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(01/22/10 5:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU wrestling team will not be allowed to ease into the Big Ten season. The No. 11 Hoosiers will open up their season on the Big Ten Network at 8 p.m. today when they travel to No. 19 Wisconsin.The Hoosiers’ undefeated 11-0 record puts them in elite company coming into the Big Ten opener. No. 1 Iowa is the only other Division 1A team to boast an undefeated record at this point in the season. While the Hoosiers have had an unblemished record in dual play this season, IU coach Duane Goldman said he knows the real season starts now. “When we hit this time of the year, the intensity of the team really picks up,” Goldman said.On paper, the Hoosiers are favored to take care of business at Wisconsin. With four nationally ranked wrestlers, the Hoosiers would appear favored for the match. But at the same time, the Badgers are favored to win six of the 10 matches. Five of the Badgers’ six ranked wrestlers are competing in weight classes where the Hoosiers are not ranked.Getting production out of the younger Hoosiers, such as sophomore Matt Powless (197 pounds) and freshman Danny Monaco (141 pounds), could be what makes the difference.“You have to throw the rankings out the window,” Goldman said. “We are going to have to pull some upsets in order to win.”The lone matchup with two ranked opponents is at 165 pounds, where No. 13 Paul Young will take on Wisconsin’s No. 1-ranked Andrew Howe, whose closest call of the season actually came against Young in the Las Vegas Invitational.Young gave Howe everything he could handle but came up short in a 3-2 defeat. The rematch is something Young has been able to put all his time and energy into in the past week.“When you wrestle a single match like this, it gives you a chance to focus specifically on that one guy,” Young said. Both are known for being the aggressor in their matches, recording takedowns early and often. Young refuses to have a “not-to-lose” mindset going up against Howe.“We both wrestle with similar, aggressive styles,” Young said. “I’m just excited to wrestle him.”With the Hoosiers’ Big Ten opener being broadcast, experience on the big stage could play into the Hoosiers’ favor.“It’s something that you learn to adapt to,” Young said about wrestling before a large audience. “But it’s hard not to notice the large crowd and the fact that it’s televised.”If the Hoosiers want to continue to bolster their unblemished record and start the Big Ten season with a victory, they will have to step up to the occasion.“The Big Ten is brutal, but this is what these guys signed up to do,” Goldman said. “They have to be ready.”
(12/27/09 4:19pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s the Friday night before the 84th annual Indiana University vs. Purdue University game in Bloomington and the chilly November air has given my cheeks their own cream and crimson complexion. After waiting in line for the better part of an hour to get inside Nick’s English Hut – a time-honored college-town bar only two years younger than the rivalry game itself – seeing the grim-faced bouncer at the noisy and overheated, wood-paneled entrance is actually a relief. Inside, this Bloomington landmark is teeming with boisterous middle-aged and elderly alumni in a swirl of red turtleneck sweaters and black and gold hats. Making my way up the dimmed oak stairs and past the sizzling kitchen, I notice that nearly the entire top floor has been overtaken by the 1978 IU football team. Meandering through these bustling brutes, my friends help themselves to the once-private buffet now being raided by Hoosiers and Boilers alike. At the oak counter table across from me, an IU-adorned middle-aged father raises his glass in a toast to his newly 21-year-old son – who wears a large Purdue cowboy hat, and an even larger grin: “To 21 tough years of parenthood," the father says, "And one very poor college pick.”Amidst the cacophony of raucous banter and classic rock radio, a glass shatters, and nearly all the stocky former footballers frantically look over to catch a glimpse of a red-faced, stumbling, silver-haired man in an Antwaan Randle El jersey. He is threatening a drunkenly wobbling man in a Purdue sweatshirt. Armed with only a broken beer mug, the man is physically restrained by his flustered college-aged son. As the father calms down, the entire alumni-packed room fills with a bellow of boos, and an uproarious chant directed to the confused student begins: “Let them fight, Let them fight!” The two staggering men both start laughing hysterically and playfully slap each other while the son looks around the bar dumbfounded at both the crowd and his father’s fleeting flare-up. The crowded alumni atmosphere returns to its previous jocular repartee. The good-humored rivalry of the Old Oaken Bucket game – as opposed to the deeply rooted animosity of many American football games - lives on in all its absurd, liquor-laden collegiate glory. Started by a group of eight Indiana and Purdue alumni during a 1925 meeting in Chicago, the Old Oaken Bucket game was created to provide Indiana’s two largest public universities with an annual rivalry: a trophy game. Arbitrarily enough, the name for the game comes from an 1817 poem by Massachusetts native Samuel Woodworth that many Indiana natives apparently felt captured commonly-held sentiment for their home state:"How dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood,When fond recollection presents them to view!The orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled wild-wood,And every loved spot which my infancy knew!...And e'en the rude bucket that hung in the well—The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,The moss-covered bucket which hung in the well. But don’t let the flowing poetry and cheerful bar banter convince you that game day is without its foul language, empty threats, and decadent debauchery.Groggy eyed and confused, I’m startled to life from a comatose sleep at a white-columned third street fraternity by the sound of senior Pat Lisinski and three other brothers screaming the word, “Shots!” Meanwhile, the cash-strapped college student drink of choice – a $9 plastic half-gallon of quadruple-distilled ‘Kamchatka’ vodka – is proudly brought into the room by a jolly, beer-bellied father of a visiting Purdue senior named Daniel. “Oh come on, you Hoosier hussies!” exclaims the elder Boiler. “No bowl game in sight, but the Boilers won’t give up the fight!” The front lawns of fraternities on Third Street are filled with polo-wearing fraternity brothers and sorority girls in red headbands and black wayfarer sunglasses. The 65- degree weather takes everyone off guard, and a mixture of red and gold sweatshirts litter the grass lawns. At about 11 a.m., the growing heat and impending walk up to the tailgate fields is interrupted by a large circle of students and parents who exclaim they’re going to play a game of “swine flu.” It calls for one slobbered-over bottle of liquor to be passed around the circle until either emptied or until everyone believes they’ve caught the rampant disease creeping around campus. On the walk to the stadium, one sees the cars lined up on Indiana Avenue exchange in non-stop arguments with pedestrians migrating north to 17th Street. A school pride call and response endures: “Hoo Hoo Hoo, Hoosiers!” is followed by “Who Who Who, Who sucks?” The gold-jersey students pumping their fists up and down scream “Boiler Up!” which prompts nasty retorts of, “Purdouchebag” and “Purdon’t!” But if numbers don’t lie and history has told us anything, IU may just have to swallow its pride and look forward to basketball season once again. On the field, Purdue leads the all-time series dating back to 1891 with 70 wins to IU’s meager 36. Purdue also leads the Oaken Bucket trophy series 56-26-3 since the rivalry game was first recognized in 1925. Ironically enough, the inaugural 1925 Old Oaken Bucket game of players in leather helmets and knee-length knickers ended in a 0-0 tie at IU’s newly erected Memorial Stadium on 10th street. This resulted in the very first and most visible link attached to the bucket, a combined bronze “I-P” link on the bucket’s handle. Purdue has won 11 of the last 13 contests, but there’s another recent trend also present in this particular game. Both Purdue and IU hold a 4-7 record – meaning both teams are ineligible for a bowl game