96 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(08/02/06 10:39pm)
The IU Police Department has advised Indiana Memorial Union staff members to be on the look out for a subject after a worker discovered a man believed to have been masturbating in the basement mail room of the IMU Monday afternoon, IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said, reading from the police report.\nMinger said the witness notified the IUPD at 5:40 p.m. Monday and officers responding to the scene were not able to locate the subject in or around the building.\nThe witness said when she arrived at the mail room, the doors were closed, and when she opened them she discovered a man looking out the south window with his hands in his genital area. He appeared to be masturbating. Minger said she described the man as a 6-foot-2 white male with blond curly hair. She said he was clean shaven, had brown glasses and was wearing green cargo shorts and a white shirt. She said there was no contact nor any words exchanged between the two. \nMinger said it is important to note she only said his hands were in his genital region, but she actually never saw his genital area. He said if that were the case it would have been exhibition and indecent exposure. \nMinger said the IUPD has advised people in the building if they see the subject again to contact the IUPD and to call 855-4111 to speak with an officer or detective.
(08/01/06 7:35pm)
The IU Police Department has advised Indiana Memorial Union staff members to be on the look out for a subject after a worker discovered a man believed to have been masturbating in the basement mail room of the IMU Monday afternoon, IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said, reading from the police report.\nMinger said the IUPD was notified by the witness at 5:40 p.m. Monday and officers responding to the scene were not able to locate the subject in or around the building.\nThe witness said when she arrived at the mail room, the doors were closed and when she opened them she discovered a man looking out the south window with his hands in his genital area. He appeared to be masturbating. Minger said she described the man as a 6-foot-2 white male with blond curly hair. She said he was clean shaven, had brown glasses and was wearing green cargo shorts and a white shirt. She said there was no contact nor any words exchanged between the two. \nMinger said it is important to note she only said his hands were in his genital region, but she actually never saw his genital area. He said it that were the case it would have been exhibition and indecent exposure. \nMinger said the IUPD has advised people in the building if they see the subject again to contact the IUPD and to call 855-4111 to speak with an officer or detective.
(07/31/06 4:12am)
For more than 500 years the historic ship has silently escaped all human presence, hiding with it secrets from one of the most important periods in human history. Off the northern coast of what is now the Dominican Republic, deep under the sea, buried beneath loads of silk and mud rests what IU archaeologists claim may possibly be Christopher Columbus' lost flagship, the Mariagalante. \nAfter years of work excavating and exploring the bay and surrounding site of La Isabela Bay -- the first permanent European settlement in the Americas, set up in 1494 during Columbus' second voyage -- the IU team, consisting of faculty and 10 graduate students, are now closer than ever to finding the lost vessel and discovering more clues of the first sustained interactions between indigenous people and Europeans. \nWhile hopeful, the team is not yet ready to say for sure what they have found is definitely the Mariagalante, which is believed to have sunk in the bay along with about six other vessels of the time as a result of hurricanes in the years immediately following the settlement's establishment. \n"What we have is a magnetic anomaly we picked up using electronic surveillance years ago," said Charles Beeker, IU director of Academic Diving and Underwater Science Programs. "Now we've gotten into the excavation process. We don't have a proven vessel, just the signals."\nLeading the group of 10 students this summer at the site, Beeker and Geoffrey Conrad, director of the Mathers Museum of World Cultures, have continued the ongoing process of slowly and delicately trying to uncover the ship. In addition, the team maintains various projects onshore, including archaeological exploration of the abandoned settlement and village sites of the native Taino Indians. \nMembers of the IU group have been in the site at various times for more than 10 years now since the University entered an agreement with the Dominican Republic government to conduct its research and search for Columbus-era artifacts and lost ships. \n"This is one of the most historic areas in the world," Conrad said. "It is where the old and new world comes together for the first time. It has transformed history as much as the agricultural revolution. It has to be a top seven, at least, moment in the transformations in human history."\nBeeker said the potential of discovering one of Columbus' ships, especially the Mariagalante, would bear significant historical impact if found because there have been no documented Columbus vessels discovered yet. He said even more important than seeing the architectural design of the ship is to see what native cargo was loaded in the ship ready to be brought back to Spain to convince Columbus' doubter the trips were beneficial to the country. \nBeeker said the team is using some of the latest in scientific equipment to locate the ship, including magnetic reads to profile the sea bottom while a computer system looks at magnetic signatures to electronically survey the area. Highlighting their finds this summer was a 300-pound anchor they surfaced, which may be from one of Columbus' ships. Despite their progress, Beeker said the work remains slow. \n"Its kind of like moving cement, its very heavy and dense," he said. "You literally have to dig by hand or tool. It's been a little frustrating moving into 10 years, but we are still hopeful."\nThe group's main work for the summer was concluded in the middle of June, when they had to return despite gaining so much ground on reaching a discovery. However, Beeker said their work is far from over. \n"We actually have one graduate student still down there right now, and we plan on going back this November and again next spring," he said. "We won't have enough time to excavate the ship the first time back and I'm not completely sure when we will be able to (start) doing so ... possibly by next spring."\nWhile the undersea search is one part of the mystery the team hopes to uncover, another key aspect of the IU project is on-land excavation they are hoping will reveal even more about the time period. \n"One of pieces to the big puzzle is how the arrival of the Spanish affected the Indians and what happened to them," Conrad said. "Were they as normally portrayed or did they survive in more rural areas and part of the genetic heritage of today's European heritage?"\nConrad said on a typical day for excavation on land, they usually start by examining the surface to determine a good place to dig and to get information about what they are looking for. Then he said they will excavate a series of squares, 1 meter by 1 meter, laid out on a grid as they try to peel down the ground level by level to find what is in each department. \n"Once we dig the site, it can't be dug again," Conrad said. "So we have to keep good records to put back together in the future if they want to. \nConrad said there are numerous benefits for the students making the trip, the first being they get real hands-on professional training, which is valuable because many will choose to enter the archeological field as a career. In addition, he said they get to witness something of great consequence and see things very few get to observe so intimately. \n"This is where it all started," Conrad said. "I can stand as many of the other students have in what is left of Columbus' house and in the first church built in the new world. So it's a chance to really experience something fairly momentous first-hand"
(07/31/06 3:25am)
IU Police Department officers made two arrests Friday after a fight involving multiple people began in Bear's Place Ale House and Eatery, said IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger, reading from the police report. \nRobert Fredrich, 23, and Michael Pate, 19, were arrested on charges of assault when witnesses and the victims of the crime claimed that one of the two head butted one of the victims and that both Fredrich and Pate began striking several individuals following a verbal confrontation. \nAfter one victim was transported to Bloomington Hospital for minor injuries related to the incident, police officers spotted Fredrich and Pate near the corner of Third Street and Woodlawn Avenue. Minger said the two were identified because both had blood on their clothing and scrapes on their hands. \nWhen the officers confronted them, Minger said that, according to the report, the two had the smell of alcohol on their breaths, displayed slurred speech and had blood shot eyes. After having their Miranda rights read to them, they were then questioned about the fight. Minger said they indicated a verbal argument began and individuals at the bar began to shove them. Fredrich and Pate added they attempted to keep peace but were knocked down and couldn't recall the specifics. \nAfter being transported to Bloomington Hospital, two of the victims identified the assailants and a witness confirmed Pate and Fredrich were responsible for the incident, Minger said. IUPD officers informed both sets of individuals they could press charges if they wanted to do so.
