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(10/06/04 5:47am)
Members of the Bloomington Faculty Council spoke out against elements of a sweeping transportation reform proposal presented by the council's parking study committee during Tuesday's BFC meeting.\nLaw Professor Fred Cate, who delivered the proposal on behalf of the committee despite the absence of Chairman Clint Oster, said committee members anticipated negative responses from other members of the BFC.\n"I think the committee's plan was received about the way we expected," Cate said. "Everybody has something they don't like about it."\nThe proposal consisted of five recommendations for University consideration, which included a new transportation fee and the limitation of A and C parking permits to full-time faculty and staff.\nIU-Bloomington Interim Chancellor Ken Gros Louis promised to stand firm against the limitation, which would most directly affect graduate students serving as associate instructors.\n"Over the years, the academic deans have spoken out in favor of AIs," he said. "We don't want to treat them like second-class citizens."\nCouncil members, seated in a circular quorum, waited until the presentation of BFC agenda item number seven -- the "discussion of parking study committee report and recommendations." Some attendees snapped to attention in their chairs while others rapped their pencils in nervous anticipation of a hot-topic debate. When Cate finished his address, attendees voiced their concerns.\nChemistry Professor Romualdo De Souza said the A and C permit restriction could deter graduate students from coming to IU.\n"Frankly, I find the second recommendation very short-sighted," he said. "It devalues our AIs, and when you hinder the ability to attract grad students, you are devaluing faculty." \nGraduate student Melissa Adams said the A and C proposal would have been a significant setback for graduate students. \n"AIs provide an invaluable service," she said. "Parking is one of the few benefits we have, and we're very concerned that could be under consideration"\nAccording to the parking study committee's report, IU sells 2.6 A parking permits for every A spot available on campus and 1.7 C permits for each C spot available. The proposed restriction would alleviate those disparities, dropping the ratio to 2.3:1 and 1.3:1, respectively.\nSome members questioned the significance of such a move, but Cate stood firm.\n"It's almost 1,800 spots," he said. "I would not call that symbolic."\nCate added that the extra parking is paramount to the needs of University associates.\n"Sometimes people are racing for a space in a lot," he said. "You know, you see a spot open three rows over and five cars come from all different directions, and this is an issue of great concern."\nAfter faculty responses, Gros Louis, seated at the head of the conference room, explained an administrator's stance on the parking issue.\nThe new transportation fee would be unlikely, he said, if IU enacts another 4 percent tuition cap. And while he has asked parking officials to serve warnings to all violators of restricted parking spaces, he said he is in favor of a new parking garage.\n"It's just a question of finding the right place along Atwater, where either the houses are IU-owned or the neighbors don't really care," he said.\n-- Contact senior writer Rick Newkirk at renewkir@indiana.edu.
(10/04/04 4:51am)
During a discussion held Friday at the Poynter Center, law professor Daniel Conkle addressed the intersection of politics and religion, including the "religion gap" among voters and the separation of church and state.\nThirty-five people, including students, professors and retired faculty members, listened to Conkle's introduction before the panel was opened to questions. \nConkle said the "religion gap" in politics favors Republicans, citing a poll that found more than 60 percent of Americans like President Bush's religious rhetoric and only 14 percent think he talks about his faith too much.\n"There is a religion gap in politics," Conkle said. "And the Democrats are on the losing side."\nConkle strengthened his point by listing the past Democratic presidents.\n"Look who the Democrats have gotten into the Oval Office the last 25 years," he said. "Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton."\nConkle said part of the reason for those two selections are the former presidents' religious roots.\nHe also said a great number of people not associated with any religion tend to side to the left.\n"Where are the atheists? Where are the agnostics?" he said. "They're overwhelmingly Democrats."\nConkle, who is also an adjunct religious studies teacher, led discussions of the issue of separation of church and state in American politics. \n"I think the separation of church and state is a marvelous thing," said Bloomington resident Rita Lichtenberg. "Just stand up for what you believe in. I don't care where you got it."\nBut IU graduate student Brian Starks said the state of America requires people to have a basis for their beliefs.\n"Democracy is dynamic," Starks said. "That's great that we know what you believe in, but you have to give reasons for them."\nLichtenberg, though, said religious beliefs have shaky foundations.\n"If you base it on God, there's no real verification," she said.\nThough Bush's religion is helpful in the U.S., Conkle said one reason Bush is having strained foreign relations is his religious fervor. Germans and the French tend to dislike Bush, in part because his reliance on faith "drives Europeans crazy," Conkle said.\n"Regarding American politics and global politics, it may be a different stage" regarding religion, he said.\nConkle also said while Democrats have been making an effort to bridge the religion gap by speaking more openly about their own religious convictions, he said there has not been an effort by Republicans to garner the votes of the nonreligious.\n"I haven't seen Bush reach out to atheists," he said. "And I don't think you will anytime soon."\n-- Contact senior writer Rick Newkirk at renewkir@indiana.edu.
(10/01/04 6:32am)
Gov. Joe Kernan named a nine-person task force to steer his proposed "Hoosier Health Plan" Wednesday. The group would serve until December 2005 and includes small-business owners, physicians and hospital administrators from seven different cities.\nThe Kernan administration announced the Hoosier Health Plan in late June. The governor's plan is to pool small-business employees and owners to receive lower rates with insurance companies, said Lisa Sirkin, the Kernan administration's press secretary.\n"The plan will bring more people together," she said. "The larger the pool, the more competitive the health insurance rates are."\nSirkin said the administration chose a variety of members to steer the development of the Hoosier Health Plan.\n"We wanted to have a diverse group," she said. "They are from different geographic locations and there are a variety of industries affected, from health insurance providers to the receiving end with small businesses."\nSirkin said 530,000 unemployed Hoosiers don't have access to employer-sponsored health benefits.\n"Many of these people work for small businesses who can't afford to provide coverage to their employees," she said.\nShould both the governor's proposed Peak Performance government overhaul plan and the Hoosier Health Plan pass legislation, administrators of the Hoosier Health Plan would answer to the Health Policy and Purchasing agency.\nAccording to the press release, the task force would decide how to spend a $272,000 grant Indiana received from the federal government for growth of the proposed Hoosier Health Plan.\nThe governor said the plan would be an important tool for those without health insurance.\n"This program will maximize the purchasing power of the participants and create an affordable benefits package," Kernan said in the press release. "It will be a realistic option for small businesses and start-ups who want to attract and retain qualified workers but can't afford costly health insurance premiums."\nRepresentatives from Mitch Daniels' campaign said the announcement is "just another campaign news release."\n"This is the 14th commission the governor has announced since June," said Marc Lotter, press secretary for the Daniels campaign. "On Monday he announced an end to commissions, and here he is four days later announcing another one."\nLotter also said Daniels has presented a better health care option for voters.\n"Throughout the entire campaign, Mitch has been talking about quality affordable health care for Hoosiers," he said.\n-- Contact senior writer Rick Newkirk at
(10/01/04 4:10am)
