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(10/13/05 5:37am)
The McDonald's Corp. is scheduled to make a presentation to Residential Programs and Services and IU's Meal Plan Committee Friday concerning McDonald's contract with IU, which will expire after the 2006-07 school year.\nThe meeting will be at 2:30 p.m. in the large conference room of the RPS building at 801 N. Jordan Ave. The meeting will be open to the public.\nThough no decision will be reached Friday, both RPS and McDonald's officials are hoping the presentation will help IU representatives learn more about the options available to them in this situation.\nAfter the presentation, the Meal Plan Committee, which is comprised of both student and RPS representatives, will take a vote and make a recommendation to RPS whether to pursue another contract with McDonald's or consider other options, said RPS Executive Director Pat Connor.\nThe final decision, however, will be left to RPS directors. They are "not even close" to making a decision, Connor said, because they will not have to sign a contract until sometime during the 2006-07 school year.\nRight now RPS' first priority is not to decide how to fill the space in Read Center, but instead whether or not it wants to be the franchise owner of whichever restaurant will be in Read, Connor said. \nUnder a franchise agreement, IU would be licensed to sell McDonald's products in exchange for paying a certain percentage of its sales back to McDonald's. In the current contract with McDonald's, 10 percent of every meal point purchase at the restaurant goes back to RPS, and the University receives no income from cash sales.\nBecoming a franchise owner is a more attractive option to RPS than it was 10 years ago since the organization now has 10 years of experience working with corporations under its belt and is currently the franchise owner of Taco John's in Gresham Food Court in Foster Quad, Connor said. \nConnor also said there are more major chain restaurants interested in doing businesses on college campuses than there were 10 years ago when IU signed its contract with McDonald's.\nAfter the RPS directors make that decision, they will proceed to see which corporations would be interested in such an arrangement, meaning McDonald's is still a possibility.\nBob Lach, the site acquisition manager for the Indianapolis region McDonald's Corp., said in an e-mail statement that McDonald's would like to continue to operate on campus and it is "looking forward to the opportunity to have dialogue with the students of Indiana University." \n"We have enjoyed serving our customers and the community for the past 10 years, and we are excited about the prospect of extending our contract," he said in his statement.\nMcDonald's, however, might not be willing to make RPS a franchise owner, said Roland Long, the owner of all Bloomington McDonald's franchises and a former McDonald's Corp. employee.\n"Historically, McDonald's does not franchise to anyone other than an individual person," he said. "They do not license to corporations or facilities. Any deviation from that would be highly unusual."\nLong said McDonald's hasn't made a group a franchise owner in the past because it "believe(s) in having a very active on-premise owner-operator" and just one individual to speak with instead of a whole group.\nThough he will not handle any contract negotiation personally, Long thinks RPS and McDonald's have "enjoyed a good two-way relationship" and said the presentation will be "based around the idea of getting an extension or a new contract for continuing operation at Read Center." \nIf the McDonald's contract is renewed or renegotiated, the chain also has requests of IU, said Kathy Bodle, the manager of the Read Center McDonald's.\nBodle said the lobby would need to be redone and equipment would need to be replaced. The company "has a lot of questions" concerning these issues because a great deal of money would need to be reinvested, she said.\nBut McDonald's and RPS will not be the only ones considered in this issue. Presidents from each residence hall have helped the Residence Hall Association "put (its) feelers out" by talking to students and getting their opinions on the issue, said RHA President Owen Sutkowski. \nAt last Wednesday's Presidents' Council meeting, seven of the 10 residence hall presidents who attended the meeting reported their residents thought RPS should pursue a different food vendor or at least renegotiate the terms of the contract. Of the three presidents in the minority, one reported students definitely want to keep McDonald's, one had received mixed opinions and one had not yet discussed the issue with students.\nAnna Saraceno, the president of Collins Living-Learning Center, received mixed opinions from students. She said students liked the fact that McDonald's is cheap and quick and some liked the food. Others, however, told her they wanted a healthier alternative. \nSeveral of the presidents who reported students were not in favor of renewing the McDonald's contract said students were concerned about health and financial issues.\nSutkowski said he and most of the presidents will be at the McDonald's presentation so they can get all the information possible before forming an opinion. Regardless, RHA's main goals are to provide healthy options for students that are still "grab-and-go" and to have a nationally recognized chain, he said.\nSaraceno, along with many others, thinks something will need to change whether or not McDonald's stays.\n"Whether or not students would like McDonalds to stay at IU, almost everyone agrees that the current contract with McDonald's is not beneficial," she said.
(10/04/05 5:29am)
The fate of the Read Center McDonald's is still uncertain.\nThe Mean Plan Committee will vote on whether to renew the franchise's contract at their Oct. 14 meeting. \nThe group, comprised of representatives from Residential Programs and Services and the Residence Halls Association, will make its decision immediately following a presentation by McDonald's corporation representatives, said junior Sam Scarpino, a vice president of RHA and the committee's chair. If the contract is renewed, however, it must have terms that would be more financially beneficial to both the University and the students, said RPS Executive Director Pat Connor.\nThe reluctance to renew the McDonald's contract with IU, which is set to expire at the end of the 2006-07 academic year, stems from the fact that only 10 percent of every meal point purchase at the restaurant goes back to RPS, and the University receives no profit from cash sales. Because of this, other RPS dining facilities are pressured to make up for the lost money, Connor said.\nThe Meal Plan Committee has held biweekly meetings to discuss IU's options and decide what should be done. Connor said for now, it is simply trying to determine what "existing business practices" are being used by other universities and franchises since it has been ten years since the University has drafted this type of contract. \n"First we'll do an analysis of what the market is right now," he said. "We hope we'll be able to have a contract that will be a better program for RPS and for students who live in residence halls."\nThough the committee is looking to see which other franchises are interested in marketing their products at universities, RPS has not ruled out the possibility of renewing McDonald's contract. \nConnor and Scarpino both emphasized how important students' input is in the decision-making process.\n"It's impossible to speak to every student, but we're trying to speak to as many as possible," Scarpino said.\nFrom the input they've already received, students like the cheap prices and "grab and go" of McDonald's, but several would like to have a healthier option, such as Subway. Some students simply want to see a new restaurant for the sake of change, Scarpino said. \nResidence center presidents and floor governors are trying to get input from residents, and students are encouraged to attend RHA's Presidents Council meetings and the meetings of the Meal Plan Committee to express their opinions. Scarpino said the best time for students to voice their opinions would be the next President's Council meeting which is at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Collins Center's Cheshire Cat Café. \nHe also wants to encourage students to talk to their residence hall government and to e-mail him personally with their thoughts. Scarpino can be reached via e-mail at sscarpin@indiana.edu.
