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(11/13/07 2:54am)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – After years of largely unsuccessful attempts to discourage binge drinking on campuses around the country, administrators are looking for more creative ways to keep students from getting falling-down drunk. \nThe University of Iowa is attempting to throw off the “Thirsty Thursday” routine – the popular practice of starting weekends a night early – by scheduling more classes on Fridays.\nOnly 14 percent of classes at the University of Michigan are held on Fridays, as opposed to 22 percent on Mondays and Tuesdays and 21 percent on Wednesdays and Thursdays.\nUniversity of Michigan spokeswoman Kelly Cunningham said there are no plans to schedule more classes on Fridays because those afternoons are generally used for other purposes.\n“Friday is a day where we have lots of lectures and public seminars and interesting things where we have people come and speak,” she said.\nAlong with more Friday classes, some schools are attempting to cut down on drinking by limiting alcohol advertising on campus.\nThe California State University system implemented stricter controls on alcohol advertising two years ago. The system’s Fullerton campus even hired a student to take down advertisements and fliers that promoted drink specials at bars on campus.\nTaking an even more aggressive approach, Louisiana State University worked with Baton Rouge’s city council to ban “all-you-can-drink” specials or “big drink” specials after 10 p.m.\nThe University of Michigan’s approach is more focused on trying to convince students not to drink.\nMary Jo Desprez, the University of Michigan’s alcohol policy and community initiatives program administrator, said the University doesn’t have any initiatives like those in place.\n“We can’t make anybody do anything,” she said. “We can’t make bars change their alcohol policies.”
(11/13/07 2:52am)
EVANSTON, Ill. – You might want to think twice about that midnight Pizza Express delivery. A Northwestern University study recently revealed that eating a high-fat diet disrupts the internal body clock of mice, causing them to eat when they should be resting.\n“It’s similar to waking in the middle of the night and raiding the refrigerator,” said Aaron Laposky, research assistant professor at the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology and one of the study’s authors.\nThe study, published Wednesday in the medical journal “Cell Metabolism,” shows that overeating disrupts the body’s biological clock, throwing off the timing of sleep cycles and weakening appetite control. The biological clock is the control center for behavior and tissue function. It operates on a 24-hour cycle that governs bodily operations like sleeping and waking, fluid balance, body temperature and oxygen consumption.\nIn the study, 45 percent of the calories eaten by mice were from fat. For humans, nutritionists recommend that no more than 30 percent of calories come from fat. After just two weeks on the high-fat diet, the mice showed changes in the rhythms that control eating and sleeping – even before they gained weight.\nThis suggests that excess weight isn’t the only problem. A high-fat diet may cause changes at the molecular level, Laposky said. In the study, researchers observed changes in genes that encode the clock in the brain and fat tissues.\n“It’s not just the weight gain,” he said. “And even the mice who gained a little bit of weight showed the same behavior as obese mice.”\nThe excess calories eventually caused weight gain, further disrupting the mice’s internal clock. That in turn negatively affected metabolism and encouraged more ill-timed eating, perpetuating the cycle of weight gain. \nAnother experiment showed mice on the high-fat diet slept more and had poorer sleep quality than mice on a regular diet.\nThe study was inspired by a similar set of experiments by Northwestern researchers two years ago. That study showed that mice who already had abnormal sleep patterns became overweight. \nThis time, they hoped to see how high calorie intake affects the biological clock, said study leader Dr. Joe Bass, head of endocrinology and metabolism at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare and a professor at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine. \n“We found that the genes that control the clock also control appetite, which made us wonder if a high-fat diet could turn around and disrupt the clock,” Bass said.\nThe scientists don’t plan to do body clock research on people, but other studies with human subjects corroborate their theories, Laposky said. Studies have shown that obese people are sleepier during the day, and many with diabetes have abnormal body clocks, he said.\nPeople who work at night and eat at odd times of the day may have difficulty maintaining their weight because they have to fight the natural tendencies of their internal clock, Bass said. \n“Hunger and metabolism is carefully orchestrated by the body and comes in at specific times,” he said. “If you disrupt those times, that may cause abnormalities in the way the body processes sugar or fat.”
