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(10/04/09 10:20pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>We’re young. We’ve got love to mess around with, time to screw up, and money to lose. Right? We wish. Here’s how to get your life back.With nearly 40,000 students on campus, it should be impossible to be fresh out of love. But since finding a date can seem as difficult as catching the X bus to the stadium, Inside took on the role of matchmaker. We found two students who claim to be unlucky in love and sent them to Siam House for a blind date and tasty Thai food.Elliott Netherland, sophomoreMajor: exploratoryNetherland says he’s unlucky in love because all his relationships end poorly. He says he’s not looking for a long-term relationship, but he wouldn’t avoid it.Kelly Fox, sophomore Major: speech pathologyFox says she’s never had a boyfriend, but she’s not looking for anything serious. She says she doesn’t feel any pressure to settle down because she wants to explore her options and meet people.AFTER THE DATE, HE SAID:We were able to talk the whole time. It wasn’t awkward. We had enough in common where we could talk for a steady hour and a half. There were a few awkward moments in conversation when there were five or 10-second pauses. I don’t think a lot of things are awkward, but I can tell when other people feel it. I would see Fox again to get to know her better.AFTER THE DATE, SHE SAID:It was less awkward than I thought it would be. We asked each other basic questions about our hometowns, majors, and extracurricular activities. We talked about where we lived freshman year and what we did. Nothing too intense.Netherland is relaxed, sweet, and friendly, but I want to stay single and have fun. My big thing is, I’m 19. I want to see what’s out there.THE EXPERT EXPLAINSJennifer Bass, Kinsey Institute director of communicationsOur two daters aren’t necessarily compatible. I think she has different interests than he does, but that doesn’t mean that they didn’t have a good time. The awkward moments are natural, and they may not end with the night. At IU, there is a chance you will see each other, and you know you are taking a risk. So even if it’s awkward for one, it is awkward for the other. So there is some comfort in that. A good date comes down to communication and respect.
(10/01/09 4:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The late IU President Myles Brand began and ended his presidency in controversy.While most people know about Brand’s infamous firing of basketball coach Bob Knight, few are aware of how he helped get the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services on IU’s campus. Those who knew Brand said he made the University more progressive and cared deeply about IU and its students. But Brand, who died Sept. 16, was misunderstood by many students who thought he backstabbed the gay, lesbian and bisexual community.In the fall of 1994, the political environment of Indiana was, as some administrators have described, “homophobic.”“It was a hot political issue, and legislators were using that issue to promote themselves,” state senator Vi Simpson said.Controversial beginnings in 1994Intense opposition haunted Brand, the University’s 16th president, as IU administrators proposed an office for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Services, which opened 15 years ago this November.The groundwork for what is now the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services Center had been laid before Brand came to campus, said Doug Bauder, GLBT office coordinator.But when Brand was inaugurated in August 1994, “that is when the proverbial shit hit the fan,” Bauder said.The legislators discovered that $50,000 of IU’s budget was set aside for the office, and that’s how the center became a target, Bauder said.Former Dean of Students Dick McKaig said that Brand indicated to him that getting these services on campus was the right thing to do.“Brand told me we would find a way to fund it with other resources,” McKaig said.With a tight state budget, lawmakers, specifically state Rep. Woody Burton, threatened a $500,000 cut from IU’s operating budget in response to the GLBT office, according to an October 1994 IDS article. The same article stated that Burton also hoped to block a $20 million federal grant to IU.Burton had a very narrow view of what a minority is, Bauder said. Burton “proposed facial characteristics – as in Asian eyes and African hair and Jewish noses – as the official basis for defining the legal status of the minorities among us,” according to an Oct. 7, 1994, IDS article. “Myles saw that diversity was more than a black or white issue,” Bauder said. Jeff Nowak, IU Student Association president from 1994 to 1995, said that he and Brand testified together before the Indiana House of Representatives Subcommittee on Higher Education to support their case for the GLBT center.“During my time with the government, I saw that the growing shortfall of state support,” Nowak said. “Any issue could influence one or more legislators, which could really have a ripple effect and affect state support.”Brand flips on GLBT fundingFacing pressure from state representatives and students alike, Brand did what he could do to make sure the center came to fruition.He chose to use private funding to support the center.Instead of receiving public funding from the state budget, the GLBT Student Support Services Center is privately funded by the IU Foundation as well as the GLBT Alumni Association.“Brand decided – why fight the battle altogether?” said Pam Freeman, associate dean of students and director of the Student Ethics and Anti-Harassment Programs. “He wanted to get the services up and running. He figured out how to institute it.”Students protested Brand’s decision for private funding.“The students who were strongly for the center were very upset and thought the president’s decision was really a slap in the face to gay and lesbian community,” IU Chancellor Ken Gros Louis said.However, IU administrators and faculty said Brand made the right decision.“Brand committed to getting the office opened, and he knew in the midst of the controversy he had to switch the funding source,” Bauder said. “While from a principle standpoint that’s still a little frustrating because one, gay people pay taxes, too. And two, we don’t just serve gay students. We serve everyone. We serve this University very well. So from a principle standpoint it’s very frustrating. But from a practical standpoint it worked very well.”Bauder, who has worked at the GLBT center since its start, supports its private funding.“We got up and running and got a lot of university support over the years,” Bauder said. “Brand opened up the door to 15 years of great work on this campus.”Although the decision was not ideal, it was innovative.“The funding was not only creative, but it got the center going during a critical time and got the center established,” McKaig said.Misunderstood mission, manAlthough Brand was supportive of the center, his personality did not allow him to express it well to the student body.“Brand without question was an introvert,” Nowak said. “He was not like a Ken Gros Louis in the sense that he did not go out dining with students in the residence halls. ... He was a very effective leader who appreciated issues affecting student life. In my experience he regularly valued the opinions of student leaders.”Brand’s shy and quiet nature was misunderstood.“He was a very serious president,” Gros Louis said. “He was a very shy man, which is interesting since he was president of two universities and a provost of a university. ... People felt distant to him. He was hard to get to know him because he was so shy.”But those close to Brand saw him in a different light. “I personally worked on a few projects with him,” McKaig said. “He was an easy person to get along with, and he was humorous.”Despite Brand’s choice to use private funding, Bauder said he had faith that Brand was on their side from the beginning, and Brand demonstrated that commitment by communicating more with the office than any president since. “It was very clear to me that he cared about this issue and that he was losing his mind to make everyone happy,” Bauder said. “And he thought private funding was the way to do it. But he didn’t communicate that with the gay students on campus.”Brand was not acknowledged as an ally of the GLBT community during that time, but Bauder said he hopes that Brand can be seen that way now.“As a respect to him,” Bauder said, “I want this story to be told for the first time.”