(09/26/05 11:03pm)
Daniel Comiskey walked down Kirkwood Avenue in complete solitude early Saturday morning. He was going to the Buskirk-Chumley Theater to see if the 1,000 paper cranes he had hung from the marquee as a display during the Lotus Festival in remembrance of his sister, Kate, had survived the wind and rain of the previous night. \nHe feared they had not. \nWhen he reached the building, he saw them still hanging from the marquee and fluttering in the breeze. For Daniel, the sight was very emotional.\n"It was a tear-jerking moment," he said. "I thought it would be a disaster."\nIt took him six months to fold by hand each of the paper cranes that was a part of the display he created in honor of his sister, who died in a November 2004 car crash.\nKate Comiskey was driving northbound on North Walnut Street when the car driven by Bryan "Mitch" Gooldy struck her head-on. She was transported to Bloomington Hospital and pronounced dead from injuries resulting from the collision. She was 24. \nBefore the crash, a motorist had reported a vehicle, which police later determined to be Gooldy's car, driving erratically on Indiana Highway 37. \nAccording to police reports, a blood sample taken from Gooldy after the accident tested positive for cocaine, opiates and depressants.\nDaniel said he and his sister went to the Lotus Festival last year, and she loved it.\n"I wanted her to have a presence at this year's festival," she said.\nDaniel said his sister, who was a teacher at Indian Creek High School in Trafalgar, Ind., had planned to take her students to the festival this year.\nThe Japanese tradition of hanging 1,000 cranes in honor of someone who has died started after the bombing of Hiroshima during World War II. Daniel chose to honor Kate in this way because she had visited her boyfriend in Japan before she died and she was teaching her class how to make the cranes. \nNancy Comiskey, Kate's mother and a journalism professor at IU, thought it was a fitting tribute not only because Kate was "fascinated" by Japanese culture and art, but also because the crane is a symbol of peace.\n"It was really moving for me to see the cranes floating in the breeze," she said. "I know she would've loved it. It was an amazing tribute from a brother to a sister he adored."\nThe Comiskeys were glad the cranes were placed at the theater, which was one of the busiest locations during the festival. They were also happy that people stopped to enjoy the display. Daniel said that people stopped to tell him how great the cranes looked even as he carried the cranes to the theater with some of Kate's friends.\n"I relish the opportunity to talk about my sister," Daniel said. "I was hoping not only that they would be beautiful, but that they would be recognized for what they symbolize."\nThe display also helped Kate's family and friends remember their loved one. The cranes were "graceful and beautiful," just like Kate, according to her brother. \nNancy made her very first visit to the Lotus Festival to see the display, which helped her feel closer to her daughter.\n"It just felt like her spirit was there even though she couldn't be there in person," she said. "It was so comforting to us"
(09/23/05 6:08am)
This year students will notice an increased number of large blue recycling bins throughout residence centers and dining areas. \nAfter two years of hard work, the Residential Halls Association and Residential Programs and Services have finally reformatted the 10-year-old program, said junior Andrea Webster, RHA director of environmental affairs. The RHA and RPS program is separate from the University's, which supplies the recycling services for campus buildings, such as Ballantine Hall.\n"We started working on it last year, but we worked really hard over the summer to get the bins in place," Webster said. "Our main goal is to make recycling part of every student's daily life."\nRecycling bins are now located on every floor of each residence center and in Gresham and Wright food courts. The bins have lids and are clearly labeled to help cut down on contamination by trash, which Webster said was the recycling program's "biggest problem" in previous years. They are now located away from trash cans to ensure that students don't accidentally put trash in them. If trash is put in the bins, all of their contents -- even the recyclable products -- must be thrown out.\n"We want to emphasize the fact that the recycling does get recycled," Webster said. "We want to fight rumors that recycling gets thrown away because that's only true if the bin is contaminated. This shouldn't be a problem (now)."\nIn addition to being able to recycle different types of paper, glass, aluminum and some types of plastic, students now have the opportunity to recycle newspapers in bins located at the front desks of residence centers. The newspaper recycling service has not been offered in previous years.\nThe computer ink cartridge recycling service will continue this semester. Envelopes for cartridges are available at front desks and will soon be available outside all classrooms in residence centers. Students can simply take an envelope and mail in their ink cartridges. The money received from the ink cartridge program usually goes back to the recycling program, but this year the money will probably be donated to Hurricane Katrina victims, Webster said.\nRHA and RPS are encouraging students to make use of these new resources, and have been especially impressed with the success of the recycling services in the dining areas.\n"So far it's working tremendously," said Steve Akers, associate director of Environmental Operations. "We're filling up the outdoor bins. On pick-up day, they're always overflowing."\nSome students, however, have not noticed the bins yet, especially in the residence halls.\nFreshmen Christine Fisher and Cate McLaughlin, who both live in McNutt Quad, have noticed the bins and signs in the dining areas, but they have not found the bins in their residence hall.\n"I recycle here at the food courts because it's visible and there are signs everywhere," Fisher said. "RAs should advertise it more. If more students were aware of it, more would do it."\nBoth Fisher and McLaughlin said they were impressed with the number of people they have seen recycling at Gresham.\n"It's nice that RPS made the effort to do this and that the kids made an effort to recycle," McLaughlin said.\nThey also thought the RHA and RPS should ensure that residence hall recycling bins are in "convenient" places in order to motivate more students to recycle.\nWhile Akers acknowledged it's the job of RAs and environmentalists in each residence center and the student government to "set the tone" for the program, he also encouraged students to ask RAs and the front desk staff about it. He said the bins are located in the same place on every floor of a given residence center, but the location varies depending on the center.\nAlthough the program has made progress, those involved are still looking for ways to improve it. Now that the program has a solid base, they are trying to expand the program so it can give students the opportunity to recycle other things, such as batteries, Webster said. \nAkers, on the other hand, would like to cut down the University's use of packaging so it can reduce the need for recycling altogether.\n"The ultimate goal is to sell (reusable) drink containers in the dining halls and have refills available so we won't have to recycle," Akers said.
(09/13/05 6:36am)
Screaming fans are waving signs, blowing air horns and shaking milk jugs filled with any noise--making material they could find. Fans who bleed purple line one side of the arena while a sea of people dressed in maroon and gold covers the other side. Not a seat goes unfilled and a piece of tissue paper wouldn't fit between any two fans who came hours early just to get a seat. The noise is deafening and it's nearly impossible to move, but each half of the crowd is so intent on the game and rooting for its beloved team that no one notices.\nThis is not a scene from a professional sports game, or even a college game. It's a typical scene from a sporting event between Bloomington's two public high schools, Bloomington High School North and Bloomington High School South, and perfectly describes South's Fred Huff Memorial field where South won the city's football bragging rights 28-10 last Friday.\nEvery year thousands of diehard fans from the community and each school come to cross--town sports events to support the intense rivalry that exists between the schools. To residents of Bloomington, this may be old news, but many IU students may not understand this rivalry. Think IU and Purdue -- separated by less than five miles.\n"Even if North and South were playing tiddlywinks it would be competitive," said Jay True, an assistant principal and 1977 South alumnus.