When the federal assault weapons ban expired Sept. 13, I had the same reaction as 80 percent of Americans who don't own weapons and don't understand guns.\nHow the hell could the government let an assault weapons ban expire? Didn't that ban keep deadly assault weapons out of the hands of prospective criminals?\nThen I did some research, and to my surprise, I didn't have the slightest clue what the assault weapons ban was.\nSo now it's time for me to dispense my newly-found brilliance in the area of guns.\nThe assault weapons ban was passed in 1994 under the Clinton administration, which is why the National Rifle Association calls it the "Clinton gun ban." Along with outlawing specific models of guns, such as AK-47, AR-15 and TEC-9 (guns that I can't describe but I'm certain I've heard of them in many rap songs), the bill was designed to criminalize gun manufacturers who built clips of more than 10 rounds and semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and pistols with detachable magazines (the cartridges that hold bullets) and two or more assault weapon features.\nIf you're wondering what those might be, assault weapon features for rifles (the most popularly debated category) include a folding stock (so you can more easily conceal your weapons), a pistol grip (so you can shoot from the hip), a flash suppressor (so no one can see the flash when you're spraying the street), a bayonet mount (so you can stab your victim repeatedly to make sure he's dead) and a grenade launcher (in case you're completely insane). \nNow, it's completely understandable why we might not need bayonets and grenade launchers on our guns. Last time I checked, no one needs a large knife at the end of their gun to hunt game and an explosion might be detrimental to venison.\nBut there were a few key loopholes in the now-defunct assault weapons ban.\nFirst, all the guns and cartridges made illegal by the law are completely legal if they were manufactured before Sept. 13, 1994. This is known as "grandfathering." After the ban was enacted, gun dealers went crazy selling old weapons and 15+ round cartridges to gun junkies in need of a fix.\nSecond, and perhaps often overlooked, is that those guns not specifically named by the bill are completely legal if they aren't manufactured with two or more of the assault features. And each assault feature is legal by itself. Can you put the pieces together? Because prospective criminals sure could.\nSo all this time I thought perhaps the assault weapons ban forbade criminals from attaining automatic weapons.\nNot so. Automatic weapons have been virtually illegal for anyone except cops to own since 1934.\nSo was the assault weapons ban a step toward a literal interpretation of the second amendment, allowing only "militia" men to carry firearms?\nNo. In essence, the ban was a 10-year hiatus on the production of certain semi-automatic weapons with detachable magazines. Regardless of your stance on the second amendment, it is completely irrelevant to the assault weapons ban debate.\nSo why is it important the assault weapons ban was lifted?\nThough the NRA was elated at the sunset of the ban, anti-gun folks should also be excited by the expiration. This is the chance they've been asking for for years to get a bill in Congress that makes a difference in the availability of lethal weapons, and not just a political façade to gain congressmen's votes. \nThe assault weapons ban expiration is a blessing to those who want a real debate on the issue of gun control. Try prying that opinion from my cold, dead hands.
(09/30/04 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When tiny diamond-studded needles swim through the grooves of a 12-inch black plastic disc, the world of vinyl collectors rejoices.
Even in the age of the MP3, after cassettes and compact discs went the way of the 8-track, record collectors are a formidable pack of music lovers. One member of that pack, IU alum Martin Gimenez, said records have the upper hand on digital music.
"I'm an audio engineer, so I know the fundamental differences between vinyl and CDs," he said. "If I buy a record, I know I'm getting something that is analog through and through."
The difference is not an easy one to understand, but analog sound is recorded on a continuous surface, such as a vinyl groove or the magnetic field of a tape. When it is played back, analog sound is the actual sound of the surface on which the music was recorded. Digital music works a little differently. The analog sounds created by voices and instruments are converted into digital code, and the code is then burned onto a CD. What the listener hears on playback is a digital interpretation of the analog sound.
"If you really listen to music, you can tell the difference," said IU-Bloomington law student Justin Treasure. "It's miniscule, but it's there."
Gimenez, now an audio engineering professor at West Virginia University, said he has used his students as test mice to study the difference between the two sounds.
"In my class we'll have A-B comparisons between vinyl and CDs," he said. "Even though the CDs are much newer, the vinyl holds its own."
A Day at TD'sTucked beneath Laughing Planet through a few low corridors around Soma, TD's CDs and LPs is one of Bloomington's havens for vinyl collectors. Patrons routinely discuss trends in music while shuffling through the store's selections.
"For a beginning collector, get all those Motown things," Gimenez said. "And old jazz."
Treasure had his own tips for building a solid collection.
"Buy some old stuff, some new stuff," he said. "Something from different eras. Get yourself some Miles Davis albums, or even Sinatra. And Sumday by Grandaddy. Everyone should know that album."
Gimenez said that, along with an original copy of REM's Chronictown, an album he found at a recent shopping spree keeps him coming back for more vinyl.
"I found an original They Might Be Giants album," he said. "I found that, and I practically shat myself."
The LookMany vinyl collectors at TD's find solace in the appearance of records, as music for the sake of art.
"Look at picture discs," Gimenez said. "When the disc is the artwork, it's fucking beautiful."
And that opinion finds little resistance, even among those in favor of digital music. It's tough to deny the romance involved with the vinyl record, from the Victrola to the Hi-Fi.
Michael Anderson, TD's employee, musician and avid music collector, said he finds that romanticism is the saving grace of vinyl.
"I think a lot of people fetishize over it," Anderson said. "People don't like the non-art of CDs."
Anderson, also the lead singer of local band Turn Pale, said digital sound is a superior alternative to analog.
"A far as sound quality goes, I think a lot of people overemphasize the warmth of vinyl," he said. "Nowadays, you get a lot of kids who talk about how much infinitely better vinyl sounds, but they're playing records on an old player with a shitty needle on a digital receiver. They're not capitalizing on the technology."
Gimenez dissented.
"It does have a different sound," he said. "It's a different era of listening. You get that with bands like Sigur Rós. I guess I like that stuff because I'm a pretentious fuck."
Anderson agreed that many vinyl afficionados are pretentious.
"He knows all the right things to say," the vinyl-phobe said. "But he's just babbling music talk. I only buy CDs. I don't have to flip it every 20 minutes."
The Voice of ReasonLast November, when TD's founder Tom Donohue passed away, Jason Nickey took the reigns of the basement record shop. A longtime collector of music, Nickey traces his love of vinyl back to his childhood.
"A lot of it is, it's what I grew up with," he said. "I've never been without a turntable. I brought mine with me to college, and I think I was the only kid in my dorm with one."
While many music buffs enjoy the ease of use of the digital medium, Nickey said part of his fondness for vinyl comes from the clunkiness of the record.
"I like the inconvenience of it," he said. "There's too much music out there. When I listen to MP3s, it's like I'm swimming in this soup of songs and I can't tell you anything about it. But when I listen to records, I have to go home, look through my collection, pick out a record, put it on the turntable, then flip it to the other side. I like the hassle."
Nickey also points to the long history of the record as an advantage.
"Vinyl definitely has more of a life in it than CDs," he said. "There will always be people who want vinyl."
The ProductAnderson, although firmly in favor of the power of technology, said the production quality of any medium of music affects the overall sound.
"Anyone can make a CD sound like shit," Anderson said. "It's just a matter of do you know what you're doing when you master it. In the reissues (of older albums), the CD is going to sound better than the vinyl album."
And while Nickey revels in the hassle of the black plastic disc, Anderson does not.
