55 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(06/02/11 5:56pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Between the time freshmen attend orientation and the time they begin classes in the fall, is there anything that incoming students can do to prepare for college academics and the courses that await them?INTENSIVE FRESHMAN SEMINARSIntensive Freshman Seminars (IFS) are a three-week program that takes place in August on campus. Through this program, students have the opportunity to take a college course and become acquainted with the campus before thousands of other new students move to Bloomington during Welcome Week. “Anything students can do to start setting boundaries before the semester will be helpful for maintaining some discipline and a reasonable lifestyle when on campus,” Dr. Lisa Thomassen, who teaches an IFS course, said.OTHER RESOURCESStudents may go to their resident assistant (RA), professors and advisers for help with the transition to college academics. “To be successful academically, people need to be in charge of what they are doing and know how to do it,” University Division adviser Joyce Miller said. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. When you’re new, it’s important to ask enough questions to figure out what it is that you need to do.”JUST RELAX“Frankly, I don’t think there is any way for incoming students to prepare for the remarkable adventure that awaits them at Indiana University,” telecommunications professor Michael McGregor said. “My recommendations would be something like work hard, have fun, spend as much time with your friends in high school as you can.”
(05/31/11 4:36pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Campus bookstores maintain an important role at universities across the nation. Although there are a variety of alternatives, for some students, buying books the traditional way is the way to go.“I generally buy my books from the IU Bookstore,” junior Eric Burns said. “I like being able to give them my schedule and they can tell me everything I need. It’s a little more expensive, but I like the convenience.”However, students now have the option to rent books, buy them online from other companies or purchase them in the form of e-books. Should I rent?Renting textbooks is a fairly recent trend among university students as a cheap alternative to purchasing books. Both the IU Bookstore and T.I.S. offer this option, in addition to local retailer TXT Book Rental and websites like www.Chegg.com. Pros: Renting a textbook is cheaper than purchasing one, and you don’t have to keep a book that you don’t want. According to T.I.S., renting textbooks usually saves you 60 percent off the list price of the book.Cons: Rental books have to be kept in good condition, so you can’t write in them as much, if at all.Students say: “I usually rent my books,” senior Jon Tienhaara said. “It’s a little cheaper. The only downside is that you don’t get money from selling them back at the end of the semester.”Should I buy online?Purchasing, renting or viewing textbooks online can also save money, especially with popular websites like www.Amazon.com. They advertise big discounts on new and used textbooks and databases like Google books, even offering some for free.Pros: Accessing your textbooks online is convenient. You can do it from the comfort of your own living room and if you find your’s for free, you’ve saved a lot of money.Cons: Finding free books online often only works for novels or classics. Also, if you order your books online, you have to wait for them to arrive, which could take anywhere from one to 14 days depending on the service you use.Students say: “Most of the books I need are novels, so if I can find them online for free using the Gutenberg Project or something, then I don’t buy them,” junior Betsy Stout said. “If I can’t, then I buy them in person at T.I.S. or a regular bookstore so that I can have them in my hand right away.”Should I get e-books?Once you’ve decided whether you want to buy or rent, you can also choose whether you’d like traditional books or e-books, which can be read on a portable device, like a Kindle or a NOOK. However, most of them are formatted to be read on a computer screen. Pros: Having an eTextbook on your computer saves some space and weight in your backpack — one less thing you have to carry around campus. Cons: Looking at a computer all the time can be a bad habit, especially for your eyes.Students say: “I always use eTextbooks,” second year graduate student Dhairya Gala said. “I download the PDF and I can take it anywhere with me. The only con that I see is that sometimes when you want to refer to another section in the book, you have to scroll up and down instead of flipping the pages, which can be irritating.”
