93 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(02/27/12 3:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was fete.The verb that sounds just like “fate” is what brought University Elementary School sixth-grader Byoul “Star” Han a victory Saturday.It was her second-straight win of the regional contest for the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Monroe County Public Library, so she already knew the ropes.She competed with winning students from schools in Brown, Greene, Monroe, Morgan and Owen counties, each assigned numbers to keep their identities hidden from the judges to avoid bias.The spellers revealed their names only once, after the judges had left the room. When the panel of three judges came back into the room, the pronouncer of the bee, Deputy Trustee of Bloomington Township Allan Murphy, walked onto the stage and introduced himself to the competitors.“Hello, spellers,” Murphy said quietly to the students. “I wanted you to hear my voice before I’m amplified.”After a few jokes with the spellers, he went to the podium, adjusted his glasses and his papers, and spoke into the microphone.He said he would read the word and note if there were any homonyms or multiple common pronunciations. Competitors could ask for the definition, to repeat the word, for the word in a sentence and for the word’s origin.“I know you are all well-prepared. Let’s find out how well-prepared,” Murphy said. “Speller number one, please come to the microphone.” A boy with blond hair and a colorful, striped shirt came to the microphone and turned it to face Murphy’s podium.“Harmonica,” Murphy said.“Harmonica,” Speller 1 said. “H-A-R-M-O-N-I-C-A, harmonica.”There was a ding of the bell from the judge’s table. “That is correct. Speller number two,” Murphy said. “As you can see, the procedure is for a bell to ring when the word is correct.” Speller 2 failed to appear, but Speller 3 had “pretzel” and nailed it. Speller 4 had “sushi.” Speller 5 took the microphone for “macaroni.”“Macaroni, M-A-C-R-O-N-N-I,” she spelled.There was no bell. “I’m sorry, that was incorrect. You left out a vowel,” Murphy said. “The correct spelling is M-A-C-A-R-O-N-I.”Speller 5 walked to a row of chairs just off the stage, out of the spotlight and behind a large banner.She wasn’t alone for long. In the first few rounds, competitors “spelled out” in large numbers.Spellers had to survive words such as “bungalow,” “interrupt” and “ambulance.” In the next round, they had to go against words such as “rapture,” “gardenia,” and “prairie.”The spellers walked to the microphone, spelled their words to Murphy, then immediately snapped their gazes to see if the judges would ring the bell.Sometimes, they’d be rewarded with the crisp “ding.” Other times, they would just be met with a consolatory shake of the head.Soon, it was down to the final two spellers. Speller 8 and Speller 21 exchanged words with unending accuracy. Each trip to the microphone was met with a more difficult word and a ding of the judge’s bell.Karaoke, ding. Indigenous, ding. Novillero, ding. Glockenspiel, ding.Vaquero, ding. Sauerbraten, ding.It came down to the 22nd round. Speller 8 went to the microphone and had no problem with “edelweiss.”Speller 21 came to the microphone and awaited her word.“Pizzicato,” Murphy said. “Pizzicato.”“May I have the definition, please?” Speller 21 asked. “It’s an adverb and means ‘by means of plucking by the fingers instead of bowing as with a violin,’ and it’s a musical direction,” Murphy said.“Pizzicato, P-I-Z-Z-A-C-A-T-A,” speller 21 said, then let out a short gasp. Her eyes were wide as she awaited the inevitable silence.There was no ding of the bell. She hung her head low and turned to head off the stage.“I’m sorry, there’s an ‘I’ in there that’s not aspirated,” Murphy said apologetically. “Pizzicato is P-I-Z-Z-I-C-A-T-O.” Speller 21 took a deep breath and made her way behind the poster to the chairs in the dark.“We are now in an end-of-bee procedure,” Murphy said. “Speller number eight, that was the end of the round. This is a one-word championship round. If you spell this word correctly, you are our champion.”Speller eight looked straight ahead, confident and without worry.“Your word has a homonym, so I need to pronounce your word and define it before you spell,” Murphy said.“Fete,” Murphy said. “It’s a verb, and it means to honor a person or commemorate an event with a festival or celebration. Fete.”“May I have the language of origin,” speller eight said. “It is French,” Murphy said. “Fete, F-E-T-E, fete,” speller eight replied.“That was correct,” Murphy said as the judges rang their bell and the audience burst into applause. “Our champion is Star Han of University Elementary. Congratulations, Star.”Han was awarded with a dictionary and a trip for her and a family member to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. When Han, a small sixth-grader, was handed her thick dictionary and winning materials, she almost fell over. Members of the press and well-wishers swarmed Han and her family in the back of the dark auditorium. TV camera lights illuminated the happy family that was full of smiles. In the darkness of the empty auditorium, Speller 21, seventh-grader Mary Skirvin of Brown County Junior High, was comforted by her parents. She was given a gift card to Amazon.com and a dictionary for second place.After taking some time, the two competitors left the auditorium, meeting each other briefly in the breezeway. “Good job,” Skirvin said, extending her hand.“Thank you,” Han said.
