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(06/29/06 1:20am)
The IU Police Department is investigating a claim that a 37-year-old woman was fondled inappropriately by an unknown man Monday afternoon near Bryan Woods, Lt. Jerry Minger said, reading from the police report. \nAccording to the report, the victim said the man came up from behind her in the south, when he touched her inappropriately and kept on running. The victim then screamed and the man turned around before walking slowly away, the report read. \nMinger said the victim described the man as having tan or dark skin and could have been a "light-skinned African American or Arabic man or a dark-skinned Caucasian." She added the man appeared to be in his 20s, was 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighed about 200 pounds with a "stalky build" and had his hair shaved. She said he was wearing a royal blue tank top and yellowish-gold running pants. \nMinger said four IUPD officers responded to the scene of the incident about five minutes after she said it occurred. The officers were unable to locate the described man. Extra IUPD patrols were sent to the Bryan Woods area Tuesday to locate the subject in case he regularly goes through the area, but Minger said they did not find anyone matching the description. \nMinger asked anyone who's familiar with the subject or who may have witnessed similar incidents to please call 855-4111 to speak with an officer or detective.
(06/26/06 3:30pm)
More cases of the fraudulent e-mail scam targeting IU Credit Union members have been reported this week and the credit union now is aware of several cases where unauthorized ATM charges have been made on member's accounts, said the credit union's Vice President of Management Information Systems Mark Weigle.
(06/24/06 8:39pm)
More cases of the fraudulent e-mail scam targeting IU Credit Union members have been reported this week and the credit union now is aware of several cases where unauthorized ATM charges have been made on member's accounts, said the credit union's Vice President of Management Information Systems Mark Weigle.\nAs of Friday afternoon Weigle said the credit union now knows of at least 65 people who responded to the phishing scam e-mail, providing sensitive data like their debit card number and pin codes. That number is a significant rise since Wednesday's report, in which 15 to 20 respondents were counted. \nHe said in most instances the credit union shuts down that person's account before illegal transactions can take place. \nSeveral different versions of the fraud e-mail have been sent that requests the user to follow a link to a seemingly authentic, but actually fake, Web site that requests the members credit information. Weigle said they believe once the information has been sent from this link, their data may be compromised. He added they know already that several fake debit cards have been created based on the stolen information allowing the perpetrator to gain access to the user's account. \n"We are continuing to shut down the Web sites," Weigle said. "We are adding information to our own Web site and we'll be sending something out in our statement at the end of the month to make sure people look at their accounts. Also, we continue to warn our members about responding to unsolicited e-mail from or us or anyone else."\nHe added that even if unauthorized action may have taken place on its members' accounts, they will not be held accountable for the losses and will be covered because it's a fraud. \n"Phishing is the practice of using deception -- either deceptive language, fake Web sites, or both -- in an attempt to acquire others' credentials or identity on the Internet," said Informatics graduate student Jacob Ratkiewicz, who specializes in studying phishing attacks. \nA new type of the fraud e-mail has been noticed as well that may take advantage of the situation where credit union members are aware of the threat of the e-mails.\n"We have reasons to believe that (your account) may have been compromised by outside parties," the new fraud e-mail reads. "In order to protect your sensitive information, we temporarily suspended your account access. This is a fraud prevention measure meant to ensure that your account is not compromised."\nThe e-mail then asks the user to follow a link to the site and log in to restore their account. \nWeigle said while this e-mail may appear to be from the IU Credit Union warning of the fraud e-mails, in actuality it is just another phishing e-mail that is in no way from the credit union. He said this may be part of the scammers' strategy to gain access to more accounts. \nIn total, Weigle said he believes it is possible that hundreds of thousands of the fraudulent e-mails have been sent out during the past week. The credit union has already received 28,000 e-mails that have been sent back to them in some way -- either by automated replies or concerned people forwarding the message back to the credit union. \nAfter the spike in reported cases, Weigle said they are now seeing a slowdown in the number of people saying they may have responded to the e-mail. Weigle credits this in part to the media coverage over the past few days. \n"I think so many people have read (the media reports) and then checked their e-mail and wondered if they need to do anything," he said. "I think media coverage helps in general, whether the phishing scam for the IU Credit Union or anything else, when people see other have been victims, they may think twice before clicking on an unsolicited e-mail."\nThe IU Credit Union's Web site is www.iucu.org. A helpline is available at 855-7823.
(06/22/06 12:07am)
Several IU Credit Union members this week were the target of a "fairly sophisticated" fraudulent phishing e-mail scam designed to steal users' account information, debit card numbers and pin codes. Mark Weigle, the credit union's vice president of management information systems said they know of at least 15 to 20 people who have responded to the e-mail and have had some of their credit information compromised. They have had their accounts shut down to prevent any illegal transitions from taking place. \n"Phishing attacks have two parts -- an e-mail and Web component," said Alex Tsow, an Informatics visiting research associate. "Typically the e-mail is a spoof message appearing to come from someone of trust asking you to follow a Web link that requests personal information. That Web page is actually fraudulent, and just someone pretending to be that company."\nIn the case of the credit union many of its members received the phishing e-mail this week informing "IU Credit Union Customers" that they must respond with an update of their account information including debit card number, debit pin code and their expiration date or their account will be deactivated and deleted. \nWeigle said people should immediately be able to tell the request is not legitimate because it is the credit union's policy never to solicit that kind of information via e-mail, and they never refer to its users as "customers" but instead "members". He added that the Web address on the link was clearly not that of the credit union. \nDespite these differences from a legitimate message from the credit union, Weigle said on the surface it can easily be seen as looking like the credit union was actually sending the e-mail and the "surface" of the fake Web site matched closely with the actual one. \nInformatics graduate student Jacob Ratkiewicz, who specializes in phishing technology, said people should be suspicious any time they receive an e-mail requesting to "update their account information" especially if it contains a threat saying that the account could be deactivated. \nTsow added that the best way to avoid being a victim of phishing is to simply navigate independently to the site instead of following a link on the Web page. That way any type of phony link can be bypassed. \nWeigle said users' brith dates, drivers license and social security numbers were not being targeted, and the credit union is resetting account information that may have been compromised if someone responded to the message. \n"We are closing their accounts and reopening them with new ATM, new debit cards and new checks," he said. "Its not totally painless, but at least they are protected from their old account." \nWeigle said they do not know the exact scope to how many of its members received the e-mail, but he said it was a seemingly significant number. While most people targeted had indiana.edu e-mail accounts, he said they have also seen other providers from AOL, Yahoo and even someone from Purdue. \nAt the credit union's latest count, Weigle said they have identified five separate Web sites that the phishing e-mail directed its victims to and they believe only three have thus been shut down. He added they believe the sites were set up on someone else's compromised server so that it would be very difficult to trace it back to the perpetrator of the scheme. He said the job of locating someone who did this would be the responsibility of the FBI or Interpol, since the majority of these are conducted overseas. \nTsow said after reviewing the fraudulent e-mail it appears "pretty unsophisticated based on today's standards" as it is not as threatening as other large scale Internet frauds. However, he said this illustrates a growing trend of smaller companies and banks being attacked as they generally do less to educate consumers and attacks are less noticed as they tend to "fly under the radar" before it's too late. \nWeigle said he encourages anybody to contact the credit union if they have responded to the e-mail or if they have received the e-mail and think they are at risk. \n"The sooner we know about that they have responded (to the e-mail) we can take care of monitoring their accounts," he said. "This (site) looked very close to ours and without thinking someone could easily clicked on that link."\nThe IU Credit Union's Web site is www.iucu.org. A helpline is available at 855-7823.
