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(10/22/09 4:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A panel about “Race in the Age of Obama” said people, not pundits, have to take back control of the conversation on race. About 100 people gathered in the Whittenberger Auditorium on Wednesday to discuss race and its role in the country.The event began with Shameka Neely, WTIU senior reporter and producer, showing the “Witnesses to History” documentary. The film consisted of reflections from a wide variety of scholars and students on the significance of the 2008 presidential election.After the documentary, the discussion of race began.“Racism did not end November 5th,” said Beverly Calendar-Anderson, director of the Bloomington Safe and Civil City Program. “Barack Obama’s election has created a landscape where we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.”She also said that by watching media sources such as FOX News, Americans are buying into the idea of racism. The panelists agreed that race remains a problem for people worldwide.“Barack Obama’s election marks the beginning of a conversation of race,” said John Nieto-Phillips, associate professor of history and Latino studies. “It brings the promise of inclusion in the conversations about race.”He said that Latinos have finally been injected into the race conversation and that only through discussion can we make positive steps towards better race relations.“The stakes for marking and defining race are higher now,” said Khalil Muhammad, assistant professor of history. He said that we need to discuss how race matters rather than if race is an issue.The event, which was organized by WTIU, featured a panel including Muhammad, Nieto-Phillips, Calendar-Anderson, Bill Shipton, director for student programs and services, and Rashawn Ray, Ph.D. candidate in sociology.Over the course of the discussion, panelists talked about race’s role in our country’s past, present and future. Though they said unanimously that race still plays a role in everyday life, they were optimistic about the future.“There is a difference between race and racism,” Calendar-Anderson said. She said that her race is a part of who she is but should not hold her back from opportunities and fair treatment.“I think what is important is what happens from here on out,” said Shipton. He said that he hopes people will not fall asleep and become immune to race and that it is important that all groups continue to discuss it.The event ended with Eric Love, director of the Office of Diversity Education, making closing statements and leading the group in a diversity pledge. Audience members pledged to address racism and speak out against injustice to make the community a better place. Love said that we must remain engaged in the political process.“Don’t let pundits set the tone of our discussions,” he said.
(10/20/09 9:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Embryonic,” The Flaming Lips’ twelfth full-length album, demands your attention from start to finish. It captures the alienation of the modern age and experiments with combining purposefully vague lyrics with flawless backings to create 18 memorable tracks.My favorite track, “Worm Mountain,” is experimental, yet crisp and features musical duo MGMT.The Flaming Lips constructed each song like a jam session with a distinct flair, yet each remains connected holistically to the other tracks. The album speaks volumes to listeners and culminates the band’s entire career of avant-garde experimentation.The Lips combine old technologies in new ways that force the listener to confront issues of identity in a post-modern world. “Embryonic” will speak to you in a compelling way, so get ready to be rocked.
(10/20/09 7:20pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Rent these action films that both of you can enjoy:1. “Kill Bill”- Quentin Tarantino’s film combines a hard-core leading female with wicked-sweet martial arts and an amazing soundtrack.2. “The Godfather” – An entertaining portrayal of mafia crime and everyday life in the Corleone family.3. “The Matrix” – A philosophical sci-fi film about life and the concept of reality.4. “Fight Club” – A man joins a fighting club to escape his reality of pain and suffering in a mediocre world.5. “The Descent”- Female friends go on a caving expedition that ends up being more than they bargained for.
(10/20/09 7:18pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Here are five films to watch as an alternative to chick flicks that both of you will love:1. “When Harry Met Sally” – The timeless tale of a male and female relationship.2. “Say Anything” – An authentic, comedic portrayal of teen life and a smart woman and average guy’s pursuit of honest-to-goodness love.3. “He’s Just Not That Into You” – A movie about female and male communication difficulties.4. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” – A love story about the importance of memory, told in a chopped-up reverse order.5. “Amelie” – A French film about a woman who decides, after the death of Princess Diana, to do good for others. Along the way, she finds a healthy relationship of her own.