(09/07/05 6:38am)
The past two weeks of school have brought frustration to countless students around campus. The frustration, however, is not directed at professors or books. It is directed towards the new cash registers in Residential Programs and Services dining facilities. \nRPS replaced the existing cash registers and switched to a new software system, mainly because they are now managing meal points, a task which was formerly handled by the card office.\nStudents are upset because the new registers do not automatically display their current meal point balances after they make purchases. This problem confused RPS as much as it confused the students, since it was under the impression the new equipment would automatically display the information. \n"It's supposed to be doing it automatically," said Bob Tegeler, an associate director of dining services. "It will be checked into."\nIn addition, students can no longer check their meal points online. RPS officials said this problem will soon be fixed with a revamped site.\nSo far, RPS has not "had many complaints," said Diana Dominguez, an associate director of dining services. But students have found the situation to be extremely inconvenient. \n"It's kind of like your bank account," said sophomore Sara Spearman. "You want to know how much you have in there so you can decide how much to spend."\nIn order to receive meal point balances, students must ask cashiers to hit a certain button on the keyboard and tell them the number that appears. Cashiers don't always do this for students unless they are specifically asked or if the dining areas are not busy, Spearman said.\n"A couple times when it wasn't busy, the lady pushed a button and told me how many points I had left (without me asking her)," she said. "At lunch when the line is seven people deep, they just swipe your card."\nTegeler said students could also ask the cashier for a receipt that would show a balance or call 856-1515 to determine the balance and to ask any questions about meal points they may have. \nRPS will soon have a Web site that will show students their current meal point balance, but it's not sure when this site will be finished. It could be up and running within a week or two, but it could take longer.\n"We'll work diligently on it," Dominguez said. "It's a service we do want to offer. It's not something we're going to put off."\nThe new register and software systems offer some benefits to students, said Sam Scarpino, the Resident Halls Association Vice President of Internal Affairs.\n"It does streamline and update the old system," he said.\nThe new system features touchscreens and scanners that supposedly help speed up the check-out process in most situations.\nThe Web site will also be a better version of what has been available to students in the past, Tegeler said. It will offer the most current balances, whereas in the past the balances shown were from the previous day. \nTegeler thinks RPS now managing meal points will benefit students. RPS has created a meal-planning committee made up of an equal number of RHA members and administrators, so students will be able to have a voice in the transition.\n"We can give students more options and input as far as meals are involved," Tegeler said. "We can react more directly to any concerns with meals and we are continuing to try to respond to students' comments and concerns"
(09/05/05 4:37am)
From government officials to professional football players, everyone around the world is getting involved in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Now an IU administrator is doing his part to help.\nCharlie Nelms, vice president of institutional advancement and academic affairs, is now donating one-third of the profits from his book of inspirational quotes, "Start Where You Find Yourself," to the American Red Cross to aid the relief efforts. Nelms has mainly been distributing his book to "young people as a means to motivate them to excel" since its publication in 2004, but it's now on sale for $12 at the IU Bookstore, Borders, Howard's and Book Corner.\nThe other two-thirds of the profits go to the United Nations World Food Program and to a local food bank. Nelms will not receive any money from his book's sales.\n"It's my way to reach out to people who were affected by the hurricane and who live with poverty every day," Nelms said.\nNelms was particularly inspired to help victims of the hurricane because most of the people who did not escape simply could not afford to leave. He has witnessed poverty all of his life since he grew up in an area of Arkansas where poverty was "rampant." Nelms also spent time in Niger to help direct an agricultural program, but because of a government coup he was never able to complete his duties. This is also why he chose to donate some of his profits to the other organizations.\n"Poverty and hunger are all around us," he said. "Poverty is local and global. We cannot ignore people in Bloomington, people in Africa or people in Louisiana."\nNelms is hopeful his efforts will help and others will help contribute to the cause in some way and "be enlightened."\n"It took Hurricane Katrina to bring to our consciousness poverty and deprivation," he said. "Citizens of the world can do something to relieve suffering ... to make the world a little more gentle and comfortable. That's what being human is."\nThe success of Nelms' aid is still uncertain. The books were first displayed in the front of Borders Friday, said Marika Oukidis, the sales manager.\n"It doesn't look like they've moved that much, but word isn't really out yet," she said.\nAs far as she knows, no other author is contributing profits from book sales to the relief effort.\n"I think it's good for anyone to do something like this," she said. "It gives people a chance to make a difference."\nPeople who were affected by the hurricane in any way are glad people like Nelms are willing to help those in need.\nLaura Wieland, a sophomore at the University of South Carolina and a native of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, receives news of the overflowing Reunion Dome and convention centers near her home from her parents every day. The situation in her hometown is so bad that people are offering rooms in their private houses to accommodate victims, and she is excited to hear of the new relief contributions.\n"It's wonderful that someone is willing to give up money that would normally go to them to help people who have lost everything," she said.\nThough Nelms' project may seem small compared to others, "every bit helps," Wieland said.\n"(Victims) need lots more resources than the government can provide," she said. "At the very least it can provide basic living supplies for people who have lost everything"
(09/01/05 6:22am)
Sushi restaurants offer ambience and the pleasure of being served, but when a budget is tight or a cook is adventurous, homemade sushi offers a world of possibilities. \nGraduate student Anne-Marie Dunbar lived in Hiroshima, Japan for a year, where she learned to make her own sushi. With our step-by-step instructions, you can too. Check it out.\n"This is for a futomaki roll," Dunbar said. "Maki is hand or hand-rolled, and futo is stick, so it's quite literal."\nMost of the ingredients can be purchased in Asian grocery stores, although Dunbar noted that several of the larger chain grocery stores carried the necessary items.\nFirst, cook a batch of good sticky rice (generally marked as Japanese or Korean rice). Use less water than the box calls for, and cook about 3 cups. In a separate sauce pan, mix a half a cup of rice vinegar, four tablespoons of sugar and one tablespoon of salt. Heat the mixture until all the sugar and salt are dissolved. \nSpread the rice on a large cookie sheet and pour the rice mixture over. Let the rice mixture cool thoroughly. Lay out pre-cut seaweed sheets and cover them with a thin layer of rice. Leave one end (about a quarter of an inch) free to wrap. \nFillers can be any combination of seafood and vegetables, but Dunbar recommends cucumber, avocado, crab and carrots. For additional flavor, marinate the carrots in soy mirin sauce (rice wine). Another tasty filler, Dunbar said, is kanpyo, a bean gourd in sweet soy sauce, although this is sometimes difficult to find. More adventurous sushi-makers can try to mix and match fillers until they find something that's just right.\nLay your choice of fillers lengthwise on the seaweed-and-rice bed, and roll it up. From there, cut it into inch-long pieces. \n"Traditionally you cut the roll in half and each half in half again, and each in half again, so that you have eight pieces, but it doesn't affect the taste, really," Dunbar said.\nServe your homemade sushi with wasabi, pickled ginger and soy sauce.
