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(04/04/07 4:00am)
TREVLAC, Ind. – A propane gas tank caught fire and exploded near several residences on Lake Lemon around 3 p.m. Tuesday, sending dozens of firefighters rushing to the scene.\nThe closest residence, 5146 North Shore Drive in Trevlac did not appear damaged by the fire which, observers on the scene said, sent flames shooting about 50 feet into the air.\nSome firefighters on the scene attributed the fire to a leaky propane tank, located near the residence.\nRick Sawyers lives about a half mile from where the tank exploded and said when the initial explosions shook his house, he ran outside to see what happened.\n“It sounded like a rocket took off three or four times,” he said.\nWorkers on the scene said they did not think anyone in the residence was home at the time of the explosion.\nSawyers witnessed and videotaped the shooting flames and although he said he did not call emergency workers, they arrived on the scene in less than five minutes.\nBenton Township Volunteer Fire Department was one of the first units to respond. \nKurt Young, a volunteer firefighter, was on the scene and said despite the initial indication that a propane tank’s leak ignited the blaze, he believed brush, mixed with airborne gasses, was the culprit for the fire. He warned, however, that because an official investigation has not yet occurred, it was tough to pinpoint the exact cause of the fire. There has not been any indication from the involved police or fire departments on what exactly sparked the blaze.\nAlthough no one suffered significant injuries, one firefighter was assisted from the scene. Young said he thought the female firefighter had suffered “exhaustion” while fighting the fire.\nCoupled with the flames was a severe threat of wind and thunderstorms that swooped in over much of central Indiana Tuesday afternoon. This caused several transformers to spark near where firefighters tidied up the scene.\nA report on the cause of the fire will likely follow an official investigation by the involved firefighters.
(04/03/07 4:00am)
TREVLAC, Ind. – A propane gas tank caught fire around 3 p.m. Tuesday near several residences on Lake Lemon, sending dozens of firefighters rushing to the scene. \nThe closest residence, 5146 North Shore Drive, did not appear damaged by the fire which observers on the scene said sent flames shooting into the air. \nFirefighters attributed the fire to a leaky propane tank, located near the residence. \nRick Sawyers, the residence's owner, lives about a half-mile from where the tank exploded. He said when the initial explosions shook his house, he ran outside to see what had happened. \n“It sounded like a rocket took off three or four times,” he said. \nWorkers on the scene said they did not think anyone in the residence was home during the explosion. \nSawyers witnessed and videotaped the shooting flames and although he said he did not call emergency workers, he said they arrived on the scene in less than five minutes.
(04/02/07 4:00am)
The IU Student Association and the city of Bloomington submitted a proposal to the national Commission on Presidential Debates on Saturday in an ambitious attempt to land one of 2008 U.S. presidential debates at IU sometime before the November 2008 election.\nAlthough IUSA Vice President Andrew Lauck, one of the plan’s key players, called the proposal “not typical,” due to the city’s size, he said Bloomington was in a “competitive” position to land the bid.\n“This would probably be one of the largest, if not the largest, political event IU has ever hosted,” Lauck said. A public decision about debate venues will be made in October, he said.\nWith the event’s magnitude comes a price tag eclipsing $1.3 million in direct event fees alone, which would likely fall mostly on the shoulders of the University. Lauck said IU president-elect Michael McRobbie has already indicated that if the University were to secure a bid, proper funding would become available. Lauck said any initial costs incurred by the University or city in securing a bid would be outweighed by the economic impacts the massive event could bring.\nBefore November 2008, three U.S. presidential debates will occur. In addition, the commission will select one vice-presidential debate site and two alternate venues. Location selections will be based on nine different categories, including facilities, hotels, city services and finances, according to the Commission’s application.\nExact dates for next year’s presidential debates have not yet been announced, but they usually occur in late September and early October before the November elections.\nPresidential debates are some of the most highly publicized parts of the yearslong campaign process. Nationwide TV audiences are common, while about 3,000 members of the world’s news media would converge on Bloomington if IU hosted a debate. About 2,000 more people, such as spectators and Secret Service agents, would pack area hotels, Lauck said.\nLauck said organizing efforts started around the beginning of March, when IUSA first examined the proposal’s feasibility. The team had only about a month to put together an extensive proposal, demonstrating why IU was qualified to host the event. \nLauck said some cities, such as fellow Indiana bid-seeker Richmond, Ind., could have trouble fulfilling facilities or transportation requirements. But he said an established university campus could focus on lobbying the debate selection committee.\n“Bloomington will need to spend the next few months lobbying our senators (and) our congressmen to go forward and to endorse this proposal and to speak on behalf of the state of Indiana,” Lauck said.\nAs the notion of a proposal became more serious, widespread University endorsement emerged.\nBoth Dick McKaig, IU dean of students, and Bruce Jacobs, IU vice chancellor for auxiliary services and proposals, have already committed a serious University presence to the project.\nMcRobbie has also granted formal support for the project. Already, his office has paid two-thirds of the $7,500 application fee. McRobbie will not become the University’s leader until July, but Lauck said that McRobbie, rather than current President Adam Herbert, has been the primary decision-maker.\nSuch support seems to encourage both Lauck and IUSA President Betsy Henke, who have previously questioned McRobbie’s dedication to student interests. They agreed the initial success of the proposal has demonstrated the power of student leaders in organizing significant University events. \nNo indication has yet been announced by the Commission on frontrunners for the coveted debate. Still, Lauck said IU has already received significant attention by Commission representatives. He said a representative has met on campus with student leaders and administrators, examining the logistics of holding the event.\nA more extensive campus review will take place during the summer, Lauck said. That review will include an examination by Secret Service agents to analyze the University’s safety measures.\n“We are hard-pressed to say the commission is ignoring us,” he said.\nNeither Lauck nor Henke would say whether this preliminary attention equaled the likelihood for success. Many uncontrollable factors, including Indiana’s political climate, could have a determining hand in the Commission’s final selection. Regardless, both student leaders vowed optimism in the project, acknowledging its sheer vastness.\n“It’s like bring the Rolling Stones to campus times 100,” Henke said.