and, therefore, both will once again be watching college postseason play from the comfort of their own couches. But as the game is both teams’ last game of the season, there are the combined factors of senior-year intensity and the presence of dedicated alumni. The combination makes for a game day filled with complex displays of manufactured intrastate hate. My arrival at the tailgate fields is met by a series of sights that could lead any God-fearing person outside the world of Big Ten college life to wonder if learning has ever taken place in the state of Indiana. Opposing students jump from a tree to see whose fall will break a beer pong table 10 feet below. A Pan-Hellenic couple stumbles around in each other’s arms as they navigate through the throng in their drunken tunnel-vision of the day. For literally two minutes, a plaid-shirted man screams “choo-choo” while hanging out the window of a pickup truck shoddily made to look like a Boilermaker train. I’m fairly certain that I was the only one who saw the man’s performance. At 3:36 p.m., the sun starts to sag above the leafless, bulb-shaped tree tops on Bloomington’s western horizon. I hear a cheering crescendo resonate from within the stadium that punctuates the opening kickoff. It’s game time inside the stadium, but back in the fields, no one pauses for a beat. Thrown in the middle of all this chaos is privately hired ESG security guard Mark Guilds. Although you could mistake him for a babysitter, Guilds has actually been assigned the daunting task of making students leave and go into the game. Standing at 6’5,” even Guilds admits to the futility of his efforts. “It’s too hard to get all these people out here and make them go to the game,” Guilds says. “I just look for the most raucous people, and if they don’t have a ticket to the game, I tell them to get the hell outta here.” Entering the newly renovated stadium, the concrete horseshoe is filled to the brim with a pulsating sea of screaming red and white, gold and black dots. Sitting near the top of the stands, two college-age spectators giddily exchange pulls of “water" bottles they had stuffed in their jacket pockets. Down below, the sparkling crimson helmets of the Hoosier players clash and clutter with the glittering gold and black Boilermaker helmets. The Boilers open with two successive scores and an interception, but the Hoosier fans behind me remain stubbornly optimistic. Or possibly just blind drunk. 1986 IU graduate John Fletcher bellows behind me, alongside his young son dressed in just about every possible Hoosier article of clothing ever sold. Flashing across the screen is a clip played at nearly every home IU game – highlights of IU’s 1967 trip to the Rose Bowl. “Just one of many trips to the big dance for the Hoosiers,” Fletcher screams in the air. “That’s just another notch on the belt, Boilers!” 1967 was the first and last time the Hoosiers went to the Rose Bowl. Despite the confidence of many Hoosiers, and a few comeback hopes in the second half, the hundreds of IU fans who always leave during halftime had their pessimism proven once again. For the second consecutive year, Boilers hoisted the Old Oaken bucket on their shoulders, a bucket that has a birth story which is still debated by historians today. Stories range for the bucket's origis. It may have come from a well near Hanover, or it may have been a bucket that was used by Confederate General John Hunt Morgan during raids into Indiana and Ohio in July 1863. Whatever the origin, for the next 12 months, it will be sitting in West Lafayette. Making my way back home, the sun has disappeared beneath the starlit, chilly sky and another beautiful fall night descends upon Bloomington. Some stragglers remain in the darkened tailgate fields, and heaps of red and blue solo cups and cases of Natural Ice litter the formerly pristine fields off Woodlawn. The grave of Jawn Purdue still remains in the field from his fake burial ceremony the night before. Robert Compton – a 1956 graduate of Indiana University – says that Purdue also is guilty of more morbid, but similar ceremonies. “Purdue had a tradition of burning an effigy of Miss Indiana at the stake before the sixties,” Compton says. “But I’m glad IU brought back Jawn Purdue for this year’s festivities.” Back on Kirkwood, the line for Nick’s has extended hundreds of feet back to the Dunn intersection. Diesel engine pick up trucks rev their engines as they blaze past the bars. Students exchange curse words with opposing fans in passing, joking tones. Or at least from those still of sober mind. As I walk by Kilroy’s on Kirkwood, I look in and see women in tight dresses – many of whom appear to be middle aged – dancing with their arms up and balanced on the tables within the classically cramped bar and grill. That’s when you know it’s late. Smoking my final cigarette of the evening, I see a couple gently kissing and talking up against the famous Sample Gates entrance to campus. In adherence to common courting convention, I cannot figure out why the man in the Hoosiers hat appears to be resisting the young woman. He comes over and puts his arm around me to bring me into the conversation. “Now let me confide in you for a second, my man,” says the man who identifies himself as Geoff. “As much as I would like to stick around with this beautiful girl, my ego simply will not allow it. She’s got to take her hat off, or I’m leaving for home without her.” Perplexed, I look over to see the girl as she steps into the light. And the lighthearted teasing of the whole day becomes clear once again. The black hat and gold letters read very plainly: “Not for Loosiers.”
(12/02/09 5:04am)
Cinnamon, ham and pates mark the arrival of the holiday season in the Tudor Room at the Indiana Memorial Union.
IMU Executive Chef Damian Esposito incorporates seasonal spices and
fruits such as cinnamon, allspice, pumpkin and pear into a traditional
holiday menu design.
(11/19/09 5:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Health food based restaurant Kiva, located on the lobby level of the Indiana Memorial Union below Burger King, will close on Dec. 11 for finals week to begin renovations, said Steve Mangan, general manager of Dining Services at the IMU.Kiva will undergo interior renovation, update its menu and eventually add a patio. The restaurant normally closes during finals week because of a lack of business, Mangan said, and will reopen after the renovation is completed around the end of January.“We just think it’s tired,” he said. “It needs an update. We want to build a focus on fresh, local, sustainably produced products, and it’s time to do it.”Mangan said improvements to the restaurant will include changing the wall treatments, enhancing lighting and upgrading buffets, service equipment, tables and chairs. With the improvements, the flow of service will be smoother, he said. Employees will be able to prepare foods quicker and serve customers more efficiently, he said.Along with the reconstruction, Mangan said Kiva will also include new, healthy items. A goal of the renovations is to create a connection between Kiva and Sugar & Spice, which now offers more local and organic products, Mangan said.“We want to keep those salad bars stocked and healthy,” he said, “and focus on the vegetarian menu that we’ve had down there.”Construction on the patio will start in the spring, Mangan said. The current plan is to take out the row of bushes in front of the windows facing Dunn Meadow, he said, and put in a large concrete pad.“We’re trying to increase the traffic off the Woodlawn bus stop and bring students into Kiva, Burger King and Starbucks,” he said.Senior Danielle White said the changes are not going to affect her. White said she only eats at the restaurant once in a while because of high prices.“I think it will be positive,” she said. “If I eat here in the spring, I usually take it outside anyway. The patio will make it easier to study out there.”Though Kiva will not be accessible for a few weeks, Mangan said he thinks the improvements will make up for the weeks the restaurant is closed.“We’ve got some great foods available other places in the building,” he said. “I think the work will be well received when it’s done.”Junior Carrie Coon said she eats at Kiva almost every day and thinks the improvements will be good for the restaurant.“I don’t know how they can get much healthier,” she said. “I think in the long run it will improve business.”
