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(02/01/12 3:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The “Shit White Girls Say” video on YouTube has created a trend, with resulting spin-offs such as “Shit College Freshman Say.” IU is not left out, with “Sh*t People at Hillel Say” and “Sh*t White Girls Say to Muslims” as recent additions to the site.Both videos were uploaded within the past two weeks. The IU Helene G. Simon Hillel Center video has more than 1,500 views, and the latter has more than 10,000. Kiara Abdullah is the star of the “Sh*t White Girls Say to Muslims” video. When Abdullah originally made the video, she did it mainly for family and friends, she said, but she wanted it to be something other people could access, as well. “I did really want it to be a teaching tool,” Abdullah said.Abdullah made the majority of the video herself, using a few friends for help. On YouTube, the video only has six dislikes.“I think that’s really successful if only six or seven people didn’t like it,” Abdullah said. She said if non-Muslims learn that how they phrase questions could be misinterpreted, that’s all she can hope for. If people have questions that appear in the video, they should consider thinking of new ways to phrase them, she said.“It’s a good way to start the conversation,” Abdullah said. “It’s not so much what you say. It’s how you say it.”Abdullah gives examples in the video of statements she hears a lot. In one part of the video, she imitates a “white girl” holding a scarf over her face and says “twinsies.” “You wouldn’t imagine how many people put a scarf on their head and say, ‘We look alike,’” Abdullah said. She said that when it rains, people sometimes tell her she’s lucky she has a “scarf.” “I still need an umbrella and jacket,” Abdullah said. “It’s just a piece of fabric.”Lance DaSilva, Ross Bennett and Daniel Weber, all Hillel employees, were the driving force behind the Hillel video. “I think a lot of what we say would sound like mumbo-jumbo to a non-Jew,” Bennett said. “It’s almost like Hillel inside jokes.”Weber said he hoped to upgrade the way social media was used at Hillel. The video was filmed around various parts of the Hillel building. The target audience was students who have experienced Hillel in some way.“We wanted it to be relatable and funny to students at IU,” DaSilva said. “We had a lot of fun making it. All the food you see me eating in the video, I think I ate that times four.”They were able to write the script in less than a day because many of the things said in the video are things said around Hillel all of the time, but they didn’t always stick to it.“It never hurts to stray away from the script,” Weber said. “It keeps things real.”Sophomore Ben Tamir Rothenberg filmed and edited the video footage. Weber said they saw people share the video on Twitter and Facebook, and that waswhat they wanted.“It got people who have never been before were intrigued,” Weber said.He said someone even called to ask about the Friday Shabbat services and dinners, one of Hillel’s biggest events, because the person had no idea Hillel offered it. “That was probably one of the coolest things,” Weber said. “It was quick, painless and an overall good time.” The goal of Hillel is to be the Jewish “home away from home” for the 4,000 Jewish students at IU, Bennett said. “We wanted to come up with different opportunities for students to get information about Hillel,” Bennett said. The video was sent out with Hillel’s weekly email. “We got a lot of positive feedback,” DaSilva said. “Even recent alumni thought it was funny.”Their goal was to reach people they don’t normally, Weber said. “We want to show we’re really easygoing people and we like to have fun at Hillel,” Weber said.
(01/31/12 5:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Red Light Campaign, a month-long movement dedicated to raising sex-trafficking awareness, will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Union Street Auditorium with an information and worship session.The Red Light Campaign is made up of several Bloomington Christian organizations, as well as the IU Student Association. Steps of Justice, a national organization that works with local communities to help serve the poor and oppressed of the world, will be teaming with the campaign this week to help inform students.“The goal is to educate and inspire IU students to get involved,” said sophomore and Christian Student Fellowship member Ransford Walker.Steps of Justice will reinforce the campaign’s message of sex-trafficking awareness. “They’re all about equipping people,” sophomore and Campus Crusade for Christ member Sarah Conlin said of Steps of Justice. “They give you small steps. A lot of little steps become a movement.”During the hour-and-a-half event, Steps of Justice members will tell personal stories and show videos to raise awareness and teach about sex trafficking. The second part will consist of musical worship. “It’s such a unique opportunity to find out what is going on in the world,” Conlin said. There are about 27 million people enslaved around the world, she added.. Conlin was inspired to become involved with the campaign after she visited Rapha House, an organization devoted to combating child trafficking and sexual exploitation in Cambodia.“You don’t have a choice but to be called into action,” Conlin said. She said the Rapha House, with its mission of protecting young children, was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. “It was the most heaven-like thing I have ever experienced on earth,” Conlin said. Conlin is studying social justice with a focus on sex trafficking through the Individualized Major Program. Chris Wilson became involved with Steps to Justice a year and a half ago. “We had a heart to travel and share with people what the different issues are,” Wilson said. Steps of Justice tries to educate its audience about all forms of injustice, such as lack of water, along with issues such as human trafficking. “A lot of it is surprising and heart-wrenching,” Conlin said. “They’re incredible people with a very unique message.” Wilson, his wife Jenna, Phil Cunningham, who is one of the founders of Steps of Justice, and his wife Amy travel the country to educate people about injustices in the world. In the fall, they traveled up the West Coast, and this spring, they will start in San Diego and head east.Throughout the month, there will be various events at IU to promote awareness. The Campaign wanted to have all the events in one month to focus on the issues at one time, Walker said. “I feel like there hasn’t been a lot of info circulating about trafficking,” Walker said. “It’s a big problem in our world today.” There will be movie nights that feature films and documentaries that focus on sex trafficking. This weekend, the campaign is having “An Evening of Justice and Worship,” a 24-hour prayer event from Friday to Saturday in response to the Super Bowl in Indianapolis. Thousands of women and children are predicted to be trafficked into Indianapolis for the Super Bowl, Walker said. “It opens the door and makes it easier for people to traffic people into the city,” Wilson said. On Feb. 18 in Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union, the campaign will have “A Night For Freedom Art Auction,” along with dessert, appetizers and two speakers. The proceeds from the event will go to Rapha House. Walker said he enjoys seeing students and organizations come together to fight sex trafficking. “You can’t stop it, but you can talk about it and pray about it,” Conlin said.
