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(04/25/07 4:00am)
School of Informatics Dean Michael Dunn was presented with the highest award given by the governor of Indiana: the Sagamore of the Wabash . \nThe award is bestowed to outstanding candidates at the governor of Indiana’s discretion, usually to honor community and professional contributions, said Joe Stuteville, coordinator of media relations at the School of Informatics. \nRepresenting Gov. Mitch Daniels at the ceremony was IU president-elect Michael McRobbie.\nDunn, whose greatest accomplishment, said Stuteville, is establishing the School of Informatics, was presented with the prestigious award April 19 at his retirement banquet. Dunn plans to retire late in June.\n“Dunn has distinguished himself by his humanity in living, his loyalty in friendship, his wisdom in council and his inspiration in leadership,” McRobbie said, reading from a prepared statement written by Daniels.\nAs the executive associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dunn encouraged the use of personal computers on campus and has taught at Wayne State University and Yale University. \nThe word “sagamore” is derived from the language of the Micmac Native Americans to distinguish a lesser chief or a wise advisor from a high chief, according to the press release.\nPast recipients include IU President Adam Herbert, Director of the Groups Student Support Services Program Janice Wiggins and six-time recipient Herman B Wells. \nIn 2002, Dunn was awarded the CyberStar Award for the School of Informatics’ Outstanding Educational Contribution to Information Technology. He is also the Oscar Ewing Professor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences.\n“(Dunn) recognized very early the need to have a school that really pushed not only informational technology research, but also education,” Stuteville said. “He had a good grasp of understanding that technology and proved himself to be a great leader.”
(04/24/07 4:00am)
In light of the April 16 tragedy at Virginia Tech, a Chicago-based firm is providing universities nationwide with a service to immediately alert students of emergencies through text messaging.\nInteractive Mediums, based out of Chicago, is a “mobile technology company that provides marketing and communications solutions for companies and universities alike,” according to a press release. Due to the events last week and the potential threat of mass shootings at public-education facilities, Interactive Mediums has decided to offer emergency alert services to universities at no cost, said Tyler Stock, Interactive Mediums’ director of public relations.\nStock, an IU alumnus who graduated in 2006, said that the company felt mass text messaging would be the best way to inform students of an attack similar to that of last week’s. \n“Interactive Mediums does everything SMS (short message service) from voting in contests like you see in “American Idol,” to broadcasting messages through subscription lists,” Stock said. “We think that this is the best way to get the word out in case of an emergency.”\nStudents will be able to join the subscription list by one of two ways provided by Interactive Mediums and approved by IU, Stock said. One way is by text messaging the University’s individualized code to Interactive Mediums’ platform, which would then enter the student’s cell-phone number into the database. \n“This is the easiest and my preferred way to sign up,” Stock said.\nThe other way would require the University to collect cell-phone numbers at registration and enrollment, Stock said. Currently, IU currently has no \ncontract offering students this service, which is still in the early stages of development.\n“We are a fairly new company, established last year,” Stock said. “After the occurrence at Virginia Tech, we decided that since we have the technology to do so, we should offer our services to universities.”\nFreshman Dylan Rivard said campuswide text messaging seems like a good idea.\n“As long as they don’t spam your phone, this is a great plan,” Rivard said. “Everyone would be able to know immediately and be able to take appropriate measures.”\nFreshman Margaret Weiser agreed. \n“Even if a person doesn’t own a cell phone, there’s no way to escape their presence,” Weiser said. “Chances are you’d be around someone who got the text message.”
(04/19/07 4:00am)
For the first time in Little 500 history, the IU School of Fine Arts is represented in this year’s race by Team SoFA.\n“On Super Bowl Sunday, we just decided to form a team,” team member Nick Just said. “So, really, we’ve only had about ten weeks of training.”\nDespite the short duration of training, Team SoFa placed 27th during Little 500 Qualifications, solidly above the cut-off at 33rd, Just, a senior fine arts major, said.\n“We’re definitely not the underdog,” Just said. \n“No, we’re, like, the underdog’s underdog,” teammate Danny Weddle added.\nWith no prior Little 500 or cycling experience, the team admitted that none of the members had ridden a bicycle since they were kids. In addition, the team said that it has had only two practices together as a team since forming, but averages three individual practices a week per rider.\n“While most (other) riders have had, on average, about a year’s training, between three of us, we’ve had about nine months,” Weddle, also a senior and fine arts major, said.\nDespite having relatively less training than the rest of the men’s field, Team SoFA managed to qualify on their second attempt, Just said.\n“We fell on our first attempt during qualifications,” he said. “But all of our times have cleared for rookie riders.”\nWeddle said he looked most forward to the Team SoFA cheering section. \n“I’d just like to see a giant section of pink shirts,” Weddle said, referring to the team T-shirts on sale at the School of Fine Arts gift shop.\nSince this is the school’s first team in the race, many SoFA students who would not normally go to the race have expressed an interest in coming, Just said.\n“Almost everyone in the School of Fine Arts bikes, and there’s a lot of promise for teams in the future,” Just said. “We want to be able to keep this team now for 20 years.”\nFollowing the men’s race on Saturday, the team will celebrate its accomplishment by hosting an art show/after party at the McCalla School across from Yogi’s Grill and Bar on East Ninth Street.\n“We’re definitely in this for fun,” Just said. “We’re a team for people to get drunk and cheer for, other than frats.”
