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(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Recent cases of anthrax-contaminated letters have led many Americans to question their safety. They have also led to questions about bioterrorism. \nIn response to local concerns, the first installment of a lecture series addressing issues raised by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was held Thursday night in Swain Hall West. \nPanelists at the lecture -- which addressed the threat of bioterrorism -- included Michael McGinnis, director of graduate studies in political science, George D. Hegeman, professor of microbiology and Nick Cullather, associate history professor. \n"I was asked by the chair of the department who was the person in our department who was an expert in the history of bioterrorism," Cullather said. "We have no such expert ... it has no history ... There have been few instances of germ warfare actually used," Cullather said. "Not because of lack of scruples or will but lack of effectiveness."\nCullather said most countries condemn the use of biological warfare, and the Quran, Islam's Holy Scripture, explicitly prohibits it, but terrorists do not adhere to these principles. \nA cult in Japan once sprayed clouds of anthrax around neighborhoods in Tokyo. But people in the area only called police to complain about a bad smell in the air. The attack failed because anthrax spores are killed by sunlight or direct contact with ultraviolet light.\nGerm warfare is largely unsuccessful because of the strength of people's immune systems, Hegeman said. He advised people to wash their hands periodically and not to put strange objects in their mouth.\n"We come in contact with bacteria today that would have wiped out medieval populations," he said. "Today we take shots to avoid the the flu, which would cause us a week of discomfort, which is very similar to the flu virus that caused the flu pandemic in 1918."\nAnthrax is also a commonly found bacteria, Hegeman said. Usually, wherever there are cattle there are anthrax bacteria. Deer and wildlife are also potential carriers. Hegeman gave an example of a Texas man who died last week after skinning a buffalo killed in the road because he contracted cutaneous anthrax.\nHegeman said people need to put things in perspective. \n"We're terrorizing ourselves because we don't educate ourselves about the details," he said. "Therefore, terrorists will use it because they're seeking the notoriety."\nMcGinnis said the anthrax letters are an effective weapon. \n"They accomplished with a few grams of purified anthrax the exact kind of weapon they want," he said. "There has been speculation as to if the terrorists would attack the powergrids, but they have made people afraid to even open their mail."\nHe said it was possible a Unabomber-like terrorist was responsible for the anthrax letters and it would be difficult to catch someone like this. \nThe speakers said the lecture series provides a valuable resource for the community.\n"The series allows us to put aside our expertise as teachers and talk to one another as citizens," Cullather said. \nPeople should avoid reactions that conflict with American culture, but some reasonable changes like vaccinating postal workers, police and emergency workers is wise, he said.\n"I think it's wrong to say to change our ways would mean the terrorists have won, " Cullather said. "In any war victory goes to those who adapt."\nThe lecture series was started by Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm and is co-sponsored by Union Board.\n"She wanted to create a committee to respond to whatever situations that came up so we can have information available to the campus in a timely way," said Moya Andrews, dean of faculties.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Students will not be spared by the statewide fiscal problems facing Hoosiers at this year's General Assembly session. The projected $1.3 billion state deficit could force administrators to raise tuition if state revenues are not increased. \nIf Indiana legislature is able to raise revenue and reduce spending, public education may not experience any further budget cuts and IU students may not have to deal with the resulting increase in tuition. \nGov. Frank O'Bannon said adjustments to the General Fund alone will not solve the state's financial problems and has proposed a plan that hikes cigarette and gambling taxes. \nWithout this plan O'Bannon said he will be forced to make further cuts to education spending.\nO'Bannon's deficit-reduction plan includes a package that will increase riverboat casino admission taxes from $3 to $5, a 50-cent raise in the cigarette tax and the suspension of two tax cuts approved in 1999.\nA separate package proposed by O'Bannon asks for tax restructuring, which will reduce the anticipated property tax increase, resulting from a property tax reassessment.\nRep. Mark Kruzan (D-Bloomington) said the state has already started to cut spending. \nThe governor ordered a 7 percent cut in all state spending. He froze state employee salaries, imposed a hiring freeze and severely restricted out-of-state travel by state workers. Finally, O'Bannon has ordered a cut of higher education spending in the state, totaling $50 million.\nIf lawmakers are forced to continue making cuts in the education budget, an increase in tuition will result, said State Senator Vi Simpson and chairwoman of the State Budget Committee.\n"Everyone concerned about public education needs to make it clear to representatives and senators, in our hometowns, that doing nothing is unacceptable," Simpson said.\nIU students said they hope the governor and the General Assembly find an alternative to cutting education spending.\n"Any increase in tuition will place a huge added burden on my family," sophomore Adam Berry said.\nKruzan, who graduated from IU School of Law in 1985, said he sympathizes with students.\n"In 1982 tuition was drastically increased and financial aid was cut," Kruzan said. "The double-whammy is especially threatening to students who already face high costs while enrolled and a crushing debt upon graduation."\nIt is likely that students will feel the effects of budget cuts as soon as next year, Kruzan said. IU must anticipate the reduced revenue as it calculates tuition models that will be implemented this summer.\nO'Bannon's spending cuts have not affected the fixed budget of the State Student Assistance Commission, said Nick Vesper, director of policy and research for the SSAC.\nIf the budget deficit reaches state financial aid programs many students will feel the effects.\nThe SSAC, an organization that subsidizes higher education in Indiana, provided 43,811 students with state financial assistance, said Vesper. \nOf that total, 3,738 were IU undergraduate students receiving $9,582,365 in state financial assistance, said Todd Schmitz, director of reporting and research for the IUB Professional Council.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Graf column overlooks part of greek life\nWe are writing in response to Bridget Graf's column ("Local bars affected by rules," Jan. 30). We believe Ms. Graf has overlooked some major issues concerning the greek system, the law and the bar culture in Bloomington. First of all, when did fraternities become purely drinking havens and not the philanthropic organizations that they are glorified as. If the greek system is entirely based around parties and the consumption of alcohol as Ms. Graf suggests, then should the University, an institution based upon academics, be supporting such an organization? No! Furthermore, how can the University turn a blind eye to alcohol consumption on a dry campus?\nContrary to Ms. Graf's view, alcohol is not a necessary part of college life. Thus, a required class on alcohol management is a preposterous idea. Not all college students drink, so for the University to require such a class would be absurd.\nOur last point is this: Bars are crowded. Go to any popular bar in any major city or college town and you will find the same overpopulated scenario. We don't hear the employees or owners of the local bars complaining about the supposed extra business either. Besides, tipping your server or bartender a little extra has always helped your drink get there faster.\nElizabeth Friedle\nSenior\nHillary Vogt\nSophomore\nEditorial misstates facts regarding lawsuit, costs of litigation\nIn response to your recent editorial "IU should release files" (Jan. 30), let's stick with the facts. First, The Indianapolis Star is not suing the University for "Bob Knight's personnel documents." We've already provided the Star with all the personnel information we're required by law to release.\nThe Star wants the investigative notes of IU Trustees John Walda and Fred Eichhorn, stemming from the University's inquiry of the Neil Reid incident (which was not the reason Knight was dismissed). These notes contain the names of student athletes and employees who provided information to investigators. The trial court agreed that those notes are not personnel documents, citing state and federal privacy laws which exempt them from disclosure.\nAnd while you are quick to reference a Vigo County lawsuit, you neglect to mention a recent Indiana Court of Appeals' decision involving Purdue University and the Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette that is completely consistent with the position taken by the University.\nIU is defending a very important principle: The privacy rights of our students and employees. Does the IDS really believe this principle is not worth defending? Is the IDS suggesting that releasing these notes is the more responsible option? What will the paper's position be if students sue the University for violating their privacy rights if these records are disclosed?\nFinally, to claim that the administration has "no concern" for litigation costs misstates our position and misses the point. We continue to manage costs associated with this litigation as prudently and efficiently as is practicable. Protecting the privacy rights of our students and employees is hardly a waste of money. \nWilliam B. Stephan\nIU Vice President, Public Affairs & Government Relations\nAppalled by Baron Hill's comments\nCongressman Baron Hill -- whose district will include Bloomington in 2002 -- spoke at Ivy Tech Feb. 1 about worker training. As an activist and working IU student, I was appalled by his comments which revealed lack of concern for workers and overt sexism. \nOne might well expect covert sexism among elite politicians, but Hill did nothing to hide his affliction. For instance, during the question session, one worker told him she was laid off from GE (incidentally, a big Hill contributor in 2000) and was undergoing retraining at Ivy Tech -- while parenting, working and remaining at poverty level lest she lose aid. Then she commented that her greatest fear, despite her current problems, was graduating and not finding employment. \nHill's adroit response? "Don't worry. You're young and pretty; you'll find something." \nThe woman stood her ground: "I'd like to be hired for my skills." Hill also demonstrated lack of understanding of workers' real concerns about survival, dismissing them casually: "I know a world economy is scary." As workers described their real fears -- such as being unable to feed their families, afford necessary health care, avoid workplace poisons, etc. -- Hill was unable to grasp the devastating effects of layoffs on laborers. He was hung up on this notion of childish fear of change. I bet Hill has never worried about his next meal or being ill and unable to afford treatment!