(06/19/06 4:26am)
A rare federal grant amounting to potentially $5 million spanning 10 years has recently been awarded to IU biology professor Carl Bauer. The Method to Extend Research in Time award was presented by the National Institute of General Medical Science to fund Bauer's research on how bacteria and oxygen levels relate. \n"Well it's flattering is the best way to put it," Bauer said. "It is more than anything else a stamp of approval of the work we are doing and confidence in the future that we will continue (the research)."\nAccording to a press release, the MERIT award is presented to researchers who have successful track records and will allow them the freedom to focus on important questions related to human health and biology. \nProviding that Bauer satisfies the conditions of renewal for the award in five years, the government will fund his research until 2016, with the $5 million coming in during the span of the decade.\nWhile most college faculty researchers have to worry about the common saying, "publish or perish," meaning they must submit research papers in order to gain funding, Bauer said the MERIT award will allow him to conduct the research he wants without having to be concerned about how he will receive more funding. \n"The problem with fund raising is that you are basically on a treadmill constantly and rapidly putting out papers to ensure you have a high probability of receiving funding," Bauer said. "This grant will allow me to step back off the treadmill, pause, take risks and have stable long-term funds."\nBauer added most scientists are hesitant to conduct high-risk but high-reward research as they fear losing funding if their research does not go as planned. Thus, most choose instead to pursue less risky work to ensure they will be able to receive more grants. \n"High risk work is actually what they encourage," Bauer said. "The director (of the agency) wants us to take risks that may or may not pay off but we will still have the funding if it doesn't. We can take these risk instead of playing it safe, as there is no pressure and more freedom to pursue our work."\nOnly a very limited number of the MERIT awards are given out each year and Bauer is only the ninth recipient from IU to receive the prestigious grant. \n"Dr. Bauer's highly successful efforts demonstrate the importance of bringing multiple, innovative, experimental approaches to bear on difficult problems fundamental to biomedical science," said James Anderson of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences in a statement. "The MERIT award was designed to allow proven creative and productive scientists the leeway to pursue their interests over a longer term than most grant recipients. NIGMS is delighted to make this award."\nBauer said he will use the grant to fund his research to understand how bacteria thrive under low oxygen conditions and how that affects their growth. He said the practical implications of this can be very important as it can help explain how some infectious diseases survive outside the body and for how long they can do so. He added it could also help study how food is processed and how beer and wine are created. \n"This is award is something that is very nice (for my research) and is something that can lead to some very interesting things with science," he said.
(06/05/06 3:05am)
The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Friday in favor of the IU board of trustees that Indiana's Open Door Law was not violated in the 2000 firing of former men's basketball coach Bob Knight. \nThe ruling, listing the trustees of IU as the defendants, upheld a May 2005 lower court decision that then-IU President Myles Brand's decision to meet with the trustees in two separate groups to discuss Knight's alleged insubordination and misconduct a day before he was fired was within the bounds of Indiana's laws. Brand met two groups of trustees, each with four members present. \nIndiana's Open Door Law states that "a gathering of a majority of the governing body of a public agency for the purpose of taking official action on public business" must be advertised 48 hours before it is held and is required to be open to the public. The court ruled that it was legal for Brand to meet separately with the two groups of the trustees in his home, while the others waited in a separate room -- as to avoid a quorum, which would have required the meeting to be open to the public. \nGojko Kasich and Roy Graham, who acted as attorneys for the plaintiffs -- a group of 46 fans who originally filed the suit in 2000 -- argued that the meetings still would qualify under the open door policy and therefore were illegal. \n"Mr. Kasich and I felt from beginning that IU's behavior of dividing the trustees into two groups of four and giving the same information to both groups in two rooms within 20 minutes of each other is a deliberate affront to the purpose of the law and to the citizens of the state of Indiana," Graham said. "IU is a public trust as well as hundreds of other groups and organizations that must comply with the Open Door Law." \nGraham added that despite the court's ruling he plans to ask for a transfer, where the Indiana Supreme Court will decide whether to hear the case or continue to let the appellate court's ruling stand. Graham said he is still confident the court will hear the appeal and will agree on the plaintiffs' behalf. \nAccording to court documents, the ruling was strongly based on the fact that the state legislature has specifically defined a "meeting" as having a majority of the governing body present and thus without a clear majority present, "no meeting occurs for purposes of the Open Door Law". The court decision goes on to state that it upheld the case because the Indiana General Assembly has considered revising the definitions of a meeting to include a series of gatherings, but has consistently declined to amend the policy. \n"Our reaction is we are of course pleased, we now have state courts on two levels affirming our position," said Larry MacIntyre, director of IU media relations. "We believe and had confidence all along that the trustees were within the law."\nThe court also rejected the plaintiffs' argument that under prior regulations, only former IU President Thomas Ehrlich personally could fire Knight and thus Brand had no legal authority to do so. Court documents stated the judges felt this argument was "unpersuasive" and that the "trustees clearly delegated their authority to the person holding the office of president of the university."\nOnly two current trustees were members of the board during Knight's firing -- trustee President Stephen Ferguson and trustee Cora Breckenridge. While calls to Ferguson went unreturned by press time, Breckenridge said she was not aware of the specifics of the suit, but after learning the court found in favor of the trustees, said "Bravo."\nGraham said he worries that court's ruling will have a greater impact beyond this individual case.\n"The problem with the court of appeals and the trial court's reasoning is that it sends a signal to other organizations that this kind of thing is okay," he said. "Common sense and decency tells you it's not right"
(06/02/06 10:00pm)
