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(09/14/07 4:04am)
Festival Latino, the first celebration during National Hispanic Heritage Month, will begin tomorrow at 1 p.m. in Dunn Meadow, to give the community a first glance of the events to be held this month. \nThe festival is an “opportunity to bring Latinos and non-Latinos together from across the University and city of Bloomington to celebrate together and recognize (the Latino) presence in this community,” said Latino Culture Center and La Casa Director Lillian Casillas.\nFestival Latino will begin after an introduction by Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan, who will read the National Hispanic Heritage Month proclamation, Casillas said. \n“The Mayor will be there to highlight the fact that Latinos are not just on campus, but in the community as well,” she said. \nFestival Latino, which is free and open to the public, will feature hands-on activities from Latin America, as well as food and music from the area. \nThe Mathers Museum of World Cultures will also be present, hosting a multitude of educational activities for both children and adults. \nAccording to an IU press release, the Mathers Museum will feature cuadros de dichos, or proverb pictures; milagros, or figurines made to represent a miracle or wish; and Incan dance bells, which are tied to a string and around the body to imitate ancient Incan and Quechua Indians’ dances. \nLocal Latino bands will be sharing the stage with Kruzan: salsa and merengue band Orquestra Son, Caribbean-influenced Bembe and Latin rock group Descarga.\nThe sponsors of Festival Latino are not solely from the IU campus; the City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department has also been helping to coordinate the celebration.\n“(Latinos) are part of the tapestry of the United States, and it’s important for people to see and understand our culture,” Casillas said. “This festival will help them to learn and experience the many facets of the Hispanic culture.”
(09/14/07 4:03am)
Asian influences are everywhere: in the clothes we wear, in the food we eat, even in films that we watch. But where did this infusion of Asian culture come from? How did it work itself into mainstream American culture? These questions, among others, will be addressed today at the Asian Culture Center’s first session of its roundtable discussion group, “Who are Asian-Pacific Americans?” \nAt noon Friday, the ACC will open its doors to all students and faculty members to discuss the influences and impact of Asian culture in American society. Throughout the session, “Appropriation of Asian Culture by Mainstream America,” both ACC staff members and students will be able to openly address many issues regarding the culture of Asian Americans. \nACC graduate supervisor Lori DesRochers said that the discussion will debate the meaning of sharing cultures and what its impact might be. \n“From Gwen Stefani’s ‘Harajuku Girls’ to kung fu movies to bhangra, Asian imagery and culture seem to be everywhere,” DesRochers said. “Is this appropriation disrespectful to Asian cultures and Asian Americans or simply another example of the hybridization of culture and identity? When is cultural appropriation fetishizing, and when is it a promotion of intercultural understanding?” \nDesRochers expressed her excitement with the discussion group and said she looks forward to “talking to students about these issues and hearing their thoughts.” \nParticipants of the discussion can enjoy a light lunch provided by the ACC, in addition to the wealth of information provided by the dialogue. Future “Who are Asian-Pacific Americans?” discussion groups will address topics such as the role of Asian-Americans in the media, immigration and stereotypes of Asian-Americans. \nFor more information regarding the ACC and its programs, contact the center at acc@indiana.edu or visit its Web site at \nwww.indiana.edu/~acc.
(09/13/07 2:46am)
The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center will be taking on a more multicultural role by hosting the opening ceremonies for National Hispanic Heritage Month.\nNational Hispanic Heritage Month will begin at 4 p.m. Thursday after Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan delivers a proclamation announcing the beginning of the month, said Lilian Casillas, director of La Casa Latino Culture Center.\nSeveral on- and off- campus Latino organizations will be present with information and to answer students’ inquiries, Casillas said. Director of Latino Studies Arlene Diaz and Director of Central Latin American and Caribbean Studies Andrea Siqueira will also be available. \n“There will be a couple of Latino music acts,” Casillas said. “Eduardo Mendoza will play classical guitar, and the North Star Capoeira group will be performing.” \nFor most of the time, Casillas said, attendees will be able to interact and enjoy the provided food and learn more about the Latino community. \n“Even though I think it is important to learn about Latinos year-round, this month is a good opportunity to discover who Latinos are and become involved in the programs offered,” Casillas said. “National Hispanic Heritage Month is a great way to encourage people’s interests in Latino culture.” \nThrough the rest of September and partially through October, La Casa is collaborating with several other student organizations to present lectures, show Latino-oriented films and hold festivals to involve the campus and community. \nLater events include the Festival Latino, to be held on Saturday, a celebration of Sephardic life and culture, “Sounds of Brazil” performance by Brazilian composer Valeria De Castro and lecture “Che Who?” on revolutionist Che Guevara. \nLunch discussions on race and immigration and a festival acelebrating Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas are also planned for National Hispanic Heritage Month. \nFor more information and a complete schedule of events, please visit La Casa’s Web site at www.indiana.edu/~lacasa or e-mail lacasa@indiana.edu.