\nWorkers, especially women, don't need Hill on the Hill! Good thing we've got a truly pro-labor alternative from the Greens (Jeff Melton).\nRebecca Riall\nSenior\nOutside marketing firm unnecessary\nWhy would the university hire an outside marketing firm to help them transition in the new school colors and mascot, when the Kelley School of Business is right there on campus? Would it not make sense to let the marketing students of the university work on a project like that?\nChastity Wilke\nIndianapolis, Ind.\nAdditional information about OneStart\nAn important clarification must be made regarding a column ("OneStart IU's version of AOL?" Jan. 28). No Student Technology Fee funds are being used to develop OneStart.\nAs the writer correctly recognizes, OneStart is not yet fully developed. \nThis fact is one of several reasons why OneStart has not yet been introduced widely. OneStart will have capabilities far beyond bookmarking your favorite Web pages. OneStart is a service delivery framework. It is not simply about bookmarks. Ultimately, it will be all about getting convenient and direct access to online services at IU. OneStart will mean better service to IU students, faculty, staff and alumni. OneStart users will have the ability to sign in one time and get to all of the services available to them. These services will be filtered based on their role within the University. Users will be able to weed out those services that are not of interest and go directly to the ones they use most often.\nImagine being able to read e -mail, register for classes, pay your bursar bill, and chat with classmates all in one logically arranged place! OneStart provides the framework to put all of the IU services into a personalized desktop along with channels for other areas of interest such as weather, entertainment, sports, news, etc.\nThe point of creating an application portal such as OneStart is not to imitate portals such as AOL. The goal of an enterprise application portal such as OneStart is, in the words of the IU Information Technology Strategic Plan, to "develop a common interface environment that will support the efficient and effective accomplishment of the day-to-day administrative tasks of the University."\nOneStart's added benefits such as customized channels and bookmarks will make it all the better.\nGregory A. Moore\nCommunications Specialist, UITS Communications and Planning Office\nLautzenhiser's abortion column inaccurate\nIn response to Ashley Lautzenhiser's column "Realizing the Right to Choose" (Jan. 29), the arguments were highly inaccurate. The article mentions that the "right to an abortion" places this power in the hands of the responsible party, that being the woman. However, in many cases this is untrue. Often times, the boyfriend or husband forces the woman to have an abortion against her will. Even more disturbing is how abortionists at Planned Parenthood force a woman to go through with an abortion even when she changes her mind. It brings new meaning to the slogan "It's Pro-Choice or No Choice," since for many who are forced into an abortion, it is indeed no choice.\nThe article goes on to say that "murder is not an action done unto oneself, it is an action perpetrated upon an individual." Well, with this I agree. Abortion is enacted upon a child within the womb of a woman, resulting in the child's death. Therefore, abortion is murder. \nAs such, abortion could hardly be considered a right. No one should have the right to "choose" who lives and who dies. Sadly, the reality in this nation is that far too many people choose convenience over ethics and "rights" over the sanctity of life.\nPatrick David Baxter\nSenior, Activism Director/Webtech \nIU Students for Life\nWhite's column disregards implications of unwanted pregnancy\nErin White's column "Abortion not only choice" (Jan. 29) completely disregards the varied social, economic and personal implications of unwanted pregnancy by supporting her argument against abortion with the transparent emotional appeals of one woman's story.\nThe anecdote about her friend who opted not to end her pregnancy and is now happy with her choice is heartwarming, but only reflects one person's isolated experience. Second, the fact that her sister wants a baby but can't conceive one is tragic but bears no relevance on the debate at hand. Some women want pregnancy -- others don't. The motivations for either position are dramatically more complex than either White's argument or these stories allude to.\nThe situation of White's friend should not be taken as the probable outcome for all unwanted pregnancies. By focusing only on a woman who decided she wanted to finish her pregnancy, White completely overlooks the women who don't want, and for various reasons literally can't, continue their pregnancies. White's argument fails to acknowledge poor, disadvantaged women who lack the economic resources and social networks, for whom having a child (possibly another one of many) would cause them to stretch their already limited resources even further. She does not acknowledge the reality of single motherhood -- that while both men and women have sex, women consistently bear the majority of emotional, economic, social responsibility for this joint venture. Furthermore, White does not address the choice of abortion in cases of pregnancy caused by rape or where pregnancy would endanger the mother's life.\nIn conclusion, White's anti-choice argument fails because she underestimates the concept of unwanted pregnancy and the various and serious consequences that it holds for women. The right to choose should not be repealed because one woman who was indecisive about her pregnancy decided to finish it. For this one woman, there are many others for whom maintaining an unwanted pregnancy would not be a viable option. Contrary to White's blithe comment, for many women having a baby is much more than an opportunity, and for some would be a scenario that does carry "end of the world" consequences and implications.\nLow income Hoosier working families seem to be left out of the media discussion about who will be the winners and losers in Indiana's tax restructuring battle. \nDid you know that Indiana is one of only 19 states that still collects income taxes on the annual earnings of families in poverty? The U.S. Census Bureau reports that about one U.S. child in six still lives in poverty and most poor children live in families with a working parent. Yet these families in poverty are still required to pay Indiana state income tax!\nWith all the debate in the Indiana General Assembly over increases in state income taxes, sales taxes, gas taxes and cigarette taxes, our state legislators must make protection of low-income working families a top priority.\nExpanding the Indiana Earned Income Tax Credit provides targeted relief to low and moderate income Hoosiers and encourages self-sufficiency for these working men and women. This must remain in any tax restructuring plan. Taxing poor families is counterproductive and unfair. Thus, there should be no increase in the income tax rate for those at the bottom.\nIt's important for our state legislature to act this session on a tax and budget plan that will protect our schools and universities, reduce our property taxes and strengthen our state economy by helping to create good jobs. But it would be moral neglect of duty if, when the dust settles, low-income Hoosier families have been burdened by our General Assembly with an even greater portion of the Indiana tax pie. Please let your legislators know that they need to do their job for the people of Indiana now!\nPatti O'Callaghan\nLafayette Urban Ministry
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Several Indiana institutions joined intellectual and financial forces to launch Indiana into national prominence in the life sciences industry. \nThe Central Indiana Life Sciences Initiative was formed by the combined efforts from IU, Purdue, the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, the City of Indianapolis and the Indiana Health Industry Forum.\nCombined, the projects from this initiative will cost $1.5 billion for the advancement of academic and economic development.\nOf that $1.5 billion, IU will rack up a $500 million tab over the next three to five years.\nPart of IU's contribution -- $150 million -- will go toward building projects that include a Biomedical Research and Training Center, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute and a $75 million, 250,000 square-foot building dedicated to cancer research. These buildings will be part of the IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis. \nOther IU funds will flow from the Lilly Endowment, which allocates $105 million to support the Indiana Genomics Initiative founded in Dec. 2000. Fifty-$100 million in venture capital will be raised for life sciences in the region by several different partners, including IU. \nIU President Myles Brand stressed that this money does not come from tuition or other University funds.\n"None of this money is being taken away from the University," Brand said. "Investors invest through us. We compete for grants and through these grants comes the money used for research and project funding."\nBut as David Goodrich, president and CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership put it, money is not only thing IU brings to the initiative.\n"Dollars are certainly very important, but the resources IU brings are amazing," Goodrich said. "The real asset of IU are the people and the bright minds, and if we can harness those bright minds then the possibilities would be endless."\nFor students the Initiative means a broader range of opportunities.\n"In Indiana, the average wages in the life sciences industry are two and a half times the average worker's wage," he said. "If we are successful, this will drive the economy for years." \nWhile other states may draw IU graduates away from Indiana because of mountains and oceans, Goodrich said if the initiative is successful, the graduates will stay for the better jobs.\n"We need to find a way to keep the graduates," Goodrich said. "With the jobs that will be created, we're going to keep the great minds here in Indiana."\nFor Dr. Craig Brater, dean of IU School of Medicine, the goals of the initiative are in total alignment with the goals of the medical school.\n"The biggest challenge for physicians, scientists and basically all people in the life sciences industry is coping with the enormous explosion of information and deciding how that should be incorporated into their daily activities. If they are immersed in an environment through their entire education and they are seeing these questions asked, analyzed and put into practice every day, then they will be better equipped to handle this information explosion in the real world," Brater said. "We hope the initiative is going to create a learning environment where we're not just teaching the medicine of today, we're defining the medicine of tomorrow." \nThe initiative comes as the inaugural effort in Indiana from two research universities, city government and private businesses. Without this collaboration, the Initiative would not have been possible, Brand said.\n"We couldn't have succeed if we tried to do this alone," Brand said. "Something this substantial requires a partnership." \nVirginia and California have already been very successful with models like this, and the cooperation is a breakthrough for the state of Indiana, Brand said.\nGoodrich agrees.