"For me it's just a convenience thing," he said. "I just want to hear it. I don't have a record player in my car."
Gimenez, meanwhile, said the physical entity that is the record makes it a better option as a piece of music.
"Just look at the size of the record," he said. "You can fit in more liner notes and illustrations and all that neat shit."
So while the debate, older than the advent of the gramophone, between technology and romanticism wears out like an old diamond-studded needle, the sound plays on.
"Ultimately, it's just about the music," Anderson said. "If it's good, it's good."
(09/29/04 7:11pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When tiny diamond-studded needles swim through the grooves of a 12-inch black plastic disc, the world of vinyl collectors rejoices.
Even in the age of the MP3, after cassettes and compact discs went the way of the 8-track, record collectors are a formidable pack of music lovers. One member of that pack, IU alum Martin Gimenez, said records have the upper hand on digital music.
"I'm an audio engineer, so I know the fundamental differences between vinyl and CDs," he said. "If I buy a record, I know I'm getting something that is analog through and through."
The difference is not an easy one to understand, but analog sound is recorded on a continuous surface, such as a vinyl groove or the magnetic field of a tape. When it is played back, analog sound is the actual sound of the surface on which the music was recorded. Digital music works a little differently. The analog sounds created by voices and instruments are converted into digital code, and the code is then burned onto a CD. What the listener hears on playback is a digital interpretation of the analog sound.
"If you really listen to music, you can tell the difference," said IU-Bloomington law student Justin Treasure. "It's miniscule, but it's there."
Gimenez, now an audio engineering professor at West Virginia University, said he has used his students as test mice to study the difference between the two sounds.
"In my class we'll have A-B comparisons between vinyl and CDs," he said. "Even though the CDs are much newer, the vinyl holds its own."
A Day at TD'sTucked beneath Laughing Planet through a few low corridors around Soma, TD's CDs and LPs is one of Bloomington's havens for vinyl collectors. Patrons routinely discuss trends in music while shuffling through the store's selections.
"For a beginning collector, get all those Motown things," Gimenez said. "And old jazz."
Treasure had his own tips for building a solid collection.
"Buy some old stuff, some new stuff," he said. "Something from different eras. Get yourself some Miles Davis albums, or even Sinatra. And Sumday by Grandaddy. Everyone should know that album."
Gimenez said that, along with an original copy of REM's Chronictown, an album he found at a recent shopping spree keeps him coming back for more vinyl.
"I found an original They Might Be Giants album," he said. "I found that, and I practically shat myself."
The LookMany vinyl collectors at TD's find solace in the appearance of records, as music for the sake of art.
"Look at picture discs," Gimenez said. "When the disc is the artwork, it's fucking beautiful."
And that opinion finds little resistance, even among those in favor of digital music. It's tough to deny the romance involved with the vinyl record, from the Victrola to the Hi-Fi.
Michael Anderson, TD's employee, musician and avid music collector, said he finds that romanticism is the saving grace of vinyl.
"I think a lot of people fetishize over it," Anderson said. "People don't like the non-art of CDs."
Anderson, also the lead singer of local band Turn Pale, said digital sound is a superior alternative to analog.
"A far as sound quality goes, I think a lot of people overemphasize the warmth of vinyl," he said. "Nowadays, you get a lot of kids who talk about how much infinitely better vinyl sounds, but they're playing records on an old player with a shitty needle on a digital receiver. They're not capitalizing on the technology."
Gimenez dissented.
"It does have a different sound," he said. "It's a different era of listening. You get that with bands like Sigur Rós. I guess I like that stuff because I'm a pretentious fuck."
Anderson agreed that many vinyl afficionados are pretentious.
"He knows all the right things to say," the vinyl-phobe said. "But he's just babbling music talk. I only buy CDs. I don't have to flip it every 20 minutes."
The Voice of ReasonLast November, when TD's founder Tom Donohue passed away, Jason Nickey took the reigns of the basement record shop. A longtime collector of music, Nickey traces his love of vinyl back to his childhood.
"A lot of it is, it's what I grew up with," he said. "I've never been without a turntable. I brought mine with me to college, and I think I was the only kid in my dorm with one."
While many music buffs enjoy the ease of use of the digital medium, Nickey said part of his fondness for vinyl comes from the clunkiness of the record.
"I like the inconvenience of it," he said. "There's too much music out there. When I listen to MP3s, it's like I'm swimming in this soup of songs and I can't tell you anything about it. But when I listen to records, I have to go home, look through my collection, pick out a record, put it on the turntable, then flip it to the other side. I like the hassle."
Nickey also points to the long history of the record as an advantage.
"Vinyl definitely has more of a life in it than CDs," he said. "There will always be people who want vinyl."
The ProductAnderson, although firmly in favor of the power of technology, said the production quality of any medium of music affects the overall sound.
"Anyone can make a CD sound like shit," Anderson said. "It's just a matter of do you know what you're doing when you master it. In the reissues (of older albums), the CD is going to sound better than the vinyl album."
And while Nickey revels in the hassle of the black plastic disc, Anderson does not.
"For me it's just a convenience thing," he said. "I just want to hear it. I don't have a record player in my car."
Gimenez, meanwhile, said the physical entity that is the record makes it a better option as a piece of music.
"Just look at the size of the record," he said. "You can fit in more liner notes and illustrations and all that neat shit."
So while the debate, older than the advent of the gramophone, between technology and romanticism wears out like an old diamond-studded needle, the sound plays on.
"Ultimately, it's just about the music," Anderson said. "If it's good, it's good."
(09/29/04 7:01am)
FRANKLIN, Ind. -- Following the first gubernatorial debate for the 2004 election between Republican candidate Mitch Daniels and Democratic Governor Joe Kernan, local politicos are abuzz over Libertarian candidate Kenn Gividen.\n"I think the one that gained the most from this debate was the Libertarian candidate," said IU College Republican President Angel Rivera. "This is the first time during the campaign he's gotten an audience."\nBefore Tuesday's election, Gividen was perhaps most well-known for his non-use of marijuana.\n"Not that it matters, but a lot of people think it's ironic that the Libertarian candidate is the only one who hasn't smoked pot," Gividen said in an Aug. 27 article in the Indiana Daily Student.\nBut Gividen finally received his chance to announce his plans before a televised audience Tuesday night. After clearing his throat four times before starting, Gividen delivered his platform with a hoarse voice, and his words represented the views of an unknown third-party candidate.\nGividen's debate was rich with Libertarian party-line material: He said he believes the citizens of Indiana would be better off if Indiana's government would stay out of matters.\n"The problem is there is too much government involvement," he said. "And when the government tries to fix things, they always get much worse."\nThe candidate also has a bold plan for education. Gividen said he would work to transform every school in Indiana to a charter school -- one in which parents, not teachers and administrators, would determine students' curricula.\n"We already have a model for this system in New Zealand," he said. "If you compare the two systems, the charter system is better every time."\nSince Gividen plans to decrease the cost of education (he said the new charter system would save taxpayers between 50 and 80 percent on education), there would be room in his government to eliminate taxes. If anything was the centerpiece of Gividen's comments Tuesday night, it was his insistence that Indiana do away with property taxes -- all property taxes.\n"I agree with the Governor's 2 percent property tax cap," he said. "The only problem is it's 2 percent too high."\nGividen also made repeated references to his Web site, www.libertarianforgovernor.com, in which he outlines a 46-point "plan for economic development."\nThe first item on the list is to end property taxes. The 46th item on the list is to "develop non-exportable employment by actively pursuing industries whose jobs cannot be effectively sent overseas."\nAnd so the Libertarian candidate made his mark on the election Tuesday, as many who had never heard of him got their first insight into his idea for a new Indiana.\n-- Contact senior writer Rick Newkirk at renewkir@indiana.edu.