(07/31/06 3:25am)
While many see politics as an abstract process where their elected representatives cannot directly hear their constituency's concerns and opinions, three IU students recently contradicted this when they were given the opportunity to visit Washington to lobby congress to support funding for the National Science Foundation, which supports several IU programs in math and sciences. \n"We were there to remind them of the importance and how science and math really enable us to get high tech jobs and do important research," said senior Ben Beranek who was one of the student lobbyists on the trip. "We are hoping to continue courses' existence (that use NSF funding) and lobby for professor and graduate research allotments." \nHe added the NSF is the largest federal grant program IU receives next to National Institute of Health grants, and they wanted to make sure Congress in the future properly proportioned money to support education throughout the country by giving extra support to the NSF. \nSeniors Edith Cespedes and Emily Crouch joined Beranek on the trip. The three are students in the Liberal Arts and Management Program at IU and in the class, "Analytical Decision Making," taught by math professor Daniel Maki, who also accompanied the students to Washington. \nCrouch said the curriculum of the program is partially funded by NSF grants and the students were there to show real life evidence of the positive effects such funding could create. \n"This has been one of the best classes I have taken," she said. "You get to work with real clients and get to do things that are actually worth something." \nCrouch said through the class they dealt with actual companies and nonprofit organizations to assist with statistical data and find correlations between different factors, which could positively impact the community. \nWhile in Washington the students met with the top aides for Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and Indiana Representatives Mike Sodrel, Julia Carson, Mike Pence and Steve Buyer. \n"Our mission was to show Congress the value of funding for the National Science Foundation, but it was also a great chance to talk about IU and LAMP," Maki said in a statement. "The students were wonderful. I would guess we walked about five miles that day, in shoes not intended for a five-mile hike." \nBeranek said he was very satisfied with the amount of access the members of Congress gave them. \n"We talked to the aides responsible for science and they were very familiar with the foundation and our grants," he said. "They were actually most interested in hearing our stories and how abstract grants played out in the lives of IU students." \nThe students agreed they felt their words will really help secure more funding and hopefully influence Congress to expand its support. \n"I think it did really make a difference," Beranek said. "I think it was really meaningful for Congress to have faces to put to a bill. What the congressmen and aides really grasped was us putting an Indiana spin on something so abstract"
(07/24/06 12:29am)
Taking refuge in an area near downtown Beirut, Lebanon, IU student Huda Fakhreddine listens as just miles away in the city's southern suburbs bombs continue to blast away at the nearby Hezbollah power base and at the country's infrastructure. \nFakhreddine said his location is not too close in proximity to any terrorist or army bases -- his family presumed it to be safe. Their perceptions were changed a few days ago when he said an area just a short distance away was rocked. \n"It is very hard to know where is safe and where is not at the moment," he said in an e-mail. "The area I am in now is full of people who have fled from the southern suburb of Beirut and from the villages of the south. You can see people on the streets with no place to stay -- children and old people. It is very tragic." \nEntering the 13th day of Israel's offensive against the Lebanon-based terrorist group of Hezbollah, several IU students staying in the country during the summer are getting a firsthand experience of being in a war zone as they seek cover from the bombardment and try to stay out of harm's way. \nLike Fakhreddine, IU student Loubna El Amine has also been staying in the relative safety of downtown Beirut since the war started. He said this is an area that has thus far avoided being directly targeted, but he remains cautious as he said it might not stay that way. \n"We prefer to stay here," he said via e-mail. "Though we are ready to leave to the mountains or the north to friends' houses if the violence escalates in Beirut." \nStaying at home with his family, El Amine said he is worried about the safety of his other relatives who have not managed to evacuate the bomb-stricken areas of southern Lebanon. \n"My paternal grandmother has been stuck from the beginning of the bombings in the village of Shakra, which is further south and very close to the borders with Israel, and hence a very dangerous place to be now," he said. "We still can find no way of bringing her to Beirut." \nUnlike many others who have been held up in dangerous regions of the country, IU Student Katrin Jomaa managed to escape Beirut's southern suburb of Haret Hreik -- an area that's has been the target of concentrated air strikes -- and is now in a safer region near the city. \n"My (old) area is now almost like a deserted land," she said in a e-mail. "The destruction is immense; bridges, infrastructure, power plants, gas plants, houses, civilians." \nWith Israel's missiles continuing to hit the areas around Beirut, the IU students said they have seen much of the destruction up close, as well as on constant reports from the media. \n"You cannot imagine the horror we see every day on the news," Fakhreddine said. "We see pictures on the news from time to time of (my original) village (in the south). Many houses have been bombed and torn down. It is very hard to recognize the place, and we know that there are some people there who couldn't get out." \nEl Amine said because of the fear of attacks, his family is restricted to a small area around his house. He said except for some grocery stores, most shops have been closed as people are stockpiling food and necessities before supplies run out, causing large inflation for their prices. \nAs many international organizations and world leaders are calling the situation in Lebanon a humanitarian crisis that may get worse before it gets better, the IU students echoed these claims as they said food and aid cannot enter and the people in Lebanon cannot get out. \n"I don't know when and if I can leave the country now; it is closed by sea, land and air," Jomma said. "The Israeli monsters completely destroyed our airport and most of our sea ports and they keep bombing the land exits." \nThe attitude of holding Israel responsible for the recent conflict and destruction in Lebanon was a prevalent theme among the three students. \n"The Israeli government's reaction is totally out of proportion to the actual or potential harm inflicted on Israel," El Amine said. "But it is also misdirected, as the bombings have been targeting innocent civilians -- even as they flee from the attacks on their houses -- ambulances, food manufacturers and basic infrastructure." \nJomma agreed Israel has taken their actions too far and in effect is "massacring" innocent Lebanese civilians. She also stressed how many in Lebanon do not think of Hezbollah as a terrorist group -- as Israel and the U.S. Department of State do -- and instead justify the organization's actions out of neccesity by the way Israel is responding. \n"Hezbollah of course doesn't have the military power of Israel," she said. "Hezbollah mainly fights with (its) soldiers ... their bodies and their strong belief in justice and in never being humiliated by big powers and in their freedom as all Lebanese are. And that's why everyone in Lebanon is supporting Hezbollah." \nThe students also said they extended responsibility for the escalating violence to foreign governments, the United States and the international media for not doing enough to broker peace in the region. El Amine said most foreign media outlets are showing "a stark bias for Israel" and not paying enough attention to the plight or devastation occurring people in Lebanon. \n"I also cannot in any way comprehend how most foreign governments, especially the U.S. Government, have not worked to stop the war," El Amine said. "But have instead worked on evacuating their own citizens, leaving us to watch them leave safely, while nothing is done to protect our lives and livelihood." \nWith current estimates up to 300 total killed on both sides during the two weeks of fighting, and as anticipation rises of an upcoming limited Israeli ground invasion into Lebanon, the IU students were not optimistic a peaceful outcome will come about anytime soon. \n"A week has passed and there is talk that we are in for a more violent week to come," Fakhreddine said. "No one knows how long this will continue. But as I (said) each and every day, many many people are dying"