(10/01/09 4:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Achy Obejas has juggled her identities of being Jewish, Cuban, a lesbian, an American and a writer over the course of her life.“Who we are changes with each outing,” Obejas said.“When I was born in Cuba, I was white, presumed to be a heterosexual and Catholic,” Obejas said. “When we arrived 90 miles to Florida on our creaky little boat I became a Cuban refugee. By 1980, it was Cuban-American, still Catholic, still presumed heterosexual. By college I was Hispanic, going through a phase and a lax Catholic. Later on I learned my hidden Jewishness.”Obejas, an author and journalist who attended IU in the late 1970s, spoke about “Navigating Multiple Identities” at the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center on Wenesday.Obejas said you can’t allow others to define you because they will try and make you one dimensional. People are more complex than one identity, she said.Obejas’ public identity has changed throughout her life.In Hawaii, she’s white. In Istanbul, she’s Jewish. In America, she’s Cuban.“I am a specific breed of an American,” Obejas said.While Obejas was in a southern airport, a group came up to her and said that they “wanted me to meet Jesus and save my soul.”She didn’t want to tell them she was a lesbian, but she did tell them she was Jewish.This was the first time she had identified herself as such.Her father was Jewish, but her mother was Catholic. But growing up in Michigan City, Ind., she lived in a large Jewish population, and as she grew older she identified with that part of herself. However, she wondered how this would fit into her Hispanic identity.“Because I am a Latina does that mean I climbing up or down the hierarchical ladder of oppression?” Obejas said. “Oh, where oh where has my identity gone?”Obejas said that while labels choose her, she knows who she is. Although Obejas’ mother is from African descent, she does not identify herself as black or African because that would be misleading.“My identity is fluid,” Obejas said, “ ... but it is not a purely subjective experience.”Obejas solidifies all parts of her to one identity.“Constant cultural intercourse is a good thing,” Obejas said.Obejas’ sometimes-conflicting identities resonated with students.Freshman Shaily Hakimian identifies herself as Persian, Iranian, Moroccan, Jewish, Israeli and “big in the queer community.”Sometimes these sides of her are difficult to balance.“Obejas taught me that I could be one human instead of being three to four,” Hakimian said. “She helped me put myself together in the mix of craziness.”Senior Heydi Correa is from Puerto Rico, but moved to Bloomington when she was eight.“In Puerto Rico, I’m Puerto Rican, but when I say I’m from Puerto Rico in the U.S., people say that’s part of America and that I’m American,” Correa said. “It’s kind of weird. In different doors I’m looked at one way, and then looked at as something else.”
(09/30/09 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“We are women, we are strong. Violence against us has lived too long.”Students and faculty spoke out for victims Tuesday in Dunn Meadow at the 22nd annual Take Back the Night, an event promoting awareness of domestic violence, sexual assault and rape. Jennifer Meece, 22, was found dead in her IU apartment on June 15, 2000. Her boyfriend choked her to death before shooting himself in the head. This is just one of the stories about rape and violence on or near campus.Leila Voyles-Wood, one of crisis intervention’s services coordinator for the Middle Way House, has been attending the event since she was 9 years old.“I am deeply devoted to the movement,” Voyles-Wood said. “Women and men come together and talk about something that is hard to talk about. We want to impose a light on those who are too often isolated in the shadows.”And speaking out was one of the main messages of the event.“Silence is violence,” said Yvette Alex-Assensoh, dean of the Office for Women’s Affairs. “When we as individuals silence, we engage in violent acts.”About 95 percent of all sexual assaults include men as the perpetrators, said Rashawn Ray, a sociology Ph.D. candidate who works in the Office for Women’s Affairs.“It is time for men to be held more accountable for their actions in public opinion and in the courts,” Ray said. “It should be noted that some of these men do not approve of these violent acts yet most of us watch these incidents just as bystanders on a regular basis. It is time for us to speak out and speak up when we see these incidents in our daily lives.”Even though sexual assault may not always affect men directly, it affects the women who comprise a big part of their lives.“Let’s speak up,” Ray said. “How about we speak up for our mothers, for our sisters, for our wives, for our fiances, our girlfriends and our friend girls? In fact let’s speak up for our fathers, our brothers, our sons and our male friends.”Another speaker was Eva Feldman, a mother whose daughter was raped during her freshman year at IU. As she was baking cookies for the final care package she was going to send to her daughter, the phone rang.“I am not prepared for what comes next, though,” Feldman said. “I hear sobbing and the pain in her voice. In an instant I know that this goes beyond grades, homesickness or roommate problems. During this phone call I learn the excruciating details of how she was raped in her college dormitory.” Although Take Back the Night is a well-known event on campus, the attendance was small.“It is disheartening that there are not more people here,” said Debbie Melloan, a sexual assault crisis service counselor at the IU Health Center. “There is always a need to create awareness and we need to show the support that we care.”