(02/22/11 5:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ph.D. students can no longer serve as principal investigators of their own work.In January, the Office of Research Administration at Indiana University released a change in policy regarding principal investigators on studies involving human subjects. According to this new policy, the PI of a student’s work must be one of the individuals listed on the Human Subject Office’s website as an academic appointee eligible for this title. Among those eligible are faculty members such as professors or assistant professors, librarians, deans, chancellors and research staff. Students, lecturers, teachers and research associates are no longer allowed to hold the title of principal investigator on research approved by the University.Dr. Peter Finn, chairman of the Institutional Review Board, helped to make the final decision regarding the policy. The rationale behind this change is that students are only “temporarily affiliated with the University,” thus it is more suitable for a tenured faculty member to oversee information.“Faculty members are much more accountable to the University than students. Technically, in the past, the faculty member advising the project should have been responsible, but they weren’t always ... this change in policy puts more of the responsibility on them,” Finn said.This policy does not change the way graduate students conduct research, but leads to questions regarding responsibility versus ownership of research. Marda Rose, a Ph.D. candidate in Hispanic linguistics, said she is concerned. “By writing the professor’s name as the principal investigator on the project, the student no longer has a written document that clearly states that the research he or she is conducting is his or her own,” she said. “What is at stake is who is getting credit for the research.”Other graduate students have expressed their concern regarding awareness of the new policy. Traci Nagle, another Ph.D. candidate at IU, said “I found out about (the policy change) only when a friend called it to my attention ... I was not notified of this policy decision by the Human Subject’s office. Had my friend not told me about it, I probably would not have found out about it until I had to submit a Continuing Review in October.”Existing studies will not be modified to reflect the new policy until the next “amendment.” Finn said an e-mail announcement was sent out regarding the new policy. “The key issue here is that the person who is the principal investigator on the IRB (form) is not the same as the person who is the principal investigator doing the research,” Finn said. “The students remain the principal investigator on their own study, but under their faculty member.”Finn said there are a variety of avenues for students to pursue through the University and the Human Subjects Office if they are concerned about who would be accredited with being the primary author on their study. “Being the principal investigator on the IRB (form) does not confer authorship or ownership of the data,” Finn said.
(09/10/10 3:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the spirit of welcoming new students to campus and the community, the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center will open its doors Friday for the Black Student Orientation. The event will begin at 6 p.m. in the center’s Grand Hall and is open to the public.In its fourth year, the event at the Center continues to offer innovative ways of orienting students to IU and Bloomington. This year, the event will begin with a series of speakers simulating the environment of a late-night talk show. The “show” will be led by guest speaker Virginia Githiri, a graduate student in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.“It’s set up to be like a David Letterman-type show, where students can learn about professors and IU in a different context,” said Muhammad Saahir, a graduate assistant at the Center. “Professor Toyah Miller will also be speaking, and she’ll give students the ‘inside scoop’ on what a professor expects in the classroom.”In addition to Githiri and Miller, the event will also feature speaker Elizabeth Mitchell, a Bloomington historian who will share her knowledge of local history and links to the black community.Following the speakers, there will be several booths with local businesses, student organizations and faith-based groups providing information about their services and how students can get involved. “This event really helps to acclimate new students to IU,” Saahir said. “It takes more than moving in to get settled. That’s only the beginning. There are cultural things you need to know, and this event will provide a lot of those resources.”— Caitlin Ryan
(08/31/10 4:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It has been 30 minutes. The activist at the Sample Gates won’t go away. The rain begins to pour. And still no bus.Because of a collaborative effort between IU Student Association, University Information Technology Services, the Informatics Department and Campus Bus Service, this situation can now be avoided. Students can view the location of campus buses in real time through the Campus Bus Service website and DoubleMap Bus Tracker. Additionally, students with iPhones can access the live view via the IUMobile application.The idea for the project began with IUSA, who worked with Campus Bus Service to make it happen. “We’ve had this type of system, the Automatic Vehicle Locator, for years,” said Perry Maull, operations manager for Campus Bus Service. “But we’ve only used it internally until now. It was never designed for the public.” Maull said Campus Bus gave IUSA access to the buses to install their system, making it accessible to the public. The old Automatic Vehicle Locator system was based off tracking via radio waves, Maull said. The new system uses GPS systems, making the program more accurate.“Now, there’s a cell phone in every bus with GPS capability, so the system tracks 27 cell phones, one in each of the buses,” Maull said.The testing process for this system began in the spring, and this fall is the first time that the system is available for public use. Campus Bus and IUSA will continue to improve the system based on feedback from students. “We’re really looking forward to it, because you never know how traffic and weather will influence the buses,” Maull said. “If you’re standing behind the Kelley School, you can’t see around the corner, but you can check your iPhone and see that there’s a bus on its way.”Many students who were unaware of the new system have expressed interest in the idea, although the downside is that it is only readily accessible to people with iPhones. Nicholas Matthews, a first year Ph.D. student in telecommunications, agreed that the system offers limited accessibility.“I don’t have a smartphone, but for people that do, I think this system would be valuable. I can’t really see anyone pulling out their laptop at the bus stop.”Maull said work to build similar applications for Blackberries and Droids to alleviate this accessibility issue is in progress.Thus far, reception for the project has been positive. The free IUMobile iPhone application can be found on iTunes by searching IU Mobile. To view the tracker, visit http://iub.doublemap.com/map/. If you have problems with the service, contact Ilya@doublemap.com.“I normally don’t know what’s going on at all with the buses,” said sophomore Stephanie Smekens. “I think this sounds really useful.”