(11/17/09 2:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A minute’s walk from Bryan Park, Sierra Roussos swung open the door of her house on the corner, welcoming a mother and child into another world.“Bonjour!” she greeted them with a smile.“Hello,” the mother replied as she nudged her child through the door.The girl with bright eyes then ran to her. In one swooping motion, the preschool teacher picked up the 20-month-old and placed her on her hip.“Au revoir!” a tiny Mia Makris yelled to her family, extending an arm and shaking her open hand back and forth.“Au revoir, Mia,” they said as they exited through the door, laughing. She watched the family leave, her gentle, singsong voice repeating the French goodbye.Roussos set the blond girl down, and she scurried off to find a toy. Sierra’s eyes focused on her.“She’s really picking the language up fast.” Just the other day, Mia said “encore” to her mother at the dinner table. She wanted more pasta, and the French word came to mind.Those are the kinds of moments Sierra Roussos, a 2001 IU graduate, and her husband, Daniel, work so hard to see. Those are the moments that help separate their preschool – Bryan Park Preschool for Global Children – from others in Bloomington.Sierra Roussos, 31, and Daniel Roussos, 37, spend 11 hours a day at the school and nursery, following a dual-language model and serving homemade and organic meals. They opened the preschool out of their home last January. Sierra dreams of someday moving to a center and opening a pre-K through high school in town.But for now, the children thrive in the Roussos’ home.Multilingual from age 2It was 8 a.m. and already a pair of 3-year-old boys began to argue.“Are you two fighting?” Sierra Roussos dropped to her knees and looked them square in the eyes.“No,” they responded in unison.“I hope not. This is a violence-free school. No fighting, no guns, no swords,” she said matter-of-factly, her eyebrows raised but her voice the same singsong tone as before.The parents who entrust the Roussos with their children recognize Sierra Roussos’s ability to keep her cool.“Sierra appears to treat all the children with the same respect and kindness, while maintaining a firm and leadership-type role as a teacher,” Mia’s mother Beky Makris said. “She is very tuned in to their needs, and appears to be constantly evolving to accommodate ages, cultural identities and personal interests.”As the kids lingered eating their breakfasts of organic yogurt, cereal and bananas, Sierra Roussos tried to push them along.“Tu as fini?” she asked the kids at the table who were playing with their food. It means “Have you finished?” in French.A 2-year-old just nodded, her wispy blond curls bouncing with her head.Sierra Roussos and her children speak French as much as English throughout the day at Bryan Park Preschool. It’s part of the partial immersion system the couple believes best teaches a child another language. The Roussos don’t believe in the “foreign language classes” other schools offer. In their eyes, 45 minutes twice a week just doesn’t cut it.Their preschool was created out of frustration at the selection of schools available for their children in Brooklyn a couple years ago. Daniel Roussos, with his background in business, and Sierra Roussos, with her expertise in foreign language education, realized they could create their ideal preschool themselves. They would focus on world culture and foreign language.“There have been studies that show children who study foreign language have better critical thinking skills, problem solving skills – they do better on standardized tests, they know their own language better,” she said. “A foreign language is a means of broadening a horizon.”Sierra Roussos earned her bachelor’s degree in education from IU and her master’s from New York University, specializing in teaching French. She, too, learned at a young age – she spent four years as a child attending an elementary school in Paris while living with her grandparents.But French and English words aren’t the only ones echoing through the walls of the household. Daniel Roussos, born in Beirut and raised in Greece, speaks, reads and writes in German and Greek fluently and is conversationally fluent in Arabic. However, Greek is his chosen language when talking to their 15-month-old daughter and 3-year-old son. Sierra Roussos speaks mainly French.So how do the Roussos children learn English?“Well, we speak English to each other,” she said, referring to herself and her husband.As far as learning a language goes, the younger the better, Sierra Roussos firmly believes.No food is ‘yucky’Throughout the morning, Daniel Roussos mainly stayed in the kitchen. The sunlight peeped through the trees into the window. Breaded turkey sizzled in the oven; organic pasta boiled on the stove. It’s his job to provide the kids with the right nutrition, and he takes it seriously.“Everything we cook is organic,” he said. “All the meat is local. If we don’t find something local, we don’t buy it.”Going along with the theme of the school, Daniel Roussos serves dishes from around the world to introduce the children to other cultures.Sometimes he’ll cook beeftekia, a Greek dish made of beef, pork, chopped onions, pepper, salt and parsley. Other times he’ll cook German bratwurst. That day it was a colorful dish of tricolor pasta with chunks of the breaded turkey and corn and steamed carrots on the side.Sometimes it’s a struggle to convince kids younger than five to try unfamiliar foods, Daniel Roussos said.“They all use the word ‘yucky.’ This is how they all start. It took me about six months to get rid of the word ‘yucky,’” he said. “We want them to learn the language and get acquainted with different types of food. We want them to try new things.”Preschool hustle and bustleOn a rainy day, the kids at the preschool released their energy through dancing.Sierra turned on global rhythmic music and cleared the play area. She plopped a box full of scarves down onto the mat.Eleven kids hopped around. They ran into each other like bumper cars and collapsed on the ground.Two boys draped an arm around each other’s necks and kicked their legs out in attempted synchronization. Their free hands twirled scarves.They called for Sierra Roussos, who was speaking with a parent. “Oh, you’re Greek dancing!” she exclaimed. The Roussos’ 3-year-old had learned the dance at a Greek festival a few months ago and shared it with his friends at the school. The boys’ faces turned red from laughter as they fell to the ground, panting.Sierra Roussos’ life revolves around kids. After 6 p.m., when the preschoolers go home, she turns into a full-time mom.“Sometimes on the weekend I’m like, someone take my kids, I need to spend time with adults,” she said.But most of the time she enjoys the constant company of bustling, energetic children.When playtime drew to an end, it was back to work.“OK, finish up ... we’ve got things to do,” Sierra crooned in her same gentle tone, as she turned to tend to another group of children.
(11/09/09 12:23am)
On Friday night a crowd of dedicated fans trekked out to the Banneker Community Center to see one of today's most prolific independent musicians, Phil Elverum, play with his band, Mount Eerie. I say trekked because the Banneker Community Center is on the west side of Bloomington, and is not a known musical venue. Obviously, I was not the only one who had never been to the center before as some people were hazy as to the rules about alcohol on the premises (in case you're wondering, they do frown on drinking inside a community center's gym).
(10/30/09 5:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington has no shortage of ghost stories. Some are rooted in fact, while others may be the result of a wicked imagination. In any case, these tales have spooked Bloomington residents for years and will grow and evolve along with the city to spook the next generation of Hoosiers.Indiana Memorial UnionThe IMU, according to local folklore, is perhaps the most haunted place in Bloomington. “There are a ton of different stories saying the Union is haunted,” said Josh Olson, an IMU employee. “Anybody who’s worked here long enough has heard them.”While most of the first-hand accounts deal with non-specific occurrences like flickering lights or strange noises, there are stories that recount real ghosts.“Supposedly a guy named Arthur Metz donated a lot of money when they were first building the Union,” Olson said. “One stipulation was that he would have his own apartment and get to live on the sixth floor in what’s called the Maple Room. He died right before the building was finished and is supposedly still up there.”IU graduate student Dan Peretti has also heard of other creepy happenings in the Maple Room.“I’ve talked to Union staff who swear that the Maple Room and the Student Activities Tower in general are haunted,” Peretti said. “One person claimed that after turning the lights of the Maple Room off, he would notice them back on after leaving the building. One night, after turning off the lights a third time, the staff member saw the reflection of a man standing behind him in a window. The ghost freaked out and ran away through the wall.Melanie Hunter, secretary of the Bloomington chapter of Indiana Ghost Trackers, a group that attempts to “hunt” ghosts in southern Indiana, is familiar with the IMU folklore.“The Union is full of paranormal activity,” she said. “It pretty much runs the gamut of experience from auditory and visual disturbances to power drainage.”Hunter said the Bryan Room smells like old cigars even though nobody can smoke up there.“You get the feeling of being watched,” she said.Hunter said it is common for people to hear children’s laughter and the bouncing of balls throughout the IMU.Peretti can attest to the latter claim and said that many employees have heard the children playing.“The story of the little boy playing is based on a picture in the Tudor Room,” Peretti said. “He supposedly died in a fire and is pretty much a brat. About 20 years ago when the antique tapestries in the room were removed for cleaning, he went berserk and made the lives of the Tudor Room staff miserable.”The Federal Room is also no stranger to ghost stories. IMU employee Joe Hash said he has heard a story about an old woman ghost who will mess with the room temperature if she doesn’t like somebody.Like the Tudor Room, the history of the Federal Room ghost stems from a portrait.“The story goes that she hated the portrait and ordered the artist to stop,” Peretti said. “You can see that the painting is unfinished. She haunts the room because she is so angry that the portrait was hung up.”Peretti said that when looking through the crack between the doors of the Federal Room, one can see the woman grinning, but when opening the door, she’s wearing anything but a smile.Stepp CemeteryStepp Cemetery, in the heart of the Morgan-Monroe State Park, is considered among believers to be one of the most haunted places in Bloomington.“The most famous story is that there was a woman who lost her baby boy,” said Dave Vadas, forest resources supervisor at the park. “They say that you can see an old woman in a black dress and hear her crying over the child’s gravestone.”Peretti said he knows some other twists to the story as well.“Supposedly she sat in this stump and cried all night,” Peretti said. “The legend was that if you sat on the stump you would die within one year.”While there are many ghost stories about the cemetery, Vadas was quick to deny any truth to the paranormal activity.“What they’re probably hearing is just a screech owl,” he said.The cemetery is open to the public, but Vadas warns not to visit after 11 p.m.IU Career Development CenterPerhaps one the most gruesome of the local ghost stories deals with the IU Career Development Center.“The story is that there was this doctor giving illegal abortions in the basement,” Peretti said. “People have claimed to hear babies’ screams and have even seen the walls of the basement bleeding human blood.”The first-hand experience of some of the employees, however, doesn’t live up to the hype of the ghost stories.“I haven’t seen anything that is that mind-blowing,” said Mark Miller, Career Development Center employee, “but you just get this eerie unwelcoming feeling like somebody is watching you. I’ve definitely felt a presence.”