(01/27/12 4:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A free half-hour piano concert will be held at the Leo R. Dowling International Center at noon today. Every Friday, music students have the chance to show off their skills. “As a student, it’s another opportunity to listen to good music, to take a break, have a light lunch and enjoy a free concert,” International Center Director Sandy Britton said.Brazilian grad student Daniel Inamorato performed last Friday as the first musician of the semester. He played both popular and traditional Brazilian music.“It’s giving people here the opportunity to see what is happening in other countries and cultures,” Inamorato said. “The music has this link. You can always be close to the public and people in the city.”Classical music is most often played at the concert series. Once a semester the center also tries to bring in a student to play folk music from another country. “That’s been very well-liked,” Britton said. “For domestic students, the concert series is an opportunity to come to a setting that serves international students but that welcomes everyone. It’s a program we enjoy and plan to continue, and everyone is invited.”Some of the bigger audiences have had 40 to 45 people attend. About five to 10 people attend regularly. “The attendance has been down, and we would like to see that go up,” International Center Office Assistant Tish González said.Inamorato said he is more concerned with the quality of the performance itself rather than the number of audience members.“I don’t believe the number of people matters,” Inamorato said. “I consider it a concert as if I would play with an orchestra. When we are professionals, we need to do our best.”Inamorato likes that the concert is free because money issues sometimes keep people from attending concerts.“We’re really fortunate to have such a good school of music,” González said. “Sometimes it’s really amazing. It’s a comfortable and intimate setting.”González said some of the performers have asked to perform again.After the concert, a light lunch is provided for the audience. “It gives the performers a chance to meet and greet,” González said. Some of the performers have been playing an instrument since they were five, González said. Inamorato has been playing the piano for 20 years and has competed in his native country. “It’s something that I started so early in life that’s it’s just natural. I started to play piano before I learned to read or write,” Inamorato said. “I play piano because I believe it is something I can’t live without.” This school year is his first in America. “I can see people care about art here,” he said. “If something in the world can make us better people, it’s art.”
(01/26/12 5:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Secular Alliance of IU, a student group of atheists, agnostics and humanists, will begin participating in biweekly service projects for Pages to Prisoners and Hoosier Hills Food Bank. “I like to have opportunities, knowing I’m doing good for others,” sophomore Ingrid Feustel said. “I think that’s pretty universal.”Those participating in the Pages to Prisoners event send letters and books to inmates who request the written materials. “It felt really good, helping someone have something to read,” senior Aaron Ulbricht said. The inmate he wrote to is in segregation and doesn’t often talk to other inmates, Ulbricht said. At Bloomington’s Hoosiers Hills, volunteers package food from food service establishments and donate it to those who are in need. “We want to show you can be good without God,” junior and President Carly Jane Casper said. “We want to help people because it’s the right thing to do.” Casper said there will be fundraisers to help raise money for Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian organization which provides medical assistance in more than 60 countries. During the week of Feb. 6, the group will have an event where they set out a table with cups labeled with local church names. People can then put money into the cups.The Alliance will visit the church with the most money in its cup to learn about the congregation. A large part of the money will be given to Doctors Without Borders. Ulbricht said the community service aspect of the Alliance also attracted him to the program. “Everyone has some desire to make the world a better place,” he said. The group has Thursday movie nights and Sunday discussions. “I really enjoy having philosophical discussions,” Casper said.The Alliance has about 15 to 20 members who come to at least one meeting a week and 20 more who come to one or two meetings every other week. Feustel got involved at the beginning of this school year.“It was the friendliest call-out meeting I had ever been to,” Feustel said.She said she likes knowing she can to talk to people who understand where she’s coming from. Feustel grew up on the East Coast and said she feels people are more likely to judge her here because of her views. “It’s a great opportunity to share ideas at a place where you know they will be welcome,” Feustel said. “We try to foster a sense of community.” Casper said she thinks people think poorly of atheists.“We think we’re pretty nice,” Casper said. “We like to have a positive presence in the community.”The group members help others understand their points of view by setting up a booth on campus where students can ask them questions. “We’re always happy to talk to anyone, whether it’s related to faith or not,” Feustel said. “You meet really interesting people.”