(09/28/04 5:58am)
Gov. Joe Kernan's office presented a plan Monday to "overhaul" the state government, includes the creation of a nine-member cabinet and the elimination or reorganization of one-third of all state agencies.\n"Over the years, layers have been added to the government," Kernan Press Secretary Jonathan Swain said. "But while the intentions were good, it's not always been done in the most efficient way."\nDubbed the Peak Performance Project, the reorganization scheme was led by Lt. Gov. Kathy Davis. The Governor's cabinet, with each of the nine members responsible for a sector of the state government and subordinate to the Governor, is the centerpiece of the proposed government. In conjunction, the nine cabinet offices would account for every aspect of the state government.\nAlong with the new cabinet structure, the plan outlines a system that eliminates what the Kernan administration calls "waste" to create more centralized agencies, or "one-stop-shops," throughout state government. \nFor instance, under the new plan, the Families and Social Services Administration, the state's largest agency, would be disbanded and rounded into four new or existing agencies, each answering to a different cabinet office. \nAlso, some state services available from multiple agencies will be unified into one central office. In instances when a service is provided by the government through several different agencies, boards or commissions, that service will be consolidated under one umbrella.\n"Children's programs right now are spread out through about 12 agencies," Swain said. "We're moving all those under one agency, so each family will have one case manager."\nTownship assessors, who survey property in accordance with state guidelines to determine individual homeowners' property taxes, are included in the overhaul. In accordance with the Kernan plan, township assessors' duties would be transferred to the offices of each county assessor to "achieve a greater consistency and give homeowners, business owners and farmers a fairer system," Davis said in the press release.\nBut James Brinegar, township assessor for Bloomington, said that order is far too tall for the county office to handle.\n"The state makes all these rules without input from enough, or the right, county or township people," he said. "Do they think the people in the county assessor's office can do it? There's no way. I bet you 99 percent of them haven't assessed a piece of land in two years."\nSwain said that although the elimination of government jobs is unavoidable, it is not the intention of the administration.\n"Some state employees will be redeployed," he said. "The goal here is not to cut out a set number of state employees, but to do this reorganization."\nSwain also said he did not know an approximate number of government employees that would be laid off under the plan.\nMeanwhile, Ellen Whitt, deputy campaign manager for Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitch Daniels, said the Peak Performance Project is an attempt to mimic proposals set forth by Daniels. \n"Many of the measures he's proposing today, Mitch has proposed in the last six months or so on the road," Whitt said.\nWhitt said several similarities exist between Daniels' proposals and the Kernan plan, but Swain said the Peak Performance Project is in no way a response to Daniels' actions.\n"The governor announced this in is his first State of State address in January when he asked the lieutenant governor to lead this effort," he said. "These aren't in response to anything in the Daniels campaign. This was about taking the pieces of government apart and looking at how it makes sense to put it back together."\nThe Peak Performance Project would have to pass through both houses of the state congress in order to be approved in its entirety.\n-- Contact senior writer Rick Newkirk at renewkir@indiana.edu.
(09/24/04 4:57am)
Hey Martha -- don't drop the loofah.\nAmerica's hottest 63-year-old billion-dollar house-queen has decided to go to jail to "put this nightmare behind me" and "reclaim my good life."\nJust one question Martha -- which good life is that?\nIs that the life in which you sell "advice" on how to properly peel a cucumber, or the one in which you get tips to sell stocks to shave off the dying skin of your portfolio?\nFirst off, let's toss the leaves of that issue. What Martha did first was wrong but excusable. If your stock broker told you, without provocation, to sell every ounce of your ImClone stock because it was about to go down the drain, what would you do? Just like me, you would sell out faster than Nelly. \nBut that's not why Martha's trading in her sport suit for a jumpsuit. She's going to jail because she sat down before a judge -- and the United States of America -- and claimed ignorance, saying she never received a tip from Peter Bacanovic that ImClone CEO Samuel Waksal was considering dumping his stock after he new the FDA would refuse ImClone's application of a new drug. Martha claimed her stock dump, which saved her a whopping $45,000, was entirely coincidental.\nNote to self: If you're under oath, tell the truth. Martha's lie is costing her five months in the pokey (hard-core criminals call that stint a little nickel -- or maybe not).\nSo now Martha is getting her just desserts.\nBut Danbury Prison in Connecticut, one of the two possible joints to which Martha is headed, could use some trimming from the diva of domestic tranquilities. So could the Coleman Federal Correction Complex in Florida, Martha's other request, which is more of a federal getaway than a prison. Thirty-five percent of the country doesn't live so well, which is perhaps the true travesty of Martha's "punishment."\nMartha's in line for some housecleaning. First on Stewart's list is Halloween. What would All Hallow's Eve be without some decorative costumes? I'm sure Martha would know how to clip a pumpkin suit out of those orange monstrosities inmates are forced to wear. She could probably even arrange a trick-or-treat program, with each inmate passing around her cup to get urine samples from their neighbors.\nSoon after would be Thanksgiving, and Martha's got some festive ideas for We're-Friends-with-the-Indians-Psych!-Day. Imagine, no more beans and mush. A Marthashank feast would be complete with a roasted vulture from the ball yard and ragweed sprouts from the interstate.\nFinally, no Christmas would be complete without some assistance from merry Martha. After decking the halls, Martha and her friends could toast with a glass of eggnog. Or dirty water, whichever is more abundant.\nWhen Martha's 10 fortnights are up, she has some post-prisonic plans to carry out. Mark Burnett, "Survivor" creator and good friend of Suzie Homemaker, said he plans to produce a reality show about Martha when she returns from the can.\nWhich makes me wonder, what will the show be called? The Newlyfed? Roadwork Rules? Celebrity in the Hole? Whatever the title, we will most likely see a much different Martha from years past. Prison tends to do that to people.\nAnd if you think the preceding lines are tired cliché garbage, you're right. But they can't be said enough because Americans have to know that everyone -- from the low-class masked burglar who robs the convenient store to the founder of Martha Stewart Living -- needs to be held accountable for his or her actions. It is not OK to cheat, even in a capitalistic environment.