(09/13/07 2:45am)
The IU India Studies Program will host several distinguished guest speakers this semester, including V.P. Malik, former chief of staff of the Indian army. The lecture series will kick off at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow in the India Studies House, 825 E. 8th St., with General Malik’s lecture “Indo-US Defense and Military Cooperation.” Malik will discuss the importance of foreign relations between the United States and India and the policies between the two states, said India Studies Director Sumit Ganguly. \nThe series, which is free and open to the public, will continue in October with former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott. Talbott will give a presentation on future international reparations to be made after the Bush presidency, according to an IU press release. \nTalbott’s “Patten Lecture: Repairs Ahead: American Foreign Policy in the Post-Bush Era,” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 in Room 100 of Rawles Hall. \nThe former deputy secretary played a vital role in Indian-U.S. negotiations in 1998 during the nuclear tests by India and Pakistan, Ganguly said. \nAnother highlight of the lecture series will be the release of Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh’s book “In Service of Emergent India: A Call to Honor,” printed here at the University. \nSingh’s book is a memoir of his service to India, Ganguly said. \nCo-hosting with the IU School of Journalism , the India Studies Program will also feature a two-day symposium that is focused on the past 60 years of reporting on India, Ganguly said. \n“There will be guest speakers from The Washington Post and The New York Times,” he said. “A majority of these prominent people have been bureau chiefs in New Delhi for a number of years.” \nOne of the reporters is Salig Harrison, who reported for The Washington Post in the early 1960s, barely a decade after India received its independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, Ganguly said. \nIU professor of journalism and former National Geographic photographer Steve Raymer will also be speaking during the lecture series, releasing his photojournalistic piece “Images of a Journey: India in Diaspora.” \nThe book takes an in-depth look at an entire range of Indians of all economic status, Ganguly said. \n“There are people who are not so well-off, professionals, hotel tycoons in Hong Kong, entrepreneurs – just a large spread of the global Indian community,” Ganguly said. \nOther lectures will be held at the India Studies House as the semester continues. A calendar listing these events can be obtained at www.indiana.edu/~isp or by e-mailing the department at india@indiana.edu.
(09/12/07 1:56pm)
Amidst the large Tudor-style homes that line the streets south of campus sits a beautiful brick house with ivy growing up the sides. Within that house, shelves of books and M.C. Escher prints line the walls, giving only the feeling of wisdom. There, College of Arts and Sciences distinguished professor Doug Hofstadter nestles in piles of research, pondering his latest cognitive theory.\nHofstadter has won the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award, and coincidentally authored the first item ever sold on Amazon.com. \nBut he doesn’t like to be associated with his awards and accomplishments. He said he works for the sake of discovery, not for the opportunity to earn recognition. \n“I can’t say that I don’t like the fact that I won a Pulitzer,” he said. “It was a very major piece of good luck, and I got a great deal of freedom from the University. So I can’t say that prizes are ‘good’ or ‘evil.’”\nHofstadter has an unconventional role in the University. As a distinguished college professor, he’s not restricted to one department. The former Guggenheim Fellow has the freedom to choose and change departments as his research interests evolve, said J. Michael Dunn, retired dean of the School of Informatics, who used to work with Hofstadter.\n“He has given the word ‘interdisciplinary’ a completely new meaning,” Dunn said. “His work straddles art, literature, music, computer science, \ncognitive science, logic, mathematics, physics and philosophy, to name just the most obvious.”\nThough he earned his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Oregon, Hofstadter’s research interests lie entirely within cognitive thinking. \nColleague Steve Johnson, a professor in the computer science department, said Hofstadter is currently working on a theory of thought mechanics, or how the brain actually works and processes information. \n“He has this idea that the brain is used only by analogical thinking,” Johnson said. He said this means people learn by comparing what they already know to something new. “I really think that he’s on to something with that theory.”