(03/30/07 4:00am)
To further diversify IU, President Adam Herbert announced Thursday a plan to partner with nine historically black universities and offer a select group of these universities’ graduates fellowships to conduct graduate studies at IU.\nThe Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Initiative will provide a limited number of these universities’ students each year the chance to further graduate studies at IU. Announced at IU Purdue University at Indianapolis, the initiative will cater to students whose concentrations relate to science, technology, engineering or mathematics.\nBeginning next fall, 10 masters and six doctoral students will be accepted into the program. Along with receiving free tuition, these students will receive a $4,000 stipend along with room and board each year. To fund the STEM Initiative, Herbert announced that a $2 million endowment fund would be created.\nFor IU graduate student Joshua Busby, the announcement was just a few years too late. Busby, who attended today’s meeting in Indianapolis, said he saw the program, in its support for historically black universities, as an example of the “greatness of IU.” Busby is an alumnus of Langston University in Oklahoma, one of the schools involved with the initiative. \n“This is something I wish I had the chance to take advantage of,” he said.\nThe nine universities that will partner with IU are Alabama A&M, Bennett College for Women, Morgan State University, Langston University, Hampton University, Morehouse College, Xavier University of Louisiana, Clark Atlanta University and Jackson State University.\nFour of the partnership universities’ presidents attended the announcement Thursday. Also, Charles Greene, executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and IUPUI Chancellor Charles Bantz were among other top University officials took part in offering praise to the diversifying initiative.\n“To be able to collaborate with Indiana University, one of the nation’s premiere institutions of higher learning, will prove to be a plus for both of our institutions,” said Robert Jennings, president of Alabama A&M University, according to the text of his speech.\nAlong with providing opportunities for these universities’ students, plans are in place for IU faculty to participate in teaching partnerships at these universities. \nCarol Hardeman, the project’s coordinator at Langston University, has been involved with the initiative since its conception last year. She said all institutions involved will benefit from increased interaction.. \n“I think for IU it will just offer a wider opportunity for diversity,” she said. “For students at Langston, there are unnamed opportunities – opportunities they probably never thought of.”\nThe initiative was established by IU’s president last year. Herbert, IU’s first black leader, said one of his goals for the project was to increase University diversity, according to the initiative’s Web site.\nBut even as Herbert prepares to depart July 1, making room for president-elect Michael McRobbie, increasing University diversity will likely still be on the agenda. McRobbie, in outlining his vision for IU, has called on the importance of a more diverse University.
(03/29/07 4:00am)
Parents of the deceased Purdue freshman Wade Steffey announced Wednesday that they will seek legal assistance from an Indianapolis law firm. This could be the first indication that the family might seek legal action in response to the death of their son.\nSteffey went missing in January on Purdue’s campus, but after more than two months of searching, the freshman’s body was discovered in a high-voltage utility room near where he was last seen. Steffey was electrocuted after entering the unlocked room, according to reports.\nSteffey’s parents, Dale Steffey and Dawn Adams, said in an e-mail that “upon taking time to reflect and with the advice of family members and friends” they would seek legal services from W. Scott Montross, an attorney in the Montross, Miller, Muller, Mendelson and Kennedy law firm, based in Indianapolis.\nAlong with hiring a lawyer, Purdue spokesperson Jeanne Norberg also disclosed in an e-mail that one of Steffey’s shoes had been found on Jan. 23, just outside the utility room where his body was later discovered.\n“It was only in hindsight (after the discovery of Wade’s body) that it became known the actual type of shoes Wade was wearing at the time of his disappearance,” she said in the e-mail.\nAlthough the shoe, a plaid-lined house slipper, was found by a maintenance worker just days after Wade Steffey disappeared, it appeared to have been there much longer because of the “leaves and debris in it,” Norberg said in the e-mail.\nStill, there is no official indication whether Wade Steffey’s parents will pursue legal action against the state in their son’s death. Kelli Keller, Steffey’s cousin and the family’s spokesperson said it was still too early in the process to consider litigation.\n“We have a lot of the same questions as you do,” she said.\nNeither Purdue nor the Steffey family have yet placed blame for the man’s untimely death.\n“Purdue’s main concern has been, and continues to be, the Steffey family,” Norberg said in the e-mail.\nKeller stressed that although the Steffeys have now hired a lawyer, their main focus continues to be developing their son’s memorial fund. Events like a silent art auction earlier this week will continue to raise money for the fund, she said.\nAlthough a decision on a lawsuit has not yet been announced, Keller did not deny its possibility in the future.\n“It’s extremely important to understand that any possible money would go to the memorial fund,” she said, adding that this was “not an example of parents getting rich and moving to Bermuda.” Keller added that the money could be used for memorial scholarships and training for police officers.\nAfter Steffey’s body was found, Dale Steffey described his son as a “responsible young man,” during a telephone interview.\n“That’s one of our strong beliefs that people need to own responsibility for their actions,” he said, an indicator that Steffey might not put blame on Purdue for his son’s death.
(03/29/07 4:00am)
To further diversify IU, President Adam Herbert announced on Thursday a plan to partner with nine historically black universities and to offer a select group of these university’s graduates fellowships to conduct graduate studies at IU.\nThe Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Initiative will provide a limited number of these university’s students each year the chance further graduate studies at IU. Announced at IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis, the initiative will cater to students whose concentrations relate to science, technology, engineering or mathematics.\nBeginning next fall, 10 masters and six Ph.D. students will be accepted into the program. Along with receiving free tuition, these students will receive a $4,000 stipend along with room and board each year. To fund the STEM Initiative, Herbert announced that a $2 million endowment fund would be created.\n- For more on this story see Friday's IDS.
