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(05/10/09 11:33pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Troy Haas is an IU student.Haas, a sophomore who lives in Eigenmann Hall, plans to earn degrees in English and theatre and enjoys playing intramural softball. But Haas does not always fit into the college student mold, given that he is 44 years old.It might seem odd that a man of his age would want to go back to school as a full-time student, but Haas sees it differently.“When you’re older and you say, ‘I wish I could do that,’ well, I’m doing it,” Haas said.Married and a father of a teenage daughter and a son entering college next semester, Haas knew that pursuing a degree would not be easy. He said he carefully balances his time so he can still be a loving and devoted father while succeeding in school. Following classes on Friday afternoons, Haas would return to his Evansville home to see his family after staying in Bloomington from Monday through Thursday during the spring semester. With his busy schedule, though, Haas said he believes his college experience is just as difficult as that of any typical college student.“Everyone has things to deal with at home,” he said. “I’m just dealing with it from a different perspective.”Even though he comes to IU with pressure to fulfill his role as a father, husband and student, Haas said he is used to taking on an array of responsibilities. After a semester at Vincennes University, Haas left school and took on several jobs, including working for a funeral home and hospital. However, a bad knee from Haas’ semi-pro hockey career forced him to take a job as a truck driver in 1991. But in 2001, when Haas’ back problems forced him to put his life on hold, he decided he had to do something.“I’m too young to just sit around,” he said.So after discussing the decision with his wife, Haas enrolled at the University of Southern Indiana for his freshman year in 2007. But Haas said he knew he really wanted to be an IU student. For his sophomore year, he applied and was accepted as a part of the 2011 graduating class.He said those close to him back home were a little puzzled at his choice to go back to school.“There was a lot of ‘What do you mean you’re going to college?’” he said. “But I have a great support system, and my closest friends supported me.”Despite his support in Evansville, Haas was not as quickly accepted when he arrived in Bloomington. Given his age and appearance, Haas has been mistaken for a professor in the beginning of his semester classes, an ethnographer and an undercover resident assistant in Eigenmann. “Oh yeah, I get a lot of weird looks,” he said. “At the beginning of the year I wanted a shirt to say I was a student.”Haas is already planning for the future. Next year, he actually will be an RA in Eigenmann, and he said he wants to continue his education into graduate school to pursue a master’s degree.For now though, Haas is enjoying his college years. “Yeah, I’m in my 40s, but I have all this experience to rely on,” he said. “I think I appreciate more things in college because of this different perspective. Some students waste away their years here, but I truly appreciate the time I have.”
(02/11/09 5:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With Little 500 drawing closer, the sights and sounds of competitive cycling are creeping back into Hoosiers’ heads. But for the IU Cycling Club, the spirit of competitive cycling lasts throughout the entire school year. This student-run association is one of several club sports organizations at IU. Sophomore Bill Kenny, a prospective cycling club member, said he wants to be part of the tradition of Little 500, and joining the IU Cycling Club was an ideal opportunity to get to know other cyclists. The club provides members with an opportunity to race competitively against several other universities’ club teams within the MidWest Collegiate Cycling Conference. The IU Cycling Club’s first meet of spring 2009 is Feb. 28 at Murray State.Although the club competes every year, it is by no means exclusive to experienced riders. Kenny and junior David Deka have never ridden competitively. They’re trying to get a Little 500 team together, they said, and hope by joining the IU Cycling Club, they can train and become competitive. Membership is open to any interested rider and the club does not cut anyone. There are different skill levels within the club for men and women ranging from entry-level to skilled riders. It is no coincidence IU has one of the top 15 collegiate cycling programs. Senior Isaac Neff, the club’s president, said he believes there is definitely a bike culture at IU. “Bloomington is a great place to ride, and I think that Little 500 is such a huge part of it,” Neff said.The club offers rides that are open to the public.Neff said a lot of the time he sees people riding around town who aren’t expert cyclists, but they love to ride anyway. “Bloomington is a cycling mecca,” Decker said.
(10/10/08 2:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There are three things guaranteed in life: taxes, death and blaming your team’s loss on a bad call by the official.IU offers as many as 20 intramural sports with about 60 referees making sure all of them run smoothly. With all of these players and officials participating in vigorous competition, there is always the inevitability of disagreement between the two sides. Junior Jillian Formanski is in her third year as an intramural official.“There is always conflict and some very intense players,” she said.Some players claim they do have a right to get occasionally upset at the officials. Mark Miller and Bill Fitzgerald, both freshman intramural volleyball players, agree that the officiating could be better. Fitzgerald said he remembered two or three particularly “bad calls.”However, during intramural sports season at IU, the relationship between players and officials is consistently positive, as cooler heads usually prevail over Johnny McEnroe-esque outbreaks, freshman Jessica Curtis said. Curtis recently started refereeing intramural volleyball games at the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.“Some people can be rude but respectful,” she said. “They will argue a call but know that I have the final word.”Intramural games across the campus reflect this theme of participants playing with intensity but knowing the lines which cannot be crossed when it comes to arguing with an official. Players have a mutual understanding with each other and the officials, and they are there to compete, not argue.Despite having to endure discontent from players all season, students continue to don the whistle and zebra stripes year after year. Senior Kristin Lokken is a head official for intramural sports and started as an official in her freshman year. She said that if an official stays on staff for multiple years, they can be promoted to head official, a supervisor who oversees six regular referees on a given shift, and also a job that has its own perks. “It is one of the best paid jobs on campus,” she said. “We take anyone, put them through several training sessions and then assign them to a position.”Curtis said she sees other benefits of becoming a referee.“It helps you gain confidence and build character,” she said.But Curtis said there is one huge benefit to her job:“I get to be around the sport I love,” she said.