(08/11/10 10:55pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Billions of times brighter than the sun, supernovae have captivated scientists for centuries.One scientist at IU is working on a project that might further illuminate the nature of supernovae and the environments in which they are created.As a part of a collaboration involving contributors from the University of Chicago, University of Michigan, Penn State and Northern Kentucky University, particle astrophysicist James Musser of the Department of Physics has been working on the Cosmic Ray Electron Synchrotron Telescope Project for the past eight years in hopes of learning more about the particles emitted by supernovae.A supernova is a very high-energy exploding star. Exploring the existence of such phenomena and their proximity to the Earth, the CREST project proposes to take a high-energy electron detector to the top of the Earth’s atmosphere using a stratospheric balloon.This balloon will carry the instrument at the stratospheric level for about three weeks, collecting data on the particles it receives at such heights.“The basic idea for CREST has been around for some time, but it was only ... recently that some of the technical capabilities that would enable the experiment came into being,” Musser said.The instrument itself is very complex, and thus Musser works mainly with technicians and engineers at IU to build the device, in contrast to other labs at IU that employ primarily graduate or undergraduate students. Held in the bays of Swain West, this device is made up of 1024 X-ray detectors and weighs approximately 6,000 pounds.Musser noted the importance of precision in the preparation for the flight phase of the experiment.“Typically, with these balloon experiments, they fly for a very small number of times, for a number of reasons,” he said. “The possibility of recovering a detector after a flight is not always assured. ... You want to make sure you have everything right.”When the building of the device is complete and the team is certain they are ready for flight, it will be taken to Fort McMurdo in Antarctica. There, NASA staff members will launch the detector attached to a large helium balloon for its voyage around the South Pole.This location is ideal for the experiment, as it lacks many of the obstacles posed by a balloon flight around major metropolitan areas of the United States.Although the team working on CREST has completed a series of test flights and engineering flights over the past eight years, the flight around Antarctica will be its first data-collecting mission. This flight is scheduled to take place in winter 2011 — summer in Antarctica.Musser expressed his excitement about the experiment as he explained what drew him to the project.“Balloon experiments are a very fun activity, including the process of putting the large detectors together and figuring out how you’re going to recover it once the experiment is done,” he said. “You’re presented with a sort of unique set of challenges. ... We almost lost a detector in the Grand Canyon a few years ago.”
(08/08/10 10:08pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Based in Simon Hall, the Li Group led by Dr. Liang-Shi Li is currently working on a project to develop an efficient, low-cost solar cell using a carbon-based molecule, or organic molecule.Solar cells convert the sun’s energy into electricity — and the lab’s work might hold the key to their future.Current methods of generating solar cells include the use of silicon, ruthenium or cadmium telluride as a base. Each of these solutions is effective, but all have their disadvantages.Silicon is very popular and effective, but it is expensive, making solar cells economically inaccessible to large populations. Using ruthenium as a base for a processed solution is much cheaper but less efficient than silicon, and ruthenium is a relatively rare element.Finally, cadmium telluride offers an alternative solution, but cadmium is toxic and tellurite is rare. Thus, while these ideas might be useful now, in the development of solar cells, they do not stand as viable options for long-term solutions.With this in mind, the Li lab set out in 2006 to develop a solar cell material that is cheaper and better for the long term so as to promote more widespread use of renewable resources. The material? Graphene, a single layer of graphite that is found in most pencils.More specifically, graphene is as a single atomic layer of benzene rings, hexagonal rings of bonded carbon atoms in a crystal lattice formation.“Graphene is very interesting because if you change the number of benzene rings bound together in the layer, you see different physical properties,” Li said. For example, a solution of just one benzene is colorless, but two benzene rings bound together are yellow in solution. Put a bunch of them together into a five-by-five square, and you’ve got a black substance, which can absorb all colors of light.Exploiting this property allows the group to develop cells that can absorb different colors of light depending on the size of their graphene sheets.Graduate students in the lab are working on learning more about the unique properties of graphene in its different forms. One graduate student, Xiao Cui, has been with the lab since its beginning and is working on organic synthesis of graphene molecules. Organic synthesis is a branch of chemical synthesis that is concerned with the construction of organic compounds via organic reactions.Irma Hamilton, a second-year graduate student in the lab, works on characterizing the molecules synthesized by her colleagues.“It’s very interesting, because you expect one thing, and then it will behave completely differently,” Irma said of her work.The group has already succeeded in making a solar cell using their materials in the lab with about 2 percent efficiency. Now, they are working on ways to make that cell more efficient while also trying to find better ways of making the carbon soluble.“We think that eventually this will go to application, but it will take time,” Li said. “A solar cell is a very complicated thing. There are so many components that have to work together.”