(04/17/07 4:00am)
Having been confirmed in the last few days that the Ku Klux Klan will hold a march in Bloomington, city officials and community leaders are asking that students and residents ignore the expected rally.\nBeverly Calender-Anderson, director of the city’s Safe and Civil City Program, said residents should find other, positive things to do, such as visit the local science museum or see a movie, if the KKK does march.\n“The important thing is that we stop feeding into people’s fears,” Calender-Anderson said. “We don’t know why they are coming, and there’s no reason for us to believe that it will be any day more so than any other.”\nAnd despite the rumors, Calender-Anderson added, there is no indication the KKK will be rallying during Little 500 week.\n“If people hear that it (the march) is happening, then they should stay away,” Calender-Anderson said. “We should not give attention to something we’re against, but rather give attention to something positive that the community does support.”\nBloomington resident Jane Weiser echoed Calender-Anderson’s sentiments.\n“They have the right to walk and express their opinion,” Weiser said. “But I hope everyone just ignores them.”\nWeiser, a participant in Sunday’s Homeward Bound walk, said organizers have to get special permits to march. “It’s weird to think that they can walk right in without permission,” Weiser said.\nMary Beth Morgan, the director of Adult Family Ministries at the First United Methodist Church, 219 E. Fourth St., agreed with both Weiser and Calender-Anderson but focused more on the response within the children of the community.\n“Even though we’re trying to publicly not affirm, or ignore, this march, it is also important to be attentive to the responses and feelings to those with anxieties and unsettledness,” Morgan said. “It is important that we encourage children to able to talk with trusted adults with difficult issues with what they’ve seen or heard, to help them to develop questions and thoughts, and to assure them that people are doing all they can to keep them safe.”\nRabbi Sue Shifron, director of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center, 730 E. Third St., stressed the importance of community in the event of the KKK marching in Bloomington.\n“Bloomington is a community that has always supported diversity and is a forefront to promoting diversity and letting people know what we’re about,” Shifron said. “We need to keep that in mind and be proud of that, and to not let any group or anyone shake that.”\nAlthough a time and date is not certain, city and community officials agree the best way to handle thesituation is to pay no attention to the rally.\n“Building community is a priority in Bloomington, and it is important for us to be proud of who we are,” Shifron said. “It would take a lot more than the Klan to be able to change that in this community.”
(04/17/07 4:00am)
With a newly elected executive board, many educational and social events can be expected from the IU Muslim Student Union, president-elect Myeda Hussain said.\nHussain said she’d like to see the MSU become more active on campus.\n“I plan to hold much more social events, spiritual events, fundraisers and philanthropy work,” Hussain, a junior, said. “Also, I would love to see the MSU network more with other groups on campus.”\nHussain said she had worked with a similar group before coming to IU.\n“Growing up in Newburgh, Indiana, I was always the only practicing Muslim of my class,” she said. “I started the Evansville Muslim Youth Association in Evansville, but there wasn’t a lot of Muslims, and it remained a small organization.”\nUndeterred by a lack of involvement from her home community, Hussain joined the MSU during her freshman year and was nominated to join the executive board for her sophomore year.\n“After being an active member for three years and serving on the board for two years, I decided that I had a lot of new ideas derived from experience and could improve the MSU,” Hussain said.\nOther new officers-elect said they had similar plans. Freshman Omair Ali, who was elected public relations chair, said he is sure the new board is innovative enough to add new events to the organization’s already diverse and successful social itinerary.\n“Our plans for next year include many keynote speakers, the annual Fast-a-Thon, many Ramadan events and much more,” Ali said.\nSecretary-elect Aasiya Mirza said her goal is to encourage more members to join and become active in the IU Muslim community.\n“I’d love to share the friendships that the MSU creates through its Islam-oriented events,” freshman Mirza said. “I become closer to my faith as I become closer to my friends.”\nThe MSU is dedicated to providing a spiritual and welcoming environment for Muslims and non-Muslims alike, offering educational and social events for all, according to the organization’s Web site.\n“I hope to make the MSU much more active on both the IU campus and in the Bloomington community,” Hussain said. “I would like to focus on the MSU’s contribution to general Islamic knowledge on campus. I believe it is every Muslim’s responsibility to diminish misunderstandings concerning Islam. I hope the MSU receives a lot of feedback from IU students concerning areas they would like to learn more about in Islam.”\nMore information is available on the MSU’s Web site, or by e-mailing the organization at msuweb@indiana.edu.
(04/17/07 4:00am)
A historically significant building, the old Kappa Alpha Psi house, is being renovated for the relocation of several IU offices. The building will eventually house the IU Police Department and some parts of the IU Foundation.\nCharlie Nelms, vice president for institutional development and student affairs, said that the fraternity is the only nationally-recognized fraternity that was founded at IU. \n“It is the only African-American fraternity or sorority to have constructed a building from scratch,” Nelms said. “It has a very historically significant structure on this campus.”\nVacant for more than a decade, the building will be able to serve as a monument commemorating the founding of Kappa Alpha Psi, Nelms said. \n“There will actually be a physical monument at the house, noting the date and founders of the house,” he said.\nHopes that the fraternity would reacquire and renovate the building ceased when the national fraternity concluded that it was not fiscally viable to operate the house as a residence, Nelms said.\nBarbara Coffman of the IU Foundation said there had been many conversations with officials regarding the building’s future. In the end, Coffman said, the decision was to move the IUPD and some offices of the IU Foundation into the building.\nThe duration of renovation is uncertain at this point, Coffman said.\nNelms said that although the fraternity cannot reacquire the building, the IU Foundation acquisition is the next \nbest thing. \n“I’ve been in discussions with the executive director of Kappa Alpha Psi, the national director and with board members, about ways that IU can appropriately acknowledge the fraternity’s founding at IU,” Nelms said. “Acquisition of it by the IU Foundation, in support of IU, will enable the continued existence of the building and monument on campus.”