(03/28/07 4:00am)
Parents of the recently deceased Purdue University freshman and Bloomington native Wade Steffey announced Wednesday they will seek legal assistance from a major Indianapolis law firm. This is the first indication his family might pursue legal action against the state for the death of their son.\nSteffey went missing on Purdue’s campus in January. After more than two months of searching, the freshman’s body was discovered March 19 in an unlocked high-voltage utility room. According to reports, Steffey was electrocuted after entering the unlocked room. \nSteffey’s parents, Dale Steffey and Dawn Adams, said in an e-mail that “upon taking time to reflect and with the advice of family members and friends” that they would seek legal services from W. Scott Montross, an attorney in the Montross, Miller, Muller, Mendelson and Kennedy law firm, based in Indianapolis. \nAfter Steffey’s body was found, Dale Steffey, in a telephone interview, described his son as a "responsible young man."\n“That’s one of our strong beliefs that people need to own responsibility for their actions,” Steffey said.\nDespite the family's hiring a lawyer, there is no official word that Steffey’s parents will sue the state. \nRead tomorrow’s edition of the Indiana Daily Student for more.
(03/26/07 4:00am)
When Interim Provost Michael McRobbie takes the reins from departing IU President Adam Herbert on July 1, he will immediately realize how vast the University has become.\nAnd if he doesn’t, faculty members across IU’s eight campuses will be sure to remind him – particularly at places like IU-Purdue University Indianapolis. \nCalling McRobbie’s reign “critical,” Bart Ng, president of the IUPUI Faculty Council, said that unless University officials remedy an ongoing power struggle between the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses, the urban-based campus will likely experience independence within the next 15 years. \nThe relationship between IU-Bloomington and IUPUI has hardly been without hiccups during Herbert’s tenure. The Indianapolis campus has continued to garner national respect, causing high-ranking campus faculty to call for greater University consideration.\nA subtle tension between the two campuses has been ongoing for years, as officials in both Bloomington and Indianapolis have tugged one another, vying for University influence.\nRosalie Vermette, IUPUI Faculty Council vice president, has found herself in the thicket of such campus power struggles. She said much of IUPUI’s faculty displeasure with the situation stemmed from the University’s 2005 IU Mission Differentiation Project. \nIn a report to Herbert in July of that year, IU-Bloomington was officially named the University’s “flagship campus.” Vermette believed the report dispelled notions that any or all of the University’s campuses would be considered equal. This now, as it was then, considered an unacceptable policy for most of IUPUI’s faculty. \nBloomington Chancellor Ken Gros Louis, who helped lead the project, said calling Bloomington the flagship campus was not an attempt to rank the campuses’ importance. \n“We don’t want to be superior,” Vermette said of IUPUI’s intentions. “There are no goals to be better than Bloomington. We just want to be a contributor.” \nVermette cited much of the “advanced level” research that IUPUI conducts, particularly at the University medical school, to warrant increased statewide respect. \n“This is a problem with the citizens of Indiana,” she said. “When you say IU, they think Bloomington.”\nPerhaps learning from Herbert’s flaws, McRobbie has so far given the sense that his tenure will include a conscious effort to respect IUPUI. During his first news conference as IU’s president-elect March 1, McRobbie said he looks forward to working with the Indianapolis campus. \nBoth Ng and Vermette said they are optimistic about McRobbie, who seems to understand IUPUI’s situation, Ng said. Still, he added, McRobbie will be judged by his actions, not his promises. \n“The next president needs to realize that there is opportunity there,” Ng said.\nThose actions included supporting proposals from IUPUI faculty, regardless of what Ng called likely “political” objections by some Bloomington faculty. Often, this includes proposals for the development of new degree programs. He described the fate of a proposed graduate degree in health economics as something that could test McRobbie’s respect for IUPUI.\n“I think the president-elect is a very visionary fellow,” Ng said. “He has a very broad vision, and I think he is very concerned with economic development.” \nWhether McRobbie chooses to follow a path similar to Herbert’s in the way he deals with IU’s second largest campus will probably factor into the future of the institution itself. \nIf the University continues to follow its current path, Ng said Indianapolis’ break from the larger institution was less than 15 years away. \nIf the University acknowledges the urban campus as an equal institution with a different yet complimentary mission then any separation would be unnecessary, he said.\n“It is really up to IU whether IUPUI will be independent,” he said.\nBut he said if IUPUI’s aspirations to continually develop go ignored, then IU could soon lose one of its biggest contributors. \n“I do not think the pressure to separate will come from the faculty,” he said. “The city of Indianapolis and the people will wake up to the game the University is playing and will politically demand separation.”