(09/22/04 5:43am)
Bloomington barflies -- prepare to snub your butts.\nBloomington Municipal Code Chapter 6.12, also known as the "smoking ban," has been in effect for all restaurants and public places in the city for more than a year. But beginning Jan. 1, 2005, the ban will apply to all Monroe County bars and clubs, meaning no one will be able to legally light up inside a bar. \nBut some students questioned the constitutionality of the new code.\n"It comes down to freedom," said law student Rishi Prasad. "Why can't the owner of a bar do what he wants inside his bar when any of us can do what we want in our own houses?"\nWhile some local bar patrons are concerned about the smoking ban expansion, others expect a seamless transition.\n"As long as the owner or employee of the bar asks the smoker to stop smoking, the bar can then say they've done what we've asked," said Bloomington City Council Attorney Dan Sherman.\nThe ban, which has been in effect for restaurants since Aug. 2003, will remain unchanged. Beginning 2005, though, previously exempt bars and clubs allowing only those 21 and older, such as Nick's English Hut, will be enforceable grounds for smokers.\nMo Molengraft, a manager of Nick's, said he is not in favor of the code.\n"I personally disagree with it," he said. "Everyone who comes in here is 21. It's not like this is a health spa."\nLaw student Erin Knowles said the smoking ban could deter her from going out.\n"I won't go to the bars anymore," she said. "I'll just hold more house parties."\nAccording to the code, violators of the smoking ban will be issued citations, with each offense costing the smoker a $100 fine.\n"But it leaves open the possibility of a more severe penalty if there are multiple violations," Sherman said.\nThough police intend to enforce the ban, Bloomington Police Department Captain Michael Diekhoff said officers would not take an active role in ticketing.\n"We're not going to patrol, and we're not going to become the smoking police," he said. "If there are complaints, we'll respond, but we're not going to actively go out and look for violators."\nDiekhoff also said he anticipates a smooth transition to a non-smoking Bloomington bar scene.\n"We've had really good compliance with the restaurants," he said. "Bars pose a little more difficulty, but I don't think it's going to be a problem."\nLocal bars, such as Nick's and Kilroy's on Kirkwood, have been preparing for the transition for months. Molengraft said he thinks, with the appropriate changes, business should run smoothly though the new year. \n"I don't think it will hurt business," he said. "But we're going to have to revamp how we handle things."\nMolengraft said Nick's current entry system would not be compliant to customers' smoke breaks.\n"We're basically landlocked," he said. "We can't expand to have a smoking section. And we don't do hand stamps, so if someone goes outside for a cigarette, how do we handle that?"\nSherman said bars and clubs will be required to fulfill certain responsibilities the law entails, such as proper signs.\n"There are obligations placed upon those who own or manage a bar," he said. "But when it comes to an owner of a business, they won't be fined if they've taken reasonable and timely measures to personally inform violators of the provision and ask them to stop smoking."\nOne IU law student, Kelley Halliburton, said she wasn't concerned with more smoke-free nights.\n"All it means is I'll have to do laundry less," she said. "I won't have to wash my jeans every day."\nSteve Comuntzis, an IU law student, said an active economy should dictate the necessity of smoking bans.\n"How come the market hasn't taken care of it if it's really desired," he asked. "If people want a non-smoking bar, someone will start one."\nStill, Molengraft said patrons will grow accustomed to the new policy.\n"If you're going out with your friends, you'll get used to not smoking."\n-- Contact senior writer Rick Newkirk at renewkir@indiana.edu.
(09/21/04 5:23am)
Purdue University officials hope to alleviate illegal downloading by students with a new free file-sharing service for students in resident halls. \nThe Ctrax music service, provided by Purdue residence halls, offers free tethered downloads to students on a maximum of three computers. If students choose to burn songs to CDs or move them to another computer, each download will cost 89 cents.\n"I look at it just like a service," said Executive Director of Purdue University Residences Ernie Poland. "We have pianos and laundry rooms and other activities that not all students take advantage of. This is another service we're providing in our residence halls for our students."\nPurdue students living off-campus will receive access to the service, but at a discounted rate of $2.99 per month. Faculty and staff are also eligible, at the rate of $5.99 per month. \nThe service, which should be implemented within the next few weeks, will be included in Purdue's ResNet package. ResNet is Purdue's campus network.\nPoland said the plan offers students a viable alternative to illegal downloads.\n"I think here, just like at IU, we know students are doing a lot of downloading of music," he said. "Through conjecture we determined it's mostly through peer-to-peer networks. Our hope is to get students to do more legal downloading by providing an inexpensive legal alternative."\nPoland also said he thinks the new system will make a difference.\n"I have great hopes that it will," he said. "A lot of students do wonder about what they're doing, even though they still do it and take the chance. I think a lot of them would choose to do it the legal way if given the chance."\nCtrax, the music branch of campus utility service Cdigix, offers "several hundred thousand tracks," according to the Ctrax Web site at www.cdigix.com. Cdigix has already reached partnerships with several schools, including Ohio University, Tulane University and Yale University.\nPurdue senior Kevin Burton said the Ctrax option might be helpful for students living in residential halls, but might be a hassle for others. \n"I think it's good but I don't think anybody is going to use it," Burton said. "There are other free ways of downloading music illegally. I don't live on campus anymore and most of the people like me won't take the time to do it."\nLast spring, five IU students were sued by the Recording Industry Association of America. At least three of those students settled with the RIAA out of court. \nIU English professor Richard Nash said a similar package for IU would be beneficial. Nash advocated a similar program to the Bloomington Faculty Council last semester.\n"It does certainly sound to me like a very interesting idea, and something I hope IU could look into," he said. "My immediate sense is this does seem to be the sort of thing we should be looking at."\nIU junior Karen Esrick said though the service is free to download, the price to burn songs may be too steep.\n"There are usually 18 songs on a CD," she said. "That would be the same price as buying a CD. I don't like that. I think they should make it cheaper."\n-- Contact senior writer Rick Newkirk at renewkir@indiana.edu.
(09/20/04 6:02am)
Subway sandwich spokesman Jared Fogle will speak Tuesday to an audience of IU alumni and others in Indianapolis with a presentation entitled, “Live Healthy -- Stay Educated -- This is your Kelley School of Business.”
(09/17/04 5:07am)
So there's a new Tiger Woods in town.\nIn the past few months, one man has emerged as the most dominant athlete alive. His cunning is matched only by his brute strength, his speed only by his spunk. He is a paradigm of the all-American entertainer. Women want him, and men want desperately to be him.\nI'm referring, of course, to "Jeopardy" He-Man, Ken Jennings. Or as fans like me like to call him, The Stormin' Mormon.\nLet me begin by saying The Stormin' Mormon is my hero. He, along with an endless supply of 40s, got me through my summer. I celebrated when he broke the $1 million barrier, and soon forgot. I celebrated when he scored a $70,000 episode, and soon forgot. I celebrated one other time, but I forget what happened that night.\nSo the recent news of (stop reading if you haven't heard the spoiler) his imminent loss nearly paralyzed me. How can he lose? He's not even human!\nBut then I figured it out. The Stormin' Mormon did not lose. The vicious report is just a ploy by right-wing conservatives to distract us from obvious shortcomings of the president. If we as a nation are transfixed on the possibility of the Mormonator's fallibility, we might forget that the president can't even spell "Jeopardy."\nAnd that's when I realized he really can't spell "Jeopardy," much less develop a plot to rig "Jeopardy." The answer must lie elsewhere.\nSo then I looked the other direction, and I determined the Kerry campaign must have fabricated the story to deflect voters from his enormous bird-nose. Perhaps if we as a nation were transfixed on the mortality of Nerd Jennings, we might forget the Democratic candidate has a beak the size of Nebraska.\nBut then I checked his record, and over the last six months, Kerry has said that he supports Jennings, that he doesn't support Jennings, that Jennings is a nerd, that Jennings is not a nerd and that Jennings' bank of knowledge is both "freakish" and "under-representative of the cognitive state of the nation." A man this confused could never commit to such a devilish plan.\nWhere to now, I thought? \nMaybe it was Hurricane Ivan. As if he couldn't cause enough death and destruction during his 12,000-city tour of beach homes and trailer parks, now he's gotta cut into my TV time. \nHold on, I told myself. Get a grip, it's a hurricane. It can't even read. Like the president, only different.\nJesus, who is responsible for the ultimate televised prank? \nOh, Jesus! Just when I remembered Jesus, I understood the true nature of the destroy-a-dork plan. \nJesus was hanging out in hell with Mormonism founder Joseph Smith (turns out those trysts with Mary Magdalene were not such a good idea after all). Smith was seer-stoned and placed a $12 trillion bet with Jesus on Indiana's football team. Jesus, like any self-proclaimed savior in his right mind, accepted but was ushered to his ruin by seven turnovers. Jesus got pissed and sought vengeance on Smith's most successful son.\nYeah, but then I realized Jesus has a lot of voicemail to take care of, what with that Ivan terrorizing the country and inducing millions to pray. No, a man that busy would have no time to undermine the foundation of pseudo-intellectual television.\nSo it's not Bush or Kerry. It's not Ivan. And it's not Jesus. \nIt was at this low-point in my reasoning that I prepared to surrender to the ultimate truth. No person is invincible. Anyone can make a few mistakes. The truth is that my hero, Ken "The Stormin' Mormon" Jennings, actually did -- WAIT! Martha Stewart ...