(04/16/07 4:00am)
The IU Black Student Union announced its 2007-08 executive board members on April 9.\nPresident-elect Markisha Bates said she’d like to see the union develop programs to attract more students to become members of the organization.\n“We encourage more African-American students to become involved with BSU,” Bates said. “Our mission is to empower the black students on campus, raising awareness of their interests through educational and social programs.”\nBates, a junior, said the organization has plans to expand during the next year. \n“I plan on working with various diversity groups on campus to develop a closer bond between us,” she said. “I would like for all organizations to be able to come together and lay things on the table so that we can all work together to make the college experience better.”\nVice-president-elect China Burr said she has similar plans. \n“We could talk with the chancellor, the dean or the Office of Admissions to either implement or increase a diversity scholarship as an incentive to motivate and encourage students to come to IU,” said Burr, the organization’s secretary. “If we help students financially, especially the minorities that may not have funds to come to college, there would probably be more minorities in college, period.”\nBurr also mentioned the possibilities of several events, including a statewide BSU fashion show and sponsored trips to other universities to survey other black student union organizations.\nBurr stressed the importance of getting high-school students involved, as well. \n“If we have more multicultural and minority events to bring high-school students from across the state of Indiana, and have other minorities speak and stress the importance of higher education, they would probably be more eager to come to college,” Burr said.\nTreasurer-elect freshman Monique Jernigan said she hopes to increase diversity within the organization and to focus on the betterment of black students. \n“I’d like to see us extend our fellowship to other organizations that are all about the bettering of students at IU,” said Jernigan. “And I’d like to see us increase and maintain members and membership involvement, because that is why we are here – for the students.”\nSophomore Brannon Smith, the secretary-elect, said he joined the BSU to support IU’s black community. Smith said the Black Student Union is considered “the voice of black IU.”\n“My motivation for joining the BSU executive board stems from a desire to make that voice stronger through increased membership and increased campus visibility overall,” he said.\nBates also stressed the importance of the union as a voice for black students on campus.\n“We are the black voice of IU, and it is important that we know any comments, concerns or issues that need to be addressed,” Bates said. “It is all about making the students here at IU feel comfortable amongst one another"
(04/12/07 4:00am)
Dressed in bright, colorful costumes and decorative turbans, a troupe of young men and women positions itself on stage. Upbeat, fast folk music plays, and the performers begin to collectively dance, using lots of lively and energetic arm and hand movements in a Bollywood-like manner.\nAfter only a handful of semesters and a competition under its belt, the IU Bhangra\n Team has been preparing for this weekend’s Midwest Masala competition at Xavier University in Cincinnati.\nOrganized in the fall of 2005, the registered group will compete against six other university teams.\nMany IU students are not aware there even is a Bhangra dance team, let alone actually know what Bhangra is.\nBhangra, originating from the state of Punjab in northern India, is one of the most active forms of Indian dance. \n“It’s upbeat and very folkish,” co-captain and junior Vani Joshi said.\nThe IU team is made up of 14 members, but most teams usually include 16, he said.\nUsing props such as staffs and drums, performances are energetic and filled with choreographed stunts. Freshman member Amit Pithadia said at some point the team wants to use hoops with fire.\nThe team also uses colorful costumes, taking up to two hours to dress before a show. “The longest part is putting on the turbans that the boys wear,” Joshi said.\nAs with many types of dance teams, the Bhangra Team performs at IU and other universities. \n“We usually perform for the Indian Student Association,” member Huma Ansari said. “But last weekend we danced in the Taste of Asia show. We’ll dance for anyone who asks us, basically.”\nTaste of Asia, an event organized by the Asian American Association and held Saturday at the IU Auditorium, featured traditional and modern Asian culture, as well as food samples from local Asian restaurants.\n“A lot of universities have Bhangra teams,” Joshi said. “But we are an actual, official IU Student Organization Account group. We just don’t have an office.”\nFreshman Anand Davé said he joined the team after seeing his older sisters dance for their respective teams.\n“Before coming to IU, I already knew of the team because my sister was friends with people who had been on it,” he said. “After getting here, it just became a matter of talking to the right people.\n“My favorite thing about being on the team is performing because you get all hyped for it,” he said. “But it’s also the worst part if the audience isn’t really into it.”\nFreshman Harinder Kaur said her favorite part of being on the team was that everyone gets along. \n“We all have fun with each other, and we’re all good friends outside of the team,” Kaur said.\nTryouts for the team are held at the beginning of each semester and are open to anyone interested, Joshi said. \nFor more information, contact the team via e-mail at iubhang@indiana.edu.