(03/22/07 4:00am)
Indie rock can come across sometimes as … well … kinda wimpy. And as much as we like sweet, heartfelt ballads or off-kilter pop experiments, sometimes you just want to ROCK. So, last weekend, while the indie world converged on the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, we headed north to Indianapolis to check out two of the genre's more ferocious specimens: Bush-blasting garage-punks The Thermals and America's greatest bar band, The Hold Steady. \nAppropriately enough, the evening began with an apocalypse. Upon taking to the stage, The Thermals unleashed "Here's Your Future," their portrait of a right-wing fundamentalist dystopia. Sounds like standard punk material, right? But here's the thing: It's also catchy as hell -- a fact evidenced by the hipster heads compulsively bobbing around us. Now, with their third and most acclaimed album, The Body, The Blood, The Machine, The Thermals are gaining attention as much for writing deadly sharp hooks as for their message. And talking to front man Hutch Harris, it sounds like the former is going to take priority. Hutch said that he's considering moving away from the political focus of Body, Blood and its predecessor, 2004's Fuckin A. \n"I kind of want to make a record that specifically doesn't have something like that, something that's more about the songs …" unlike Body, Blood, Hutch said, "where it's just kind of too heavy for such simple songs." \nOne idea is to expand upon the concept behind their song "Back To The Sea," which is "about a person that ages to mid-30s or 40s and then starts devolving slowly into a monkey, then back into a fish. …" But Hutch also said he's interested in writing pop songs without a message. \nIndeed, The Thermals' future seems wide-open. They are looking at going beyond the two/three-minute bursts that have populated much of their work thus far. And having completed their three-album deal with Sub Pop, Hutch was noncommittal about whether they would switch labels. \n"I still love Sub Pop a lot," he said, noting their strong support for Body, Blood. "But it's like your first boyfriend or girlfriend -- you could be totally great, but then you don't know how much better it could be if you break up." \nBut, for all these tidbits about things to come, as the amps roared thunderously and we bounced along to infectious tunes like "End To Begin" and "Pillar Of Salt," only the present seemed to matter. \nForty minutes later, the sweet, energetic punk renaissance of the Thermals gave way to the force of nature that is The Hold Steady. Incorporating the classic sound of bands such as Thin Lizzy and The Band, this ultra-talented group of musicians have become, themselves, classic -- and people are beginning to notice. The place was packed as even more fans streamed in after the Thermals. We estimated 300 to 400 fans had poured into (and proceeded to trash) the Music Mill's immaculately clean space. The Hold Steady had never been to Indiana before in their current incarnation and were unsure of what to expect from an audience here. \nThe crowd was a mix of the hardcore party animals who tend to identify with Hold Steady's drug-reference and scene resurrection-laden lyrics along with confused indie kids who were there because they knew the Thermals and, hell, it was only $15 to get in. As the show progressed, the floor became more and more littered with the plastic cups of the hard-drinking Hold Steady crowd. The rowdy fans pressed the stage and screamed along with the epic, truth-ridden lyrics word for word. When they played "Chips Ahoy!" mid-set, the crowd echoed the catchy "whoa-oh-ohs" of the chorus. When they played the gorgeous love ballad "First Night," with its unmatched piano crescendos, during their crowd-demanded encore, there wasn't anyone who wasn't moved. \nThe twitchy, frenetic frontman Craig Finn worked the crowd from the onset, playing off the energy from his fans with spinning narration and erratically flying arms. The Tom Waits-loving stage character, Franz, played his massive piano parts with heart-wrenching passion and a never-ending grin. Hard rockin' bassist Galen Polivka wailed, while Tad Kubler and Bobby Drake (guitarist and drummer, respectively), played with fatal dedication like there was no tomorrow. It's obvious these guys have nothing to prove, laying it on the line every night for the love of the music and to tell the dramatic truths of growing up in the scene. \nTheir dedication to telling the highest highs and lowest lows of the scene-kid story comes through in their performance, just as their connection to their fans is directly reflected in their lyrics. Upon asking Franz about whether the sad, nostalgic anthems of killer parties and drugged-out kids are autobiographical, he told us that Craig's storytelling is mostly composites of people they've met along the way. "(Going to shows as a kid and being on tour) you meet strange people doing strange things, smart people doing dumb things and dumb people saying some really smart things." Those are the folks who inspire the epic stories of album staples Charlemagne, Holly, Gideon and the Chillout Tent. \nIn interviewing Franz, the Northeast native who formally joined the band during their second album, we learned about his musical ethic, one very different from his Midwestern bandmates. This difference, based in a jazz-heavy pathos and a desire to take highly experimental and aggressive modern music out of the concert halls and into dirty basement parties, has inspired the pathos-ridden sound on their third album, Boys and Girls in America. He said that the sound hadn't felt completely formed yet during their first two albums, but with the team effort behind Boys and Girls, they've "really hit on something" with a more melodic vision. Craig's stories began to be packaged in a catchier way, with repetitive refrains and heavier piano in combination with their giant rock guitar and bass sounds. In the future, Franz said he is possibly looking for a more experimental sound, but die-hard Hold Steady fans will just have to wait and see how this would intertwine with their traditional meat-and-potatoes riffs.\nNo interview with The Hold Steady would be complete without the burning question, "Do you guys actually party as hard as your lyrics suggest?" With his easy smile and not missing a beat, Franz responded, "Oh, yeah." The disconnect between fame and parties, he went on to explain, is that the craziest parties tend to happen when you're smaller, crashing at "some random sound guy's house with his 14 ferrets and a shooting range his back yard." Now that they're bigger, he said fans assume that they already have something better to do after the shows and they're too star-struck to ask. Franz lamented this disconnect and said he misses the days when they got to hang out more with "real people." So do yourself a favor and partake in your own rock renaissance by catching these two acts the next time they're in town. And, really, stick around and buy them a beer, but, be careful, Holly. There's a reason why their characters are always looking for redemption.