(09/28/09 3:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At IU-Purdue’s first Asian American Studies Graduate Student Conference, graduate students gained an insight to the obstacles and complexities of Asian American Studies.This weekend, graduate students from IU, Purdue and other schools came to IU to find others outside of their academic discipline with an interest in Asian American Studies. “Graduates doing something with Asian American Studies are isolated in different places,” said Joan Pong Linton, interim director of Asian American Studies and associate professor of English. “It’s a great chance to get together some sort of a community.”IU and Purdue do not have graduate programs in Asian American Studies. However, this fall IU began its undergraduate minor in the subject.The Council on Institutional Cooperation’s Asian American Studies Consortium recognized this and initiated the IU-Purdue conference.“In the Midwestern area the programs are fledging,” said Yolanda Zepeda, associate director for academics and international programs at the Committee on Institutional Cooperation. “Asian American Studies doesn’t have the established institutional support. Faculty and staff don’t have lots of peers to exchange resources.”Keynote speaker Josephine Lee, associate professor of English at the University of Minnesota, gave a speech at the conference titled “A Rough Guide to Asian American Studies.”“Universities are not in a position to open new programs, which weighs on us heavily,” Lee said. “It hints to a rough journey. I wish I had a guide book, but my journey has not been smooth or polished.”One of the reasons why Asian American Studies programs are not vastly offered is because the subject matter is not “pure,” Lee said. It is an interdisciplinary program that integrates subjects such as English and sociology, Lee said.In spite all of the obstacles Asian American studies faces, it is a wonderful and interesting time to work in this field, Lee said.“The events of the past year have shown the complexity of global economic, political and social interconnection between the U.S. and Asia,” Lee said.At the university level, Asian American Studies is necessary because of population changes.IU administrators recognize the need for programs such as Asian American Studies, Lee said.“It shows our commitment in not only Asian American Studies, but also in ethnic studies,” said Bennett Bertenthal, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “We want them to thrive and expand at IU.”
(09/24/09 3:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Rhythm and blues singer Curtis Mayfield is famous for his song “Choice of Colors.” In it he asks “If you had a choice of color, which one would you choose my brothers?”This song inspired “Choice of Color: Brown Bag Series,” a discussion series about controversial issues dealing with race. Four IU culture centers organized the series – La Casa, the Asian Culture Center, First Nations and the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.Today’s panel includes Eric Love, director of the IU Office of Diversity Education; Jacob Levin, a columnist at the Indiana Daily Student; and African American and African Diaspora Studies graduate students Caralee Jones and Heather Essex.“We hope to have a healthy, but perhaps provocative dialogue among them about the different interpretations of diversity,” said Audrey McCluskey, director of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.The purpose of the first event is to give students a voice as to what they see as diversity and to have an open dialogue, said Rafik Hasan, a graduate assistant at the center.Many departments within IU want to increase diversity, and the hope is that students examine these mission statements and determine if they are taking the correct approach or if they are succeeding, Hasan said.Hasan said that religion, race, gender and sexuality are constantly being redefined. The topic for the first event was decided because the term “diversity” has shifted in its usage and definition, McCluskey said.“I had that idea because I think the concept of diversity has been diluted,” McCluskey said. “It used to be a political concept about equity and people who were excluded. And now it has a kind of general and soft tone where it doesn’t really demand any particular change. “So I want to question the whole idea of what diversity has come to mean particularly in relationship to groups that have been marginalized and discriminated against.”
(09/24/09 3:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After leaving Puerto Rico for the U.S., Arlene Diaz, associate professor in the Department of History and director of Latino Studies, shifted her view on life.“I got to know myself in another sense,” Diaz said. “I learned other ways of understanding. You get away from your comfort zone. You go into possible ways, different spaces that you’ve never thought you would have a connection with.”Diaz’s outside-the-comfort zone approach is what the College of Arts and Sciences hopes new programs will help students understand as the racial make-up of the country and the University changes. The new programs include an undergraduate minor in Asian American Studies, a doctorate minor in Latino Studies and an African-American and African Diaspora Studies doctorate program. It shows, faculty say, that diversity has become a priority for the college.These multi-cultural programs had never been a focal point for the college. It is the first time that these programs have been involved in the college’s five-year, strategic plan, Diaz said.“Instead of sitting in the nosebleed bleachers, our seats our now in the center,” said Valerie Grim, associate professor of AAADS.The strategic plan states that the college will focus on ethnic studies such as AAADS, Asian American Studies and Latino Studies and help expand their curriculum and hiring plans. “With a growing minority population, college administrators realize they must adapt to a changing society,” Diaz said. The programs provide opportunities for diversity and multicultural learning within academics.“For me it’s an opportunity to learn about the ‘other’ America in a way to encourage dialogue and cooperation,” Grim said. “AAADS, Asian American Studies and Latino Studies are vehicles through COAS that drive the mission in the area of diversity, retention and recruitment.”The minors are interdisciplinary programs that will enrich the major, said Joan Pong Linton, director of the Asian American Studies program.The directors for both Latino Studies and Asian American Studies said they would like these programs to grow, but currently they have limited full-time staff. Most of their staff is composed of members from other departments. The general perceptions of these programs are that they are composed of students who are of that particular race or culture, Diaz said.However, that is not the case. Within the AAADS’ various programs, half of the students are not African-American, Grim said.“Reality is different than general perception,” Linton said.
(09/17/09 4:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The message behind Black Student Orientation is much more than the spoken word performances, stepping, music and food.Black Student Orientation is a way to provide first-year African-American students with resources specifically tailored to their needs.“It is also a direct response to the fact that black students do better in terms of their matriculation in graduation when they have a sense of belonging,” said Audrey McCluskey, director of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.“We wanted to at the very beginning give that sense of belonging. We want to assure them that Indiana University belongs to them and that the services and resources are theirs for the asking."The orientation will showcase the support services available at IU, representatives from faith-based organizations, black-owned businesses and IU faculty and staff members. Elizabeth Mitchell will speak on the black history of Bloomington.The event also features prizes, raffles, food and entertainment.McCluskey said African-American students have told her they don’t feel that IU really addresses their needs. The goal of the orientation is to show students that the center can help them during their years in Bloomington.“We want to erase the idea that black students come in with a deficit,” she said. “We want them to come in with a positive attitude about what they can achieve, not what they have to make up.” The staff at the culture center wants new students to know that Neal-Marshall is their home away from home, said Sachiko Higgins-Kante, administrative assistant at the center. “Many of them have never been away from home,” Higgins-Kante said. “They come to a new world – a world that they are not comfortable with. They have always been with the family. They have to make decisions on their own, and they don’t have the support structure they would otherwise have at home. We want them to know they aren’t alone.”