(10/20/09 7:16pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The chick flick: A short but sweet term defining a genre of films that both enchant and haunt women all over the world. There are three main components of a chick flick: a leading female lady with a dilemma, a memorable, emotionally charged hook-up and a happy ending. Every year, this formulaic genre rolls out dozens of tear-jerkers for female audiences everywhere. “Chick flicks are relaxing, entertaining, fun and make you laugh,” freshman Jessica Moranski said. This phenomenon of films created primarily for females seems to have existed forever, but in fact the term “chick flick” itself did not come to be until 1992 when it was coined by Brian Shipkin. Prior to the modern chick-flick film, this genre of films was often called “women’s pictures.”“Films portraying females have changed drastically over the past couple decades,” Yvette Alex-Assensoh, dean of the Office of Women’s Affairs, said. “The movie industry has gone from producing films like ‘Steel Magnolias,’ that discuss female bonding and multi-layered women, to that of modern chick flicks that portray girls as superficial.” When going on dates, couples should try to pick a neutral film that makes both parties happy. “I think boys are more likely to watch a romantic comedy than a chick flick,” senior Audree Notoras, Union Board films director, said. It is apparent that men on campus might not be into happy, sappy female films, but everyone can enjoy a good laugh. So, girls, give in a little and watch something girly yet funny for the guy’s sake. And boys, instead of griping about how much you hate chick flicks, endure and try to pay attention to things that interest a girl.
(10/20/09 7:15pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The action film contains everything a man could want. Action films usually consist of a gory battle of strength in which a hero overcomes a huge obstacle and wins the ultimate prize: his dream girl. Men watch and look up to action heroes like Rocky Balboa, Jackie Chan and James Bond. Most action films are led by a male protagonist, composed of numerous special effects and consist of little dialogue. These three components sometimes lead to the alienation of female viewers.“Girls are more likely to watch an action movie if it involves females,” senior Audree Notoras, Union Board films director, said. “That’s why films like ‘Tomb Raider’ and ‘Kill Bill’ are so popular with both women and men audiences.”Freshman Joe Mwamba said he loves action films like “Dark Knight.”“They have a great plot line,” he said. “They are always flowing action.”Men and women both can connect with films that present what Yvette Alex-Assensoh, dean of the Office of Women’s Affairs, calls a resolution. They want a happy ending that provides a relatable yet fantasized portrayal of everyday existence.
(10/20/09 4:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Vivian Schiller discussed journalism as an ever-changing field that people everywhere should care about.Schiller, CEO and president of National Public Radio, spoke about the media and the field of journalism Monday to a packed audience at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.WFIU station manager Christina Kuzmych said Schiller faces the difficult task of embracing the traditions of NPR while also innovating the company.“We are in very interesting times,” said Schiller, who was previously the senior vice president and general manager of NYTimes.com, according to NPR’s Web site.She began by citing the dire circumstances the field of journalism is faced with. She said that 11 percent of full-time news jobs have been cut, newspapers are dying and resources allocated to national and international news are also being cut. However, she maintained that the public and journalists should not be weary of this change, but instead embrace it. “Out of the ashes of these dying newspapers will rise the era of new technology and journalism,” she said. “The Internet is the greatest thing to happen to journalism. We need to be where the audience is.”Schiller said NPR is taking four main steps to combat the problems plaguing the field of journalism. She said that NPR must keep on keeping on, focus on diversifying their audience, bring up the quality and quantity of local journalism and build out the digital platform of journalism.“There is a flowering of grass roots news reporting all over the nation,” she said. “I am as optimistic now about journalism as I have ever been.”She instructed journalism schools to work with local public radio stations and support them and said that students should learn software development.“Do not give up, and do not lose heart,” Schiller said to prospective journalists. “Every issue you care about needs the bright light shown upon it.”During the question-and-answer session, Daniel Preston, School of Public and Environmental Affairs adjunct professor, asked Schiller about public option for the media, which means to have the government finance a national media source. She responded that less than 2 percent of NPR’s funding comes from the government. Schiller expressed concern that government financed media could cause bias coverage issues.“I would rather find another way,” she said.Schiller said journalism is a field in transition. She said there are many paths and options for journalists to use to make content available for the masses.“The best you can hope for is over time that you are fair and balanced,” she said.