(10/26/09 7:46pm)
Nettles, Mindfreak, and Bishop of Norwich
(10/04/09 10:41pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior Kristin Lucero remembers her first storm. She’s 4 and lying in her mother’s lap. From the couch she feels a stormy spring breeze gliding through the open screen door.“It’s thundering and lightning outside, and it sounds terrible,” she says. “At that moment, I couldn’t stop staring at it. I was just in awe, and it’s been like that ever since.”Lucero’s passion for storms led her to pursue meteorology in college and, this summer, to join a program chasing severe storms across the Great Plains. For two and a half weeks, Lucero and nine others worked with Ball State University professors to study and track severe weather.After a briefing around 9 a.m., Lucero would hop in a van and head out to find a storm. The team would chase until 10 or 11 p.m., and sometimes drove more than 700 miles in one day.“At first, we started to chase little storms just to get practice,” Lucero says. “About halfway through and near the end, we started to see a lot more stuff. We were able to see a textbook example of the way a storm works, the way it gets fed.”Lucero witnessed meteorological magic: wall clouds, funnel clouds, lightning shows, mesocyclones (a step in the formation of tornadoes) and a tornado look-a-like called a gustnado. But the holy grail of weather — a tornado — seemed just out of reach.“We were driving and it was dusk — no one was talking and we were all just leaning against the windows — and I remember looking out and in the sky I could see way off in the distance this cloud that was in the shape of a tornado. It was low and hanging in the sky like the perfect shape of a tornado,” Lucero says. “To me it was just frustrating in a sense, because it’s like, OK, God, stop tinkering with me. It was only there for the time we all looked out. Then it was gone.”Lucero never saw her tornado, but she left with an improved set of forecasting skills. Hopefully, she says, this won’t be her last experience driving into a storm.“I always tell my friends that in the movie ‘Twister,’ at the end when Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt’s characters are hanging out and flying, I’m like, if I could do that safely, it would be awesome,” she says.For now, however, it’s back to watching the clouds out of her car window.“I just love weather,” Lucero says. “I know that sounds so nerdy and so cheesy. But even on a beautiful day, I’m just in awe about the way things work in the sky.”
(10/02/09 4:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ignorance is bliss for the Hoosiers. While Thomas Gray certainly didn’t have the IU football team on his mind when he wrote his much-referenced poem in 1742, his words ring true in the Hoosiers’ 2009 Big Ten season. Like last week’s matchup with Michigan, a lack of familiarity will be in play when the Hoosiers take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday night – but that might be a good thing.The Hoosiers have not met with the Buckeyes since 2006. The team was in the same situation last weekend when they faced Michigan for the first in three years.Against the Wolverines, IU refused to accept its jilted history and was one score away from pulling off a victory in a place it hasn’t won more than 40 years. This time, the Hoosiers return home to face an even tougher opponent, but Bloomington hasn’t been a safe haven for the Hoosiers when Ohio State is on the schedule. IU has won just three times in 26 matchups at home, and the last victory at Memorial Stadium came in 1988. IU coach Bill Lynch was an assistant, quarterback Ben Chappell was a redshirted player and running back Darius Willis was still in high school the last time the Hoosiers squared off with Ohio State – the same situation the team faced before they entered Michigan Stadium last Saturday.History barely repeated itself last week, and Lynch is confident in the chances to turn it around against the Buckeyes. “I have been saying it since last spring,” Lynch said. “This is going to be a good football team. We have to prove it on the field on Saturday.” Proof of their improvement has been where the Hoosiers have fallen flat this year. When they had a chance to prove it against weaker opponents, they nearly slipped and won by a combined score of 80-53 – not exactly enough to ensure fans of progress. Then, with Big Ten season started and the world against them, the Hoosiers had Michigan up against the ropes but couldn’t land one last punch. While the lone blemish on IU’s record would usually be proof that the Hoosiers will be cellar dwellers again, it’s had the opposite effect around Bloomington. The Hoosiers showed supreme heart in Ann Arbor, Mich., and it was cause to throw the history books out the window. Instead of pessimism about Ohio State rolling into town, student section tickets, all 11,000 of them, have sold out, and a Facebook group of more than 1,000 people was formed calling for all fans to wear white to the game. When the North End Zone facility is officially unveiled Saturday night, the Hoosiers should expect a strong, energetic backing. There is a bowl-team buzz humming around Bloomington, and an upset against the No. 9 team in the nation would begin a postseason-themed celebration. It’s unlikely, but a victory would prove the Hoosiers not only as a bowl team this year, but also for years to come. If the Hoosiers suffer a blowout, as expected, it would point toward the Michigan game being a one-hit wonder. The Hoosiers will look to dispel any of those thoughts Saturday, and they have the same internal factors working for them as they did last time. Their backs are firmly pressed against the wall, they don’t have a single player with in-game experience against their opponent, and they have nothing to lose but the game. They know nothing of what to expect, but maybe these Hoosiers like it that way. Prediction: IU 20 – OSU 38
(10/01/09 4:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU volleyball coach Sherry Dunbar said her team would have to be ready for a five-set match against Purdue given the rivalry’s recent history. That recent history repeated itself Wednesday, but this time the end result favored IU. The Hoosiers (13-4, 2-1) won the third straight five-set match against the Boilermakers (9-5, 1-2) to earn IU’s first victory over Purdue in any sport in the 2009-10 academic year. “When you go up 2-0, you’re excited, but you also know Purdue’s going to come back and play a lot harder,” Dunbar said of the match, which IU led 2 sets to none, followed by Purdue rallying and forcing a fifth set. “I was really proud of us just fighting.” The Hoosiers entered the hostile environment of Purdue’s Intercollegiate Athletic Facility and won a tight first set 25-22. Junior middle blocker Ashley Benson and freshman outside hitter Jordan Haverly paced IU with six and five kills, respectively. IU controlled the match’s second contest, jumping to a 21-15 lead on sophomore libero Caitlin Cox’s serve. The Boilermakers managed to win two points before freshman right-side hitter Kelci Marschall and Haverly recorded kills to seal a 25-17 win. The teams went back and forth to begin the third set with a 7-7 start. However, several Hoosier errors allowed Purdue to jump to a 15-10 lead. The Boilermakers didn’t look back, cruising to a 25-17 victory in the frame. Purdue seemed to carry its momentum into the fourth set with a 3-0 start. The Boilermakers maintained their five-point advantage and capitalized, taking a 19-12 lead to force an IU timeout. The Hoosiers were able to stage a small rally behind Benson’s five kills before Purdue clinched the set, sending the rivalry to a fifth set for the third straight time. IU entered the final set with renewed vigor and started 4-0, but the Boilermakers responded with six straight points on sophomore libero Blair Bashen’s serve. The teams struggled for the lead until Haverly pushed the Hoosiers forward as they surged to match point at 14-11. For the second straight match, freshman middle blocker Samantha Thrower put away the winning point to clinch the win for the Hoosiers. Benson, who registered 21 kills to lead IU, said she was proud come through in the fifth set in a raucous environment. “We played really hard in that last game,” Benson said. “The Purdue fans are crazy and really loud. They pull out anything they can. Everyone just fought together and pulled it out.” Dunbar agreed. “Fifth sets to me are like gut-checks,” she said. “Technique is kind of out the window then. You’re just going all-out and playing aggressive, and I thought we did that well.” The Hoosiers return to action Sunday at home against No. 8 Minnesota. Dunbar said the team has a lot of work to do but will savor the moment of defeating a major rival. “Tonight, we’re going to enjoy Purdue,” she said.