(09/16/09 4:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With Brazilian, Puerto Rican and Cuban music playing in the background, the National Hispanic Heritage Month Opening Reception kicked off one month of events.Rodrigo Penna-Firme, who performed at Tuesday’s event, is originally from Brazil but is now a Bloomington resident. Penna-Firme said he became more connected to his culture once he came to Bloomington.“When I came to Bloomington, I found the missing link between me and my country,” Penna-Firme said. “Brazil is the only country in South America that does not speak Spanish. When I came to the U.S., they put me in the Latino and Hispanic category. I feel a part of a wider geographical area ... I never considered myself Hispanic until I came to the U.S.”IU students of all ethnicities can find their “missing link” during Hispanic Heritage Month.“We need to bridge the gap between domestic and international students,” said Arlene Diaz, associate professor in the department of history and director of Latino Studies. “Students need to be aware that in the next 10 years more students will be from Asian, black and Hispanic backgrounds. We are talking about a very diverse U.S. beginning.”Students need to recognize this month because in 10 to 20 years, the Hispanic population is going to be the largest minority population, said Andre Siqueira, associate director of the Center for Latino American and Caribbean Studies.When asked if IU is progressive in diversity, Diaz said, “They must do more, especially with the pending demographics.”Hispanic Heritage Month developed during the 1960s Civil Rights movement. In 1968, Hispanic Heritage Week was created, and in 1988 it expanded into a month, Diaz said.Hispanic Heritage Month began Tuesday and runs through Oct. 15. Events such as Festival Latino and Fiesta del Otono are taking place during the month.Almost all Latin American countries gained independence between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15 at some point in history, Diaz said.Students should take the time to discover Hispanic heritage, La Casa director Lillian Casillas said. “The goal is to get a little taste and expand an interest,” Casillas said. “Since Hispanic Heritage Month falls within the beginning of the semester, it sets the tone for the rest of the year.”
(09/15/09 1:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The fresh and rotten list: IU edition
We asked students to comment on Inside’s October issue theme: freshness. What is fresh to students? What is rotten?
Fresh: It’s easy to get around on foot. The campus is very compact.
Rotten: All the noise. There are always ambulances.
Carlyn Hill, freshman
Fresh: The academic programs like the business and music school. We
have a good bus system even though it’s a big campus. It’s easy to get
around.
Rotten: Out-of-state tuition
James Huddleston, freshman
Rotten: The lack of safety. People drive really fast.
Rotten: Some professors don’t know how to teach.
Rotten: The train goes by in the middle of the night.
Rotten: I can’t use meal points everywhere.
Sumit Chatterjee and Lauren Tavel, freshmen
Fresh: IU is very open with what you want to do. You can design your own major.
Fresh: There are always programs going on. There is always something to learn more about.
Rotten: I can’t use meal points in the Union.
Kyle Brazeal, sophomore
Fresh: It’s a beautiful campus.
Fresh: The greek system.
Rotten: No fall break.
Anne Reynolds, sophomore
Fresh: The nature and landscape of the campus.
Rotten: The buses only go one way.
Molly Kennedy, junior
Rotten: The campus is so enormous. It’s a pain. The 20-minute walk from my place to campus is beautiful, though.
Whitney Burton, senior
Fresh: I’m in the greek system and it pulls us all together.
Rotten: The greek system gets a bad rap. It’s a good and bad thing.
Arianna Solimene, junior
Fresh: Campus is not pedestrian-friendly. There is a lot of traffic.
Rosalind Rini and Kailey Paglia, freshman
Rotten: Parking tickets are all over campus.
RoShawnda Moultrie, Senior
Fresh: IU provides tutoring and flexible teachers who work with you.
Brittany Taylor, Freshman
The most popular fresh answer was the beauty of IU’s campus.
The most popular rotten answer was IU’s parking.
(09/14/09 1:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While some of the student population spent Saturday tailgating, about 15 members from four of IU’s greek organizations collaborated for Alpha Depot, an event to build a house for Habitat for Humanity.At 8 a.m. Saturday, only the foundation of the house was complete, but by 3 p.m. all the walls were up.It took a while for everybody to get used to the tools and each other, said Tom Boudrean, construction manager for Habitat of Humanity of Monroe County.The project brought together four organizations – all with the name Alpha – that normally would not work together.“I think people don’t see it as a viable option,” said senior Charlene Nortey, recording secretary for Alpha Kappa Alpha. “We usually work with other organizations in our council ... It’s easier to stick within your comfort zone rather than branch out, especially when you don’t know what the response will be.”But the reaction from Saturday’s event was positive, according to those involved – Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi and Alpha Kappa Alpha.By working as a team, the three sororities and one fraternity created a stronger greek community, said junior Michael Coleman, Alpha Phi Alpha’s recording secretary.“I think it does strengthen the greek community because we are building bridges with organizations we normally haven’t worked with,” Coleman said.APA and AKA are part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the organization for historically black sororities and fraternities, while Alpha Omicron Pi and Alpha Gamma Delta are under the Panhellenic Association, which consists of historically white chapters. Since the fraternities and sororities are affiliated with two different organizations,working together hasn’t been that common.The event was part of IU’s APA chapter’s 62nd anniversary week of events.It gave members of AOPi an opportunity to use power tools for the first time.“It’s been very fun,” said junior Kacey Bourdage, new member educator for Alpha Omicron Pi. “The day has flown by.”For those working onsite with the students, it showed them a different side.“It honestly shows that they could do more than party, and they actually do care about the community and other people,” Bloomington resident Linda Lentz said.Lentz is working to receive a house from Habitat for Humanity. As a partner family, she must put in 250 “sweat equity hours,” which count as her down payment.Lentz most likely won’t be able to move into her home until next July, but she hopes these organizations and other groups build more houses to make the process of moving go by more quickly.The members of the greek organizations said they were glad they could be known for volunteering and philanthropy.“Everybody knows us for stepping,” said senior Fabiene Boone, vice president for Alpha Phi Alpha. “But now they can see we can do more than just step.”The unique partnership gave the groups an opportunity to see that their goals aren’t too different.“It shows that members from all different greek organizations go greek for good reasons,” said sophomore Jenn Horwitz, Alpha Gamma Delta member.“It’s fun that we are affecting people we don’t even know,” she said. “It’s gratifying.”