\nHofstadter’s interest in science is not new to his family. His father won a Nobel Prize for physics in 1961 for his work on electron scattering in atomic nuclei and discoveries of the structure of nucleons. After his father won, Hofstadter said that he recalled all the pageantry, banquets and balls that took place in Stockholm, Sweden. But he never felt overshadowed by his father’s success. \n“I instead had this feeling, like I was in a bright light, and glory,” he said. “It suggested to me that I came from a family of very smart people, and therefore I was going to be smart and successful. My father’s success gave me a sort of unconscious inner sense of worth.”\nThat “sense of worth” gave the young Hofstadter a boost, indeed, when in 1980, he won a Pulitzer Prize for his book, “Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid,” which explores human thought and creativity and the prospect of artificial intelligence being able to imitate those processes, according to Amazon.com. \nIn 1995, his book “Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies” became the first sold on Amazon.com. Hofstadter refused any credit for the book’s accidental claim to fame, retaining his position that “it’s like cheating to think of it as any distinction.”\n“It was all by a piece of chance,” he said. \nFive years after the book’s placement on Amazon, Hofstadter read an e-mail from a friend that said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com’s founder, had “just appeared on some talk show ... and he’s holding up your book as the first thing sold.”\nHofstadter explained that he has distaste for huge awards, but assures that he is not speaking out of jealousy.\n“My dad wasn’t a superhuman,” he said. “He was just someone interested in certain things that got the certain job at a certain place with certain equipment. He had good ideas, he systematically did some experiments and he found some nice things. I abhor the idea of people going out seeking prizes. It is ridiculous and sad and pathetic. It’s a pitiful kind of motivation.”\nScholarly success might be common within his family, but Hofstadter refuted the idea of pressuring his children, Danny, 19, and Monica, 16, into academic accomplishment. \n“I have no expectations of my children, but I do hope that they will do well in the direction that they decide to go and that they will flourish,” he said. “I feel very close to my two children, and have always tried to be a person who will listen to them and talk to them about things that matter.”\nAfter the tragic death of his wife Carol in 1993, Hofstadter was left to raise his two children by himself. His son Danny, however, praised his father. \n“He has been an awesome dad for being a single parent for all this time,” he said. \nCarol Hofstadter, a graduate of IU, passed away from a brain tumor at the age of 42. In her memory, Doug Hofstadter and one of Carol’s favorite professors, Edoardo Lèbano, are starting the Carol Ann Brush Hofstadter Memorial Scholarship, an award given to several IU students annually who are participating in the Bologna, Italy, overseas study program, just as Carol had done. \nIn the meantime, Hofstadter spends his time working on three new books, in addition to running daily, studying languages (he fluently speaks French and Italian, but also knows Russian, Mandarin, Spanish, Russian, German and Swedish) and taking yearly trips to California and Italy with his children. \nHe has no plans of leaving IU because he said he feels the most grounded and established here. \n “I’d like to think that (the University) likes the research work that I do, the graduate students that come from my research center and the books that I’ve published,” he said. “I’m not one of these academics who writes only about abstract things: I’m at a very concrete, down-to-earth level.”
(09/10/07 2:59am)
For those who don’t have enough time to take a language course during the semester, an alternative offering more one-on-one time is available. \nThe Asian Culture Center is offering free language courses to all students, faculty and community members, starting this week. \nSince 2000, the Asian Culture Center has been offering these courses to the community for numerous reasons. \n“Many people come to learn a language because they are planning to visit that particular country,” said Babita Upadhyay, program and administrative assistant. “Everyone comes with a different purpose.” \nSome participants come to learn the language to be able to go to a restaurant and order food in that language. Some attend for extra help, while others plan to adopt a child from a certain country and need to learn the language.\nThe center offers courses in Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog (Filipino), Vietnamese, Thai and Hindi. \nThe courses are taught by native speakers of the language, usually graduate students and community members. \n“All of our teachers are not only proficient in their native language, but have a strong desire to teach and share their knowledge,” Upadhyay said. \nHowever, these courses are not credited with the University. The sessions are non-formal and students are not graded. \nThe informality provides a “fun way to learn, and students learn according to their need and capability,” Upadhyay said. \nFor more information, contact Upadhyay at acc@indiana.edu. Dates and times of the language courses are available at the center and online at \nwww.indiana.edu/~acc.
