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(03/31/09 4:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After starting from scratch a few years ago, Delta Chi fraternity president and junior Matt Lampert said the fraternity’s rechartering this weekend signified how strong Delta Chi has become in such a short time.“It means we’re not going anywhere,” Lampert said. “We’re here and we’re strong.”Due to rechartering this weekend, the IU chapter of Delta Chi will be officially recognized by its national organization as a chapter and will receive more support on a national level.Delta Chi celebrated rechartering with a weekend of events. The activities began Saturday morning when Delta Chi’s team qualified for this year’s Little 500.Then, on Saturday night, the fraternity officially received its charter at a banquet at the Crown Plaza hotel in Bloomington. The banquet featured guests from Delta Chi nationals and alumni, including Dean of Students Dick McKaig.On Sunday, the fraternity performed community service by doing an all-campus cleanup.Delta Chi was kicked off campus and lost its charter in 2002, and Jordan Gershowitz and a few of his friends came together in 2007 to start a new fraternity.“My freshman year, I wanted to be in a fraternity with the complete fraternal package, so we started up a colony,” Gershowitz said.This weekend was the culmination of a year and a half of recruitment and work, Gershowitz said.“We started with six or seven guys, had 41 founding fathers and now are chartering with 80 strong,” Gershowitz said.Sophomore Paul Testa, who organized the chartering banquet, said the rechartering process is a sign of the fraternity’s permanence.“When the fraternity was first founded as a colony, it established whether or not we were going to be a fixture,” Testa said. “A charter says we’re going to be here for a long, long time.”The brothers of Delta Chi are already planning their next moves, Testa said.“Our next step is to get a house to establish ourselves permanently as a mature fraternity,” Testa said.But Gershowitz said since Delta Chi doesn’t currently have a house, members must rely on each other to keep the fraternity strong.“Honestly, we have an awesome brotherhood,” Gershowitz said. Testa said he realizes the significance of rechartering for Delta Chi as a whole.“It means we have reached the next level,” Testa said. “When we started it was hard to imagine, and now we’re starting to achieve things we couldn’t have imagined last year.”
(03/31/09 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“60 Minutes” correspondent Steve Kroft will return to his home state to give the second speech of the School of Journalism’s spring Speaker Series. Kroft, who was born and raised in Kokomo, will deliver a speech titled “60 Minutes with Steve Kroft” at 7 p.m. tonight at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.Beth Moellers, director of communications for the School of Journalism, said Kroft was selected because of his extensive experience, including his 28-year career at CBS News.“We’re always wanting to bring the best journalists in the business,” Moellers said. “He has a broadcast background but also a hard news background.”Kroft has won a multitude of awards for his work on “60 Minutes,” including three George Foster Peabody Awards and 11 Emmys, including one for lifetime achievement, among other awards.Moellers said Kroft will discuss his interviews, the business of journalism and his reflections on “60 Minutes,” which celebrated its 40th anniversary in September.“We think the journalism that Steve Kroft does has contributed to the longevity of the program,” Moellers said.Kroft has interviewed a range of people, including politicians such as President Barack Obama, musicians such as Chris Martin of Coldplay and, recently, Cleveland Cavaliers star Lebron James.“He’s had experience interviewing some of the biggest newsmakers in the world,” Moellers said.Though Kroft received his undergraduate degree from Syracuse University, he holds an honorary doctorate from IU.He said he has been to Bloomington a couple of times, once while in college and once while in the army. Kroft said because many of his friends went to IU, he thinks he knows the campus “pretty well.”“I always like to come back to Indiana because it’s always fun for me,” Kroft said. “I’m a Hoosier through and through.”
(03/30/09 4:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Though junior Katie Mitzell said she enjoyed being onstage and performing in this year’s Hoosier Sweetheart, she said she was taken off guard by her win in the talent competition.“I felt really awkward because I’ve never won anything before, and I’ve never worn a crown before,” Mitzell said.Mitzell represented Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority in this year’s Hoosier Sweetheart, a philanthropy event organized by Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity to support YouthAIDS.The event, which took place Friday in the IU Auditorium, was in its second year.Sigma Phi Epsilon members Vlad Chirica and Brent Hirschy acted as emcees during the performances of the 14 sorority members.In addition to the competitors’ performances, the event featured two songs performed by members of The Buzzkills and a dance medley by Offbeat Dance Team, an all-greek dance squad.Each competitor shared a talent – including singing, instrumental solos and a color guard performance to The Darkness’ “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” by Kiersten Thoma of Kappa Alpha Theta – for the judges.Sophomore Taylor Quigley said she enjoyed many of the evening’s performances.“I love watching students get up there and do their thing,” Quigley said.But in the end, only one woman could be crowned Hoosier Sweetheart. Six judges scored the women on talent, spirit and fundraising and awarded three additional titles to women who excelled in each individual area.Sophomore Stephanie Demar, who performed an original mix of Taylor Swift’s “You’re Not Sorry” and “Breathe,” won a talent achievement award.Demar was a favorite performer of sophomore Cara Bushemi from Pi Beta Phi sorority.The fundraising achievement award went to Kara Tudor of Gamma Phi Beta, and Thoma won an award for spirit.In addition to the competition, organizer Jeff McMurray said attendees should remember the reason for Hoosier Sweetheart.“HIV/AIDS is still an epidemic causing disease and despair worldwide,” McMurray said before showing a video of young, HIV-positive Cambodian singers.McMurray told the audience before the video started that the children would be singing a familiar song as they began singing “Indiana, Our Indiana.”Junior Cale O’Bryan, judge and Sigma Phi Epsilon president, said this year’s Hoosier Sweetheart showed a lot of improvement from last year, noting a stronger turnout and more sorority participants.“It was a lot of preparation,” O’Bryan said. “I think it has a lot of room for improvement, but it’s an event we’ll be looking forward to for years to come.”