(02/27/12 1:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU College Republicans are preparing for battle.Because they support the whole party, they are not endorsing any state and national primary candidates, but instead are pooling resources and laying the foundation for the general election campaigns for later this year.“In the fall, we’ll phone bank, door-to-door, but now we’re just trying to fundraise,” said Hilary Leighty, chair of the College Republicans. They are fundraising to buy pizzas for phone bank volunteers and organizing meetings to prepare to hit the ground running when the GOP nominees are named.“We are really building up our membership,” said Nick Espevik, tech director for the College Republicans. “We’re getting fundraisers to put money in our accounts.”In the meantime, however, they have speakers and politicians visit their weekly meetings to help raise funds and educate members about GOP issues and candidates.Leighty said the College Republicans are in communication with Union Board to organize a Republican primary debate between incumbent Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and State Treasurer Richard Mourdock.“We like to make sure our members know their options,” Leighty said.On Saturday, the College Republicans sponsored one of their spring fundraisers at BuffaLouie’s on Indiana Avenue. They earned 15 percent from each diner who identified with the group.It was equal parts fundraiser and opportunity for the club to garner name recognition and publicity.Rep. Todd Young, R-9th District, appeared to help draw crowds for the young party members.Young moved from table to table, talking to students and constituents about the important issues in Washington, D.C., and southern Indiana.The crowd was just as diverse as the current party. Some wore shirts supporting Rep. Ron Paul’s, R-Texas, presidential campaign, and others had buttons for Mourdock’s senatorial campaign. Monroe County Commissioner candidate Nelson Shaffer shuffled through the room passing out business cards.The conversation was about conservative ideals, questioning the identity of the party, Indiana Daily Student opinion columns and false libertarianism. Espevik said the party has diverse views, but that the College Republicans will stand behind the nominee with full force.“Just like the party, we have very diverse opinions about the primary candidates,” he said. “We definitely plan to remain a united group once we have a candidate.”The College Republicans said they were happy with the showing and made sure to pass around a sign-up sheet to collect email addresses and contact information for future volunteer efforts.“These guys weren’t here in 2010, but they’re excited this time around,” Leighty said to Young. “Good,” Young said. “So you’re not jaded yet, huh?”They laughed it off and thanked the students for their support. Young said the College Republicans were crucial in his election in 2010 and that he was happy to help out again.“We’ll help you fundraise a little bit, help you buy some pizzas,” Young said with a laugh. “I know how it goes.”
(02/16/12 4:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’m a beer man, as clearly evidenced by the name of my column, “Bierkultur.”But even more, I’m a man who is a fan of the finest quality of beverages. I’m just a beer man because quality beer is of much greater supply and economy than quality mixed drinks are on a college campus.Plus, in my naïveté, I accepted the stereotype that a mixed drink is served with a slice of fruit and a little umbrella. Well, I wasn’t going to order one of those little drinks anytime soon, no sir.Nevertheless, I’d heard great things about the Rail on North Walnut Street. I went last Friday night with two lovely ladies who had stopped in before and were fans. I mean, if Hemingway drank daiquiris and Faulkner enjoyed Mint Juleps, I guess I could get along with a well-crafted cocktail.The Rail has a small menu with $8 cocktails and small-plate dishes made with local and organic ingredients ranging from $4 to $10 a plate.When we arrived, my company ordered a drink each, a Siren Song and an El Diablo.The Siren Song was made with Tito’s Handmade Vodka out of Austin, Texas, Licor 43, freshly squeezed lemon juice and egg white. It had a lovely vanilla taste with an interesting texture from the egg white. The El Diablo is like a margarita plus. It has Lunazul blanco tequila, fresh lime, crème de cassis and ginger. It had the bite of tequila, but with fruity, strawberry notes. It reminded me of strawberry limeade with tequila.I ordered what, from name alone, sounded like the manliest item on the menu: The Rail McCoy. It has Crusoe organic spiced rum, Domaine de Canton, ginger liqueur and fresh lime. The rum and ginger gave it a nice bite that seemingly would make it a great summer afternoon drink.I also have to give a shout-out to the food at the Rail. I tried their lamb patty melt, and it blew my mind. It’s a lamb patty with caramelized onions on rye with a side of sweet potato fries. That sandwich alone made me want to come back.With my meal, I tried their Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail with Buffalo Trace bourbon, demerara and Angostura bitters. Now that’s a man’s drink. It is served on the rocks and has got the smack in the face bourbon flavor and kick that is exactly what the doctor ordered. This’ll surely cure all your ills.I have to say to the kind folks at the Rail, you’ve made a convert out of me.My heart still belongs to quality craft beers, but I really enjoyed what I was able to sample at The Rail. I highly suggest a visit for any connoisseur of fine beverages.Cheers!
(02/14/12 3:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Mark Thoma had picked out the perfect ring.His family had been jewelers for five generations, so he knew how to design something so beautiful she just had to say yes. “It was simple, classic,” he said.He bought a heart-shaped box of chocolates and carefully unwrapped it, making sure not to discard anything. He took out the center chocolate and replaced it with the ring box.Then, he delicately re-wrapped the box, making it look as if it had never been opened.He took her to dinner and then brought her back to his place, where he handed her a card and the chocolates. After reading the card, she put the chocolates box, with the ring inside, on a table. She said she’d have one later and asked for a cup of tea.After assuming the big question would have to be put on hold for the moment, he went to the kitchen.“All of a sudden I hear this scream from the other room,” Thoma said. “By the time I got in there, she already had the ring on her finger. I missed the whole thing.”Thoma is the owner of Williams Jewelry on North Walnut Street, which is right across the street from the Historic Monroe County Courthouse.Over the years, Thoma has sold “hundreds and hundreds” of rings to happy couples shopping together and nervous men hoping to surprise their belles.The shop is one of the oldest retail stores in Bloomington and celebrated its 100th anniversary last year.Williams Jewelry experienced slow business Monday, but Thoma said he expected a busy day today with last-minute Valentine’s Day shoppers.The Thoma family has owned Williams Jewelry since 1953 and has sold jewelry since the 1830s in Ohio. Thoma said that, when he graduated from IU’s Kelley School of Business in 1970, he couldn’t imagine doing anything else. He started working in the store part-time in high school and during college to earn spending money but started working full-time after he graduated.