(01/24/12 4:54am)
Students will be able to meet with potential employers at the Winter Career and Internship Fair from 4 to 7 p.m. today at Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union.
(01/23/12 3:49am)
Junior and Internal Vice Chairman of College Republicans Lucas Wozniak said in order to beat President Barack Obama this November, the
Republican candidate needs to be a capable debater and speaker, have a
clear, well-thought out plan for economic recovery and have a clear and
concise answer to handle America’s debt.
(01/20/12 4:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU will welcome a variety of debate teams this weekend as part of the second annual Hoosier Invitational Tournament, a debate competition that will focus on the topic of whether the United States should increase democratic assistance to Arab Spring nations.The tournament will take place Saturday through Monday. It starts off with seven preliminary rounds that lead to a “March Madness style” bracket until only one team remains. There will be 47 teams competing from 14 schools. The list includes Northwestern University, the University of Louisville and Vanderbilt University. Approximately 130 people are expected to attend the tournament, which is about double the amount of people who attended last year.“The power of the Arab Spring and its potential meant that this community really wanted to be a part of it,” said Brian DeLong, coach and School of Public and Environmental Affairs lecturer. The teams that participate in these tournaments prepare for months. The topic for the tournament was decided back in July 2011 by the participating schools. Before computers were invented, teams used to have giant tubs full of information, junior Gabrielle Cherney said. The IU team keeps up on current events, reads journals and books and extracts information from them.“You have to have a response for anything someone would say,” senior Samuel Owens said. Owens said the team uses note cards and tries to sum up the books and articles they read into the most important information. The team has weekly meetings and often practices debating. “The more practice you have, the better you can deliver the day of,” Cherney said. The debate team was started three years ago after an inactive period that began in 1993.“We’ve been scrambling to get organized in the last three years,” DeLong said. “The goal is to rebuild Indiana back to a successful program.”DeLong said the team has about 10 to 15 members who travel to tournaments. The young IU debate team has received lots of support from other universities.“It started out pretty small,” Cherney said. “Now it’s a pretty great organization.”The debates last about an hour and a half. In the debates, two teams compete against each other, each with two members arguing their side. In different rounds, the teams argue the other side of the issue.“A lot of it is about quality of arguments,” Cherney said. “It’s a pretty in-depth activity.” Team members said they hope they will perform well but are also concerned about the overall success of the tournament.“Basically it’s just really fun to be able to put your knowledge on the line and stand in front of a group of people and just be able to argue your point,” Owens said. “We’re just hoping to host a really good tournament and people will want to come back next year. As long as that goes smoothly, I think it’ll be a successful weekend.”
(01/19/12 4:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>VegIU was officially re-launched in fall 2011 to help vegetarians and vegans feel welcome on campus. The group has now grown to an email list of more than 200. “At the first meeting, the room was so full we had to move to a bigger room,” junior and President Jennie Plasterer said.VegIU has events, such as film screenings, potluck dinners and meals at local restaurants. The first Saturday of each month is dinner outings, and every third Saturday is for potluck dinners. The Owlery Restaurant is one of the more popular vegetarian restaurants, Plasterer said. This Saturday, the organization is having a “Breakfast for Dinner” potluck at 6 p.m. at The Owlery.Plasterer said she has been a vegetarian since she was six and became a vegan a few years ago. She said she made the choice to become a vegan because she loves animals and is also interested in the health and environmental benefits. In 2011, IU was ranked the most vegetarian-friendly college in America by peta2, an animal rights group that challenges anyone who abuses animals. “I have no doubt they were looking at Collins,” Plasterer said. “As it turns out, a lot of that’s mislabeled.”Senior Thomas Fricktion said he thinks this mislabeling is because people don’t always understand what goes into the food, and things like by-products can slip through. VegIU has plans to speak with Residential Programs and Services to discuss changes to its menus.Fricktion said he became a vegetarian when he was about 12 or 13 after his older sister became one. He made the switch to veganism four years ago after he started to do more research about the topic.VegIU also has cooking workshops to help members make vegan and vegetarian-friendly dishes. Many non-vegan dishes can be made vegan by substituting ingredients. For example, ice cream might be made with coconut milk instead of regular milk. Plasterer said she really likes barbecued tofu ribs, and senior and Vice President Elie Abraham said he is still able to eat pizza.“I know a lot of people who come as omnivores and vegetarians who become vegetarians and vegans,” Plasterer said. The group has meetings every two weeks in Woodburn Hall and tries to have events during the off weeks. “We try to do a good variety of events,” Fricktion said. “It can be easy, it can be fun, it can be delicious.”Abraham said he became a vegetarian about two years ago and became vegan only a month later. “I think I’m grateful to be at IU and Bloomington,” Abraham said. “Both are much more receptive to the vegan and vegetarian community.” He said there are still misunderstandings.“There are a lot of things we could change, and I think the change is happening,” Abraham said.