(03/26/09 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Several greek organizations are sponsoring events between now and the end of the semester to raise money for local and national charities. In addition to information about where and when these events take place, we asked a member of each organization to summarize their event in five words or less.Hoop-a-PaluzaWhen: 2:30 to 5 p.m. FridayWhere: The School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Sponsor: Phi MuSupports: Children’s Miracle NetworkIn five words: “Free throws for the kids,” said Natalie Sedia, sophomore and presidentCost: $20Flapjack AttackWhen: 11 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. SaturdayWhere: Delta Delta Delta houseSponsor: Delta Delta DeltaSupports: St. Jude Children’s Research HospitalIn five words: “Pancakes, music, friends, late-night fun” said Shona Lee, sophomore and philanthropy chairCost: $5 in advance, $7 at the doorBowling for TroopsWhen: Noon to 7 p.m. SaturdayWhere: Classic Lanes Bowling Alley at 1421 N. Willis Dr.Sponsor: Kappa Delta RhoSupports: Care packages for the Indiana National GuardIn five words: “KDR bowls to support troops,” said Adam Smith, junior and philanthropy co-chairmanCost: $5 for two bowling games and free shoesHoosier SweetheartWhen: 7 p.m. FridayWhere: IU AuditoriumSponsor: Sigma Phi EpsilonSupports: YouthAIDSIn five words: “Women’s talent show supporting YouthAIDS,” said Jeff McMurray, senior and Hoosier Sweetheart executive directorCost: $12 Pheast of the PhisWhen: 7 to 10 p.m. April 2Where: Alpha Epsilon Phi houseSponsor: Alpha Epsilon PhiSupports: Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and SharsheretIn five words: “Unlimited food, music, hotdog-eating contest,” said Tori Larsen, sophomore and philanthropy co-chairmanCost: $5 in advance, $7 at the doorTaste of IUWhen: 5 to 8 p.m. April 5Where: Dunn MeadowSponsor: Chi OmegaSupports: Make-A-Wish Foundation: Carissa’s WishIn five words: “Festival of food, music, fun,” said Casey Sullivan, junior and presidentCost: $10Alpha PhiestaWhen: 11 p.m. April 16 to 4 a.m. April 17Where: Alpha Phi houseSponsor: Alpha PhiSupports: American Heart AssociationIn five words: “Tacos, nachos, pinatas, music, fun,” said PJ Allen, sophomore and philanthropy chairCost: $5 in advance, $7 at the doorPowderpuff ClassicWhen: Noon to 4 p.m. April 18Where: Tundra Fields between Foster Quad and Kappa Delta houseSponsor: Delta Tau DeltaSupports: Circle of Life FoundationIn five words: “Girls versus girls flag football,” said Bryan Loiselle, sophomore and philanthropy chairCost: $95 for a team of up to 12 girlsRide Across the Purple ValleyWhen: May 10 to May 13Sponsor: Phi Gamma DeltaSupports: American Red CrossIn five words: “FIJIs ride bikes across Indiana,” said Mike Essling, sophomore and philanthropy chair
(03/24/09 3:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If Kappa Delta Rho President Nathan France had the chance to snap his fingers and magically give his off-campus fraternity an on-campus house, he’s not sure he’d take it.“I always wanted one, but I’m not sure if it’s the right thing for us,” France said.Kappa Delta Rho is one of a number of off-campus fraternities at IU, and while they might not be as well-known as others, France said off-campus fraternities are important to a healthy greek system.France said this is because off-campus fraternities cater to guys who might not otherwise join a fraternity.Research about people who join fraternities break potential members up into three categories: “always joiners,” who are set on joining fraternities when they first come to campus; “never joiners,” who don’t consider fraternities as an option; and “sometimes joiners,” France said.“Instead of putting an emphasis on the ‘always join’ guys, who sometimes don’t even know we’re an option, we go out and talk to the ‘sometimes join’ guys,” France said. “For some, being in a large fraternity just isn’t their thing.”Since leaving its last on-campus house in the early 1990s, Kappa Delta Rho has had anywhere from 12 to 20 members, which France said he believes keeps members from forming cliques with just their pledge class.“You get to know everyone on a much more personal level,” France said.France also said having a smaller pool of members allows everyone to be involved in multiple aspects of the fraternity.“For example, I’m doing much more than just being president. I’m also involved with philanthropy and scholarship as opposed to just being a member,” France said.Junior Rick Bowen, president of Phi Kappa Tau, said his fraternity makes up for not having one place to call home by scheduling several events.“We usually have three to four events a week, and that makes us really close,” Bowen said. “And all the guys tend to call each other anyway.”Freshman Tom Ahlert said he doesn’t think there’s a difference between the experience of on- and off-campus fraternity members, but he said he joined Phi Kappa Tau because he didn’t want to be a part of the pledge process he had heard about from other fraternities.Ahlert said off-campus fraternities are seen as less legitimate organizations, if they are thought about at all.“It’s not that they have a bad reputation,” Ahlert said. “It’s that they have no reputation, which can be just as damaging.”Bowen said being off campus does provide challenges for his fraternity.“I do love the freedom with being off campus,” Bowen said. “But it’s so much easier on campus. I just think having a house that is centrally located makes it easier to communicate. It’s really tough for us sometimes.”He also said recruitment can be difficult for Phi Kappa Tau, which currently has 52 active members.“A lot of guys end up saying, ‘You know, I really liked you guys, but at the end of the day I was looking for a house,’” Bowen said. France said he traces some of the problems off-campus fraternities have with recruitment back to stigmas people have about a fraternity not having a house.“Some people don’t even know we exist – others don’t even care,” France said. “Some people view it as if you’re not on campus and you don’t have a house, you don’t matter.”Still, France said it is important for greeks to remember that their organizations were created by their founders on a set of core principles, not on the notion of having a house.“The thing people forget is that it’s not a house,” France said. “It’s a chapter.”