(08/01/10 11:38pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Eleven years ago, microbiologist Patricia Foster came to IU hoping to be involved in an undergraduate educational setting and an environment of diverse research efforts.Since then, it seems she has found exactly what she was looking for, and perhaps more, as her research continues to result in publication and recognition.In 2008, Foster was honored as a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, which recognized her for her work on mutagenesis of Escherichia coli (E. coli).Today, Foster continues to examine stress-induced mutagenesis in her lab in Simon Hall, now with three graduate students, one research associate and one undergraduate student working on different sides of the investigation. The students play an integral role in executing the research — especially because Foster is spending the summer and fall in Cambridge, England, on sabbatical. “We keep in touch with Pat via e-mail and weekly Skype meetings,” said Kyle Hetrick, a graduate student in the Foster Lab. “She oversees all of the work that we do.”The general focus of the lab is the complex relationships among stress responses that organisms encounter in their environment. In this case, the model organism is E. coli, but the larger-scale implications of the research indicate that it could further a general understanding of how various stresses affect prokaryotic mutagenesis, leading to a better understanding of microbial genetics overall. This is important for medical applications because a number of human pathogens are bacterial.The primary research topic is attacked from a variety of angles, with different projects occurring simultaneously in the lab.“As a graduate student, I study a facet of the larger picture,” Hetrick said. “I look at nutritional stress and its effects on a specialized DNA polymerase in E. coli.”More specifically, Hetrick studies E. coli cultivated in phosphate-deficient environments and examines how the nutritional stress affects DNA Polymerase IV activity.While DNA Polymerases I, II and III are known to replicate DNA with a high level of accuracy, DNA Polymerases IV and V tend to work with higher rates of inaccuracy, leading to changes in the DNA. Because Foster and her colleagues are interested in mutation rates in E. coli, DNA Polymerase IV serves as a good focal point for such studies.“I have been mostly interested in a class of enzymes that copy the genetic material, DNA, but do it badly,” Foster said in an e-mail. “They make mistakes, which result in mutations. We have been generating evidence that the mutagenic activities of these enzymes get turned on and off, and I would like to understand the molecular basis of this regulation.”As the lab continues to work on these different projects, the team collectively faces successes and failures on a daily basis.“Failure is a very common part of groundbreaking research,” Hetrick said. “You never know what’s going to happen in the lab.” Thanks to a lot of hard work, however, the Foster lab has recently experienced great success.On June 16, the Department of Defense announced its intent to award an estimated $227 million in grants to research institutions as a part of its Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative. IU was among the 32 universities honored with this award for a collaborative effort led by Foster.The proposed five-year grant will fund a completely new project, involving the collaboration of the Foster Lab with Mike Lynch, a professor of biology associated with the School of Informatics; Haixu Tang, director of bioinformatics at the Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics at IU; and Steven Finkel, a colleague of Foster’s at the University of Southern California.“The general idea (of this research) will be to take a genome-wide view of what’s happening with mutagenesis, starting with E. coli,” Hetrick said while describing the excitement surrounding the award in the lab. This is important because the current understanding of these principles is limited to knowledge of what happens in small, specific regions of the genome. With the inter-departmental collaboration effort that this grant will provide for, the concepts can be studied on a much larger scale.The Foster Lab will cultivate the strains of E. coli to be studied, the Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics will sequence the DNA of the organisms using Illumina technology and the bioinformatics groups will work to sort and interpret the data, pointing out areas of potential interest for further research.“The practical application of this research, as far as the Department of Defense is concerned, is forensic,” Foster said in the e-mail. “They are interested in defining mutational signatures (that) may help to identify the source of a bacterium, be it a naturally occurring disease organism or a bioterrorism agent.”
