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(03/06/12 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Police Department has a new recruit. He has no rank and no hope of ever earning one. He doesn’t make minimum wage. He’s allowed room and board, if he’s willing to have a roommate, but that’s all.His is the story of an immigrant who has had to work from the bottom up. He was born in Holland and taken from his mother, and he’s only two and a half years old. He was not allowed a seat on a passenger plane — he was shipped in the cargo hold of that plane to the United States. He was eventually purchased by IUPD, and the job isn’t always easy. His life is an endless game of Minesweeper — he specializes in finding explosives. He has to ride around Bloomington in the back of a car, which is particularly problematic because of his extreme phobia of motorcycles and bicycles. Despite these troubles, he is a good friend, though his coworkers say treating him as such will make him complacent and lazy. He is a great listener and rarely talks back. He likes to meet new people, but strangers are usually afraid of him because of the reputation of his kind. He has been at the police department for only a couple months, but people around town have started to notice his dark brown eyes peeping at them from the back window of a police cruiser. When he steps out, people see his long tail wagging.His name is Tery. He’s a 75-pound German Shepherd, a common breed for police dogs. Tery stands out among his breed, and not just because of his training.His eyes are far darker than usual, a deep blackish-brown ringed with gold when the light hits them, rather than the usual pale brown.***Tery walks in small bounds ahead of his police partner and roommate, Officer Chris Collins, as they head to his first assignment in late January. An IU Athletics employee opens the gates, and they walk through the glass doors of Assembly Hall. They’re still closed three hours before fans will pour in to watch Indiana basketball.Tery presses his nose into a corner, sniffing along the edge where the wall hits the floor. He rears up on his hind legs to sniff the outside of a trash can, but it doesn’t keep his interest for long. He goes back to sniffing along the floors. He seems unable to walk in a straight line — he wags his tail as he goes, wiggling his entire lean body.Tery isn’t just sniffing for food or curiosity, though. Tery is sniffing for bombs. He is IUPD’s first K-9 unit, and he is not the standard drug-sniffing dog. Tery has been trained to find explosives and track missing persons by scent.Collins is keeping a strong hold on Tery’s thin leather leash. He pulls the leash up and away from his body, allowing him greater control as he and the dog turn a corner on the concourse.Tery seems about to bolt, and Collins wraps the leash around his hand as the canine suddenly turns and makes a move to slam into him. Tery is young, but certainly strong enough to knock down the officer, so it’s possible a rush from the dog could take him down.Collins is unsure whether Tery is working to find explosives, his main function, or just exploring.“He kind of does his own thing,” Collins says. He pulls, steady but quick, as Tery jerks to the left. “He’s still such a puppy.”It isn’t searching these important events that motivates Tery, though. The truth is, it isn’t even bombs that Tery wants. It’s tennis balls.As Collins and Tery make their way past the west ramp, Collins reaches inside his navy-blue uniform.Though Tery hasn’t found anything yet, Collins pulls out a bright-yellow tennis ball — Tery’s reward for finding an explosive — and bounces it. He hopes to keep Tery excited and interested in his search.Tery goes berserk. His eyes roll, his tail wags and he runs at Collins’ legs. Collins holds the ball above his head, and Tery uses him as a ladder, scrabbling at his police badges. Collins smiles as Tery lets out a low whine and makes a tentative snap for the ball.“That’s his whole life,” Collins says. “He lives, eats and breathes for it.”***Collins grew up with dogs, though those were smaller Cocker Spaniels he was allowed to treat as pets. Originally from Auburn, Ind., Collins came to IU in 2004 with the sole desire to become a lawyer.That desire changed when a friend convinced him to join IUPD’s cadet program, which trains undergraduates as police officers. Collins fell in love with the job.Now 25 years old, Collins says his life is fun, and he still enjoys his job. He thinks of law school as something to do later in life, nothing he needs to rush into.When a notice circulated the police department that Chief Cash was hiring internally for someone to work with the new bomb dog, Collins was quick to apply. He was interviewed several times by the chief, and the department inspected his house to make sure it could properly house a dog from a large breed. Cash eventually selected him from a pool of qualified candidates.In November 2011, Cash, Collins and an IUPD lieutenant traveled to Vohne Liche Kennels in Denver, Ind., to find IU’s police dog.Despite the police chief’s presence, it was Collins’ responsibility to choose the right dog. After all, Collins would not only work with the dog, he would share his home and life with him.The three drove north from Bloomington and ended in a town filled with fields and little else. The officers were ushered inside the training facility, a collection of squat, bland, pale-yellow buildings and open fields littered with obstacle courses. The ground was slimy mud that sucked at their shoes and splattered onto their pant legs. Collins already missed Bloomington.Vohne Liche staff members took the three to a building that resembled a modern barn that might be found on a small farm. Trainers brought out three of Vohne Liche’s best explosive detection and tracking dogs.The first two were hyper and unfocused, Collins thought. Then the trainer showed them Tery.He stood out — he had unusual coloring and a gentle temperament, willingness to let the officers come near him and the ability to calmly settle next to the trainer. When Tery searched for bombs, he seemed meticulous and thorough. Somehow, Collins knew. This was his new partner.