(07/23/06 11:19pm)
A Monroe County circuit court has sided with IU in a case declaring the University must provide health care centers with records of treatments employees have received for workplace injuries. However, much of the specific medical information the University fought to keep private may remain sealed. \n"The court agrees with us that most of what is contained constitute medical records," said IU attorney Sharon Groeger. "All we are to provide is the amounts paid to Bloomington Hospital. This is the information that we already have given." \nGroeger said this case dates back two years ago when First Health Care sued the University under the Public Records Act of Indiana in order to have IU release to them workers compensation information, including diagnosis, treatment and prognosis data for IU employees. \nIU fought the suit contesting this information was protected by law as the University said medical records were exempted from the public records provision and is also protected to remain private by state and federal statues, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. \nAs opposed to private companies that may make most records private, being a public institution, IU is held to different standards and most records are required to be public. However, Groeger said the University felt that this did not apply to medical records of its employees. \n"You should never have to worry about having your medical records to be viewed by the public," Groeger said. "We think no differently for our employees. Both federal and state laws have made it clear you can't disclose medical records." \nGroeger said the University was happy with the ruling, as she said as long as the medical information is made private they do not have a problem with releasing how much was paid for treatment to First Health Care. \n"We did this to protect the privacy rights of our \nemployees," she said.
(07/23/06 11:18pm)
Reporting on foreign wars is a subject few of us have experienced at the IDS. However, we have attempted to provide an accurate representation of the various experiences and reactions of IU students witnessing the ongoing conflict in Israel and Lebanon firsthand. \nLast week, our first story chronicled what students staying in Israel over the summer are going through, as Hezbollah-fired missiles threaten the northern third of the country. Today we ran a similar story, this time featuring three students held up in Lebanon as Israel continues to make bombing runs on nearby towns.\nWhile working on these articles, we acknowledged we were moving into a conflict that is as controversial as it is complex. In each story we cover at the Indiana Daily Student, we do our best to approach it with an open mind and imbue it with balanced viewpoints. Such outlook is never as important as when the story at hand is a subject so emotionally contested as the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.\nThe main difficulty we have faced was publishing frequency. Our goal was to publish the stories back-to-back; unfortunately, we weren't able to contact sources as quickly as we needed to, and the first Israel story existed for a week before its parallel Lebanon entry was finished. Ideally, we would have liked to run both articles side by side in the same issue. However, news does not always allow such optimal conditions, as finding IU students in Lebanon turned out to be a more difficult task than finding students who are in Israel over the summer. \nOne reader noticed the discrepancy and voiced his opinion in the Jordan River Forum. We hope today's front page story eases his concerns and the concerns of anyone questioning the balance of our localized coverage. \nCombined, we feel the two articles do an appropriate job of enabling local students -- who are fighting through devastating circumstances -- a voice, an outlet with which to express their deepest emotional struggle.\nBetween the students in each country, opinions and emotions varied widely. Through that, one consistent similarity shone through: Almost all agreed they felt the media was not giving the conflict the most accurate coverage possible. We hope -- even in the smallest way -- these articles will help to correct that, casting a little light on a very dark set of events.
(07/20/06 1:33am)
Starting this fall, the IU Health Center will offer vaccinations of the newly approved Human Papilloma Virus medication that has been clinically shown to dramatically reduce the risk of cervical cancer and genital warts for women. \nAnne Reese, director of the health and wellness education at the IU Health Center, said she will be encouraging all women between the ages of 9 and 26, who are not sexually active, to take advantage of the vaccine as HPV is currently the most common sexually transmitted disease, infecting 50 to 70 percent of all people sometime in their life. \n"I think it would be a great idea (for women to use the vaccine)," Reese said. "It's just another preventative technique that they can use. I would encourage them to talk with their health care provider to see if they think this would be good for them." \nThe vaccine, called Gardasil and manufactured by Merck, will be offered through three different shots during a span of six months. The process, however, can be quite pricey for students. \n"It will probably come out to about $150 per shot," Resse said. "It can be quite expensive, but it is quite expensive for us to purchase from the company. We are not making a lot of money with this."\nReese said the success rate for users of the vaccines to stay HPV free is relatively high. The vaccine has been shown to be 70 percent effective in protecting against two high-risk strains that cause cervical cancer. It has been shown to be 90 percent effective in protecting against two strains that cause genital warts.\nEven if people take the vaccine, health officials stressed they should not ignore former preventative methods. \n"This doesn't preclude the necessity of a regular pap smear," said Kathryn Brown, health educator for IU's Health and Wellness Education. "There are a whole bunch of strains, as about 30 are out there and this only takes care of four."\nReese added that she advises safe sex still be practiced by using a condom. She said while this method is also not 100 percent effective in preventing the spread of HPV, recent studies have shown condoms remain a useful tool in avoiding the strains the vaccine does not prevent. \nThe new drug has only been out since June 8, when the Food and Drug Administration approved of its use, but now the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is calling for the treatment to become a routine vaccination for girls 11 to 12 years old and a part of the general regiment of vaccines that are given around the 6th grade time. \n"This works best if given to females who are not sexually active, so that age seems pretty appropriate before they become sexually active," Reese said. "Also it allows for most parents to avoid having to address whether or not their daughter is sexually active (if they wait until they are older for the shot), which could be a hard conversation." \nWhile the health center works out logistical and protocol issues with the vaccine, Reese said it should be available at the start of the fall semester. She added anyone interested could make an appointment with the center at this time, and if they meet the requirements to be a suitable candidate for the vaccine, the first shot may be given as early as the initial meeting.