(11/10/07 8:38pm)
IU Society of Professional Journalists Jena 6 panel discussion (11/10/2007)
(11/05/07 2:39am)
-From IDS reports\nThis spring, the IU Student Foundation is announcing the availability of nearly $30,000 in scholarships for students.\nScholarships are available for Little 50 relay race participants, Little 500 riders, working students and IUSF members. Money raised from ticket sales at IU Sing, Little 50 and Little 500 will help fund the scholarships. IUSF has used the Little 500 race and other student activities to raise money to offer scholarships to working students. IUSF awards nearly $70,000 in scholarships.\nBesides offering scholarships, IUSF also creates leadership opportunities for about 500 student volunteers. If students have questions, they are welcome to contact Matthew Ewing, IUSF assistant director, at 855-9152 or mnewing@indiana.edu.
(11/01/07 4:00am)
Trying to find a definite punk scene in Bloomington is like trying to pin down the definition of what "punk" music is. While Spin magazine recently highlighted 30 years of punk in the U.S. and the scene seems to be alive and well elsewhere, some say Bloomington just doesn't have a concrete punk scene. \nThe owners of Landlocked Music, Jason Nickey and Heath Byers, agreed that the Bloomington punk scene is at the most, "fragmented." \n"There are different scenes in this town that would call themselves 'punk' that are different from each other," Byers said, adding that Bloomington doesn't have a distinctive punk sound, unlike other college towns, such as West Lafayette. \nBut then, that all depends on what you think punk should sound like. \n "(The punk scene) is really active right now," said Mike Bridavsky, sound engineer and owner of the label Russian Recording. "But punk rock's a pretty broad term." \nBridavsky said he sees a lot of bands come in that may not have a "classic punk" sound like that of the Sex Pistols or Ramones in the late 1970s, but Bloomington definitely has a lot of bands that have a punk influence. Some might be goth-punk, others may be pop-punk, but they're all punk, he said. \nPunk music came on the scene in the U.S. in 1977 with the release of the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, according to Spin magazine's article "1977: The Year Punk Exploded." But Andy Hollinden, an IU history of music professor who has released a couple of albums himself, pointed out that '60s garage bands such as The Velvet Underground could be classified as "punk," if the term refers to rejecting the popular upbeat sound of the time.\n"They were making a racket in the wake of the British invasion," Hollinden said. "My thought is (1977) is when we in America first heard of the Sex Pistols." \nHe said the subject matter of many punk songs was unlike that of The Beatles' lighthearted "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and more about drugs and other, darker issues. \nThe difference, though, between garage bands and bands such as the Sex Pistols, Hollinden said, is that although The Velvet Underground and Ramones were fast and loud, they weren't "really pissed off," a defining attitude adopted by people who came to be known as punks. \n"The Sex Pistols were not only pissed off at the government ... (but were) also pissed off at rock music," he said. "Rock music had basically been neutered in their eyes." \nTim Pritchett, assistant director and booking agent of Rhino's All-Ages Music Club, 331 S. Walnut St., agreed with Bridavsky, saying bands that don't have a distinct punk style but can't be categorized as anything else are often called "punk." \n"Everybody has a different idea of what (punk) is," he said. "There are a lot of people saying they're a punk band."\nEd Burmila, drummer for local band Tremendous Fucking, said his band would probably be classified as "punk" for lack of a better term.\n"People expect a particular thing when they hear us," he said, adding that people think of punk as a style that involves loud music and a lot of yelling. \nBurmila said punk rock is more than just loudness and yelling -- it's about an attitude. Hollinden echoed Burmila.\n"Punk's more about attitude than any other type of music," he said. "It's about aggression and energy. Teens everywhere have those."\nPritchett said one reason Bloomington doesn't have a concrete punk scene is that there don't seem to be as many "kids out on the streets at night that don't know what to do with themselves," which is often where punk music comes from.\nAlso, he said, it might just be that the Bloomington community is made up of a considerable number of older people. Then again, he added, the popularity of the punk scene seems to come and go. \n"We still book punk shows as much as possible," he said. "There are a lot of punk-influenced bands."\nPritchett said two of the best places to go for punk shows are Uncle Fester's House of Blooze, 430 E. Kirkwood Ave., which hosts "Punk Rock Mondays" at 10 p.m., and Rhino's. Three punk bands are scheduled to play Friday, Nov. 2, at Rhino's: LPGP and Time is Now, from Bloomington, and The Burial, from Louisville. \nBridavsky said the Art Hospital and the Cinemat are also good places to check out punk shows.
