposed to music in the form of gospel, soaking in the melodies at their New Jersey church as children. \nWhile Robert listened to more classic rock music, Marcus was into hip-hop and rap as a teen. \n"My mother used to yell at me because I would play rap music in the house," Randolph said. "I used to have a radio in the house, and as soon as my friends walked by, I'd turn it up to be cool."\nRandolph said the guys turned each other on to different groups over the years, but they all loved Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. "Once we got older, that's what made us want to start playing."\nIt was a quick trip to success for Robert Randolph and The Family Band. They left the audiences of church congregations to entertain at bars and clubs in New York City. Soon they were on the road opening for musicians such as Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews Band and The Black Crowes.\nEventually, the current band fleshed out with Robert Randolph on guitar, Danyel Morgan on bass, Jason Crosby at the piano and Marcus keeping time on the drums. The four men have been on the road nonstop since mid-April, with a break still several weeks away.\nBut Marcus Randolph doesn't mind the schedule. \n"It's just about doing what you love to do," he said. "Some people do what they gotta do, but we're doing this because it's what we love to do."\n"And it pays the bills," Randolph added with a laugh.\nWith a 3-year-old son of his own, the love of music has come full circle. Unlike his mother, Randolph doesn't tell his son to turn anything down, even when playing an instrument himself. \n"If he hits (the drums) too hard, I tell him to slow down, but that's it," Randolph said. "(Playing music) is in our blood, and it's in his too."\nTickets are still available for the 7:30 p.m. performance for $22.50. Call the IU Auditorium Box Office at 855-1103 or visit www.ticketmaster.com for more details.
(11/03/06 5:21am)
Matt Pierce feels the Indiana General Assembly has lost its way. Since his election to the State Representative for District 61 seat in 2000, his main goal has been to help get the state on the right track, reversing some of the bad decisions he said they made.\n"One of the problems is the representative leaders in the General Assembly are not asserting themselves as an independent branch," Pierce said. "They've pretty much become a rubber stamp for Gov. Mitch Daniels."\nPierce said it is important for the legislature to ask hard questions, in response to the proposals of the governor.\nHe feels he is qualified to ask these questions. Aside from receiving bachelor's and law degrees from IU, he has since returned as a visiting lecturer in the telecommunications department. In terms of politics, he served in the statehouse for 10 years, in various capacities, before being elected to his current seat.\n"I think I reflect the values of the community I represent," Pierce said.\nJ.T. Forbes, director of state relations for IU, agrees.\n"He's not just blindly following University line; he's really a good guardian of the students' interest and the University," he said.\nGiven that much of this community is inhabited by students, one of his main platforms relates to the funding and control of IU. \n"(The legislature) has underfunded universities in general," Pierce said. "Higher education is hurting." \nHe explained that more than $900,000 of financial aid was denied to students at the last minute, after it had been promised.\n"The only reason they weren't hurt is that the University stepped up and found money that they really don't have," he said.\nPierce is also against the legislature micromanaging University affairs. \n"It's important that legislatures don't try to control the research centers of the University," Pierce said, explaining that in the past they have restricted how money should be allocated.\nOn a more district-wide issue, Pierce opposes changes in property taxes, as well as an increase in logging. \n"(The legislature) increased logging (by) 400 percent in state forests," Pierce said, casting his eyes toward the slopes of Lake Monroe. Pierce said the legislature has "stripped away the power to protect our local community."\nIf Democrats take control of the statehouse, Pierce feels many of these problems could be reversed. He is optimistic of this shift, as Republicans currently hold a slim majority, with 52 of the 100 seats.