(09/01/05 6:08am)
As most students know by now, the food served in IU's dining halls is not quite gourmet. Neither is the food that students who live off-campus try to cook for themselves. And no matter how hard the movie "Animal House" tries to convince you otherwise, pizza gets old really fast. So if you're looking for a colorful dinner alternative, try sushi. \nSushi can be traced back to the 4th century B.C. when rolling raw fish with fermented rice and seasoning was used as a way to preserve the fish. Since then, different types of fish have been rolled with a variety of vegetables and spices in order to create tasty combinations, and sushi rolls have become a favorite all over the world and in Bloomington.\nTo break away from your boring food routine and try some exotic sushi, check out:\nAsuka\nAsuka is a Japanese restaurant that Michelle Zhou, an employee, describes as "a good place to party" because it can accommodate large groups in the hibachi section, and the sushi bar and sake bombing attract lots of students. \nThe front part of the restaurant is a sushi bar and the back is for the hibachi; but no matter where you sit, you can still sample the sushi. \nSome of the most popular rolls are the California roll, which has crab meat, cucumber and avocado wrapped with rice; the shrimp and pepper roll, which has deep-fried shrimp wrapped with pepper and the spicy tuna roll, which has a special spicy sauce. They're also known for their specialty rolls, but those tend to be more expensive, Zhou said.\nNext month Asuka will be starting its All-You-Can-Eat sushi special, a deal they have only when the students are in town. The special allows you to order as much sushi as you want all day every Monday-Thursday for $15.95 per person. The restaurant also has carry-out. \nAsuka is located at 318 S. College Mall Rd.\nDomo\nDomo is one of campus' closest neighbors. Located on Third Street, the Japanese restaurant feeds lots of hungry students, especially during lunch time and exam weeks.\nThe restaurant's most popular sushi items include the Domo roll, which is a crab meat roll with a spicy sauce; the California roll and anything with eel. The more "Americanized" fried rolls, which usually contain shrimp, scallops or crab, are also popular, said Ava Orth, an employee at Domo.\nThe atmosphere in the restaurant is only somewhat formal and Domo is "catered more towards students," Orth said. In addition to sushi and a full menu of entrées, Domo gives students the opportunity to reserve their karaoke machine and has recently updated their menu with new mixed drinks containing sake and different fruit juices. They also have carry-out. \nDomo is located at 1500 E. Third St.\nMikado\nMikado is "best known for the variety and freshness of (its) sashimi," according to Dixon Hollis, the head server. For those who are not yet sushi connoisseurs, sashimi consists of raw filets of fish.\nThe restaurant particularly prides itself on the freshness of its fish, and the selection of sashimi on the menu depends on what is fresh. The menu offers 23 different kinds of nigiri, which is raw fish on rice, and 26 kinds of sushi rolls. \nWhile the sashimi is most popular with experienced diners, many of the rolls are favorites as well. The spider roll, which is made mainly of soft shell crab, and the sun roll, which is made of salmon, tuna and crab rolled together in soy paper and fried, are some of the best-loved.\nFor the "discriminating sushi person," Mikado serves uni, which is sea urchin. Since this dish is a delicacy, they are only able to serve it when they can get the special urchin.\nIn addition to the raw dishes, Mikado has a full menu of cooked entrées and appetizers.\nThe restaurant, which is located off of College Mall Road in The Shoppes, serves a wide range of clientele, and welcomes people of all ages to come try sushi.\n"We have lots of regulars," Hollis said. "We have professors, families and students come in."\nMikado is located at 895 S. College Mall Rd.\nSushi Bar\nSushi Bar, which is located at 2522 E. Tenth St., across from Tulip Tree Apartments, is another one of campus' neighbors. It has a wide variety of menu items as well.\n"Most people choose to order rolls or sashimi," Andy Chan, the manager, said. \nTheir most popular rolls are the spicy tuna and spicy shrimp rolls, the crazy roll, which consists of tuna, salmon and white fish rolled together, deep fried and served with a spicy sauce, and the rainbow roll, which has avocado, crab, cucumber and different types of fish. Chan recommends getting the combination plates of sushi and sashimi because you can get multiple rolls and filets for a cheaper price. They also offer cooked entrées.\nSushi Bar has a casual atmosphere that attracts students. Groups of five people or more can eat in a private room, and if you bring five people with you on your birthday, your dinner is free. \n-- Staff Writer Carrie Ritchie is a recent convert to the wonders of sushi (even though she's still a little picky). Get ahold of her at ccritchi@indiana.edu.
(09/01/05 4:00am)
As most students know by now, the food served in IU's dining halls is not quite gourmet. Neither is the food that students who live off-campus try to cook for themselves. And no matter how hard the movie "Animal House" tries to convince you otherwise, pizza gets old really fast. So if you're looking for a colorful dinner alternative, try sushi. \nSushi can be traced back to the 4th century B.C. when rolling raw fish with fermented rice and seasoning was used as a way to preserve the fish. Since then, different types of fish have been rolled with a variety of vegetables and spices in order to create tasty combinations, and sushi rolls have become a favorite all over the world and in Bloomington.\nTo break away from your boring food routine and try some exotic sushi, check out:\nAsuka\nAsuka is a Japanese restaurant that Michelle Zhou, an employee, describes as "a good place to party" because it can accommodate large groups in the hibachi section, and the sushi bar and sake bombing attract lots of students. \nThe front part of the restaurant is a sushi bar and the back is for the hibachi; but no matter where you sit, you can still sample the sushi. \nSome of the most popular rolls are the California roll, which has crab meat, cucumber and avocado wrapped with rice; the shrimp and pepper roll, which has deep-fried shrimp wrapped with pepper and the spicy tuna roll, which has a special spicy sauce. They're also known for their specialty rolls, but those tend to be more expensive, Zhou said.\nNext month Asuka will be starting its All-You-Can-Eat sushi special, a deal they have only when the students are in town. The special allows you to order as much sushi as you want all day every Monday-Thursday for $15.95 per person. The restaurant also has carry-out. \nAsuka is located at 318 S. College Mall Rd.\nDomo\nDomo is one of campus' closest neighbors. Located on Third Street, the Japanese restaurant feeds lots of hungry students, especially during lunch time and exam weeks.\nThe restaurant's most popular sushi items include the Domo roll, which is a crab meat roll with a spicy sauce; the California roll and anything with eel. The more "Americanized" fried rolls, which usually contain shrimp, scallops or crab, are also popular, said Ava Orth, an employee at Domo.\nThe atmosphere in the restaurant is only somewhat formal and Domo is "catered more towards students," Orth said. In addition to sushi and a full menu of entrées, Domo gives students the opportunity to reserve their karaoke machine and has recently updated their menu with new mixed drinks containing sake and different fruit juices. They also have carry-out. \nDomo is located at 1500 E. Third St.\nMikado\nMikado is "best known for the variety and freshness of (its) sashimi," according to Dixon Hollis, the head server. For those who are not yet sushi connoisseurs, sashimi consists of raw filets of fish.\nThe restaurant particularly prides itself on the freshness of its fish, and the selection of sashimi on the menu depends on what is fresh. The menu offers 23 different kinds of nigiri, which is raw fish on rice, and 26 kinds of sushi rolls. \nWhile the sashimi is most popular with experienced diners, many of the rolls are favorites as well. The spider roll, which is made mainly of soft shell crab, and the sun roll, which is made of salmon, tuna and crab rolled together in soy paper and fried, are some of the best-loved.\nFor the "discriminating sushi person," Mikado serves uni, which is sea urchin. Since this dish is a delicacy, they are only able to serve it when they can get the special urchin.\nIn addition to the raw dishes, Mikado has a full menu of cooked entrées and appetizers.\nThe restaurant, which is located off of College Mall Road in The Shoppes, serves a wide range of clientele, and welcomes people of all ages to come try sushi.\n"We have lots of regulars," Hollis said. "We have professors, families and students come in."\nMikado is located at 895 S. College Mall Rd.\nSushi Bar\nSushi Bar, which is located at 2522 E. Tenth St., across from Tulip Tree Apartments, is another one of campus' neighbors. It has a wide variety of menu items as well.\n"Most people choose to order rolls or sashimi," Andy Chan, the manager, said. \nTheir most popular rolls are the spicy tuna and spicy shrimp rolls, the crazy roll, which consists of tuna, salmon and white fish rolled together, deep fried and served with a spicy sauce, and the rainbow roll, which has avocado, crab, cucumber and different types of fish. Chan recommends getting the combination plates of sushi and sashimi because you can get multiple rolls and filets for a cheaper price. They also offer cooked entrées.\nSushi Bar has a casual atmosphere that attracts students. Groups of five people or more can eat in a private room, and if you bring five people with you on your birthday, your dinner is free. \n-- Staff Writer Carrie Ritchie is a recent convert to the wonders of sushi (even though she's still a little picky). Get ahold of her at ccritchi@indiana.edu.