(07/20/06 12:38am)
A victim reported she was inappropriately touched Monday while walking from the Student Recreational Sports Center to the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building, said IU Police Department Sgt. Craig Munroe reading from the police report. \nHe said the victim was walking on 10th Street when she noticed a man looking at her strangely. After she turned onto the sidewalk to the arboretum, she reported the suspect came from behind her and "slapped her on the buttocks," Munroe said. The victim called IUPD following the incident. \nShe described the man who inappropriately touched her as a Latino male, 5-foot-4 or shorter, wearing blue shorts, no shirt, with curly chest hair and short dark hair. \nAnyone who's familiar with the subject or who may have witnessed similar incidents is encouraged to please call 855-4111 to speak with an IUPD officer or detective. \nPolice, fire departments sent to a fire at Tulip Tree Apartments \nIUPD officers were dispatched Tuesday evening to a third floor room in the Tulip Tree Apartment complex when they received a complaint of heavy smoke, Munroe said reading from the police report. He said when they arrived, a small fire had just been put out by a housing assistant. \nMunroe said after the officers arrived on the scene and made sure no one was in the apartment, the fire department also arrived to remove the smoke from the room and hallway. The cause of the fire reportedly was from someone cooking pork on a stove, he said. \nIt was unclear at the time if there was any fire damage due to the fact that the powder from the distinguished covered most of the room. If there was any damage it was minor, Munroe said. \nLecture on police shootings to be presented to IUPD cadets\nThe IU Police Academy will hold a special presentation Friday for their cadets on instruction on 'police shootings' Munroe said. During the event speeches will be given by Indianapolis Police Officers Michael Antonelli and Stephanie Thompson and Indiana State Trooper Jim Soper. \nAccording to a press release, an incident that occurred on Nov. 20, 2005 will be examined when Antonelli, an IU alumnae and former IUPD officer, was shot in the eye during a traffic stop in Indianapolis. Both Thompson and Soper were involved in pursuing the subject that shot Antonelli.\nThe presentation will take place 9:30 a.m. Friday in the Graduate and Executive Education Center room 001 in the Kelly School of Business.
(07/17/06 3:19am)
In hopes of drastically improving diversity enrollment and relations during the coming years, University officials used "IU day" at the Indiana Black Expo to attract potential students while celebrating its alumni's achievements Sunday. \n"This is the largest expo and gathering particularly of African-Americans in the whole state," said Anthony Scott, one of IU's organizers for the expo. "If we are as a University saying we are interested in diversity and underrepresented groups, then this is the place to come." \nDuring the 10-day summer celebration of the 36th annual IBE, Scott said more than 450,000 people have attended the conference in the Indiana Convention Center and RCA Dome. \nWhile there has been a noticeable presence throughout the week with volunteers manning the IU booth, Sunday, which was "IU day," featured additional University-sponsored events including a special alumni event hosted by the Neal-Marshall Alumni Club. \nFormer IU basketball star Landon Turner was a special guest as part of the reception. Turner came to the expo to highlight some of the alumni's achievements as he promoted his new book and shared stories from the Hoosiers' 1981 NCAA Championship season. \n"(The alumni reception) held a multi-fold purpose," said IU trustee Clarence Boone, Sr., who was involved in organizing the University's events at the expo. "It allowed a forum for alumni to mix and mingle, but more than that it also welcomed and recognized the incoming scholars coming into various IU programs while allowing them to meet with the alumni." \nAttracting prospective students from around the state was one of the University's main goals during the expo. This objective was especially important this year as University officials announced in May that they plan to double under-represented minority enrollment by 2013. \n"We are making contacts now with students attending summer programs, junior and high school students thinking of applying and even students we may see (enroll) at IU the year after next," Scott said. "It is very important for them to see and hear from IU and learn about what we are trying to do here on campus." \nIn order to attract the expo attendees to learn and hear from IU, Scott said the University constructed a prominently visual booth that could be seen from around the convention center. Playing upon the "IU is Red Hot" theme, he said the booth featured towers of flames surrounded by a large circular sign. He added that he expected the attraction to repeat last year's success of being awarded the expo's best booth. \n"People are immediately drawn to it because it actually looks like real flames," he said. "When they get there they can see the 10 ways IU is red hot and can go online to see how to qualify for admissions as we can walk them through the whole process of applying for college." \nScott said another aspect that has helped IU's representation at the expo is the support from several individual units within IU. He said the school of informatics and University Information Technology Services played significant roles throughout the process. \nThis is the second year in which the University has been a major sponsor of the expo and has had the designated "IU Day." Also it is one of the first few years that all IU campuses have been represented, as this year Scott said about 15 faculty and staff members and 45 students volunteered at the expo from the various IU schools. \n"We are one IU," Scott said. "If an (in-state prospective) student decides not to go far away from home for college, then there is an IU for them. We work as one force, one front"
(07/17/06 3:19am)
Air raid sirens screeched in the background late Sunday at nearly 11:25 p.m. Israel local time, as IU graduate student Shayna Rudolph sat alone in her reinforced room in the small town of Afula, Israel -- located in the northern third of the country. As the sirens faded off, replaced by the faint sounds of ambulance horns, she did not know if her once safe town was about to be the target of the barrage of rocket fire Hezbollah forces in Lebanon have launched into Israel during the past few days. \n"The sirens are scary," Rudolph said just moments after the siren and ambulance horns became silent. "I don't know where or if something has happened. I guess now I'm officially in a warzone."\nAt about 5:30 p.m. Sunday Eastern Standard time -- a half-hour after the sirens went off and Rudolph hung up the phone after being interviewed for this story -- CNN and other news agencies reported that Rudolph's hometown of Afula was in fact hit by Hezbollah's rockets, marking what the Israeli military is now saying is the farthest south the rockets have reached during the renewed fighting during the past week. \nCurrently living in Israel for part of the summer and working an internship as part of an Israeli college's library science program, she said immediately following the sirens that it was the first and only time they have gone off in her town, as it has been thought previously by many to be out of the range of most of Hezbollah's rockets. But she said this is what many other cities had wrongly assumed throughout the weekend as missile fire had been launched the deepest into the country in decades. \nTalking over the phone before the sirens went off, Rudolph said her fears had gradually gone down since the escalation of the fighting began on Wednesday, but that is something that may have changed now. \nWhile Rudoph's experience is typical of thousands of Israelis who face the threat of attack throughout the northern region of the country, elsewhere IU students currently in Israel who are slightly more removed from the fighting are attempting to deal with the attacks. And for many of them, it is just another lesson in adapting to the Israeli lifestyle. \n"While things in the North are stressed, it is life as normal here in Jerusalem," junior Sara Rips, who is currently staying in Jerusalem for an intensive Hebrew language program for part of the summer, said in