(04/11/07 4:00am)
After almost 20 years of researching and providing assistance for HIV/AIDS patients, IU professor of medicine Dr. Joseph Mamlin is being recognized for his contributions, along with 180 other candidates nominated for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.\nMamlin was nominated by political science professors Scott Pegg of IU-Purdue University Indianapolis and David Mason of Butler University for Mamlin’s medical work with HIV and AIDS and contributions to fight hunger in western Kenya.\nThe Nobel Peace Prize awards those who have made great contributions to humanity, according to Nobel’s Web site. Past nominees include Mahatma Gandhi, the International Red Cross, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr. since the prize’s origin in 1901. Termed “laureates,” recipients are chosen by a committee of five people, selected by the Norwegian Parliament, or Storting. Laureates, who are selected in October, receive their award Dec. 10 in Oslo, Norway. Winning the award includes the receipt of a 24-karat gold medal, a diploma and a prize of 10 million Swedish kroner, or about $1.45 million.\nThe nomination has come as a result of Mamlin’s program “The Academic Model for Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS,” a joint effort by IU School of Medicine and Moi University School of Medicine in Kenya, according to the nomination letter.\nThe program treats more than 43,000 patients in western Kenya and operates farm and food programs to educate thousands of people of the importance of good nutrition. The program teaches patients to become self-sufficient, and is replicable within the developing world, the letter said. The program is designed to prepare Africans to survive disease and starvation.\nMamlin began the program after he and his Kenyan colleagues discovered that a Kenyan medical student was severely infected with untreated AIDS, according to the letter. After treating their first patient with anti-retroviral medications, Mamlin collaborated with his Kenyan colleagues to develop a health care system for the poor of western Kenya in 1989.\nNineteen satellite clinics are now established and have enrolled 43,000 patients to be treated continually, said Director of Operations and Development Fran Quigley.\n“About half of the people enrolled receive anti-retroviral medications, because their disease has progressed so far to that point,” Quigley said. “Anti-retroviral medications actually bolster the immune system and can bring an HIV-positive person back to the point of being symptom-free.”\nQuigley further explained the benefits of Mamlin’s treatment facilities for people with HIV. “(The patients) start to gain weight, and the infection becomes a chronic disease that is manageable,” he said.\nMamlin’s program receives $12 million a year, Quigley said. Most of the money comes from the U.S. government’s “President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief,” although Quigley mentioned that many generous private donors, businesses and church congregations have donated to the cause.\n“AIDS is history’s most deadly pandemic in that area in the early 20th century,” Quigley said. “As a result, we’ve taken on AIDS and provide treatment not just in a way of drugs, but with emergency food and agriculture assistance.”\nInformation regarding donations, clinical elective participation and student exchange programs is available by contacting program manager Ron Pettigrew at rpettigr@iupui.edu.
(04/10/07 4:00am)
Look to the sky after all the races and parties of Little 500 weekend. Beginning around midnight April 21, stargazers will be able to see hundreds of meteors falling from the cosmos.\nThe stream of meteors originates from the comet Thatcher C/1861 G1, according to NASA’s Web site. \nMeteor showers are commonly visible in Bloomington, said Caty Pilachowski of the IU Astronomy Department. In fact, they were first accurately explained by Daniel Kirkwood, a professor of mathematics at IU, in the 19th century. Kirkwood discovered that meteor showers were the result of an aged comet that had been heated by the sun and broken apart, Pilachowski said.\n“Meteor showers occur at a time in which Earth crosses the orbit of a broken comet,” Pilachowski said. “When it passes through the orbit, many particles will fall into Earth’s atmosphere. They are burnt up from the heat, and most are very, very small particles, only a few millimeters in diameter.”\nMeteor showers can be compared to other, larger celestial bodies.\n“It’s like a weird asteroid belt,” Pilachowski said. “Comets are fairly fragile bodies. Mostly the bodies that become comets hang out on orbits that keep them way outside of the solar system. Occasionally these bodies will be pulled, causing them to come into the solar system.”\nBut they don’t last forever.\n“A comet will survive for a couple of orbits but will eventually break up,” Pilachowski said. “The outer surface will be heated by sun and will evaporate away. This produces the tail that comets are famous for.”\nThe term “meteor” refers to the streak of light that flashes in the sky, Pilachowski said. A meteorite is an object that produces the streak of light and falls to the ground. A meteoroid is the original object that produces the streak of light when it falls into the atmosphere. \n“A meteoroid is pulled in by Earth’s gravity,” Pilachowski said. “You see the flash of a meteor, and we find meteorites on the ground.”\nAccording to NASA, the visibility of the meteors in the meteor shower is comparable to the brightness of the stars in the Big Dipper. Viewers can expect to see a few meteors every minute or so, but there have been past accounts of almost 90 meteors per hour. The upcoming meteor shower is the oldest recorded meteor shower, dating back 2600 years to ancient Chinese accounts, according to NASA.\nThe meteor shower of April 21-22 is referred to by astronomers as the Lyrid meteor shower. \nLyra is a constellation in the northern hemisphere of the sky, according to NASA. The name refers to the origin of the trail of cosmic debris, but that’s not to say that stargazers should look north in the direction of the constellation to see the shower, Pilachowski said. The falling pieces of space rock can be seen almost anywhere in the sky a few hours before dawn.\nNo binoculars or telescopes are needed to watch this galactic presentation, Pilachowski said, but blankets and some snacks are probably a good idea. The farther away from city lights you are, the more impressive the cosmic fanfare will be.\nThe meteor shower is expected to last five to six hours between midnight and dawn April 21.