(09/01/05 4:00am)
Sushi restaurants offer ambience and the pleasure of being served, but when a budget is tight or a cook is adventurous, homemade sushi offers a world of possibilities. \nGraduate student Anne-Marie Dunbar lived in Hiroshima, Japan for a year, where she learned to make her own sushi. With our step-by-step instructions, you can too. Check it out.\n"This is for a futomaki roll," Dunbar said. "Maki is hand or hand-rolled, and futo is stick, so it's quite literal."\nMost of the ingredients can be purchased in Asian grocery stores, although Dunbar noted that several of the larger chain grocery stores carried the necessary items.\nFirst, cook a batch of good sticky rice (generally marked as Japanese or Korean rice). Use less water than the box calls for, and cook about 3 cups. In a separate sauce pan, mix a half a cup of rice vinegar, four tablespoons of sugar and one tablespoon of salt. Heat the mixture until all the sugar and salt are dissolved. \nSpread the rice on a large cookie sheet and pour the rice mixture over. Let the rice mixture cool thoroughly. Lay out pre-cut seaweed sheets and cover them with a thin layer of rice. Leave one end (about a quarter of an inch) free to wrap. \nFillers can be any combination of seafood and vegetables, but Dunbar recommends cucumber, avocado, crab and carrots. For additional flavor, marinate the carrots in soy mirin sauce (rice wine). Another tasty filler, Dunbar said, is kanpyo, a bean gourd in sweet soy sauce, although this is sometimes difficult to find. More adventurous sushi-makers can try to mix and match fillers until they find something that's just right.\nLay your choice of fillers lengthwise on the seaweed-and-rice bed, and roll it up. From there, cut it into inch-long pieces. \n"Traditionally you cut the roll in half and each half in half again, and each in half again, so that you have eight pieces, but it doesn't affect the taste, really," Dunbar said.\nServe your homemade sushi with wasabi, pickled ginger and soy sauce.
(08/30/05 6:15am)
Students caught with alcohol on campus face a different system this year. \nThe Office of the Dean of Students has shifted its policy to focus on reforming violators, rather than punishing them, said Dean of Students Richard McKaig. \nThe change was made in an effort both to catch problem drinkers and streamline the discipline system. These new rules apply for all on-campus violations, including those in the dorms and greek houses.\nStudents will now have the chance to skip the campus judicial system's proceedings and go straight to the Alcohol Alternative Intervention Program, a program that allows students to talk to advisers about their drinking and assesses the severity of the students' alcohol problems. By taking advantage of this opportunity, students will also have their violation removed from their campus record. However, if they are caught by the police, they may still face legal consequences, said Walt Keller, the director of alcohol counseling programs at IU. \nThe program's alcohol counseling services have been available to students since spring 2003, but this is the first time they will be used as an alternative response to alcohol violations. Before the change, the campus judicial system often referred students to alcohol counseling programs but never allowed students to skip the judicial program entirely. \n"If you violate the alcohol policy, you come visit us," Keller said. "The difference is whether you come with a campus record or not."\nWhile judicial officers will determine whether students are eligible to go directly into the program based on the details of each case, Keller hopes "75 to 80 percent or more" will be able to enter the program without going through the campus judicial system first.\nThe administration made this change because it had been receiving complaints that the University was more interested in punishing students with alcohol violations rather than helping them, McKaig said.\n"Our intent is to help students who think IU is too punishment-oriented in our efforts to restrict alcohol violations," McKaig said. "(The program) gives them a chance to assess their behavior with a counselor so they don't end up with a record. We hope students will see what role alcohol plays in their lives and reassess their decision."\nFrom statistics, Keller estimated approximately 18,000 students binge drink each weekend, and he wants students to know this program is an effort to let students know IU's administration and students need to work together if a change is to be made. In order for this to happen, he thinks both sides need to realize their personal responsibilities.\n"It's not because of stupid laws or administration that there's a problem. It's because of 18,000 students who are drunk," he said. "Until they realize this, a problem will remain. If we help campus work together and help students take responsibility for themselves, then we can really make a dent on this issue."\nThe program is also designed to help reduce the number of cases the campus judicial system has to handle and, more importantly, to separate students who may really have an alcohol problem from those who may have simply made a bad decision and give them the help they need, McKaig said.\nKeller has noticed the benefits existing alcohol counseling programs have had over the past two years. \n"Lots of students say 'I wouldn't be in school if it weren't for this program'," he said. "We've had a fair number of students cut back on their drinking and an even smaller number quit. Even if they didn't quit or cut back, students have had to think hard about their decisions."\nWhile the change in the policy may seem to give students a less harsh consequence if they break the rules, Keller thinks the new program is actually harder to deal with because it requires "self-scrutiny." If the program is not effective this year, however, the policy will change back to the way it was.\n"We have seen it work very well at other institutions, and we hope to see the same results," McKaig said.
(08/24/05 7:05am)
One of the biggest headaches people faced in the past is the number of cars trying to pull into dorm circles in order to unload everything. Residential Programs and Services has been working with the IU Police Department to place 60 extra officers on duty from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. today to help direct traffic at busy intersections around campus and at the dorms.\n"If we weren't there it would only be a matter of minutes before traffic became grid-locked," IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said.\nOfficers are also on hand to help parents find parking as soon as they're done unloading, and to answer questions about Bloomington. But, their main goal for the day will be "personal and property protection and security," said Minger, who encouraged students and parents to keep a watchful eye on all property.\nBob Weith, director of residential operations for RPS, also emphasized the importance of never leaving anything unguarded. \n"With so many folks milling around we will inevitably have (some incidents)," Weith said. "My best advice is for people to be very careful with their possessions. When they take their first batch of things up to their room they should re-lock their room when they go down, that kind of stuff."\nThe police, however, will not be the only people available if there are problems. The resident assistants will be at the dorms to direct people where to go.\n"Generally the RAs' role is to hang out, be around and be welcoming to the folks who live on their floors," Weith said. \nBut, the RAs will be doing much more than socializing with the students. Assistants at Teter will be unloading students' cars, regulating the elevators, assisting with the check-in process, and trying to answer questions. \n"I made a FAQ list since I won't always be on my floor, so they can get those questions answered really quickly," senior Naomi Zander, a second-year RA, said.\nIn order to complete move-in day tasks efficiently, the RAs stressed the importance of being attentive and asking questions.\n"We're going to have a lot of signs posted about where to go to do what things, so pay attention to the signs before you start getting irritated and panicky," Daniel Donner, a sophomore RA, said. "Look for people with the Welcome Week shirts and ask questions because that's what we're there for all day."\nIn addition to helping students and parents find their way, the RAs will be working to "keep stress levels down" by "being friendly," according to Zander. The RAs ask that people remain patient as well.\n"Don't panic, it will take a long time and just be ready for that," Donner said.\nSophomore Michelle McIntyre agreed with Donner when she reflected on her move-in experience last year.\n"The whole move-in day thing is stressful enough without worrying about the little things, so just focus on getting things done a little at a time and don't snap," she said.\nTo maintain their sanity, students and parents may want to wait to move during times that aren't typically as crazy, such as the beginning of the day, said sophomore A.J. Etsch.\n"I actually moved in during the middle of the afternoon, because contrary to the popular belief that everyone would be moving in then, everyone tried going early, so my set-up was a breeze and I was relaxing in my room after only an hour," he said.\nThough they offered advice, neither Etsch nor McIntyre want to relive any move-in memories, and like the rest of their upperclassmen comrades, probably won't be seen on campus today.\n"I will be sitting on my front lawn to take in the nice scenery, and then hitting up McDonald's because I know plenty of freshman with meal points to abuse," Etsch said.\nMcIntyre won't even stick around to enjoy the food. She plans to avoid campus at all costs.\n"I have stuff to do on campus but I'm not even going near it if I have a choice," she said. "I've had friends that are cops warning me to stay away because it's going to be a madhouse. That's enough warning for me"
(08/08/05 9:21am)