an e-mail. "Unfortunately, this is life here in Israel." \nThis 'normalcy', however, is used in a relative term for residents of a country who must live under the constant and real threat of attack, and who have seen a painfully long history of bloodshed and violence. \n"In Israel life goes on," sophomore Hannah Osofsky, who is volunteering with Israel's Red Cross, said in an e-mail. "Even when there is a terrorist attack at a restaurant, café or club people don't stop living." \nWorking in Israel for the summer as a counselor for a program associated with the Union for Reform Judaism and directly responsible for supervising 39 kids visiting with the program, senior Rachel Schonwald in addition to Osofsky and Rips said she has not felt she has been in any real danger while being outside of the northern cities currently under attack. She said Israelis deal with the crisis by not letting it disrupt their lives, and thus not letting the terrorists achieve their goals. \nWhile most of the IU students said their daily lifestyles have not been disrupted for the most part, the repercussions of the conflict will still affect them in different ways. \nSchonwald said they decided her group of kids will remain in Israel, but said she had been just informed that because of rocket attacks in the northeastern town of Tiberias, they will no longer be able to go north beyond Zikron Ya'akov and Afula. \n"This mean the kids won't see the Galilee or Golan," she said. "But safety comes first." \nWhile Rips said once the fighting broke out she contemplated leaving early, she said has always felt safe being so far away from the fighting. But she added she still worries about her friends in the North and has been in contact with them to make sure they are safe. Osofsky said she knows of friends who have departed early because of the conflict and many of her fellow Red Cross volunteers are being moved to safer cities or even leaving the country altogether. \nOsofsky had planned to attend a sand castle competition Monday in the northern Israel city of Haifa, located just 30 miles from the Lebanon border, but changed her mind after receiving word of rocket attacks in the city early Sunday, which killed at least eight and injured scores more.\n"These numbers are a little scary," she said. "And although I'm not scared of the situation in Israel and in Haifa, that doesn't mean that I have to go looking for danger." \nCiting the reason she was so confident in her own safety, Osofsky said the high amount of security precautions by the government and military makes it hard for most attacks to succeed. In addition, she said every building in the country is required to have a bomb shelter and every citizen and tourist has a gas mask in case of chemical or biological attacks. \n"The difficulty is, however, that the threat (now) is coming from the air, so it is hard to stop," Osofsky said. "The people living in those cities that were bombed have been advised to go into the bomb shelters during certain times, and they are warned by loud sirens." She added she is not afraid of the bombs because the missile warning systems work very well and the bomb shelters are very well constructed.\nWhile international reactions to whether Israel's attacks can be justified are mixed, each of the three IU students lobbied on the side that the actions of Hezbollah and Hamas that provoked Israel are to blame, but also said they hope civilian lives on both ends will be spared. \n"Israel had every right to retaliate against those terrorists that kidnapped the Israeli soldiers and bombed the tank," Osofsky said. "That act in itself is an act of war, that cannot be ignored. I do not want unnecessary bloodshed, and I hope the bombings (in Lebanon) stop soon, but not before Israel gets their soldiers back." \nRips extended the blame for the attacks on Israel to other nations, which have been rumored in the press and international community to be at least partly involved in the violence. \n"I believe that the Hezbollah and Hamas attacks on Israel are unacceptable," Rips said. "I believe that both organizations were probably provoked by Syria and Iran, and that they would have never done this without the backing of those two countries." \nIf the war continues to rage further and the violence spreads, causing the participants of her program to be sent home, Schonwald said she intends to stay in the country and volunteer either for the Israeli army or another organization to help the effort. \n"I feel that this is my time to step up and help Israel any way that I can," she said.
(07/13/06 12:27am)
A landmark agreement was reached Monday as University officials created a joint partnership with the prestigious Tsinghua University in China during the current IU delegation's trip led by Interim Provost Michael McRobbie. The pact, which was signed at a ceremony in Beijing by McRobbie and Tsinghua Vice President Chen Jining, will establish a cooperative research program that includes student exchanges and collaborations targeting improvements in information technology, said Larry MacIntyre, IU director of media relations. \n"(Tsinghua) is one of the major universities in China," said Patrick O'Meara, dean of international programs. "They have a very high standard of admission, competitive entry requirements and (McRobbie) commonly refers to them as the MIT of China. This (agreement) is of very good interest for IU."\nMcRobbie said in a statement the deal will carry wide-ranging benefits to both the University and the state of Indiana. For IU, he said it will help the University gain funding for information technology and supercomputer research projects and for the state he said he hopes in the future it will bring additional commercial enterprises in the technology industry. \nThe agreement comes at the beginning of the 11-day China visit by McRobbie and the rest of the IU delegation as they will tour various universities, speak with government officials and meet with alumni living in China. \nO'Meara said while IU has signed pacts with other international institutions in the past, this one is "special" given the number of opportunities this opens and IU's and McRobbie's strong interest in improving and conducting research in information technology. \nStrengthening information technology research is by far one of the main frameworks of the agreement as both IU and Tsinghua are leading institutions in that field, and MacIntyre said a partnership between the two will only add to that prestige. He said as IU operates and manages the advanced Internet2 systems at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis it currently provides resources for major universities in America to use the high-speed mechanism for moving data and communicating. This deal will then extend some of those benefits to Asian universities that would like to be part of the network with U.S. institutions. \n"Managing these networks is a complex and difficult matter," McRobbie said in a statement. "IU and Tsinghua both have expertise in these areas, and we want to work together jointly in solving the problems that arise in the operation of international high-performance networks."\nO'Meara also noted the deal was significant because of the exchange program it creates between the two institutions.\nWhile MacIntyre could not say at the time how many students will be involved in such exchanges, he said over time it could translate to a significant number coming to IU and vice versa.\n"As Tsinghua is one of the top (Chinese) universities in the field of information technology this will help bring some of the very best and most promising from all of China (to IU)," he said. "This agreement will enable a lot to get advanced degrees at IU at the graduate level and everyone always wants top-notch graduate students (coming to IU)." \nAnother aspect of the deal that will hopefully help build bridges between IU and the Chinese IT community is a series of planned conferences on issues such as Internet security and developing international standards on how to fight and prevent Internet-based attacks. \n"This will be the way China IT managers and senior people in China can interface and network with their U.S. counterparts," MacIntyre said. "With the cyberworld changing so fast, it needs a lot of interaction and communication between countries and this will be a way do that. \nMacIntyre added that among the numerous benefits the agreement will provide the University, it will help IU secure top incoming graduate students from this country and help with further advancements that will ensure IU continues to be a leader in information technology. \n"The whole field of informatics is still relatively new," MacIntyre said. "It is one of the strengths of IU and this will help it to remain one of our strengths for years to come"