\n"They're always been a good spirit of cooperation and getting things done," Goodrich said. "In Indiana, team efforts work. The coming together of these resources to generate a whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts is what the Initiative is all about"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Contrary to the belief held by some, the U.S. does not have the responsibility or the obligation to become involved in peacekeeping and/or nation building. I commend Travis Thickstun on his recollection of Kosovo; however, he seems to have forgotten the result of the peacekeeping and humanitarian aid mission in Somalia -- which was, to say the least, not as successful.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Seventy-five years ago Nick Hrisomalos, a Greek immigrant, purchased a piece of land on Kirkwood Avenue and opened up a sandwich shop named "Nick's English Hut." Ironically enough, that same year Dick Barnes, current co-owner of Nick's, was born. July 3rd will mark 75 years for Nick's English Hut and Dick Barnes' 75th birthday.\n"We're having a private invitation only party on July 3rd for friends and regular customers," Rex Barnes, Dick's son, says. "We will be celebrating our 75th year of business and Dad's 75th birthday."\nHrisomalos ran the Hut until he died in 1953, then his wife Katina took over. Dick Barnes was a good friend of Nick and Katina's son Frank. In 1957, the IU graduate found himself the owner of Nick's, but says he didn't even think about changing the name for fear it would change the tradition.\nDick's son Rex, now co-owner and general manager, began working at Nick's when he was 18 and hasn't left the place yet.\n"I've been co-owner and general manager for almost 8 years," Rex says. "Dad and I have made a lot of changes to the place since it first opened. When Dad bought Nick's in 1957 the legal seating capacity was 75, and since all the adding on we've done, the seating capacity is almost 475."\nWith more seating and more college students and alumni coming in year after year, Dick says he hasn't seen much of a change in their cliental. \n"We've always been a place that anyone can come to," Dick says. "We've got construction workers with mud on their boots sitting across the isle from the president of the University."\nRex agreed with his father.\n"Our cliental and target is anyone from your 21-year-old college student to your 89-year-old grandmother," Rex says. "We don't target just one section like a lot of other bars in town do."\nRobyn Shelly, a 1999 IU graduate, says she remembers the comfortable atmosphere of Nick's and how it was a great place to go just to spend time with friends. Just hearing the word "Nick's" reminded Shelly of stories she had forgotten about.\n"I remember being able to go and just sit in a booth with your friends and talk," Shelly says. "There wasn't a need for black pants or tank tops; it's such a diverse place where anyone can go and feel in place. I specifically remember the time we went to eat there, and we were seated next to a bunch of coaches from IU sports teams. You never know who you might run into at Nick's."\nNick's English Hut is known for a wide variety of things. From the famous Bloomington Stromboli sauce to the Bucket Brigade that started in the '70s, Nick's is full of tradition and stories. One of Nick's most popular pastimes is "Sink the Bismark," but there's a lot of mystery around how the popular game came about.\n"To this day, no one knows exactly how 'Sink the Bismark' started. It only became popular starting in the '80s. Before then, the Bucket Brigade were the only players, and it was a very exclusive club," Rex says. "You had to have a bucket on a hook at Nick's in order to order a bucket."\nRex saw how this exclusive drinking game would be fun for everyone and made it available for anyone to play. On any given night one can walk into Nick's and see at least one table of college students huddled around a bucket full of beer, trying not to "sink the biz."\nThe good food, the drinking games and the memories are what keep people coming back to Nick's.\n"When I go down to visit my friends in the Bloomington area, I know we won't go out to Kilroy's or the Bird," Shelly says. "We'll definitely go to Nick's because of the laid back atmosphere and the memories we've already made there when we were in college."\nIt's hard to ignore the 75 years of history imprinted on the walls of Nick's English Hut. There isn't a space on the walls that isn't covered with pictures or autographs. IU memorabilia has always made Nick's a popular place to watch the Hoosiers sports teams play on television. Almost every booth has a regular customer that is well known or famous. John Mellencamp even has his own booth.\nThe wall that holds the most value to Rex is the upstairs wall covered in autographs.\n"Nick Nolte is my favorite," Rex says as he scans the many signatures on the wall. "Dave Wannstedt, head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Don Larson, Larry Bird, Bob Knight, John Walsh; the list just keeps going."\nRex chuckled when he came across the signature of Chris Darden, one of the district attorneys for the O.J. Simpson case. Darden wrote down how he felt about the outcome of the trial.\nAll the well-known visitors to Nick's don't compare to the good times Dick and Rex have had during IU basketball games.\n"I think the Final Four in my 10 years here is the craziest time we've had," Rex says. "There are idiots in every crowd, but as a whole, everything was well maintained. Nick's is unique in the respect that a lot of people don't tear this place up. People respect Nick's and know it's full of history and tradition."\nThe 75 years of history and tradition will be celebrated with the public on July 5 when an art competition and auction will be held.\n"Coach DiNardo will be speaking among other coaches," Rex says. "We've got lots of great things to auction off and all the proceeds will benefit the Monroe County Humane Association."\nJust a few of the items to be auctioned off include a dinner with football coach Gerry DiNardo, a workout with Kenny Aronoff, a basketball signed by Mike Davis, rock climbing lessons, IU memorabilia and lots more. Dick and Rex look forward to raising the money for the Humane Association.\nRex is still looking ahead into the future and doesn't expect things at Nick's to slow down anytime soon.\n"If in the last 75 years the seating has increased by almost 400, you've got to expect more great things in the future," Rex says. "In another 25 years when we celebrate our 100th anniversary, I expect business to be as thriving as it ever has been."\nSINK THE BISMARK\n• The game is played by filling a bucket with beer. A small empty glass is dropped in the bucket, and players take turns pouring beer from their cup into the glass in the bucket. The person who pours to much beer in the glass, causing it sink, must pound the beer in the sunken glass.\n• Sink the Bismark started at Nick's sometime in the '80s, soon after the drinking game Quarters was banned from the bar.\n• Each bucket holds 52oz. of beer.\n• Nick's keeps around 260 personal buckets on hand as members of its "Bucket Brigade."\n• To obtain a coveted spot in the Brigade, buckets must be willed from a previous owner.\n• Buckets that go unused for a very long time are sometimes retired, making room for new members.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
When Doug Booher volunteered as an usher at the IU Auditorium during is college years at IU he never imagined that auditorium would play such a large role in his life. Now after seven years of service, he has been named the director of the auditorium. \n"It is very exciting to get the chance to work in such a great community and at a place where I strongly believe in the value of what we do," Booher said.\nThroughout his time at the auditorium, he has served as a student usher, the supervisor of the usher corps and full-time house manager. Winston Shindell, the executive director of the Indiana Memorial Union and the IU Auditorium believes Booher's experience is a very valuable asset. \n"Well I think we are very fortunate from the stand point that his whole life has revolved around the IU Auditorium," Shindell said. "He has seen all facets of the auditorium and IU, and he is highly respected and liked. He is also very capable. He has been a part of fashioning a vision we have for (the auditorium). \n"It is always nice to be in a position to reward someone for their service and promote from within. Doug was certainly deserving of that opportunity."\nWhen he began as an usher, auditorium long time co-worker and Box Office Coordinator Joal Jacobus never imagined Booher would have such a long career at IU. He didn't think Booher would stay with the auditorium.\n"We have hundreds of people who go through this auditorium every year, and the general operating scheme is that people tend to graduate and leave. Well, except for me, I have been here forever. It is a very transient job environment," Jacobus said.\nIn addition to his responsibilities of working with the professional, hourly and 400-member volunteer staff, planing the seasons and budgeting and finalizing performances, Booher is also looking forward to building stronger ties with the arts organizations on the IU campus and in the Bloomington community.\n"He has a great understanding of the Bloomington community and the IU Auditorium, so I think he is the perfect person to expand our partnerships with other arts organizations like the School of Music," Shindell said. "He is also going to work with the Union Board Concert Comity. It is something that he is enthusiastic about and enjoys doing and the energy shows."\nBooher is working directly with the School of Music and the Department of Theatre and Drama to program events that will meet the educational needs of their students. \n"We hope to broaden this effort by encouraging partnerships with other academic units on campus and arts groups in the community," Booher said. "These partnerships will include opportunities for young people to interact and learn from their experiences of seeing the professional artists we bring to Bloomington."\nAlthough the Auditorium does not work with local acts, Booher believes the Auditorium still plays an important role in the local arts community.\n"We are one of the few organizations who bring national professional events to Bloomington, so I believe that distinguishes us from some other arts groups," he said. "However, our staff is committed to helping these other groups grow and prosper. Many of our staff members serve as volunteers, board members and informal consultants for campus and community arts groups." \nBooher believes that variety and listening to the community are the keys to making the IU Auditorium a viable resource for both the campus and the community.\n"I listen to everything from Blues to classical, and enjoy Cirque du Soleil as much as much as a Broadway show or opera," he said. "I believe that our community has the same kind of tastes, so we spend time and resources asking the students and community members what kind of events they would like to see at the Auditorium." \nEach Fall the auditorium conducts a survey on its Entertainment Network e-mail list that allows recipients to vote for the shows they would like to see the following season. Anyone can join the list at http://iuauditorium.com. IU students who want to volunteer at the Auditorium can sign up to be a member during the first week of classes in the fall at the Auditorium from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or they can e-mail housemgr@indiana.edu.