(09/10/07 2:56am)
With nearly 60 members in attendance, the Muslim Student Union kicked off their first call-out meeting with their first female president, Myeda Hussain, leading the group. \nAt the call-out meeting, students were given their first opportunity to meet with other Muslims and students interested in Islam, creating a network of friends and new acquaintances. \nDuring the meeting, involvement with the organization was encouraged, and a “buddy system” was advocated to help new students become familiarized with the Muslim Student Union. \n“It was a great meeting to kick off the year,” said Omair Ali, Muslim Student Union public relations coordinator. “It helped to initiate the freshmen and to get all the upper underclassmen back in sync with MSU.” \nMember Hashim Hussain agreed.\n“It was filled with fun, laughter and falafel,” Hashim Hussain said.\nGuest speaker Maha Noureldin promoted involvement with the local mosque, extending a warm, official invitation to all who were present and absent. \n“The mosque is a place to explore one’s self and experiences on campus,” Noureldin said. “What do you think ‘mosque’ means?” \nStudents provided her with various answers, including “community” and “masjid,” which means “place of worship.” \n“The plethora of events is a result of a new direction the MSU is attempting to take with our members,” Hussain said. “We are trying to take a more grassroots approach in which members are much more involved in the decision-making process of the organization.”\nHussain said that in the past, only the executive board had the power to make decisions that would affect the whole group. \n“However, since we are elected by our peers, we would like to be held more accountable to their desires and aspirations for the MSU,” she said.\nEvents planned include the Ramadan Fast-a-Thon, Islam Awareness Week and speeches by prominent members of the Muslim community.
(09/05/07 4:31am)
Fiestas, cultura y comida – festivals, culture and food – all are parts of one of the oldest Latino culture groups on campus, Latinos Unidos of IU. The group is seeking interested students who are willing to learn and participate in Latino tradition and philanthropy at IU, said the group’s president Marisol Arellano. \nLatinos Unidos plans to hold its first meeting at 6:30 p.m. tonight at La Casa, the Latino Cultural Center, to discuss upcoming events and ways to become involved on campus. \nLatinos Unidos of IU is an organization that works closely with other Latino groups in order to ensure the voice of the Latino community is heard, Arellano said. \nThe group, which began in 1979, boasts about 60 members and aims for social and cultural growth within the campus \nand community. \n“We are involved in philanthropy and planning of cultural and social events,” Arellano said. “(Some) events include Dia de la Raza, our Valentine’s Day Date Auction and SportsFest.” \nDia de la Raza commemorates the day Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World. Every year on Oct.12, the Latino community celebrates this encounter to memorialize the contributions and influences of the Europeans in the Americas, Arellano said. Students will be treated to cultural and historical presentations, as well as ethnic food. \nLatinos Unidos of IU also coordinates several social events throughout the year. They offer study tables to provide stress relief to students during midterms and finals, Arellano said. \nMembers of Latinos Unidos are also given the opportunity to attend cultural and educational conferences, help with fundraisers and vote during annual gatherings. \nThe call-out meeting and group itself are open to all IU students and faculty members interested in Latino culture. Students with questions may forward inquiries to Arellano by e-mail at luiu@indiana.edu.
(09/05/07 4:30am)
Are you taking a Spanish language class, but have no one to speak Spanish with? Students looking for an opportunity to practice in a real-world setting might find Cafe Hispano helpful. Cafe Hispano is a Spanish conversation group that welcomes all levels of the language, from beginners \nto advanced. \nThe group will begin its sessions at 5:30 p.m. today at Wright Place Food Court. Students are instructed to look for the small flags of Latino countries on the north end of the dining room, according to the La Casa e-newsletter. \nCoordinator Ryder Timberlake said although the group has been around for several years, it is his “firm conviction that the most any classroom experience can provide is a language foundation.” \n“Any learner must have a very real and tangible connection with the language in order to become proficient,” Timberlake said. \nSpecial events are under consideration, including an imitation contest of Chilean or Argentinean accents, Timberlake said. \nIn addition to the Spanish language, students are encouraged to attend for linguistic and cultural input. \nNative speakers are asked to attend to provide input, and “in some cases, to maintain or improve their connection with the language,” Timberlake said. \n“Weekly conversations with fellow learners and native speakers can provide an invaluable addition to and enrichment of classroom education. They also help to give students the confidence and competence they need to communicate effectively if they travel abroad.”
(09/03/07 3:46am)
Coconut dances and authentic Filipino food samples were part of the Filipino Student Association’s booth at the Asian Culture Center’s welcome reception Friday.\nThe Filipino Student Association was promoting its call-out meeting, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Ballantine Hall, Room 006. \nThe Filipino Student Association, which is open to all students of different races and ethnicities, plans to coordinate several social events this year, such as Filipino Night, a variety show exhibiting Filipino music, dance and culture. \nAlso under consideration is a semi-formal dance, but representatives stressed that it is “only under consideration.” \nFilipino students are also invited to attend Filipino-Americans Coming Together, a regional conference with guest speakers and workshops on Filipino culture. \nIn addition to social events, the Filipino Student Association also participates in philanthropic events such as Relay for Life and the Jill Behrman Run for the End Zone. In the past, the Filipino Student Association has participated in Mr. and Miss Asia and AsiaFest. The group also raised relief funds for a mudslide that killed more than 1,500 villagers in the Philippine province of Southern Leyte.\nInterested students are encouraged to attend the Filipino Student Association’s initial meeting or contact the association by e-mail at \nfsa@indiana.edu.