***Tery lived with Collins for a week as a test to see whether the two would bond. Tery became familiar with Collins’ house, his cruiser and the police station. Collins seemed to pass the test, and the dog was clearly becoming infatuated with the officer. Tery stuck his nose next to Collins’ face when they were in the patrol car and snapped to attention when he heard the officer’s voice.After the first week, Collins and Tery were instructed to return to Vohne Liche. There, Collins was trained to handle Tery, giving him commands and reading his body language for signs of detection. Tery stopped searching when he found an explosive, and his body tensed slightly — he was anticipating the bright-yellow tennis ball reward.Collins was housed in a hotel owned by the kennels during the training. He knew the training was vital to his and Tery’s efficiency and relationship. But that didn’t mean he enjoyed all of it.After three weeks, Collins and Tery had finally completed enough training to return home. ***It’s been three months since Tery left the kennels, and he remains both gentle and enthusiastic by nature, shaking his whole body when Collins gives him attention, panting and lolling his tongue whenever he sees that bright-yellow tennis ball.Collins knows Tery’s vivacity is a good sign. One of the main concerns for police dogs is avoiding the depression and sense of defeat that follows never finding an explosive. Dogs that don’t feel gratified for performing their main function can decide not to work anymore, rendering them only as useful as a common pet.Police assume and hope the average police dog will never find explosives in his career. “The goal is to not find anything,” Collins says. “Or, that’s the hope.”The unlikelihood of finding bombs in Bloomington might please police. It does not please the dog, who needs at least a few moments of success to remain confident.To avoid wearing down Tery emotionally, Collins hides small samples of explosive materials in the police station. Tery finds them in desk drawers in various rooms, and his success inspires him to keep working for that bright-yellow tennis ball.Tery indicates he’s found the explosives through body language Collins has been trained to recognize. When he sees this, Collins rewards Tery with the ball. It’s Tery’s true love, and he snatches it, chewing on it with the side of his mouth and giving a sour look at anyone who comes near it, including Collins.***On a chilly day in February, Tery and Collins patrol Bloomington together in the police cruiser. Collins drives through campus, leaving the station and starting down Jordan Avenue to begin a long circle.Tery, meanwhile, is spread across the entire backseat, which has been modified for him. Instead of regular seats, the back is now a flat surface. Tery is separated from Collins by a black metal barrier that has openings along the top. Collins occasionally sticks his hand in these for Tery to sniff or lick.Tery keeps pushing his head between the metal separating him from the front seat, resting his head on Collins’ shoulder. “One of these days, you’re gonna get stuck doing that,” Collins says, touching the dog’s nose with his fingers. After a few moments of silence, Tery suddenly slams his whole body against the metal barrier. He begins to bark loudly, teeth showing, watching the street with wild eyes.A bicyclist had the nerve to pass them in the bicycle lane on Third Street. Tery continues to bark as the cyclist turns onto a side road, then finishes with a long, sad whine.Collins doesn’t know exactly why Tery is terrified of motorcycles and bicycles.“Maybe he had a tragic incident when he was overseas,” Collins says.Collins sticks one hand in the back, hoping to calm the dog. Tery pushes his nose between the officer’s fingers. Collins continues to drive, but keeps one hand wrapped around the metal to keep Tery calm. When Tery whines, licks and begs for attention like any normal dog, Collins has to remind himself that their relationship is professional. Tery isn’t a pet. He’s a working dog.When Collins and Tery finish a shift, Tery still lives with him, and he has to prevent the dog from becoming lazy.“He’s nobody’s pet,” Collins says. “You have to balance the mushy-mushy lovey-lovey with work.”Even as he says this, Tery sticks his head out again to rest beside Collins’ face, and the officer scratches the dog’s nose. Collins smiles slightly as Tery gives a low whine.***Tery and Collins are not just dog and handler. They are a unit, and they embody the idea of one.They spend more time together than most married couples. They wake up together. They drive to and from work together. They run and eat together. They fall asleep together.Collins is forced to share more of his life with Tery than with anyone else, and after a little practice at it, he shares his inner self freely.Before Tery, Collins made his patrols alone. It gave him time to think, and he often talked to himself in the privacy of his car. Now he has a listener who seems to care about all the same things.“He’s great at it,” Collins says. “He never talks back.”Tery’s ears perk at the sound, and his tail starts to thump against the backseat.