(04/10/07 4:00am)
IU professor of medicine Dr. Joseph Mamlin has been nominated for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.\nPolitical science professors Scott Pegg of IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis and David Mason of Butler University nominated Mamlin for his medical work with HIV and AIDS and his contributions to fight hunger in western Kenya.\nThe nomination has come as a result of Mamlin’s program, “The Academic Model for Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS,” a joint effort by the IU School of Medicine and Moi University School of Medicine in Kenya, according to the letter of nomination.\nNineteen satellite clinics for the program are now established, said Fran Quigley, director of Operations and Development.
(04/06/07 4:00am)
After almost a year of deliberation and negotiation, IU President Adam Herbert announced Thursday that IU alumnus and media personality Tavis Smiley will present the commencement address during graduation ceremonies May 5.\nSmiley is a TV and radio talk-show host. He hosts “The Tavis Smiley Show” on Public Radio International and “Tavis Smiley” on PBS.\nA native of Kokomo, Smiley’s tale of coming to IU is somewhat legendary on campus. The oldest of 10 children, he overcame financial struggle to pursue an education. Supported through a debate scholarship, Smiley began his remarkable career at IU-Bloomington.\n“Tavis Smiley is one of our own,” Herbert said in an IU Media Relations news release. “He ... came to IU with limited resources but a strong passion for learning.”\nAfter leaving IU in 1986, Smiley became an aide to former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, then become a commentator on TV and radio. He eventually returned to IU and received his bachelor’s degree from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 2003. In 1999, he founded the Tavis Smiley Foundation, an organization to encourage, empower and enlighten black youths.\nSmiley has authored or edited 11 books, including “What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America” and “Keeping the Faith: Stories of Love, Courage, Healing, and Hope from Black America.”\nIU Alumni Association President Tom Martz, who took office April 1, said he looks forward to meeting Smiley at commencement. \n“He’s just a very informed individual who discusses some important issues in American society,” Martz said. “He’s also very entertaining.”\nThe alumni association is responsible for organizing commencement, and, Martz said, it was former President Ken Beckley, who was co-chairman of the commencement committee, who played a role in bringing Smiley to campus.\n“Oftentimes, there are several candidates who are all very inspirational individuals,” Martz said. “I think the committee just believed that Tavis was the best candidate for commencement.”
(04/05/07 4:00am)
After almost a year of deliberation and negotiation, IU President Adam Herbert announced IU Alumnus and media personality Tavis Smiley will present the commencement address during graduation ceremonies on May 5.\nSmiley is a TV and radio talk show host and is the star of “The Tavis Smiley Show” on Public Radio International.\nA native of Kokomo, Smiley’s tale of coming to IU is somewhat of a legend on campus. The oldest of 10 children, he overcame financial struggle to pursue an education. Supported through a debate scholarship, Smiley began his remarkable career at IU Bloomington.\n“Tavis Smiley is one of our own,” Herbert said according to an IU Media Relations press release. “He ... came to IU with limited resources but a strong passion for learning.”\nAfter leaving IU in 1986, Smiley became an aide to former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, then went on to become a commentator on television and radio. He eventually returned to IU and received his bachelor’s degree from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 2003. In 1999, he founded the Tavis Smiley Foundation, an organization to encourage, empower and enlighten African-American youth.\nSmiley has also authored or edited 11 books, including his most recent, “What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America” and “Keeping the Faith: Stories of Love, Courage, Healing and Hope from Black\nAmerica.”\nIU Alumni Association President Tom Martz, who took office April 1, said that while he has not personally met Smiley, he looks forward to meeting him at commencement. \n“He’s just a very informed individual who discusses some important issues in American society,” Martz said. “He’s also very entertaining.”\nWhile IUAA is responsible for organizing commencement, Martz said it was former president Ken Beckley who was co-chairman of the commencement committee, and played a role in deciding Smiley’s appearance.\n“Oftentimes, there are several candidates who are all very inspirational individuals,” Martz said. “I think the committee just believed that Tavis was the best candidate for commencement.”