(10/01/09 1:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU volleyball coach Sherry Dunbar said her team would have to be ready for a five-set match against Purdue given the rivalry’s recent history. That recent history repeated itself Wednesday, but this time the end result favored IU. The Hoosiers (13-4, 2-1) won the third straight five-set match against the Boilermakers (9-5, 1-2) to earn IU’s first victory over Purdue in any sport in the 2009-10 academic year. “When you go up 2-0, you’re excited, but you also know Purdue’s going to come back and play a lot harder,” Dunbar said of the match, which IU led 2 sets to none, followed by Purdue rallying and forcing a fifth set. “I was really proud of us just fighting.” The Hoosiers entered the hostile environment of Purdue’s Intercollegiate Athletic Facility and won a tight first set 25-22. Junior middle blocker Ashley Benson and freshman outside hitter Jordan Haverly paced IU with six and five kills, respectively. IU controlled the match’s second contest, jumping to a 21-15 lead on sophomore libero Caitlin Cox’s serve. The Boilermakers managed to win two points before freshman right-side hitter Kelci Marschall and Haverly recorded kills to seal a 25-17 win. The teams went back and forth to begin the third set with a 7-7 start. However, several Hoosier errors allowed Purdue to jump to a 15-10 lead. The Boilermakers didn’t look back, cruising to a 25-17 victory in the frame. Purdue seemed to carry its momentum into the fourth set with a 3-0 start. The Boilermakers maintained their five-point advantage and capitalized, taking a 19-12 lead to force an IU timeout. The Hoosiers were able to stage a small rally behind Benson’s five kills before Purdue clinched the set, sending the rivalry to a fifth set for the third straight time. IU entered the final set with renewed vigor and started 4-0, but the Boilermakers responded with six straight points on sophomore libero Blair Bashen’s serve. The teams struggled for the lead until Haverly pushed the Hoosiers forward as they surged to match point at 14-11. For the second straight match, freshman middle blocker Samantha Thrower put away the winning point to clinch the win for the Hoosiers. Benson, who registered 21 kills to lead IU, said she was proud come through in the fifth set in a raucous environment. “We played really hard in that last game,” Benson said. “The Purdue fans are crazy and really loud. They pull out anything they can. Everyone just fought together and pulled it out.” Dunbar agreed. “Fifth sets to me are like gut-checks,” Dunbar said. “Technique is kind of out the window then. You’re just going all-out and playing aggressive, and I thought we did that well.” The Hoosiers return to action Sunday at home against No. 8 Minnesota. Dunbar said the team has a lot of work to do but will savor the moment of defeating a hated rival. “Tonight, we’re going to enjoy Purdue,” Dunbar said.
(09/17/09 3:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The limestone buildings that define IU’s campus are a pristine sight from the outside. The way energy is used to keep these buildings running on the inside, however, is not as pretty.Each year, it takes about 68,000 tons of coal, 3.4 million therms of natural gas and 771 million gallons of water and sewage to keep the buildings in working condition, according to the IUB Physical Plant. Many older buildings on campus are not built to current standards in terms of energy efficiency, which may be costing the University unnecessary money and resources.In fiscal year 2008, IU spent about $14 million on electricity, $3.3 million on coal and $3.2 million on natural gas, said Charles Matson, certified energy manager of IU Engineering Services. Matson expects fiscal year 2009 figures to be different, reflecting the increased use of natural gas and decreased use of coal.IU has been taking strides to increase energy efficiency for years. In 2007, two old boilers in the Central Heating Plant were replaced by new, high efficiency boilers. Also in 2007, the campus began a program in the academic buildings to replace incandescent light bulbs as they fail with compact fluorescent bulbs, Matson said. The IU Office of Sustainability produced a 2007 report that analyzes ways IU could become more sustainable, and sponsored summer internship projects since then to encourage action on some of the sustainability measures. This year, there were three projects dealing specifically with upgrading IU buildings to better utilize energy.Jeff Kaden, director of Engineering Services and member of the IU Sustainability Task Force, has brainstormed a list of potential remedies for wasted energy in IU buildings. He mentions everything from new windows to roofs, but it’s only wishful thinking until the University finds funding.“The state hasn’t given us repair and rehabilitation money for the last decade,” he said. “The buildings are the most important thing in terms of energy efficiency.”Kaden often hears that IU uses too much coal to power its buildings, but says that the availability of coal makes it a more viable resource than others.“We have a 500-year supply of coal just 40 miles from campus,” he said.Kaden said that there are 11 buildings on campus that are seeking LEED certification, a rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council that recognizes environmentally sustainable construction. Today, none of IU’s buildings are LEED certified. For Steve Akers, the associate director for Environmental Operations at RPS, the solution to energy waste is in the occupants of the buildings instead of the building material itself. Akers is also a member of the Sustainability Task Force and has sponsored an energy challenge across all dorms on campus for the last two years. The challenge rewards the dorm that conserves the most energy. “We saw a lot of interesting student behavioral changes with the energy challenge, and it has helped us at RPS update our metering system as well,” Akers said.As a result of the energy challenge, which is set to run again this spring, IU dorms have become more energy friendly. Low-flow shower heads and sinks have been installed, and almost all of the lighting in the dorms has been switched to compact fluorescent bulbs. The dorms are even using 100 percent recycled toilet paper.The City of Bloomington is also taking strides to improve buildings to increase energy efficiency. The city will receive $745,000 from the federal government to retrofit buildings with energy efficient technologies, as part of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. The buildings that will be updated include City Hall – Showers Building, the Traffic Division facility, Fire Department Headquarters and Bloomington SportsPlex.IU may be taking action to reduce energy waste, but the changes are slow and the list of needs is long. The old buildings that look so immaculate are using energy at an unsustainable rate. Kaden stresses that older buildings are where the most changes are needed.“Our design guidelines have been in place for 15 years, and since then we have always had an eye for energy reduction,” Kaden said. “But if you look at the buildings built before 1980, there are some problems.”