(10/20/09 4:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Vivian Schiller discussed journalism as an ever-changing field that people everywhere should care about.Schiller, CEO and president of National Public Radio, spoke about the media and the field of journalism Monday to a packed audience at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.WFIU station manager Christina Kuzmych said Schiller faces the difficult task of embracing the traditions of NPR while also innovating the company.“We are in very interesting times,” said Schiller, who was previously the senior vice president and general manager of NYTimes.com, according to NPR’s Web site.She began by citing the dire circumstances the field of journalism is faced with. She said that 11 percent of full-time news jobs have been cut, newspapers are dying and resources allocated to national and international news are also being cut. However, she maintained that the public and journalists should not be weary of this change, but instead embrace it. “Out of the ashes of these dying newspapers will rise the era of new technology and journalism,” she said. “The Internet is the greatest thing to happen to journalism. We need to be where the audience is.”Schiller said NPR is taking four main steps to combat the problems plaguing the field of journalism. She said that NPR must keep on keeping on, focus on diversifying their audience, bring up the quality and quantity of local journalism and build out the digital platform of journalism.“There is a flowering of grass roots news reporting all over the nation,” she said. “I am as optimistic now about journalism as I have ever been.”She instructed journalism schools to work with local public radio stations and support them and said that students should learn software development.“Do not give up, and do not lose heart,” Schiller said to prospective journalists. “Every issue you care about needs the bright light shown upon it.”During the question-and-answer session, Daniel Preston, School of Public and Environmental Affairs adjunct professor, asked Schiller about public option for the media, which means to have the government finance a national media source. She responded that less than 2 percent of NPR’s funding comes from the government. Schiller expressed concern that government financed media could cause bias coverage issues.“I would rather find another way,” she said.Schiller said journalism is a field in transition. She said there are many paths and options for journalists to use to make content available for the masses.“The best you can hope for is over time that you are fair and balanced,” she said.
(10/19/09 2:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU music professor Glenn Gass charmed an audience of all ages as he spoke about The Beatles on Friday. Gass’s speech prefaced the performance of Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles at the IU Auditorium.The short refresher course about The Beatles began with a video from the group’s performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964.“It’s beautiful to watch them in symmetry,” Gass said. The clip showcased the first time The Beatles came to America and illustrated a shift in their career. They no longer were a little band from Liverpool, England, playing small gigs at local taverns. Rather, their appearance on the show served as a catalyst for the global phenomenon known as Beatlemania.Gass then discussed a clip from The Beatles’ performance at New York City’s Shea Stadium in 1965.“Their first concern was the other three people,” Gass said. He added that The Beatles were a group that wrote, sang and performed as one.Gass said after a while of playing in sold-out stadiums packed with thousands of screaming girls, the Beatles decided they no longer wanted to tour. They decided instead to put their efforts into creating studio albums.“They got to a point where the things they were writing couldn’t be performed on stage with the equipment they had,” he said. “Could you imagine they playing ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ live?”Gass said this is why tribute bands such as Rain are important.“They are playing songs that the Beatles never even played live,” he said.The name Rain comes from the band’s 1966 B-side single “Rain.” Though the song never appeared on a Beatles album, it is important because of their implementation of backward vocals. It also started the trend of making music videos.Gass talked about the drifting apart that occurred within the group during the time of “Let It Be.” He said that he wondered what might have been had The Beatles stayed together like The Rolling Stones.“Paul tried to tell the group, ‘Let’s rediscover music we played as a band,’” Gass said. But, unfortunately it was already too late. He added that the band had begun to separate and all Paul could do was write “Hey Jude” in an attempt to send his blessings to John.Bloomington resident Mary Bent and her husband came to Gass’s lecture because they said they think the Beatles are iconic.In five and a half years, The Beatles went from playing “The Ed Sullivan Show” to ending their career with their album “Abbey Road.” “I started liking them when our children were teenagers,” Bent said. People of all ages enjoy listening to the Beatles, and bands such as Rain bring their music back to life, Gass said. “It’s funny how today the Beatles’ music brings families together, when it used to tear them apart,” Gass said.