“Sometimes, it feels like forever,” he said. “I never thought I’d do anything else, and it’s a good business.”On the Williams Jewelry website, there’s a section just for “Proposal Ideas” with 30 potential ways to pop the question. Thoma said he has seen them all.He remembers when a young man hired a plane to fly over Memorial Stadium with a banner that read “WILL YOU MARRY ME?” during an IU football game. The day of the game, inclement weather forced the pilot to stay grounded.“Well, this guy happened to run into some cheerleaders,” Thoma said. “So during the game, the cheerleaders went into the stands and got all around her and shouted ‘Jenny, will you marry Mike?’ — or whatever the names were.”She said yes.Then there’s the story of the couple that had been dating for a few years. The woman said if she didn’t get a ring soon, she would leave him.He came into Thoma’s shop and ordered a gorgeous ring crafted with multiple stones. “After we had sized it and he came in to pick it up, he looks at it and says, ‘Well, that oughta shut her up,’” Thoma said. “But they’re very much in love and have been married for many years and have a few kids now.”Thoma said he doesn’t actively check on the couples he sells rings to, but somehow, they always manage to keep in touch. Often, customers come in because their parents or even grandparents bought rings at the little store on the square.“It’s a little scary when I remember selling rings to their mom and dad, and now the son is in here picking out a ring,” Thoma said. “It means I’m getting old.”Thoma said he’s seen a trend the past few years in which couples came in together to pick out a ring, and then, during the last two years, he said he’s seen more men looking to surprise their fiancée-to-be. Today, more communication between young couples means an easier shopping experience for men selecting rings. Too often, Thoma sees men come into the store overwhelmed and without any clue of what the women want.“They come in here nervous. I’ve seen guys sweat,” Thoma said. “One guy passed out. Just ‘boom,’ and he was gone on the floor. We called the ambulance, but by the time they got here he was up again. He was just overwhelmed with everything.”Women often come into the store just to try on different bands and dream up the perfect ring. They know what they want. The challenge for the man is finding out what she wants without dropping too many hints.Thoma remembers one man who came in to have a ring sized: He borrowed another ring from his girlfriend’s jewelry box, brought it to Williams Jewelry to have it measured, then carefully returned it.After proposing, the happy couple came in to put some final touches on the engagement ring. The woman said she knew all along because the man put the decoy ring in the wrong spot in her jewelry box.“Women really get into it. They love to come in here and look at rings, try on rings. Guys don’t,” Thoma said. “Most women have the vision of the ideal ring.”Between the cut of the stone, mounting choices, band length, design and more, men can easily become lost. Thoma suggests keeping things simple for men who have no clue what the woman wants, but he also urges them to shop around and make sure the final product is something she will love.“They used to say that two months’ income was what you should spend on a ring. Oh baloney, it’s whether you can afford it,” Thoma said. “If you’ve got a budget of 2,000 dollars, you can get a beautiful ring for 2,000 dollars.”Ultimately, the best way to impress the girl is to just find a beautiful ring. Thoma wasn’t even in the room when his wife first saw the ring. What matters is just finding the right ring for the right girl.“It should be a fun experience. Too often, it’s a dreaded experience,” he said. “They’re not alone. Guys don’t come in here and no one’s ever done this before. As long as it’s a beautiful ring, the woman will be thrilled to death.”
(02/02/12 2:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There’s nothing quite like a cold pint with football.Super Bowl XLVI gives us a great opportunity to take a look at the Indianapolis craft beer scene. This Sunday, you’ll see a helluva lot of big-budget commercials from Anheuser-Busch and the mega producers, but try grabbing a pint from right here in the Hoosier state.Of the rapidly growing Indy breweries, one of my perennial favorites is Flat12 Bierwerks, just east of I-65 on Dorman Street. They make a killer porter, which I enjoy on tap at Nick’s English Hut.Pogue’s Run Porter weighs in at 5.5 percent ABV with an IBU (International Bittering Units) rating of 34.1. It has a dark, roasted malt character with the chocolate and coffee notes that any good porter should have.Flat12 then takes the Pogue’s Run and kicks it up a notch with the Van Pogue, which is aged on vanilla beans. The sweet vanilla comes through and makes the porter delectable.Sun King Brewery, right across the interstate from Flat12 on North College Avenue in Indianapolis, is also a big name in Indy beer.Also try Osiris Pale Ale. The well-hopped ale is perfect with buffalo wings, peanuts or whatever game-day snacks you might have. Full of citrus and aromatics from west-coast hops, it’s a solid beer from a solid brewery.Sun King is having a tent party all week with live music and good beer through Sunday. Read its plans at sunkingbrewery.com.Another new brewery in the Circle City is Bier Brewery, north of town on East 65th Street. Bier has nine beers on tap each week that you can buy by the growler. It even sells on Sundays.My favorite kind of beer to enjoy during a game is a hefeweizen — a heavy, German-style wheat ale — and Bier has got it down pat. Although Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington takes the cake for most popular Indiana wheat, Bier’s Weizengoot is my favorite. It’s a flavorful, unfiltered wheat that is just right for your Super Bowl XLVI party.Bier shuffles its on-tap selection every week, which means it might be hard to get some ‘Goot before the big game. Try the Oat Stout or Cascadian Light Ale instead. Both are winners in my book.Whatever your plans are for Super Bowl Sunday, take advantage of the wealth of great Indiana breweries, and remember to drink local.Cheers!GOING TO INDY FOR THE BIG GAME? Check out Flat 12 Bierkwerks Pogue’s Run Porter or Van Pogue, Sun King Brewery’s Osiris Pale Ale or Bier Brewery’s Weizengoot. Open container laws in Indianapolis this week also means you can enjoy a brew on the go downtown.STAYING IN BLOOMINGTON? Flat12’s Pogue’s Run Porter is on tap at Nick’s English Hut and Sun King is available in cans at Big Red Liquors. TIP: Head to Yogi’s Grill and Bar on Tenth Street and Indiana Avenue. They’ve got Bell’s Brewing Hopslam Ale, an imperial IPA with 10 percent ABV, on tap. It hasn’t been out long — only a few weeks — but it’s already been labeled by hopheads as one of the greatest IPA ever made. Get it while you can.