(06/27/02 4:00am)
Seventy-five years ago Nick Hrisomalos, a Greek immigrant, purchased a piece of land on Kirkwood Avenue and opened up a sandwich shop named "Nick's English Hut." Ironically enough, that same year Dick Barnes, current co-owner of Nick's, was born. July 3rd will mark 75 years for Nick's English Hut and Dick Barnes' 75th birthday.\n"We're having a private invitation only party on July 3rd for friends and regular customers," Rex Barnes, Dick's son, says. "We will be celebrating our 75th year of business and Dad's 75th birthday."\nHrisomalos ran the Hut until he died in 1953, then his wife Katina took over. Dick Barnes was a good friend of Nick and Katina's son Frank. In 1957, the IU graduate found himself the owner of Nick's, but says he didn't even think about changing the name for fear it would change the tradition.\nDick's son Rex, now co-owner and general manager, began working at Nick's when he was 18 and hasn't left the place yet.\n"I've been co-owner and general manager for almost 8 years," Rex says. "Dad and I have made a lot of changes to the place since it first opened. When Dad bought Nick's in 1957 the legal seating capacity was 75, and since all the adding on we've done, the seating capacity is almost 475."\nWith more seating and more college students and alumni coming in year after year, Dick says he hasn't seen much of a change in their cliental. \n"We've always been a place that anyone can come to," Dick says. "We've got construction workers with mud on their boots sitting across the isle from the president of the University."\nRex agreed with his father.\n"Our cliental and target is anyone from your 21-year-old college student to your 89-year-old grandmother," Rex says. "We don't target just one section like a lot of other bars in town do."\nRobyn Shelly, a 1999 IU graduate, says she remembers the comfortable atmosphere of Nick's and how it was a great place to go just to spend time with friends. Just hearing the word "Nick's" reminded Shelly of stories she had forgotten about.\n"I remember being able to go and just sit in a booth with your friends and talk," Shelly says. "There wasn't a need for black pants or tank tops; it's such a diverse place where anyone can go and feel in place. I specifically remember the time we went to eat there, and we were seated next to a bunch of coaches from IU sports teams. You never know who you might run into at Nick's."\nNick's English Hut is known for a wide variety of things. From the famous Bloomington Stromboli sauce to the Bucket Brigade that started in the '70s, Nick's is full of tradition and stories. One of Nick's most popular pastimes is "Sink the Bismark," but there's a lot of mystery around how the popular game came about.\n"To this day, no one knows exactly how 'Sink the Bismark' started. It only became popular starting in the '80s. Before then, the Bucket Brigade were the only players, and it was a very exclusive club," Rex says. "You had to have a bucket on a hook at Nick's in order to order a bucket."\nRex saw how this exclusive drinking game would be fun for everyone and made it available for anyone to play. On any given night one can walk into Nick's and see at least one table of college students huddled around a bucket full of beer, trying not to "sink the biz."\nThe good food, the drinking games and the memories are what keep people coming back to Nick's.\n"When I go down to visit my friends in the Bloomington area, I know we won't go out to Kilroy's or the Bird," Shelly says. "We'll definitely go to Nick's because of the laid back atmosphere and the memories we've already made there when we were in college."\nIt's hard to ignore the 75 years of history imprinted on the walls of Nick's English Hut. There isn't a space on the walls that isn't covered with pictures or autographs. IU memorabilia has always made Nick's a popular place to watch the Hoosiers sports teams play on television. Almost every booth has a regular customer that is well known or famous. John Mellencamp even has his own booth.\nThe wall that holds the most value to Rex is the upstairs wall covered in autographs.\n"Nick Nolte is my favorite," Rex says as he scans the many signatures on the wall. "Dave Wannstedt, head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Don Larson, Larry Bird, Bob Knight, John Walsh; the list just keeps going."\nRex chuckled when he came across the signature of Chris Darden, one of the district attorneys for the O.J. Simpson case. Darden wrote down how he felt about the outcome of the trial.\nAll the well-known visitors to Nick's don't compare to the good times Dick and Rex have had during IU basketball games.\n"I think the Final Four in my 10 years here is the craziest time we've had," Rex says. "There are idiots in every crowd, but as a whole, everything was well maintained. Nick's is unique in the respect that a lot of people don't tear this place up. People respect Nick's and know it's full of history and tradition."\nThe 75 years of history and tradition will be celebrated with the public on July 5 when an art competition and auction will be held.\n"Coach DiNardo will be speaking among other coaches," Rex says. "We've got lots of great things to auction off and all the proceeds will benefit the Monroe County Humane Association."\nJust a few of the items to be auctioned off include a dinner with football coach Gerry DiNardo, a workout with Kenny Aronoff, a basketball signed by Mike Davis, rock climbing lessons, IU memorabilia and lots more. Dick and Rex look forward to raising the money for the Humane Association.\nRex is still looking ahead into the future and doesn't expect things at Nick's to slow down anytime soon.\n"If in the last 75 years the seating has increased by almost 400, you've got to expect more great things in the future," Rex says. "In another 25 years when we celebrate our 100th anniversary, I expect business to be as thriving as it ever has been."\nSINK THE BISMARK\n• The game is played by filling a bucket with beer. A small empty glass is dropped in the bucket, and players take turns pouring beer from their cup into the glass in the bucket. The person who pours to much beer in the glass, causing it sink, must pound the beer in the sunken glass.\n• Sink the Bismark started at Nick's sometime in the '80s, soon after the drinking game Quarters was banned from the bar.\n• Each bucket holds 52oz. of beer.\n• Nick's keeps around 260 personal buckets on hand as members of its "Bucket Brigade."\n• To obtain a coveted spot in the Brigade, buckets must be willed from a previous owner.\n• Buckets that go unused for a very long time are sometimes retired, making room for new members.
(05/13/02 3:04am)
Conference about education, not money
Tenure-track support appreciated
International criminal court not needed
(04/29/02 5:31am)
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The job outlook for the 1,350 University of Texas-Arlington graduates in May is less monumental than in recent years, but jobs are still plentiful in many sectors, according to recent surveys.\nHiring projections for 2002 graduates are down 20 percent from 2001, according to the Job Outlook 2002 update, a report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Despite a tighter job market and more selective hiring practices, employers are seeking students from many degree programs.\n"It's not as dismal as it seems," Career Service Coordinator Kimshi Hickman said. "Two out of five employers are maintaining the same level of hiring as last year. Overall, only 30 percent of companies are hiring fewer grads."\nEach year more than one million students in the United States graduate from both private and public colleges, with more than 70,000 coming from Texas. \nAlthough hiring percentages are lower for computer science majors, Ramesh Yerraballi, the computer science and engineering graduate adviser, said the better students will not have a problem finding a job.\n"In the last couple of years, the boom was so high that students were holding multiple job offers," he said. "While it's not a bust, it's certainly more selective."\nHe said it is more difficult in a tight market for international students because of costs and time constraints involved in obtaining visas. Yet, slightly more than one-third of employers who responded to the 2002 Job Outlook Survey plan to recruit international students, mostly from the northeast region of the country. The survey also indicated international students, with high-tech and engineering degrees, have the most opportunities.\nGraduate schools across the country are seeing substantial enrollment increases and UTA is part of the trend that is typical in economic dips, Graduate Admissions Dean Phil Cohen said. The number of new graduate students increased by 78 percent in 2000. In spring 2001, it jumped another 46.3 percent and again by nearly 28 percent in spring 2002.\nIn addition to laid-off workers, the increase in graduate school enrollment comes from a cross section of job fields, Cohen said.\n"Students with bachelor's degrees come to grad school to boost their credentials," he said. "People who already have jobs may see a bad turn in the economy and often think maybe it's time to go back to school to enhance their credentials."\nHickman does not recommend students to attend graduate school in lieu of seeking jobs in a tight market. She does, however, recommend graduate school as an alternative for students already planning to seek a post-graduate degree. \nThe current market also has created more interest in alternative employment avenues, such as teaching and social work, according to the report. It states that a growing number of retirees in teaching, trades and government agencies mean job opportunities should emerge in those fields. \nLarry Watson, assistant social work dean, recently attended a conference of social work programs. He said attendants reported a 25 percent enrollment increase last year from around the country. He attributes the increase to a combination of economic factors and a shift in attitude.\n"After 9/11, people are re-examining what is important and are moving more toward a service-based career," he said.\nOne of the mainstays in any market is civil engineering, said Sia Ardekani, civil and environmental engineering chair. \nHe said when the economy expands, the private sector experiences an increase in building houses, plants and warehouses, which means jobs for civil engineers. Alternately, in a slow economy the government puts dollars into public works programs, which also creates jobs for civil engineers. \n"We are recession proof," Ardekani said. "More so than other sectors, we are doing very well."\nGreg Frazier, MBA programs director, said in spite of layoffs, financial, marketing and accounting companies are still hiring. He suggests students seeking jobs in these fields also to look into regional and local firms, where the growth is. He also said the MBA program has seen an enrollment increase of 5 to 10 percent in the last year.\nLike Frazier, Hickman recommends that graduates seek jobs with medium- and small-sized companies not as visible as the big names with staffs solely dedicated to recruiting college students. \n"Just because they are not as visible, does not mean they are not out there," she said.