(03/22/07 4:00am)
Should Indiana’s General Assembly approve adequate funding for the proposed IU Life Sciences Initiative, 100 faculty researchers will be hired at the University over the next two years. \nBut even as the legislative process continues to progress, Ron Walker, president of the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, said it was still too early to predict whether the University’s appropriations proposal would be successful. \nIU President Adam Herbert originally proposed a two-year, $80 million funding plan to subsidize the rapidly developing University life sciences. But as this year’s legislative process continues, the current budget proposal calls for the University to receive only about half of that amount. This proposal was accepted a month ago in the House Ways and Means Committee, but still awaits further approval. \nPerhaps an indication of the University’s perceived importance of developing IU’s health sciences, trustees created a new position to oversee its development: vice president for life sciences. \nDr. Craig Brater, dean of the IU School of Medicine, took up reigns on the project in December 2005. As the first vice president for life sciences, Brater has worked to stir support for the proposal. \nBrater, like Walker, remains cautious in making predictions about the fate of life-science funding. However, a self-proclaimed “pathological optimist,” Brater said he has confidence in elected policymakers.\n“I believe there that there is a lot of thoughtfulness at the legislative level that will result in them funding us to a substantial degree,” he said. \nWhile life sciences’ potential returns seem to entice politicians and academics statewide, Indiana is not alone in developing these research capabilities. \nBoth Brater and Walker acknowledged that several states compete for top life science programs and sought after scientists. Both agree that the reason Indiana could be better suited to support the potential influx of life science startup companies is because the state has already developed a sturdy foundation for health-science growth. Walker predicted the plan’s success because he said it strengthens an industry the state already has. \nAside from Indiana, Brater said several areas had already emerged as leaders in the life sciences. He described some nationwide markets as ahead of Indiana, but was confident the state could surpass their successful endeavors. In naming just a few, he called Pittsburgh, the San Francisco Bay area, San Diego, Seattle and metropolitan New York as developed hotbeds for life-science activity. \n“Part of this is that you are trying to take away business from these (other) places,” Brater said, demonstrating that a certain amount of competitive mindedness was required for such a plan to succeed. \nSpecifically, he named three reasons why he thought Indiana could overtake other, more-established markets: a research conducive university environment; Bloomington’s affordable cost of living; and the state’s already “well-developed” infrastructure. \nSpeaking in-depth on Indiana’s infrastructure, Walker said Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Company has been a “large reason” Indiana has even become involved with life-science research. In addition, he cited several smaller companies that have also served to excite interest and develop health-science infrastructure across the state.\nWith Interim Provost Michael McRobbie’s confirmation as IU’s next leader three weeks ago, one question would inevitably arise: Would McRobbie follow in Herbert’s life science-supporting footsteps? \nBrater believes so. So far, he said, McRobbie has contributed considerable “encouragement” toward life-science efforts. Even with the change in leadership, Brater said he does not foresee a change in life science’s direction.\nSince his confirmation, McRobbie has made clear his desire to rejuvenate IU’s humanities curriculum. Even with the newfound humanities attention, life sciences supporters have said they do not believe Bloomington research or Indiana’s economic development would be hindered. \nWalker, a strong supporter of health-science economic development, said he even supports plans to inject life into the University’s humanities programs. In recruiting top researchers, he said, many of these potential scientists would potentially find the arts-infused culture appealing that an invigorated humanities program could bring about.\n“(Bloomington) is not just a community that has great jobs, but great culture,” he said, adding that McRobbie was “wise to see the connection.”
(03/21/07 4:00am)
Along with a $40,000 pay jump, soon-to-be University President Michael McRobbie will be subjected to more scrupulous University review than his predecessor, according to the terms of his contract.\nMcRobbie, who is poised to replace departing University President Adam Herbert on July 1, has agreed to an employment contract that remains similar to Herbert’s in many ways. Still, certain key differences suggest IU’s trustees might incorporate a more hands-on approach when dealing with IU’s next leader.\nUnder the agreement, McRobbie will annually undergo an assessment of his “performance” by the University trustees. In addition, when McRobbie’s contract comes up for renewal every five years, “a more comprehensive review of the president shall occur,” according to the contract.\nSimilar annual review agreements are common among leaders in these high level positions, McRobbie said. Details regarding the processes of the review are still “being worked out,” he added. \n“The review will include consideration of the achievements and the accomplishments of the president in meeting or making progress towards the goals, objectives and priorities” set by University officials in the previous year, according to the contract. \nHerbert’s contract never stipulated a similar annual trustee performance review. IU’s president will step down July 1 – 13 months before his contract’s expiration. \nThis type of contract variation is not particularly unusual, one faculty member said, viewing this added stipulation as in-line with a University-wide trend. \nSue Tuohy, an IU assistant professor of Folklore said she didn’t find this type of review particularly odd. She added that she thought this would actually be a review of both McRobbie and his entire team, not just the president himself. \nCurrently, every University faculty member receives an annual evaluation and report, which focuses on three areas, she said: teaching, research and service. \n“Over the past several decades, there has been increased attention to monitoring objectives,” Tuohy said, and that there was “always someone paying attention to what you are doing.”\nAddressing the Bloomington Faculty Council on Monday, McRobbie thanked members for their support since his confirmation. He added that much of his jam-packed schedule since his acceptance of the position has been consumed by travel and delivering speeches to leaders across the state. \n“I thought it was necessary to visit all of our regional campuses and facilities around the state, bearing in mind the statewide reach of the University, and the statewide support that we enjoy,” he said in an address to the Council.\nEven with the substantial salary bump, McRobbie’s earnings will still fall within the nationwide average for public University presidents. According to research conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education, most public university presidents earned between $300,000 and $400,000 annually last year. These paychecks are typically lower than their private university counterparts, the research found. \nOne of McRobbie’s fellow Big Ten presidents topped the earnings list last year. Mary Sue Coleman, president of the University of Michigan received $724,604, according to the Chronicle’s research. \nNationwide, Audrey Doberstein, president of the private Wilmington College in Delaware grossed the most of any university president according to the Chronicle’s data last year. She reportedly cashed in over $1.3 million.\nMcRobbie will replace the departing Herbert July 1. His unanimous confirmation came during a public trustee vote just two weeks ago. The approval of his appointment concluded a nine-month long search that pitted two University leaders as finalists for the position. \nSeveral faculty members, including Tuohy, have praised McRobbie’s appointment over the past two weeks. They have said his proven leadership tract record and goals for IU speaks greatly about a clear vision and path for the future of the University.