(10/19/09 2:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Scholars, students and local residents joined together at the IU Art Museum on Saturday for IU museum director and curator of Western art before 1800 Heidi Gealt’s talk about 16th- and 17th- century Spanish art. The talk began when art professor Giles Knox introduced Gealt, who is best known for her work about artist Domenico Tiepolo. Knox also brought a large group of scholars to the talk from a two-day conference titled “Sacred and Profane in the Early Modern Hispanic World.” The conference focused on religion in the Hispanic world from 1492 to 1680.The Noon Talk, which is part of a series of talks provided by the museum for education and awareness of art of campus, focused on three works in particular: “Scenes From the Life of the Virgin,” “Study for Martyrdom of St. Sebastian” and “Vanitas.”“Felipe Vigarny is credited with bringing the Renaissance style to Spain,” Gealt said and added that Vigarny is French, but painted in an Italian style, which he marketed to Spain.“He went to great detail to point out different patterns and colors in textiles,” she said. “His work is an example of how the export stays relatively frozen in time.” Eight panels from a series Vigarny painted for a chapel in Spain are at the art museum. However, the series is incomplete and Gealt said scholars believe there may be many more panels that complete the series.Next, Gealt spoke about “Study for Martyrdom of St. Sebastian,” a red chalk drawing that captures the human form and bodily expression, rather than merely facial expressions.Gealt called the drawing one of Spanish painter Jusepe de Ribera’s greatest acquisitions. “His mastery of the human figure has jelled,” she said. “He really evoked emotion through the body.”The final work Gealt discussed was “Vanitas,” also called “Memento Mori.” Juan Francisco Carrion painted it in 1672 to contrast life and death, as well as good and evil.“Carrion uses literature and represents its message in his painting,” she said. The painting includes a sonnet written by Carrion and other books that send a warning to the viewers.“I like to look at paintings because I can get lost in it,” sophomore Marybeth Stull said. “I get to see what the artist has to say and then take it from my own point of view.”
(10/19/09 12:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>ABC’s Emmy Award-winning reality show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” has chosen Indiana as the destination for its next home makeover.The show is currently in the process of choosing among five deserving Indiana families. On Wednesday, Ty Pennington and the rest of the show’s crew will greet one deserving family with news that they will be receiving a new house.Anderson, Ind.,-based company Hallmark Homes will be building the house. “A little over two weeks ago, we got an e-mail from the senior producer of the show,” CEO of Hallmark Homes Derek Wilder said. He said at first they thought it was joke, but after a few e-mails, the producers flew out and met with Hallmark Homes. Wilder said he and the rest of the company are excited about the opportunity to help out the community.“We won’t be sleeping a lot,” he said. “Our plan is to have a lot of caffeine on hand, but we look forward to the challenge.”Ball State University, Blakely’s Flooring, Bilt Best Windows, Climate Master, JN Stone, Madison Millwork, Modern Trailer Sales and Schneider Electric are all partners in contributing to the project, according to a press release.Local universities are getting involved as well.“Anderson University is helping in a variety of ways,” director of Anderson University Communications Chris Williams said. He said Wilder, an alumnus of Anderson University, contacted the school to make the university aware and discover the ways that the university would want to support this community endeavor.The actual build will take place between Oct. 21, when the family hears the good news at the “Door Knock,” and Oct. 27, when they “Move that Bus!” and the house is revealed.“We are excited to support this very quick project of only 106 hours,” Williams said.