(09/03/07 3:45am)
Warm weather and cloudless skies were overhead as the first week of classes ended with a multicultural celebration. \nThe Asian Culture Center held its annual welcome reception Friday to introduce new and returning students to the services it offers and to the subsidiary organizations within it. \nHundreds of students had the opportunity to meet all the different cultural associations present at the reception, as well as sample various ethnic foods, get henna tattoos and have their names written in Chinese or Japanese calligraphy. Included at the event were groups such as the Burmese Student Association, the IU Chinese Student and Scholar Association and the Filipino Student Association. \nOne group, the Japanese Student Association, mentioned its great need for new members, particularly freshmen. \n“There are mostly juniors and sophomores in JSA,” president Hideaki Uchida said. “We want people to know, though, that the JSA isn’t just for Japanese and Japanese-American students. We’re probably the most diverse student group because we have the most culture.” \nIn an effort to recruit more members, the Japanese Student Association will be holding its call-out meeting later this week. \nAlso present at the reception was the Asian Student Union, a group dedicated to unifying and advocating Asian-specific issues at IU and in the community, Asian Student Union Director U Ta Looi said. \n“We’re mostly a political group,” Looi said. “We promote awareness for Asian stereotypes and issues, as well as expansion for the Asian Culture Center. There is a lack of focus on Asian issues, and we want to work on that.” \nSince its formation in 1995, the Asian Student Union’s projects have included Mr. and Miss Asia, the Asian Alumni Scholarship and co-ed sports tournaments. \n“There are only five members,” Looi said of the Asian Student Union’s membership. “We’re now recruiting to get more \npeople involved.” \nMulticultural sorority Kappa Gamma Delta and fraternity Lambda Alpha Phi were also available for questions. Lambda Alpha Phi president Howard Liu said interested students don’t need to be Asian in order to join. \n“Lambda Alpha Phi teaches you about brotherhood, leadership and open-mindedness,” Liu said. \nSpeakers from the IU Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services and La Casa Latino Cultural Center were also on hand for student inquiries, as well as a representative each from the Peace Corps and the IU Commission on Multicultural Understanding. \nJunior Christine Stewart came to the welcome reception to support her Vietnamese friend. \nStewart, who had never attended an Asian Culture Center event, said the experience was new to her, but fun nonetheless. \n“It’s important for people, especially freshmen, to explore other cultures,” said Stewart, who is a member of the African Student Association. \nSophomore Assem Zhakupova echoed Stewart’s words. \n“There were fun activities like Japanese calligraphy and henna tattoos, but there were also some very informative things there,” Zhakupova said. \nZhakupova, an international student from Kazakhstan, said this sort of event was very important, especially for those who were not from Indiana or the United States. \n“(Foreign) students need something like this, where they can find all the groups that are related to them,” she said.
(08/31/07 4:00am)
To welcome all students, new and returning, the Asian Culture Center will host its annual welcome reception complete with food, information and fun starting at 5 p.m. Friday, said Babita Upadhyay, program and administrative assistant at the ACC.\nThe reception will showcase all of the student organizations under the ACC, including the Filipino Student Association, the Asian American Association, the Indian Students Association and several multicultural fraternities and sororities. \nStudents will have the opportunity to meet with the presidents of the student organizations and ask questions, Upadhyay said. \nLa Casa and the GLBT Student Support Services will also be present at the ACC’s welcome reception. Both will speak briefly about the resources available to students. \nAnd, of course, there will be food representing a majority of the countries under the ACC, including dishes from Korea, China and India, Upadhyay said. \nGuest speakers of the reception are Matthew Ewing, assistant director of the IU Student Foundation and Little 500 race coordinator, and Bill Shipton, associate director of Residence Life for Diversity Education, said Upadhyay. \nShipton will speak with students about the campus incident teams, which are established by the Dean of Students to receive reports and information about incidents of racism, GLBT harassment, gender discrimination and religious bias occurrences. These teams are part of the Commission on Multicultural Understanding, which Shipton will also be speaking about, he said. \n“New students should especially come to the reception,” Upadhyay said. “Many students who come to IU want an organization that is related to their own culture, and this is the best opportunity to meet the groups and their presidents.”\nThe ACC is located at 807 E. 10th Street near Collins LLC.