(04/23/02 6:04am)
WASHINGTON -- Rallying for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, racial discrimination and corporate globalization, tens of thousands of people from across the United States and abroad converged in Washington, D.C., last Saturday for one common goal: Peace. \nPolice estimate about 75,000 marchers. Organizers put the number at more than 100,000. \nSeveral dozen Bloomington residents and IU students were among the demonstrators, including Green Party candidate for Congress, Jeff Melton. Demonstrators for ANSWER -- Act Now to Stop War and End Racism -- rallied on the Ellipse behind the White House, chanting "Free, free Palestine" and "end the occupation now." Another rally, organized by a student coalition called the A20 Mobilization convened near the Washington Monument. \nAt about 1 p.m. the rallies began to march through the streets of D.C. to converge on the Mall in front of the Capitol Building. The streets were alive with chants and drum circles. One elderly man with a white beard dressed as Uncle Sam bore a sign proclaiming, "Not in my name." A barefoot woman with a young son in tow played "We Shall Overcome" on the violin, and a chorus of dozens sang along. \nGroups of American war veterans called "Veterans for Peace" marched alongside the "Raging Grannies," an anti-war group, young women did anti-war cheerleading routines, and families with children and groups of Jews united for peace and justice in Palestine. \nTeach-ins and direct actions were conducted throughout the city all last week. The issues and causes appear endless and varied but the common theme was strong: an end to global corporate domination and the violence it brings. \nOne teach-in concerned what some consider a threat here at home, and it isn't terrorism. It's the so-called Uniting and Strengthening of America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, or the PATRIOT Act. \nWritten by John Ashcroft, a member of the justice department, the bill swept through congress in three days in the fervor following Sept. 11. It was introduced Oct. 23 and then signed into law by Bush Oct. 26. The bill endured no discussion or debate and only one dissenting vote in the Senate from Democrat Russ Feingold of Wisconsin. Thirteen members of the House didn't even show up to vote that day. \nAccording to Ciatta Baysah, a legislative aid and founder of D.C.-based Black Voices for Peace, a substantial number of representatives didn't even read the bill. The vaguely-written law defines "terrorism" as an act that violates any criminal law, is potentially dangerous to human life and appears to be intended to influence the policies of\n the government through intimidation or coercion. \nThe language of legislation being proposed in local jurisdictions across the country is even more dubious. One such bill working its way through the D.C. legislative process, if passed, will extend the definition of terrorism to include non-violent violations of the law, which could include civil disobedience or any other acts thought to be politically motivated whether or not they are potentially threatening to human life. \n"The law defines terrorism as any act that obstructs the government," D.C. activist Ruby Sales said. "So, if we have a peace demonstration in some ways that is obstructing the functioning of \nthe government, you can be designated a terrorist." \nMany individuals and groups are afraid that this law and the powers it bestows will give the government a virtual green light to disregard basic civil rights of citizens under the guise of fighting a war on terrorism. \nThe law undermines First and Fourteenth Amendment rights as well as Fourth Amendment protections regarding the conduct of searches. The act allows the FBI to conduct searches and wiretaps without a warrant. \nAccording to Ciatta Baysah, the act has permitted the FBI to conduct warrantless raids on churches, organizations and private homes. And, as in the case of attorney Lynne Stewart, the act threatens to erode attorney-client privilege. \nStewart defended Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman in the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing and is now being prosecuted for helping the "Blind Sheik," as he is known, to orchestrate terrorist activities from behind bars. The government demands to know the content of their confidential conversations.\n"The government says they can't stand us because of our freedom," says Baysah, "then they turn around and take away all of that freedom. This act has changed our bill of rights in some ways that will never go away."\nThe National Mobilization on Columbia produced a significant showing at the demonstrations, protesting U.S. involvement in Columbian civil wars through direct action and the School of the Americas, renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. The institute is a U.S. military training facility that has produced over 60,000 graduates from Latin America who take home such skills as counter-insurgency techniques, sniper training, psychological warfare and interrogation techniques, according the School of the Americas Watch (SOWA), a monitoring group who compares these camps to al Qaeda terrorist training camps. \nAccording to SOWA, graduates of the school have included many right-wing paramilitary death squads whose anti-union agenda protects U.S. corporate interests. A sizeable proportion of demonstrators hoped to call attention to U.S. involvement in the recent coup d'etat of the democratic administration of President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, an issue that has been closely followed by D.C.'s many independent newspapers, though largely ignored by mainstream media.\nAccording to D.C.-based, The People's World Weekly, the Communist Party of Venezuela says the coup was orchestrated so that Venezuela's oil resources could be handed over to multi-national corporations. Venezuela is currently the third largest producer of U.S. oil, providing about 17 percent of our imports. \n"Venezuela is like many countries in Latin American and around the world," says anti-globalization activist and union textile worker Dennis Richter of Kannapolis, Md. "They come under the direct economic boot of U.S. imperialism. Any nation that takes steps against that is met with resistance by the United States." \nImperialism and global corporate domination was a major theme as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank came to town for a summit this week. Activist groups such as "50 Years is Enough" hope to call attention to what they believe is imperialist and oppressive economic action being taken on so-called Third World countries by the U.S.-led IMF and World Bank. \nAccording to "50 Years is Enough," the "structural adjustment programs" conducted by these organizations give loans to poor countries that come with heavy conditions. Activists believe the programs perpetuate the poverty cycle in underdeveloped countries by shifting local economies from self-sustaining and agricultural to export-based economies. It is this shift that leads to thousands of workers, mostly women and many children, laboring for pennies a day and wondering where their next meal will come from.\nBut what does any of this have to do with war and peace? Was this weekend in Washington just a stunt for left-wingers to get some publicity for their obscure causes? \nSeveral IU students say it's all part of the big picture. \n"I think we have this whole war on terrorism because people outside of the U.S. are unhappy with U.S. foreign policy," said Douglas Briney of No Sweat! "You have big business in the U.S controlling people through economics and government controlling people through sheer military force. People who have the means to do so strike back. People in the sweatshops can't do so because they're poor. But people with other causes such as al Qaeda can find justification for their cause and it only further justifies in their minds that they are fighting this big evil force." \nSophomore Liz Spector agrees. \n"I mainly came to protest against what's going on in Afghanistan," she said. "And what's really interesting about most protests is that you come with the idea that you're going to focus on this one thing and bring back home information to people who aren't really that involved. And then you go there and you see hundreds of different groups there and when you learn about each of them it all forms back together." \nSome activists worry that Americans have become apathetic to the tumultuous events taking place in history right now and mainstream polls show Bush is enjoying record approval ratings for his response to Sept. 11. \nBut IU students who attended this weekend's events are confident that the show of solidarity and the sheers numbers of citizens who are opposed to the war had a positive effect that will resonate. \n"The adrenaline rush of having tens of thousands of people chant, 'We will not cooperate. We will not participate' was amazing. It's incredible to hear such a strong voice for peace," said Spector. "You just want to go back and educate everyone and get as many people involved as possible." \nFreshman Emily Ross said she felt similarily.\n"There's such a strong desire to learn what's going on in the world," Ross said. "We don't want to push it away or be lied to anymore. We can work on people knowing the truth now more than ever before and that's a really positive thing. That's why I came"
(04/19/02 5:29am)
All eight of IU's campuses will hold commencement ceremonies at the beginning of May. Undergraduate and graduate students will be honored, and doctoral students will receive their hoods at each of the ceremonies. A total of 14,469 degrees will be conferred on students.\nTwelve honorary degrees will be also awarded at six campuses to outstanding IU graduates or community leaders. Among the honorary degree recipients is NBC sportscaster Dick Enberg, who will deliver the commencement address for two ceremonies on the Bloomington campus.\nOthers receiving honorary degrees from IU-Bloomington include Jost Delbruck, former president of Kiel University in Germany; Scott Jones, chairman and CEO of Escient Technologies; Jean Fox O'Barr, a women's studies expert; and Reinhard Selten, recipient of the 1994 Nobel Prize in economics.\nO'Barr, who received her bachelor's degree from IU in 1964, went on to found the women's studies department at Duke University. Her nomination for an honorary degree was welcomed by the gender studies department.\n"Judith Allen (department chair) and the gender studies faculty fully endorse her nomination," department administrator Gail Fairfield said. \nO'Barr has also written or edited more than 17 books on women's studies.\nSelten is remarkable not only as a Nobel laureate, but he survived as a half-Jewish youth growing up in a Nazi-controlled area of Poland.\n"It was not easy for me to live as a half-Jewish boy under the Hitler regime," Selten said in a excerpt from the Nobel Laureate E-Museum. "When I was 14 I had to leave high school, and the opportunity to learn a trade was denied to me. The only career open to me was that of an unskilled worker. Fortunately it turned out that this did not matter much since after about half a year my mother, my brothers, my sister and I left Breslau on one of the last trains before all outbound railway traffic stopped."\nDespite this struggle, Selten later went on to earn his doctorate in mathematics from the University of Berlin and became an expert on game theory.\nIU-Purdue University at Indianapolis will confer two honorary degrees at its commencement May 12. One will go to Father Boniface Hardin, president of Martin University in Indianapolis, and the other will go to Hugh B. Price, president and CEO of the National Urban League. \nIUPUI chancellor Gerald Bepko is pleased to have these men nominated.\n"Through perseverance (Hardin) has made Martin University a fine institution," Bepko said. "Father Hardin is known nationally for his work, but in this case, it is a special recognition for a tour de force in higher education." \nPrice was chosen to be honored, Bepko said, partly because of his achievements and partly because of timing. The president of the Indianapolis Urban League will retire this year, and their offices are on the edge of the IUPUI campus. \n"We thought this would be a wonderful time to have Hugh Price come to Indianapolis for an honorary degree," Bepko said.