(02/29/12 2:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The first impression the inside of Beck Chapel gives is humility. Only 65 to 75 people can fit inside. It is sparsely decorated with simple woodwork and stained glass in primary colors, and it lacks the trappings of many denominational churches.Compared with this simple background, the work of Johann Sebastian Bach playing on the chapel’s largest feature, a Van Dahlen pipe organ, seemed very complex and proud.Janette Fishell, chair of the organ department at the Jacobs School of Music, played her 10th concert of a series devoted to Bach on Thursday afternoon.The concert series, “Seasons of Sebastian,” features Bach’s work every Thursday at the same time. There are 21 concerts in the series, and each concert has a different theme. Thursday’s was “Something Old and Something New.”The audience, which filled the entire chapel, was varied. Some were young, some older. Young couples came, holding hands and leaning on one another, and others came with tarnished wedding bands but no partner.All but one stared toward the front of the church, far away in the music and the images it painted in their minds. The one different from the others rested his head in his hand, staring at the organist as her fingers flew across the well-worn keys.The organist, too, was focused entirely on the music that flowed from print to her fingers to the organ pipes.Fishell is a graduate of Jacobs’ prestigious organ program, and she received her doctorate in music from Northwestern University. She has performed in the largest, grandest concert venues in the world — Suntory Hall in Tokyo, King’s College in Cambridge, Berlin’s Schauspielhaus and many others.Yet she approaches the tiny concert in the tiny chapel with as much attention to detail and enthusiasm as ever.Sophomore Katie Minion, an organ performance major, smiled, eyes distant, as the music swelled and quieted, lingered and ceased.Minion said it was a unique experience to hear someone play the Beck Chapel organ. It is off-limits to most in Jacobs and is played only by the chapel’s own organist at weddings and other small events.Though the organ is the largest feature of the chapel, it is small compared to the prototype many have for organs, with huge pipes that can take up one or more walls and stretch to the ceiling. This organ was nestled in a corner, behind the pews, with slender pipes stretching up at different lengths. Many bowed their heads as Fishell drew out the last long notes of each song, as if in prayer. The concert went a few minutes longer than planned. Some trickled out, leaving the chapel between songs, but more chose to stay.Freshman Scott Scheetz, also an organ performance major, had to sit in the back because the chapel was full when he arrived. He leaned back against a wooden pew, staring out the stained glass windows at times, looking at the audience.Fishell drew out the last note of “Prelude and Fugue in B-flat major,” and the audience quietly applauded. Scheetz waited a moment, absorbing the note, before joining in the applause.Fishell thanked the audience and invited them to the last 10 concerts before walking to the front door to greet the audience members as they left.“She did a fantastic job, as always,” Minion said as she filed out with the crowd, waiting for her turn to speak to Fishell. Scheetz smiled as he reflected on Fishell’s expertise and performance. “It was quite wonderful,” Scheetz said. “Dr. Fishell just plays so beautifully, all the time. And Bach is wonderful.”
(02/22/12 5:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman Nick Janicki is doing more than settling in and learning how to be a Hoosier. He’s running a Facebook page with more than 11,600 “likes.”Janicki is the creator and administrator of “Indiana University Memes,” a page that went viral in its first 24 hours of existence and continues to grow in popularity. He is training to work at the Indiana Daily Student.IDS When did you decide to start “Indiana University Memes,” and what gave you the idea?Janicki To be honest, the idea had been in my head for a while. It’s pretty amusing, seeing everyone making memes now, something that me and my friends have been doing for a couple months, posting them on each other’s walls.I’m sure most students here have these witty thoughts in their heads — they had just never put them into words, until now. That’s the great humor behind it. It’s a chance for everyone to share their pet peeves and little idiosyncrasies on campus, and the number of “likes” a particular meme gets really depends on how common people notice these things around campus.IDS How do you monitor posts? Which earn a spot on the page, and which don’t?Janicki Well, it’s always been kind of tough, and the more people who like the page, the crazier it gets. We try to filter spam, remove obscene comments on photos and delete memes that are offensive in general. IDS What makes a great post?Janicki That’s tough to say. I try to choose or make ones that apply only to IU and not college or education in general because it is, after all, IU’s meme page.IDS What is the best part of running the page?Janicki The best thing is seeing people’s reactions to memes. Not actually on the page, but sometimes I just type in “IU Memes” in the search bar on Facebook and view the public posts regarding the meme page, and it’s just awesome to see people posting things like, “IU Memes makes my day.” I just get a good feeling from it.IDS And the most irritating thing?Janicki The most irritating thing, without a doubt, are the Purdue students who spend an excessive amount of time commenting on the memes that target our rivals. Clearly we’re going to have memes about our school rivals, and it’s really all in good humor. If there’s a meme about Purdue’s lack of intelligence compared to IU or something of the sort, there will be multiple, sometimes essay-long comments on the meme explaining why it’s wrong and that Purdue isn’t a bad school. It’s like, relax, it’s a meme.