(10/30/07 2:45am)
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Senate on Wednesday voted down legislation intended to give qualified children of illegal immigrants a path toward citizenship. \nThe Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, which would have allowed illegal immigrants who planned to go to college or join the military and had arrived in the United States before the age of 16 a chance of legality, was voted down in the Senate in a 52-44 vote. \nKarla Reyes, a junior majoring in public relations and a member of Student Advocates of Higher Education at San Jose State University, a group that supports higher education for all students regardless of legal status, said she was affected by the legislation. \n“The Federal DREAM act would have changed my life and that of many of my peers who work so hard at their education with the uncertainty of not being able to work upon graduation,” Reyes wrote in an e-mail. “I feel like we have much work to do as far as educating the general public and stakeholders in regards to undocumented immigrant youth.” \nAccording to an online poll conducted by the Spartan Daily, 13 percent of the voters felt illegal immigrants should receive some financial aid. \nTyler Wood, a senior psychology major, American cultural studies major and a member of Students for Barack Obama, did not like the defeat of the legislation. \n“I think it’s bad for the government to stop this legislation because this is a great step toward a solution for people who came to this country undocumented and their families as well,” Wood wrote in an e-mail. “I think it’s a great way for young people in this country to gain citizenship while adding to our post-secondary education system and military.” \nBrian Calvert, a junior nursing major, believes illegal immigrants should get more benefits. \n“They should still get benefits because they’re benefiting the economy of the United States,” Calvert said. \nJoshua Gause, a freshman business management major, said he opposed illegal immigration. \n“I feel that they shouldn’t be able to come over here and take our money,” Gause said. \nHe also said he felt that illegal immigrants caused money problems in the US. \n“My parents, like millions of others, migrated to this country for what they think is a better life,” Reyes, a member for Student Advocates of Higher Education, wrote. “They risked our lives crossing the border to be able to offer us a better future and an education.”
(10/29/07 2:40am)
IUPD is seeking more information in the investigation of a weekend robbery at Read Center.\nEarly Saturday morning, IUPD officers were dispatched to the east side of Read Center in reference to a robbery. The victim was bleeding from a cut on his forehead, according to an IUPD press release.\nThe victim told officers that he was “jumped and robbed” by two males who took his wallet and ran in an unknown direction. Police were unable to locate the suspects, according to the press release.\nThe victim told police that the two suspects approached him from behind and struck him in the head with a large “log,” causing him to fall to the ground.\nThe victim was transported to Bloomington Hospital, and was treated for a large cut on his forehead, small abrasions and bumps on the back of his head and swelling to both of his wrists, according to the press release.\nAnyone with more information or who may have witnessed the event can contact the investigation department at 855-4111
(10/27/07 8:29pm)
Early Saturday morning, IU Police Department officers were dispatched to the east side of Read Center in reference to a robbery.\nThe victim was bleeding from a cut on the forehead, according to an IUPD press release.\nThe victim told officers that he was "jumped and robbed" by two males who took his wallet and ran in an unknown direction. Police were unable to locate the suspects, according to the press release.\nThe victim told police that the two suspects approached him from behind and struck him in the head with a large "log" causing him to fall to the ground.\nThe man who struck the victim is described as white, nearly six feet tall, skinny with short brown hair and dark clothing, possibly jeans, according to the press release. The second male was unable to be identified by the victim.\nThe victim was transported to the Bloomington Hospital Emergency Room, and he was treated for a large cut to his forehead, small abrasions/bumps on the back of his head and swelling to both of his wrists, according to the press release.\nIUPD is asking anyone who may have witnessed anything unusual in the area or has any information regarding the incident, to contact the Investigation Section at 855-4111.