(01/26/12 5:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008, he won with the help of young supporters such as Melissa Orizondo.In college, Orizondo continued to support the president, interned at the White House in spring 2011 and was a fall fellow with Obama for America last semester.Today, she is a senior and the campus organizer for OFA at IU. She, along with Students for Barack Obama and other democratic groups on campus, is starting to get the gears turning on Obama’s re-election campaign.“Things are fantastic,” Orizondo said. “It’s a little bit of people reaching out to us and us reaching out to different organizations.”Jon Todd, a senior, Indiana Daily Student columnist and the president of Students for Barack Obama at IU, said Obama’s stances about issues such as college affordability and healthcare are what will help energize students on the campaign.He emphasized parts of the healthcare bill, such as allowing students to stay on their parents’ health insurance until they are 26, as part of Obama’s attractiveness to young people.“That’s really important for a guy like me,” Todd said. “I think the biggest challenge is getting people excited about policy, which is always a struggle.”The national campaign is confident that the youth vote will turn out for Obama again, even though poll numbers suggest that young people doubt the president’s re-election prospects.“Young people fueled the Obama campaign in 2008, and we expect to get that again this year,” said Valeisha Butterfield-Jones, national youth vote director for OFA. “Right now, we see plenty of enthusiasm. It’s very high. Students seem excited to get involved.”On Tuesday night, OFA played host for a viewing party of Obama’s State of the Union address in Woodburn Hall. Campaign buttons and stickers that said “I’m in,” campaign literature and voter registration forms were passed out before the speech.More than 50 people showed up.Though lawmakers applauded multiple times during the president’s speech, the Democrats at IU were a little more hesitant, clapping the loudest when Obama talked about higher education.“Some of the issues important to college students then are still important now,” Orizondo said. “I think in general, those kinds of inspiring aspects of the 2008 campaign are still alive now.”Campaigners on campus said they are doing their best to capture that spirit to inspire and include as many students as possible. Orizondo said OFA currently has four dorm captains who do door-to-door voter registration drives and other community organizing in the dorms on campus. They are also working on getting a phone bank on campus to reach out to even more possible voters.“We want to make this organization as accessible to students as possible, and that means doing more on campus,” Orizondo said.Although many critics say Obama has not done enough in his first three years in the White House to win in November, Todd said Obama’s victories, especially economically early in his term, will help him with re-election. “He’s done an incredible job in the last three years,” Todd said. “Some people say he hasn’t done that much, and that’s just not true. I’m really excited to give him four more years. If you want to help, we will find a spot for you.”— Margaret Ely contributed to this report
(01/25/12 5:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Gov. Mitch Daniels brought the eyes of the nation to Indianapolis two weeks sooner than planned Tuesday night.“Greetings from the home of Super Bowl XLVI,” he said.Daniels gave the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s third State of the Union address from Indianapolis.The governor towed the party line and preached fiscal responsibility and the strength of the GOP.“2012 must be the year we prove the doubters wrong,” Daniels said. “This year, it falls to Republicans to level with our fellow citizens about this reality: If we fail to act to grow the private sector and save the safety net, nothing else will matter much.”Daniels’ repeated mention of 2012 and the Republican Party in the new year was not a mistake; with the GOP in a tumultuous primary, Daniels tried to assure voters that a vote for a Republican in November would be a vote for a stronger economy.Obama’s speech was also reminiscent of the spirit that surrounded his campaign in 2008. He began his speech with a list of his national defense accomplishments including removing American troops from Iraq and killing Osama bin Laden.The president also talked extensively about the class divide and instituting economic fairness through tax increases for the wealthy.“We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by, or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share and everyone plays by the same set of rules,” Obama said.Daniels, on the other hand, called out to voters by advocating for lower tax rates across the board.“We do not accept that ours will ever be a nation of haves and have-nots; we must always be a nation of haves and soon to haves,” Daniels said. “If we drift, quarreling and paralyzed, over a Niagara of debt, we will all suffer, regardless of income, race gender or other category.”
(01/24/12 3:16am)
The Senate passed the right-to-work bill Monday with only nine Republicans voting against the bill, with a 28-22 vote.
(01/19/12 3:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>We knew it wouldn’t be long before Upland Brewing Co. outgrew the little brewpub on West 11th Street.The unofficial flagship brewery of Southern Indiana announced plans last summer to upgrade to a $3 million facility on the B-Line Trail south of town. Recently, they announced they would move to a spot on the west side instead of the B-Line location. The brewpub will stay open, and small experimental batches will still be brewed there. However, starting in May, the majority of the brewing will happen in the new warehouse to facilitate production.“It’s a big step for Upland. We’ve been operating 14 years in this one space, and we’re crammed into every corner,” Upland President Doug Dayhoff said in a video posted to the brewery’s YouTube account. “We went ahead and brought in a few new tanks to our current location. We bought a 150-barrel fermenter and a 150-barrel bright tank.”I’m excited for the expansion. It’s always good to cheer for the local guys, and this expansion just means we’ll see more Upland out of town.I mean, it’s cool enough to see Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) enjoying a Dragonfly IPA in NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” and national exposure of local brands is always good for the hometown economy.But enough about economics, how about a cold one?In the past, I haven’t been a huge Upland fan, and I’d much rather take a German Hefeweizen than an Upland when it comes to wheat beers.Lately, however, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by some of Upland’s latest brews. The Komodo Dragonfly Black IPA, for example, has quickly become one of my new local favorites.Coming in at 6.5 ABV, this brew showed up in October and fills out Upland’s dragonfly trilogy: Dragonfly IPA, Double Dragonfly Imperial IPA and the new Komodo Dragonfly Black IPA.Black IPAs are the perfect blend between the strong bitterness of an India Pale Ale and the malty character of a black ale. I personally err on the side of dark and am not a fan of the overwhelming bitterness that usually comes with a pale ale, but Upland really pulled this one off.It pours smooth but very dark, with a dark brown head reminiscent of a stout. It has little of the fresh hop aroma that I like in a pale ale. It smells more like a dark ale with malty tones than a traditional IPA.The taste is unique and does just what is advertised. It has the bitterness of a strong IPA, for you beer geeks out there, and it comes in at an IBU (International Bittering Unit) rating of 65.5, but it ends with the malty character of a strong dark ale.Can’t say I’m not impressed. Well done, Upland, can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store for the new brewery.Cheers!UPLAND BREWING CO. Komodo Dragonfly Black IPA — Easy to drink, unique mix of a black ale with the bitterness of an IPA. Available in six packs at most liquor stores. Four out of five pints.