(04/15/02 4:39am)
The IU Student Employment Office recognized student workers both on and off-campus last week with its annual Student Employment Awareness Week. The week was intended to increase public recognition of student employment by recognizing and thanking both students who work and their employers for providing them with job opportunities. Although Student Employment Awareness Week started about 15 years ago, it wasn't nationally recognized until 1990. \n"Too many times employers don't understand the importance of a part-time position they offer students," said Janice Nickless, associate director of the IU Career Development Center. "These jobs are where students learn to interact and develop their interpersonal skills. This is so important."\nTwo Student Employees of the Year were selected again this year, one for on-campus and one for off. These winners were selected based on certain criteria, which included reliability, initiative, professionalism, quality of work and uniqueness of contribution. Their employers sent a letter of recommendation addressing these criteria to the Student Employment Office, where a team comprised of a graduate assistant, two professional staff members and a program assistant reviewed the nominations and chose the winners.\nRafael Davis, a freshman, was named Off-Campus Student Employee of the Year while Andrew Saxe, a senior, won the On-Campus Student Employee of the Year award. Davis works at Binford Elementary School and Saxe has been employed at the Office of the Bursar for over three years.\nDavis was nominated by three different Binford employees. Betsy Walsh, the principal, Amanda Martin, the school's social worker and Lana Cummings, a fourth-grade teacher all felt that Davis deserved the award. \n"He goes above and beyond of what we expect from him," Martin said. \nDavis is involved with the Indiana Reading and Math Team (IRMT), which is a service that provides free tutoring for kids who have certain academic needs. Binford refers kids who need extra motivation to Davis. Davis visits the school four days a week, Monday through Thursday from 3:10 to 4:00. However, his work with them reaches beyond tutoring. \n"The boys consider Rafael not only their tutor but also their friend," Martin said. \nAfter helping the boys finish their homework, Davis is often found outside playing with them. Martin said she often hears some of the boys saying things like "Rafael said we really need to focus on school" and other such things that they would not normally say. Martin said Davis is an inspiration to the kids and an important factor in the improvement in their self-esteem. \nDavis has tutored seven boys and said he loves what he is doing. Although Davis came to IU as an exploratory major, he has now declared an elementary education major.\n"I don't know if I'll stick with it, but for right now it's what I want to do," he said. "I think I am where God wants me right now."\nDavis said he was surprised to learn he won the award.\n"It really threw me back," he said. "I didn't know I was working that hard because it was fun. But, I am extremely flattered."\nAndrew Saxe said he was also shocked.\n"I didn't even know I was in the running," he said. "But it is nice to know that the people in the bursar's office feel the same way about me as I feel about them."\nLike Davis, Saxe learned about his job at the annual Student Employment Fair in the fall. \n"I wanted to learn about supporting and networking computers so I thought the job at the bursar's office would be perfect," he said.\nSaxe has been employed at the Office of the Bursar since fall 1998. Saxe graduated in December, but still maintains student status through May and continues to work at the office. His duties resemble the role of a help desk, he said. He supports the workstations in the office and answers user questions and also manages the bursar Web site. In addition, he writes programs to manage the network. \n"There are so many things I like about my job at the bursar's office," Saxe said. "Probably the best thing about my job is that I have learned so much."\nMoreover, he said he has made lifelong connections to the people in the office. His co-workers in the office have provided him with structure and stability that he feels so many students lack in their college years. \n"I know I don't have all the words that would truly describe the many, many, many contributions that he has given to us, but I do know that the entire staff has a special place in their hearts for him," said Bob Lezotte, assistant bursar manager of departmental computing. \nSaxe is planning on leaving IU at the end of April when he is prepared to move to the east coast or somewhere in the southeastern part of the U.S. in order to examine the opportunities there. \nDavis and Saxe both were presented with a framed certificate at a recognition luncheon held at Grisanti's Restaurant April 12. Representatives from the Indiana Career and Postsecondary Advancement Center (ICPAC), which was named the Campus Employer of the Year, and Meadowood Retirement Community, which was named the Community Employer of the Year, were also in attendance. Like the employees, the employers were selected based on variety of opportunities, continued partnership with the Student Employment Office, competitive pay rates, job fair attendance and placement reporting, Nickless said.
