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(01/10/07 3:05am)
There are few (even among Purdue Boilermakers) who can legitimately deny that IU is a valuable asset to Indiana and its residents. But many may wonder exactly how valuable it is. \nNow, there is an answer. \nAccording to a new, 18-page report presented to the State Budget Committee by IU President Adam Herbert as part of the University's funding request for the state's 2007 to 2009 budget, IU added $3.2 billion to the state in the 2005-2006 fiscal year. That figure includes $5.9 billion if the IU School of Medicine and connected services are included. \nLast year, IU surpassed every other Indiana four-year public and private university combined in attracting grants and contracts to fund research. \nVictor Borden, IU's associate vice president for University planning, said in an interview with The Herald-Times that IU can take credit for half of the economic impact of all of Indiana's four-year educational institutions. \nIU's impact on the economic stability of the state, not to mention its influence on the state's education level, should be heavily considered by the committee when making funding decisions. \nIn addition, IU accounted for 36 percent of all bachelor's, master's and professional doctoral degrees in Indiana from 1996 to 2005. IU also awarded at least a third of all the state's business, social sciences and psychology, humanities and performing arts, and natural science and mathematics degrees in those same years. Almost half of all education degrees in the state and 42 percent of health and life sciences degrees are also given by IU. \nMost significant, however, is the amount of human services and public administration degrees awarded; IU grants 67 percent, over two-thirds, of Indiana's degrees in this field.\nGiven these impressive statistics, we at the IDS editorial board hope the State Budget Committee will consider increasing IU's funding. IU deserves more money from the state government to further develop the University in those areas that have the greatest economic and social impact on the state, especially the life sciences.\nIU President Adam Herbert, along with the IU administration and faculty, has outlined the Indiana Life Sciences Initiative that hopes to create 14,000 new jobs, develop 100 new companies and attract an additional $2.4 billion research dollars to the state by 2019. The plan requires the state government to invest $80 million over the next two years. Currently, IU is ranked seventh among the 11 Big Ten universities in federal funding for life science research from the two leading sources -- the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation Biology Directorate. The Indiana Life Sciences Initiative should improve IU's rankings and add to the measure of the University's success. \nAn increase in funding is a modest request compared to the potential returns in terms of benefits to Hoosiers throughout the state. IU is an investment in the future of the state and its citizens. The greater the amount invested the greater benefit for all those involved.
(01/09/07 5:44pm)
Sounding more like an edited version of Team America than an American statesman, Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode has attacked America's embrace of religious diversity.\nGoode has decried the election of Keith Ellison, America's first Muslim-American congressman, and objected to Ellison's choice to place his hand on the Quran in taking his oath to uphold the Constitution. One has to wonder if Goode, a self-proclaimed defender of American traditions, realizes the Constitution bars religious tests for officeholders. \nGoode's vitriol is not reserved for Ellison alone. He wants America to close its borders to new immigration. "(I) fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America," he wrote in a letter to a constituent. The disaster, Goode said, would be that other Muslims like Ellison will be elected. \nGoode's comments combine an alarming bigotry with a profound ignorance of Islam and America's Muslim community. \nBy some estimates, Muslim-Americans number 6 million or more. You may have Muslim classmates without realizing it, as the community is diverse as America itself. Sizable portions of the Muslim-American population are South Asian or Arab, and African-Americans like Ellison constitute at least one-third of the total, along with whites, Latinos and others. The vast majority of these Muslims were hardworking, loyal citizens far before the recent controversies that have questioned their place in America. Ellison, who converted to Islam 25 years ago, traces his roots in America back to 1742.\nThe fact that America elected its first Muslim-American to Capitol Hill (as well as its first two Buddhist congressmen) is cause for celebration, not antagonism. Goode's brand of identity politics blinds him from seeing that greater diversity can enrich America, that Ellison is just as dedicated as other legislators to faithfully upholding the Constitution. Furthermore, the presence of a vibrant Muslim minority is arguably the best reason to be optimistic about the potential for mutual understanding and peace in the future. \nIt's easy to fear and hate the unknown. From the average Americans who don't know that "Allah" is simply Arabic for "God", to the upper-level government officials the New York Times found couldn't name differences between Sunnis and Shias, it's clear that Americans have a lot to learn about Islam. Even worse, most of what we do hear comes from security "experts" rather than Muslims themselves. Against this backdrop, it's not surprising that Islamophobia -- prejudice against Muslims -- is so widespread.\nMuch of the burden to educate falls on Muslim-Americans. I won't try to convince you that Islam is a religion of peace in a single column, but I do urge you to attend this March's Islam Awareness Month events, held by the IU Muslim Student Union. Better yet, find your Muslim neighbors and get to know them -- the good news coming from the Goode-Ellison controversy is that Ellison has offered to meet Goode.