(02/22/12 5:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Many fads have defined the 2000s. Miniskirts with leggings, Wikis, Uggs and the phrase “That’s hot” have all become part of our culture. Now, the Internet meme is being added to the list, both nationally and at IU.“Indiana University Memes,” a Facebook page created just two weeks ago, now has more than 11,600 “likes” as of deadline for this story, and that number continues to grow rapidly.The page displays images already popular on Internet sites, such as 9gag.com and memebase.com, that have been applied to IU culture, including the “Y U No” and “Futurama Fry” memes.Sophomore Tommy Myers used the “Success Kid” meme with the words “Submit webwork problem. Green.”Myers said he was inspired by a finite class in which he had to submit web problems and the rage that followed a question marked red, or incorrect.“I think I was surprised at how fast it got ‘likes,’” Myers said. “I never imagined it would get more than 100 likes.”Myers’ post is currently at 635 “likes,” with 10 comments.Sophomore Katie Pittman used the same meme, but applied the words “Go to Wright Food Court. Fresh breakfast buddies.”“My friend Milana and I thought it would be a good way to procrastinate writing our papers, and we wanted to use something a lot of people could relate to,” Pittman said. “I remember standing around in Wright my freshman year with 15 other people, waiting for the fresh breakfast buddies to be made in the morning.”Her meme currently has 219 “likes” and 11 comments, in some of which students share their own experiences with Wright Food Court.These and many other relatable posts have elevated the page’s popularity quickly. It has been viewed in more than 24 countries, including Ireland, Haiti, Spain and Japan. It has received 827,868 page views, and in the first day of its creation, it gained 1,000 “likes.” By the end of the first week, it had 10,000.In addition, because of the page, IU is ranked number four on Mashable’s list of the 20 colleges where Internet memes are “all the rage.”Filippo Menczer, professor and director of the Center for Complex Networks and Systems Research at the School of Informatics and Computing, studies memes and other connections people use on social networks.“A meme is any piece of information that is easy to pass or ‘infect’ from person to person, either offline or via social media,” Menczer said. “The information could be true, false or anywhere in between.”Menczer offered links to blogs, Twitter hashtags, popular headlines and celebrity names as meme examples. He said memes allow people to know what is spreading through the social network. He added that they are found using word of mouth; traditional media promotion, such as a newspaper article with online-only additional content; and support within the medium itself, such as promoted videos on YouTube.“We can distinguish between the few memes that go viral, reaching thousands or millions of people, and the vast majority of memes that quickly die out,” Menczer said. “This way, we can observe what is grabbing our collective attention.”Menczer’s research group studies the role of limited attention in explaining the diverse nature of memes that become popular. He said many theories exist about what makes a meme go viral.“Several factors may be at play, including external ones, intrinsic interest of the meme, the influence of the people who promote the meme, bias, promotion within the medium and so on,” Menczer said. But whether memes play a significant role in connecting individuals who never have and never will meet is yet to be determined, Menczer said. “This is hard to say,” Menczer said. “In recent months, microblogging platforms, such as Twitter and Google+, have changed the way a repost is displayed, giving credit to the originator of the meme rather than the friend through which we were ‘infected.’ This exposes the identity of the person who started the meme.” Sophomore Meaghan Kennedy created a post using the “Scumbag Steve” meme that reads, “Pushes his way onto a full bus at Kelley. Gets off at McNutt.” It currently has 606 “likes” and 14 comments, but she said she was afraid she would receive negative feedback when she first posted it.“Over the next couple days, I repeatedly checked how many likes I had received,” Kennedy said. “It was kind of a game. I was surprised at the number of likes I got. It was definitely exciting.”But Kennedy, Myers and Pittman all said though they don’t plan to make more posts any time soon, that means little. Meme posts can’t be planned.“I think I’ve reached my peak, and it’s more fun to read the other ones,” Kennedy said.
(02/20/12 3:09am)
There's a bill that could limit student free speech in Indiana K-12 schools and another that will encourage students to take their drunk friends to the hospital. We give you the low-down on both.
(01/23/12 1:55am)
This week we discuss the controversial proposal for Lauren's Law and other legislation making their way through the state legislature.
(01/18/12 5:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU employee Darrell Tolliver, 55, died Tuesday morning after a car accident on Old Ind. 37, said Mark Land, associate vice president of university communications.Tolliver had been on IU’s grounds-keeping crew since 1990. He was driving from his home in Mitchell, Ind., when he struck a tree, flipping his vehicle. Monroe County had a flood warning at the time of the accident.Capt. Robert McWhorter of the Perry-Clear Creek Fire Department said firefighters responded at about 6:30 a.m. to the scene near the Kroger gas station at 4025 S. Old Ind. 37. They found Tolliver’s white Buick Century and the uprooted, broken tree.“We really don’t know what happened, what made him lose control of the vehicle,” McWhorter said.He said poor weather conditions were likely a factor in the accident, but there could be several other reasons why Tolliver lost control. McWhorter said the tree didn’t appear to fall on the vehicle.“We had to remove the driver’s door and remove the steering wheel of the vehicle,” McWhorter said. “We were able to get him out.”Tolliver had a pulse but was unconscious when firefighters removed him from the vehicle, McWhorter said. He was taken to IU Health Bloomington Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
(01/17/12 8:56pm)
IU
employee Darrell Tolliver, 55, died Tuesday morning after a car
accident on Old Ind. 37, said Mark Land, associate vice president of
University Communications.