(07/15/10 12:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>By combining the creative energy of award-winning writer Alyce Miller with the innovative improvisational sounds of musicians Philip Anderson, Joe Stone and Marty Belcher, The Venue Fine Art & Gifts played host to a event Tuesday called “The Spoken Word, With Music.”The performance featured IU professor Miller reading several of her poems while accompanied by the three musicians: Anderson handling electronics and vocals, Stone playing the drums and Belcher playing the soprano saxophone.Unlike a traditional spoken-word performance, however, Miller noted that this collaboration involved the combination of her poems, which she did not originally write for such a performance, with the sounds of Anderson, Stone and Belcher.“I would describe (the event) as a kind of experiment,” Miller said.Belcher echoed that sentiment.“What we’re doing tonight is a duet between music and words,” he said.As the performance began on the front porch of The Venue, the sounds of the musicians overpowered the ambient noise of early-evening Bloomington.Oddly high notes on the saxophone were fused with subtle clashes of the cymbal, taps on the side of the snare drum and haunting electronic accompaniment.“I have mainly a jazz background, while Joe has more of a rock background,” Belcher said. Throughout the readings, which took place in three parts, the musicians employed their various instruments in unconventional ways, producing sounds and rhythms that seemed to consistently push boundaries while also sounding completely appropriate.Belcher’s saxophone sounds seemed, at times, to have the air of a perfectly calculated accident, while Stone’s percussive techniques varied as often as they repeated.Meanwhile, Anderson’s eerie vocal complements and electronic sounds added to the vibe, giving the musical component of the performance an interesting that seemed to reverberate with Miller’s words. The culminating effect seemed to mesmerize those in attendance, the trance broken only by the silence between acts.During a brief gap in the performance, Stone interjected, “It’s different out here.”The other performers nodded their heads in agreement, as it seemed that what was transpiring was something indeed unique.Miller’s poetry represented a variety of her repertoire, including a sonnet and an elegy. One poem, “Sisters to the Bone,” discussed a twin inside the speaker, while another, “The Empress Josephine Takes a Bath,” referenced letters from Napoleon to his wife. As each poem began and ended, the sounds of the musicians carefully augmented the reading, sometimes adding emphasis, other times letting the words stand alone in silence.“(Tonight) my words are playing a different kind of role,” Miller said.
(07/11/10 10:25pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As an integral part of the West Coast jazz scene in the 1950s, bassist Max Hartstein played with such jazz legends as Bob Cedar, Leroy Vinnegar and Buddy Parker. Along the way, Hartstein also honed his skills as an artist, capturing the essence of his fellow musicians in a series of pen and ink drawings.Thirty-six of these drawings are now on display at The Venue Fine Art & Gifts gallery, where a reception was held Friday for “The Art of Jazz.”Walking into the gallery, guests were greeted by the cozy ambiance of The Venue’s rooms filled with art, jewelry and various types of gifts. In the background, the smooth sounds of Hartstein’s 25th Century Jazz Ensemble filled the air as guests made their way into the room showcasing his drawings.Refreshments provided by The Venue complemented the open atmosphere, where various citizens of Bloomington and passers-by could casually chat about the drawings and what had brought them to The Venue that evening.“One thing I love about Bloomington is all of the art, of all kinds, that is available,” Bloomington resident Linda Barchet said.Anyone curious to learn more about Hartstein or the drawings themselves could speak with gallery curator Gabe Coleman.“For being quick drawings, they’re really incredible,” Coleman said. “They have a lot of information, but it’s very simply put.”Upon closer examination of the drawings, Coleman’s comment rings true. Each sketch contains several quickly drawn penstrokes that culminate in an intimate depiction of Hartstein’s musical companions. The portraits on display featured jazz greats such as Lee Katzman and Bill Summers. Some of the other drawings included images of ensembles playing at various venues, particularly the Jazz Cellar, where Hartstein often played. Still others included depictions of the crowds in the venues listening to music. Just as the drawings of the musicians left viewers with a feeling they knew the players intimately, the images of patrons at the Jazz Cellar and other locales offer the sensation that they were in that place and time, listening to Hartstein and his friends.“These drawings really have a sense of motion in them, and musical motion as well,” Coleman said. “They really capture the essence of the musicians and the crowd.”Max Hartstein’s drawings will continue to be on display for the next two weeks at The Venue, and the images are available for sale.