(01/18/12 5:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At a town hall meeting for Hudson and Holland Scholars on Tuesday, University officials answered student questions about a number of vacancies in the Hudson and Holland staff.Along with multiple staff positions that are currently vacant, former director of the Hudson and Holland Scholars Program Virginia LeBlanc has filed a federal discrimination case against the University.LeBlanc, who resigned Aug. 22, 2011, filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming the University had committed “serial violations of the Equal Pay Act.”Interim Director Anthony Scott did not go into detail about LeBlanc’s departure and refused to comment on the issue when questioned by students at the meeting.“That is ongoing litigation, and I can’t comment on that right now,” Scott said.LeBlanc’s attorney, Amos Jones of the Amos Jones Law Firm based in Washington, D.C., said the case included evidence “going back years” that documents discrepancies in pay for women and men of equal positions.“It’s quite unfortunate that in 2012 women are still paid less,” Jones said. “It became obvious that action needed to be taken.”The Hudson and Holland Scholars Program is a division of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs and offers programs and assistance to students of underrepresented backgrounds. Students involved in Hudson and Holland can receive a base scholarship of $6,000 a year for four years and can be recommended for programs such as the Cox Scholarship Award and the Herbert Presidential Scholarship.As of now, Hudson and Holland also has four open adviser positions, including that of Dan Woodside, a long-time math and science adviser for the program who left Hudson and Holland last week. When Scott asked how many students worked with Woodside, almost every hand in the Indiana Memorial Union’s Alumni Hall went up.Currently, the program is missing an academic coordinator for science and math, a coordinator of career and academic advancement and an academic adviser for each of those departments.Scott said at the regularly scheduled town hall meeting that a search will be in place for both a new full-time director and replacement advisers, and that the University Division will train two to three new advisers during the summer.“Change happens, change happens,” Scott said when asked why Woodside left. He went on to say that Woodside has taken a position as an adviser for the athletics department.One student questioned Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs Edwin Marshall, who was in attendance, about the recent vacancies.“I really wonder what’s being done, any incentives to keep these people who are really influential to our education,” she said to waves of applause from other students.“We are very, very committed to the success of this program,” Marshall said. “Change occurs. I can’t speak to why change occurs, but change occurs.”
(01/17/12 3:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>HB 1001 — Employee’s right to workAfter a week of calm waters, the House is expected to pick up controversial right-to-work legislation again today. Democrats have walked out of the 2012 session the last two weeks due to the Republican effort to force the issue through as quickly as possible.HB 1149 — Smoking banAfter making it a priority in his State of the State address last week, Gov. Mitch Daniels has pushed for a statewide-smoking ban, with many lawmakers and anti-smoking advocates pushing for a law in place before the Super Bowl comes to Indianapolis.SB 0234 and HB 1196 — Synthetic drugs (including “bath salts”)The Senate and House both have bills that would ban synthetic drugs such as “bath salts” that mimic marijuana. This is in addition to the law passed last year that banned synthetic marijuana known as “spice.”SB 0004 — Human traffickingIn just about every public address since the beginning of the year, Daniels has brought up the pressing need to pass comprehensive anti-human trafficking laws before the Super Bowl. Large events like the Super Bowl tend to attract sex offenders, and Daniels wants the law in place by the time February rolls around.WHO TO CALLSenate Democrats and Republicans:800-382-9467House Democrats: 800-382-9842House Republicans: 800-382-9841
(01/12/12 2:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This sort of thing just doesn’t happen in Indiana.A Democratic walkout during the governor’s State of the State address, hundreds of protesters swarming the Statehouse lobby, daily press conferences and back-and-forth drama between opposing parties seem more like a political thriller cooked up for Hollywood than the first two weeks of legislation in Indianapolis.Nevertheless, a political battle is taking place at the Statehouse.It’s all about controversial right-to-work legislation, which Republicans say will help job growth, while Democrats call it anti-union and anti-worker.The bill would make it a Class A misdemeanor for employers to require union membership. It would make Indiana the 23rd right-to-work state and has been fraught with controversy since it was first considered last spring.In February 2011, a walkout of Democratic lawmakers put the bill on hold. As Democrats fled the state, Republicans were unable to take a vote.Last month, Gov. Mitch Daniels announced his official support for right to work and urged legislators to pass the bill as soon as possible.Democrats didn’t agree.Instead, when the House was gaveled into session Jan. 4, 2012, Democrats were not present. They stayed in the caucus room and refused to leave until the issue of right to work was brought to public attention.Last Friday, a joint hearing with senators and representatives present took place with testimony from supporters and opponents of right to work. After the hearing, the Senate quickly passed the bill and sent it to the deadlocked House.Union members from across the country came to Indianapolis to speak against the legislation. On Wednesday, members of the AFL-CIO in Oklahoma, the last state to adopt right to work, had a press conference to urge Hoosiers to avoid the legislation.“There is no doubt that the law has resulted in job loss and lower wages,” said Jesse Isbell, an Oklahoman who lost his job at Bridgestone Tires after right to work was passed. “Fewer jobs and lower wages have meant fewer dollars being pumped into local economies. Right to work has a negative ripple effect that continues to plague our state economy.”On Monday, Democrats returned to the House floor long enough to assign the bill to committee for Tuesday morning.Committee Chairman Rep. Douglas Gutwein, R-Francesville, and the other Republicans shoved the bill through committee, not allowing any debate or discussion of amendments from Democratic lawmakers.“I felt like that committee hearing did not show respect to the institution, to the Constitution, to the rules and legislative tradition,” Rep. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington, said to the Indianapolis Star on Tuesday. “This goes beyond right to work. It was a total disrespect for the democratic process.”Welch was one of a handful of Democrats who did make it to the floor last week and Tuesday.Democrats once again failed to show up for the full session of the House after the committee hearing, and many didn’t even come to the governor’s final State of the State speech Tuesday night.On Wednesday, Speaker of the House Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said cooperation could have been better in the two parties, especially during the committee hearing Tuesday morning. Bosma said action about the right-to-work bill would be delayed until Tuesday, and Democrats would be allowed to testify against the bill in the meantime.