(08/28/07 2:55am)
The IU campus is home to many diverse culture centers that are always willing to share their respective cultures with both students and faculty.
(08/24/07 5:11am)
Using Disney’s "Lilo & Stitch," CultureFest keynote speaker Kevin Wanzer opened the festivities with a theme of diversity and acceptance of differences.\nDespite the humid 98-degree weather, more than 4,000 students crowded into the IU Auditorium and around Showalter Fountain for the Eighth Annual CultureFest, taking the first step toward following the message of the day: meeting new people.\n“The way we treat others is a reflection of the way we see ourselves,” said Wanzer, a professional public speaker and Indianapolis native. “... In ‘Lilo & Stitch’, ‘ohana’ means ‘family’ and that nobody is left behind. And that’s what we have to do: we have to erase forgetting people and realize that we’re more alike than we’d like to think.” \nAssociate Director of Orientation Programs Melanie Payne, who has helped coordinate CultureFest since its beginning, stated that CultureFest originally began as a “gift to the campus,” to celebrate and educate the differences. \n“We wanted to challenge the freshmen to meet different people because not everyone comes from a diverse community,” Payne said. “We wanted to be able to celebrate who is here.” \nAfter Wanzer’s welcome, guests were able to experience ethnic foods from Siam House, Grazie! Italian Eatery, Bombay House and Anatolia Restaurant, in addition to fast food places like Chick-Fil-A and Qdoba Mexican Grill. \nAt a booth represented by La Casa, the Latino Culture Center, senior Brenda Cruz said she came to IU because of its diversity and La Casa. \n“It’s important to become involved and to know what’s out there,” said Cruz, a Latino sorority sister in Gamma Phi Omega. “You won’t ever meet new people if you’re always locked up in your dorm.” \nCultureFest volunteers and sophomores Katherine Akey and Emilee Schwartz agreed with Cruz. \n“CultureFest is a good way to meet new people,” Akey said. “Not many people are used to having, like, GLBT centers, so it’s important to be able to see what’s available at IU.” \nWhile students enjoyed the variety of ethnic food, performers entertained the crowd with dancing and music. \nOne particular dancer was 69-year-old LeRoy Malaterre, a Turtle Mountain Chippewa member, who performed several tribal dances for the audience, including a “sneak up” dance depicting Native American hunters and warriors. \nMalaterre discussed how growing up Native American was challenging for his people. \n“In North Dakota as a kid, we never had Native American teachers or medical personnel,” Malaterre said. “In the 1950s, things got better, but there is still much prejudice toward Indians.” \nFreshman Alec Doane said he enjoyed CultureFest and appreciated the exhibition of cultures and diversity since the community he came from isn’t as ethnically diverse as IU. \n“I really look forward now to hearing the stories of other people, and where they came from and what experiences they have,” Doane said. “CultureFest is a great experience to meet those people.”
(08/04/07 4:00am)
Driving into the sunset. Laying barefoot in the grass. A plane ride and a cup of coffee. Perspective.\nIf these events had a soundtrack, Hanson's "The Walk" would be it. Combining a cry for peace, love-ridden angst and the meaning of life, the three blonde brothers of 1997's Middle of Nowhere and hit single "Mmmbop" arrive at their seventh studio album having proven their maturity with intelligent and well-written lyrics rather than explicit windows into their sex lives.\nLines such as "The earth is shaking under siege and every breath we meet, it's fate," from the first single "The Great Divide" and "I'm blind with these eyes open. My body's tired and broken. I want a taste of something that doesn't leave me dry," from "Blue Sky" carry a tone of compassion no doubt inspired by the band's trip to Africa earlier this year.\n"The Walk" is a continuation of the band's talent from an early age, and it is their second record on their own independent label 3GC Records. As business managers, producers, writers, musicians and vocalists the album is an impressive feat.\nElectric guitar riffs combined with choppy melodies punched out on a keyboard are set to percussion that ranges from drums to the tambourine to the entire Hanson family clapping. Top tracks include "Great Divide," "Been There Before" and "Tearing It Down" -- all up-tempo tracks with the kind of perfect-pitched three-part harmonies that have hardly made a respected appearance in rock since Crosby, Stills & Nash or Three Dog Night.\nThe only collaboration on the album is with an African children's choir that sings "Ngi Ne Themba" ("I have hope") on "The Great Divide" to fuel an AIDS relief effort undertaken by the band.\nMaybe you hate where Hanson has been with sickeningly sweet chart toppers and long hair of ten years past, but even skeptics have to admit that where they're going is a long way from disrespected pop.