(07/13/06 12:27am)
Local American Red Cross officials announced a critical blood shortage Tuesday and appealed for donors as a scheduled blood drive was held in Teter Quad in an effort to bolster dangerously low supply. \n"We have less than a one-day supply of all negative types as well as O-positive," said Don Creek, the Bloomington Red Cross donor recruitment representative. "The bottom line is that we are well below our ideal three-day supply for all types." \nWorking as the Red Cross's head nurse during the Teter drive, Susan Machon said by about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, with an hour and half left in the day-long drive, progress in getting donors was going "slow" as only 18 successful contributions were drawn. However, that number is expected to rise slightly as traffic of potential donors picked up near the end. \nThe drive took place in the residence hall's formal lounge as about six volunteers worked registration and convinced people to donate, two to three nurses located in makeshift booths tested and drew the blood and two lab technicians set up in back of the room handled the samples once taken. \n"This is the first time in a long time we have seen such low levels in (the blood supply)," Machon said. "It's just so low right now. Our levels never seemed to regain since the aftermath of Katrina." \nCreek said the main reason for the current shortage, which has affected the River Valley Blood Services region of the Red Cross that includes Bloomington and surrounding areas, is that typically during summer months a noticeable lack of donors are present and this is especially prevalent during recent weeks because of the Fourth of July holiday. \n"It's really a summertime phenomenon," Creek said. "School's out so we lose a lot of donors there and with people traveling for vacations and holidays it is typically a bad time for us. People forget to take an hour to save a life." \nMachon added during the summer months serious accidents tend to increase and thus having ample blood supplies is especially important. \n"As we say, you can help save three people's lives with a single donation," she said. "We are trying to encourage and educate young people it's not at all painful and takes very little effort." \nThough the Teter drive has ended and not many campus drives will be held until the fall semester starts up, Creek said there still are several ways for anyone to contribute and help the Red Cross. He said other local drives are scheduled. One will be held Monday outside Carpenter Realtors, located at 501 N. Rogers St., and another will be held July 21 at Bloomington's City Hall. People can also visit the Bloomington American Red Cross office at 1600 W. Third St. any day of the week during business hours to donate. \nIn addition, he said the agency is always looking for interested groups or organizations that have some potential donors. If so, the Red Cross will actually travel to them. \n"If we find out there is two to three dozen donors somewhere, we will go there," Creek said. "We will go to a frat house, residence hall or just wherever we can find some square feet to draw blood." \nCreek said no matter what blood type, as long is someone is 17 years old, 110 pounds and feels good, he or she can be accepted to help the low levels of blood supply. He added that people can potentially donate six times a year. It is potentially possible to give every eight weeks. \n"Ideally we would like people to start getting into a blood donor habit, just like an oil change," he said. "One way of looking at it is it's just another step from being a resident to being a citizen. Also it's just giving back when someone else needs it and for others to freely give when you may need it"
(07/10/06 5:19am)
Sixteen million dollars has been awarded to nine IU international centers, the U.S. Department of Education's competitive Title VI program announced Friday. Distributed over the next four years, the funding will go toward general operating costs of the various centers and their research, as well as to fellowships for graduate students studying foreign language and global studies. \n"The importance of this is it really defines IU-Bloomington predominantly as a major international center because of the number and range of centers being awarded," said Patrick O'Meara, dean of international programs. "The programs to be affected range from Africa, business and East Asia ... So this is a way to see validated even further a lot of the University's programs."\nAs part of the Higher Education Act and appropriated by Congress, the Title VI program selects applications for grants through a tough peer review process consisting of experts in their respective fields, O'Meara said. \nWhile IU has received Title VI money before, only one center in IU-Purdue University Indianapolis was awarded funding last year. The recent announcement puts IU at a record-setting mark. O'Meara said he believes no other institution has ever received more Title VI funding than IU's 10 centers. According to a press release, only the University of Wisconsin matches IU's number of Title VI-sponsored centers.\n"It indicates the great strength that we have in the broad international studies area -- clearly the strengths that we've had for decades," said Michael McRobbie, interim provost, in a statement. "The centers really build on the University's investments in the departments. You can't get these centers without actually having top quality language and cultural studies programs." \nO'Meara said the government grants will go toward several different initiatives in a broad range of fields. He said research from various centers is extremely important and has significant contributions to the educational and global community. \nSome examples of what the funding will help accomplish, O'Meara said, range from research of Muslim Africa by the African Studies Department to the implementation of important foreign languages that are typically not widely taught, like Pashtu, one of two official languages spoken in Afghanistan.\nIn addition, he said the IU Center for the Study of Global Change will conduct significant research involving global defense. This will include the center hosting two conferences, one on the threat of terrorist attacks on ports and harbors and another on cyber security. The center also hopes to establish a certificate program in human rights studies. \nBesides the Title VI funds that go directly to the centers, O'Meara said money that will provide fellowships to graduate students who study foreign languages and cultures is just as important. \n"This is very significant because we are able to attract the best graduate students in the country through our prestigious and substantial fellowships," O'Meara said. \nHe added that about $1.73 million from each of the four years will go toward funding these fellowships, which include a stipend and full tuition. For the academic year, the fellowships will amount to about $27,000 for each student and for the summer about $6,500. The University will then provide the rest of the funds for tuition that Title VI funds do not provide. \nMcRobbie said in a press release that Title VI funds will also help establish IU as a leader in the international learning community and are part of the University's international strategic plan that he expects to conclude by the year's end. \n"The funding is, of course, very valuable to us," O'Meara said. "This commits funds to things IU would not otherwise fund. From conferences to strengthening small enrollment languages, this is of large strategic interest for IU"
(07/10/06 5:15am)