(10/26/07 3:25am)
EUGENE, Ore. – Sexy female costumes have become synonymous with Halloween, providing a day for women to unleash their inner vixens while clad in costumes. Naughty nurses, provocative pirates and seductive sailors permeate the contemporary costume market. \nThe degree of sexuality echoed by thousands of erotically-dressed women this Halloween makes some experts question its mirroring of society and the meaning of the holiday. Some deem the holiday a cultural vehicle for people to explore their alter-egos and fantasies, while others maintain dressing up is just in the Halloween spirit.\n“When you look at people’s sexual fantasies, they are very taboo,” said MiraCosta College Provost Sally Foster, who claims that women act out their otherwise culturally unacceptable fantasies in costume.\nCostumes express a person’s alter-ego coupled with a “bad girl” element, she said. \n“Our day personas don’t allow full expression of all our creative urges,” Foster said, noting how on Halloween people have the “license to be whatever (they) want to be.”\nHolly Putnam, Associated Students of the University of Oregon Women’s Center’s public relations coordinator, said society’s obsession with sexuality makes risky costumes popular. \nGabriela Martinez, a University of Oregon assistant professor who explores topics like women and media, blamed advertising for establishing the idea that women should look sexy.\nMany cultures have a holiday to celebrate the art of masquerade, such as Italy’s Carnevale, but America has found a way to capitalize on women’s fantasies, reinforcing sexism, Martinez said. \nFoster further suggested that the holiday reflects the advancement of societal double standards. \n“Because there is more an injunction on women to not be that bad, naughty girl, that’s what comes out,” she said. “We think we are this really liberated gender, but these costumes and these behaviors tell us something different.” \nIt’s important to address who women dress up for on the holiday, Putnam said. \n“If they’re dressing for themselves then it could be a really good declaration of sexual power and comfort with their body,” she said. “But it’s almost just as possible that some women don naughty outfits because they are feeding into the image of female sexuality.” \nSome students believe the costumes are in good fun. Sophomore Christine Regnier attended a Halloween party a few nights ago as a 1980s rocker chic.\n“It looked sexy, but it wasn’t revealing,” she said. \nThough Regnier agreed that sometimes women’s costumes can look trashy, she doesn’t dress up to impress men – it’s a girl thing, she said. \n“I do it for my girlfriends ... I’m not necessarily trying to attract a guy’s attention.”
(10/26/07 3:22am)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The brainchildren of two of Harvard University’s most famous dropouts – one conceived more than three decades ago, the other three years ago – united Wednesday in a deal that places a $15 billion value on an online experiment launched from a Kirkland dorm room. \nMicrosoft announced Wednesday it would invest $240 million for a 1.6 percent stake in Facebook, putting an end to a bidding war over a share in the popular social networking site. \nMark Zuckerberg, formerly of the class of 2006, founded Facebook in 2004 with $1,000 in start-up money and dropped out of Harvard his junior year to run the company full-time. He currently maintains 20 percent ownership of the company, giving him a theoretical net worth of $3 billion. \nAfter founding Facebook, Zuckerberg strove to maintain the site’s independence, saying he was not looking for investors. \n“I would just rather be dependent on ourselves,” Zuckerberg told The Harvard Crimson in 2005. “Most businesses aren’t like a bunch of kids living in a house, doing whatever they want, not waking up at a normal time, not going into an office, hiring people by, like, bringing them into your house and letting them chill with you for a while and party with you and smoke with you.” \nThe deal also represents a victory for Microsoft, founded in 1975 by Harvard dropout Bill Gates, over rival firms Google and Yahoo, which also sought to work closely with Facebook.\nAs part of the arrangement, Microsoft won the position of “exclusive third-party advertising platform partner for Facebook,” according to a statement. The company will now sell the banner ads appearing on Facebook outside of the United States and will share the revenue generated by that advertising. \nLast year, Microsoft contracted an agreement to run banner ads on Facebook in the United States through 2011. \n“Microsoft has a lot of cash. Facebook has enormous growth prospects. It’s a smart investment deal from both sides,” said John G. Palfrey Jr. ‘94, the executive director of Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society. “Microsoft has been much more wealthy in terms of cash than in terms of new ideas for a while, so I think it’s great news for them that they’ve been able to tap into the social movement that Facebook represents.”
(10/25/07 4:00am)
It's hard to find a horror movie these days that can appeal to viewers by simply being scary, as newer films seem more focused on producing lots of blood than scaring people. Fortunately, we now have "30 Days of Night," a movie that is equally gory and frightening. Very frightening.\nThe story takes place in Barrow, Ala., where the sun does not rise for 30 days during the winter. Before sunset this year, town sheriff Eben Oleson (Josh Hartnett) is responding to reports of strange crimes. A bunch of cell phones are found stolen and burned. Kennels of sleigh dogs are found slaughtered. The town's utilidor has been tampered with, and the town's only helicopter has been destroyed.\nMeanwhile, a stranger (Ben Foster) has come into town spewing warnings that 'they' are coming, how 'they' can't be stopped, and how the townspeople should hide and bar their windows and doors. \nHe's referring, of course, to the vampiric creatures that emerge from the darkness after sunset. These ruthless vampires prove to be formidable foes, as they attack swiftly and can only be killed by sunlight or an axe to the head. They begin attacking people and can't seem to be stopped. The few people who escape make their way to an abandoned attic hideout, where they must figure out a way to survive the remaining days of darkness.\nConsidering how tired the vampire genre can be to horror buffs, "30 Days of Night" comes as a scary good surprise. The vampires, with their spasmodic blood-sucking and piercing wails, are truly terrifying. The acting is generally good. Lead vampire Marlow (Danny Huston), with a cock of his head and an inquisitive look on his face, drives fear into anyone who meets his black eyes. Director David Slade does a fantastic job creating a horrific environment, as the viewer must endure feelings of intense and constant terror throughout the movie. But the movie's biggest strength is how it doesn't rely solely on gore to scare viewers; much of the horror can be attributed to the vicious monsters that seemingly can't be defeated. Every scene in which someone is on the move is intense because of the feeling given off that they can't escape the vampires. It's very convincing and effective. \nSo if you're looking for a good fright flick this Halloween, you'll be hard-pressed to find one scarier than "30 Days of Night".