(03/23/09 3:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While Theta Nu Xi Publicity Chair Kimberly Shrack said she thinks the IU campus is diverse, she also said the campus has not yet learned to appreciate all of the cultures.“What we are not is multicultural,” Shrack said. “We have a hard time embracing a bunch of different cultures at once.”Therefore, Theta Nu Xi is celebrating all things multicultural at IU with “THETAlicious,” a week of events about different cultures and ethnicities and the issues they face.The sorority is hosting a panel discussion about preparing for graduate and professional school at 7 p.m. today in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.“Several of our members are applying to grad school,” Shrack said. “We figured a lot of people were going through this.”The sorority, along with OUT GLBT Student Union, will present a mock same-sex wedding at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday in the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.Shrack said this event is especially important to her sorority because the organization specifically recognizes tolerance of all sexual orientations.The wedding is one of the events Shrack said she is most looking forward to, and she hopes some people come to the event without knowing it’s a same-sex ceremony.“Sometimes we end up preaching to the choir,” Shrack said. “It’s good to have people who might not necessarily know what they’re getting themselves into.”Following the mock wedding will be a discussion of topics such as civil unions.Students who buy a T-shirt at Wednesday’s “Paint Your Face, Forget Your Race” event in conjunction with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Alpha Phi sorority will get a free burrito at Chipotle if they bring in their shirts.“Paint Your Face, Forget Your Race” involves students putting a stripe of paint on their faces to “show that race is only skin-deep,” Shrack said. Groups will be stationed at the Indiana Memorial Union and in front of Ballantine Hall to let students take part in the face painting.The centerpiece of the week is “Take ONE: A Multicultural Talent Competition,” scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday in the Willkie Auditorium.In addition to talent performances ranging from breakdancing to spoken word acts, the newest sisters of Theta Nu Xi will come out in an “emergence,” which is a formal presentation of the new members, Shrack said. The new members will share stories about why they decided to join the sorority.“It’s cool to get together a diverse group to show IU how diverse this campus really is,” Theta President Ceazon Edwards said.Edwards said a week of events like this shows the campus that Theta Nu Xi “really wants to make a change” in the way diversity is treated.“Coming to our events, you really see what we have to offer,” Edwards said. “We show IU who we are.”
(03/12/09 4:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Looking to commemorate the 1959 violent political uprising in Lhasa, China, Lobzang Tenzin recalled his life under Chinese political control.“One day, Chinese soldiers came to the monastery,” Tenzin said. “And then, the army surrounded the monastery with machine guns pointing at monks.”A panel discussion at 6 p.m. Wednesday featuring Tenzin, central Eurasian studies professor Elliot Sperling, graduate student Nicole Willock and Tibetan language instructor Gendun Rabsal discussed the history of the Lhasa protests, the experience of life in Tibet during Chinese occupation and the ongoing situation.On March 10, 1959, Sperling said “Tibetans rose up to China in Lhasa, a renunciation of Tibet being part of China.” Rabsal said this year, on the 50th anniversary of the protests, one monk lit himself on fire, several arrests were made and monks were relocated by the army in addition to more protests.Internet and cell phone service was reportedly cut across Tibet, and Sperling said the Chinese government described the protests as a celebration rather than a political uprising.The Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism’s spiritual leader, again implored the international community on Tuesday to support Tibetan autonomy. Following the 1959 uprising, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet and has lived in exile in India ever since.Meanwhile, the Chinese government has continued to paint a negative picture of the spiritual leader in recent weeks. In addition, leaders in Beijing maintain that political conflict in Tibet is a domestic Chinese affair, not one to be meddled in by foreign governments. “Here we are in 2009, and that propaganda is being resurrected,” Sperling said during the discussion. “It’s not a pretty picture.”The protests led to division among the Tibetan community about whether to remain loyal to the Chinese government or seek independence for the region.Tenzin said he witnessed a range of violence in the years after the 1959 protests.For example, he said he remembers being forced to watch Chinese soldiers perform executions when he was 15 years old.“That day, 17 people all had hands on their backsides and had name tags around their necks,” Tenzin said with the aid of a translator. “Then they executed those Tibetans and asked their religious groups for money for each bullet.”He also remembered Chinese soldiers asking women to identify dead bodies.“The Chinese soldiers would ask the Tibetan mothers, ‘Is this your child?’” Tenzin said.Sophomore Samantha Hart, who attended the discussion as research for a project on Tibet, said hearing Tenzin’s stories was her favorite part of the lecture.“Everybody knows about Tibet, but this is a different perspective,” Hart said.