The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Friday in favor of the IU board of trustees that Indiana's Open Door Law was not violated in the 2000 firing of former men's basketball coach Bob Knight. \nThe ruling, listing the trustees of IU as the defendants, upheld a May 2005 lower court decision that then-IU President Myles Brand's decision to meet with the trustees in two separate groups to discuss Knight's alleged insubordination and misconduct a day before he was fired was within the bounds of Indiana's laws. Brand met two groups of trustees, each with four members present. \nIndiana's Open Door Law states that "a gathering of a majority of the governing body of a public agency for the purpose of taking official action on public business" must be advertised 48 hours before it is held and is required to be open to the public. The court ruled that it was legal for Brand to meet separately with the two groups of the trustees in his home, while the others waited in a separate room -- as to avoid a quorum, which would have required the meeting to be open to the public. \nGojko Kasich and Roy Graham, who acted as attorneys for the plaintiffs -- a group of 46 fans who originally filed the suit in 2000 -- argued that the meetings still would qualify under the open door policy and therefore were illegal. \n"Mr. Kasich and I felt from beginning that IU's behavior of dividing the trustees into two groups of four and giving the same information to both groups in two rooms within 20 minutes of each other is a deliberate affront to the purpose of the law and to the citizens of the state of Indiana," Graham said. "IU is a public trust as well as hundreds of other groups and organizations that must comply with the open door law." \nGraham added that despite the court's ruling he plans to ask for a transfer, where the Indiana Supreme Court will decide whether to hear the case or continue to let the appellate court's ruling stand. Graham said he is still confident the court will hear the appeal and will agree on the plaintiffs' behalf. \nAccording to court documents the ruling was strongly based on the fact that the state legislature has specifically defined a "meeting" as having a majority of the governing body present and thus without a clear majority present, "no meeting occurs for purposes of the Open Door Law". The court decision goes on to state that it upheld the case because the Indiana General Assembly has considered revising the definitions of a meeting to include a series of gatherings, but has consistently declined to amend the policy. \n"Our reaction is we are of course pleased, we now have state courts on two levels affirming our position," said Larry MacIntyre, director of IU media relations. "We believe and had confidence all along that the trustees were within the law." \nThe court also rejected the plaintiffs' argument that under prior regulations, only former IU President Thomas Ehrlich personally could fire Knight and thus Brand had no legal authority to do so. Court documents stated the judges felt this argument was "unpersuasive" and that the "trustees clearly delegated their authority to the person holding the office of president of the university." \nOnly two current trustees were members of the board during Knight's firing -- trustee President Stephen Ferguson and trustee Cora Breckenridge. While calls to Ferguson went unreturned by press time, Breckenridge said she was not aware of the specifics of the suit, but after learning the court found in favor of the trustees, said "Bravo." \nGraham said he worries that court's ruling will have a greater impact beyond this individual case.\n"The problem with the court of appeals and the trial court's reasoning is that it sends a signal to other organizations that this kind of thing is okay," he said. "Common sense and decency tells you it's not right"
(05/18/06 1:06am)
The IU Cancer Center received a $7.5 million endowment from the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation Tuesday in order to help attract and retain nationally recognized researchers and scientists. \nThe gift -- which will provide the Indianapolis-based center with $1.5 million a year during a five-year span -- is the largest one-time donation from the Lilly Foundation to an institution or cause.\n"I think a key issue is that we have the opportunity to retain our most talented members and recruit new ones," said IU Cancer Center Director Dr. Stephen Williams. "We need an enormous amount of resources to recruit and gifts like this and others are essential to doing that."\nWilliams said that depending on several variables he hopes the gift will be able to help attract or retain 10 to 15 researchers or scientists.\nLast fall IU President Adam Herbert said in his State of the University speech that his goal is for the Cancer Center to become one of the top five institutions of its kind in the nation. \nAs the center is currently undergoing a substantial $150 million expansion, Williams said that more funds will play a major role in accomplishing the University's aspirations for the center.\n"We are working very hard towards being the best we can possibly be," he said. "We are already one of the elite institutions in the United States and we seek to be even better."\nWilliams said he hopes that the gift will not only improve the center's direct patient care, but also long-term research and education will benefit. \n"While some of these (new hires) will not have immediate impact on patient care, in the long run they will provide the most successful and most innovative cancer care."\nThe Lilly gift comes after a long-standing relationship between the company and IU. \n"There is a lot of cross-pollination between us and IU," said Eli Lilly Senior Communications Associate Joan Todd. "We hire from there, and vice versa, and we do a lot of research collaboration." \nTodd added that the company believes that IU's goal to have the Cancer Center be a top institution was well in line with making Central Indiana a desirable place and a hub for "biocompanies."\nThe Eli Lilly and Company Foundation was created in 1968 to carry out the philanthropic interests and is a major source of the company's support for non-profit and charitable organizations, according to a press release.\nMary Hardin, media manager at the IU School of Medicine, said Eli Lilly has been a key partner and a huge supporter of life sciences in Indiana, and that they have "a long history of doing things that benefit Hoosiers and improve the quality of cancer care"
(05/14/06 11:57pm)
IU hopes to help its overseas student enrollment this week when three international advisers, funded by the U.S. Department of State, visit the campus to learn more about the academics and services the University has to offer.\nThe Thailand, Jordan and Kazakhstan-based advisers are part of a 12-member group that will be touring various Indiana colleges to learn about the schools' admission policies, support programs and overall insights and impressions of the institutions. In turn, they will extend their knowledge to interested students overseas who wish to attend IU or other Indiana colleges. \n"(The advisers) all have different functions," Assistant Director of International Recruitment Candice Progler said. "But their job is to advise others of different higher education systems and the different opportunities they might have depending on the particular institute and funding." \nOn Tuesday and Wednesday the individuals will meet with several departmental staff and faculty members, the Office of International Programs and the Office of International Admissions. In addition they will be given a tour of the campus and have a meeting with current international students enrolled at IU to gauge their thoughts and experiences. \nProgler said that there will be an added emphasis on touring the Kelley School of Business and the School of Informatics, as there is a heightened interest in those schools from many international students. \nCurrently, Progler said approximately 9 percent of the University's overall population is from overseas students. The University hopes that its continued work with the advisers and other policy aims will further strengthen these numbers. \n"Most (international students) come for the academic strengths that we offer in so many areas," Progler said. "We are very welcoming to international students as we have several student associations for them find a support network and our Office of International Services offers support on issues of (their) transition."