A new report found 22 "hate incidents" in Bloomington last year, an increase from 19 last year.\nThe City of Bloomington Human Rights Commission released their annual Hate Incidents Report, which covered the time period from July 2004 to June 2005, last Friday. \nThe report found the hate incidents were brought to the attention of the BHRC by the police, the victims and news reports. This number is one less than the 23 reported in the 2002-2003 time period.\nThe increase in reported incidents this year is not terribly significant, said to Barbara McKinney, the director of the BHRC.\n"I would like for there never to be an increase, but I don't think the slight increase is a cause for concern," she said. "The numbers vary a bit each year."\nOf the 22 incidents, most were motivated by racial bias and bias against homosexuals. A few were motivated by anti-Semitism. \nEleven of the incidents were acts of vandalism, seven included physical confrontation and four were mainly verbal.\nSince the BHRC can only compile reported incidents, the list does not necessarily include every incident that occurred.\n"Our report is the best gauge of hate incidents we have, but it's not complete," McKinney said. "There may be incidents which go unreported, and I obviously have no way of knowing how many go unreported."\nPam Freeman, the associate dean of students and director of the Office of Student Ethics and Anti-Harassment Programs, is certain that "there are more incidents than reports." \n"We do not believe that most people feel comfortable reporting," she said. "This is typical for many persons who have been victimized. It takes a lot of strength to report, and often people hope they can just forget about what happened."\nFreeman is involved with the campus groups that put together IU's annual hate incidence report, which will be released around Aug. 18 this year, and said that last year's report alone contained approximately 150 incidents. She emphasized the importance of reporting incidents, not only because victims need to receive help, but also because the community needs to be aware of the tensions that still exist so that these issues can be addressed.\n"What is needed (to prevent hate incidents), in my view, is more personal responsibility on the part of each of us as individuals to confront incidents when they occur," she said. "Silence can be viewed as condoning hateful attitudes and behaviors."\nClaire Rivron, a Bloomington resident for 19 years and a student at Earlham College, found the number of hate incidents "shocking" and also thought that people should take more "personal responsibility" to prevent hate crimes. She thinks, however, that this responsibility is to be tolerant of others.\n"People need to take these issues more personally instead of just accepting people of different nationalities and realize that the diversity is part of themselves, part of their neighborhoods and part of their school classes," she said. "They should be more accepting and not let their own comfort zones and the types of people they're used to being around influence the way they treat others. They need to try to think of people as individuals, not as (part of) a group of individuals."\nRivron also thought that recent hate incidents, such as the July 9 firebombing of a local mosque, show that world issues affect us here and that we need to deal with these issues "on a local level" in order to establish a more tolerant society in Bloomington and across the country.\n"I think it just points to a certain amount of ignorance and intolerance and I think it shows a way for us to improve," she said. "I hope that in the wake of these tragedies good can be accomplished by citizens"
(08/04/05 2:15am)
Each day problems plague cities around the world. Hunger, homelessness and natural disasters, among other issues, give active citizens plenty of opportunities to lend a helping hand in their communities, and according the results of a survey taken by Campus Compact, an organization that encourages civic involvement on campuses, students are taking advantage of these opportunities.\nThe survey reports that 30 percent of students regularly did some type of community service for an average of four hours per week, which demonstrates that students have become more civically involved in the past five years. The survey also estimates that their volunteer time last year was worth $4.45 billion to the respective communities they served.\nWhile only 44 percent of Campus Compact's 950-member universities responded to the survey, including 19 Indiana schools and four of the seven IU campuses, Jacquelyn McCracken, the executive director of Indiana Campus Compact, thinks that the results accurately represent students' volunteering habits at universities around the country.\n"There has been a push through the 1990s to increase volunteering across the spectrum, not just for students," she said.\nSenior Caitlin Roth, president of the Volunteer Student Bureau at IU, thinks that the results "are definitely accurate relative to IU." The VSB assists approximately 400 students in finding volunteer opportunities each year, according to Roth.\n"It used to be that the entire campus was only doing one or two projects at a time. Now you can find volunteering virtually everywhere, all the time," Roth said.\nMcCracken attributes the increase in volunteering partially to Campus Compact and other organizations that work to promote volunteering. Campus Compact gives grants to students for projects and also sponsors a day for students to go to the state house to discuss their own concerns with legislators. McCracken thinks that this particularly encourages students to be "engaged."\nWhile programs like these may encourage students to become involved, many start their college volunteer work through campus groups that they join upon their arrival at IU. There are numerous groups that either require or encourage their members to complete service hours.\nThe Greek system, which is present on most campuses, is one organization that requires its members to become involved in volunteering.\n"The Greek requirement and the influence of the Greek system on people doing volunteer work probably affects the amount of participation," said senior Anthony Dee, the philanthropy chair of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.\nEach fraternity and sorority requires its members complete a certain number of service hours each semester, and Dee thinks that this helps students who may not otherwise choose to volunteer become involved in the community. \nOne of Lambda Chi Alpha's events helped Dee become involved in his current philanthropy project, the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.\n"Each year we bring a lot of unpaired 'littles' to our house and play around with them for a day. That's when I met (my 'little')," Dee said. "I spend about two and a half hours with him each week, aside from talking to him at different times."\nNo matter how students become involved, it is important that they consider the social issues lying behind the volunteer projects, according to McCracken.\n"(Most students) are more interested in helping people in need than getting politically involved," she said. "When we talk about this field we're talking about more than helping people in need. It's being involved in the community to the extent that you solve community problems and it's looking at issues. It's asking 'Why is there hunger?' and 'Why are there homeless people?'"\nRoth also recognized that volunteering gives students the opportunity to become more civically aware, thus they help themselves learn while helping others.\n"In a community with so much need, students who are civically engaged can have a remarkable effect," Roth said. "Students have the opportunity to look outside the walls of IU and really take responsibility for what is going on in the world around them"
(07/25/05 1:11am)
Buying textbooks is usually the bane of back-to-school shopping for college students. Every year, students spend hundreds of dollars on books that they may hardly ever use, only to get paid back half of the cost of their books upon returning them.\nIn an attempt to make higher learning more accessible, Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., proposed an amendment to the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005 that aims to ensure that textbooks are priced fairly. \n"Congressman Wu's amendment will highlight how the rise in college textbook pricing contributes to the overall costs of higher education," Jillian Schoene, Wu's press secretary, said.\nThe amendment, which offers a variety of ways that textbook expenses can be reduced, won the approval of the bill's committee last Thursday and is waiting to be "put on the House calendar" for a review and vote, Schoene said.\n"Congressman Wu is hopeful that publishers, faculty, bookstores and colleges will begin to work together to make textbooks more affordable for students," Schoene said.\nWu's amendment proposes that students should be able to buy textbooks and additional materials, such as CD-ROMs and workbooks, separately to avoid the high prices that publishers and bookstores put on the products when they are packaged together. In addition, the amendment suggests that publishers provide faculty with information about how long they intend to publish a certain edition, what makes the edition different from past editions and the estimated price. Wu's amendment encourages professors to consider prices when selecting learning materials and encourages universities to implement textbook rental, lending and buy-back programs.\nTim Lloyd, the textbook manager at TIS College Bookstore, thinks that many of those principles are already being practiced. \n"College bookstores, faculty and publisher representatives should always work together to make sure the most cost effective methods are being used to provide their teaching materials, and I believe this is currently being done in most cases on the Indiana University campus," Lloyd said. "I believe that most faculty are aware of the cost of their course materials and make intelligent choices based on several factors, including price."\nLloyd thinks that the amendment would neither hurt business for bookstores nor help students save money in most cases. He also strongly believes that a professor's main reason for selecting a certain textbook should be the quality of the learning material.\n"If faculty make their decision based on cost over quality of materials or comprehensive study, then (students will) absolutely (not benefit from the amendment)," he said.\nSophomore Colleen McConahay agrees with Lloyd. Although she thinks that all of the books she has bought are "overpriced," she thinks that Wu's amendments would make only a "marginal" difference in what students pay.\n"I agree that textbooks are too expensive, but I don't think he suggested anything that would really help," she said. "We already have buy back programs and things like that."\nMcConahay thinks that if the government wants to reduce costs for students, they should make regulations about the actual prices of textbooks. \n"I think if they had regulations that say that (bookstores) can only mark up a book so much (from the original cost), it would keep the bookstores from overcharging students," she said.\nAlthough the amendment will not change for now, Wu may "continue to pursue legislation" after he receives a report he requested from the Government Accountability Office that investigates the rise in the price of textbooks and the business practices of the publishing industry, according to a July 22 press release. The results of the report should be released in early August.