(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.”
(09/10/09 4:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Peter Duong’s high school friend Destiny Crum remembers one of his video posts on Facebook of him dancing to “Hot N Cold” by Katy Perry.“I would text him whenever it was on the radio,” Crum said. “It made me laugh.”Duong, who was hit and killed by a car Wednesday, is remembered by his friends for his great sense of humor, his smiling face, his dance moves and hard work-ethic. His close friends say that Duong enjoyed dancing and was talented. “Last weekend he had a dance off,” said freshman Claire VanLandingham, Duong’s friend since sixth grade. “I was wetting my pants. It was the funniest thing I ever saw.”Aside from dancing, Duong played piano and guitar. Duong was a biochemistry and French major, but he still made time to have fun with friends. “We used to eat at Wright for hours and hours,” said sophomore Megan Shafer and close friend since middle school. “We would eat lunch and dinner during one sitting. Even though he had major projects and finals, if his friends needed him he would be with them for hours.”Although he was the “life of the party,” Duong was a good student, VandLandingham said. “We used to go to math during lunch and work on math problems,” VandLandingham said of their middle school years together.Duong’s high school U.S. history teacher, Dave Heath, had him for two trimesters and said he was an Advanced Placement student. “He was a good kid,” Heath said. “He was just a pleasure. He was interested in his studies and at least for me, he was a hardworker.”As an employee at Gresham Food Court, his hard work ethic impressed his bosses despite working there for just four to five weeks. On Wednesday, right before the accident, the manager of Gresham Food Court gave him three tasks to do before he clocked out, and he got all of them done quickly and efficiently, said Susan Jacob, assistant manager of Gresham Food Court.“He always had a smile on his face,” Jacob said. “And I knew this because he had braces, and I knew he had braces because he was always smiling.”Duong was well liked among his classmates and found friends fast.“He was extremely, extremely popular among his fellow students,” Heath said. “I never heard a kid say one bad thing.”Duong’s younger brother, Patrick, said he and his brother were close. “He was the best brother I ever could have asked for,” Patrick Duong said. “He was always there for me whenever I needed to talk to him.”Heath said it is hard for everybody to come to terms with Duong’s death.“I wish I could jump into my car and drive to Bloomington,” Heath said, “and hug my former students. I know that it is hard for them, but it is hard for us too.”
(09/09/09 4:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman Marc Hardy does not want to self-segregate, but doesn’t know what other options he has.“I self-segregate not because I choose to self-segregate,” Hardy said.On Tuesday, several University organizations joined forces to create the “Essentials of Leadership: Diversity in Leadership,” a panel that gave IU minority students advice on how to get involved with majority organizations such as IU Student Association and Counsel for Advancing Student Leadership. The event pointed out that some minority students only become leaders in their respective student minority organizations. A person of a minority group can enrich a student organization by bringing in a different perspective.“On Union Board I am one of three African-Americans,” said junior Jasmine Starks, member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and a Union Board director. “We are giving out a different perspective. It’s preparing me for the workforce in which I will more than likely be a minority.”Members of the panel had their own personal experiences about venturing from their comfort zones. Junior Michael Coleman, vice president internal of the Residence Halls Association, said he had a personal experience in which he went to a Students for Barack Obama meeting and was the only African-American person there.“I felt so out of place,” Coleman said. “But I got to meet people who supported someone who I wanted to be president.”Coleman said that once he got passed being “the only black guy,” he had a lot fun working with the organization.It is not only minority students that have to change their attitudes toward different student organizations, but also the majority groups who have to be more welcoming and all-inclusive.“Majority organizations target a specific need or interest, but they don’t go on a quest to find a diverse group within that type,” Sarah Nagy, assistant director of Student Involvement, said.Also, the panel discussed how organizations should do more than just co-sponsor an event by paying money to get their name on a flier. Organizations should collaborate together to make a truly diverse event.“It’s about trust,” Nagy said. “It’s not about how we want to collect money to get your name on a piece of paper. ... It’s not about checking off one of the required diversity events of the year. ... We won’t get true collaboration without trusting each other.”The panel agreed that self-segregation is a common theme on the IU campus.“We’ve all seen self-segregation. People self-segregate with the same race, ethnicity and do not interact with others,” Eric Love, director of the Office of Diversity Education, said.One of the messages from the panel was that IU students have the power to cease self-segregation.“Do it yourself,” Arec Ligon, president of Foster Quad student government said. “Talk to people you’ve never talked to before from them you learn different ideas.”