(01/17/12 4:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior Ruofan Xia was on a journey of self-discovery. Friends said he wanted to understand every part of himself and succeed both emotionally and financially, like so many students at IU.That journey ended when Xia, 21, of Carmel, Ind., was found dead Wednesday at the Travelodge at 2615 E. Third St.“Ruofan was extremely introspective and always polite,” said Alisha Lineswala, who attended the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics and Humanities with him. “He did not necessarily love to talk to people or was always responsive, but he was always a good listener and most people felt they could confide in him without being judged.”Lineswala and other Academy friends Sarah Masick and Susan Savariar described him as being as talented as he was humble.Masick said that, although Xia attended higher level classes than her at the Academy, he never talked down to her or anyone else and lacked the pretentious nature found in many advanced students.“I think most people would recognize him as being one of the most intuitively smart people they ever met,” Lineswala said.Xia participated in several academic competitions, Lineswala said, including Academic Superbowl and Quizbowl.“He was excellent at all the sciences but especially at chemistry and math,” Lineswala said, adding that he had decided to attend medical school by the time they graduated from the Academy.Xia had several interests outside of school, as well. Masick said he enjoyed figuring out the mechanics of magic tricks, and his sleight of hand impressed her and many of his friends.“Along with this, he also loved to play ping-pong and some video games with his friends,” Lineswala said.Masick and Xia became close during their junior year at the Academy. They had class together and began eating lunch together with a mutual friend, Kayla.“We spent a lot of time together on the phone,” Masick said.Savariar and Xia became friends during their senior year, eventually going to prom in the same group.Yet Savariar, an IU junior, said though she sometimes saw Xia around campus, they lost touch. She said he had become withdrawn. Lineswala, a senior at the University of Pittsburgh, did not stay in contact with Xia, either.Masick also said she tried to keep in touch with Xia. Masick is a junior at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis, so she tried to stay in contact via Facebook. It worked for a while, but she said the relationship faded after their freshman year.Masick and Xia’s mutual friend Kayla still talked to Xia by the time they were juniors.“She said everything seemed fine,” Masick said, beginning to choke up.Xia’s visitation was from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Flanner and Buchanan Funeral Services in Carmel, Ind.Kathy Fang of Carmel, who attended Carmel High School with Xia before he was accepted into the Academy, wrote a memorial on the center’s website saying she and her friends had bet he would be the one to cure cancer.“Though we lost touch after he transferred to the Indiana Academy, we still talked about him and thought of him,” Fang’s post read. “Just last week, a couple friends and I talked about getting back in touch with him. I regret that we never got the chance to do so. He was loved and admired by his friends at CHS and will be sorely missed.”Masick, like Fang, said she admired Xia and used to love to listen to Xia’s ideas on various topics.Lineswala remembered Xia’s reflections, as well, including his thoughts on death.“He once told me that death is a stopping point,” Lineswala said. “Your body stops and is not aware of anything, including senses, thoughts, emotions and consciousness. I did not press him further about the matter, but I think he meant that once death happens, it is final and sure, and nothing else matters besides those two facts.”
(01/13/12 5:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior Ruofan Xia, 21, died Wednesday off campus, said Mark Land, associate vice president of University communications.Specific details have not yet been released, but Dean of Students Harold “Pete” Goldsmith said Counseling and Psychological Services and Residential Programs and Services staff spoke to residents who lived with Xia in Collins LLC Greene 3 Wednesday night.“Anytime something like this happens at the University, this is devastating, especially for the friends and family of the student,” Land said. “We’re making services available.”Xia was found at the Travelodge, 2615 E. Third St., near the intersection of East Third Street and College Mall Road, according to Bloomington police reports.Junior Susan Savariar and IU-Purdue University Indianapolis junior Sarah Masick were friends with Xia at the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics and Humanities. Both described Xia as humble, polite and incredibly intelligent.“I used to just love to listen to him talk about his ideas,” Masick said.Masick became close with Xia. They and another student at the Academy ate lunches together, went to school dances and spent time on the phone.“He just loved to laugh,” Masick said. “I think that’s why we became friends. He loved magic tricks.”Both Savariar and Masick said they lost touch with Xia after their freshman year of college. Savariar said he became somewhat withdrawn, and that the Academy community has bonded together to mourn and honor Xia in the hours since his death.“The Academy community is very small,” Savariar said. “It’s very sad. I think he would be happy to know how many people care about him.”IU Student Association Chief of Communications Nikki Suseck expressed sympathy for the family and friends of Xia on behalf of IUSA.“IUSA is deeply saddened to hear the news about the death of our fellow Hoosier Ruofan Xia,” Suseck said in a statement. “Our condolences are with his family and friends. We hope students seeking counseling or physiological help will contact CAPS, who will be available during walk-in hours 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. IUSA shares our thoughts and prayers with the entire student body and his family.”The normal CAPS charges for students are suspended for Collins students dealing with the student death.The crisis line is available after hours at 812-855-5711.