(07/25/05 12:55am)
Each year between nine and 12 incoming freshmen intending to major in business earn one of the University's most prestigious honors -- the title of Kelley Scholar. \nThe Kelley School of Business has selected 11 scholarship winners for the 2005-06 school year. For each Scholar, the Kelley School of Business will pay for full tuition, fees and a living stipend for four years.\nThis year's scholarship winners are Matthew Anderson, Matthew Baldwin, Katherine Beck, Brian Beesley, William Bennett, Ann Burch, Brent Danner, Sarah Foster, Christopher James, Brooke Kerendian and Michael Skaggs.\n"(The faculty committee is) looking for strong students who are well-rounded, show exceptional leadership experience and who can strongly articulate their interest in studying business," Katie Paulin, associate director of undergraduate programs at the Kelley School of Business. "These 11 candidates did all of those things. They are all not only strong students academically, but they have varied interests and backgrounds and strong leadership experience."\nAlthough the scholarship winners had to compete with more than 200 other applicants during an intensive application process filled with personal statements, recommendations and intensive interviews, the reward is worth it.\n"I am fully aware of the fact that, through this scholarship, I'm really getting a jump start on my career and the rest of my life," Skaggs said. "I'm being given an education at one of the best business schools in the country -- a gift not to be (taken lightly)."\nIn addition to receiving a free education and a stipend for living expenses and funding for overseas study, Kelley Scholars are automatically part of the business honors program and get a faculty mentor for their entire college careers. They also have opportunities to interact with each other and meet "distinguished visitors" who come to the University, Paulin said. \n"There's a lot of extracurricular programming involved," Paulin said. "At the beginning of freshman year, the (new Kelley Scholars) attend a retreat at Bradford Woods. They have bonding time and the other Kelley Scholars are invited to come too."\nSophomore Vanessa Khuong, a current Kelley Scholar, has appreciated the new friendships that the Kelley Scholar program has provided her.\n"What I value most from the Kelley Scholar program is the constant support," she said. "There is a great group of professors, advisors and administrators that are extremely willing to help and support us in any way. (The scholars) became a tight-knit group last year both academically as well as outside of the classroom … It was great to have those familiar faces to go to."\nKhuong got to meet some of the Kelley Scholar candidates when they visited IU for a weekend in February and is looking forward to welcoming them to the group.\n"They all seem very bright and enthusiastic," she said. "They all have a really wide range of personalities, accomplishments and abilities."\nSkaggs is also excited about being around the other Kelley Scholars and taking advantage of the opportunities that his peers will provide for him.\n"I think I'll get the chance to really discuss and analyze the thinking of others -- get new ideas or twists on things I think, and really see what direction the other scholars want to take with their careers," he said. "I have met several of the other Scholars and they are all wonderful and incredibly intelligent people. I know there's an enormous diversity of ideas and opinions in this group, and I think that's definitely a good thing"
(07/18/05 3:11am)
It is common knowledge that as World War II came to an end, Allied forces made a discovery that shocked the world -- Nazi camps with filled with corpses and living skeletons, many of whom were so overcome by starvation that they couldn't survive after being rescued. While historians have written books for decades in an attempt to convey the horror of the Holocaust, only those who survived or witnessed the concentration camps can accurately describe the atrocities suffered by millions. \nMost people never get the opportunity to hear a first-hand account of what happened at the concentration camps, but those who do will never forget the stories they heard.\nLast Thursday, members of the Rotary Club North were fortunate to have 92-year-old Ralph Young, a Bloomington resident and World War II veteran, at their meeting to share his story of liberating Dachau prison camp. \nFor the entirety of Young's speech, the Coronation Room at the Indiana Memorial Union, which was filled with more than 50 eager listeners, was completely silent.\nYoung was a forward observer in the 3rd Observation Batallion and was among the first group of Allied forces to reach Dachau. His group had heard of Dachau, but they "had no idea that (they) would ever see it," according to Young.\n"It was one of the most gruesome, unrealistic places I've ever seen," he said. "No one would believe it unless they saw it."\nWhen Young and his fellow soldiers reached the entrance, they were greeted with the inscription, "All who enter here, abandon hope." \nThe camp, which he described as a "huge monstrosity," covered several acres and contained gas chambers, an immense crematory, and a machine shop and printing press where prisoners would work. \nThere were also rows of what Young described as "storage bin shacks" where those who were too frail to work laid until guards came to take them to the gas chambers for a "shower." The shacks were five feet wide and some contained up to five men, all barely clothed or naked, and dying of starvation, according to Young. He said that as he walked past the shacks he could see the men inside eating the straw they were laying in. Young estimated that after having daily rations of a cup of soup made of barley grain and water, some of the men weighed only 45 pounds. \nNot all of the prisoners, however, were weak, according to Young. One of Young's most vivid memories is of five healthier prisoners tearing a hole in the 10-foot chain link fence to attack a guard who was coming back to the camp. Young stood by and watched as the five prisoners stomped the guard to death.\n"(My superior's) orders were 'let them do it'," he said.\nYoung was also shocked by the railroad cars full of corpses just sitting on the train tracks that ran along the camp. There were approximately 50 railroad cars total, and 20 contained relatively fresh corpses, according to a photocopied article that Young passed out to his audience. The fresh corpses had been shot, slashed in half by bayonets or had their skulls bashed in by the butts of rifles, according to Young. He said that some of the corpses' blood "was still liquid" and guessed that they had been killed earlier that day. \nAt the end of his speech, Young received a standing ovation and admitted that he had never told his story to a large group. \nRev. David Bremer, Young's pastor at United Presbyterian Church and programming chairman of the Rotary Club North, convinced him to share his experiences.\n"I have known Ralph for 14 years," Bremer said. "Over the years, (most often) when a group of church men have lunch together, the discussion turns to aspects of World War II. In this comfortable setting, he would tell of his experiences, but never of Dachau."\nIt wasn't until a few weeks ago that Young finally told Bremer of his experience at Dachau.\n"I implored him to share it with the world, beginning with a Rotary presentation," Bremer said.\nBremer "didn't have to twist (his) arm very hard," according to Young, who said he was glad that he told his story.\n"I think people should realize what the Americans did with the Allies and what we stopped," Young said.\nLarry Keller, a member of the club, was entranced by Young's story and grateful that Young could come.\n"I'm 67 years old and this is the first time I've heard the story from someone who has been there," he said. "I think that there are probably too many people, particularly young folks, who really don't have any idea of the gruesomeness and just how bad things were, so to get this from a first-hand perspective was very interesting to me."\nKeller thought that Young's speech also had a tremendous impact on the rest of the listeners.\n"I think there were like 55 people here and not a single sound was made," he said. "I think that pretty much told the story of what everyone thought"
(07/14/05 2:57am)