(09/11/09 4:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As the world watched the Twin Towers collapse on Sept. 11, 2001, the members of Bloomington’s Muslim community lived in fear. “It was tense at home,” said Zaineb Istrabadi, lecturer of near eastern languages and cultures. “My family and I are Iraqi, Arabic and Muslim. It’s a triple whammy.” Istrabadi was frightened of how the U.S. government would treat Arab-Americans and Muslims. “I was afraid they would round up Arab-Americans and put them in detention camps,” Istrabadi said. One of Istrabadi’s friends was killed in the first tower, but her friends from New York were concerned about her.“My friends, who were caught in a blizzard of human remains and concrete, called to see if I was alright,” Istrabadi said. As a Muslim-American, Nancy Anderson, a Bloomington resident and Continuing Studies student, was afraid as well. Her fear arose from watching the news and seeing students being attacked on the streets of New York. Anderson’s husband was also in Washington working at the State Department and she could not get a hold of him. Her unease did not disappear. After the Sept. 11 attacks, the FBI came to her house because her 17-year-old old son had gotten a private pilot’s license. But both members of the Bloomington community said that there was also an outpour of support from other Bloomington residents. Community members made certain that the Muslim residents were secure.Teachers from the Bloomington public school system asked Anderson if her children felt safe at school, and the IU community stepped forward to make sure Muslim or Arabic students wouldn’t have to walk alone, Anderson said. In spite of the community support, there was an increase in reports of harassment during the time after Sept. 11, said Pamela Freeman, associate dean of students and director of student ethics and anti-harassment programming. Because of the peaks of incidents during 2002, the Religious Bias Incidents Team formed and has been reporting religious bias since 2004. The Bloomington Human Rights Commission Hate Incidents Report from July 2002 to June 2003 reports four incidents of harassment against Muslims. In one incident a man shouted profanities with the statements “Al-Qaida and terrorists” and a fight broke out. One person ended up needing stitches.In 2005, a firebomb was placed into The Islamic Center of Bloomington, according to an Indiana Daily Student article. A rock and a soda bottle filled with unknown accelerant was thrown through the window. The Quran, Islam’s holiest text, was placed in a paper bag and lit on fire outside. Many of the religious institutions of Bloomington, including St. Paul’s Catholic Center and Unitarian-Universalist congregation, staged a Walk and Prayer for Peace and Solidarity against the hate crime. “It made me realize that for every misguided individual there are hundreds and even thousands that are not like that,” Istrabadi said. Muslim students’ college experiences are not really any different than any student of another race or religion, said senior Farzana Bade, dawah – or outreach – chairwoman for the Muslim Student Union at IU.Even though IU is an accepting and diverse campus, there are still ignorant individuals, said senior Aasiya Mirza, president of the Muslim Student Union. “There are times when the words terror, terrorism and radical Islam are thrown around,” Mirza said. “People don’t understand that different people are committing the acts of terrorism and not the whole population of Muslims. Obviously it’s negative and hurtful. But I’ve never experienced actual bigotry.”Bade said it’s normal for people to stereotype.“It’s almost natural that when you have a picture of a person in your mind, and you see anyone who represents that race or culture. You will get the jitters,” Bade said. “It’s human nature.”Since Sept. 11, the IU climate has improved, Freeman said.“I believe since 9/11 there is more awareness of biases based on religion,” Freeman said. “I think more people are aware of what Islam is and what it means than before 9/11.”
(06/24/09 11:35pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>O h, ice cream. Nearly everyone’s favorite treat, the frosty dessert takes on new meaning in the summertime. An ice cream cone in the summertime hearkens back to barefoot childhood days running after the ice cream truck. The origins of ice cream remain shrouded in mystery. It is believed that ice was first combined with sweets and flavorings in the mountains of the Middle East in “Ice Cream: The Delicious History.” The ancient Arabs called it “sharab.” Fast forward to present day, and you have sherbet. Others credit Greek emperor Nero with the invention of summertime’s favorite treat; he had a taste for Arab “sharab.” Still other camps believe ice cream’s origins can be traced back to Syria, where sweetened cream was accidentally left out in the cold. Voilà! Ancient ice cream. Somewhere at the turn of the 18th century, cream and eggs were entered into the icy mix in France and Italy, and the crude beginnings of ice cream as we know it were formed. Since that time, ice cream has developed into all sorts of mind-boggling varieties that can make your head spin. Pastry chef Jacob Landman of FarmBloomington explains the difference between gelato and ice cream comes down to air and cream. Gelato, Italian for ice cream, uses less air and more cream than the American variety, which results in a denser dessert.Sherbet is sweetened fruit juice and can also contain milk, eggs and gelatin, and sorbet is strictly devoid of any of those ingredients and is typically a little softer than sherbet. Though the genius behind the invention of ice cream is lost to history, we’re sure glad he or she existed. In Bloomington, the fruits of the creation have not gone unappreciated. Check out some of these local vendors and dip into the frosty favorite the world over.The Pourhouse Cafe314 E. Kirkwood Ave.8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through SaturdayNot just for coffee lovers, The Pourhouse now serves Italy’s tasty frozen treat. The coffeehouse serves nine of Palazzolo’s Artisan Gelato & Sorbetto’s more than 600 flavors on any given day, with flavors changing almost daily. The Michigan-based company boasts no artificial ingredients, using fresh fruits, real liqueurs, imported chocolates and coffees, among others, to flavor the gelato. Pourhouse employee Ally Ladd said among the shop’s best sellers are mango, creme de menthe, triple dark chocolate, Turkish coffee and her favorite, banana caramel praline. BLU Boy Cafe & Cakery112 E. Kirkwood Ave.10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through SaturdayOpened in 2008 on Kirkwood near the square, BLU Boy cafe serves a host of confections appealing enough to tempt even the strictest of dieters. Its homemade ice cream is no exception. The dessert is made in-house in small batches by employee Jen Moore, using as many fresh, local ingredients as possible. All eggs and fruit are bought from Heartland Farms, and honey is from Hunters Honey Farm. And all of BLU boy’s chocolate ice cream is flavored from its leftover dark chocolates. Try the honey ice cream or the mudslide flavor, with pieces of the mudslide cookie mixed in. Or opt for a scoop of seasonal strawberry made from local fruit in one of the homemade waffle cones. Jiffy Treet1000 N. Walnut St., 223 S. Pete Ellis Drive, 3293 W. Third St.11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Saturday, Noon to 10 p.m. SundayWith several locations around town, Jiffy Treet is a Bloomington staple serving just about every frozen concoction available. Most locations generally carry 8-12 different flavors of homemade ice cream, among their most popular are cake batter and cookie monster. Cyclones are another Jiffy Treet specialty, a take on Dairy Queen’s Blizzard – but with twice the variety of the chain restaurant’s dessert. With nearly 50 mix-ins and counting, the combinations are seemingly endless. Jiffy Treet North owner Sean Duncan has made it his personal goal to have at least 100 mix-ins at his store, a goal he is continually working on. Also a plus: “We’re on the side of satisfying the customer, so we try not to skimp with our ingredients,” he said. For those looking for a dessert while on a diet, Jiffy Treet also offers Only 8 frozen yogurt, which claims to have just 32 calories per 1/2-cup serving.Chocolate Moose401 S. Walnut St.10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. SundayOn summer nights, lines wrap around the corner of this brown and pink chalet downtown. The Chocolate Moose, a family owned and operated business in Bloomington since 1983, continues to please customers with its homemade ice creams, soft serves, slushes and sundaes, to name a few of the frozen treats offered here. Grasshopper and moose chocolate are among patrons’ favorites of the nine or so flavors of homemade ice cream, along with the seasonal lemon Italian ice. If you’re lucky, owner and ice cream maker Tim May will hand-dip it for you himself. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time; the lines are long for this in-demand ice cream.Bruster’s Real Ice Cream350 S. Liberty Dr., 4531 E. Third St.Noon to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, Noon to 10 p.m. Friday through SaturdayWith two locations in town, this national ice cream chain makes all its tasty ice cream and treats inside the store. Flavors abound, but be sure to try the summer specialties like peach and black raspberry. Both stores offer quaint walk-up ordering windows and plenty of benches to sit on while your ice cream drips on you. Look for coupons in the mail, and if you’re really looking for a deal, the enormous waffle cone is your best bet at just more than $3. The Third Street store provides a perfect location for an ice cream pit stop on your way for summer day at Lake Monroe.