(01/18/12 2:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Habitat for Humanity usually builds during weekends, but on Jan. 18 and 19, IU’s chapter is co-sponsoring special midweek builds in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. “This week, Habitat is having builds because there is a push to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a day on, not off,” said senior Nicholas Bell, the president of IU’s Habitat for Humanity chapter.Meagan Niese, development director for Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County, said the builds are special because she thinks giving back to the community provides people a way to honor King’s legacy. Habitat also brings together volunteers of diverse backgrounds, Niese said. “I think it can be a very special picture of Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream,” Niese said. During the two-day build, volunteers will be working on three homes that are currently under construction. The project will last from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those interested in volunteering can sign up at monroecountyhabitat.org.IU’s chapter doesn’t build houses on its own, but works in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County.“We provide the muscle they need and help them fundraise,” Bell said. The IU chapter has fundraising activities throughout the year, including Rake-A-Thon in the fall. Participants rake the yards of Bloomington residents in exchange for donations to Habitat for Humanity. Habitat raised almost $4,000 from last semester’s Rake-A-Thon. Habitat also has a bike ride and five-kilometer run at other times during the school year. Families have to meet certain criteria to receive a house built by Habitat. The family has to have a need for housing and must be able to pay their interest-free mortgage. Every adult who will be living in the house must put in 250 “sweat equity hours.” This involves the adults working on their own houses, as well as attending education classes that teach them how to better handle their money. “They want families that want to help themselves,” Bell said.Junior Mike Dits, one of the chairs of fundraising, said every family is overjoyed because of drasticially improved living circumstances. “Habitat says it’s a hand up, not a hand-out,” Dits said. IU’s chapter received a grant this year that it will put toward building homes this fall. In Monroe County, Habitat has a zero-percent foreclosure rate. Habitat finds contractors and volunteers and makes sure the houses are safe. If a hurricane went through Bloomington, the only houses left standing would be the ones built by Habitat, Bell said. When the houses are completed, the house is dedicated to the family.“It really gives you perspective,” Bell said. “It’s really life-changing. I actually feel like I’m helping someone else.” Habitat is having a call-out meeting at 8 p.m. Jan. 23.“We’re always trying to grow up membership,” Dits said. Niese said the best part of Habitat is being able to work with the families. “The volunteers literally get to work alongside the future homeowners,” she said. “It’s always one of the most rewarding parts of my job. It’s a very personal way of volunteering, and I really enjoy getting to see how empowered our homeowners are.”
(01/17/12 3:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One of senior Kyle McHugh’s most memorable moments of the recent IU Ski and Snowboard Club trip involves losing one of his skis that was caught on a sapling. When he found his ski, it was hanging off a branch over a 30-foot cliff. If the branch hadn’t caught it, the ski would have been lost. “It makes you appreciate the mountain and want to get better,” said McHugh, co-president of the IU Ski and Snowboard Club.With the beginning of winter comes the arrival of many seasonal sports, but for the club, this is nowhere near the beginning of their activities. The club members not only participate in winter sports, but also engage in other activities such as rock climbing, horseback riding and paint-balling. “We’re an adrenaline junkie club,” sophomore and club member Freddie Trimarco said. The club recently returned from a trip to Big Sky Resort in Montana, in which about 100 students participated. Senior Allie Renkert, co-head of regional trips, said the number is actually small compared to the number of students who usually go on the trip.“In the past, we have taken way more people,” Renkert said.The club left New Year’s Day and came back the Sunday before classes began. It was about a 30-hour drive, and the members had four days of skiing and snowboarding. “We’re like one big family,” Trimarco said. “It’s a lot of fun. You’re constantly busy.” There were several injuries during the Montana trip, including Trimarco, who broke his shoulder. It was his most memorable moment of the trip, he said. “It’s the inherent danger of the sport,” Renkert said. During the trip, Renkert traveled 11,100 feet up the mountain.“It’s some of the most beautiful scenery you’ll ever see,” Renkert said. McHugh said he became involved because he wanted to share his passion for skiing with other people. “It’s a really great club to be a part of if you like to have fun and meet new people,” said McHugh. “You don’t have to ski and snowboard and don’t have to have any experience whatsoever.”Renkert said she didn’t have any experience when she first joined the club.The club is taking two big trips this year, including the one they just got back from and another to Jackson Hole, Wyo., over spring break. “I’m going snowboarding tonight,” Renkert said. “It’s a part of my life now.” The club also takes smaller trips to places such as Perfect North Slopes and Paoli Peaks, both located in Indiana. Trimarco said the members of the club usually form a carpool system and try to ski and snowboard as much as possible. He also said he likes getting to know people from other places.“People speak the same language when you’re a skier and snowboarder,” Trimarco said. The club is having a call-out meeting Thursday, Jan. 19, but McHugh said the best way to get involved is to come to the events.“You actually have to come out and make an effort,” McHugh said. Many of the members said skiing and snowboarding is a large part of their lives. Even with his injury, Trimaco looks forward to his future with the club.“You’re in a whole other world when you’re out West,” Trimarco said. “It’s a way of life. It’s really inspirational in a way.”