(10/16/09 1:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Angolan writer and filmmaker Ondjaki spoke Thursday about Angolan history, contemporary life and writing.“I am known for writing in a way with Portuguese aspects, but I do not write only in that way,” he said. “Writing is more about the dreams that we have and the direction that we have than being from Angola, Brazil or Portugal.“This concept of writing about transcending geographic boundaries remained a prominent motif throughout Ondjaki’s talk. Ondjaki shared a multitude of stories from his experiences of coming of age in Luanda, the capital of Angola. “Growing up, kids used to bring empty milk cans for a substitute for desks or chairs,” he said. Ondjaki elaborated on a variety of current problems in public education in Angola as a result of a lack of resources. He said that the biggest issues are the social problems, that only time can fix. “We were told that pen was the weapon of the pioneer,” Ondjaki said. “Revolution was carried out through books.”He then discussed the political and social implications of 500 years of Portuguese colonization in Angola. Onjaki said that although there was much debate about selecting Portuguese as the national language of Angola, it unites the country as remains the only language spoken in all 18 provinces. “Angolan history is tightly connected to books,” he said. “Our first president divided his time between writing and politics.”Ondjaki spoke about the importance of children’s literature in Angola. He said nearly all literature in Angola talks about children and parallels the youthful state of the country. “They call my generation the ‘sons of independence’ because we are the first generation to grow up in Angola,” he said. As a relatively young country, Angola has a lot of room for growth. The literature of Angola reflects the political and social state of the country. For this reason, Ondjaki said that poetry is becoming extremely popular. “Every week is seems there are new poets in Luanda,” he said. “You drink some beers and smoke some marijuana and you think you are writing poetry.”He also reflected on the slight burden that comes with being an African writer. “What one wants to be seen as is just a writer, not just an Angolan or African writer,” he said. “You should be free to write whatever you want.”Professors and students alike appreciated the accessibility of Ondjaki’s talk. “His talk felt genuine, he had a universal appeal and entertaining antidotes,” senior Jack Killen said.History professor Marissa Moorman also attended the talk and introduced him to the audience. “He writes in local terms while striking the innocence of all childhood,” Moorman said.Ondjaki is currently living in Brazil, though he said he also feels inspired by his trip to Bloomington. So inspired, in fact, Ondjaki said he will complete a book of poetry entitled, “The Day of the Names and Other Poems for Bloomington.” Ondjaki will be showing and discussing his documentary film “Hope the Pitanga Cherries Grow” at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center on Monday, Oct. 19 at 5:30.
(10/13/09 2:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>From fairy stories to science-based novels, A.S. Byatt spoke at the Solarium on Monday about her writing process and wide spectrum of works. Byatt is a prolific English novelist and short story writer, who has received much critical acclaim for her writing.“I don’t think I wanted to do anything else but be a writer,” Byatt said. She began her talk by discussing the difficulties she faced as part of the female minority at the University of Cambridge in the 1950s.“However bright a woman you were, you had to enter the ‘bright prison’ of a life in the home and the kitchen,” she said. Byatt knew that the “bright prison” was not for her and vowed that she would write fiction.“I wrote all through my classes and lectures and never showed a word of it to anyone,” she said. Byatt used her writing to widen her horizons, develop a sense of rhythm and explore her own curiosities.“Most of my novels start when two things I have been thinking about come together,” she said. Byatt spoke to the different styles necessary to writing effective fiction versus short stories.“If you write a bad sentence in a short story you kill it, but in a novel you have to except that the reader will skip some,” she said.After responding to some questions, Byatt read some excerpts from her new book “The Children’s Book” which depicts Victorian children’s book authors without developing one central character.“It’s amazing to hear a living author discuss her work and be able to ask her questions,” comparative literature assistant professor Sarah Van der Laan said.Byatt explained that she doesn’t know why books require a central character. She began her reading by saying, “This story is not autobiographical, but as it was pointed out, all writing is autobiographical.” Byatt’s reading exuded with the emotion and intricate imagery that comprises her works.Byatt also read some excerpts from her fairy story, “The Thing in the Forest.” The story was inspired by her childhood and takes place in Great Britain during WWII as children were being sent to the countryside.“Writing fairy stories presents the possibility of speaking on the cosmic nature of things,” she said. “Things that you read are more real and unreal than your daily life.”She discussed her dismay at the film version of her novel “Possession: A Romance.” She said it was an honorable attempt, but there were far too many arbitrary decisions, which ruined the film. Byatt’s writing and style speak directly from her experience and growth as a writer. She said she refuses to put herself in her works, but she knows that she is within them.“My novels don’t begin with characters, the characters grow up in the kind of garden I create for them,” she said.Audience members asked Byatt a plethora of questions about the writing process and her inspiration.“I think her thoughts about language were very interesting,” doctoral student Katie Peebles said. “It was interesting to hear her say how her words develop from within.”