(03/11/09 4:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The house owned by Chi Phi fraternity has been decreed for a sheriff’s sale.Currently, the house is rented to the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, commonly known as Skulls. Chi Phi lived in the house until the fall 2008 semester after membership levels became too low to financially sustain the house.The house at 1400 N. Jordan Ave., is scheduled to go on sale at 10 a.m. April 17 at the Monroe County Courthouse and will be sold to the highest bidder.But Ben Schmidt, president of the Indiana Chi Phi Alumni Association, said his association is in the midst of working with the bank and other involved parties.“We intend to resolve this before it gets to the point of an actual sale,” Schmidt said.The public notice lists the Indiana Chi Phi Alumni Association, Bloomington-based Cassady Electrical Contractors, L.C. Smith Fire Protection of Martinsville, Old National Bank and Alexander Construction and Development of Indianapolis and its president Timothy Pitcher in a range of roles in the case.Schmidt said Old National Bank has foreclosed on the property’s mortgage. He said the sheriff’s sale is “not related to the current tenant.”“There are some outstanding issues with a construction project that have led to this foreclosure business,” Schmidt said.Phi Kappa Sigma declined to comment on the situation, and current Chi Phi fraternity members could not be reached by press time.Dean of Students Dick McKaig said fraternity houses typically pay their mortgages through dues.“A lot of people don’t realize that fraternity houses are not owned by the University,” McKaig said.According to the public notice sent out by the Monroe County Sheriff’s office, the purchaser of the property will receive a clean title, erasing any outstanding financial burden.Regardless of whether the property remains with Chi Phi, McKaig said it should retain its character.“That’s fraternity housing,” he said, “and the University’s belief is that it should continue to be fraternity housing.”
(03/09/09 4:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Daniel Miller stands hunched over a pinball machine, jumping as he presses the buttons for the flippers. As he plays, his body is always ready for a well-timed hip thrust to tilt the machine and save a dying ball.The flashing lights from the “Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark”-themed machine reflect off of his glasses while his eyes are firmly fixed on the game.Miller, a senior, is the self-proclaimed “grand champion” of IU pinball, and based on his scores on the pinball machines in the Indiana Memorial Union’s Back Alley, few would dispute it.He has top scores on two of the five pinball machines in the Back Alley and a second-place score on another. The other two machines don’t keep track.But Miller is the grand champion of a game he knows is dying.Marc Schoenberg, the director of project management for manufacturer Stern Pinball, said pinball’s peak has passed.He called 1979 to 1994 the height of pinball manufacturing, with 50,000 to 75,000 machines produced between three companies each year.Stern Pinball is now the sole manufacturer of pinball machines in the world and produces about 8,000 machines each year, Schoenberg said – a result of the rising popularity of video game consoles.“The entire coin-operated market is down,” Schoenberg said. “Now we sell games more to the home. It’s a different marketplace.”But he said that people like Miller are central to the continued viability of pinball.“There are people who are extremely enthusiastic, and they are the core of our community,” Schoenberg said. “They keep the game alive.”Miller said he spends anywhere from five to 15 hours a week playing and spends about $20 a week on games.“I play at least four days a week,” Miller said. “I usually spend at least 15 minutes playing, but it’s not unheard of for me to stick around for one to two hours.”Miller has only been playing since last summer. His brother introduced him to the game while they were working at a pizza restaurant in Portland, Ore., and Miller “got hooked.”Miller is also a part of a “pinball crew” from his pizza-serving days. His crew is called “Old Town Pinball” because members were from the restaurant where he worked, Old Town Pizza.Because members used the crew’s initials, Miller said he always enters “OTP” when he breaks machine records.While pinball crews might not exist in Bloomington, Miller said that when he was in Portland, the city’s pinball culture lent itself to crew rivalries and turf wars among the “pinball jocks.”He said one of his best pinball memories took place on the turf of the “Crazy Flipper Fingers,” a rival crew.“I put up the fourth-place high score on ‘Medieval Madness,’ my favorite machine, at their home bar my first time playing it,” Miller said. “I put up ‘OTP.’ It was a slap in their face.”Miller even has battle wounds from playing by performing the “death save,” a move that involves slamming one’s body into the machine as hard as possible to push a dead ball back out onto the table.“I drew blood in Texas,” he said.Despite that most pinball players Miller sees are men, he said the game isn’t just a boys’ club.“Chicks that play pinball are mystical, like unicorns,” Miller said. “They’re sexy.”Because he spends so much time playing pinball in the Back Alley, he said he notices more than just the occasional girl who comes by to play.One of the regulars at the Back Alley is Steve Irish, who holds all but one of the top ten scores on the Asteroids machine.Like Miller, Irish said he plays three or four times a week, usually going after his morning classes. Irish said for him, playing Asteroids is a “secret pleasure.”“I noticed the machine was here,” Irish said. “I play to reconnect with fond memories. It’s a re-connection to the past.”Miller said he knows regulars like Irish not just because of his pinball addiction; he works for the Back Alley as well – a position he said he chose because when looking for jobs, he looked for places with pinball machines.“I play pinball while I work sometimes when it’s really dead in here,” Miller said.Although he has a job and is a full-time student, Miller said he must make tough decisions when it comes to making room for his pinball habit.“Pinball money takes priority over other spending, so sometimes I skip lunch to eat at home so I can play,” Miller said. “Sometimes, I need to write a paper, but it’s like, ‘Nope, I’m going to play pinball.’”