\nProgler added that the city of Bloomington adds to the appeal. \n"Our community at large has a very international culture," she said. "We attract students to a Midwestern community that has a small town feel but a worldly personality."\nThe transition from a foreign country to IU many times is a very difficult process, starting at learning and adapting to a new language and culture. Progler said IU offers an intensive English language program while it offers help with typical transition issues such as setting up a bank account or making purchases to furnish an apartment. One way this is accomplished is through an orientation program similar to the one incoming freshmen go through, but it's much more comprehensive and in-depth.\nProgler said that the University is putting so much effort on this issue because it not only benefits the students who travel overseas to attend IU, but it also reaps benefits for the University. \n"Certainly these students bring different perspectives to the classroom environment that we all can learn from," Progler said. "Also there are a lot (of international students) at the graduate level who are holding associate instructor and research positions who contribute in many different ways beyond their thoughts in the classroom."\nIn addition to the individual meetings with different departments, programs and offices on campus will participate in a campus-wide meeting Wednesday morning so the advisers can see the campus as a whole.\n"This is a wonderful opportunity for us to share everything we offer and develop a relationship with them," Progler said. "We have a lot of academic units taking the time to make the advisers' visit be worthwhile"
(05/11/06 12:33am)
When recent IU graduate David Geeslin walked across Assembly Hall's court Saturday to accept his doctorate hood, he made history.\nAccepting his Ed.D in Educational Leadership during this year's commencement ceremony, he became the first deaf student to gain that degree in the University's history.\n"I have been told by my historical research friends that I am the first deaf person to graduate with a doctoral degree from IU," Geeslin said in an e-mail. "I am also the first deaf person to graduate with a doctoral degree from any Indiana college."\nGeeslin, who graduated from Boston University in 1991 with a masters degree in education, credits IU for helping to foster a supportive learning environment that assisted him throughout his studies. \n"We are all working in education, and I have enjoyed building friendships with educators and administrators in other specialties of education," he said. "This networking will continue to be helpful as we all serve our students and families."\nGeeslin added that the "outstanding" Educational Leadership faculty was of great benefit to him as they did a great job providing accommodations for classroom participation, including "excellent" interpreters and live transcribing services.\nAssociate professor Robert Toutkoushian, who was Geeslin's director of his dissertation, said that while working with him on his research and analysis Geeslin showed great determination and diligence. He added that his conversations became so natural he couldn't even tell an interpreter was present.\n"If he doesn't understand something, he is not afraid to come back and ask," Toutkoushian said. "I was very impressed with his commitment and perseverance."\nDespite the praise from faculty members, Geeslin admitted his success did not come without its difficulties or challenges. He said he struggled at times with the level of expectations and the amount of learning necessary to satisfy many professors. \nRegardless of the obstacles that presented themselves during his educational career, Geeslin said he was motivated by something stronger that kept him going.\n"My motivation to be in educational leadership stems from my own frustration as a consumer of special education," he said. "As a young deaf student, I was frustrated by the systemic acceptance of low expectations for deaf students. I vowed at an early age to make a change and aim higher for deaf students."\nNow that he has earned his degree, Geeslin is now awaiting approval from the governor to be named superintendent of the Indiana School for the Deaf, where he has worked during his studies at IU as an educational consultant. He was also a former elementary principal and a licensed teacher before pursuing his doctorate degree at IU. \n"He has been a very promising student and has a good solid career ahead of him," Toutkoushian said. "I'm glad we were able to work with him." \nAs Geeslin goes on to pursue his professional career he said he hopes his accomplishments will inspire future students. \n"I am thrilled with my experience at Indiana University and I hope by being (here) I might have, in some small way, paved the way for other up and coming young deaf leaders," he said.
(05/11/06 12:31am)
Three weeks ago at IU, close friends and family members were shocked and devastated with grief after five young IU students and promising vocalists perished after their plane went down in the dense woods south of Monroe County Airport. \nHowever, just two days after the tragic events transpired, the Jacobs School of Music would create a unique and modern outlet for the sorrows, desperation and confusion by allowing it to be expressed and shared throughout the community by creating blogs, or Web journals, to memorialize the victims. \n"We are pleased to say that the blogs have become the most important point of reference for us (to remember the victims)," said Alain Barker, director of marketing and publicity for the Jacobs School of Music. "They have become a powerful therapeutic opportunity to express emotions and thoughts."\nBarker said there was a lot of discussion of how to express the sorrow that the music school was feeling immediately following the crash when Mary Ann Hart, chair of the voice department, said students had suggested a blog could be used to provide a proper outlet for grief and remembrance. \nEven though the Music School had no experience using blogs, they conducted their initial research and found that this would be easy to accomplish, using Google's blogger.com Web site, Barker said. After making the necessary preparations to make sure they were to be used in a sensitive and appropriate manner, five blogs for each of the victims were created within just two days of the crash. \nPosts began to appear immediately on the pages, ranging from close family members, classmates and even people who had never met the victims in person. Currently there has been an average of approximately 50 posts for each blog. \nGraduate student Greg Brookes, who was a roommate of the late Chris Carducci and close friends with three of the other victims, said he has read every entry to each blog, totaling over 250 posts. Hart asked Brookes to moderate Carducci's blog, and after finding the relative ease of his task, he took on the role of moderating all blogs. \n"The blog submissions are wonderful," Brookes said. "Some are funny, others are poignant, some break your heart, but they are all so meaningful. In this way, they allow us to contribute to a community of family and friends who are all committed to keeping the memory of our five friends alive."