(04/28/09 3:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Visitors to the Indiana baseball locker room are greeted by a nearly bare casing – one in which only two teams are honored. The more prominently placed of the two displays is the Hoosiers’ 1949 Co-Big Ten Champions, providing a window into IU’s past in more ways than one. The sparsely accomplished IU baseball team is now in the middle of a Big Ten race, with only midweek games holding it back. The Hoosiers will face Miami (Ohio) at 4 p.m. today at Sembower Field in an attempt to become as consistent as they have been in conference play. Senior right fielder Chris Hervey said the team needs to take the games more seriously to end its longtime postseason struggles.“I don’t think we are as sharp or as focused as we are on the weekends,” Hervey said. “If we want to become a program that’s synonymous with winning, I think these are the games we need to start winning.”IU will compete with Miami on the heels of a series win against Michigan, its fourth consecutive Big Ten series victory. The 10-4 Hoosiers are in a tie for second place in conference, but have an overall record of 20-21. The disparity in conference and overall wins illuminates the heightened stake IU places in conference games.Each weekend, IU plays the most talent it faces all season. Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan are in the Big Ten’s top six teams – IU has defeated them all. Each team has been more successful than IU in its overall schedule, as none are below .500 on the year.Any team that assumes it will win is sure to lose, IU assistant coach Ben Greenspan said. “If you take the attitude that this game doesn’t mean as must as the next one, you’re doomed from the start,” he said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have an at-large bid right now, so we have to put all of our energy toward the Big Ten games.” Making the Big Ten its focal point might pay immediate dividends for IU as conference wins pile up. However, when scouring the Midwest for talent, IU sees its midweek foes on the recruiting path. IU competes with Louisville, Xavier and Indiana State for players. These three teams have defeated IU on five occasions, including a 15-1 loss to the Cardinals and 11-2 defeat at the hands of the Sycamores. “It’s not something we take lightly – losing to those teams,” Greenspan said. “We need to pick it up midweek and get better pitching.”At the root of IU’s troubles has been a depleted staff on the mound. IU sees an insurmountable drop-off from weekend to weekday games. But run support has not been a problem. The Hoosiers’ offense is one of the best in the Big Ten, with players consistently belting home runs and batting over .300. Two hitters in the middle of IU’s batting order, junior Josh Phegley and freshman Alex Dickerson, are in the Big Ten’s top-15 batting average and top-five home runs.Sophomore pitcher Matt Carr, who will start against Miami, has proven one of IU’s more reliable pitchers. While his 5.74 ERA and 1-4 record are less than impressive, Carr has pitched solid innings from the bullpen. With a team that tends to fall behind, Carr said he will temper his teammates from the mound. “Sometimes during the midweek we relax more than we should,” he said. “We have to come out tomorrow and put them away.”The mound will play just as big as it has all season, Greenspan said. “I think it’ll start on the hill,” he said. “I think we need more consistency out of our midweek pitching staff. Once they get going, the wins will start coming.”
(04/20/09 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>LITTLETON, Colo. – The “boy in the window” – who fell bloodied and paralyzed into the arms of rescuers during the horrifying Columbine High shooting rampage – is doing just fine.Now 27, Patrick Ireland has regained mobility with few lingering effects from gunshot wounds to his head and leg a decade ago. He is married and works in the financial services industry. His mantra: “I choose to be a victor rather than a victim.”Like Ireland, many survivors of the April 20, 1999, massacre have moved on to careers in education, medicine, ministry and retail.But emotional scars still can trigger anxiety, nightmares and deeply etched recollections of gunfire, blood and bodies.Some have written books; a few travel the world to share their experiences to help victims of violence.“People have been able to have 10 years to reconcile what happened and see what fits in their life and who they are,” said Kristi Mohrbacher of Littleton, who fled Columbine as the gunfire erupted. “It’s kind of a part of who I am today. I think my priorities might be a little bit different if I hadn’t had that experience.”Just after 11 a.m. that day, Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, stormed the suburban school, killing 12 classmates and a teacher and wounding about two dozen. The massacre ended with the gunmen’s suicides not quite an hour later.Sean Graves saw the pair loading weapons in a parking lot and thought they were preparing a senior prank with paintball guns.Graves, Lance Kirklin and Daniel Rohrbough were walking toward them for a better look when the gunmen opened fire, killing Rachel Scott and Rohrbough and critically wounding Anne Marie Hochhalter, Graves and Kirklin, among others.In the second-floor library, Ireland was about to finish some homework when he heard pipe bombs exploding in the hallway. Debris fell from the ceiling, and a teacher shouted for students to take cover.Klebold and Harris strode in and shouted for students to stand up, laughing and ridiculing classmates as they sprayed bullets.Ireland was under a table with Dan Steepleton and Makai Hall when they were shot in the knees. Ireland was shot twice in the head and once in a leg, and lost consciousness.The killers shot out a library window. Graves, lying partially paralyzed on a sidewalk below, worried that they would return. He smeared blood from his neck wound on his face and the ground to make it appear he was dead.Harris and Klebold killed 10 students in the library before they left to reload, giving some survivors a chance to flee. Steepleton and Hall tried to pull Ireland but couldn’t move him far before they fled for safety.Shortly before noon, the gunmen returned to the library and committed suicide.Ireland awoke some time later, his vision blurred. With fire alarms sounding and strobe lights flashing, the partially paralyzed teen began to push himself toward the bullet-shattered window.Over the next three hours, he pulled his body along, lost and regained consciousness, then moved again through tables and chairs and past classmates’ bodies. He said he figures he traveled about 50 feet to the window.“I thought how much easier it would be just to give up, stay there and let somebody come get you or whatever would happen to you,” Ireland said.“But every time those thoughts came in my mind, I thought about all the people that I would be giving up on. ... It was really the friends and family I would be letting down that kept me going.”Ireland pushed himself up to the window and got the attention of SWAT teams below. He doesn’t recall flopping over the sill and dropping into the arms of rescuers, the image that grabbed the attention of TV viewers nationwide.Graves, now 25, moved into a suburb near the mountains, where he recently purchased a home with his fiancee, Kara DeHart, 22. He walks with a limp and still feels pain, but keeps a positive attitude. He plans to return to college to pursue a career in forensics science, a path that began to interest him after Columbine.On Monday’s anniversary, Graves will go back to the spot where he was shot, smoke a cigar and leave another on the ground for Rohrbough, something he does every year.With two children at Columbine, Ted Hochhalter watched the drama unfold on TV while waiting in a Seattle airport for a flight back to Denver. He arrived to find his daughter, Anne Marie, paralyzed and in critical condition, and that his son Nathan had been trapped, but unhurt, in the science wing for four hours.He took a leave of absence from his job as a government emergency management coordinator. Six months later, his wife Carla, who had a history of mental illness, walked into a pawn shop, picked up a gun and committed suicide.Hochhalter said he believes the aftermath of the shootings exacerbated his wife’s illness. “It got to a point where she made a choice,” he said.He moved the family into the mountain community of Bailey and married Katherine Zocco, a massage therapist specializing in neuromuscular, spinal cord and brain injuries who worked with Anne Marie and other Columbine survivors.Anne Marie, now 27, graduated from Columbine in 2000 and lives in a Denver suburb where she works as a retail store manager and a child advocate. Her father retired with a medical disability for post-traumatic stress disorder.The elder Hochhalters are working with John-Michael and Ellen Keyes, whose daughter Emily was killed in a 2006 school shooting in Bailey, to get parents involved in school emergency management programs.Patrick Ireland, the boy in the window, endured grueling therapy to regain the use of his legs, and he had to relearn how to read, write and talk.With a control-your-destiny determination, he graduated as valedictorian from Columbine and magna cum laude from Colorado State University. Today, he is a field director for Northwestern Mutual Finance Network in the Denver area and has been married for almost four years.Ireland said he recognizes he’ll long be remembered as the face of Columbine because of his dramatic rescue. He accepts it as a way to emphasize that Columbine should be another word for “hope and courage.”And how does he want to be remembered?“A triumphant recovery and success story.”