(04/11/02 6:29am)
Students at Collins Living-Learning Center are protesting the recent termination of three of the center's resident assistants, following alleged violations of a verbal request to stay in the dorm during the Final Four Tournament.\nAdorned with buttons saying "I want my RAs back," the students are circulating a petition in favor of reinstating the terminated RAs.\nSophomore Joanna Pollack, a Collins resident, is upset by the decision of Residential Programs and Services and says she will miss her RA.\n"It's just really sad because he's our friend," she said. "It's not fair to him or the other RAs that now have to take over his responsibility."\nThe closed campus policy originally states that all RAs must stay in the Bloomington area during the Final Four Tournament, but was verbally adjusted when Residential Programs and Services decided to tell all RAs they must stay in the dorms during particular hours, specific to each residence hall.\nCollins' RAs were told they must remain in the hall from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. for Saturday's game and 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday. But senior Jim Brown and graduate student T.J. Thomson, resident assistants, said that this sudden addition to the rules was unfair.\nAfter completing their duty Monday evening, the two RAs, both of legal drinking age, left for approximately an hour to drink a few beers off-campus, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thomson estimated. They were back at the dorm for game time, but Graduate Supervisor Katie Wilburn smelled alcohol on their breath and reported the violation.\nFollowing a meeting with RPS representatives from Collins, the two RAs were fired and told they must move off campus by the middle of next week.\nSenior RA Darren Transue's mother was in a car accident prior to the tournament. Although he called RPS and asked if it was possible for him to leave that weekend in order to care for his mother, he was told by RPS his absence would not be excused and he would be allowed to leave, but must return Saturday by 4 p.m. for the game. \nTransue made the decision to go home regardless of the possible consequences and stayed throughout the entire weekend. Upon his return to campus, he was notified of his termination.\nUnder the section titled "student staff time away" in the contract that all RAs must sign prior to their employment it is stated that "with the permission of the Associate Director, Resident Managers may excuse one staff member per center from closed weekend coverage." Contrary to RPS' denial of Transue's request, the resident manager at Collins had not already excused another staff member for the weekend.\nThomson and Brown are frustrated about their termination. \n"We expected to receive some type of punishment, but nothing like this zero tolerance policy," Thomson said.\nBrown agreed the punishment didn't fit the crime and said he had expected to be reprimanded by his manager or receive a cut in pay, but not to be fired.\nThomson and Brown plan to seek legal counsel and feel they have been wronged by the system -- the same system they plan to change.\n"Now what I want to do is change some of the things I thought were wrong with the system long before this," Brown said.\nBrown said all he really wants is fair labor practices from RPS, as rumors have circulated about the same violations occurring in other residence halls around campus, but lesser consequences were incurred.\nThe RA staff at Collins is currently banding together in support of their former co-workers, discussion buzzing about their own resignations if something isn't done to correct the injustice.\nSophomore Phoebe Spier, Collins RA, said she is considering resignation and feels the decision for termination was unfair.\n"I understand that RPS has a policy and that policy was broken, but I believe the punishment was too harsh," Spier said.\nEven if the RAs did receive their jobs back, they aren't sure they would feel comfortable re-entering a system that disappointed them.\n"I feel kind of let down by the system so I don't even know at this point if I would want to stay," Thomson said. "I've put in two years of good service and not one blemish on my record and it has all gone down the drain"
(04/08/02 4:00am)
He accused the United States government of imperialism, argued that terrorism cannot be defeated with bombs and appealed for Israelis to leave occupied territories. \nHoward Zinn, a prominent anti-war activist, spoke to a capacity crowd Friday afternoon at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre. The event was sponsored by the Union Board Lecture series and No Sweat!, a campus labor rights organization. \nDuring the lecture, Zinn offered an alternate viewpoint to mainstream U.S. media by blasting war reports, U.S. government officials and methods of fighting terrorism with what he terms "more terrorism."\nLong-time friend, Bill Breeden, introduced Zinn. \n"I have the greatest respect for this man," Breeden said. "He has been accused in many circles as being a revisionist historian. He does not revise history. He only revises the telling of history -- and he tells it from the people's point of view." \nAfter Breeden's introduction, Zinn took the stage and began discussing the importance of learning about the past. \n"I didn't go into history to become a historian who goes into the archives and never comes out," Zinn said. "I came to this idea about history as being useful for understanding present circumstances."\nZinn drew from his background as a historian and former Air Force bombardier to deliver his anti-war remarks. \n"War is a quick fix," he said. "Violence is a quick fix." \nWhile he was in the Air Force, Zinn said he was oblivious to human deaths as he dropped bombs on so-called "military targets" from 30,000 feet in the air.\nIn the current war on terrorism, he estimates that between 3,000 and 4,000 people have died in Afghanistan. \n"Are (the U.S. citizens) matching death for death?" Zinn asked. "Terror for terror?" \nHe said terrorism stems from grievances against U.S. foreign policy, which cannot be defeated with force.\nNot only did Zinn criticize the military strikes against Afghanistan, he condemned congress, whom he calls "silent" when the president declares war. When the U.S. is at war, forget about democracy, Zinn said.\n"We have free speech in this country -- except where it counts," he said.\nThe activist admitted he is often asked, "Why are you down on America?"\nHis response?\n"I'm not down on America," he said. "I'm down on these people who have taken over America."\nHe concluded by saying there is hope for the future. \n"Our job is to tell the truth about this war, what it's failing to do and what moral blight it is on all of us," Zinn said. "It's possible to make some changes. We've seen it happen. It'll be done when democracy comes alive."\nZinn also spoke on issues including the Vietnam War, the conflict in Israel and World War II.\nBefore Zinn's message, international folksinger David Rovics sang about issues including the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, striking minimum wage workers and U.S. government cover-ups of civilian deaths during bombing in Kama Ado, Afghanistan. Several of his songs appropriated phrases from well-known patriotic music. One piece included the sarcastic lyrics, "We'll bomb our way to freedom with cruise missiles of justice and the spent shells of democracy," Rovics sang. "Oh, say, can you see."\nZinn's remarks and Rovic's lyrics were met with relentless audience applause throughout the two-and-a-half hour event.\n"I think he was right-on about a lot of points," junior Samantha Barbera said. "I think it's really important to hear what he has to say about the war right now, and I wish more people could hear him."\nUnion Board Lectures Director and freshman Mzilikazi Kone said she was impressed with the high turnout and estimated crowd of 615 people. \n"I was ecstatic," Kone said. "I was really impressed that people came out in the middle of the day."\nSome members of the audience did not fully agree with every viewpoint presented during the music performance and lecture.\n"Maybe sometimes (the U.S. government) goes too far, but we have to keep in mind that the United States is the only super power in the world," said Sergo Japaridzi, a former IU graduate student and native of the Soviet Union. "It's like a man in the Eastern family -- someone has to be in charge. If nobody is in charge, it will just be worse."\nJaparidzi said he attended the lecture to make sense of the conflict.\n"I want to understand what's going on and what's going to happen," Japaridzi said. "I have a daughter, and she has to live in this world. And I just want to not make sure, but hope, that this world will be safe"
(04/02/02 8:41am)
Campus dining should be closed for game\nOn Monday, IU Residential Programs and Services Dining Service Director Sandra Fowler ordered the Read Center Hoosier Cafe open during the men's basketball NCAA title game. As a student supervisor to the cafe, I respected Ms. Fowler's decision by working my regular shift during the game. However, I completely disagree with the decision, due to the rarity and massive student following of this remarkable event. This is only the sixth time Indiana has made the title game and all students should have the opportunity to follow their team, even if they are workers of the university's dining system.\nThis decision makes me wonder if student workers are still considered students before workers. Students have a responsibility to their academics before the duties of their position if they choose to work on campus. But student also means that workers should have the opportunity to take part in a few of the very special university events such as Little 500 and the Homecoming parade along with the students they serve. Although student dining services are a vital part of the university, it should never become so important that it denies workers the opportunity to experience some forms of campus life.\nTo those students who argue that dining services should remain open during the game, I ask that you hold back your criticism and look at the numerous items and services RPS and its workers do for you. For example, when my father attended classes at IU in the 1970s, no on-campus dining hall was open on Sundays or Friday nights. This was because Sunday was considered a day of rest and reflection for students. But, because of the requests of students over the years, the university has at least one dining center open all day 'till midnight all seven days a week. Thus, student workers have had to sacrifice more of their academic and social time for their duties to their fellow students. This effort deserves some respect by the RPS by occasionally closing services to allow student workers to take part in some great IU events with their fellow students.\nBrian Flueckiger\nRead Center Dining Student Supervisor
(03/26/02 6:51am)
Well, I would say that I'm just drifting.\nAlthough these words were uttered while floating in a suburban pool, this declaration by Ben to his father in the film "The Graduate" applies to so many young adults. It is impossible to count the amount of people I know who have dropped out of college, switched schools, changed majors or are just "drifting."\nThese common actions, or lack thereof, may be labeled as misguided or even irresponsible. Considering this indecisiveness has become a norm, misdirection is a much more appropriate term. The blame rests in huge pressures and a lack of understanding every option. \nEducation is rightfully valued in this country. But employers still list following orders, applying teamwork, heavy lifting, using tools and handling cash as major skills needed in the workforce, according to Indiana's New Economy Workforce Statistics. \nThis would explain why many of the highest-paying careers are in manual labor and special trades. Sanitation workers can make almost $850 per week, while plumbers and electricians make more than $700. This compares to a reporter's weekly salary of about $500, which for most requires a diploma, according to 1999 figures from INEWS. \nThe manufacturing industry provides stable jobs to many small communities, where hard workers hope to make enough money to raise a family. In recent years, these opportunities are fleeing south of the boarder. This month, Bush was overwhelmingly supported in his expansion of unemployment payments. The law will qualify 70,000 Hoosiers for a 13-week extension in assistance, Gregory Weaver of the Indianapolis Star said. \n"More and more good-paying jobs require the skills you can develop with a two-year degree," according to www.ivytech.in.us. In Indiana alone, there are 23 community-based colleges, where a "further faster" education may advance a career or award an associate's degree. Many similar schools are meeting the demand for people who want a concise program, without the "well-rounded" classes forced at universities. \nSadly, alternative training or present-day apprenticeships, where exact skills are taught while bringing home a paycheck, receive little support from high school advisors. Instead of thoroughly explaining the realities of the workplace to young adults, these counselors spend time fixing teenage romances and family problems. \nLuckily, despite many horrible institutions, the government has a wonderful service in the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, which focuses on job placement. Also, its Customer Self Service System (CS3) links applicants to local job opportunities and national career openings. Many other sites provide the same function, such as America's Job Bank, fedworld.gov and Headhunter.net, which appropriately states, "It only costs you if you don't do it." \nThese resources, more now than ever before, are just a click away. They are not just for students or adults with certificates hanging on the wall but every American that faces though choices in the changing workplace. It is time for a change -- recognition that universities are wonderful for some, but others need different options. Only when schools and communities embrace new career paths will young adults feel more comfortable in their decisions. \nAlthough written in 1967, the words that open "The Graduate" fit today: We should ask ourselves the one most important question: What is the purpose for all those years, the purpose for all the demanding work, the purpose for the sacrifices?