(01/11/12 4:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Just outside the chamber of the Indiana House of Representatives Tuesday night, the noise was deafening. People were chanting, yelling and screaming against the controversial right-to-work legislation that has been the cause of a democratic walkout in the House last week and yesterday. Whistles pierced the eardrums of everyone present. Union workers in helmets and jackets decorated with union membership decals held signs that proclaimed slogans such as “We oppose punitive legislation” and “Hoosiers want life lines, not bread lines.”“This legislation does absolutely nothing to create jobs. It’s nothing but an effort to destroy labor unions,” said Oather Duncan, a member of the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers.Inside the chamber of the House, however, it was nearly impossible to hear them. Only a low murmur echoed from the chamber beyond. The dull roar of hundreds of protesters chanting “No right to work!” and “Mitch is a liar!” was hard to make out from inside as Gov. Mitch Daniels took to the podium to deliver his annual, and final, State of the State address.“As it’s my last such chance to express my appreciation for the public service you each perform, and to Hoosiers for hiring me twice so I could try to perform my own, I’ll start with a heartfelt thank you,” Daniels said.The governor set up his final year in office by talking extensively about what he had accomplished during his term.“Tonight, while other states elsewhere twist in financial agony, Indiana has an honestly balanced budget, a strong protective reserve in our state savings account (and) the first AAA credit rating in state history,” he said. “Our credit is better — imagine this — than that of the federal government.”Daniels also talked about his goals for the year, following the same path as his legislative goals set out in December.He talked about eliminating “credit creep,” which Daniels said keeps college students from graduating on time because of programs that require more than 120 credit hours. He talked about increasing the amount of conservation lands in the state, including creating a protected Wabash Corridor that would make most of the river a protected wetlands.He only briefly mentioned the issue that was causing the rumble of protests outside the chamber.“In survey after survey after survey, by margins of 2-to-1 or more, Hoosiers support the principle known as right to work. After a year of studying the proposal, I agree,” Daniels said. “The idea that no worker should be forced to pay union dues as a condition of keeping a job is simple and just.”Daniels ended by acknowledging the struggles in the General Assembly over the issue but expressed hope that lawmakers would come to a compromise for the benefit of the state.“That is the state we have dreamed of. A state that magnetizes people of talent and the risk-taking capital that seeks to employ them,” Daniels said. “We are not fully that state, but we are so much closer to it. ... We are certainly, irrefutably different.”Duncan and the other protesters outside didn’t seem to care. They continued to shout “Mitch is a liar!” and to blow piercingly-loud whistles throughout the whole speech, and they continued into the night, missing the speech entirely.“We’d stay here longer if they’d let us. We’ll be here until the job is done,“ Duncan said. “I recorded (the speech), so I can laugh at it later.”
(01/10/12 3:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Right-to-work legislation, a statewide smoking ban and higher education reforms are among Gov. Mitch Daniels’ New Year’s resolutions for the 2012 legislature.In a speech at the Downtown Indianapolis Kiwanis Club last month, Daniels set his legislative goals for the upcoming year.“I look forward to the next session, as I’ve looked forward to every session,” Daniels said. “We are going to be able to say we used every opportunity to leave a better state to our kids.”While the governor did not spell out specific goals for primary and secondary education, he did express concern over the “credit creep” phenomenon in public colleges and universities.Daniels said he would empower the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to work with colleges and universities to eliminate programs that call for more than 120 hours for a four-year degree or more than 60 hours for an associate’s degree.“One-hundred-and-twenty-six hours to get a sociology degree?” Daniels said. “Not sure that’s necessary, but it’s costly and it means that kids are really struggling, no matter how hard they work, to get through in four years or even five.”Daniels’ biggest fight in 2012 will be for his proposal to make Indiana the 23rd right-to-work state in the nation, which prompted the walkout of Democratic lawmakers this year and in 2011.Democrats in the General Assembly have consistently opposed right-to-work legislation, saying that prohibiting contracts that require union membership restrict economic growth, and they have said they’ll do whatever it takes to keep right-to-work off the governor’s desk in 2012.State Sen. Tim Skinner, D-Terre Haute, suggested bringing the fight to national attention during the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.“I know this last issue is going to be hotly debated and divisive, and I appreciate that,” Daniels said. “Not without a lot of thought and not without a lot of study and not without some reservations, I’ve decided that Indiana and our future will be well-served by this. It’s all about new job opportunities.”The governor has also received praise from the American Cancer Society for calling on the General Assembly to pass a statewide smoking ban. Daniels said he believes the public and legislative support was abehind a smoking ban.In an interview with the Indianapolis Star, Daniels said instating the ban before the Super Bowl wasn’t part of his motivation in supporting the ban, but cancer prevention advocates hope for a sense of urgency in the Statehouse.“We hope that a law can be passed by the Super Bowl — however, we understand that businesses need adequate time for implementation,” said Amanda Estridge of the American Cancer Society Great Lakes Division in a prepared statement. “As the only state in the Midwest without such a law, we recommend that our Indiana legislature look to our neighboring states ... for model legislation.”
(01/06/12 3:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The GOP has turned its focus to New Hampshire after the Republican primary candidates’ first big test in Iowa on Tuesday. Mitt Romney won the caucuses in Iowa by a mere eight votes after an election that looked like anyone’s game until late in the night.Rick Santorum, who received a boost in Iowa polls during the week before the caucuses, was in a virtual dead heat with Romney as the votes came in. Santorum was able to capture the rural vote after visiting every county in the state.“This has been an incredible journey. Ninety-nine counties, 381 town hall meetings, 36 Pizza Ranches,” Santorum said on caucus night. “We will be in New Hampshire. We’ll leave tomorrow. We’ll spend our time there. And with your help and God’s grace, we’ll have another fun night a week from now.”In a heated speech on caucus night, Newt Gingrich blamed negative campaigning for his fourth-place finish. Gingrich was the frontrunner two weeks ago and stormed out of Iowa before all the results came in.He left Des Moines, Iowa, in a chartered jet before midnight and headed straight to New Hampshire.“We are not going to go out and run nasty ads, but I do reserve the right to tell the truth,” Gingrich said. “If the truth seems negative, that may be more a comment on (Romney’s) record than the nature of politics.”Ahead of Gingrich in Iowa was Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, who captured the youth vote in the state. Before Santorum’s late surge, Paul and Romney seemed to be the frontrunners in the campaign.The other Texan in the race, Gov. Rick Perry, received 10 percent of the vote and said he would return to Texas to reassess his campaign, which many pundits took as the governor throwing in the towel.On Wednesday morning, however, the governor sent a tweet that suggested his campaign was still active. Perry announced he was headed to New Hampshire with the other candidates and planned to head to South Carolina, where the primary is scheduled for Jan. 21.“And the next leg of the marathon is the Palmetto State,” Perry said on Twitter, attaching a photo of himself in runners’ clothes. “Here we come South Carolina!!!”Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., dropped out of the race Wednesday morning after receiving only 5 percent of the Iowa vote.“The people of Iowa spoke with a very clear voice, so I decided to stand aside,” Bachmann said. “I have no regrets, none whatsoever. We never compromised our principles.”The remaining candidates will face off again in New Hampshire in the Jan. 10 primary.