(09/07/09 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Red and white Bud Light Fan Cans will not be sold near IU’s campuses “sometime in the near future.” In a cease and desist letter dated Aug. 21, IU officials asked Anheuser-Busch to stop selling the beer cans featuring IU’s colors near campus.On Sept. 4, Anheuser-Busch said in a letter to IU that it will no longer sell the Fan Cans within the community, but they did not specify a date in which it will end or a specific domain.“In order to avoid a dispute over the concerns raised in your letter, the Fan Cans program in such color combinations will be ended in your community in the near future,” wrote Scott D. Miller, associate general council for Anheuser-Busch, in a letter addressed to IU from Anheuser-Busch’s legal department.The company said in the letter that it believes it still has legal rights to use IU’s color schemes on its products.“Anheuser-Busch stands by its legal right to market its beer under its famous Bud Light trademark in cans bearing color combinations also used by IU,” Miller said.IU’s Director of Licensing and Trademarks, Valerie Gill, requested in IU’s cease and desist letter that Anheuser-Busch stop the sale of the red and white Fan Cans because the University does not wish to be associated with alcohol.“It is a University policy that we do not permit our name and marks to be associated with alcoholic beverages,” IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said. “For that reason alone, we would object to beer cans labeled in our school colors.”University officials affirm that the Fan Cans program clashes with IU’s ideals.“Indiana University is concerned that such representation of their colors or trade dress would confuse individuals into thinking that this product is affiliated with our institution,” Gill said in a letter to Anheuser-Busch. “Indiana University believes that marketing the red and white Bud Light Team Pride Can in the general vicinity of our campuses could promote underage drinking and preys upon the goodwill of the University.”IU joins other universities such as the University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Iowa, University of Wisconsin and Purdue University, which have succeeded in removing Anheuser-Busch Fan Cans from their respective campuses.On Aug. 31, Purdue received a letter from Anheuser-Busch saying they would remove the black and gold beer cans from the West Lafayette area after the university sent a cease and desist letter, said Teri Thompson, vice president for marketing and media at Purdue.“The Team Pride program infringes upon the Purdue mark, including its color schemes and falsely implies that Purdue University is associated with and/or endorses Anheuser-Busch’s product,” Thompson said, reading from a letter from Purdue to Anheuser-Busch.Both IU and Purdue maintain that the Fan Cans program goes against Board of Supervisors for La. State Univ. v. Smack Apparel Co., which ruled that schools have protectable rights on their color schemes.Any company that wants to use a school’s color schemes needs to ask permission, Thompson said.“Just because someone asks permission doesn’t mean we grant it,” Thompson said. “We are looking for an association that is consistent with the branch image we want.”
(09/07/09 3:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Students danced the night away to the beats of different cultures Saturday in Dunn Meadow. “Each culture has a different flavor,” senior Katie VanSickle said. “You move different ways to different music.”The event was InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Union Board’s first International Dance Party.The purpose of the event was to bring students from all backgrounds together and enjoy each other’s cultures. About 150 students attended the event.“So our goal at International Party is to unite people of all ethnicities,” said Mark Abdon, campus staff worker for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. “We are trying to follow Jesus and bring all cultures together.”Without various cultural groups, IU would not be as exciting, Erika Sutton, Intervarsity executive team member said.Six different cultural organizations, including African Students Association, Taiwanese Students Association and IU’s Chinese Student and Scholar Association created a CD with songs from their respective countries. All of the CDs had a 30-minute to one-hour time slot.Sutton said the group plans on making next year’s dance party bigger and hopes it includes food and more cultural organizations.The International Dance Party was a good opportunity to expose people of different backgrounds to Japanese culture, said Senior Yasuhiro Amano, treasurer of the Japanese Student Association.Amano is an international student from Japan. Although Yasuhiro said he has a strong Japanese upbringing, his cultural identity grew through the Japanese Student Association.American students used to ask Yasuhiro questions about Japanese culture, but he didn’t know the answers to them.“I didn’t know what it means to be Japanese,” Yasuhiro said.Senior Kazuhiro Kitaoka, president of Japanese Student Association, had a similar experience. Kitaoka is Japanese, but grew up in Hong Kong and went to an American school. With the help from his fellow board members and friends, his appreciation for Japanese culture has strengthened.“My love for Japan has grown more now that I go to IU,” Kitaoka said.
(09/03/09 4:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Joseph Stahlman knows what it’s like to be stereotyped, to be misunderstood and to be a minority.He’s a member of the small First Nations community.People have asked Stahlman, the new interim director for First Nations Educational and Cultural Center, if he is Mexican or if he lives in a teepee.“I’ve never experienced overt racism,” Stahlman said. “Just stereotypes, and sometimes they are silly stereotypes where you just want to chuckle. Some people think Indians get free money, but if that was true I wouldn’t be working my job – I would be taking it easy.”Stahlman, who is originally from upstate New York, moved around as a child. As a Native American of the Tuscarora tribe, he often faced questions about his culture and who he was.In his new position, he’d like to educate the University about First Nations and its role on campus.The First Nations community makes for a small demographic at IU.There are approximately 12 nations represented on campus, Stahlman said. There are 564 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. Each nation is different, and it’s not fair to group them together, Stahlman said. The purpose of the center is to counter stereotypes and to make the University more aware that there are different backgrounds on campus, Stahlman said.From last year’s statistics of about 40,000 IU students, about 119 students are in First Nations, Stahlman said.The First Nations community is small, but its members share a strong camaraderie, Stahlman said.Just like Stahlman, many Native American students stand out as the “Indian student,” he said.“We are a dynamic people, everyone is dynamic,” Stahlman said. “They don’t just want to be solely known as Native American. They want to get degrees. There are other additions to their identity other than just being an Indian. Sometimes being an Indian is just a small part.”The center is looking for Native American students interested in Native Americans or students interested in the Native American experience, Stahlman said.One of Stahlman’s goals during his one-year tenure as interim director is to increase recruitment and retention of Native American students. Stahlman has been talking with three First Nations communities in Indiana to recruit future IU students, and he has contacted organizations on campus about financial aid and other packages for next year’s incoming freshmen.Stahlman said his other goal is for the culture center to be an emotional aid package.“When students move away from the reservation to come to the University, they strip away everything,” Stahlman said. “They don’t have that community support. There is not a reservation close to here. In order for me to get home to where my family lives it’s a 10-hour drive.”As a Native American, Stahlman brings a lot to IU, said Lillian Casillas, director of La Casa and last year’s interim director for First Nations. She said Stahlman knows the needs of the community.“He keeps that at the forefront,” she said.Stahlman has two master’s degrees and is pursuing his Ph.D. in social cultural anthropology.For his doctoral work, Stahlman is tackling the stereotypes of Native Americans in the area of natural resource conservation and does his research in Honduras.His future career goals include working with indigenous communities on the retention of land, language revitalization and various forms of social activism.Stahlman, along with three others, was involved in the planning and proposal of First Nations in 2005.“He has been involved for years, and he is enthusiastic and hard working,” said Mary Connors, program assistant coordinator for First Nations. “He has a lot of ideas for community outreach to different culture centers around the country. He wants to develop a community and help educate against stereotypes of the Native American cultural heritage.”