\nJunior Steven Eddy said that even though he didn't know any of the five personally, he knew Robert Samels as his ear training teacher this fall and felt compelled to submit a post in the days following the crash. \n"He was one of our favorite teachers, so I felt it would be nice to express my impressions and memories of him on his blog," Eddy said. "Writing that entry helped me to realize how much he had taught me not only about music, but life as well, and that I should treasure the memories that he gave all of us."\nOne of the added benefits of the blogs is that it allows people from outside Bloomington an opportunity to mourn with others. \n"I had to leave Bloomington directly after the accident, so it gave me a link to people who were in the same state of shock and mourning as I was," said graduate student Jamie Barton. "(Reading other's comments made me feel) sad, happy, nostalgic ... as stupid as it sounds, it's nice to know that others miss them as much as I do."\nBrookes said he does not expect the posts to stop coming anytime soon. He believes that for some of the people closest to those who were lost it will take some time before they are able to write a blog entry. He added that he is just now finishing his post to Carducci's blog. \nBarker and Brookes both said that they have received nothing but positive feedback from the public and the families of the victims, as they have said it has helped them grieve and properly remember their loved ones.\n"The site is a giving opportunity," Barker said. "Reading through the wide spectrum of responses -- the very touching, very funny and sometimes very beautiful words about the five of them -- paints a very accurate picture of them and what they were to us"
(05/10/06 11:48pm)
IU plans to save more than $4 million while extending additional savings to students, faculty and staff with its announcement Tuesday that University Information Technology Services has renewed and restructured its landmark deals with Dell and Microsoft. \nUnder the new three-year Microsoft and two-year Dell extended contracts, Sue Workman, director of user support for IU, said that students would see even greater institutional discounts than they have previously had.\n"What we basically did was renegotiate the contracts and we were able to leverage and take advantage of our mass purchasing power to provide software (and hardware) to students, faculty and staff," Workman said. \nShe added that students can now expect to see an approximate extra $50 taken off previous IU discounts for Dell desktops and notebooks, while Microsoft software plans have been renewed to allow for free or discounted rates for downloads of software including Microsoft Office, Front Page, Visual Studio, Microsoft Publisher and operating system updates that will include Window's upcoming Vista release. Also there will be further discounts from the entire Dell catalog, she said. \n"These two (Microsoft and Dell deals) together really do contribute to the reason that IU has the 'Red Hot' kind of thing," Workman said. "It helps keep technology current, cheap or even at the least free." \nIn 1998 IU and Microsoft made history by making the University the first in the nation to offer popular software products, such as Microsoft Office, available to all of the University's students, faculty and staff. IU's 2003 agreement with Dell created significant discounts on all Dell products and large discounts on select computers.\n"I'm very pleased that the University is able to extend these two important information technology-related purchase agreements that will benefit the students, faculty and staff at IU," said IU Chief Information Officer Brad Wheeler, who was unable to be reached for comment by press time, in a statement. "These agreements again demonstrate our commitment to providing the best information technology resources and prices for our community."\nWorkman added that in the University's eighty-year history working with Microsoft, this is by far its best deal to date. Through its educational pricing savings to the University will accrue into the millions over its term.\nAnother benefit to the new contracts, Workman said, was that students, faculty and staff can use the savings for home, work or school related purchases. Also before graduating, students can have the ability to purchase reasonably priced equipment and software. \n"This puts us a real step ahead when we have these types of agreements available," Workman said. "It really does make a difference, when others have to pay $300 to $400 a pop for Microsoft Office"
(05/08/06 5:40am)
As IU continues its search to find a permanent replacement for the College of Arts and Sciences dean position, an interim leader for the largest school within IU was confirmed Friday. \nDuring the business meeting for the IU board of trustees, Professor of Sociology David Zaret's appointment was approved for the position of interim COAS dean to replace Kumble Subbaswamy, who is leaving to become the provost at the University of Kentucky. \n"(Zaret) is a first rate administrator," said Interim Provost Michael McRobbie. "He has an intimate knowledge of the College."\nMcRobbie added that Zaret has already been beneficial during the transition period with Subbaswamy's departure. He said this is due largely in part to Zaret's history with COAS, as he served as its executive associate dean from 1999 to 2005. \nIn addition to the interim announcement, the COAS dean search committee also reported progress in their task to find a permanent leader. Law School Dean Lauren Robel, who is the chairwoman of the search committee, revealed Wednesday that three finalists for the position have been selected. \nThe remaining candidates are Bennett Bertenthal, professor of psychology and computational neuroscience at the University of Chicago, Edward Donnerstein, dean of the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Arizona and Eric Friedlander, professor of mathematics at Northwestern University. \n"The candidate pool was exceptionally strong, and all three finalists are outstanding candidates," Robel said in a press release. "The committee intends to forward its recommendation to Interim Provost McRobbie immediately after the finalists have completed their visits to the Bloomington campus."\nIU President Adam Herbert said he believes the search is proceeding very well and from what Robel has described, they are all excellent and strong applicants. He added that the candidates will be arriving to visit the campus over the next couple weeks and he expects a recommendation to come from the committee by the June 8 trustee meeting. \nThe trustees also made it clear Friday that there is no ill will within the University towards Subbaswamy for choosing to leave for Kentucky. Near the end of the Friday business meeting, the board offered a statement in support for the outgoing COAS leader. \n"We would like to applaud the job he has done," said trustee Vice President Patrick Shoulders. "He is one of the most accomplished thinkers the University has seen."\nShoulders added that the board conveys their deep respect, affection and gratitude for the work he has done during his tenure at IU. \nAlso at the Friday trustee meeting, McRobbie announced the creation of four other search committees to find replacements for departing deans. \n- Daniel Smith, dean of the Kelley School of Business, will chair the 12-person committee to fill the School of Health position. \n- Brad Wheeler, dean of Information Technology, will lead the 12-person committee to identify his successor for the School of Informatics position.\n- Gerardo Gonzalez, School of Education dean, will head the 10-person committee to choose the next dean of the School of Continuing Studies.\n- Sarita Soni, vice provost for research, will preside over the 12-person committee to select the next dean for the University Graduate School.