(03/27/09 4:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Severe weather across the South unleashed tornadoes in rural Mississippi, including one that shattered dozens of homes, flattened a church and injured at least 17 people, authorities said Thursday.There were no immediate reports of fatalities, Magee Mayor Jimmy Clyde said. The most seriously injured were hospitalized, but most others had minor injuries.The twister was reported around 1:30 a.m. and swept through Mississippi’s pine-covered hill country as severe thunderstorms rumbled across several Southeast states. Power blackouts affected tens of thousands of Louisiana residents, and authorities reported damage to some Alabama homes. Georgia residents also braced for potentially heavy rains.“This is like reliving Hurricane Katrina all over again, and that’s no fun,” Clyde told The Associated Press. “We’re getting a lot of help in here. That’s the thing about Mississippi, everybody just helps each other in times like this.”Clyde said authorities were attempting to restore power after utility lines toppled on roads littered with tree branches and metal scrap. Magee’s 16-member police force fanned out before dawn and kept up the work after daylight. He said homes in some areas were “basically leveled” and there was extensive damage just outside the city limits.Jeff Giachelli, 48, said he and his wife Cappy were asleep when the storm hit. He said he called to his wife when the windows of their red-brick home shattered. His roof also had been sheared off.“We got in the closet and it just collapsed,” he said.Giachelli, his black Harley Davidson cap at an angle as he picked up tree limbs from his yard, said one of his neighbors was taken by helicopter to a hospital. He said it took rescuers nearly an hour to dig the neighbor out of the rubble.In a nearby neighborhood, several brick duplex apartments were smashed, and cars were flipped upside down.Stephanie Malley, 35, cried as she looked at what was left of her home. The red brick structure was nothing but a shell with its roof gone. She awoke when something flew through her window and hit her in the back. She grabbed her 11- and 13-year-old sons and pulled them into the bathroom.“We stayed in the bathroom for a long time until everything started coming down,” Malley said.
(02/25/09 5:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Go to YouTube right now, if it isn’t already in an open window. Type in Verdell Jones. The second video that comes up is only 17 seconds, and it’s worth a look.It’s Jones, in his younger days as an Illinois middle schooler, making an almost-fullcourt shot to win the 8AA eighth grade tournament championship.The shot obviously doesn’t tell you much about the skillset Jones possesses, or how he’ll develop as a college basketball player.But maybe it does a little bit of justice to one fact: Jones is the most versatile player on his team – not his eighth grade team, but his current team.Moreover, if he produces in the last four games of the season like he’s produced since conference play began, he should be the 2009 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.Coming into tonight’s matchup at Northwestern, Jones is averaging 9.8 points, 3.4 assists and three rebounds.None of those numbers stands out – particularly for a freshman – except when you consider every single one of them goes up in conference play, or that Jones’ 32.1 minutes per game in Big Ten action are tops on his team.General wisdom was that Tom Pritchard would be IU’s best candidate for that award, but he’s struggled down the stretch without inside help. Other front-runners for the award include Michigan State forward Delvon Roe, Ohio State guard William Buford and Iowa guard Matt Gatens.Roe only averages 5.5 points per game – that kind of production doesn’t win this award. I like Gatens, but I think Buford and Jones are more appealing because of their versatility and their respective teams’ backstories (right or wrong, that always plays a factor in stuff like this).There’s been speculation supporting Buford, a consensus five-star prospect out of high school, for freshman of the year.But I would argue Jones, who has improved remarkably while being asked to run point on a team devoid of experience, has proven himself the better player.Unlike Buford, who was offered scholarships by Michigan State and Kentucky, Jones was a spring signee whose only other hard offer came from Minnesota.Jones was thrust into the starting point guard role from day one and looked to be growing well until a head injury against Cornell kept him out of three games in mid-December.Since that time, he’s hit double digits in points more times than not, showing consistent improvement in decision-making, leadership ability and his now-potent pull-up jumper, which he used effectively against Purdue to the tune of a team-high 16 points.Crean praised his young guard for his recent offensive improvement but pointed out that Jones needs “to continue to get that same improvement in the defensive area.”Still, Jones should be in the final conversation for conference freshman of the year, and he’s been better all-around than William Buford. Yes, Buford averages 13.6 points per game to Jones’ 11.1 in conference play, but Jones’ assist numbers are far better, and he’s started more games for his team, despite the concussion.But most importantly, Jones has spent this entire year only improving while pundits have talked endlessly about how he’s only warming the point guard seat for Jeremiah Rivers and Jordan Hulls next year.He’s shown remarkable character and resiliency for someone who’s not exactly the strongest guard in the league, and his performance as the season wears on should win him not just Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, but plenty of playing time at a variety of positions next year.Osterman's prediction: IU 76 – Northwestern 65
(02/09/09 3:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>More than 175 supporters of Revitalizing Animal Well-Being’s “Sealed with a Kiss” poured in and out of The Lodge at 101 E. Sixth St. on Friday night to dance, kiss and petition against Canada’s annual seal hunt.RAW, a student-run animal rights organization, celebrated its second-annual kiss-a-thon with live music from DJ Phenom and Atlanta-based band La Chansons. The organizers decorated the room with red hearts and streamers that lined the walls and windows.Attendee Brandon McHenry said the party was so boisterous it drew him in from the street.“I was walking from the bars with a few friends, and we heard the music and saw people dancing in the window,” said McHenry, a senior. “When I came up the stairs, I saw the signs for ‘Sealed with a Kiss’ and a couple of people told me what it was about. Their cause seemed really good, and I saw some friends inside so I decided to go in.”Volunteers for RAW, as well as members and supporters of OUT Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Student Union, sat at the door to sell raffle tickets and T-shirts, collect donations and spread the awareness of seal hunt in Canada. Throughout the event, which lasted from 8 p.m. Friday to 1 a.m. Saturday, volunteers were able to raise more than $900 and got 175 students to sign a petition against the seal hunt – both numbers up from last year’s event.Courtney Wennerstrom, RAW co-president and co-founder, said this year’s “Sealed with a Kiss” was much more successful than last year’s.“In addition to raising more money and getting more people involved, we were much more organized this time,” Wennerstrom said. “We realized that it takes a couple of times to get these things right, and this year we had a great band and great energy, so I’m really pleased with how it went.”The band, which headlined after DJ Phenom at 11 p.m., was new to putting on a show. “Sealed with a Kiss” was La Chansons’ first performance together, and bass player Kyle Wehrend said it was a great experience.“The energy was great from the crowd, and it was a good chance to get our name out and have a good time with our music,” said Wehrend, who was visiting Bloomington for the first time.With the event behind them, Wennerstrom said RAW members are going to begin planning some new projects, including a possible poker tournament to raise money for animal rights. As for next year’s “Sealed with a Kiss,” Wennerstrom said her hope is to not have to have one.“Our ultimate goal is to not need to raise money or awareness next year,” Wennerstrom said. “We’re really hoping that there just won’t be any hunt for us to fight against at all.”