(07/12/07 4:00am)
There's a reason that my go-to karaoke song is anything off this album. David Byrne is a feast for the eyes with his head-smacking, body-wiggling, perpetual-motion-proving and erratic dancing. I'm sad I seem to be the only one who still dances like him in public. \nWe open on the eccentric Byrne alone on stage accompanied by only a boom box for "Psycho Killer." Then we build and build like the cocaine high everyone on stage is clearly riding, adding members until there are a dozen performers on stage, held in check by ringmaster Byrne. \nTheatrical highlights include Byrne dancing with a lamp during "This Must be the Place (Naïve Melody)" and later running laps around the stage. This film, beautifully directed by Jonathan Demme, is the reason most people remember Byrne in an oversized white sport coat. A special feature of Byrne interviewing himself on the DVD is a must-watch. Even when he asks and answers the questions, he doesn't make sense.\nThe film is so crisp it's hard to believe it's a concert. And you gotta love that big suit.
(05/17/07 4:00am)
Probably because I watched the film at 1:30 in the morning, or maybe due to its own fault, but "The Painted Veil" can be a slow movie.\nSet in 1925, "Veil" follows Kitty Fain (Naomi Watts), a British woman who marries dull Walter (Edward Norton) on a whim, in hopes their romance will develop as the marriage proceeds. Walter, a doctor, drags Kitty off to China where she is left emotionally numb while he buries himself in his work. When she begins having an affair with a diplomat (Live Schreiber) Walter gives her the choice of coming with him to a remote, cholera-ridden village, or facing the humiliation of a public divorce. She follows him to the village, where he works to stop the disease, only to become more depressed.\nNow don't dismiss this review by saying I probably don't appreciate period piece films like this where societal values are of utmost importance and everyone talks very quietly while wearing elegant costumes and ignoring the poor people all around them. I love those movies. I'd love to be a part of that classic upper-class society. "The Age of Innocence," "Howard's End," "Remains of the Day" adore 'em all (oooh especially "Remains of the Day"… go rent that.)\nAs a bored housewife Watts sits around all day, being bored, and unfortunately you'll probably share her feelings rather than just recognizing her discontent. Nothing really happens for the first 45 minutes. Norton fits the role of occupied husband well, but the British accent is a bit of stretch for him, as his Boston voice occasionally surfaces.\nOn the positive side, "Veil" is beautifully filmed (though it owes a lot to the wonderful mountain-set Chinese countryside) and the Golden Globe winning piano score fits the film well. \nEventually Watts' and Norton's characters find the courage to actually discuss their problems, and form a relationship somewhat resembling a functional marriage. At the same time the cholera epidemic grows even worse, forcing the townspeople to rebel against the presence of Westerners. This is where the story becomes much more compelling, although it ends all too abruptly. \nWith a rich history (the story was originally a novel by W. Somerset Maugham and a 1934 film starring Greta Garbo,) fascinating location, and a grueling subject matter (the disease scenes are pretty disturbing) there should be plenty of opportunities for a special features, but alas, no, just the theatrical trailer.
(05/10/07 4:00am)
Remember way back in the mid 90s, when you would see any action movie Nick Cage attached himself too ("The Rock", "Face/Off", "Con Air")? After "Ghost Rider", Cage desperately needs to revive his action image. "Next", it seems, was the best he could do.\n "Next" is the story of a Las Vegas musician named Cris Johnson (Cage) that can see two minutes into the future. His ability, however, is only limited to his future. That changes when he sees the beautiful Liz (Jessica Biel) in a vision. He seeks Liz out and they begin to passionately fall for one another. Enter Callie Ferris (Moore), an FBI agent who wants to use Johnson's power to find terrorists who are about to detonate a nuclear bomb. Cris and Liz find themselves running from not only the terrorists, but the FBI as well. \nThe movie is based on a Phillip K. Dick novel, the same author who wrote "Minority Report" and "A Scanner Darkly." Both of those books translated beautifully to the big screen, so I was (maybe unjustifiably so) expecting to be dazzled by clever, how'd-they-do-that? action sequences and a multi-faceted plotline for the director to play with.\nAnd "Next" delivered, sort of. There were some incredible action sequences, including Cage's character dodging a "lumber avalanche" down the side of a mountain. The gimmick is he can see himself get crushed so he knows where to be and what not to do. The main plotline is your typical, run-of-the-mill action flick. The plot is highlighted, though, by the tortured malaise Cage brings to his character. The audience feels for him, knowing that his "gift" is also the pain in his ass that forces him to isolate himself from the world.\n"Next" is not the resurrection of Cage's bad-ass film persona, but it is a promising step in the right direction.