Three very different paths converged at St. Paul Catholic Center July 1 when Father Bob Keller, Father Stan Drongowski and Father Rich Litzau took over for Father Dan Atkins. \nThe three men are Dominican priests, meaning they belong to the Catholic order called the Order of Friars Preachers. Atkins was a Diocesan, or secular priest, and did not belong to a religious order. The Dominicans, therefore, have exposed the parish to a new type of leader.\n"We're the kind (of priests) that make the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and we live a community life -- that's part of the reason there's three of us here," Keller said. "We pray together, take meals together and do a lot of things together. Diocesan priests are more individualized."\nWhile the Dominicans work together and share many of the same daily activities, each of the new pastors has a unique \nbackground.\nKeller, who was appointed pastor, has had 12 years of campus ministry experience. He worked at Emory University in Atlanta for two years and has spent the last 10 years at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. \nDrongowski and Litzau, who were appointed associate pastors, have not worked in a campus parish before.\nDrongowski joined the Order when he was 22 and has worked in parish and formation ministry, but most recently worked at the Friends of God Dominican Ashram in Kenosha, Wis.\n"(An ashram) is a house of prayer, so coming into campus ministry is going to be quite a drastic change from a more contemplative life to a much more active life," Drongowski said.\nLitzau was just ordained in May and St. Paul is his first \nappointment. \n"It's unusual for a first assignment to be at a new house that has just been created for the Dominicans," he said. "It's also unusual for it to be in a small house with just three of us. I'm excited and I'm honored."\nBefore becoming a priest, Litzau worked as a probation officer, a corrections counselor and a hospital chaplain, but he always knew he would end up where he is today.\n"When I was out of high school I went to seminary for one year but knew that I wasn't ready to do that yet. I was too young and too naïve," he said. "I knew all along I would be here I just didn't know what it would look like in the process."\nThe three new priests are still deciding on the specifics of what they would like to do for the parish, but they know that they want to continue to emphasize education and involvement and develop a stronger bond with the University.\n"I think we're looking for ways we can be visibly present on campus, and maybe differently than others who are going to carry their sign and make their protest and all that," Keller said. "I think we want to be present on campus to see how we can engage in conversations that are essential for thinking through what we're about as an institute of higher education in the United States in the 21st century."\nThey would like people to feel comfortable using St. Paul as a "resource" for both educational and worship purposes, according to Keller; and they want people to know that St. Paul welcomes people of all religions and \nbackgrounds.\n"For anybody who walks in here and wants to talk, I think we're available, Catholic or non-Catholic," Keller said.\nOne of the most exciting aspects of their new positions is working with the students, they say. \nDrongowski is eagerly anticipating the beginning of the school year because he will be the football team's new chaplain, a job that also belonged to Atkins.\nHe also wants to share with the students some of the knowledge about centering and focusing that he gained at the Ashram.\n"I see that there are so many stresses and pressures, not only on kids but everyone in our society, that to be able to center, to focus on what's important, to just stop sometimes, even if it's just for two minutes, it's just huge and it can be lifesaving in some circumstances," he said.\nAlong with diverse experiences and knowledge, the three men will bring more worship opportunities to the parish as well.\n"Because they are an order, one of the things they do together, and invite everyone from the parish to participate in, is the morning and evening prayers," Jill Switzer Wolf, director of music ministry at St. Paul, said. "It's a different way of praying, other than the mass, and it's a wonderful opportunity for everyone to come together starting out their day in the morning or after the work day."\nSince there are three priests instead of just one, they will also be able to offer daily mass, according to Wolf.\nThe parishioners are already impressed with their new leaders and look forward to learning more about them.\n"They're really making an effort to remember people's names and do a lot of things that are very hard to do when you first meet a group of like 1,000 people," Rebecca Russo, a parishioner since she was a child, said.\nAlthough Atkins will be missed, Russo thinks the transition will be an easy one.\n"We were all saying what a tough act to follow (Atkins is) because he's probably the most incredible priest I've met in my entire life," Russo said. "But it's not a changed atmosphere, it's a continuation of what Father Dan was doing but in a different way with (the Dominicans') own style"
(07/11/05 12:50am)
Africa is home to over 1,700 languages, which account for one-third of the languages spoken around the world. This summer and next summer IU is home to the Summer Cooperative African Language Institute, a program that offers courses in 13 of these languages and the cultures of the people who speak them. \n52 graduate students and 22 undergraduate students from all over the country are spending four hours in class everyday for the second summer session and attending special speaking groups outside of class. This intensive schedule will allow them to accomplish a year's worth of work in only eight weeks.\nThe fast pace makes the program "exciting" for students because they can see how much progress they're making, according to Maria Grosz-Ngaté, associate director of African Studies. \nGrosz-Ngaté also thinks that the smaller class sizes make the program more enjoyable.\n"The professors are very engaged," she said. "Because the classes are small they can make classes more exciting."\nAkinsola Ogundeji, a native of Nigeria and an instructor of the Yoruba language, has a class of only four students.\n"It's good for classroom management," he said. "You can give students one-on-one attention."\nOgundeji is impressed with the students' progress in the short time he has been teaching them.\n"I think the students are doing great," he said. "It has only been three weeks and they can do a lot of things with the language."\nLike Ogundeji, the other 16 SCALI instructors are native speakers of the languages they teach, so they are also able to teach their students about the people who speak the languages. \nFor the students, knowing about the culture behind the languages is essential because most will be going to Africa to pursue careers in research or other fields. The instructors teach the students about dress, proper greetings and how to behave in daily situations.\n"The programs are context-based," said Dr. Alwiya Omar, director of the SCALI program. "When students go to different countries, they will be able to interact with (the natives) and use the appropriate cultural nouns and greetings."\nIn addition to class time, students have many opportunities to interact with each other and share what they have learned. There are forums every Wednesday night where students share information about their research. Toward the end of the program, there will be a night where students will sing songs for each other in their new languages and a night where they will perform skits for each other. There will also be cooking sessions beginning soon, according to Omar.\nThe community is invited to participate in the program by attending the African film series being held at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Films from different parts of Africa will be shown in languages from their respective regions with English subtitles every Tuesday night through August 2.\nEveryone involved in the program encourages the community to watch the movies and learn about Africa because they agree that the most important part of the program is sharing culture with others.\n"This kind of program is good for cross-cultural interaction," Ogundeji said. "Today everyone wants peace, and one way we could get peace is by doing something like this. When you know someone's culture, you know them better ... and (you) are able to understand (their) opinions"