(10/25/07 2:45am)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The free application for Federal Student Aid will be available only electronically starting next year. \nIn September, the U.S. Department of Education announced the FAFSA change of distribution method that ceases schools’ privileges of ordering paper applications. \nThe benefits of lowered reliance on paper include reduced cost and waste, according to the Department of Education press release. \nIn an example from the Sept. 18 release, one school requested 75,000 paper applications only to produce 68 submissions for processing. \nElectronically submitting the application also means faster processing for students, said Nadine Hamrick, interim director of student financial aid at Marshall University. \n“It takes about two weeks if you do (the application) on paper,” Hamrick said. “There’s a delay in the institution getting it.” \nHamrick also said the margin for error is reduced by an electronic application. \n“Online you have help,” Hamrick said. “It will not let you leave the application or submit it if there are errors, or if something is missing. As far as accuracy is concerned, this is the best route.” \nMany students across the nation already apply for federal grants, work-study and loans with the electronic FAFSA. \nIn West Virginia, 92.7 percent of all applicants submitted their applications on the Web for 2006-07, Hamrick said. \nAt least one student at Marshall University said she prefers the electronic application to the paper copy. \n“It’s not just faster to apply for the FAFSA online,” junior Danielle Bray said. “It’s also easier because the online application gives you hints.” \nThe FAFSA in any form requires signatures of both the student and the parent. Electronic applicants may choose to print, sign and mail the application or apply for a personal identification number to sign without further delay. \nIt takes about one to three business days to receive a personal identification number through e-mail so students and their parents who want to sign the FAFSA electronically should request a personal identification number “immediately when they think they are going to apply,” Hamrick said. \nPersonal ID numbers can be requested at www.pin.ed.gov. \nUp to three paper copies of the FAFSA may be requested by a student through the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID. The FAFSA may be completed electronically at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
(10/25/07 12:00am)
QUESTION: I have a bend in my penis – is this normal? Also, sometimes it feels uncomfortable. I am in my twenties and feel embarrassed about this situation. What do you think?\nANSWER: Here at The Kinsey Institute, we receive many questions from women and men of all ages who want to learn more about their most private and intimate body parts – what’s normal, what’s not in terms of color, shape, size, symmetry and (for men) the way that penises point or bend. The short answer is that there is no “normal” when it comes to how male or female genitals look. While most penises tend to be around 4 to 6 inches long, some are shorter and some are longer. While most women tend to have a rather small glans clitoris (the part of the clitoris that peeks out from beneath the clitoral hood, and sits just above the vaginal entrance), some women have a larger or longer or more prominent glans clitoris. Some women have labia minora (inner lips) that are several inches long and other women have labia that are barely even noticeable. \nThe longer answer is a little more complex. Even though there is no “standard” for how genitals look, there are times when you might want to talk with your healthcare provider about your genitals and how they look or feel. In your case, you have noticed a bend in your penis. Quite a lot of men have a bend in their penis – some men are puzzled or troubled by the bend and others like the way that it looks or have found ways to use it during sexual activity with a partner that makes them feel like their bend packs an extra punch, adding a unique way of stimulating their partner. \nBut sometimes the bend is such that intercourse with a partner becomes physically difficult or even impossible. Other times a man might notice discomfort or penis at or around the site of his bend, either when he gets an erection or just in general. These are examples of when a man should check in with his healthcare provider (a urologist is a particularly good specialist for men to see when they have questions about their penis, scrotum, testicles, ejaculation or other aspects of sexual function). \nOne condition that affects fewer than 5% of men is called Peyronie’s disease. Peyronie’s is often described as a connective tissue problem or disorder in which scar tissue develops in the penis. The development of this scar tissue can create a curve or bend to the penis, can be associated with discomfort or pain, and can eventually cause erectile problems for some men. Though it is more common among men older than 40, younger men can be diagnosed with Peyronie’s too.\nOther times men experience pain or discomfort in their penis after having had trauma or injury to their penis as can happen during sports, falls, taking hits to the groin area, or even during sexual activity (some men – seemingly more often when a partner is on top during sexual activity – have found that they slip out and then hit their erect penis against their partner’s body, making a “popping” sound; men who have this experience should check in with their healthcare provider). It will also help to let your healthcare provider know where, precisely, you are experiencing discomfort – for example, is the discomfort at the bend, or is it at the scrotum? Also, under what circumstances do you feel discomfort – during masturbation, sex with a partner, at the point of ejaculation, when urinating, or during daily activities. The more information that you are able to provide your healthcare provider, the easier it may be for him or her to provide helpful information and, if necessary, treatment.