(01/13/12 5:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Four Bloomington High School South students perched on the thinly carpeted steps in the Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center. Student Dan Fuson had a guitar slung across his chest, and he played and sang as the other three harmonized.Meanwhile, students, teachers, principals and community members milled around the room, clutching coffee, spoons and star-shaped pastries.Judith DeMuth, superintendent of the Monroe County Community School Corporation, delivered the county’s first state of the schools address at 8 a.m. Thursday.The address followed an exhibition by students that featured many projects, such as a silver robot arm that whirred, grabbed and dunked a basketball through student Alex Knox’s arms. Visual arts students presented painted masks, paintings flashing across a monitor and intricately carved busts. Other students showcased community service they had performed.Christy Gillenwater, president and CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, was one of several to thank those in attendance and praise DeMuth’s work.“We believe in our school system,” Gillenwater said. “We believe in our superintendent.”She said she and others at the Chamber encourage community support and have been pleased to see it in the past. She cited the MCCSC School Tax Levy Referendum, passed in November 2010, which raised property taxes 14 cents for six years to benefit the school corporation.“We’re also excited to see how the community’s investment in the schools with the recent referendum pays out,” Gillenwater said.Tom Bunger, MCCSCpresident of the board of directors, said the recent changes to MCCSC’s finances support and reflect community values.“That’s one of the things about education in Monroe County,” Bunger said. “Whenever I speak, I say we value it.”DeMuth’s first words as she took the podium praised MCCSC students. She smiled and nodded at student booths as she spoke.“It really doesn’t matter what I say,” DeMuth said. “When you see what you saw this morning, that’s what it’s about.”DeMuth presented slides with numbers she said set MCCSC apart. These include a higher-than-state average number of English language learners, free and reduced lunch recipients and students from outside city limits. She reminded the audience that MCCSC serves 10,820 students and is the fourth largest employer in Bloomington.She said test scores, which are important to the State Board of Education, will be a priority going forward. DeMuth showed a chart of ISTEP scores by grade level and showed that, while MCCSC’s ISTEP scores are often above the state average, there are few grades that have passed 80 percent or more students and none that have passed 90 percent.“We have our challenges there,” DeMuth said.But MCCSC’s average scores for the ACT college entrance exam are more impressive, which DeMuth showed with a chart.“Our schools score well above Indiana and the nation,” she said. “However, we always have to make sure our schools are prepared.”DeMuth also discussed alternative learning methods used by Monroe County schools. In addition to courses in new technology and visual arts, the high schools offer many Advanced Placement courses. Students at Bloomington High School North can earn up to 42 college credits before graduation, and students at BHSS can earn up to 39, DeMuth said.An area that many schools have had to streamline after state education financial cuts is second language courses, DeMuth said. Yet MCCSC has not had to do so. BHSN offers French, German, Spanish, Latin, Japanese and Greek, and BHSS offers French, German, Spanish and Latin. Several middle schools also offer French and Spanish.“I have to thank the community for this referendum,” DeMuth reiterated, saying the schools could not have kept the language programs without it.DeMuth said 92 percent of the funds from the referendum are used to pay salaries and benefits, enabling the schools to hire teachers who can lead many diverse programs. Of the overall budget, which is $104,942,021, 69 percent pays salaries and benefits.“We’re very fortunate that the majority goes toward resources for our students,” DeMuth said.After recapping statistics and concerns from previous years, DeMuth named six main goals for 2012. She said she wants to focus on safety, improving test scores, accountability for referendum funds, introducing and teaching new technology, reassessing the corporation’s mission, vision and core values statement and using the 55-minute extension of the school day efficiently.The extended school day project is directed by the Community Enhancement Program with help from students at the Kelley School of Business. The project seeks to evaluate the efficiency of the extra minutes and the extension’s benefit to students, staff and parents.“With all the demands, that has worked out wonderfully,” DeMuth said.Overall, DeMuth said continuing excellence, remaining accountable and focusing on student achievement are the goals of MCCSC officials.“You are all integral partners,” DeMuth said. “I want to thank each and every one of you.”