(07/08/10 12:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Three different groups, three different cultures, one single concert.The Lotus Education and Arts Foundation sets out each year to put on a public event that will generate excitement about world music and preview the annual fall Lotus World Music and Arts Festival. This year’s Summer Night of Lotus, which will take place 7 p.m. Friday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, will feature the music of local singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer, world-renowned sarod player Amjad Ali Khan and sons and tango ensemble Tangamente.Tickets for the event are $20 and may be purchased online or at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Box Office on Kirkwood Avenue. Proceeds from the event benefit the Lotus Education and Arts Foundation.Momentum for this year’s lineup began to build when Lotus Executive Director Lee Williams spoke with Newcomer about her trip to India in summer 2009. While touring the country, Newcomer met Khan and his family at one of her concerts. After hitting it off, they agreed that if they were ever in the U.S., the Khans would try to visit Newcomer.As things began to come together for the Summer Night of Lotus, the Khans agreed to take part, playing a set with Newcomer at the event.“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to have Amjad Ali Khan,” Williams said. “He’s probably the most famous living player of the sarod in the world, and we feel honored to present someone like him.”In addition to the international collaboration presented by Newcomer and the Khans, the Summer Night of Lotus will also feature tango ensemble Tangamente, led by musical composer, pianist and anthropologist Alfredo Minetti. Tangamente is best known in Bloomington for its Zero Hour Tango Fest, a two-day festival in March that incorporated music, poetry, singing and dance.Tangamente will open the concert, followed by Newcomer and the Khans. Minetti, Newcomber and Khan will also take part in a free public event from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Monroe County Public Library called “Music and Spirit Without Borders.” This event will run as a roundtable discussion on cross-cultural collaborations in music, leading into the performances on Friday.In conjunction with the three musical performances, the Summer Night of Lotus will feature the release of this year’s Lotus Festival T-shirt and pin, designed by Bloomington artist Joel Washington. The long-awaited lineup for the fall Lotus World Music and Arts Festival will also be released.“The Summer Night is about getting people excited about what’s on stage, then looking forward to the lineup for the fall,” Williams said.
(05/31/10 2:55am)
On June 2, 2001, Brian Haw set up camp in London's Parliament Square,
protesting against the war in Iraq. Now, nearly nine years later, Haw
has been joined by a host of activists in the square, collectively
forming what has been dubbed "Democracy Village," comprised of over
forty tents and activists campaigning for a variety of causes.
(05/20/10 12:11am)
The recent decision to allow an abortion advertisement to air on British television next week has sparked quite the controversy.
(05/12/10 9:57pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Just last Thursday, citizens from the United Kingdom took to the polls, casting their votes in the 2010 election. The results—305 Conservative, 258 Labour, and 57 Liberal Democrat seats in Parliament—came as no great surprise as public opinion polls leading up to the vote had indicated the definite possibility of the election resulting in a hung parliament.However, few would have predicted the events of aftermath.With no party holding the official majority in parliament, the leaders of each of England’s major parties were left to deal with the shift in numbers. In hopes of bringing a shift in policy, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are working to negotiate a plan to form a sort of coalition, joining forces to create a new government for the UK after thirteen years of the Labour party holding the power.In light of these events and in anticipation of the changes to come, former Labour Party leader and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced his official resignation on Tuesday, leaving Conservative party leader David Cameron to follow him. Announcing his resignation publicly outside of his office at 10 Downing Street in London, Brown addressed the public stating that, “In the face of many…challenges up to and including the global financial meltdown, I have always tried to serve, to do my best in the interests of Britain, its values, and its people.”Following the announcement, Brown made his way to Buckingham Palace, where he handed his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II. Shortly after, the Queen approved of David Cameron as Prime Minister and his decision to appoint Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg as his deputy, forming the first coalition government for the UK in seventy years. With the change in power official, speculation continues about the changes that will ensue over the next several months.In his first address at Downing Street, Cameron thanked Brown for his years of service to the British government and spoke to the public about the coming months, stating, “I think the service our country needs right now is to face up to our big challenges, to confront our problems, take difficult decisions, lead people through those decisions, so that together we can reach better times ahead.”