(11/03/06 5:20am)
Adrianne Dunlap not only wants to serve the students of IU by holding a seat in the statehouse, but, as a student herself, she wants to be the political voice for her generation.\nDunlap, originally from Noblesville, Ind., is a senior at IU, majoring in English. While many have put down her lack of experience, she thinks it is a benefit to her campaign.\n"Obviously I'm not an experienced politician, but I feel like that is a good thing," Dunlap said. "I don't have an agenda."\nSince the majority of District 61 is made up of students, Dunlap said it is important for them to be effectively represented. \n"A lot of young people are very split on social issues that have been brought up recently, just as adults are," Dunlap said. \nShe feels it is important to find some common ground everyone is interested in and work on a compromise from there.\nDunlap stressed her intention to truly represent the views of the constituency. \n"I am running on the Republican ticket, but at the same time I feel it is important for a politician to draw a line on issues to separate their personal views and those of their constituents to make sure everyone feels their views are being represented."\nDunlap did not offer views on specific issues but said, "If it's something that's important to the constituency, it's something that should be important for me."\nTo learn these views, Dunlap said she plans to increase polling on campus and in the community if elected. \n"Instead of getting the five percent of the population who calls their congressman, I want to make it more available to give an opinion," Dunlap said. \nDunlap plans on pursuing a teaching license after completing her undergraduate degree, which she expects will happen in December of 2007. She feels she is capable of balancing the demands of representation with that of student life. \n"I wouldn't let (being a student) hinder the duty of being a congressman," Dunlap said.\nShe also hopes this experience could offer valuable experience for future representation. Dunlap plans to stay in Monroe County after graduation but is ready to start her political activity now. \n"At some point we're going to be running the state and local government," Dunlap said. "I don't see why we can't start now"
(11/02/06 5:46am)
Brad Swain says he knows the Sheriff's Department "better or as well as anyone," a claim backed up by his professional experience.\nHe also knows the community. Swain grew up in Monroe County and returned home after college. He resides in Indian Creek Township, where he serves on the board of directors for the fire department, and works full-time as chief investigator in the Monroe County Sheriff Department.\n"Monroe County is probably one of the best places to live in the country," Swain said. "It's a great cross-section of people who seem to get along together, even in the rural areas."\nMost of the jurisdiction of the Sheriff's Department is in these rural areas. However, a large part of student housing also falls within the Sheriff's Department's jurisdiction, Swain said. \nWhen sheriffs get called to those areas, Swain tells students they set the tone for how they will be treated by the officers.\n"You may not talk yourself out of getting arrested, but you can sure talk into getting arrested," Swain said.\nIn light of the prevalence of drinking infractions in Monroe County, Swain says driving under the influence is simply not tolerated. When it comes to public intoxication, he said police officers often act to protect the person being arrested.\nIf someone is arrested in such a situation, especially with a high blood-alcohol level, their personal safety is treated with high priority.\nIn Monroe County as a whole, Swain said a major problem is jail overcrowding. He specifically cites the presence of mental health patients within the facility, a problem he hopes to reverse if elected. When several state mental health centers closed, responsibility for their care fell on the county jail, he said. \n"They have no stimulus to help them (in the jail)," Swain said. "By staying there, they can deteriorate even more."\nAnother cause for overcrowding is the presence of repeat offenders. Swain said the "majority of their problems stem from alcohol- and drug-related issues." \nWhile he said supplementary programs that deal with inmates' addictions are often a successful way to counter these problems, Swain is mindful of efficiency in terms of instituting them.\n"I want to make sure there's some meshing of successful programs, rather than doing something experimental," he said.\nThis efficiency carries over to his other plans, as he hopes to reduce overlapping programs in the Sheriff's Department to reduce stress on the department. \nOne of the changes Swain is most adamant about is eliminating roll call if elected. The current policy requires all patrol officers to report to the sheriff's station in downtown Bloomington at the beginning and end of each shift. This means that sometimes there are no patrol cars on the roads. Further, many of these officers live in rural areas and lose travel time both to and from downtown. By allowing officers to check in from where they will be patrolling, Swain hopes to save money and time for the community.