(03/20/07 4:00am)
With their son Mike already in Iraq and daughter Sarah soon to be on her way, Norman and Cathy Peacock stood in Bloomington’s courthouse square Monday in a somber protest against the now four-year-old war.\nWhile tears welled in the eyes of several Bloomington anti-war gatherers, Norman Peacock wrapped a single comforting arm around his wife.\nBoth are veterans of the Vietnam War, both call themselves strong supporters of American military, but both remain unwilling to cede support to a war they believe unjust.\nDemonstrations occurred throughout major American cities Monday to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the Iraq invasion. In Bloomington, a somber scene prevailed. Names of fallen Hoosiers were read by demonstrators on the courthouse square, where more than 150 people quietly gathered.\nUnlike other recent Bloomington demonstrations that have been loud, passion-filled and direct, this demonstration was different. Tears welled in the eyes of some demonstrators as the names of 76 deceased Hoosier men and women were read. \nNorman and Cathy Peacock stood towards the front of the crowd. Their black baseball caps read, “a piece of my heart is in Iraq.” With one son already in the war-torn nation and a daughter who recently enlisted, Norman Peacock said though a riff formed between he and his war-supporting son and soldier, he still could not back the aging conflict.\n“I can’t support the war,” Norman Peacock said, even though he called himself a registered Republican. “I can support the military for the job they are doing. I can’t support the administration for putting our people in harm’s way unnecessarily.”\nAfter the names were read and the protest seemed over, Norman Peacock halted the demonstrators, and gave an impromptu address – what he described as his first time publicly speaking out against the conflict.\n“I’m just trying everything I can,” he said. “I’ve been quiet for too long. We didn’t say anything. We didn’t agree with going into Iraq.”\nAlthough only a small portion of Bloomington’s residents came out for the somber demonstration, passersby were not shy in expressing their convictions. Cars cruising down Walnut Avenue often honked in support of the demonstrators – slightly breaking the sedate mood.\nStill, America’s division over Iraq was prominent as war supporters loudly jeered protestors. Some yelled profanities while another young man directed obscene gestures toward Norman and Cathy Peacock as they spoke with members of the press.\nThe objectors did little to dampen spirits of the event organizers, who expressed a belief that they hoped their work could help in making a difference. The vigil was organized primarily by MoveOn Bloomington, with support from the Bloomington Peace Action Coalition and Democracy for Monroe County .\nAlison Kaiser, an active member of MoveOn helped in organizing the event. She said she was encouraged by how many people turned out despite gloomy skies and a threat of rain.\n“The hope is that sensible people will come together and keep the pressure on lawmakers,” Kaiser said.\nShe addressed the politics of the war, calling elections last November “a mandate” toward lawmakers to end the Iraqi occupation. However, she remained displeased with some Democratic politicians who she described as “immobilized.” \n“They are so busy fundraising and figuring out a strategy – a safe strategy – that they are not listening to the people at the moment,” Kaiser said. \nNorman Peacock predicted the war would not end this year or in 2008 – adding that the end would only follow a change in leadership. Despite their efforts, Norman Peacock called his son’s battle not winnable. \n“There’s no winning,” he said. “There’s no winning of any war anymore.”
(03/02/07 5:00am)
INDIANAPOLIS – Receiving an outright vote of confidence Thursday, soon-to-be University President Michael McRobbie can hope his transition into IU’s top role will be smoother than his predecessor’s. \nMcRobbie, the long-rumored and now newly confirmed University president, will likely experience relative ease in transitioning roles when compared with outgoing President Adam Herbert. At least that is what Herbert and University trustees anticipate, Herbert said. \nDuring the confirmation meeting Thursday at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis, trustees wasted no time in making official what had been rumored for months: an internal candidate was to be selected.\nWhen McRobbie takes office July 1, he will become the 18th president in the position’s 178-year history. McRobbie, who is serving as the interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, arrived at IU – and in the United States – 10 years ago, leaving behind his native Australia. \n“I’m Australian by birth, Hoosier by choice,” he said in his opening remarks as the University’s chosen leader.\nSpeaking to a crowd of mostly top University administrators and faculty who had a hand in his approval, McRobbie delivered a speech set for the 21st century – one focusing on a research-intensive and internationalized University.\n“Our message must travel from Bloomington to Bangalore, from South Bend to Shanghai,” he said in remarks to the trustees. Still, IU must also not lose focus on serving the state, he added.\nMcRobbie, who looks to bring bold initiatives to the presidency, will also see a significant pay hike. When compared with his former boss’s salary, McRobbie will earn about $400,000 annually – $40,000 more each year than Herbert. \nThe ease with which he moves into the responsibilities of his new role were repeatedly stressed by Herbert and the trustees. Such ease might not only determine the outset mood of his tenure, but also the success of Herbert’s reign.\n“He’s got to focus on that transition process, identifying priorities and trying to learn as much as he can about some of the areas he has not been involved in,” Herbert said.\nThe current president added that, unlike someone coming from the outside, McRobbie would already have a much better scope of University operations.\nHerbert, who came to IU from the University of North Florida, said his successor was in a better position to take on the challenges of leading a diverse research institution. In addition, Herbert said McRobbie would not have to deal with some of the “personnel issues” that caused him problems. \nDirectly upon taking office, however, McRobbie will have to pacify a significant student contingent that already feels uncomfortable with his confirmation. Acknowledging his reputation among some as uninterested with students, McRobbie said he planned to take specific action upon entering office to focus on bettering the “learning and living” of students. \nSpecifically, he plans to form a task force that will report directly to the president, informing him of various student needs.\n“What I want to do is let the students be the ones who determine what they think the priorities are that the University needs to be considering,” McRobbie said.\nNot everyone could be a winner Thursday. With such an intense selection process, losers became inevitable. In this case, it fell to Dr. Ora Pescovitz, CEO of Riley Hospital for Children. Pescovitz served as McRobbie’s final hurdle to the presidency.\nPescovitz said she considered students as the University’s greatest “constituency” and the faculty as IU’s most important “asset.” Although she expressed disappointment that she was overlooked for the position, she said she was very willing to assist McRobbie with whatever he asked. \n“My aspiration was not to be a university president,” she said. “It was to be the Indiana University president.” \nWhen Herbert departs in July, McRobbie will admittedly remain caught in a major University crossroads.\nWith both his legacy and the reputations of those who selected him riding on the success of ambitious proposals, many throughout IU will anticipate July 1 – the end of an era and the beginning of another.\n“It is difficult to adequately express all that I feel,” McRobbie said, “except to say that I embrace this challenge and opportunity with my heart and mind.”