(04/30/07 4:00am)
Rising cases of HIV in Bloomington mean organizers of the Third Annual Bloomington AIDS Walk had more than enough reason to raise donations and awareness for HIV and AIDS in Monroe County.\nKathryn Mullen-Scarpino, a graduate supervisor for the IU Student Global AIDS Campaign, said 150 local clients are being treated at PositiveLink, an AIDS education and treatment center at Bloomington Hospital. She estimated that 150 other Monroe County residents are unaware they are HIV-positive. And another 150 residents know they are HIV-positive but are not seeking treatment, she said.\nPositiveLink offers free HIV screenings to everyone, in addition to medical and financial assistance to local HIV-positive and AIDS patients, said IU graduate student Rose Hartzell, an IU Health Center health and wellness educator.\n“While IU Health Center does not have the resources to assist those with HIV and AIDS, we are very supportive of PositiveLink,” Hartzell said. “We often refer patients to PositiveLink when they come to us for help and assistance.”\nThe IU Health Center collaborates with PositiveLink to provide free HIV testing on campus and educates residents of dormitories, fraternities and sororities on safe sexual behaviors. “We have a lot of in-depth discussions and demonstrations with students in order to inform them of preventative practices,” Hartzell said.\nStudent Global AIDS Campaign co-directors Ankit Bhargava and Anjulee Patel sold T-shirts sponsoring the walk, which circled campus.\n“All the donations here go directly to PositiveLink,” Bhargava said. “In previous years, this money has gone to save a life here in Bloomington, and we’d like to have that happen again.”\n“It’s hard to find money for emergencies for clients of PositiveLink,” Mullen-Scarpino said. “In Indiana, insurance for AIDS patients doesn’t cover dental or eye complications, so we’ve helped to pay the bills to have eye glasses adjusted so patients can see, or sent them to have their teeth cleaned and taken care of. All donations from the AIDS Walk stay entirely at the local level.”\nPatel said she got involved with the organization during her freshman year after seeing the AIDS quilt on display at the Indiana Memorial Union.\nFreshman Jessica Fossmeyer said she began her involvement with the group this year. “There is such a stigma attached to AIDS,” Fossmeyer said. “It’s a local problem that everyone should know about.”\nMember Jonathan Williams, vice president of Campus Pride, a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender support group, began his involvement with the organization after his brother, uncle and partner had all died from AIDS.\n“AIDS is something that people need to be aware of,” said Williams, a student at Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana. “We need to not only help those who have been hurt by it, but also protect the innocent lives who haven’t gotten it.”\nFor more information about the IU Student Global AIDS Campaign, visit its Web site at www.indiana.edu/~sgac.
(04/26/07 4:00am)
Fifty-seven children in the state of Indiana died as a result of child abuse in 2005, said MaryAnna Moore, an investigator with Monroe County Department of Child Services.\nIn order to commemorate these victims of child abuse, the Monroe County Department of Child Services will hold a candlelight vigil and solemn march starting at 6 p.m. Thursday.\nThe march, which will begin at the Sample Gates and end at the Monroe County Courthouse, is an annual event in Bloomington.\n“The goal of the agency is to promote awareness of child abuse and neglect,” Moore said. “We want people to recognize child abuse as a community issue.”\nFollowing the march there will be several guest speakers, including Monroe County circuit court Judges David Welch and Steven Galvin, as well a group of \nchildren who will recite a poem, Moore said.\n“There will be an opportunity to learn what you can do to \nhelp prevent child abuse and neglect,” Lindsey Smith, Monroe County Department of Child Services director, said in a letter to the community.\nAccording to the Indiana Youth Institute Web site, 8,122 children were abused in 2004, and there were 13,128 total neglect cases. Causes of abuse include lack of parenting skills, an authoritarian method of discipline and mental health problems, the Web site stated.\nIn Indiana, child neglect is usually due to drug usage, pregnancy or family or marital problems, according to the \nWeb site. \nWhile many state laws exist to protect children from abuse and neglect, 21, 250 children were still mistreated in 2004, according to Indiana Youth Institute statistics. \nThe movement to publicize child abuse began in 1989, when a grandmother in Virginia discovered that her grandson had been killed from injuries received by his parents, Smith said. Out of this tragedy began an advocacy program to prevent child abuse and neglect. Every April, supporters of child protection wear blue ribbons to honor the campaign, Smith said.\nFree blue ribbons to support the movement to prevent child abuse can be obtained from the Monroe County Department of Child Services office, located at 401 E. Miller Drive.