Joining the payload of the seven astronauts on board last week's launch of the space shuttle Discovery, IU biology professor Roger Hangarter's research now is orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 250 statue miles above the Earth and carries implications that may carry mankind much farther into space than that. \nIn collaboration with Miami University of Ohio professor John Kiss, who served as the principal investigator for the project, Hangarter is investigating the effects of gravity and light signals on plant growth. He said this could lead to breakthroughs in creating sustainable plant-based food and an oxygen source for future long-distance manned space flights. \n"If we are going to send human flights to Mars, we can only do that if they grow their own food," Hangarter said. "This experiment should yield information that may be very successful for that in the future." \nThe experiment -- only one of two research projects Discovery took aboard that will be conducted on the International Space Station -- consists of dried Arabidopsis seeds that were put inside a special chamber designed by NASA engineers to ensure its safe arrival to the ISS. Once transferred into its new home on the space station, the seeds are then put into an advanced biological incubator made by the European Space Agency that features computerized temperature and light controls, Hangarter said. \nIn order to compare how the plant will react to the near-zero gravity on the space station, Hangarter said the control plant for the experiment will rest in a spinning centrifuge that will simulate Earth's natural g-force. \nOne of the benefits of the project is it requires very little attention from the science specialist aboard the space station. Hangarter said data will be automatically sent back in real time to Earth via video cameras. In addition the lights and temperature controls are computer automated to turn on and off and various times, as are other variables within the incubator. \n"The specialist who is overseeing it will keep an eye on it and then just terminate it when the project's done," he said. "It was designed with the NASA engineers so that the specialist doesn't have to do too much, since they are so busy while they're up there." \nAnother aspect the experiment will investigate is how roots orientate themselves on Earth and how much influences of light, rather than just gravity, affect which way the roots grow. \n"In past experiments we have discovered plants grow toward red light as opposed to blue, but in very weak responses," he said, adding that they haven't been able to discover how much this influences growth because gravity is a predominant factor in which way it grows. "Now we will be able to see the red light effect without gravity, and hopefully we will get some responses to see if there is any real relevance whether this affects which way they are growing." \nBesides the ramifications for long-term space missions, Hangarter said the results from the experiments may also provide new information for growing plants on earth and how to maximize growth and space by determining which way the plants should grow. \nOnly part of the experiment went up on the current space flight, Hangarter said. Several other treatments of seeds are scheduled to come up on a future mission. \nWhile Hangarter said they expect the experiment to be concluded by August, the return date of the actual plants is unknown at this time. He said the project will not be completed when the next space shuttle is scheduled to go up, but he hopes it will return on the mission which follows that one. \n"We are not clear when we will get our seedlings back," he said. "You never know these days, with so many delays"
(07/10/06 4:50am)
Continued Israeli advancement into the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip in response to the kidnapping of Cpl. Gilad Shalit has one IU professor saying he isn't surprised. \nFresh from a 10-day trip to Israel, Rafael Reuveny, an associate professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, said conditions building between the two sides have made an escalation like this very predictable. \n"With Israel's unilateral disengagement of the settlements and with Hamas coming into power, it was just a matter of time before something like this would occur," Reuveny said. "That was just the spark."\nReuveny said economic conditions in Palestine are an important factor contributing to the conflict. Because they have such a dense population, Palestinians in the West Bank face a large unemployment crisis, forcing them to rely on Israel for jobs, fuel and electricity while being separated by the new security wall Israel has established, he said. \n"It is like a prison for them," he said. "They are completely dependent on Israel."\nIt is this kind of atmosphere that Reuveny said makes it easy for the Palestinian people to resort to violence and terrorism, as they have few alternatives. \n"They are aware of the consequences and they just don't mind," he said. "They are just so desperate."\nReuveny said some kind of prisoner exchange involving an unharmed Cpl. Shalit for Palestinian prisoners is likely a key to resolving this conflict. Israel is reluctant to give in to these demands, afraid it could embolden Hamas and other terrorists to carry out similar acts, Reuveny said. He added that he thinks Hamas would follow any kind of peace offering "to the letter" and be willing to embrace a potential cease fire. This could work, he said, if Israel agrees to release the prisoners at a later date to separate the exchange from the kidnapping. \nConvinced that escalation will continue, Reuveny said he doesn't see an end any time soon. \n"I think that in the short run the next days and weeks it will be worse than what we have now," he said.\nInstead of a peaceful solution, Rueveny said he predicts Palestinian suicide attack attempts to intensify and gain success, which will prompt an even tougher response from Israel. \n"There will be no end," he said. "After a while it will just continue and no one will know who even started this"
(07/06/06 12:07am)
Joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Secret Service and several corporate and academic institutions, the IU Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research will become one of the founding members of a national institute to battle the dangers of identity theft and fraud. \nThe establishment of the Center for Identity Management and Information Protection was announced last week, creating an unprecedented coalition that will focus on research involving identity crimes affecting national security, businesses and individuals, said Fred H. Cate, director of IU's Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research. \n"The issues (the center will) address are very critical," Cate said. "They range from how to prove who you are when boarding an airplane, to credit card fraud and basically how to keep someone else from posing as you."\nAccording to the center's Web site, its core mission is to "facilitate a national research agenda" and to improve information sharing and communication between the many different entities doing research on identity theft. \nAlso joining IU and the government agencies in the venture are IBM, LexisNexis and academic programs from Carnegie Mellon University, Syracuse University and Utica College. \n"There's a lot of good work being done in the field," Cate said. "But there is very little coordination. The government has big issues as in academia we have big issues. Until now there has been no place to decide what kind of research we really need and how and who will be paying for it."\nAnother of the center's advantages, Cate said, will be that it will allow IU to take advantage of its own institutional strengths while receiving help in areas where not a lot of University work is being done in. \n"We are a world-leading research center on phishing," Cate said. "While other centers specialize on areas we don't, we can partner with them to do more comprehensive research." \nThough IU has just finished significant work in getting the center started during the year-and-a-half of planning, Cate said there has been no immediate defined role that they will have. However, he said they will work a lot with government agencies and the private sector to focus on where research is needed the most and how and from where funding will come. \nWhile the new center will officially be based at the Economic Crime Institute of Utica College in New York, Cate said most of the work will be done through its large Web presence, conferences hosted across the country and just through the different partners collaborating on their work. \nAn example of one initial project already underway is the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance, which is working with Utica College to focus on methods existing and emerging criminals are using to commit identity fraud and theft, according to a press release. The results from the study will then be used to help train law enforcement agencies and help corporations plan detection strategies. \nThe center has even received support from several member of Congress, as Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-NY., chairman of the house science committee and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY., gave praise to the announcement of its establishment. \n"The Center for Identity Management and Information Protection will put the right focus on the issues that need to be discussed at all levels of government and the private sector in order to ensure that, as technology continues to advance, it is coupled with the strong safeguards and effective policies to prevent identity theft and protect our personal data," Clinton said in a statement.