(05/07/10 3:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In 1986, residents of Zurich awoke to find their city covered in lion statues. In 1998, the animals struck again, and residents experienced “Cow Parade” for the first time as local artists decorated 800 fiberglass cow statues and placed them around the city as a public art project. Since then, the “Cow Parade” phenomenon has exploded worldwide, with exhibitions of a variety of different animals and themes seen around the world during the past couple of decades. This week in London, it was the “Elephant Parade” that descended upon the city, this time not only as a public art project, but also as an effort to raise awareness about the endangered Asian elephant. Author and advocate Mark Shand, who reportedly rode his own elephant across India in the 1980s, is the driving force behind the project, which began preparation and planning last fall. The installation includes 260 elephants, each of which has been carefully designed and decorated by such artists and fashion designers as Marc Quinn, Tommy Hilfiger and Jack Vettriano. Scattered throughout the city, the displays are accompanied in some places by volunteers canvassing for signatures to petition for government action to deal with the threats Asian elephants face. According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are roughly 41,000 to 52,000 Asian elephants left in the world, a population which has fallen significantly since the ’80s. Preserving their habitats helps to save the population from dwindling further, but this is expensive. This is where Shand’s project comes in. The exhibition, which will last through the end of June, will raise public awareness of the issue, and a few of the elephants will actually be auctioned off in a charity event culminating at the end of the display. Proceeds will benefit Asian elephant conservation.
(04/25/10 6:20pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As chaos ensued in airports around the world this week due to countless delays and cancellations caused by the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull, I enjoyed my last few days in Accra, Ghana, before attempting to return to London. When I reached the airport Tuesday night, I was told that I could either take my spot on my connecting flight to Amsterdam and then find my own way home from there (with the airline not liable for any costs incurred by my transport beyond Amsterdam) or I could wait in Accra until the next available flight that they could guarantee me a seat on back to London on May 3.Seeing the lines of people who had been stuck for the previous five days, I opted to take the flight to Amsterdam and found a bus back to London the following evening, counting myself lucky to have been on one of the first running flights to Amsterdam since the disruptions caused by the volcanic ash cloud. Although it cost me a bit extra to get home by the bus, my experience was relatively positive in comparison to many passengers who remain stranded in airports around the world as airlines struggle to meet the demand for flights back to the United Kingdom.Now that the ash cloud has cleared enough to allow for most flights to and from the U.K., one would think that those passengers who have been stranded would be able to get back safely and quickly. However, this is not the case for everyone.Those passengers who have not yet found their way home by means of alternative transportation and are still waiting for flights are, in some cases, being left stranded for much longer than expected. British Airways is a prime example of this, a case in which passengers who are still stranded are receiving no preference compared to new, paying passengers on the market when it comes to giving out the remaining seats on scheduled flights. So those who are left waiting can either take their chances and wait until there is a flight with empty seats or spend money to purchase a new seat on a flight home. The latter promises a cost of more than 2,000 pounds (more than $3,000 U.S.) in most cases, with passengers unsure if they will be reimbursed in the future for the price of rebooking such a flight.Such situations have moved beyond being merely an inconvenience for some passengers and are instead now a medical problem as medication runs out and doctor’s appointments are being missed. The Guardian reported one passenger stranded in Beijing “suffers from diabetes and who is running out of medication and money. Moreover, BA has lost his suitcase with his spare needles. ... There was another passenger undergoing cancer treatment, whose medical needs were also ignored.”Although only time will tell how the situation pans out for passengers and airlines alike, one thing is clear — with so many unhappy customers facing problems related to this disaster, airlines need to do something differently to prevent similar conditions in the future.
(04/06/10 9:06pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A simple YouTube search yields several videos for Matt McAllister’s moment of glory in history — he holds the Guinness world record for most T-shirts worn at once. The top video of McAllister clad in 155 tops has more than 12 million hits and spurred one of those viewers to go on to set a world record of his own.Inspired by McAllister’s feat, a British man from Whitburn decided to make his own mark in world-record history, setting out to break the world record for most pairs of underpants worn at the same time. The previous record of 200 pairs of underpants was held by an Australian television presenter.On April 1, Gary Craig, who has given himself a new name to match his feat, Geordie Pantsman, set out to break the record in a nightclub in South Shields, simultaneously raising money for the St. Simon’s Community Project and the Cancer Connections charities by gathering sponsorships and donations both on that night and in the weeks leading up to the event.As more than a hundred people gathered in the club to show their support for Pantsman and witness the event, he began by putting on a pair of size large underpants and finished with a pair of size 4XL underpants, the 211th pair. The whole demonstration took 25 minutes. Afterward Pantsman spoke with excitement about his accomplishment.“It feels pretty sore at the minute,” he said, “but I’m absolutely delighted.”In four to six weeks, his attempt should be verified by the Guinness World Records group, putting him in the history books as the man who has worn the most pairs of underpants at the same time.