(10/24/07 4:06am)
IU’s Army ROTC team arrived back in Bloomington after a winning weekend.\nThis past weekend, the team participated in the 9th ROTC Brigade 2007 Ranger Challenge Competition held at Camp Atterbury, Ind. The competition involved 15 to 18 Army ROTC organizations from Indiana, Illinois and Michigan, according to an IU press release. \nOverall, the ROTC team took first place in the 9-man and the 5-man competitions. In addition, the Army ROTC won 10 of the 20 award streamers offered. This was the first time the ROTC team has won this much at one time, according to the press release.\nKnown as the “varsity sport” of the Army ROTC, the Ranger Challenge focuses on basic infantry skills. Teams compete against other schools in the region on their abilities in rifle marksmanship, rope-bridge building and patrolling, among many other events.
(10/24/07 4:05am)
NORMAL, Ill. – For students looking to put the finishing touches on their Halloween costumes with eyewear, beware of certain types of colored contact lenses, particularly those not requiring a prescription. \nIn several cases, mostly involving teenagers, serious issues have developed because of the use of cheaply made colored contacts. \n“Colored lenses purchased without proper examinations and fittings put thousands of Illinois customers at risk of scratches, infections and potential blindness,” said Dean Martinez, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.\nBecause of all the ongoing problems, Illinois has been cracking down on the manufacturing and sale of these potentially dangerous contact lenses, including cease-and-desist demands to many of the sellers in or around the Chicago, Rockford and Peoria areas. \n“Many people who purchase these contact lenses just walk into a gas station or a flea market and pay $15 for a pair without any information on the proper use of the lenses,” said Troy Hunt, a contact lens technician at the Bloomington (Ill.) Gailey Eye Clinic. One of the major issues in using these contacts is the fact that many pairs do not fit correctly. \n“As is the case with many illegal colored contacts, they end up not fitting your eye and put an extreme amount of pressure on your cornea, which can cause corneal ulcers,” Hunt said. “This is the major reason we have seen these color contacts causing so many issues,” Hunt said. \nIf corneal ulcers, which are essentially caused by scratches from the contacts, go untreated, they could cause partial or possibly irreversible blindness. \nDue to so many reports of injuries, a federal law was established in 2005 that prohibited the sale of decorative contacts without a prescription. \nDespite this law, many doctors are reporting an increasing number of patients are landing in their offices. \n“In the past, most illegal colored contact lenses were purchased just around Halloween season,” Hunt said. “Now more people are becoming fascinated with the idea of changing their eye color day in and day out, so the contacts are being worn throughout the year.”