(10/12/09 3:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>From the Big Bang to the World Wide Web, IU scientists explained on Saturday how we think we got here.Students, faculty and members of the Bloomington community gathered at the Whittenberger Auditorium to discuss the origins of the universe – from evolution to modern society.IU and the Stone Age Institute, a Bloomington organization dedicated to the study of all human history, organized the symposium with the theme “The Evolution of the Universe, the Earth, Life, and the Human Species.”“Our purpose is communicating a message beyond this room and beyond this campus,” Vice Provost for Research Sarita Soni said in the lecture. The symposium was organized with the College of Arts and Sciences 2009 Themester, “Evolution, Diversity and Change,” in mind.Soni said the Themester was designed to bring the community together 150 years after Charles Darwin published “On the Origin of Species.”Faculty from a wide array of disciplines spoke in 15-minute segments on the origin and evolution of everything – the universe, the stars, the Earth and life.“The U.S. ranks 33rd out of 34th in our understanding that evolution happened,” anthropology professor Nicholas Toth said. As a result, he and anthropology professor Kathy Schick sought to compile a list of the top 100 events in evolutionary history.The symposium presented listeners with a broad history of evolution from the big bang to today in a comprehensive way. “Life, as we know it on Earth, consists of evolving informational molecules and a linked chemical system,” geology professor Lisa Pratt said in the lecture. Pratt discussed the origin of life on earth and NASA’s MAX-C Mars mission. “The MAX-C mission is proposed for 2018 to collect, document and package samples as the first step in a campaign to study Mars’s rocks,” she said.Scientists also discussed the biological traits that allow life to live in certain settings and environments.Geology Professor David Polly discussed his extensive research on the Titanoboa, a giant snake that measured approximately 43 feet – longer than a bus.“It is no coincidence that a giant snake lived at this time,” he said. “Its survival is reliant on the ambient temperature of the time.”Biology Professor Elizabeth Raff discussed the evolutionary differences between humans and other life forms. “Humans and chimps share 98.5 percent of genomes,” Raff said. “Yet, we are the only species who are aware of ourselves and are able to change the world and know that we are doing so.”Schick concluded the symposium by saying that evolution has played and will continue to play a huge role in our own lives. “It is important to remember that the rest of the world is evolving, too,” Schick said.
(10/07/09 10:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Mariah Carey’s new album “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel” attempts to empower females, but ends up alienating both men and women.With a plethora of anthems that resemble the single, “Obsessed,” Carey over simplifies male and female relationships by depicting men as stalkers and love interests and women as catty characters from “Mean Girls.”Here Carey loses her voice, literally. It seems as though the music is no longer about her wide vocal range, but rather a shift toward conforming to the current pop chart standards of synthesizing beats, sound mixing and simplified messages for the global masses. The album is far too long and lacks a central theme. It merely consists of inauthentic and contrived songs about a false sense of love and multitude of high school-esque issues. “Angel” is a very childish venture for Carey, who at 39 years old may be a pop diva, but has seemingly become even more immature over the years.
(10/07/09 10:02pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Lynyrd Skynyrd’s new album “God and Guns” plays into the central country music motifs of a false sense of nostalgia and traditional southern values.The band uses the duration of the album to preach their firm beliefs in conservative values: religion, guns and tradition.Skynyrd conveys a sense of deep dismay at the “change” brought by President Obama, boldly arguing that they would rather go back to “the way things used be.” “Guns” repeatedly attacks straw men, who the band argues are ruining “American values” by making people responsible for their actions.This album depicts the state of alienation that arose from a fervent desire to remain static in a world that is rapidly changing. Every song sounds simplistically one-dimensional. The lyrics mirror every other country song playing on the radio. This album proves that southern rock is a dying breed.