(01/13/12 5:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s club hockey team, currently 10-13, plays from October to February and has games every weekend. Jan Jas became the head coach last season, when the team switched from Division II to Division I.“My goals are to improve the program to the highest possible level,” Jas said. Jas grew up in Slovakia, where he said hockey is very popular. His older brother was a hockey player, and Jas started playing when he was just two years old.“It’s just the intensity and adrenaline of the sport, the fast pace of it and the excitement,” Jas said. “It’s an irreplaceable feeling for me.” All of the players are undergraduate students, many of whom first got involved with hockey at a young age, most starting between the ages of four and seven, and following in the footsteps of their family members. Junior Alex Handy’s father played hockey professionally, so Handy first learned to skate as a two-year-old. “I’ve always had a passion for it,” Handy said. “It makes me happy and always has.”The team’s most recent game was last weekend against No. 7 Iowa State. The game was tied at 4-4 as it progressed into a five minute period of sudden death, after which the game was still tied. Then commenced the shootout. Each team picked three players to shoot a penalty shot. Iowa State made its first two shots, as did IU. Iowa State missed its last shot. Handy was up next. Handy took the last penalty shot and scored. “It was awesome. That’s the best highlight I have,” Handy said. “All the guys were jumping up and down, and they rushed the ice. It was pretty unreal.”Handy said he hopes more students will start taking interest in the games. “We want to market the team better and get more students to come to the games,” Handy said. Handy transferred to IU this academic year but said he hasn’t had any trouble connecting with his teammates.“It’s kind of like a brotherhood,” Handy said. “I’d compare it to being in a fraternity.”“We spend so much time together practicing and playing games, you naturally get along off the ice, too,” junior Nick Dobrez said. Dobrez said very few of the guys who came in his freshman year are still playing on the team, and many of the guys live together in houses. Just like Jas and Handy, Dobrez took after his dad and older brothers, all of whom played hockey. “I love it, so I just kept playing it,” Dobrez said. “It’s just a different sport.”As for this weekend, the players and coaches said they all hope for the best. “All we can do is wish that everyone is healthy and ready to go Friday,” Jas said. The team has now beat two different top-10 ranked teams. Handy said Miami is a good team, but he has confidence in his team’s ability to perform. “It’s going to be a battle, but I’m expecting a win,” Handy said.
(01/12/12 4:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With more than 2,000 paying members, IU Student Alumni Association is the largest student organization on campus. SAA is currently making changes to the way it is run. Until this month, its directors were appointed in August, based off an academic year calendar. Now, student directors will be appointed in January. “It made sense for us to go to a calendar year,” said Kim Watson, the senior vice president of external. “We can really take the time to make our events better.” Homecoming usually takes place in October, so now SAA will have about nine months to plan main events, such as the Nearly Naked Mile. In 2011, more than 2,500 people attended the event, which raised more than $700 for United Way, along with collecting donated clothing. SAA is looking to fill various leadership positions after having elected key officials. Any freshman, sophomore or junior can apply for director positions, whether or not they have previously been involved with SAA. By becoming a director, the student will automatically become a member. The association hopes to attract students of various backgrounds, SAA adviser Emili Sperling said.“We feel that everybody is a student and everyone will become an alum,” Sperling said. “We want our students to be representative of the student body.” SAA’s parent organization is the IU Alumni Association. IUAA position appointments started to switch to a calendar year, as well, which is another reason why SAA switched when it appointed its directors. For interested students, applications are on the SAA website and are due tonight at 5 p.m. Current SAA President Brett Rasche said students who apply need to have a go-getter attitude and need to be willing to work hard right away. “We need students who can help coordinate these traditions we have,” Sperling said. SAA added a new position, director of the budget, this year. This student will be responsible for ordering supplies and reimbursements and for working with the IUAA business office. “It’s important to have someone who knows what they are doing,” Sperling said. Because new directors start in January, they will have more time to contact local businesses and make sure everything runs smoothly, Rasche said.“We’ll just have several extra months and can grow these events from what they have been in the past,” Rasche said. SAA puts on large-scale events during the year, such as Homecoming and Senior Salute, and said it hopes to help active students stay involved in the IU community after graduation. “We work on engaging students and connecting them with alums,” Watson said.Watson became involved with SAA during her freshman year.“I really enjoyed the things it offered, and I felt like I was making a difference at IU,” Watson said.
(01/09/12 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In 2010, faculty members Joan Pong Linton, Valerie Grim and Arlene Diaz created Attention Reflection Connection IU, an organization geared toward promoting diversity on IU’s campus. ARC-IU defines inclusion as “a process that begins with acknowledging cultural differences — some visible, some not — and that makes understanding differences a common goal and common ground for inquiry.”During its first spring semester, ARC-IU, at that time “ARC 2010!”, ran a series in February, March and April. February focused on attention, March on reflection, and April on connection. Although Linton said she thinks there are a number of efforts toward the promotion of diversity across campus, she also said she thinks there is still some way to go.“It seems like most of the time we are still treading water,” Linton said. “This effort connects faculty, students and staff together. We hoped this would bring in a majority of faculty and students.” The organization was first funded by a multidisciplinary ventures grant through the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs. Jeffrey Holdeman became involved with ARC-IU in the spring of 2011. In the fall of 2011, ARC-IU had a call-out meeting in which members planned various projects for the year. Holdeman, the director of the Global Village Living Learning Center, is currently working on a project in conjunction with IU Residential Programs and Services.The project will consist of a handbook that will provide ways to help make residence halls more inclusive. Holdeman hopes the handbook can help students deal with conflict and can also provide assistance to international students living in residence halls. “The purpose is to enhance the diversity events that are already ongoing,” Linton said. ARC-IU sponsors are typically determined on an event-by-event basis to help pay for its projects.