(11/02/06 5:45am)
James Kennedy is not concerned about students as he prepares for Election Day and a chance at the position of Monroe County Sheriff.\nKennedy -- who earned his law degree from IU, taught criminal justice for 25 years and served as the chief of IU Police Department and Bloomington Police Department, -- said students are not a problem for local law enforcement.\n"The students are not the people that are in our jail, except sometimes on weekends when you have disturbances," Kennedy said. "When students are jailed, they're in for minor offences, but they're bonded and out in no time."\nKennedy said he is more concerned with problems he feels Monroe County at-large needs to face. These include an overcrowding of jail cells and an underfunding of personnel. Funding is an easier fix, one that Kennedy hopes can be addressed by working with the commissioners to work out issues with salaries. He sees the jail as more of a community issue. \n"That is going to have to be done in conjunction with other parts of the criminal justice system and with concerned citizen groups," Kennedy said.\nOne of the main problems with jail overcrowding is recidivism, or the tendency for criminals to commit crimes again, which Kennedy said accounts for about 70 percent of the current inmate population. He is in favor of transition programs like re-entry court to reduce this problem, especially in the case of those with addictions. \n"The sheriff is in a strange situation. You're focusing on law enforcement and also a warden in some respects. You can't do a lot, but at least you can give them an opportunity," he said.\nAnother problem with jail overcrowding is the presence of those with mental illnesses. Kennedy explained that when mental health centers started to close in the 1980s, they essentially said the local community should to take responsibility and care for the mentally ill. The problem is the same for juvenile criminals: A proper facility simply does not exist. \n"I'm in favor of anything we can do to house them," Kennedy said. \nCurrently, it takes two to three hours to transport juveniles to the nearest treatment center.\n"That's an expense we're paying now, and we're losing a deputy that should be out in the county," he said.\nAs for maximizing service time for deputies, Kennedy is in favor of changing the current system of roll call. Current policy requires all deputies to report to the downtown sheriff's station at the beginning and end of their shifts, often a location far from their patrol zone. "There's no reason they can't go on duty from their home location from a radio," Kennedy said. "That's what it's for."\nAside from local law enforcement experience, Kennedy is a retired colonel for the United States Army and United States Marshal for Southern Indiana.\n"I think with my experience and my record and my knowledge of the community that I can do things for the community that have not been done previously," Kennedy said.
(11/01/06 4:17am)
Seat 8 of the Monroe County Circuit Court was established at the beginning of 2006. As a civil court, it presides mainly over cases of small claims, domestic relations and protective orders. \nThe seat is held by Republican Judge Jeffrey A. Chalfant, who was appointed to this position at its inception by Gov. Mitch Daniels. Teresa Harper seeks to take over the seat for the next term and become the first judge elected to the position.\nThe main reason college students come through Chalfant's courtroom is because of landlord negotiations. Chalfant said the cases are usually straightforward, either involving disputed damage charges or figuring out how to handle a tenant who unexpectedly left. \nHis advice is simple: "If you don't maintain your place, you're going to pay to put it back to the condition it was when you moved in."\nAs for juvenile criminals, Chalfant said he approves building a juvenile center in Monroe County, but is realistic about its implementation.\nHe said some children will still need specialized help, requiring a transfer to another county. Chalfant also said the county simply cannot afford the facility without a new source of funding.\nFinances carry over to the proposed idea of night court as well. While he is willing to alter his schedule, he said many monetary aspects have gone unmentioned. \nCourt reporters, security guards and bailiffs would all require additional salaries. Chalfant also noted that defendants might have to pay an extra charge associated with night court in the form of providing babysitting for their children.\nHaving already served as a judge, Chalfant said he feels one of the most important things is "to be centered and be compassionate about everyone." But this approach has a caveat. \n"At the same time, you have to be able to put someone in jail if they need to be," he said. \nChalfant is also interested in extending judgments beyond the courtroom. He started scheduling compliance hearings after divorce cases to ensure those who he felt needed counseling received it. For divorce and small claims cases, he tries to use mediation whenever possible.\n"It's better for people to come to an agreement than for me to decide for them," he said.\nChalfant is the youngest Monroe County judicial candidate this election but said the experience he has is more than enough to qualify him for the job. He said he brings a unique perspective to the bench, having served Monroe County on both the defensive and prosecuting sides in criminal and civil cases. \n"It's important to know how people are feeling, from the prosecutor to the defense attorney to the defendant," Chalfant said. "It's my hope I can do something that will help these people get through what is a very difficult time"