(04/03/07 4:00am)
With the help of national data and researchers from the University of Connecticut, IU researchers have concluded that two-parent adoptive homes devote more time and money on their children than biological parents, said an IU press release from February.\nSociology professor Brian Powell led the research at IU, finding that on average, two-parent adoptive households, which are usually older and wealthier than biological homes, put more effort into raising their children.\n“What we did was looked at over 12,000 families in the U.S., adoptive and biological heterosexual couples,” Powell said. “Our interests were in the investments that parents put into their child – how often parents discussed issues with their children, how many children’s books were in the house, how often these children were read to and how often they had family meals.”\nThe study also looked into how well a parent knew his or her child’s friends, their relationship with the friends’ parents and whether or not a parent was involved at school, with the Parent-Teacher Association, for instance, Powell said.\n“Our data was extracted from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, and we interpreted it in relation to our study,” Powell said.\nECLS is a government-funded program that follows children from birth through kindergarten and from kindergarten through eighth grade, said U.S. Department of Education Statistician Chris Chapman.\nThe data from ECLS is collected in two separate ways, for each respective age group. The Kindergarten Cohort study, began in 1998, begins by sampling schools and students, then assesses children based on reading and mathematical skills, as well as general knowledge and sciences. Following the assessments, the parents were contacted for background information, Chapman said. The Birth Cohort study, started in 2001, has been monitoring a sample of children born during that year.\n“In the Birth Cohort study, we follow children directly from birth,” Chapman said. “The difference with this study and the KCS is that the parents are directly consulted, rather than going through the schools first. At nine months old, we assess the infants based upon cognitive development and motor skills.”\nThe actual data collected from the Kindergarten Cohort study can be accessed through the U.S. Department of Education, either in hard-copy or in Internet form. The Birth Cohort study is under restrictive usage, and researchers must apply for a license, Chapman said. Powell’s study used only the Kindergarten Cohort study data, Powell said.\nThe study, called “Adoptive Parents, Adaptive Parents: Evaluating the Importance of Biological Ties for Parental Investment,” is a first of its type, Powell said. He was assisted by IU doctoral student of sociology Laura Hamilton and University of Connecticut assistant professor Simon Cheng.\n“There have previously been similar studies, but they were isolated and limited studies,” he said. “Most were not as comprehensive or extensive as this study.”\nThe research is notable, however, in fields of legality and academia, in issues of whether or not children are better suited with their biological parents. The study contradicts studies completed by early psychologists, which claimed that natural-born parents provide more for their children as opposed to adoptive parents, according to an IU press release.\n“The thing to stress here is that this is on average,” Powell said. “These are just trends that we found in the data, that non-biological parents devote more to their child than biological parents.”\nThe study details can be accessed online at http://www.asanet.org/galleries/default-file/Feb07ASRAdoption.pdf.
(03/30/07 4:00am)
The Chinese Language Program at IU will be hosting its annual Chinese Performance Festival beginning at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Monroe County Public Library auditorium.\nThe family-friendly festival will feature live plays and skits performed by students, as well as student-made video clips.\n“I believe that language learning goes beyond the classroom,” said Jennifer Liu, president of the Chinese Language Teachers Association and associate professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. “We encourage our students to practice with native speakers and encourage the local Chinese to be involved with the community. It’s a real encouragement if native speakers can understand the students.”\nLiu, who is also the Chinese Language Program coordinator at IU, said she began planning this event almost six months ago.\n“During this festival, we award students (who participate in the festival) with prizes that our teachers have brought back from China,” Liu said. “Some of these prizes can be Chinese books, movies, comic books, paintings or calligraphy sets.”\nJudges of awards are faculty members, who rank the top three or four performances in the categories of performance and video.\nThe festival is run mostly by students who are learning Chinese at all levels, first through fourth year, Liu said. \nMelissa Dittman, one of the performers, expressed her excitement and anticipation for the festival.\n“I’ve had a long-time obsession with Chinese culture and language,” said Dittman, a first-year Chinese student and freshman. “And now that culture is being lost through the takeover of communism and now capitalism.”\nAlthough she will spend most of her time at the festival watching her classmates perform their plays and skits, Dittman will also play a role in a project. She described her group’s presentation as an ancient Chinese hero tale with a modern twist. \n“The Monkey King is one of the most famous heroes in Chinese culture,” Dittman said, referring to the main character of a famous Chinese epic. “Our skit is like the Monkey King meets ‘Monty Python,’ only they aren’t searching for the holy grail.”\nFollowing the performances will be a banquet at 3:30 p.m. held at the library, featuring food donated from Chow Bar, China Buffet and Dragon Express. The event is free.
(03/29/07 4:00am)
Military and veteran students, rejoice. A new department is now available to provide services and resources solely for students who are veterans or employed by the military.\nThe Office of Veterans Support Services is directed by Margaret Baechtold, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel of 20 years, and assistant-directed by Georgann Wilson, who has worked at IU for decades.\nServices provided for military and veteran students include assistance with registration procedures, aid for students with short-notice military absences, departures and arrivals, and a central authority to refer to resources available to veterans and disabled persons.\n“We have a wide range of areas to aid students,” Baechtold said. “There is a continuation of processing paperwork to get educational benefits from Veteran Affairs, assistance for disabled students, as well as trying to determine who our veteran population is and its academic needs.\n“We are willing to work with spouses of military students who have been deployed, to connect them with other spouses, as well as parents of students after short-notice deployment,” Baechtold said.\nThe department, established by Dean of Students Dick McKaig, was developed from alumnus Jeff Memmer’s IU Military Veteran Student Society club. With the aid of Les Coyne, a former IU administrator, Memmer’s club took off.\n“There was a similar office until about the late 1990s,” Baechtold said. “But it was small and eventually was split and reorganized.”\nThe previous office, Disabled Student Services and Veterans Affairs operated with only a certification official, whose purpose was to process the documentation required by Veterans Affairs to award education benefits. Baechtold said the old office was split into two new departments: the Office of Veterans Support Services and the Disability Services for Students.\n“Several people and students were interested in pointing out the lack of services available to military students and veterans,” Baechtold said. “Now we work with the administration and organizations to talk about policies about deployment and what follows afterwards.”\nThe Office of Veterans Support Services collaborates with the other organizations to recover and refund fees and bills of students who have been deployed early in the semester, Baechtold said.\nFaculty and staff who are involved with the military can currently seek aid from IU’s Human Resources Department in Franklin Hall. For more information, e-mail the \ndepartment.