(05/08/06 1:22am)
In the sea of black caps and gowns covering the floor and large blocks of seating in Assembly Hall, three caps sported writing in white tape, proclaiming messages that could be used to convey the collective emotions of IU's 177th graduating class. \nThey read: "I'm Done!", "I need a job" and "I'd rather be fishing." Or in other words, they represent the feelings of relief and accomplishment, the fears and nervousness of entering the "real world" and simply a desire to move on to better things. \n"I feel really great to be finally graduating," said graduate Jared Hershberger. "It was a lot of hard work, and I put in a lot of effort. Today was a good celebration of it all." \nSlightly before 10:00 a.m. and then again at 3:00 p.m. -- in two separate but nearly identical sessions to accommodate for spacing -- the class of 2006 marched behind school marshals and faculty members as they proceeded down and across the aisles of Assembly Hall and into their floor or courtside seats. \nKicking off the ceremony, IU President Adam Herbert walked up to the microphone on the platform near the edge of the court, thus invoking the approximate 3,600 graduates in each session to let out a robust cheer with the knowledge that commencement would finally begin. \nHerbert went on to lead the students in congratulating the faculty, family and friends of the graduates, saying that these are the people who helped make this happen. With resounding applause, Herbert then introduced famed Batman producer, IU alumnus and this year's commencement speaker Michael Uslan. \n"Indiana University helped me get a job and helped me achieve my dreams," Uslan said. "And it did that by catering to needs of one individual student."\nHe then described how, as an IU student, he created the first accredited course taught about comic books. Despite initial resistance from faculty who called the comics "funny books" which were "cheap entertainment for children, nothing more, nothing less," he eventually won over his critics by showing the cultural relevance by drawing comparisons from religion, Greek mythology and folklore. \nUslan's course was accredited and soon after marketing himself to the press, the story was picked up everywhere, turning him into an instant celebrity. Shortly after, comic book legend Stan Lee called and offered him a job with DC Comics, where he was later asked to write for the Batman comics. \n"In my heart of hearts since I was eight-years-old I believed that if I studied hard, worked out often and had my Dad buy me a cool car, I could be this (Batman)," Uslan said as the crowd laughed at his joke. \nUslan continued to tell his story; how the IU School of Law helped empower him to gain the knowledge and experience to make it in the entertainment industry by allowing him to participate in an individual study program. From there he moved on to eventually purchase the rights to Batman, and after 10 years of hard work marketing his idea, he accomplished his dream and launched a global franchise of Batman movies, video games and other products. \nUslan said he credits his success to four simple lessons that helped guide him throughout his life: being able to take calculated risks, believing in one's work, successfully marketing oneself and following whatever one's passion is in life. \nAfter challenging the graduating class to find their passion in life, he concluded by reciting Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken." \n"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference," Uslan said. "Best of luck and congratulations my fellow IU graduates." \nFollowing the commencement speech, which produced a standing ovation from the crowd, the graduating student body was presented with a free one year membership in the IU Alumni Association. \nInterim Provost Michael McRobbie then delivered his presentation to the graduates, focusing on a theme of following traditions of greatness by invoking the legacy of past IU leaders, such as Herman B Wells, Marcellus Neal, Frances Marshall and Alfred Kinsey. \nIn Herbert's charge to the class, he said that graduating does not mean the end of one's IU experience, as it would remain forever in memories and in the lessons it taught. He then somberly reflected on the loss of the five music students who died in a plane crash just over two weeks ago. \n"This devastating loss has united us in our grief," he said. "It also reminds us that our time together is fragile and a very exceptional gift."\nFollowing Herbert's charge, the conferral of the degrees took place as each school's dean asked the candidates to stand as a group. The dean then made the recommendation that all requirements have been met and all degrees should be conferred. In addition, students receiving doctoral degrees were asked to cross the platform and accept their ceremonial doctor's hood, and shake the hand of the provost and their dean. \nWhen all the degrees were conferred and then accepted by Herbert, the new graduates were led in song to "Hail to Old I.U." before the recession led the graduates outside of Assembly Hall. Thousands of graduates scanned the landscape, cell phones in hand as they attempted to locate and then embrace their families and friends who watched the ceremony.\n"I really thought the ceremony was very inspirational and emotional, I cried for most of the event," said Linda Degroot, who watched her daughter Kristen Huff graduate. "This is one of the nicer ceremonies I've seen, and I have a lot of children"
(05/08/06 1:22am)
Under a new ambitious goal by the IU board of trustees, enrollment of under-represented minorities would double by the 2013-2014 school year. \nThe trustees unanimously voted to approve the motion, which came after comprehensive meetings with Charlie Nelms, IU vice president for student development and diversity, to discuss strategies by which to accomplish their objective. \nTrustee Sue Talbot said that IU has a long, strong commitment to diversity, but now actions must be louder than just the University's rhetoric. \n"We can't just only talk about this anymore," Talbot said. "But we must begin actually doing good."\nTalbot added some examples of strategies the trustees would like to implement, including a focus on strengthening the high school pipeline to attract more minorities and improving financial aid and scholarships for under-represented groups. \nIn what may be proof of IU's renewed commitment to diversity, Roger J. Thompson was confirmed Friday by the trustees to the position of vice provost for enrollment management.\nThompson comes to IU after guiding the enrollment offices at the University of Alabama since 2004 and serving as the assistant registrar at the University of Southern California. During his stays, each school's enrollment -- especially minority admission numbers -- increased significantly. \n"During (his tenure with other schools) the rise in their student body is almost legendary," said Interim Provost Michael McRobbie. "He has shown leadership in his history with ours and other institutions as he has helped achieve record number (enrollment figures)." \nTo show his emphasis on improving diversity enrollment, McRobbie pointed out that at Alabama the number of National Merit Hispanic Achievement scholars increased from 69 in 2002 to 145 in 2005. Also, he added, Thompson oversaw a 43 percent increase in incoming black freshman students during his tenure at UAB-Tuscaloosa. \nMcRobbie said that in his new position Thompson will be responsible for overseeing the offices of admissions, student financial assistance, the registrar and Bloomington campus orientation programs. He added that he would have an essential role in achieving the trustees' diversity goals. \n"We regard the admissions process as one of the most significant of what we do," Herbert said. \nThompson faces several challenges in restructuring IU's admissions and enrollment policies, including from the trustees, many of whom offer contrasting viewpoints of what they think the University's guidelines should be. \n"You'll find quickly that the board has a lot of opinions in that area," trustees President Steve Ferguson told Thompson during the meeting. \nThompson will replace Don Hossler, who retired as vice chancellor for enrollment services last July, and Interim Vice Chancellor Roland Cote.