(08/31/09 3:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman Shaily Hakimian came across IU when she was flipping through a Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transexual college guide.“IU is top-20 and is closest to my home,” she said. “I’m excited about meeting older people because they established themselves and they are out and open in college.” Hakimian was one of the students that attended the GLBT Student Support Services center open house on Friday. All of the cultural centers on campus, including the Latino Cultural Center/La Casa and the Asian Culture Center, had open houses filled with food and a chance for students to interact with each other on Friday.She said she wants to reach out to groups to increase acceptance on campus. At a school of more than 40,000, many students end up feeling lost at IU, but students can find a smaller community within the University’s cultural centers.La Casa was opened in 1973 to try to provide a space for Latino students to feel comfortable on campus. Another purpose of La Casa is to educate the general IU community about who Latinos are and what they are all about beyond the superficial, graduate assistant Juan Berumen said.“After being here for four years, I’ve seen that Indiana residents get most exposures to Latinos through television, film or mass media, and it’s not always in the most positive light, often with xenophobic tones,” Berumen said. “Culture centers counter, or better yet, correct those misconceptions.”After four years at IU, students should graduate well-rounded and culturally competent, Asian Culter Center director Melanie Castillo-Cullather said.“Where I come from, Columbus, Ind., there are not a lot of Asians,” freshman Stefan Khensouri said. “I didn’t feel most comfortable and relatable there. ... I hope to meet Asian friends here. It’s my goal.”The culture centers allow students to learn about those who are different from them.“We remind people that there is not just one way to be human,” said Doug Bauder, coordinator of GLBT Student Support Services.GLBT Student Support Services is not a culture center; it’s an office. The administration under the dean of students thought this was a population on campus that needed support, Bauder said.Their staff includes a counseling intern from the School of Education and a social work intern.One of the biggest misconceptions of the GLBT Student Support Services center is that all students who walk through its doors are gay, Bauder said.“A lot of students that come in here are not gay, but may have gay friends or are interested in GLBT issues,” Bauder said.The culture centers at IU form a cohesive and rich community.“Cultures are different, cultures vary, and each brings a richness to the whole,” Bauder said. Want to get involved with any of the culture centers? Here is some information on centers around campus.Asian Culture CenterWHEN 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday WHERE 807 E. Tenth St.MORE INFO The ACC offers students with a lounge, audio/visual room, computer lab and rooms available for reservations.First Nations Educational Cultural CenterWHERE Ashton Weatherly Hall 203, 400 N. Sunrise Dr.MORE INFO For more information about events, call 812-855-4814.GLBT Student Support ServicesWHEN 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday WHERE 705 E. Seventh St.MORE INFO The center includes a library and counseling services.Helene G. Simon Hillel CenterWHEN 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m. to Shabbat Friday; Noon to 8 p.m. SundayWHRE 730 E. Third St. MORE INFO The center offers programming and Shabbat services and dinner every Friday.La Casa/Latino Cultural CenterWHEN 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday WHERE 715 E. Seventh St.MORE INFO The center includes computer facilities, a library and recreation rooms where students can gather for meetings and events. Leo R. Dowling International CenterWHEN 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-FridayWHERE 111 S. Jordan Ave.MORE INFO The center has programs including cultural coffee hours, conversation clubs and an international spouses circle.Neal-Marshall Black Culture CenterWHERE 275 N. Jordan Ave.MORE INFO The center includes a library and rooms for reservations for events and programs.
(08/31/09 3:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Attendees at FaithFest were out to prove that despite IU’s party-school reputation, students have a variety of different religions and many have strong convictions in their faith.“A church will help me focus,” freshman Shelby Melton said. “The goal is to find a support system that keeps me focused, and not fall into partying. ... I want to get involved with this to have a backup for when there is more temptation.”Many IU students discovered their religious organization in a similar way.Students represented organizations including the Muslim Student Union, the Baha’i Faith Community Center, Campus Crusade for Christ and Unitarian Universalist Campus Ministry. Groups set up booths, gave out food and played “punch pong” Saturday afternoon in Dunn Meadow. Full-time CRU staff member and IU graduate Brian Beesley got involved with the organization his freshman year after going to its first meeting of the year. During his freshman year he said he didn’t know many people and didn’t feel any serious ties in any of the relationships he had formed.His college experience changed after he got involved with CRU. The relationships Beesley formed have grown since his freshman year.“These relationships have a lot more purpose,” Beesley said. “They are a lot more directed. We hold each other accountable. These relationships have developed over time.”Beesley, a Kelley School of Business graduate, turned down a job offer in Chicago where he could have been “rolling in the money,” he said. Instead, he chose to be a full-time staff member for CRU.“I wanted to give a year back,” Beesley said. “In the end, this is what I would rather do.”To Beesley, faith is one of the most vital parts of his life.“All students are here to form knowledge to go get a job, but when you think about it, many people don’t use their majors when they go to the workforce,” Beesley said. “By pursuing a faith, by pursuing spirituality, what you are really investing in is something that isn’t going to go away. It will stay with you for life and through the afterlife.”The Impact Movement, a branch of CRU for students of African descent, has had a positive impact on its members, including junior and leader Chelten Carter.“I went to Impact myself my sophomore year and my spirit has grown,” Carter said. “I grew up in the church and learned the Word, but was never really living it. And I was amazed at these people here. With everything going on around them with the partying, I was shocked there was a group of people looking for the Lord.”