(01/12/12 8:48pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior Ruofan Xia, 21, died Wednesday off campus, said Mark Land, associate vice president of University communications. Specific details have not yet been released, but Dean of Students Harold “Pete” Goldsmith said Counseling and Psychological Services staff and Residential Programs and Services staff spoke to residents who lived with Xia on Collins Living Learning Center Greene 3 Wednesday night. “Anytime something like this happens at the University, this is devastating, especially for the friends and family of the student,” Land said. “We’re making services available.” IU Student Association Chief of Communications Nikki Suseck expressed sympathy for the family and friends of Xia on behalf of IUSA."IUSA is deeply saddened to hear the news about the death of our fellow Hoosier Ruofan Xia," Suseck said in a statement. "Our condolences are with his family and friends. We hope students seeking counseling or physiological help will contact CAPS, who will be available during walk-in hours 8am-4:30pm Monday to Friday. IUSA shares our thoughts and prayers with the entire student body and his family."The normal CAPS charges for students are suspended for Collins students dealing with the student death. The crisis line is available after hours at 812-855-5711.For a full version of this story, pick up Friday's edition of the Indiana Daily Student.Correction: An earlier version of this story identified Xia as a graduate student. The IDS regrets this error.
(01/12/12 6:54pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Judith DeMuth, superintendent of the Monroe County Community School Corporation, delivered the county's first state of the schools address 8 a.m. Thursday.The address followed an exhibition by students featuring many projects, such as a silver robot arm that whirred, grabbed and dunked a basketball through student Alex Knox's arms. Visual arts students presented painted masks, paintings flashing across a monitor and intricately carved busts. Other students showcased community service they had performed.Christy Gillenwater, president and CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, was one of several to thank those in attendance and praise DeMuth's work."We believe in our school system," Gillenwater said. "We believe in our superintendent."She said she and others at the Chamber encourage community support and have been pleased to see it in the past. She cited the MCCSC School Tax Levy Referendum, passed in November 2010, which raised property taxes 14 cents for six years to benefit the school corporation."We're also excited to see how the community's investment in the schools with the recent referendum pays out," Gillenwater said.Tom Bunger, president of the board of directors for MCCSC, said the recent changes to MCCSC's finances and support reflect community values."That's one of the things about education in Monroe County," Bunger said. "Whenever I speak, I say we value it."LOOKING FORWARDSafetyContinue efforts to keep students safe during school hoursIncludes protection from bullying and cyber-bullyingTest ScoresImprove test scoresHeighten skill sets and confidence for studentsReferendum AccountabilityShow growth provided by referendum fundsReport fund usage to boardLonger school dayUse more hours to benefit students and staffMaximize efficiencyTechnologyUse and teach new technology effectively and oftenGive teachers tools and skill sets for new technologyMission, Vision and Core ValueReassess mission, vision and core value statementsTake suggestions from community and staffFor a full version of this story, pick up Friday's edition of the Indiana Daily Student.
(01/11/12 5:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Men in baseball caps and women with their hair pulled back in loose ponytails sat at the bar in Nick’s English Hut, jars of beer sweating in front of them. On the Big Ten Network, Wisconsin played Minnesota in hockey. Analysts on SportsCenter talked about Hue Jackson, who had recently been fired as head coach from the Oakland Raiders. Regular customers needled the bartender about when he planned to retire. The atmosphere of the bar was relaxed and welcoming, its normal feel for a weekday afternoon. A sign posted on the bar’s glass door that requested customers to pay with cash was the only hint of a disturbance, one that has plagued the bar for months.On Nov. 23, 2011, the day before Thanksgiving, Susan Bright, Nick’s co-owner and financial analyst, received a disturbing phone call from a prepaid debit card company.Bright sat in a wraparound booth at the front of the bar as she remembered the call, trailing her nails along a tabletop she had just wiped down.The company had flagged several “suspicious transactions” with Nick’s that were each just below $1,000.“When you go to a retail store and return a piece of clothing, they ask you if you’d like to put it back on your credit card,” Bright explained. “That’s what happened, but they’d never purchased anything.”An individual or several individuals not associated with Nick’s had claimed, with the use of prepaid debit cards, returns from Nick’s that drew funds from Nick’s account. “This was almost $8,000 that was being requested out of our account and onto their card,” Bright said.But within two hours of that initial phone call, the claimed funds exceeded $1.2 million. The processor shut down Nick’s credit card transaction system.“The way I saw it, those transactions were happening within hundredths of a second of each other,” Bright said.Cydney Pair was working the lunch hour while Bright fielded the devastating calls. She said she wasn’t told exactly what was happening, and Bright wasn’t entirely sure what to tell everyone.Pair said customers were not pleased with the news that they could not use their credit cards. Bright said the experience was overwhelming.