(03/06/09 4:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Inside Sigma Phi Epsilon’s house on North Jordan is something unique among the greek community: a classroom. This is just one of the many reasons why members believe their fraternity is doing something different.“Hollywood came up with this idea of what a fraternity should look like, and that stuck in people’s minds,” said junior brother Brice Floyd. “We’re trying to change that.”The fraternity, which is rechartering Saturday, will be the first Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter in the nation and the only fraternity at IU to charter as a residential learning community.Sig Ep returned to campus as a colony in 2006. By rechartering, it will be recognized as an official chapter by its national organization.As a residential learning community, the fraternity will hold classes for its members in a classroom that was built in the fall when they moved into their house.This semester, Floyd said eight or nine members are taking a class taught in the classroom on religion and financial planning.Members are currently working to have a leadership course taught next fall just for Sig Ep members.Floyd said the residential learning community designation fits with the fraternity’s values.“Academics come first, even though we socialize and do other things,” Floyd said. “We’re here to get our diplomas.”Sophomore Zack Swad, Sig Ep public relations chair, said leadership classes will help with membership development because the fraternity members are already “recognized as leaders on campus.” The fraternity will be host to a dinner for the deans of several schools Friday night to discuss its plans for the learning community.“We had a dinner last semester, but only one dean showed up,” Floyd said. “He must have talked it up to his friends, and now more of them are coming.”Despite apprehension from some members about being labeled the “nerdy fraternity,” Floyd said most members now understand the value of a learning community designation. He said there is also potential for expansion of this program to other Sig Ep chapters and the IU greek community as a whole, though nothing is in the works right now.“We will be rechartering with the highest fraternity GPA on campus,” Swad said. “The classes themselves will build leaders out of us.”
(03/05/09 5:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Though sophomore Kevin O’Brien met Edward Hutton only once, he knew how much Hutton cared about students, especially those who received one of his Edward L. Hutton International Experiences Program grants.“I heard he literally reads every single letter from every single student who went overseas because he really cares that much,” O’Brien said.Hutton, who died Tuesday at age 89, was known on campus as a philanthropist because of his donations to the Edward L. Hutton Honors College.“Anyone who spent time with him recognized that Ed Hutton had a profound love for students,” Matthew Auer, dean of the Honors College, said in an e-mail.Hutton was one of the University’s prominent donors, and gave, among other gifts, $9 million to create the International Experiences Program grant in 2003, which assisted students studying abroad. IU later named the college after him in 2005. IU Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson said Hutton’s involvement in the construction of the new Edward L. Hutton Honors College building exemplified the type of person he was.“He was really involved in the whole process, from having the idea to donating the funds to looking at finishings,” Hanson said. “He visited the building during the construction this summer and got to know the workmen, and they did begin to feel that they had a connection to him and his ideals. He had that kind of effect on everybody.”Hutton also believed in the power of taking a chance on something, Hanson said.“He took the civil service exam on the recommendation of a business professor,” Hanson said. “He said, ‘But I’m not interested in civil service.’ And the professor said, ‘Now, you don’t know that.’ And he ended up getting a letter from the White House to go to Germany to help with reconstruction because of it. He would impress upon students the importance of these turns and contingent events.”IU President Michael McRobbie said in a statement that Hutton believed in the importance of international experiences for students, and his “extraordinarily generous” gifts to the University were “far-sighted and visionary.”“I knew him well personally, and he genuinely exemplified the best of Hoosier values – modest and unassuming, but hard-working and possessed of a penetrating intelligence, with a broad and tolerant understanding of the world,” McRobbie said. “He was one of IU’s greatest internationalists.”Hutton was also a “great storyteller” who spoke in a “humorous, endearing way,” University Chancellor Ken Gros Louis said. “He was a warm human being who enjoyed conversing and having conversations,” Gros Louis said. “It’s a loss.”Hutton’s international perspective came from the time he spent in Germany, Gros Louis said.He said Hutton called that experience “life-changing,” and, as a result, Hutton donated the money to create the International Experiences grants.“I hope 30, 50, 80 years from now students will associate his name with going abroad,” Gros Louis said. “Because of that, he will be remembered forever.”In his later life, Hutton served as CEO of Cincinnati-based Chemed Corporation from 1970 to 2001, and until 2008 he was the chairman of the board of directors of the health care company Omnicare.Whether he was “turning around companies” or “helping Germany get back on its feet after World War II,” Auer said Hutton was known as confident and focused.“Ed Hutton had an incredible can-do approach to life and learning,” Auer said. “If we can channel just a fraction of his energy, wisdom and commitment to academic excellence and public service in the lessons we teach at the Hutton Honors College, we will be successful.”But his lasting impression will be his care for students, O’Brien said.“Even people a generation from now will know there was a great person at IU who cared about students named Edward Hutton,” O’Brien said.
(03/05/09 4:56am)
Members of the greek community will learn new ways to hold themselves
and others accountable during a training event this weekend.