(08/30/09 11:47pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It may seem like those dorm days are long gone. All those days of student activity fairs, big lectures, and lost walks to class may not even seem to be in your memory. But yes, you too had to go to Student Orientation. Inside found four fearless and fresh freshmen to share about the experience they hope to have in Hoosier country.Name: Kyle MurrayHometown: Georgetown, Ind.Dorm: WrightMajor: EnglishWhat made you decide on IU? The first time I visited I was in awe of its bigness and beauty. I didn’t visit many other universities; I just knew I wanted to go there.How are you going to keep IU fresh? Well, actually my ultimate goal is to become a professor in English at IU.What activities do you want to get involved in? I am a part of the Marching 100 so I will be on that for four years...I also want to write for one of the IU publications.If you were to go down in the history books, what would your legacy be? I guess to be a noted author who graduated from IU.Are you working on anything now? I’m actually starting to write a book now; I’m a couple chapters into it. It’s a mix between science fiction and fantasy, I call it surrealism.What are hopes for starting at IU? I hope to succeed and that I don’t slack off. Name: Owais KhanHometown: I’m moving from Dubai but I actually moved to Dubai in 10th grade and before I used to live in Chicago since like third grade and I was actually born in Houston.Dorm: BriscoeMajor: Maybe finance or political science What made you come to IU from United Arab Emirates (Dubai)? I was visiting campuses around the area and a few in Boston, but as soon as I got to IU’s campus I knew it was the school I wanted to go to because of the gorgeous setting. And then I found out later that the business school is top ranked in the nation. What qualifies you to be a Hoosier? Well I don’t exactly know, but I love basketball so I guess that’s a start, and I hope I can figure that out when I’m actually there What fresh ideas and qualities do you bring to IU? I hope I can bring some diversity to IU considering where I’m moving from and the places I’ve been and I also want to contribute to the school’s already amazing academic reputation and just get into the business school!How do you see yourself when you graduate? I hope to graduate as a well-rounded and balanced person that has accomplished a lot at IU and as a person who is ready to deal with the challenges of the real world. Name: Dayana ArellanoHometown: Highland, Ind.Dorm: TeterMajor: BusinessSo what do you want to do at IU and what fresh ideas do you bring? I want to join a lot of clubs and join the newspaper. I went to Mexico this summer and there was this magazine that found the coolest people in the city. It was a Gossip Girl thing. I want to find people at IU that stand out and write about their lives.What do you hope to accomplish at IU? My main goal is to get good grades and succeed and do well in school. And to get the most out of everything offered at IU.If you were to go down in the history books, what would your legacy be? It would be cool to do something that helps kids that are abandoned and volunteer. I want to be a philanthropist.Describe yourself: I’m pretty responsible. I try to get things done and if they aren’t done the right way I take charge.How do you see yourself at the end of your four years? I see myself done with a good GPA and a diploma. But I’m not sure about my future career. Name: Brittney BrownHometown: Evansville, Ind. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky.Dorm: ReadMajors: Psychology and Theater ArtsWhy did you choose to go to IU? My junior year I went on campus tours that were part of this honors class. I looked a lot into the school and found out it has an amazing music school and I really admire that. I don’t think I fell in love with anything faster than I did with IU.Your majors are a pretty interesting combination. What made you decide on them? I really love musical theater, but I didn’t audition for the program; I will next year. I love learning about theater and I’m really excited about taking an acting class for my major this semester. I love psychology, but I’m not ready to stop studying theater.What’s with psychology? I want to be a therapist. I’m realistic. There is a really small window for musical theater so I want to have an interesting backup plan, one that I know I’m good at and will enjoy.What qualifies you to be a Hoosier? I’m really excited to go to IU games and get really into it. I plan on going fan crazy. I used to never watch professional sports, but it means more to me because I have a part of it.How are you going to keep IU fresh? I’ve gotten e-mails to audition for West Side Story. There are a lot of musical and play auditions coming pretty soon. West Side Story auditions are a week after I move in!Wow! You are getting involved with everything so soon. Why’s that? If you pay as much as you do, get the most out of your money for it.When Michael Rolland, 2008 IU graduate, was a freshman, he and his buddies were in his dorm room and craved some Chinese food, but didn’t know where they could order it. An idea was born. Rolland and his friend launched Btownmenus.com, a Web site where students can order from an array of Bloomington restaurants online.Rolland informally surveyed IU students from McNutt and Briscoe and asked how they determined where to order food. “Most students replied 411, 855-IUIU and Google,” Rolland said. “And I knew the Web site had a real possibility of working.” Getting the menus onto the Web site was simple, but having restaurants sign up for online ordering was more difficult. “The toughest part was to get a 45-year-old restaurant owner to rest trust in an 18-year-old college student,” Rolland said. But he prevailed. Btownmenus.com now has 35 restaurants that students can order from online. The Web site launched in August 2005, Rolland’s sophomore year. With lots of passion, dedication and promoting, Rolland has made Btownmenus.com known throughout the IU campus. Here he gives freshmen some valuable advice on how to enjoy college and make your ideas a reality.* Do what you want to do; you don’t have this luxury after college.* Stay open minded. People go into cliques even though IU is very diverse. Meet people from all over the world.* A lot of people talk about great ideas, but don’t execute them. Don’t be afraid!* I learned more from having a hands-on experience with Btown menus than I had in the classroom. Experience life. Don’t just expect to spend time studying, experience new things.* Be passionate and dedicated to whatever you do.