(01/04/12 10:25pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Statehouse in Indianapolis was not void of drama Wednesday as the first scheduled day of legislation of the new year was interrupted by union protesters and a filibuster by the Democratic Party. Early in the morning, demonstrators lined up to protest new regulations enacted by the Indiana State Police that put a cap on occupancy for the Statehouse of 3000, including approximately 1700 employees. Democrats said the policy restricted speech, and suggested it was a Republican effort to stifle protests against pending right-to-work legislation, which caused a Democratic walk-out last spring. After public outcry, Governor Mitch Daniels rescinded the policy, allowing protesters to flood the Statehouse this morning. "I've asked the fire marshal to rescind the new policy and restore the traditional unlimited access here to the building," Daniels said in a press conference Wednesday morning. "That's in place right now. All the doors are open … We will do that unless and until there's a problem."The action didn't end there, as Democratic lawmakers failed to appear on the House floor for a quorum call after legislators held morning caucuses.House Minority Leader and Democrat B. Patrick Bauer said this was a filibuster, not a walkout, and that his caucus would return to work if Republicans agreed to schedule hearings on the right-to-work issue."We refuse to let the most controversial public policy bill of the decade be railroaded through with the public being denied their fair and adequate input," Bauer said. "What's the urgency?"Bloomington State Rep. Peggy Welch was one of a handful of Democrats who remained on the House floor. Welch told the Indianapolis Star that although she opposes right to work, her constituents expected her to be at work and that a filibuster was unlikely to have an effect on legislation.The Republican leadership was surprised, they said, especially since they had planned to "hit the ground running" with their legislative agenda, according to a statement released Tuesday. Speaker of the House, Republican Brian Bosma, said he was "honestly shocked" when Indiana AFL-CIO president Nancy Guycott, a registered lobbyist, was seen leaving the Democratic caucus. "Pat Bauer and his team not on the floor at the appointed time. Here we go again Indiana. Elected officials need to show up to work!" Bosma said on Twitter late in the afternoon.Bauer said he planned to meet with Bosma, but did not say when the Democrats would return to the House floor.
(12/06/11 5:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Even though the IU football team isn’t going to a bowl game, the IU Marching Hundred will still perform at one.The Marching Hundred will be part of the Super Bowl XLVI pregame and halftime performances in Indianapolis on Feb. 5, 2012.The announcement came Monday night at the end of the band’s annual banquet from director “Colonel” David Woodley.“How many of you would be interested in going to the Super Bowl?” he asked the band.Drum major Tiffany Galus said the band “erupted.”“I’m speechless,” she said. “It’s really going to be a great moment in Marching Hundred history.”The band will perform a five-minute pregame show that Galus said would probably include Marching Hundred standards such as “Sing, Sing, Sing.”The IU Drumline will be performing alongside Madonna in the Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime Show in what bass drummer Kevin Hood said will be a “mass drumline” performance with other drummers.Hood said although the official announcement came Monday night, there were hints of a big show at the end of their season. The drumline was cleaning out their storage trailer when they got a call from Woodley.“In the middle of cleanup, we heard a call from the Colonel about some kind of big surprise,” Hood said after the banquet. “We had our suspicions, and tonight, we found out.”The Super Bowl news comes alongside news of a $1 million donation for the building of a new Marching Hundred Hall practice facility for the band. Alumnus Col. Jack Hamlin and Dora Hamlin made the donation. An estimated $4.5 million is needed to complete the hall.“The Big Ten is known for outstanding marching bands, and we are proud that the Marching Hundred has long led the field in terms of spirit, innovation and musical quality,” IU Jacobs School of Music Dean Gwyn Richards said in a press release. “Now, we are brought closer to our goal of providing a facility that can truly support and match their excellence.”