(03/01/07 5:00am)
When an unidentified source said that University trustees will announce Interim Provost Michael McRobbie as IU’s next president today, Betsy Henke, president of the IU Student Association, described her reaction in one word: disappointed.\nReports that the trustees had made a decision regarding a new leader surfaced around noon on Wednesday when an anonymous source with close links to the search told The Indianapolis Star that McRobbie had been selected to replace outgoing IU President Adam Herbert. \nThe Indiana Daily Student also received independent confirmation that McRobbie is the University’s selection. \nHerbert, whose tenure has wrought faculty criticism, will probably step down July 1 to make way for his soon-to-be-announced successor – IU’s 18th leader. The new president will provide a vision for IU academics, research and fundraising in the coming years. \nStill, most officials directly involved with the search remained reluctant to give definite details regarding the trustees’ choice. However, IU Director of Media Relations Larry MacIntyre did not explicitly disagree with what many Indiana newspapers reported Wednesday afternoon.\n“I believe what I read,” MacIntyre said.\nAdditionally, Dr. Ora Pescovitz, CEO of Riley Hospital for Children, another of the rumored finalists, said she will not be attending the trustees’ meeting today.\n“I did not receive an invitation,” she said. \nThe announcement is scheduled to be made today at 4 p.m. in the IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis Conference Center.\nWhen McRobbie receives the coveted vote of consensus, an uphill battle to win the confidence of many students still awaits him. Henke, likely the undergraduate body’s most powerful voice, said that despite repeated attempts to arrange a meeting with McRobbie throughout the year, he has failed to respond.\n“It’s not just a view, it’s the truth. He is not involved enough,” Henke said, adding that it was frustrating that he never attended campus events.\nStill, Henke conceded to why she thought the trustees might have chosen McRobbie, saying that his views were very much in line with what a portion of faculty wanted for the University. \n“I think he is very popular among some constituents across the University,” she said “He is an internal candidate who translates well into (some faculty’s) visions and initiatives.”\nAnother student leader, however, took a much a more optimistic view on a McRobbie reign, citing a belief in increased research possibilities with IU’s former vice president for research at the helm.\n“Research and teaching are bound to improve,” said Paul Rohwer, moderator of the IU Graduate and Professional Student Organization.\nMcRobbie left his native Australia 10 years ago to join the faculty at IU. In 2003, he became the vice president for research and for about the past year has served as the interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. As provost, his priorities have included the humanities, life sciences, international activities and student recruitment and retention, according to a University Web site.\nClosed-door trustee sessions took place Monday and Tuesday in order to determine which of the final candidates was best suited to lead the University. Both executive meetings planned for Wednesday and Thursday were canceled, according to an IU news release – indicating the trustees had already selected a candidate and negotiated new terms of a contract. \nIU’s next president might be all but announced, but the real challenges, said several surveyed faculty, will come in his ability to lead IU. From questions of life science funding to dealing with the controversy whirling around the outsourcing debate, at least the beginning of McRobbie’s term could be faced with similar issues as his predecessor.
(03/01/07 5:00am)
7:17: We're back in the newsroom. Overall, I'm pretty happy in who I was able to talk with and the answers I was able they gave me. A lot of emphasis by both Herbert and McRobbie was placed on encouraging a smooth transitions among presidents. \nTime to go and write a story. Be sure to read the IDS tomorrow for full coverage!
(03/01/07 5:00am)
INDIANAPOLIS – Interim Provost Michael McRobbie was confirmed as IU’s 18th president today, receiving an outright vote of confidence from the trustees who took nine months to select him.\nIn a simple announcement at IU Purdue University-Indianapolis, trustees all emphasized they were pleased, but also stressed that it was tough to pick between the two qualified candidates. \nMcRobbie, a native of Australia, will succeed current President Adam Herbert, who is slated to step down July 1. The current provost has also served as the University’s Chief Information Officer and vice president for research since arriving at IU in 1997. \nDr. Ora Pescovitz, CEO of Riley Hospital for Children, was the other finalist for the position, but was informed earlier this week that trustees had selected McRobbie. \n“I feel greatly honored to have been one of the two finalists for the presidency of IU,” Pescovitz said in a statement. “I believe all Hoosiers should be justifiably proud of our great university.”\nAlthough Pescovtiz said she was “disappointed” that she was not chosen, she added that she would remain “excited and gratified” in continuing to serve as both the president of Riley and the executive associate dean for research affairs at the IU School of Medicine.\nIn recent months McRobbie, 56, has set himself in position to lead the University. Speeches, like one he gave to the Bloomington Rotary Club in January, have given students, faculty members and politicians statewide, a portrait of what sees as the best path for IU in the coming years. \nIn that speech, he generally stressed the importance of raising University admission standards, encouraging diversity, promoting a construction boom and internationalizing IU, among other suggestions. \nAccording to McRobbie's contract, he will make $400,000 annually, commencing July 1. \nIn contrast, Adam Herbert earns $359,600 annually.
(02/28/07 5:00am)
Clearing house for his successor and the University’s next leader, IU President Adam Herbert will probably leave office July 1, said trustee Sue Talbot – about a year before his contract is set to expire. \nHerbert made clear last year he was willing to step down early if the trustees had secured a new president before his five-year term expires in 2008. Still, questions about the president’s potential financial compensation remain unanswered, and negotiations between the University and Herbert will occur sometime after the next president is selected, Talbot said. These negotiations will determine how much of his near-$359,600 annual salary Herbert will collect after he leaves office.\nAn announcement about the University’s next president could come as early as Thursday afternoon as trustees commence a two-day meeting at IU Purdue University-Indianapolis. “Presentation and Discussion: The Future of Indiana University,” is the title of one of Thursday’s meetings, though no University officials have confirmed whether a decision will definitely occur this week.\nHow much the outgoing president is compensated for vacating his position early might also be a determining factor in assessing the mood surrounding his departure. \nTerry Bethel, professor at the IU School of Law, said a person who “quits” typically would not receive any severance pay. Such pay usually comes into play when a person is being forced to leave a position, he said.\n“Unless (Herbert) has resigned, they owe him the full amount on the contract,” he said. In other words, if Herbert quits, the University would not likely reward him with a compensation package. \nWhen former IU men’s basketball coach Mike Davis left amid controversy in 2006, the University still agreed to pay the former coach half of his $800,000 salary for the two years remaining on his contract. \nConvincing employees to leave before a contract expires is common practice in business, Bethel said. Oftentimes, companies – or the University, in Mike Davis’ case – who wish for an employee to leave before a contract is completed will offer an employee financial incentives to give up their position early.\nTrustees will waste no time in finalizing details of the president’s contract once a consensus is reached. Even before any decision is made public, Talbot said the trustees will have already negotiated and agreed upon terms of a new contract.\nAnd although Talbot said she does not foresee any major impediments in the final selection stage, she would still not speculate when she expected a final decision to be made public. \n“We will make the announcement when we are ready,” she said.\nAlready concluded this week are two days of what Talbot called “interviews” and “discussions of the candidates.” She said, although there has not been heated debate among the trustees, there has yet to be pure consensus – something Talbot said is necessary for them to arrive at a final choice.\n“We are looking for someone who is engaging – someone who is personal,” Talbot said. Regarding candidates’ views on IU’s hottest issues, like outsourcing and the development of the University’s life sciences, she said trustees were looking for a candidate who possessed “specific leadership skills.”\n“It’s going to be the best fit candidate,” Talbot said.