(10/24/07 4:03am)
BOSTON – After the Educational Testing Services abandoned a $12 million project to drastically overhaul the Graduate Record Exam, the organization said it will instead make gradual changes next month to install a much more rigorous test. \nStarting in November, graduate school applicants will face complex text-completion and manual numeric-entry questions, two features designed to better test critical thinking skills and prevent cheating in the verbal and quantitative sections, Educational Testing Services spokesman Tom Ewing said. \n“We want to test out these questions first and make sure that there is no bias towards any racial or gender group,” Ewing said. “There is no need for students to be upset.” \nEwing said changes include eliminating the verbal analogy questions and lengthening critical-reading passages. \nAfter repeated delays, Educational Testing Services announced in April it scrapped plans to change the GRE from a Computer Adaptive Test, in which students would have had to answer progressively difficult questions based on their performance, to one that requires every test taker to answer the same questions. The original plans to revise the test were designed to prevent cheating off foreign Web sites, Ewing said. \n“Security is only an issue in Korea, Taiwan and China,” Ewing said. “These new question types, which are constructed responses rather than multiple choice, will make it more difficult to memorize answers posted on Web sites in Asian countries.” \nRobert Schaeffer, a spokesman for FairTest, a Massachusetts-based advocacy group that monitors fairness in standardized tests, said cheating on high-stakes exams is prevalent everywhere. \n“No matter what ETS says, security issues can never be completely addressed,” Schaeffer said. \nSchaeffer said the GRE is a poor barometer for judging students’ ability to succeed in graduate school with or without the revisions. \nRiebeil Durley-Petty, a second-year Boston University journalism graduate student, agreed. \n“I graduated magna cum laude from college but did not do so well on the GRE,” Durley-Petty said. \nKaplan instructor William Marcellino commended the Educational Testing Service’s decision to refrain from totally reworking the exam. \n“Too much change upsets test takers and admission officers,” Marcellino said.
(10/24/07 4:02am)
NORMAL, Ill. – Researcher David Levy from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands has provided an argument for his prediction that by the year 2050 humans will be able to marry robots and consummate these vows. \nLevy presented his thesis, “Intimate Relationships with Artificial Partners,” on Oct. 11. He argued that robots will become so human-like in appearance, function and personality that numerous people will fall in love with them, have sexual intercourse with them and want to marry them. \nLevy, who recently completed his Ph.D. work on the matter of human-robot relationships, predicts that by the year 2050, Massachusetts will be the first jurisdiction in the United States to legalize marriage with robots. \n“It’s true that we’re bonding with technology in various ways, but I don’t think we will have marriage with an artifact by 2050,” Henrik Christensen, founder of the European Robotics and Research Network, said. \n“There are, indeed, very bright people working in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics who believe that there will be robots as intelligent – in fact, more intelligent – than humans by 2050,” said David Anderson, philosophy professor and director of The Mind Project. “However, I do believe that a majority of people working in cognitive science, and even those specializing in artificial intelligence and robotics, do not believe that robots will approach the intelligence and the emotional sophistication of human beings in less than 50 years. And if the robots are not nearly as smart as humans or as interesting, I doubt that anyone will want to marry one.”\nLevy has predicted that Massachusetts will be the first jurisdiction to legalize human-robot marriage because it has been at the forefront of same-sex marriage and there are a lot of high-tech research organizations such as Massachusetts Institute for Technology. \n“It is really the understanding of ‘person’ that will most need to be expanded to include machines. If at some future point most people accept very intelligent machines as ‘persons’ then, and only then, will they be able to consider the next step – marriage,” Anderson said. \nChristensen said some of the advancements that have been made in technology so far point to the possibility of marriage with robots. Not only are the robots being built looking very human-like, but the artificial intelligence has developed to the point that humans are able to carry on a dialogue and have meaningful interaction with robots. \nChristensen explained humans are already able to create robots with feelings, also known as “affective systems.” These robots can pick up the tone of a human voice and respond to it. They can express emotions, such as being happy or angry or upset. \n“Even as a roboticist, I don’t understand why people would want to do that, but it is true that people are starting to have associations with artifacts,” Christensen said. \nAnderson has a different point of view. \n“If you could build a machine that was clever, kind, noble, sexy, had a great sense of humor and understood you better than any human being ... why wouldn’t you want to marry it? The question is, why do you think such a thing is possible?” Anderson said. \nChristensen believes advancements need to be made to the point that people cannot distinguish between humans and robots. Only then will marriage with robots become a reality. \n“If you touch a robot, you can immediately tell it’s a robot. We need to blur the boundary much more, so you can’t tell the difference,” Christensen said.