(10/12/11 2:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>More than 50 people attended the first Bloom Tech event at the Pourhouse Cafe on Monday.Senior Junaid Kalmadi and second year master’s student Grant Carlile launched the event through the Kelley Venture Capital and Private Equity Club and the Informatics, Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Computing Club. Kalmadi said both of these groups are focused on entrepreneurship startups. “We want to get motivated people who are interested in startups to come together,” Kalmadi said. “The goal is to get students with various skills to make business happen.”The event was open to IU faculty and students, as well as Bloomington residents. Carlile spent last summer in Boulder, Colo., and said he met different people every day who were pursuing project initiatives. “It’s invigorating, and I know there are people like that in Bloomington,” Carlile said. “We don’t have to create these people. They’re here.”Carlile said he hopes to have a Bloom Tech event about once a month.“We create the scaffolding, but the people that come are the meat, the body,” Carlile said. “The community just needs a place to come together.”The event began with three speakers: Matt Hunkler, the organizer of Verge, which helps Indianapolis entrepreneurs meet; John Wechsler, a partner of Developertown, which helps startups create better products; and Brad Wisler, co-fouder of Sproutbox, which aids entrepreneurs in turning their ideas into successful businesses.Gerry Hays, a lecturer in the Kelley School of Business, also attended the event and spoke to the crowd.“This needed to happen four to five years ago,” Hays said. “We need to build more startups. We need to build more companies. I’d like to see this ten times this size next year.”Senior Forrest Fowler said he thinks Bloom Tech has needed to happen for awhile.“I think it was a great way to bridge the gap between entrepreneurship and business,” Fowler said. “Networking is more important than having knowledge of how to do something. It’s long overdue.”Senior entrepreneurship and corporate innovation and management major Alex Goldsmid also attended the event.“It sounded interesting to me,” Goldsmid said. “This is a way for me to apply some of the stuff I’ve learned and an opportunity for me to help people out with what I know.”It was the people, not the presentation, that brought Bloomington resident Kitty Robinson to Bloom Tech.“I like to see what they have to offer, what businesses they are working with, and to network,” Robinson said. “I’m trying to see what’s available.”Bloomington resident and Chief Executive Officer of Sustainability Dashboard Stephen Ashkin attended because he is looking for interns.“I thought it would be a good experience for the kids and my company,” Ashkin said. Kalmadi and Carlile said they are hoping this event can lead to bigger projects, such as participation in the Building Entrepreneurs in Software and Technology Competition, a contest through the Kelley School of Business and the School of Informatics and Computing with $250,000 in prize money. IU students who have ideas can submit a business plan to the competition.“The goal is to have a grassroots movement of students coming together and creating startups and to keep talent in Indiana,” Kalmadi said.Hays echoed this sentiment.“Most importantly, stay here in Indiana,” Hays said. “Build your company and we will support you.”
(09/22/11 1:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Robin Walker’s 13-year-old son, Ryan Casazza, doesn’t have much of a
social life. He doesn’t go to the movies and doesn’t usually play with
other kids. His classmates don’t come over to his house.
Life presents many challenges, but to those with autism, something as simple as making friends can be a problem.
In 2003, Alexander Murphy-Nakhnikian, then an IU freshman, created an
autism mentoring program through the Hutton Honors College.
The program aims to help children with autism interact in social situations.
Casazza’s mentor, junior C.J. West, is his best friend.
“It is literally my son’s first experience with having a best friend,” Walker said. “It’s very heartfelt.”
Walker said the program has helped Casazza gain independence and start to overcome his separation anxiety.
Casazza and West have gone to the library numerous times, which is
Casazza’s favorite place. They have also gone bowling, to the WonderLab
Museum and have made frequent trips to McDonald’s.
“It’s been beneficial for us as a family, and it’s been an overall great experience for him,” Walker said.
Walker said there can be a few setbacks. West is older than Casazza, which can make the relationship a little awkward.
She also said Casazza doesn’t always understand the way life works,
mentioning a time when he got mad at West for having car trouble, but
she definitely sees the benefits.
“C.J. has been wonderful. It has to take a commitment from your heart,” Walker said. “Every visit counts.”
West became involved with the program after participating in a similar
program in high school. He said he looked at other volunteer programs,
such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, but decided on the mentoring program.
“I thought it would be a cool new experience for me and I’d learn a lot from it,” West said.
He said he has enjoyed helping Casazza improve his social skills.
“I know he’s gotten a lot out of it and how much it means to him,” West said. “He’ll be asking about his brother C.J.”
The program currently has about 10 mentor and child pairs, said Brian Donley, a senior and the program’s student intern.
He is also a mentor and has been since summer 2010.
“I was looking for a long-term program,” Donley said. “It sounded like something I could really get involved in.”
He said one of the goals this year is to get more families involved. There are currently waitlisted student volunteers.
The program is volunteer-based, and students must apply to be mentors.