(01/09/07 1:11am)
Texas Tech men's basketball coach Bob Knight won his 880th game on New Year's Day, surpassing former North Carolina coach Dean Smith as the winningest in NCAA Men's Division 1 basketball history. Several people associated with IU, including President Adam Herbert and Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan, have offered their congratulations, recognizing the greatness of Knight's achievement. Even former IU President Myles Brand, who was responsible for Knight's firing in September 2000, issued a brief congratulatory statement.\nBut basketball achievement aside (the greatness of which the IDS editorial board unwaveringly recognizes), how does Texas Tech's 70-68 win over New Mexico that sealed Knight's place in history affect the face of IU?\nKnight is synonymous with both winning and headline-making behavior. And when the discipline imposed on him by IU finally came to a head with his firing, it yielded one of the most awkward relationships in college sports. \nHere's where we stand. Many students, alumni, faculty and others at IU (not all, we realize) would give their right arms to have Knight once again shouting at referees and disciplining players on the Assembly Hall hardwood. ESPN analyst Dick Vitale even thinks Assembly Hall should be renamed the Robert Montgomery Knight Center at Assembly Hall, an honor that would recognize him as one of IU's most important figures.\nBut this is the kicker. If by some amazing turn of events all the necessary pieces fell into place to honor Knight in such a manner -- if the higher-ups of IU finally decided the fans are right to miss the coach's presence, if IU set up a grand ceremony worthy of Pope Benedict XVI -- we find it unlikely he would show up. Missing from Knight's comments after the game was much mention of his time at IU. \nWe are not denouncing Knight. He would hardly be the man we have all seen throughout his career, both before and after his tenure at IU, if he had forgiven all and dropped his discontent with the University.\nBut win No. 880 reminds us that somewhere along the bumpy line that was the University's relationship with the coach, the two simply cut ties. Not even 662 wins, three national championships and decades of memories can change that. Fans of Knight will continue to invoke his name after every IU loss, and Knight will rack up more wins until, and perhaps beyond, the time his current Texas Tech contract ends in 2011. Fans will hold him up on high and he will ignore the University more. \nThe real tragedy is that fans of IU basketball will seemingly forever be without the support of their coach. Many have attempted to assign blame for the situation, but such a venture is useless. It is simply truth. So here's to hoping for reconciliation while knowing how unlikely it is.
(01/07/07 11:11pm)
The Dec. 30, 2006, execution by hanging of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was a much anticipated event that resulted in mixed reactions from the international community, ranging from joyous celebrations to angry protests. \nThe majority of the Iraqi people and international community do not doubt he was a cruel dictator, responsible for the deaths of thousands of his own people as well as brutal violence and aggression against Iran and Kuwait. He deserved the death sentence that he was given. \nHowever, there has been much controversy regarding the manner in which Saddam was tried and executed. Prominent international leaders such as British Prime Minister Tony Blair have criticized the acts prior to the execution as unacceptable. \nMany believe the Iraqi government should have allowed the conclusion of sentencing for the second trial that was underway, which addressed his Anfal campaign against the Kurds that began in 1988. \nHe was also executed close to the daylong holiday of Eid-ul-Adha, one of the most important holidays among all Muslims. \nProminent news media in America and all over the world aired silent footage of Saddam at his execution, stopping shortly after the noose was placed around his neck. \nAnother video, crudely shot on a cell phone captures all of Saddam's final moments, starting from his being led to the gallows and ending with footage of his lifeless body still hanging from the rope. \nThe video has shocked many. Unlike the eerily calm videos shown by TV news media, this footage shows the reality of Saddam's execution. He's being taunted with Shia prayers, the name of Moqtada Al-Sadr, one of his prominent enemies, and shouts of men telling him his final destination is hell. \nIt is irrelevant whether he deserved those taunts. Quite frankly, it was a more dignified death than he offered his victims. \nBut the Iraqi government should have tread more carefully and carried out his execution in a manner that would be least likely to inflame sectarian and anti-American violence. \nThe use of Shia prayers as a taunt has caused rage among already antagonized Sunni Muslims and will likely lead to an increase in sectarian killings and attacks against coalition troops in Iraq. \nAlso important to note is that the majority of ethnic Kurds, against whom Saddam launched the massive Anfal campaign that included the gassing of 5,000 Kurdish villagers, are Sunni Muslims. For the spectators at Saddam's execution to portray his death as a victory of the Shia population over the Sunni screams of both inaccuracy and incredible insensitivity.\nHopefully, once the initial reactions and retaliations have subsided, the execution of Saddam will close a horrible chapter in Iraqi history and help the Iraqi people move toward a unified, prosperous and democratic nation. \nUntil that time, the Iraqi government would do well to avoid further debacles as they administer justice and build a legitimate government.