(10/23/07 1:51pm)
Hundreds of men and women wearing black robes marched through the IU Auditorium at a slow cadence, matching their footsteps to the sound of the giant pipe organ that filled the hall. It was the beginning of Michael McRobbie’s inauguration as the 18th IU president.\nThough McRobbie has been in office since the summer, inauguration marked his official induction into the IU history books, and gave him a chance to reveal his long-term vision for the University.\n“It’s a long-standing tradition at universities around the world to inaugurate a new president,” said Larry MacIntyre, director of media relations. “The tradition goes back a thousand years, probably.” \nThe inauguration was just a small part of “Celebrate IU” week, which includes Wednesday’s cornhole tournament, the weekend concerts and Saturday’s football game against Penn State.\nThe ceremony opened with a performance of “Inaugural Fanfare,” composed by IU Jacobs School of Music professor David Dzubay specially for McRobbie’s inauguration. As almost 200 IU faculty members marched through the hall, they were joined by representatives from universities around the world, including England, Korea and McRobbie’s native Australia, among others. Other musical performances included Jacobs School lecturer and Grammy Award winner Sylvia McNair singing “Songs of the Auvergne,” and the IU Philharmonic Orchestra performing “The Pines of Rome: The Pines of the Appian Way.”\nMaster of Ceremonies and IU Foundation President Curt Simic introduced McRobbie, who delivered his keynote speech to a rousing round of applause.\n“The President intends to say a lot of things in his speech that are veryspecific and concrete as to where he wants to take IU over the next decade,” MacIntyre said.\nLater Thursday night, the delegations and McRobbie attended the Inauguration Concert, a performance by the Philharmonic Orchestra with soloist and Jacobs School professor André Watts.\nCheck out Monday’s Indiana Daily Student for more coverage of McRobbie’s inauguration and \nrelated events.
(10/23/07 1:47pm)
IU President Michael McRobbie was inaugurated today in a ceremony that marks his ascension into the history books. \nFlanked by past IU presidents John Ryan, Tom Ehrlich, Myles Brand, Gerald Bepko and Adam Herbert, McRobbie delivered a speech in which he outlined his master plan for the University.\nMcRobbie said he is committed to IU's two "core missions," education and research. He announced plans to expand research space, hire outstanding faculty members and remodel or rebuild all of IU-Bloomington's residence halls within 15 years.\nThe inauguration made McRobbie IU's 18th president. He follows in the footsteps of Adam Herbert, a man who had to deal with an unhappy faculty and heavy criticism throughout his presidency. \nAfter four months in office, McRobbie has already appointed eight vice presidents and a new IUB provost.
(10/23/07 2:42am)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The declining value of the American dollar is making studying abroad more expensive. \nThe dollar is hitting record lows against the euro. One American dollar buys only 0.69 euros. It also buys 0.48 British pounds. In November 2005, one American dollar bought 0.85 euros or 0.57 pounds. \nCarol Dickerman, the director of the University of Michigan’s Office of International Programs, said she’s worried about the effects the weakness of the dollar could have on study abroad programs. \nThe places where the dollar is weakest, like Europe, tend to be the places where students want to study most, Dickerman said. She’s encouraging students to consider studying in places where the dollar is stronger, like Latin America and Africa. \nWhile classes, housing and entertainment for a semester in Aix-en-Provence, France, cost $11,777, a similar package at the University of Cape Town in South Africa costs $5,075. The rand, the currency of South Africa, is weak against the dollar. $1 is worth 6.8 rands. \nJunior Monica Converse said the falling dollar influenced her decision to study abroad in a country that doesn’t use the euro. Her first choice was Budapest, Hungary, which still uses its national currency, the forint, rather than the euro. \n“I’m an independent student, so I’m financing my own education,” Converse said. “Going somewhere on the euro would’ve caused me to increase loans and to incur more of a financial burden.” \nFor some students, like sophomore Aly Marks, location is more of a factor than the decline of the dollar. \n“I always wanted to travel to Italy and I was going there regardless – whether or not the dollar sucks,” she said. \nWhile some students might pick a new study abroad destination because of the decline of the dollar, others could choose not to study abroad at all. Sophomore Ben Johns said he is worried that studying abroad could cost as much or more than his out-of-state tuition. \nDickerman said she worries that the price of the university’s study abroad programs will go up. In recent years, the Michigan Office of International Programs has been forced to cut some parts of its programs – like special trips or entertainment – because of the falling value of the dollar. But because some things can’t be cut, like classes, the university must pass along the additional cost to students, she said. \nStudents who still want to take the classic trip to France or Italy can still find scholarships to offset the rising cost of the programs, Dickerman said. \nStill, the effect of the falling dollar on enrollment is unclear. Dickerman said it hasn’t affected overall enrollment. \n“The dollar has been slowly deteriorating for a couple of years, but at the same time, our enrollments are going up,” Dickerman said. “What I can’t tell is how much our enrollments would go up if the dollar wasn’t deteriorating.”