\nHighlighted by the recent IU Credit Union scam -- where fraudulent e-mails, disguised as authentic in order to steal personal information from credit union members were sent out -- Cate said identity fraud is still a growing concern that must be addressed. While he said that statistically the number of cases has been declining from year to year, the sophistication of the crimes has improved over time. \nIn the past, Cate said, these types of criminals were fairly "stupid" in their techniques, but now organized crime and international crime rings have taken up identity theft crimes using more advanced methods. \nIn addition, he said that because of society's growing dependency of electronic information it is much more of a vulnerable target.\n"Many people will carry credit cards from banks they have actually never seen," Cate said. "We are just a number to them, and they are just a number to us"
(07/05/06 10:43pm)
The IU Police Department arrested Brian Gardner, a 29-year-old man from Las Vegas, early Wednesday morning on charges of assault near the intersection of Fifth Street and Indiana Avenue, said IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger, reading from the police report. At about 1:00 a.m., Minger said officers observed Gardner yelling into the rear of the driver side window of a black SUV. \nThe passenger, who Minger said the officers identified as the victim, suffered a bloody lip and had a swollen upper and lower lip with an abrasion on the lower. Witnesses at the scene concurred that he had been struck two or three times in the face by Gardner, Minger said. \nAccording to the report, the incident started when Gardner was passing by the victim's vehicle and an exchange of words took place. The victim responded by saying "peace" and held up the peace symbol with his fingers. Minger said the report then states Gardner approached the victim, who yelled something before Gardner struck him in the face. \nThe report also stated Gardner appeared intoxicated as "his eyes were glassy and he was slurring his words." He was then arrested and booked into the jail.
(06/29/06 7:28pm)
Just two days after being awarded her new title, IU graduate student Betsy Uschkrat stood outside the Sample Gates, her new sparkling crown replacing the old one she won just months ago as Miss IU. But now, instead of being the pageant's representative from a campus of almost 40,000, she will be now representing a state of more than six million. \nSaturday night Uschkrat was crowned this year's Miss Indiana, and perhaps more exciting, she is now given the chance to compete on the national stage in this year's Miss America pageant. \n"It's just amazing, it's a dream come true," Uschkrat said. "I still get really emotional just thinking about it."\nUschkrat credited her experience on the stage for a big part of the win. She has been involved in beauty pageants since her freshman year of college, winning a local Texas pageant before she moved to Indiana. \n"(The pageants) are just so addicting," she said. "I learn more and more every year I do them. It has been such an enriching aspect in my life."\nIn 2005 she placed sixth in the Miss Texas title, after claiming the Miss Houston title the same year. Then this February she was crowned as the first Miss IU after a 37-year absence of the competition on campus, and in turn was granted the automatic bid to compete in last weekend's state competition in Zionsville, Ind.\nDean of Students Richard McKaig, who was one of Uschkrat's judges during the Miss IU pageant, met briefly with her a couple days after the state competition to congratulate her.\n"This obviously reflects on all of her abilities," McKaig said. "But it is also great for the University to celebrate our students' accomplishments." \nEven when not competing on the pageant circuit, Uschkrat remains drawn to the stage. Pursuing a masters degree in music in vocal performance at the Jacobs School of Music, she is an accomplished opera singer, with credits including last year's performance of "Romeo and Juliet," and is scheduled to play the lead in an upcoming IU performance. After graduating she said she plans to pursue a career in opera performing and has already been to several auditions for roles. \nHer opera abilities benefitted her in the Miss Indiana pageant as well, as she invoked her singing skills in the talent competition and ended up taking first place in the category. \nWhile she said she really enjoyed the talent portion of the contest, her favorite part of the pageant was meeting and spending time with the other contestants. \n"These girls are people you just want to see tomorrow," Uschkrat said. "They were just so welcoming and supportive. They are really great."\nAll contestants are required to support a platform of some kind of social issue, and Uschkrat's philanthropy is one that she strongly believes in because she has personally taken a stand to fight hunger. She said that since about 600,000 impoverished Hoosiers go to bed hungry every night, she has founded the Heart and Soul Benefit Concert in order to raise awareness and funds for the cause. After the first concert in 1998, inspired by her parents, she said the group has raised more than $70,000 while putting on the event almost every year. In addition, she has been named the state spokesperson of Feeding Indiana's Hungry, an organization that links food banks across the state and in May appeared with Lt. Governor Becky Skillman at Bloomington's Hoosier Hills Food Bank to promote the cause. Uschkrat said she plans to continue supporting the campaign to end hunger as she moves on to compete in the Miss America pageant. \nIn addition she will be taking classes at IU during the fall, performing in opera events and spending significant time over the next few months preparing for the national pageant by practicing her interview skills, shopping for the right wardrobe and exercising constantly. \n"I will be working out a lot to get that swimsuit body exactly how I like it for the swimsuit competition," she said. \nLindsay Shipps Etienne, executive director of the Miss IU Pageant, said that like before the Miss Indiana contest, Uschkrat will prepare by working with a physical trainer, doing interview prep with various IU professors and will be working on her opera skills for the talent portion. \nIn addition Uschkrat will have to prepare for a brand new format for the Miss America pageant. The final contest, which is scheduled to be held next January, will now rely on viewers' votes for a significant portion of determining which contestants will move on.\n"We really need to put the word out now that our former Miss IU comes to play as a finalist," Shipps Etienne said. "We need to get the vote out American Idol style."\nAlso, prior to the competition a new reality series will feature all the contestants since they will live together for several weeks in the fall, and Uschkrat said she is very excited about it. \n"It will be like nothing I nor anyone else has ever known before," she said. \nUschkrat said she hopes her mom will visit her often during her run up to the contest. Karen Uschkrat, Betsy's mother, said that in the past she has supported her daughter by taking her shopping, conducting mock interviews with her, helping her work on her walk and just chatting to help ease her nervousness before a competition. She said that despite all the hard work it has been a lot of fun for both her and her daughter. Uschkrat said all the support has inspired her greatly in pursuing the title of Miss America. \n"I love my mom so much and I know it's just as much her dream as it is mine," Uschkrat said.