Then they must go through a short training and interviews. Parents
review the students’ applications and pick a mentor they think will work
well with their child.
“It’s a very one-on-one program,” Donley said.
The mentors have a lot of independence in the program, and they are free
to go where they want with their child, but they must meet with the
child once a week for a year.
“I think it’s just a great program for anyone interested in making
long-term connections,” Donley said. “What could be cooler for the kids
than having a college friend to hang with?”
(09/07/11 3:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Vivian Ling was recently named interim director of IU’s Chinese Flagship Program, which helps students gain extensive knowledge of the language.Ling was born in China and moved to the United States when she was 11 years old. Originally a math major at Swarthmore College, she went to graduate school to study east Asian studies and fell in love with the subject. Ling has been teaching Chinese for more than 40 years.“I feel we have the support of the highest level of the administration. All the factors are coming together. It seemed to me like an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Ling said.Forty-two undergraduates are enrolled in the flagship program, and two are enrolled in the newly created graduate program. Out of only 10 Chinese Flagship Programs in the nation, IU’s is the only one with a graduate program. “It’s like Chinese language on steroids,” said Michael Robinson, chair of the east Asian languages and cultures department. “It’s a whole different idea about language learning. It’s one of these skills that is applicable everywhere.”By the time these students are juniors they will have completed fourth-year Chinese. Students also have a capstone year that requires them to do a year of study in China, take classes at a Chinese university and complete an internship. “What really excites us is seeing students have relationships with colleagues in China,” Robinson said.Each semester, students write a term paper in Chinese and present it by computer to professors from a university in China. After their junior year, students must pass a Chinese proficiency test. During their capstone year, students must write a thesis in Chinese.“The demands on students are extraordinary,” Robinson said. “If you motivate them and raise the bar, they will go for it.”Robinson said he hopes foreign language study will be more prominent.“We can’t expect that international English will always be dominant,” Robinson said. Robinson and Ling both said they want to attract more students from outside Indiana. “We have something here that is quite unique, and we just need to get the word out,” Ling said. “There’s a lot of pressure for the students that get into this, but they find it very worthwhile.”Ling said she hopes the program can move past the College of Arts and Sciences so professionals also have the chance to learn Chinese at an accelerated level. Jackson Boyar, a senior majoring in east Asian languages and cultures, applied to the flagship program as a freshman. “It’s extremely well-organized and effective education,” Boyar said. “Learning foreign languages gives you exposure to things you wouldn’t learn in biology or math.” Boyar participated in a program in Beijing through Princeton University with students from Harvard University, Yale University and Princeton. He said the students from IU were the most prepared. “We were speaking for the first few weeks, and they were listening,” Boyar said. Boyar said he is excited to work with Ling, who will also teach a course.“I want some direct contact with the students,” Ling said. “They are working so hard and are very inspiring. You want to do everything to help them succeed.”
(02/23/11 3:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For those students out there who wish all of their most-used websites were in one place, btownlinks.com is the answer. Launched in fall 2010 by IU junior Forrest Fowler and sophomore at University of Wisconsin-Madison Tyler Henke, btownlinks.com provides an avenue to many websites, from Oncourse to Texts From Last Night. Fowler and Henke, both Bloomington natives, wanted to provide students with a site that would put all of their websites in one convenient place. The site contains RSS feeds from various news websites, links to social networking sites, links to MapQuest and Google Maps, a search engine and even an interactive weather forecast. “We thought it would be cool to create a student internet portal,” Henke said. Fowler and Henke worked with multiple web designers to get the site together. They enlisted friends to help them spread the word through advertising with stickers and through Facebook. They talked to hundreds of students to find out what they would like to see on the site. As they received feedback from students, the plans changed from the original form.“Originally, we just imagined a page with links to different sites as opposed to an interactive home page,” Henke said. They said their site has about 2,000 users, and in the future, they would like to make the page customizable. They said they hope to add more features to bring in students who haven’t used the site before. Right now, they are working with their “deals” sections. They like to find “cool deals at businesses that students didn’t necessarily know about,” Fowler said.Fowler and Henke each have their own favorite part about the website. Henke said he likes being able to stay informed. Fowler said he agreed with Henke and added that he also likes the accessibility of everything, especially the scores widget, which lists scores from college and professional sports games. Henke and Fowler both said they have enjoyed this project.“This project is really fun for us,” Henke said.Overall, students seem to have positive responses to the website. “It’s kind of like everything on one page,” freshman Lauren Christiansen said. “I like the weather app. I like how they have all of the news stuff up. It would kind of keep you in the loop of things.”“A lot of the things I need are right here on the homepage,” junior Michael Lewis said. “It seems like a really useful website.”Henke and Fowler said they welcome any feedback students have at info@btownlinks.com. “We are always up for more feedback,” Henke said. “We want the site to be what you want, what Forrest wants, what everyone wants. Any feedback, we’ll listen and we’re excited about.”