(03/29/10 9:11pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As part of the goal to get 15.4 percent of Britain’s electricity from
renewable sources by 2015, the government has approved construction of
the London Array, a wind farm to be positioned 20 kilometers off the
coast of southeast England in the Thames Estuary. The region (Kent and
Essex counties) has the highest demand for electricity in the U.K.,
with an estimated 750,000 homes consuming power every year. If
successful, the wind farm will be one of the largest offshore wind
farms in the world, with about 300 turbines generating enough energy to
power the entire area.Preliminary
studies and research regarding the wind farm and its placement began in
2001, with a number of environmental studies assessing the potential
impact the farm would have on the area. After careful consideration of
the risks and benefits, permission was granted for the project to move
forward in May 2009.Since then, work has continued, funded
primarily by the project’s three shareholders — E.On, DONG Energy and
Masdar. It is estimated the project will cost £2 billion over the
course of its construction, and it is expected that the construction
phases will generate hundreds of new jobs for residents of the Kent
area, namely those living in coastal towns.The recent assignment of
contracts to companies MPI Offshore and A2SEA have led to the goal of
beginning construction on phase one April of next year. It is estimated
this phase should finish in 2012, with 175 turbines constructed for a
joint capacity of 630 megawatts of power. The second phase, once
approved, will complete the farm and bring the total capacity up to
1,000 megawatts, making it the world’s first gigawatt offshore wind
farm.The project’s success remains to be seen, but it is clear the U.K. is serious in pursuing alternative energy sources.
(03/07/10 7:44pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As nature ushers in spring with warmer weather and longer days, people all over India and Indian diaspora populations around the world celebrate the beginning of March with Holi, the festival of colors.The festival holds both religious and social significance as it is based in the mythological legends of Prahlad and Hiranyakashyap, and Radha and Krishna. Socially, the festival offers an opportunity to bring communities together for a joyous occasion. In fact, it is said that Holi is a time when “even enemies become friends” for the throwing of colors and celebration of radiance in the universe.Specific Holi rituals vary from region to region, with some choosing to light Holi bonfires and spend evenings in prayer with family, while others choose to celebrate with the ritual of throwing colors.In the U.K., where the population of Indian immigrants is well over one million and growing, Holi celebrations are widespread. Students at the University of Kent celebrated this year on March 3 with the traditional throwing of colors, gathering students of a wide variety of backgrounds from the community to celebrate the holiday.Students who came to the celebration wore white T-shirts in preparation for the color- throwing. Organizers passed out dishes of brightly colored powders including vibrant yellows, pinks, greens and blues, and the color throwing began. Even students around campus who were not celebrating Holi could hear the shrieks of laughter coming from festival participants as they ran around outside throwing the colors and enjoying the revelry.One student reminisced on old times as she enjoyed the celebration this year.“I haven’t played Holi in eight years,” second-year Diana Davis said. “But this year’s celebration at Kent Uni was great. I had a lot of fun.”
(03/01/10 10:10pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>An old Victorian tea set. A jade axe. The Rosetta Stone. These seemingly unrelated objects have one distinct commonality — they are all a part of the History of the World project’s 100 items chosen to represent world history through a partnership involving the British Museum, the BBC and hundreds of local museums throughout Britain.As an outreach to communities, the project has also selected 10 items from each region of Britain to represent history. In Kent, these objects range from a Bronze Age boat to a World War II football, viewable at local museums throughout Kent.During the featured exhibitions of these objects in their local museums, the project has also added an interactive component to inspire local people to “take part in history.” At local events around the country, community members are encouraged to visit their museum and bring along objects they have at home to add to an online database of items for the History of the World project.This database accompanies the project’s exhibits at museums around the country and a series of television programs that will take viewers through two million years of history in 100 episodes.On Feb. 20, the Museum of Canterbury hosted representatives of the BBC, bringing in hundreds of community members with a wide variety of historical artifacts and colorful stories to share along with their objects.“Most people have something at home with some historical significance,” said Steven George, a representative of the BBC watching over the event in Canterbury. “And having this event brings a lot of people in who would maybe never even set foot inside the museum.” One woman from the Kent area brought in a World War II Jewish star that had been passed down to her from her great uncle. Her great uncle, she said, served in the war and helped to liberate several camps in the Netherlands. “What’s interesting about this is that the writing on it is in French, and I think that’s pretty rare. It must have come from a French prisoner,” she said. “I brought it in because I think it’s an important part of history, something that should be shared with others.”A number of other interesting items were added to the database from the Canterbury event, including a set of World War II love letters from one woman’s grandparents. The event overall was a great success. Nearing the end of the day, George reflected on the event, saying, “It’s been a real thrill to be here ... to take part in history.”