(03/02/09 4:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The price – and the steps – were right for IU’s chapter of Phi Beta Sigma at this year’s Statewide Step Show.The chapter won the 25th Annual Statewide Step Show, earning a $3,000 prize. The show, which took place Saturday at the IU Auditorium, was sponsored by Phi Beta Sigma. For the third straight year, IU’s chapter took the title, earning bragging rights and the honor of playing host to next year’s competition.The event brings together step teams from across the state and the country for two competitions.Comedian Josh Busby emceed the show.There were two competitions – one for the $3,000 prize and another to determine next year’s host.Indiana Revolution Step Team won the money, beating out a chapter of Lambda Upsilon Lambda fraternity from New York.Indiana Revolution Step Team’s performance featured a kung fu-inspired scene, with steppers proving their abilities in precision and speed.After a brief intermission, chapters of Phi Beta Sigma from IU-Purdue University Indianapolis, Purdue and IU competed for the honor of being host to next year’s Statewide Step Show.“This part is about more than money,” Busby said. “This is about pride.”Junior Javon Williams, a member of IU’s Phi Beta Sigma, said he thought his chapter’s creativity pushed its team to victory.“We thought outside the box,” Williams said.The routine featured contestants guessing the value of different steps. Audience members jumped to their feet and applauded some of the longer step segments in the routine.Phi Beta Sigma President Jeff London said a third consecutive win is evidence of the team’s skill.“If we’re out there winning, we’re doing something right,” London said.Junior Tia Walker said the competition brings diversity to IU.“I hope that other organizations on campus would get involved in something like this,” Walker said. “The University needs more of this. We need to invest more in the African-American community.”In addition, shows like the Statewide Step Show promote student involvement, sophomore Lauren Payne said.“It brings everybody together for a break from school,” Payne said. “It’s an enjoyable time.”London said the show is an expression of brotherhood within the chapter and is also a good show for the community.“It’s a show everyone believes is entertaining,” London said. “It brings out the best in us.”
(02/27/09 4:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The brothers of Phi Beta Sigma will try to step their way to a third consecutive victory at this weekend’s 25th Annual Statewide Step Show.The Statewide Step Show features stepping and dancing acts from around the state. Teams from every Phi Beta Sigma chapter in the state of Indiana will compete for the honor of hosting next year’s competition.The show, which will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday in the IU Auditorium, will feature two competitions. The first is a general team step competition, with eight teams competing for a $3,000 prize. Phi Beta Sigma president Jeff London said the second competition is among the Phi Beta Sigma chapters and is a part of the fraternity’s tradition. “We’re the best stepping fraternity in the nation,” London said. “Amongst us, it’s like, ‘Who’s the best of the best?’ It’s like the playoffs.”IU’s team has won the competition two years in a row.Sophomore Darren Broady, the National Pan-Hellenic Council representative from Phi Beta Sigma, said about 1,700 people showed up for last year’s competition, and his fraternity is expecting a similar showing this year.“It’s the biggest step show in the Midwest,” Broady said. “It’s like a roller-coaster ride. It’s something to remember.”Attendees can expect to see dancing similar to that in the movie “Stomp the Yard,” Broady said.Tickets cost $12 in advance and $15 at the door and are available at the IU Auditorium box office. Broady said tickets can also be charged to bursar accounts.Doors open at 6 p.m., and people were lined up early last year, Broady said, as seating is general admission.London said his favorite part about the event is the competition between chapters of Phi Beta Sigma.“Everybody brings their best because it’s such a large program,” London said. “It brings a lot of diversity to the campus.”Broady and London said their entire fraternity has been working nonstop for Saturday. London said the steppers have an especially large commitment, but every single member of Phi Beta Sigma in the state of Indiana plays some role in the show.“We practice at least three or four hours a night, and then you spend countless hours rehearsing on your own,” London said. “It’s fun because it brings the chapter together, but it also requires a lot of focus and attention.”London said the event is an affordable night of family-friendly entertainment.“It’s an excellent show, especially for the price you’re paying,” London said. “You know, ‘Bob the Builder’ was 30 bucks. You’re not going to beat that anywhere.”