(03/06/02 6:32am)
On Sept. 11, senior Josh Goldflam didn't lose just a father. He lost hundreds of acquaintances, co-workers -- even a cousin. \nGoldflam worked as an intern in the World Trade Center last summer. When terrorist planes crashed into the towers in the morning hours of Sept. 11, they claimed many people close to the senior business student.\nThe tragedy has visibly affected him; when he graduates in May, Goldflam will return to New York City to work and live. \n"I lost hundreds of co-workers, my father, my cousin -- hundreds of people I knew. In a flash, the next day they were gone," Goldflam said. "It is a change I have to live with forever. I am not proud that my father passed away, but I am proud that he died in a more noble cause than anyone will ever. All the people who passed away have to be treated in the highest regard because they died for a major cause for this whole country."\nWhen Josh was notified about IU's plans for a scholarship to honor his father's memory, he said he "was very shocked that they (IUSF) were going to have scholarships forever in our fathers' names, which is amazing…I felt like the school took the proper responsibility that they needed to do."\nThough the criteria for the scholarship has not yet been finalized, Josh has strong ideas for it. \n"Since my father was a chief financial officer, he was very business and financially oriented," Goldflam said. "Mine (as opposed to the other two scholarships) is more geared toward someone who cannot afford to go to school (but) wants to be a business student."\nJosh said he doesn't think a high GPA should be the definitive factor for obtaining the scholarship.\n"I don't think that is the most important thing -- around a 2.7, along with an all-around resume as well in terms of sports and extracurriculars," Goldflam said. "That's what is important to me, and I think it would have been important to my dad too."\nJosh will definitely be a part of the selection process. Though he will be working in New York next Sept. 11, he will have some type of communication with IU concerning the administration of the scholarship. He said he hopes to help with selection for a long time. \nJosh's father Jeffrey G. Goldflam was a devoted husband and father of two children. He graduated from Valley Stream South High School in Valley Stream, N.Y., in 1971, where he was a National Honor Society member and track and soccer star. He graduated cum laude in 1975 from State University of New York at Binghamton, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and finance through SUNY's School of Management. \nAt the time of his death, Goldflam was managing director and chief financial officer of eSpeed Inc., managing eSpeed's global financial and accounting operations from the company's New York headquarters. \nAside from work, Jeffrey Goldflam was a very warm and friendly person. Josh said his father was shy, but once he got to know someone, he was very genuine and honest. \nSince Sept. 11, Josh's priorities have changed. He says he's had to grow up, to learn to appreciate those close to him. His family has become more close-knit after the tragedy, making him reconsider his priorities in certain ways. \n"My family has come so much closer, so work and money are definitely not going to come first," Josh said.
(03/04/02 5:20am)
The economic decline fueled by the tragic events of Sept. 11 and a decline in consumer spending and travel has affected the current job market. Companies are hiring 20 percent fewer workers. This year at IU, there were 30 fewer companies that came to interview students as potential employees, and companies at the internship fairs seem sparse. \nIn 1998, companies were knocking down student doors with job offers, and graduates were receiving salary offers in the middle-to-high $40,000 range. Companies were even offering signing bonuses. The economy was good.\nRight now that's not quite the case. For students who are not graduating this year, there is hope that by 2003 the economy will be back on the upswing.\nIn general, there are some important things to know when preparing to get a job after you graduate. Companies are interested in hiring employees based on skills and experience. Many people are under the impression that college revolves around your major and GPA. While this may be true in some cases -- if you are planning to go into a technical field, apply to a graduate program, etc. -- for most of us these play a small role in landing a job. Just ask the majority of people you know who have graduated from college. You'll find out a lot of people never went into the field they majored in and are actually quite successful in jobs that have nothing to do with their educational background. In many ways this is a good thing because it allows college graduates room for change.\nCompanies are looking for people who have been involved with more than just the academic side to school. So if you aren't doing anything now, get involved. However, be aware that simply joining a club as a resume-builder is not the route to go. Most employers are going to want to know how you were involved in the organization and what you did during the time you belonged.\nMany college graduates have revealed that they wished they had studied more areas in speaking, writing, group communication and leadership skills. These are all key areas employers need in the workplace. If you still have time, focus on building and improving your writing skills. The need to write well and effectively will never be replaced, no matter how advanced technology may become. \nInternships are also extremely important. Do as many as you can during your college career. Internships help students figure out if they want to pursue the field they are majoring in, provide hands on experience and teach skills that are crucial to the working world. For many students, internships are a gateway to landing future careers. If a company is impressed by your work ethic and skills, it will be more likely to hire you full-time once you graduate or recommend you to another company. \nOne way to get an job or an internship is to use your resources. Use the connections you have to your advantage. Although to some it may seem like a cop-out to rely on a family member or friend to get your foot into the door at a company, it's not. Companies are more likely to hire an individual that has been recommended by someone they know who will vouch for the individual's character and abilities.\nThese are all pieces of information I wish someone had told me my freshman year. But to those of you that still have time left, take advantage of the advice, and good luck.
(02/21/02 6:35am)
Trish Betthauser admits Kathi Bennett kicked her out of practice at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh more than a couple times. Betthauser was a captain, and if the team wasn't playing to Bennett's liking, well, Betthauser often got the boot.\n"But I learned valuable lessons from that," said Betthauser, associate head coach of the women's basketball team. "I think it's helped me become a leader."\nBetthauser has had to grow into a leader at a difficult time. After Bennett fractured a neck vertebra in a car accident in Bloomington Feb. 8, Betthauser will lead the Hoosiers until Bennett's undetermined date of return. \nThe Tomah, Wis., native has responded to the adversity with quick thinking and solid composure, thanks to her intelligence and motivating skills, co-workers said.\nBetthauser played under Bennett at Wisconsin-Oshkosh from 1988-92, leading the Division III team to three national tournament berths. She then served as a graduate assistant, before becoming the head coach at Hilbert (Wis.) High School and an assistant at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Ill. In 1996, she rejoined Bennett as the top assistant at Evansville. She followed Bennett to IU in 2000.\nBetthauser said she knew she wanted to coach once she started playing for Bennett. As for head coaching, she said she's only focused on the present.\n"I've been asked that a lot lately, but I try not to focus on that too much because I feel like it takes away from my effectiveness with what I'm trying to do right now," Betthauser said. "But I do feel I am getting ready. I'm getting closer. There are always things that I want to improve and there are more things that I need to learn."\n Betthauser has already established how to communicate with young women, said Frank Mattucci, head girls' varsity basketball coach at Stevenson. An assistant under Mattucci from 1994-96, Betthauser knew when to get in a player's ear and when to scold the head coach for overreacting.\n"When I may have been too hard on the kids, she'd speak up to me in private," said Mattucci, who with Betthauser led Stevenson to state titles in 1995 and 1996. "She'd tell me to take another approach. I would maybe weigh what she had to say. She'd also know when to give them a swift kick."\nAt Stevenson, Betthauser also helped develop Division I players Katie Coleman (Illinois) and sisters Tamika (Tennessee) and Tauja (Illinois) Catchings. Betthauser recruited former Stevenson standout Jenni Dant for IU, but she chose DePaul.\nBetthauser also was a popular chemistry teacher at Stevenson for two years. She graduated from Wisconsin-Oshkosh cum laude in 1993 with a degree in chemistry and a minor in math.\nBetthauser used those wits to make an adjustment after halftime of Sunday's 73-63 upset of No. 14 Minnesota. To contain point guard Lindsay Whalen, the Hoosiers adjusted by trapping ball screens, assistant coach Matt Bollant said. Whalen scored 16 points, seven below her season average.\nBollant said Betthauser has handled her increased work load well. Betthauser arrives at Assembly Hall before 8 a.m. to perform her usual duties such as recruiting, and leaves around 6 p.m. She said she also now takes home game tapes to plan practices.\nShe videotaped the IU-Wisconsin men's game last week to analyze the Badgers' swing offense, a possible strategy for the women's team without senior center Jill Chapman next year, Bollant said.\nAs for the current team, forward Jamie Gathing said Betthauser, who like Bennett stresses defense, is constantly trying to motivate the players, even two days after Bennett's accident for a 79-55 loss to No. 8 Purdue in West Lafayette.\n"She was drawing on the board," Gathing said. "She put a one at the top, and a two on the left-hand side and a three at the right, and a four at the bottom and a five. She connected lines to each of them and it made a star. It was showing how we're all connected."\nWisconsin-Oshkosh women's basketball coach Pam Ruder, an assistant while Betthauser was there, saw that game on television. She said Betthauser is capable of leading the program.\n"With a Coach Bennett-system instilled in that time of the season, the players will be able to play and dictate in that system," Ruder said. "She'll do everything she can for that success."\nFrom the high school level to the Big Ten, Betthauser's work ethic has succeeded, making Betthauser a worthy job candidate for at least one other job.\n"If she wants to come back, she can, and when I retire in a few years, she can take over," Mattucci said with a laugh. "She's a good person"