(05/08/06 12:35am)
The IU board of trustees unanimously approved all four building proposals for the Bloomington campus during its monthly business meeting Friday. The resolutions included endorsements for a new parking garage, fraternity house, Honors College and a Herman B Wells Library renovation. \nWith its undivided decision, the board gave final authorization to begin construction of the controversial five-and-a-half-level parking garage to be located on the corner of Fess and Atwater avenues. \nThe resolution for the structure, which will hold approximately 560 vehicles, comes after several months of debate and discussions with several local community members, who opposed the measure because they feared it would add more traffic and degrade the quality of the neighborhood. \nA previous, near identical site proposal plan was approved last November by the trustees to approve of the site of the structure after suggestions from the community were considered. Friday's vote was the final obstacle from the trustees before construction could commence. \nTrustee Cora Breckenridge said the project is estimated to cost $10,946,000 and will include, "limestone veneer with openings to blend with the campus collegiate gothic architectural character."\nWith another unanimous vote, the trustees approved of a design measure for a new chapter house for Beta Theta Pi. Breckenridge said the three-story fraternity house would reportedly provide living arrangements for 50 residents and 30 non-residents. \n"This is the location of where my old fraternity house was," said student trustee Casey Cox. "I'm really proud of the design and that the abandonment will be taken care of. I certainly look forward to returning to the frat to look at it."\nA 9-0 trustee vote also gave consent for the project and design for the construction of a new Hutton Honors College. Breckenridge said the building would be located at the northwest corner at the intersection of Woodlawn and Seventh streets.\nThe $3 million dollar plan would include a seminar classroom, library, student study lounges, event spaces and offices. A gift from Edward L. Hutton will fund the construction. \nThe board then gave unanimous approval, with trustee President Stephen Ferguson abstaining, of a design to restore the Herman B Wells Library Reference Reading Room. \nBreckenridge said the project would create a traditional library reading room with large reading tables and lounge seats. \n"(This is) one of many of renovations that will come to the main library," Breckenridge said.
(05/08/06 12:30am)
The agenda and progress of the new IU Student Association government was presented to the IU board of trustees Friday, while they also heard remarks from IU President Adam Herbert regarding the plane crash disaster that took the lives of five music students and a presentation on how to improve civic engagement on campus.\n Senior Alex Shortle completed his last official duty as outgoing IUSA president Friday when he gave his final presentation to the trustees. Shortle praised his successor, incoming IUSA President Betsey Henke, and thanked the board and administrators for their help.\n"This has been a real learning experience," he said. "I'd like to thank you for giving us, the students, an opportunity to be here ... I am confident that the University is moving in the right direction."\nShortle concluded by saying that he is optimistic that in 10 years his diploma will be worth far much more money, while it is currently worth a lot to him. \nAfter his remarks, Henke then took to the podium to officially address the trustees for the first time in her capacity as IUSA president. \n"I am really excited to be working with Alex getting through the transition," Henke said. "We are ready to go."\nShe added that the new student governing body has already made substantial accomplishments. They have been meeting with administrators and directors, they cut down costs in their new budget and are working on their plans for the upcoming year. \nHenke said one of the main campaign issues they will pursue strongly is to secure a legal music downloading service for students. She said they are currently assessing bids from a number of companies. \nIn addition, she said they are working with USA Today and the New York Times to build and enhance the student readership program on campus. \nHerbert began his president's report by discussing the recent loss the University suffered just two weeks ago when five music students were tragically killed after their plane crashed just outside Bloomington on its way to the Monroe County Airport. \n"I know the members of this board join me in extending our deepest empathizes to the families, as well as the close friends of the very special young people," Herbert said.\nHerbert went on to say that grief over the University took many forms. He said that following the news, classmates and professors went to practice rooms to play the victims favorite songs. He also described how concerts are being planned all over -- including one that will be held in London -- to commemorate the lives and abilities of the musicians. \nHerbert described a blog the Jacobs School of Music has created to allow users to reminisce and remember the victims by making posts and reading relevant information about them. \n"I would also note three of these graduate students would have been marching on Saturday," Herbert said. "So when we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates during commencement ceremony, we also will keep in mind the very special people who had such rare talent and left us far too soon." \nWhen finished with his remarks, Herbert introduced Wells and Mitchell Scholar Kathleen Claussen to speak to the board. \n"Every year we are blessed with dozens of remarkable seniors and at least hundreds, if not thousands, will make a significant mark in the world, (and) one stands out," Herbert said. "We have every confidence that Katie Claussen will make a mark on the world."\nHerbert listed a few of her many accomplishments by saying that she has earned all A's or A-pluses in her classes, has had her work published and has worked part-time as an advocate for community engagement in the Civic Learning department. \nClaussen gave a speech to the board, emphasizing the need to spread civic engagement and volunteerism among IU's student body. \n"(Students) can enhance and increase their skills by finding the true spirt of public universities," Claussen said. "And that is cooperation and collaboration with the local community"
(05/05/06 5:37am)
After years of hard work, dedication and commitment a simple turn of a tassel will mark the culmination of the undergraduate careers of thousands of students at Saturday's commencement ceremonies.\n"I have so many mixed emotions (about graduating) but overall I would say I am very sad," said senior Shana Frankel. "I have had the best four years of my life and I cannot imagine not having all of my friends around me next year."\nSince there are 7,222 students at IU-Bloomington that will be eligible to participate in the commencement, Director of University Ceremonies Bill Elliott said there will be two ceremonies on Saturday, one at 10 a.m. and the other at 3 p.m., so that all the students and their guests can fit inside Assembly Hall. Students are assigned to either session based on the school from which they are earning their degree. Both sessions are nearly identical and will follow the same format. \nGraduating students will begin to enter the arena 45 minutes before the ceremony is scheduled to begin, said Elliott. About 15 minutes before the start time, faculty will then process into their assigned seats. \nAfter IU President Adam Herbert introduces Eugene O'Brien, executive associate dean of the Jacob School of Music to lead the national anthem, Elliott said Executive Director of the Hillel Center Rabbi Sue Shifron will lead a prayer. Commencement speaker Michael Uslan will then present the keynote address to the class of 2006 and Herbert will award him with the President's Award following his remarks. \nJoan Hall, IU Alumni Association membership director, said during the ceremony all graduates who are receiving their first degree at IU will be presented with a free one-year membership to the Alumni Association.\n"It's our graduation gift to our graduating students," Hall said. "We hope the students can stay connected to IU ... and we offer career mentoring and student loan consolidation to help them with their transition." \nHall said approximately 18 percent of new alumni choose to renew their membership for the $20 per year fee for the first four years and $40 per year from there on. \nAfter Interim Provost Michael McRobbie presents the class to the president, Herbert will then give the charge, which Elliott said basically is just a series of short remarks to give advice and send off the class. \nNear the end of the ceremony, Elliott said Herbert will confer all degrees by having the students from each school stand together while he accepts that they have completed all necessary courses and requirements to earn their degree. \n"We just can't have all students go up there because there are just too many," Elliott said. "It simply would take too much time." \nThe only exception to this, Elliott said, will be for students who are being awarded doctorate degrees. They will walk across the stage where they will be greeted by their school's dean and the provost. \nWith more than 3,500 students expected to arrive at each session, the number of total audience members including their relatives and friends will probably be around 10,000 to 12,000, Elliott estimated. \n"My family is coming and yes they are excited," Frankel said. "My mother is going to start sobbing the minute she takes her seat."