(09/16/04 4:00am)
For freshman Gregg Arenson, the world of no-limit Texas hold 'em poker began in 2002 when an amateur poker player named Robert Varkonyi went head-to-head with the best poker players in the world and took home the coveted World Series of Poker bracelet.\n"He's really not any good," Arenson said of Varkonyi. "But that's the beauty of it. Anyone can win. After that we stopped playing other games altogether and just played hold 'em."\nThe World Series of Poker is Olympia for all poker players. In 1970, Benny Binion, owner of Binion's Horseshoe Casino, created the tournament to showcase the world's brightest poker talent -- like Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss, Amarillo Slim -- to determine who was the world's greatest poker player. Moss won that fateful match-up Survivor style, with a vote among all the players. \nToday each game has its own tournament with its own bracelet for its own champion. There are 33 events total, which means 33 WSOP bracelets to be had each year. Although no limit hold 'em is only one game played at the World Series, it is indisputably the world championship poker event.\nThe winner of what is proclaimed to be Indiana's largest poker tournament said a bracelet is always the ultimate poker dream.\n"I want to eventually try to win the World Series, but I know that's a far-reaching goal," freshman Steve Rosenberg said. \nRosenberg stared down 660 other competitors after three days of competition to go home the victor. The tournament, organized by the U.S.A. Poker Club and billed as the "Shark Hunt," went down at the Bloomington Convention Center. With first place in hand, Rosenberg was awarded a $1,500 cash prize and a free seat at a $1 million tournament. But he said he's not in it for the money.\n"This is the biggest tournament I've won, but I usually play with the same people," he said. "The money motivates me, but we play cards for fun too."\nSmall card games are rarely farther than a rock's throw away any given night at IU. From no-money games for fun to $20 buy-ins to $50-per-seat tournaments, it seems there's not an empty seat or an unused felt table on campus.\n"On Sundays we just watch football and play cards," Arenson said. "There's really nothing better than sitting down and playing with your friends."\nIn addition to the myriad of real-life small tables, students now can play poker anytime with people from all corners of the planet online. One popular Internet gaming site is www.partypoker.com.\n"The worst is playing some of these kids online," Arenson said. "They stay in for the worst hands. Some of the things I've seen so far are disgusting."\nNo-limit Texas hold 'em is a simple version of poker. Each player is dealt two cards, called the hole cards. After blind bets, the dealer reveals three cards from the deck, known as the flop, which are common for every player. More bets ensue, then a fourth card, the turn, is added to the stack of community cards. Following another set of bets, the dealer lays down the final community card, known as the river. The final round of bets will make or break a competitor.\nAlthough it takes skill to be a good poker player, there is still an inordinate amount of luck involved. Every player can remember some instance when he or she had the best hand but still lost big.\n"I was at a $10 tournament," Arenson said. "I had kings down and raised to $200, and someone raised me with queens. He caught a queen on the friggin' flop. I was the chip leader at the time, and that killed me."\nThough the gambling aspect of poker can lead to some heavy losses and even heavier headaches, it's the one reason most people keep coming back.\n"I pretty much consider myself a gambler," said freshman Scott Coggeshall, who made the final table of the "Shark Hunt" tournament.\nAmarillo Slim waged some of the most famous bets in the history of gambling. Among his most famous wagers is the time the Texan once defeated the reigning table tennis world champion in a game of pingpong with a Coke bottle. He also beat Minnesota Fats in a game of pool -- with a broom.\nAnd with the love of the wager comes the love of the cards, as Rosenthal admitted to a gambling proclivity.\n"I've gambled on a lot of stupid things," he said. "You know, horses, dice. Sometimes I gamble on the dreidel."\nBut a betting man is destined for as many bad losses as miraculous wins. With gambling comes spoils, but also some harsh defeats.\n"I hate to lose," Arenson said. "I am passionate about winning, but there's nothing worse than losing. All my friends, we're just very, very competitive."\nMost players dream of taking home their own World Series bracelet. But Coggeshall said he has no delusions of grandeur.\n"When I'm older and if I have the money I'd probably try it," he said. "But I don't have any illusions of actually winning it"
(09/16/04 4:00am)
Fresh. That's the first word that comes to mind after listening to Saul Williams' new self-titled album. The slam poet gives us the same intriguing lyrical sets he is famous for, but throw in some smooth jazz riffs and a few edgier hip-hop and rock-inspired beats, and the final product is a professional-sounding album that gets better each time you listen to it.\nAlthough the lyrics may be less profound than a Saul Williams buff might expect, the word arrangements flow so well that even when Williams is speaking his verses in monotone they sound absolutely melodic. \nThe common theme throughout, if there is one, is Williams' plight as a black musician without a true black fan base. From "Talk to Strangers" ("I wasn't raised at gunpoint and I've read too many books") to "Grippo" ("I gave hip-hop to white boys when nobody was looking/ … /White boys listen to white boys/Black boys listen to black boys") to "PG" ("Ain't from the streets of Compton/Ain't from no prison yard/Ain't got no guns or weapons/Hell, nigga, I ain't hard.") \nWilliams remains unapologetic for forgoing the industry standard of a black man becoming a gangsta rapper. Tracks flow from the beginning, as Williams delivers the poetic "Talk to Strangers," over a piano set written by System Of A Down's Serj Tankian, in which he mundanely lays out a two-and-a-half minute intro track setting the listener up for a faster, harder-hitting remainder of the album. \nDon't miss "Act III Scene 2," perhaps the album's most political track, with a chorus by former Rage Against the Machine lead singer Zack de la Rocha. If the lyrics don't grab ("An Afghani in a shanty/Doodle dandy yank on/An Iraqi in Gap khaki/Coca coma come on"), the quick drumline and funkadelic synth will.\nFader Label releases the 12-track Saul Williams September 21.