(02/28/07 5:00am)
Interim Provost Michael McRobbie will be announced as the University’s next president Thursday afternoon, according to a source with close ties to the search. \nThe confirmation comes after months of speculation that McRobbie was the University’s top choice for the position. Assuming McRobbie is chosen, he will replace outgoing IU President Adam Herbert who will step down July 1. \nThe announcement will take place tomorrow at 4 p.m. during an open-door trustee meeting at IU Purdue University-Indianapolis. The nine trustees are expected to hold a public vote during the meeting, which will confirm McRobbie as their choice as IU’s 18th president.\nMcRobbie has served as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs for about a year, since arriving at IU in 1997. \nMcRobbie beat out IU’s other internal candidate Dr. Ora Pescovitz, CEO of Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, for the University’s top spot.
(02/27/07 5:00am)
An IU spokesman said that the announcement of the University’s next president could come as early as the end of the week.\nAfter the trustees finish this week’s four closed-door meetings and if they feel comfortable about announcing the selected candidate, their decision will be announced during their scheduled business meetings Thursday and Friday at IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis, said Larry MacIntyre, director of IU media relations.\nBut MacIntyre, comparing the final stage of the search to the Vatican’s secret selection of a new pope, said if the trustees do not reach a consensus on who they thought could best lead the University, they would not rush their decision.\n“This is like watching the Vatican apartments for a puff of white smoke,” MacIntyre said.\nHe said the only thing left to do is to wait for the trustees’ decision.\n“I think there is a possibility a decision could come this week,” MacIntyre said. He would not comment further on the announcement’s likelihood.\nOnce the trustees decide, MacIntyre said, there will be little delay in making the announcement public.\n“The trustees recognize that once they have come to a consensus on who they want as the next president, they should go ahead and take a vote on it and make it official,” he said. \nThe anticipated announcement is the final step in selecting IU President Adam Herbert’s successor.\nThe search, which began last year, has been subject to strict guidelines of secrecy. None of the position’s potential candidates have been announced or confirmed by the University’s trustees, the Presidential Search Committee or the Faculty Advisory Committee.\nStill, during the past several weeks, significant chatter about probable candidates has spread. Faculty leaders and a top University administrator have named Interim Provost Michael McRobbie and Dr. Ora Pescovitz, CEO and president of Riley Hospital for Children, as likely finalists for the University’s top job.\nThe trustees, however, have not confirmed anyone as a candidate.\nIf the trustees hold out on the announcement during this week’s meetings, MacIntyre said, the earliest a decision could come would be at the trustees’ next business meeting, slated for April 5. \n“A lot of people will be watching this meeting to see what happens,” MacIntyre said, but he warned that the trustees still had “a lot of work to do.”
(02/26/07 5:00am)
Health care provider Anthem/Wellpoint and Bloomington Hospital reached a new multi-year contract Friday, concluding a monthslong disagreement. \nAnthem, the state’s largest health care network, insures University faculty and staff.\nThe two sides had been caught up in a contractual dispute since April 2006. Beginning March 1, 2007, those covered by Anthem would have been considered out-of-network patients – forcing them to pay higher costs for services at Bloomington Hospital and its affiliates.\n“We believe we have reached a fair solution for both parties and for our region,” Mark Moore, CEO and president of Bloomington Hospital, said in a joint Anthem and Bloomington Hospital news release.\nThey didn’t reveal the terms, but the two sides have come to a “multi-year” agreement through which “Bloomington Hospital, its affiliates and employed physicians will remain a participating provider in Anthem’s networks,” according to the release.\nThe dispute stems from Anthem’s demands to have the ability to amend its contract with the hospital at any time, to give out hospital price information to its customers and to place restrictions on changes in services or facilities at the hospital, according to a November 2006 Bloomington Hospital news release.\nThroughout the ordeal, University officials maintained that they were hopeful a new contract would be signed but would not say whether they had considered alternative plans for employees if a new agreement could not have been reached by March 1.\nDan Rives, IU associate vice president for administration and University human resources said previously he expected a new contract to come just before coverage was set to expire.\n“A vast majority of these types of disputes between hospitals and health-care providers all get settled at the very end,” he told the Indiana Daily Student in a January interview.\nAn announcement confirming the news appeared on the University’s Human Resources Web site. IU employees and their families’ IU PPO $900 Deductible, IU PPO-Plus and Blue Preferred Primary POS plans will continue to receive in-network service, according to the Web site.\nAlong with maintaining in-network status at Bloomington Hospital, the new contract also applies to services at PromptCare physician clinic and lab services at some local physican offices. In addition, the Bloomington Hospital of Orange County, the Southern Indiana Medical Group, Hospital House of Bloomington and Bedford and Residence at McCormick’s Creek, will all also continue to provide in-network coverage, according to the news release.