\nElliot said there is a tremendous amount of planning that goes into the event, as the commencement committee has been working since last September coordinating with the IU Alumni Association, creative services, Assembly Hall staff, the IU auditorium and many other organizations and groups. \n"Generally we script everything so we rarely have any problems," Elliott said. "Its a controlled environment -- students can get a little out of control sometimes -- but it's a pretty smooth operation."\nWhile many seniors said they are looking forward to the ceremony, not all were so enthusiastic to attend the event.\n"I can't say I'm that excited about the actual ceremony," senior Maya Frederick said. "I went to my sister's three years ago and it was painfully boring."\nFrederick added that one part of the ceremony she was looking forward to is sitting with her School of Education friends, who she hopes will be able to make the ceremony more interesting. \nMany outgoing seniors said that while they are excited to finally graduate, they still can't but help feel sad leaving the school and their friends. \n"I'm excited to graduate," senior Adam Brand said. "I'm also sad for leaving a town that has been part of me for the last four years, where I have made many great friends and have so many memories"
(05/05/06 5:37am)
In a report to members of the IU board of trustees Thursday, Interim Provost Michael McRobbie said the University plans to cut 47 positions on the Bloomington campus for the 2006-07 school year. \n"Most of those involved are retirements where (the position) would not be filled," said Larry MacIntyre, director of media relations. "I don't know how many, but only at most a handful will be layoffs." \nMacIntyre added that these cuts would free up additional money that will be used for raises, including a 4 percent increase for faculty, so that the University can remain competitive with other research universities. \nTrustee William Cast said he supported the move and the good work IU President Adam Herbert has made finding areas in which the University could save money. But Cast added that this may be the last year in which the University could solve its budget problems through attrition, and said that larger scale layoffs could come if the economy doesn't improve or the state does not supplement the University with more funds. \nMacIntyre added that the University was concerned by a recent study performed by the American Association of University Professors, which found that IU ranks next to last in faculty salary in the Big Ten. He said the University wants its salaries to become more competitive, and this is a step towards reaching that goal. \n"(McRobbie) has cut some positions that he has found to be excess," MacIntyre said. "He has been using the saving to give a slight boost to faculty raises."\nMacIntyre said he did not believe that choosing not to fill positions would end up significantly hurting the University. \n"I don't think it does hurt (the University) by (positions) not being filled, its not any major problem," he said. "Its just part of reorganization McRobbie is trying to do to make (the University) more efficient." \nAs a result of the position cuts, officials said University staff will also see raises of between 2 and 3 percent.\nOther reported changes that come with the $2.32 billion budget for the 2006-07 year that the trustees are expected to approve during the business meeting today include part-time faculty teaching more classes.
(04/06/06 5:05am)
Coming out of a Paris metro exit last Tuesday, IU junior Brandi Angrick began to hear loud yelling and chanting. When Angrick, who is studying abroad in France, turned around, she saw a large crowd of people coming down the street. Partially out of fear or just the mob mentality, Angrick ran from the commotion until she reached the safety of her apartment.\nFollowing Tuesday's nationwide riots in France -- a protest that has been growing from a \nseries of smaller ones in the past few weeks -- millions of French citizens took to the streets in outrage of a controversial new labor law. \nAs a result of the public disruptions, Angrick and many other IU students studying abroad in the country have experienced near misses with the protesters and extended class closings. \n"I am enrolled in a class at the Sorbonne, but I have not been able to go to class for three weeks now because everything has been closed," said junior Katie Stutesman in an e-mail. "Also, some metro stations and lines have been closed or stopped during the mass protests, so it makes it a little bit more difficult to get across the city."\nAccording to The Associated Press, the protesters are \nrevolting against new labor reform legislation that would remove job security clauses that protect citizens less than 26 years old from easily being fired. President Jacques Chirac signed the law on Sunday in order to help reduce the country's high unemployment numbers and reform its policies to conform more to international standards, including the United States. \nSince the law most directly affects young people, French students have been the main source of the resistance, as they have organized mass riots and have been joined by many teachers to go on strike, closing many universities. \nJunior Kirsten Blodgett, who is studying at the Université de Provence in Aix-en-Provence, said she hasn't been able to go to class for more than five weeks because her school is completely barricaded with chairs and tables. \n"We have had to implement supplementary courses and also have been told that we may have to prolong our stay here," Blodgett said by e-mail. \nAssociate Director of Overseas Study Susan Carty said there are 36 IU students currently studying in France, and the protests have affected the programs in different ways. She said that several programs have seen no disruptions at all, while others have been without classes for weeks. \nCarty added that for those students who have had their classes cancelled, the local programs are trying to make sure the students keep up with their work by encouraging them to stay up to date with readings and assignments or by sending teachers to work exclusively with them. For programs that offer direct IU credit, Carty said, they have promised to work with the students to make the necessary preparations to earn full credit.\n"We've been guaranteed by the program that we will receive the credits we've expected by the end of the semester," said junior Steve Harris, who hasn't been able to attend class in more than a month, in an e-mail. "But at this point, it seems like the semester is a lost cause." \nIn addition to a March 27 U.S. State Department security alert to Americans in France, Carty said IU has been in constant contact with the students, warning them to avoid any place where the protests may occur. \n"These are scheduled protests, so we can be very specific (in our warnings)," Carty said. "We always encourage caution. They could turn violent without any warning."\nJunior Jessica Elkins, who is studying with the Academic Program in Aix-en-Provence, said she has not yet witnessed any violence during the protests but has seen many of the marches.\n"I've been to a protest that took place in front of the town hall," Elkins wrote in an e-mail. "The students had thrown eggs and spray painted parts of the town hall, they were banging on pots and pans and chanting about how the (new labor law) was a bad idea."\nElkins said that she feels the protesters are overreacting to the new labor law, and the legislation will probably, in the end, reduce unemployment in the country, helping to bring France to the economic level of many other countries. \nHarris said he agrees with Elkins' assessment.\n"I feel that many of the protesters are overreacting," he said. "Many of the protesters are socialists or communists, (who are) notorious in France for protesting and striking against virtually every significant move by the French government."\nMany of the IU students studying abroad also noted that while they support the protester's democratic right to demonstrate publicly, they also feel that closing the schools just hurts everyone. \n"Being a foreigner, I know that I need to go to school in order to get credits," Elkins said. "And since I haven't had school in six weeks, I'm getting a little nervous that my parent's money is being wasted for the semester"