(02/23/09 5:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Alpha Chi Omega songleader Emily Renfro heard her sorority’s name called as the winner of this weekend’s IU Sing, she couldn’t help but cry. “I’m on cloud nine right now,” Renfro said.Delta Chi songleader Grayson Palmer said he “could not breathe.”Alpha Chi Omega sorority and Delta Chi and Theta Chi fraternities walked away as the winners of the 77th IU Sing, which took place Friday and Saturday in the IU Auditorium.IU Sing is a musical skit competition sponsored by the IU Student Foundation. This year’s theme was “Ever After: A New Twist on an Old Tale” and required all 21 acts to take a well-known story or fairy tale and somehow twist the story line.The first place team’s production, called “Emeralds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” took The Wizard of Oz and recast it in Hollywood, with Dorothy driving across the country alongside Michael Scott from “The Office” and the guys of “Night at the Roxbury.”Alpha Delta Pi sorority and Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity came in second place with their retelling of Romeo and Juliet, called “Back to Verona.”Gamma Phi Beta sorority and Phi Kappa Tau and Alpha Tau Omega fraternities came in third.Rounding out the top five were Delta Zeta sorority, Evans Scholars and Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity in fourth place and the Christian Student Fellowship in fifth. In addition to overall team awards, Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Chi and Theta Chi won awards for outstanding choreography and best costumes, while Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Kappa Sigma were named “Best Entertainment” for earning the highest scores for entertainment from the judges.Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority and Kappa Delta Rho and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternities won the George E. Schlafer Spirit Award, while the Christian Student Fellowship won the Steve Solie Production Points award for the fewest infractions prior to the production of IU Sing.Joe Pomerening, one of nine judges for this year’s event and an IU professor, said he had a good idea of what he was looking for in a strong act.“I looked for energy first and foremost, and also a focus on vocals and choreography,” Pomerening said. “I wanted them to be dynamic on and off stage.”Though he said winners Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Chi and Theta Chi had “phenomenal costumes” and showed “drive from start to end,” he said every group impressed him.“Every single group had a bright spot,” Pomerening said. “There was potential in every single group. I was tremendously entertained.”Junior Erica Feldscher, a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority, said all the groups were phenomenal.“This is my second year watching, and the performances just keep getting better and better,” Feldscher said. “You can tell a lot of people have put a lot of work into this.”This year, IU Sing steering committee member and senior Andrew Nicholson said IUSF decided to cap all act sizes at 80 participants, which he said was a change for the better.“It has allowed songleaders to focus on members of their organizations that are musically talented,” Nicholson said.Though tickets to the show did not sell out, Nicholson said, considering the current economic situation he was pleased with this year’s turnout.IUSF will not have official fundraising numbers for a few weeks.“You always wish for a solid show of support,” Nicholson said.Responding to rumors that this was the final IU Sing, IUSF Assistant Director and IU Sing Adviser Tricia Runkel said no official decision on IU Sing’s future was made.“We definitely are in the process of thinking about restructuring for a better production,” Runkel said.In the end, Pomerening said the value of IU Sing is an important part of the IU experience.“It’s an amazing experience,” Pomerening said. “If people could see this, they’d really understand the unity on campus. It allows students to feel like they’re a part of something beautiful.”
(02/22/09 4:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For Alpha Chi Omega sorority, Delta Chi and Theta Chi fraternities, this year’s IU Sing ended happily ever after.The team won first place in the 77th production of IU Sing, the musical skit competition sponsored by the IU Student Foundation that took place Friday and Saturday in the IU Auditorium.This year’s IU Sing theme, “Ever After: A New Twist on an Old Tale,” allowed acts to take well-known stories and put a new twist on them through singing, acting and dancing.Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Chi and Theta Chi’s production was titled “Emeralds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” and took the story of “The Wizard of Oz” and recast it in Hollywood.In addition to their first place win, the team scored individual awards for outstanding choreography and best costumes.Alpha Delta Pi sorority and Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity came in second with their retelling of Romeo and Juliet, entitled “Back to Verona.”The third place winners were Gamma Phi Beta sorority and Phi Kappa Tau and Alpha Tau Omega fraternities.Complete coverage of IU Sing, including the winner’s reactions, judges’ impressions and a full listing of winners, can be found in Monday’s edition of the Indiana Daily Student.
(02/22/09 4:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For Alpha Chi Omega sorority, Delta Chi and Theta Chi fraternities, this year’s IU Sing ended happily ever after.The team won first place in the 77th production of IU Sing, the musical skit competition sponsored by the IU Student Foundation that took place Friday and Saturday in the IU Auditorium.This year’s IU Sing theme, “Ever After: A New Twist on an Old Tale,” allowed acts to take well-known stories and put a new twist on them through singing, acting and dancing.Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Chi and Theta Chi’s production was titled “Emeralds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” and took the story of “The Wizard of Oz” and recast it in Hollywood.In addition to their first place win, the team scored individual awards for outstanding choreography and best costumes.Alpha Delta Pi sorority and Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity came in second with their retelling of Romeo and Juliet, entitled “Back to Verona.”The third place winners were Gamma Phi Beta sorority and Phi Kappa Tau and Alpha Tau Omega fraternities.Complete coverage of IU Sing, including the winner’s reactions, judges’ impressions and a full listing of winners, can be found in Monday’s edition of the Indiana Daily Student.
(02/20/09 5:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Six months of planning, singing and spirit fingers will take to the stage this weekend.Twenty-one teams will compete in the 77th IU Sing, sponsored by the IU Student Foundation, at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the IU Auditorium.Of the teams competing, 19 are paired fraternities and sororities. The other two teams are from the Korean Student Association and the Christian Student Fellowship.The event, which helps the IUSF fund student scholarships, is themed “Ever After: A New Twist on an Old Tale.”Sophomore Annie Baenen, a member of IU Sing’s sponsorship and tickets committee, said groups are taking fairy tales and other well-known stories and twisting segments of them.“My favorite part is all the creativity,” Baenen said. “It’s not just like a set theme; it’s open-ended. You get to be really creative, and the acts love it and the audience loves it, too.”Skits range from “Alice in the Big Apple” to “Snow White and the Seven Dorks.”Tricia Runkel, assistant director of the IUSF and this year’s IU Sing adviser, said 13 acts will perform Friday. Saturday’s performance will feature the remaining eight acts and the awards ceremony.Acts are evaluated by judges for five categories including musicality, choreography, staging, “twisting” the story and the judges’ overall impressions. “Judges are looking for creativity and a team that stands out and looks really, really excited to do what they’re doing,” Baenen said.In addition, Baenen and Runkel said “production points” are subtracted from the teams’ final scores for failing to attend meetings and other infractions.For the first time, this year’s teams must be capped at 80 participants.“We hope this will make choreography better,” Runkel said.Runkel said IUSF members are working non-stop to put on this competition.“It’s a huge amount of work,” Runkel said. “Our first meeting for this IU Sing was in August. It’s neat to see students working so hard to see this through.”Senior Haley Reisman, a member of the IU Sing steering committee, said IU Sing is an integral part of IU history.“It’s an awesome competition,” Reisman said. “It always has been and will continue to be. It’s IU’s longest tradition.”