(03/26/07 4:00am)
INDIANAPOLIS – “Give peace a chance.” “Support Our Troops – Bring Them Home.” “Make Peace, Not War.” \nThese were just a few of the signs held by more than 250 demonstrators Saturday at Indianapolis’ Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Organized and led almost entirely by college and high school students, the protest, titled “Four Years Too Long: Students for a New Agenda in Iraq,” promoted peaceful resistance, tolerance of differences and gaining understanding as human beings sharing one world.\nValparaiso University students Libby A’Hearn and Scott Osthus spoke of the importance of the college students’ generation and actions that can be taken in order to secure a more peaceful world. \n“We are students,” A’Hearn said. “We are demanding a new agenda in Iraq. This is a democracy, and the people will force the government to stand by those principles.”\nOsthus spoke next to the crowd.\n“People say that our generation is apathetic, and that we don’t care,” he said. “But we do care, about our troops, about our veterans, about the Iraqis and about the future of the world.”\nMany of the student protesters held signs with the names, ages, hometowns and date of deaths of the 75 Indiana residents who had lost their lives in the war in Iraq. \nHarold Donle, one of the few non-student planners who is also in charge of communications for the Indianapolis Veterans for Peace chapter, presided over the protest and encouraged students begin taking action for a less violent war.\n“On March 19, 2003, our nation declared war on a nation of children,” Donle energetically shouted, getting much response from his audience. “When we entered Iraq, half the population was under the age of 15. When did that become our America, to attack a nation of children?”\nDonle, who is a former Marine, teaches interpersonal communications at IUPUI. To the students, he asked, “Do you see how the administration is treating our veterans? Since Vietnam, the treatment and funding for disabilities, education and a standard of living for veterans have slowly declined.” Donle suggested that the demonstrators visit the veterans’ hospital to observe the lack of facilities and technology available to the disabled soldiers.\nThroughout the demonstration, emotions and sentiments were elevated by multiple music acts. Bolth, a political punk band from Indianapolis, sang about changing policy and not being able to justify the war. \n“The American ego is sometimes a lot bigger than weapons of mass destruction,” the lead guitarist said between songs. “And no one ever sees the long term effects of war.”\nBolth was followed by veteran Vince Emanuelle, a marine stationed in Iraq for nearly four years. He gravely recounted the first time that he had killed another person. “At that moment, I felt accomplished, satisfied, like a hero,” he said. “Afterwards, I only felt numb and fearful, as if the man I had just killed was watching my every move.”\nAfter hearing from the living veteran, Donle commemorated the 75 deceased Indiana residents, who gave their lives for their country, by beginning a solemn vigil. For each name read aloud, the student holding that soldier’s image came forward as a bell rang honoring that person’s life and service. \nHowever, as peaceful as the protesters’ intentions were, a conflict was inevitable. Greenwood, Ind. residents Jim and Kathy Gibson circled the monument multiple times on his motorcycle, revving his engine and playing country musician Toby Keith’s song, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” during the vigil. One furious protestor, Chris Cosner, a student from Manchester College, jumped in front of the motorcycle to cease its looping around the monument.\n“I was holding my sign, Craig A. Boling from Elkhart, dead at age 38, and this man was being so disrespectful,” Cosner said. “This is a peace movement and a memorial for fallen soldiers. So, I stopped in front of him and told him that this is a funeral and memorial for those who are dead ...”\nGaining back the attention of the demonstrators after the confrontation was a student speaker.\n“These people were good-intentioned, beautiful people, children, who are dead,” she said. “But we are all connected, even to the people we don’t like. We are all human, we are all alive and we all share the same planet.”
(03/23/07 4:00am)
Although the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq was Monday, protesters are not finished making their voices heard. \nThroughout this past week, multiple rallies in support of ending the war have been held all over the nation, including in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and even in Bloomington. But this weekend, a student-led protest titled “Four Years Too Long: Students for a New Agenda in Iraq” will begin 11 a.m. Saturday at downtown Indianapolis’ Monument Circle.\nLawrence North High School senior Kelly McGuire was a key planner in putting together the protest, but McGuire gives most of the credit to Valparaiso student organizers Scott Osthus and Libby A’Hearn. McGuire said the two have secured the proper permits from the city and are working with the private group that maintains the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument.\n“Really, I’m just some pissed off kid,” McGuire said. “After reading the organizing statements Scott and Libby had come up with, I immediately wanted to get on board and they unofficially gave me the responsibility of the Indianapolis region schools.”\nHe also said that although there is a permanent police authority around the circle, the organizers believe that full cooperation between the two parties will be present.\n“The objective of this event is to bring together motivated anti-war students from all over Indiana,” McGuire said. “We hope to create an anti-war movement in the heart of this conservative stronghold.”\nMcGuire, who said he learned of the project from a friend, has been helping to plan and organize this event for almost 1 1/2 years.\nA detailed itinerary has been scheduled, including several musical acts, speakers and a vigil. The guest speaker list is comprised of representatives from various peace-driven organizations, such as Code Pink, Veterans for Peace, an Iraq War veteran, the Quaker Society and a handful of student speakers.\n“When people walk away from this event I want them to walk away with an arsenal of tools from information, organizing resources and contacts of other motivated students as well as the inspiration and motivation to make a long-term commitment to social change and ending this war,” McGuire said.\nOrganizers encourage anyone interested in ending the war to join the protest this weekend.\n“Our task is a huge one, a complicated and difficult one, especially for kids here in Indiana,” McGuire said. “But if we don’t do it, who will?”