“I had a full house downstairs,” Bright said. “Lunch was full, and I had to figure out how to process their credit cards.”The processor was able to introduce a voice authorization system to run credit cards, though the process took about five minutes per transaction. Bright said this was fine for lunch on a weekday, but she worried about the upcoming weekend. Weekends are usually busy at Nick’s, but she expected an even larger crowd because of the home football game against Purdue.Fortunately, by 3 p.m. Friday the processor had opened credit card transactions again, and half of the fraudulent funds had been reversed.“We’re still liable for half of that,” Bright said. “That’s $580,000.”Nick’s owners are not paying that money now. The FBI has not yet discovered who committed the fraud, and the liability for the remaining $580,000 has yet to be determined by a court.“It was the processor that was hacked, and no one wants to take responsibility for it,” Pair said.Bright said whether the fault is with Nick’s or the processor has yet to be determined.Now, Bright encourages customers to pay with cash, though they are still welcome to pay with credit cards. She said she wants to build the cash on-hand for Nick’s, but she also wants to begin dialogue with customers about credit card theft. “They’re more aware of what happens with their credit cards,” Bright said. “I’ve learned that you’re very vulnerable.”Cash sales are up 50 percent from 20 percent since Nick’s staff posted the sign, Bright said.“People are so used to using their credit cards, so at first it was like, ugh, cash,” Pair said.But she said that once people knew the reason behind the sign, there were very few complaints.Andrew Corr, an IU senior, sat at the bar with a friend watching ESPN and glancing absentmindedly at the menu. A loyal Nick’s customer, he said he didn’t know why the sign had been posted, but he followed its instructions.“We went to an ATM because we didn’t have cash, but we still came here,” he said.Corr used to work as a bartender, so he said he understood the necessity of cash transactions.“There’s something more personal about paying with cash when you’re in a bar for lunch,” Corr said.Bright said customers have waved cash at servers in the aisles, showing their support for the Bloomington staple.“It’s kind of like when you have a death in the family, and everyone feels the loss,” Bright said. “We have such a huge family of Nick’s customers. They’re feeling our loss, and they’re expressing that sympathy.” She said Nick’s owners have always worked well with their local community, so she believes no customers or Nick’s employees are at fault. She added that the vendors, bankers, lawyers, accountants and FBI agents working to clear the difficulty have shown great support for the business.“We’ve had 84 years of good business practices, and I’m looking forward to the next 100 of them,” Bright said.
(01/11/12 12:56am)
Nick's English Hut co-owner Susan Bright works a register Tuesday at the restaurant. The restaurant is at the center of a $1.2 million credit card scam.
(01/11/12 12:56am)
Nick's English Hut co-owner Susan Bright works a register Tuesday at the restaurant. The restaurant is at the center of a $1.2 million credit card scam.
(01/09/12 3:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Arrests were down from the final weeks of the fall semester during winter break with students, staff and faculty away for the winter holiday. But even with the temporary drop in Bloomington’s population, the IU Police Department still had a variety of calls to contend with. The trend through the end of December and beginning of January was possession of narcotics and larceny or theft.Here are examples of crime trends while you were away.STRUNG OUT FROM FINALSDuring the last day of finals week, campus police responded to several calls for disorderly conduct, assault and possession of narcotics or paraphernalia. WHAT: Marijuana possessionWHEN: 11:02 a.m. on Dec. 16WHERE: Collins Living-Learning Center, Smith buildingWHAT: Disorderly conductWHEN: 11 a.m. on Dec. 16WHERE: Jordan HallWHAT: Simple assault (not aggravated)WHEN: 11:52 a.m. on Dec. 16WHERE: Third Street, west of Jordan AvenueBEFORE IT GETS COLDAccording to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, cases of vandalism tend to become fewer during cold winter months. Much of winter was unseasonably warm for Indiana, however.WHAT: VandalismWHEN: Reported at 1 p.m. on Dec. 17, occurred between 4 and 10 a.m.WHERE: Sigma Pi fraternity houseUNDER THE INFLUENCE, OFF CAMPUSIU police can and do make arrests off-campus when they observe crime or someone reports it to them.WHAT: Driving under the influenceWHEN: 1:56 a.m. on Dec. 18WHERE: Off campus–Mary Kenney
(01/09/12 12:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After a 24-hour extension of an order to remove their belongings from Peoples Park, two members of Occupy Bloomington were arrested Saturday.Walker Rhea and Charis Heisey, both 27, were taken to the Monroe County Jail on preliminary charges of misdemeanor trespass. Originally ordered to remove their belongings by noon Thursday, members of the protest were given an extension until Friday after most of the tents had already been removed.Rhea and Heisey, however, stayed past the Friday deadline to protest the order, Sgt. Lucas Tate of the Bloomington Police Department said. After being arrested, both were released on their own recognizance.Tate said police have received no further calls to Peoples Park.
(01/06/12 3:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A Bloomington man was shot and killed just after midnight Wednesday at 4900 S. Rogers St. The victim, later identified as Scott Melton, 29, was inside the house and had been fatally shot when officers reached the scene. Upon arrival, Bloomington police found several individuals at the address. Police questioned witnesses and discovered that Melton had struggled with another individual within the residence. The individual took the firearm from Melton.Melton found a knife and attempted to assault Casey Ratts, 20, with it. Ratts fired a single shot that struck and killed Melton.Ratts was taken into custody and later released pending further investigation.An autopsy is scheduled at Terre Haute Regional Hospital within the next week.
(12/12/11 1:09am)
This week we discuss Kappa Sigma's suspension, assaults on campus and the role of the IU Police Department.