(02/19/09 5:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Among the framed art and chandeliers in the basement of the Phi Mu house Tuesday, city slickers, orphans and Superman rocked out to a live band.Police officers even showed up to arrest the “bad guy.”But this wasn’t a domestic disturbance or a noise complaint. This was IU Sing rehearsal.The new members of Phi Mu sorority and Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity are preparing for this weekend’s IU Sing, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the IU Auditorium. Phi Mu and Phi Sigma Kappa’s performance is titled “Superman Remix.”Each year, new members from paired fraternities and sororities perform a short musical skit created and directed by older songleaders. One of Phi Mu’s songleaders, sophomore Chelsey Stegmaier, said the songleaders have been working since November to select songs, change lyrics to fit their assigned theme and design choreography.The pair’s skit shows Superman’s voyage from his parents’ home on the planet Krypton to an orphanage on Earth, where he meets his arch-nemesis, another orphan named Kryptonite. The two skirmish over Lois Lane.In addition to singing and choreographed dancing, Phi Mu and Phi Sigma Kappa’s skit includes a rhythmic section with brushes.Freshman Taylor Weis, who plays Superman, said he has enjoyed practicing for the show so far.“Practices have been getting more fun as we go along,” Weis said. “It’s a good experience.”Weis’ role involves rapping to a rewritten version of Jay-Z’s “It’s A Hard-Knock Life” and singing 3 Doors Down’s “Kryptonite.” He said he has never done anything like IU Sing before.“Before this, all I’ve done was just lip-sync Backstreet Boys,” Weis said.Performers have been practicing since mid-January, Stegmaier said.During Tuesday’s two-hour practice, performers were constantly reminded by Stegmaier and her co-songleader, sophomore Adrienne Kaplan, to smile.“Smile your face off,” Stegmaier said to the group. “Your cheeks should be hurting.”Kaplan told the performers they needed to “bring it.”For the songleaders, the transformation from where the group started to now has been impressive, they said.“At the beginning, I didn’t even know how I was going to get them in a formation,” Kaplan said. “I get really excited for practices every night. It’s a sense of accomplishment from scratch until now.”Stegmaier said the ultimate goal would be to place in this weekend’s competition so performers could see all their hard work pay off.For the past two weeks, Phi Mu and Phi Sigma Kappa have been practicing for two hours Monday through Thursday.Freshman Heather Gershon said practices have been fun because she has gotten to know people in another house and in her pledge class.“By the end of practice, you can tell we’ve gotten so much better,” Gershon said.Kaplan said the fun part of practices is just one of the reasons she has enjoyed being a songleader.“On the weekend, I still look forward to practice,” Kaplan said.For Stegmaier, the opportunities new members get to meet each other while practicing for IU Sing is one of the most important reasons for the program.“Plus, you get to perform on the IU Auditorium stage,” Stegmaier said. “Not a lot of people can say that.”
(02/13/09 5:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Members of the greek community gathered Wednesday night for a Greek Media Training event, prepping them to handle media coverage during unexpected situations within their own houses. The IU chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America co-sponsored the event with the IU Panhellenic Association and Interfraternity Council. Katie Wickham, PRSSA vice president and PHA vice president of communications, said about 100 leaders of the greek community and PRSSA members attended Wednesday’s event in the Frangipani Room in the Indiana Memorial Union.“We took feedback from last year’s event and made this year’s more interactive and more relevant to our community,” Wickham said.The panel featured Dean of Students Dick McKaig, Matthew Ewing, adviser of IU’s chapter of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and Phillip Summers, psychology professor and Pi Kappa Phi alumnus. Rounding out the panel was Danielle Dravet, public information officer for the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and former Panhellenic president at DePauw University.During her tenure as president, Dravet dealt with the 2007 scandal involving the Delta Zeta sorority and the eviction of several of its members.Jim Parham, the chief operating officer of advertising and public relations firm Hirons & Company, moderated the discussion.During the training, panelists discussed case studies involving greek organizations dealing with the media in times of crisis, such as the 2006 death of a University of Texas freshman after attending a fraternity party, and media coverage of last year’s suspension of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity on the IU campus.Attendees were told to create or review a crisis management plan in case of an emergency.“The first hours after something goes wrong are the most critical hours,” Parham said. “Keeping a tight ship is imperative.”Panelists also said greek organizations need to focus on how they communicate their messages to members and the media.“The house’s reputation is depending on you to behave in a responsible manner,” Parham said.In addition, attendees watched a clip from the television show “Greek” that showed several stereotypes about sororities and then discussed impressions of sororities by students outside the greek community, with a focus on the DePauw incident.“Impressions are spread out over several years,” Dravet said. “The more you try to make women fit a certain mold, the more trouble there is.”Finally, the panel gave tips on creating a relationship with the media, such as double-checking facts, working with reporters and avoiding personal speculation.Sophomore Zac Ventress, president of Kappa Sigma fraternity, said the event was very informative and that he enjoyed learning about the resources his fraternity and the University had to offer in times of crisis.“We really do appreciate this,” Ventress said. “This was needed, whether we want to admit it or not.”