(09/15/04 5:06pm)
Fresh. That's the first word that comes to mind after listening to Saul Williams' new self-titled album. The slam poet gives us the same intriguing lyrical sets he is famous for, but throw in some smooth jazz riffs and a few edgier hip-hop and rock-inspired beats, and the final product is a professional-sounding album that gets better each time you listen to it.\nAlthough the lyrics may be less profound than a Saul Williams buff might expect, the word arrangements flow so well that even when Williams is speaking his verses in monotone they sound absolutely melodic. \nThe common theme throughout, if there is one, is Williams' plight as a black musician without a true black fan base. From "Talk to Strangers" ("I wasn't raised at gunpoint and I've read too many books") to "Grippo" ("I gave hip-hop to white boys when nobody was looking/ … /White boys listen to white boys/Black boys listen to black boys") to "PG" ("Ain't from the streets of Compton/Ain't from no prison yard/Ain't got no guns or weapons/Hell, nigga, I ain't hard.") \nWilliams remains unapologetic for forgoing the industry standard of a black man becoming a gangsta rapper. Tracks flow from the beginning, as Williams delivers the poetic "Talk to Strangers," over a piano set written by System Of A Down's Serj Tankian, in which he mundanely lays out a two-and-a-half minute intro track setting the listener up for a faster, harder-hitting remainder of the album. \nDon't miss "Act III Scene 2," perhaps the album's most political track, with a chorus by former Rage Against the Machine lead singer Zack de la Rocha. If the lyrics don't grab ("An Afghani in a shanty/Doodle dandy yank on/An Iraqi in Gap khaki/Coca coma come on"), the quick drumline and funkadelic synth will.\nFader Label releases the 12-track Saul Williams September 21.
(09/15/04 2:50am)
For freshman Gregg Arenson, the world of no-limit Texas hold 'em poker began in 2002 when an amateur poker player named Robert Varkonyi went head-to-head with the best poker players in the world and took home the coveted World Series of Poker bracelet.\n"He's really not any good," Arenson said of Varkonyi. "But that's the beauty of it. Anyone can win. After that we stopped playing other games altogether and just played hold 'em."\nThe World Series of Poker is Olympia for all poker players. In 1970, Benny Binion, owner of Binion's Horseshoe Casino, created the tournament to showcase the world's brightest poker talent -- like Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss, Amarillo Slim -- to determine who was the world's greatest poker player. Moss won that fateful match-up Survivor style, with a vote among all the players. \nToday each game has its own tournament with its own bracelet for its own champion. There are 33 events total, which means 33 WSOP bracelets to be had each year. Although no limit hold 'em is only one game played at the World Series, it is indisputably the world championship poker event.\nThe winner of what is proclaimed to be Indiana's largest poker tournament said a bracelet is always the ultimate poker dream.\n"I want to eventually try to win the World Series, but I know that's a far-reaching goal," freshman Steve Rosenberg said. \nRosenberg stared down 660 other competitors after three days of competition to go home the victor. The tournament, organized by the U.S.A. Poker Club and billed as the "Shark Hunt," went down at the Bloomington Convention Center. With first place in hand, Rosenberg was awarded a $1,500 cash prize and a free seat at a $1 million tournament. But he said he's not in it for the money.\n"This is the biggest tournament I've won, but I usually play with the same people," he said. "The money motivates me, but we play cards for fun too."\nSmall card games are rarely farther than a rock's throw away any given night at IU. From no-money games for fun to $20 buy-ins to $50-per-seat tournaments, it seems there's not an empty seat or an unused felt table on campus.\n"On Sundays we just watch football and play cards," Arenson said. "There's really nothing better than sitting down and playing with your friends."\nIn addition to the myriad of real-life small tables, students now can play poker anytime with people from all corners of the planet online. One popular Internet gaming site is www.partypoker.com.\n"The worst is playing some of these kids online," Arenson said. "They stay in for the worst hands. Some of the things I've seen so far are disgusting."\nNo-limit Texas hold 'em is a simple version of poker. Each player is dealt two cards, called the hole cards. After blind bets, the dealer reveals three cards from the deck, known as the flop, which are common for every player. More bets ensue, then a fourth card, the turn, is added to the stack of community cards. Following another set of bets, the dealer lays down the final community card, known as the river. The final round of bets will make or break a competitor.\nAlthough it takes skill to be a good poker player, there is still an inordinate amount of luck involved. Every player can remember some instance when he or she had the best hand but still lost big.\n"I was at a $10 tournament," Arenson said. "I had kings down and raised to $200, and someone raised me with queens. He caught a queen on the friggin' flop. I was the chip leader at the time, and that killed me."\nThough the gambling aspect of poker can lead to some heavy losses and even heavier headaches, it's the one reason most people keep coming back.\n"I pretty much consider myself a gambler," said freshman Scott Coggeshall, who made the final table of the "Shark Hunt" tournament.\nAmarillo Slim waged some of the most famous bets in the history of gambling. Among his most famous wagers is the time the Texan once defeated the reigning table tennis world champion in a game of pingpong with a Coke bottle. He also beat Minnesota Fats in a game of pool -- with a broom.\nAnd with the love of the wager comes the love of the cards, as Rosenthal admitted to a gambling proclivity.\n"I've gambled on a lot of stupid things," he said. "You know, horses, dice. Sometimes I gamble on the dreidel."\nBut a betting man is destined for as many bad losses as miraculous wins. With gambling comes spoils, but also some harsh defeats.\n"I hate to lose," Arenson said. "I am passionate about winning, but there's nothing worse than losing. All my friends, we're just very, very competitive."\nMost players dream of taking home their own World Series bracelet. But Coggeshall said he has no delusions of grandeur.\n"When I'm older and if I have the money I'd probably try it," he said. "But I don't have any illusions of actually winning it"
(09/14/04 5:57am)
The Ivy Tech State College Bloomington-IU-Bloomington partnership grew stronger Monday as administrators from the two institutions signed an articulation agreement allowing Ivy Tech biotechnology students the ability to transfer all their program credits to IU.\n"My main objective is to increase the opportunities for individuals who wish to get a baccalaureate degree without having to leave Bloomington," said IU-Bloomington Interim Chancellor Ken Gros Louis.\nGros Louis joined Ivy Tech Chancellor John Whikehart at Ivy Tech's Alumni Hall to welcome the biotechnology community of Bloomington into an age of cooperation between the two schools. \n"Ivy Tech and IU have something in common -- we both have undefeated football teams," Gros Louis said.\nRepresentatives from Baxter Pharmaceutical Solutions and Cook Pharmaceutical Solutions attended the signing.\n"I think this agreement will help all the industries in this area, not just health care," said John Stephens, human resources manager for Baxter. "This will help the people, and we'll have a happy, healthy workforce."\nThe agreement, which was signed by Ivy Tech's Academic Dean James Smith and IU-Bloomington Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Catherine Larson as well as the two chancellors, stipulates only courses with a "C" grade or better will be transferred. Students reaching the end of their two-year associate program with Ivy Tech now have the option to move their entire course load to IU-Bloomington and continue with IU's four-year bachelor's degree program. According to the agreement, all credits associated with Ivy Tech's biotech program can be transferred to IU, including several math, physics, chemistry and Spanish courses. \n"The willingness of IU to partner with us and provide this opportunity for our students makes this a win-win situation for all parties involved," Whikehart said. \nIn December 2003, a similar agreement between IU-Bloomington and Ivy Tech-Bloomington was reached that allowed the transfer of credits for general studies degrees. That agreement was signed by former Chancellor Sharon Brehm.\n"I hope this is the first of many articulation agreements I sign before I retire again," Gros Louis said.\nIvy Tech's biotechnology department was created this semester, so currently only 21 students are enrolled in only two classes, Ivy Tech's biotech program chair Sengyong Lee said. But Lee looks to the future to find the true impact of the agreement.\n"Right now, maybe only 10 or 20 percent of the students want to continue their education at IU," he said. "But in the long run, it could be 50 percent."\nLee said he thinks the pact will be a positive move for students of Ivy Tech and IU.\n"It's going to provide students with an opportunity to move on to a four-year program after two years here," he said. "It's really a great educational opportunity for our students."\nThough the move came in the wake of an enrollment crisis at IU, Gros Louis said increasing IU's student roll was not the only reason the University made the agreement.\n"It's about enrollment, but it's mostly about the students," he said. "It's never going to be huge figures, I don't believe."\nGros Louis said several more articulation agreements are being considered, including the criminal justice, nursing and kinesiology programs.\nThe new agreement is one of many the Bloomington Life Sciences Partnership is dealing with, Director Steve Bryant said, but is paramount to the success of area life sciences industries.\n"This is the example of how it should work," Bryant said. "We have a lot of these companies in our own backyard, whereas other areas don't. This will help develop the pipeline for these types of firms like Baxter and Cook."\n-- Contact senior writer Rick Newkirk at renewkir@indiana.edu.