(03/21/07 4:00am)
Three 6 Mafia, Yellowcard and O.A.R. might be playing during Little 500 week, but they won’t be the only talent coming to Bloomington.\nDavid Bazan of Pedro the Lion, Lightning Bolt, Brother Ali and PSALM One will be performing in various venues in Bloomington during Little 500 weekend.\nDan Coleman, a freelance booking agent in Bloomington, said that he tried to schedule bands that were outside of the MTV mainstream genre in order to give the city an alternative to the bigger shows.\n“It’s not really that big of a deal for these bands to play here during Little 500 week, because they are pretty well-known,” Coleman said. “It’s more of a bigger deal for the town of Bloomington, so people have somewhere else to go, other than to the bigger bands’ shows.”\nBazan, Pedro the Lion’s frontman, will be performing at 8 p.m. on April 20 at Bear’s Place, 1316 E. 3rd St., Coleman said. Considered both indie and folk, he is on a nation-wide tour to promote his solo album, “Fewer Moving Parts.” Bazan’s performances typically include intricate melodies and are politically charged, according to his Web site.\nOut of Providence, R.I., comes noise rock band Lightning Bolt, who are also on a national tour and can be seen playing on April 21 at Uncle Fester’s House of Blooze, 430 E. Kirkwood Ave., Coleman said. Lightning Bolt has been called “manic” and “musically hyperactive” by a music review from the New York Press, and has drawn comparisons to avant-garde rock band The Boredoms, according to Coleman. The bass and drum duo are known to wear costumes while performing and sing incomprehensibly about silly topics, such as anarchy, political parodies and heavy metal clichés, according to the band’s Web site.\nFollowing Lightning Bolt’s performance will be hip-hop artists Brother Ali and PSALM One, who will be performing at 8 p.m. on April 22 at the Bluebird, 216 N. Walnut St., Coleman said. Brother Ali, the albino Rhymesayers Entertainment’s MC from Minneapolis, MN., has been a long-time favorite within the underground hip-hop scene, according to the label’s Web site. Together with Rhymesayers’ first female artist PSALM One, hip-hop fans and non-fans of Bloomington alike will hear an energetic and powerful performance from both musicians, according to the label’s site.\n“These groups aren’t necessarily lesser or unknown in the music scene,” Coleman said. “They just aren’t as big as the other bands who will be playing.”\nVenues and fans alike are anxiously awaiting the performances of these artists, he said. \n“It seems like the University goes out of the way to bring in these big bands, and the frats always have some hip-hop group or acoustic indie band come in,” Coleman said. “I just wanted to give the town something else to do besides drinking and going to the race.”
(03/19/07 4:00am)
After countless nights of being kicked out of the library’s upper floors at 2 a.m. and having to find somewhere else to go, IU students can stop worrying about having a place to study late into the night.\nStarting today, the second through fifth floors of the Herman B Wells Library’s west tower will experiment with remaining open 24 hours a day, Sunday through Thursday, until the end of the semester. If successful, the new library hours could extend into next year, said IUB Library Director of Communications Eric Bartheld. \n“We’re testing the extended hours for a limited time, and wanted to do so at the busiest time of the semester when we know students use the library most,” Bartheld said.\nCarolyn Walters, executive associate dean of the library, said the idea for the new hours came from requests from hundreds of students.\n“Each day we have between 6,000 to 7,000 students going through the west tower, and that’s a lot of traffic,” Walters said. “There will be even more toward the end of the semester.”\nPatricia Steele, Ruth Lilly interim dean of University libraries, agreed.\n“Now we’re giving (students) more of what they’ve asked for,” Steele said in a news release. “We’re providing those choices at the times they need them most, even if it’s in the middle of the night. Our goal, always, is to help students succeed academically.”\nThe library’s old hours, from 8 a.m. to midnight, Sunday through Thursday, were also extended to provide students with a safe place to study. \n“There will be a security guard patrolling the floors throughout the extended hours,” Walters said.\nDiane Dallis, head of Information Commons Undergraduate Library Services, elaborated on the security of the floors. \n“From midnight to 8 a.m., use of the west tower is restricted to IU faculty, staff and students, and the security guard will enforce this stringently,” Dallis said. “Library staff will routinely patrol the floors as well. There are emergency phones on floors two through five.”\nMost students responded to the changes with gratitude and relief. \n“I’m psyched,” freshman Amy Bastawros said. “I pretty much live at the library and now I won’t have to worry about finding a computer on the first floor now. They are usually packed down there.”\nFreshman Julie Ponce called the change a great idea.\n“I often found myself working at the library late at night,” Ponce said, “and being forced to move to the first floor of the west tower was always a bother. It’s always loud because it is a group working space. Having floors two through five will allow me to continue studying without noise.”\nStudents may also continue to check out books, laptops, headphones, calculators and other items offered during the day.\n“Students will have 24-hour access to more than 400 information databases from any of the workstations in the west tower, at home or on campus,” Dallis said.\nStill, library officials admitted there is at least one disadvantage of the library’s new hours.\n“Our custodial staff usually comes in at night, after the tower has been closed,” Walters said. “It’s going to be difficult for them to keep the floors clean.”\nDallis said she hopes students will understand that small disruptions such as vacuums will be unavoidable.\n“We’re hoping students can now work uninterrupted, without regard to hours,” Bartheld said. “Kind of like those casinos in Vegas where you don’t know what time it is – you just keep doing your thing.”