(11/11/11 5:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Award-winning civil rights historian Taylor Branch wants IU to pay student athletes.Branch recently wrote the cover story for the October issue of The Atlantic magazine, titled “The Shame of College Sports”, and has expanded the story into an eBook called “The Cartel,” available from Byliner.com.In it, he explores the history of the NCAA, dating back to the early days of football in the years after the Civil War, and ultimately makes the argument that college athletes should be paid.“I went in trying to purify amateurism,” Branch said. “The more I was in there, it seemed that nobody was asking the basic questions. I was constantly amazed about what I didn’t know.”On Thursday, Branch spoke to Riley Endowed Chair in Journalism Thomas French’s Story Mechanics class about his recent work in The Atlantic and his reporting and writing techniques.“Journalists are trained to think that the only goal is to talk about yesterday. The stories that really shape us are timeless,” French said. “It’s really a talk about how we think more deeply about the world around us. I thought he was terrific.”According to Branch’s article, the self-imposed “amateurism” the NCAA enforced on players is an abusive relationship that harms the “student athletes” it is meant to protect.“Slavery analogies should be used carefully. College athletes are not slaves,” Branch wrote in The Atlantic article. “Yet to survey the scene — corporations and universities enriching themselves on the backs of uncompensated young men, whose status as ‘student athletes’ deprives them of the right to due process guaranteed by the Constitution — is to catch an unmistakable whiff of the plantation.”Senior Sean Morrison helped convince Branch to speak to the class. He filled out a contact form on Branch’s website and did not expect a response.“I sent him an email,” Morrison said. “I was shocked when he got back as soon as he did. He really is interested in the college side of it.”Branch replied within hours and, after some scheduling issues, set up a time to Skype with the class. Morrison said hearing the historian talk about his reporting persistence while working on this story was helpful in his own reporting.“As a reporter, it was stepping out and asking those basic questions,” Morrison said. “This is college. These are student athletes. They are generating a lot for the university.”Branch said it was those basic questions that helped him focus during his investigation into the NCAA. He likened the problems he wrote about to the current Penn State debacle. Ultimately, he said, it was a conflict of money and power.“All journalists have to operate within the rules,” Branch said. “But you can always be asking a more basic question, which is ‘How did Penn State’s athletic department get all its power?’”He also talked about the conflict between reporters and their sources, especially with stories that could be perceived as negative. Branch’s best advice was a line Stephen Colbert told him when he visited “The Colbert Report” in October: “Grow a pair.”“Reporting is a contact sport, just like football. I think any reporter that addresses any issue with sports is at risk of being hurt by the sports department,” Branch said. “That’s one reason I’ve gone from journalism to history, because it’s a lot easier to write about people who are dead.”Ultimately, Branch said he hoped for university officials, students, faculty, coaches and athletes to sit down and talk about the best way for athletes to receive compensation for their work as students and as athletes.“I think the issue journalists and students need to raise is how everyone can get a seat at the table on how sports and academics can work together,” Branch said.
(11/04/11 2:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A Pizza X delivery driver who was shot shortly after midnight Friday has died from his injuries.Adam Sarnecki, 22, died at 4:40 a.m. after surgery at IU Health Bloomington Hospital, Monroe County Coroner Nicole Meyer said. An autopsy will be conducted Friday afternoon.Sarnecki previously attended Bloomington High School South. He was not an IU student. He leaves behind a fiance and young children.On their Facebook page, Pizza X said that a fund was being set up to help Sarnecki's family. The Pizza X Twitter account (@PizzaX) also began circulating the hashtag "#RIPAdam" midday."We are in somewhat of a daze today and Pizza X South will remain closed tonight in support of our staff there," they posted on Facebook. "We are very sad today."Sarnecki was shot behind the Pizza X location at 2443 S. Walnut St., Bloomington police Lt. Bill Parker said.Parker said that Sarnecki "saw what he thought was a guy trying to break into cars." Original reports say Sarnecki approached the man, but a current police report said that when Sarnecki got out of his car, the man turned and shot him.Parker said the shooter was a white male of unknown age and medium height, who had a goatee and was wearing a brown hoodie.Two Pizza X employees in the store said they did not hear gunfire, but called police when Sarnecki came into the store after being shot.The area behind the store was blocked off with police tape, and BPD officers searched the area with canine units and flashlights soon after the shooting. Police were searching a green car with its lights on and a Pizza X sign on the roof, as well as a silver Ford Taurus that was parked behind the store. Two men found in two different places near the area were taken to the police station and cooperated in interviews before being released, Parker said. A police canine led police to an area near Winslow Court, but a suspect was not located.Detectives and officers gathered evidence and will continue investigating, Parker said. Parker stressed that anyone who witnesses criminal activity should contact police right away rather than engage suspects alone.Jake New contributed to this report.
(10/26/11 4:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Investigations into the fire that claimed the life of IU freshman Renee Ohrn are ongoing, Terra Trace owner Maribeth Coller said Tuesday.The Bloomington Fire Department released the results of its official investigation Thursday, but Terra Trace management has hired a private investigations firm — Midwest Forensics of Indianapolis — to conduct a more thorough search for the cause of the fire.The BFD report found the source of the fire was near a ceiling light in apartment D8, the apartment below the one in which Ohrn was found, and two breakers labeled “fire alarm” in a locked electrical panel in a public area of the apartment were in the off position.Coller said this report was the first she had heard of the breakers and that their private investigator disagreed with many of BFD’s findings.“The fire department is great at what they do, putting out fires, but they don’t do investigations often,” Coller said. “All I’m saying is what’s in that report isn’t necessarily the final word.”The case has also received national attention from fire safety advocates. Deputy Chief of the Boston Fire Department Jay Fleming has worked for many years advocating for photoelectric smoke detectors, rather than the more common ionization detectors that often lead to faulty alarms.“The photoelectric is really good at detecting average or big particle smoke,” Fleming said. “Ionization is really bad at finding big particles.” Ionization alarms, which use a small amount of radiation to find small particulate matter in the air, are good at detecting flaming fires that produce little smoke, but they can also be triggered by steam from cooking or a hot shower.Photoelectric alarms, on the other hand, use light readings to find thick smoke, the kind found in smoldering fires like the one that began at Terra Trace apartments.Coller said she did not know if the alarms in building D were ionization or photoelectric, but other detectors in the apartment complex are ionization detectors.Fleming said he files hundreds of official complaints with the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission every year against ionization detectors, but none have been investigated by the agency. He recently submitted a similar complaint citing the Terra Trace fire and Ohrn’s death against ionization detectors.According to the BFD report, the smoke detector in apartment D9 where Ohrn was found was removed the day before “because it had been going off and was annoying.” Fleming said the number of annoying alarms are greatly reduced when using photoelectric detectors rather than ionization detectors.“Since approximately 20 percent of the fatalities that occur every year have disabled alarms, it is not unreasonable to assume that education of the public about the benefit of photoelectric technology to reduce nuisance alarms could save hundreds of lives each year,” Fleming said in his complaint.According to the electronic newsletter Campus Firewatch, Ohrn’s death is the first U.S. fire-related death on or near a college campus for the 2011-12 academic year. Nationwide, six students died in fires on or near college campuses last year.Coller said the investigation is far from over, as there will be a continued look into what caused the fire and what happened to the alarms.“It’s all a really confusing issue,” Coller said. “We all want to get to the bottom of this.”