(09/13/04 5:19am)
The Symposium," written, directed, produced and edited by IU alumnus Michael Wurth, is a smart dialogue film that takes an intriguing view of this masterpiece by Plato. And at a $30,000 budget, it's a solid production.\nFilmed during 10 days in March 2002, the movie is set in modern-day United States, and 95 percent of the action takes place in a small living room adorned with white furniture and a few vases. The cast of characters are all direct representations of the scholars from the Greek story, but with different names. \nToday's Socrates, Professor Christopher Klug, played by Joe Salazar, leads the cast in a drunken horse-and-gadfly examination of the concept of love. The arguments are typically the same as the ones expressed by the old philosophers. Dan Seki plays modern day Phaedrus, Drew Osgood, who claims the supremacy of a relationship between an older man and a young boy, while Stephanie Kleinbrecht, an updated version of Aristophanes played by Cheryl Bartlett, argues that love is the search for completion of the whole lost in the womb.\nBut one new interesting twist in the plot arises between Sen. Brian Watson, or Alcibiades, and Klug, as they get into a heated dispute because the Senator feels his love for his old professor is unrequited. Although this dynamic is not fully developed in Plato's work, Wurth believed Plato was speaking through Alcibiades to his old mentor Socrates.\nThe essential plot of the film is nearly an exact replica of the 2,500-year-old story. The aforementioned cast of characters meet at the house of Thomas and Cathy Enderson, the modern day Agathon and Eryximachus. They have congregated to celebrate the success of one of Thomas' plays. It soon becomes apparent that most members of the party are unimpressed with Thomas, and some even appear jealous.\nBut the martini acts as the central device of the film, getting each member of the party drunk to engage in indiscreet conversations about relationships and love. As the characters loosen up, so does the film, and the more enjoyable sections come after everyone is fairly inebriated. \nThe sets -- other than the living room there is only a kitchen and a police department examination room, of which its necessity is not immediately apparent to the viewer -- are simple but not shabby, reflective of a clean use of the modest budget. Typical of an independent film using borrowed SAG actors, the cast doesn't always mesh well together. At times inadequate timing results in awkward moments. It's unfortunate, especially because this is almost exclusively a dialogue piece, and timing is essential. \nBut the freshness of a 2,500-year-old script keeps the viewer interested, and smart-alecky quips from Michael Wisser, who plays Paul Bannister -- today's Pausanias -- bring some laughs. "The Symposium" is an efficient film worth watching.
(09/10/04 4:54am)
To all avid readers of Playboy: Do not adjust your contact lenses. Those curvaceous beauties you're seeing on Heff's October newsletter are what they appear to be -- computer-generated video game characters in the buff.\nThere's BloodRayne, "Majesco's" vamp goddess, completely unpixilated in all her topless glory. And there's Mileena, that "Mortal Kombat" babe with a new finishing move -- taking it off. Then there's "Tekken's" Nina, who after kicking ass found time to "pose" seductively for the spread, but not nude. It seems even artificial intelligence is not without discretion.\nWoefully lacking on Playboy's print is "Tomb Raider's" Lara Croft, who perhaps was too encumbered by her busy film schedule to find time to strip.\nThe virtual spread is not as outrageous as it may first seem. Before Playboy, as many World War II vets know, the pages of Esquire magazine were rife with artistic nipplage, as painted images of buxom (and nude) models constituted the country's earliest mainstream centerfolds. These images, created by Alberto Vargas, were known as "Varga girls," and later as "Vargas girls." So it should be no surprise that artist renderings of beautiful women have made their way back on the bunny pages, abreast with photos of the girl next door.\nBut what makes the video game vixens any less real than what we see every other week in Playboy? Playboy's "real" models must go through three stages of Barbiezation before they reach newsstands: cosmetic surgery, misleading lighting and the infamous (read: Thank God for the) airbrush. By the time we see Jezebel McCoy sitting naked in the kitchen (why?) covering her naughty parts with a dish (WHY?) what we're really seeing is the idealization of a woman. I submit that a stark BloodRayne is more real than your everyday Playboy spread because there is no pretense of reality. We know what we're seeing is a conjured image representing the perfect woman.\nPerhaps the most disturbing aspect of the spread lies in Playboy's readership. According to PBS's "Frontline," 25.5 percent of the magazine's readers are ages 18 to 24.\nDoes this mean that the average gamer falls in this vital group? Video games used to be for kids. Now they have taken over the lives of half the male students at IU. \nVideo games can be a great recreational tool. And if you spend hours a day playing video games, you are not alone, especially on this campus. But if you find yourself scheduling classes around your "Halo" tournaments, it's probably time to make like Mary J. Blige and slow down. If you're like hundreds of IU students, you could have finished your first novel in the time you've spent playing "Madden" over the last two years. And what do you have to show for it? A loaded memory card.\nEnd of digression; back to undressin'.\nThe cyber-chick spread addresses the emerging theme in our society of real fiction. Playboy used to hound female athletes, actresses and Washington interns to come on down and ice up. But this spread had "talent scouts" hitting up video game publishers for permission to run nudie pix of their best-selling sheros. How long will it be before IU's informatics students are lording over the pornography industry? No matter how beautiful a "real" woman is, she can always be enhanced by a programmer. With the increasing standards of video game graphics, the future could bring computer-generated images that are more real than reality, whatever that is.\nPerhaps the ultimate battle between Man and Machine will be waged in Silicon Valley.