(12/02/10 4:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As Bloomington continues to grow, its roads must also expand, causing traffic problems in the process. Started earlier this year and continuing until 2012, the IN-45/46 bypass will be under construction.Three miles of the bypass will be widened to up to seven lanes in some places. The project is estimated to cost about $22 million.The idea for the expansion of the bypass has been in the works for at least 20 years. It originated with the Indiana Department of Transportation in the 1980s and 1990s, said Stephen Volan, Bloomington city council member. Discussions began because of the traffic buildup on the bypass, with drivers complaining of long waits. The expansion will add more lanes with the intention of decreasing traffic.However, Volan said although the expansion itself is a good idea, the bypass doesn’t need to be expanded as widely as it is.“I don’t think it’s an improvement,” he said, adding that the expansion will simply allow more cars to go faster.Volan also said he believes the project is $11 million too expensive.Still, he said IU and the City of Bloomington are both in favor of the expansion. As part of the expansion, all intersections will be widened, and there will be more ways to get on and off the bypass.However, the construction associated with the expansion has caused some students to complain. As part of the construction, many trees near the bypass were cut down. Some of these trees helped block some Greek houses from the bypass. Many students have also complained that the construction is interfering with the drive around Bloomington, while others seem unaffected.“I live on North Walnut Street,” La-Tisha Plummer said. “In terms of getting across town to the mall, I think of alternative routes to get there.” She also said the construction makes traffic worse at game times. Volan said during the next two years, traffic is going to get worse before it gets better.Sophomore Aisha Wilson said she isn’t really affected by the construction. “I really don’t know a lot about it at all. I just assume a lot of traffic,” she said. “There’s a good and bad benefit from it. Process takes time.”
(11/10/10 2:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Laptops and wireless internet have become an integral part of higher education, helping students complete work almost anywhere on campus. But students at IU have voiced mixed feelings regarding wireless Internet in residence halls.“It’s really slow and inconsistent,” sophomore and Forest Quad resident Taylor Wiseley said. “It kicks me off a lot.” Freshman and Read Center resident Ashley Schaefer agreed.“It’s a little slow, especially when you’re running a lot of programs,” she said. “I use the landline for the most part.”Kirt Guinn, senior manager for the campus network infrastructure, said wireless was first installed on campus in late 2000 and was then established in the residence halls in 2008. As manager, Guinn said he oversees the installation, maintenance and troubleshooting of all campus networks to make sure they run smoothly.More than 90 percent of the campus has wireless internet access, he said, including all buildings. Guinn also has a team of more than 40 people split between the Bloomington and IU-Purdue University Indianapolis campuses to help maintain the network. That team, he said, does sometimes receive information and reports of the residence halls having problems with the wireless. “When we get them, we address them,” Guinn said.Although students might speak poorly of the wireless, Guinn said there have been very limited complaints since wireless was installed, and some students even disagree that there are any problems at all.“Overall, I think the Wi-Fi works really well,” freshman and Forest Quad resident Kristopher Kuzeff-Harris said. “I haven’t had any problems with it, personally.” “It’s pretty nice in Ashton,” sophomore Emilie Betz said. “It just goes out randomly.”Guinn said there are even more wireless access points now than there were five years ago, and there are plans to increase the bandwidth and coverage of the wireless internet on campus in 2011.“We are always filling gaps when we find them to achieve 100 percent wireless,” Guinn said.If problems in the residence halls persist, Guinn said he encourages students to be vocal about them — the campus is large and said his team “can’t see all of it at the same time.” Students can report a problem to University Information Technology Services by calling
812-855-6789.“I wish I knew these things,” Guinn said. “If we don’t know about the problems, we can’t fix them.”
(11/04/10 3:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>January 2011, will honor the 25th celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, honoring King for the sacrifices he made to push the U.S. toward equality.MLK Jr. Day was first celebrated on IU’s campus in 1995, and in 1998, students and faculty were first given the day off from classes.To further spread the spirit of King, the Office of the Vice President
for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs has created the MLK Jr.
Day Essay contest. The contest asks students to look into their own lives and to notice anyone who exemplifies the values and attitude of King. The contest is open to all Bloomington undergradate and graduate students. The first place winner of both the undergraduate and graduate categories will receive a 32GB iPad. Roberta Radovich, program coordinator in the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs, said the MLK, Jr. celebration committee wants students to think about how King relates to their own life and to reflect on their own connection to him.This year’s essay prompt, “What sacrifice(s) has someone you admire made in order to follow King and sustain his legacy, as the Rev. Jackson suggests we should?,” is based off a speech recently given by the Rev. Jesse Jackson.Laura Plummer, director of the Campus Writing Program, highlighted the importance of students drawing on King’s legacy in order to reflect on their own lives. “It’s a chance for students to think about a personal experience,” she said. The winners of the contest will recite their work at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Breakfast, which Plummer said is the highlight of the event.“I really enjoy being able to see students perform their work,” Plummer said. “It’s a rare opportunity.”The MLK essay contest, Plummer said, is part of the greater message of MLK Jr. Day — to admire King for the change he helped bring about in the U.S.Junior Francesca Fuerman said she thinks it’s great that the U.S. honors him each year.“I think he’s such an important leader and historical figure,” she said.Sophomore Chris Port said he thinks a day in King’s honor can attest to how far our country has come, even if he still thinks there are pitfalls. “I don’t think we’re all the way there yet,” he said. “I think it shows how much progress the country has made.”
