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(02/27/07 5:00am)
Business professor David Rubinstein has a challenge for students in his organizational management course. He wants them to change the world. \nThat might sound like a lofty goal – and Rubinstein admits it is – but he says students need to create their own organizations to learn, instead of simply reading about other companies’ successes.\n“They will teach themselves more than I can ever teach them, more than I can ever teach in a book,” he said. \nSo the 35 students in W430: Organizations and Organizational Change, a Kelley School of Business course, are working together to raise money to send pop-culture care packages to U.S. troops fighting overseas. \nThe packages will be filled with entertainment luxuries such as CDs, DVDs, playing cards and magazines, plus some practical supplies, said senior Jason Gasior, a student in the course.\n“We’re going to kind of get the necessities first and then move down to desires,” he said.\nBut to put the packages together, the class needs money. Rubinstein said that’s where the business and organization side comes in. \nThe students have been divided into groups and committees, each responsible for a part of the project. One group is leading the fundraising efforts, while others are asking military representatives what items to send to the soldiers.\n“We’re learning how to communicate between committees,” said Joanna Linsley, a management and international business major. “Every day in class we have to go over what we’ve done, how much more money we’ve raised. ... Basically we’re just learning firsthand how to pull a group of people together and accomplish a goal.”\nThe group already created shot glasses with the slogan “Giving the troops a better shot,” which students are selling around campus for $5 each.\nOn March 1, the class is hosting a fundraising event at The Jungle Room, 430 E. Kirkwood Ave.\nAll drinks will be $2.50, and the bar is donating the $3 cover charge to the class. \nAaron Steele, The Jungle Room’s owner, said he knows soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he understands their hardships. \n“I think if you actually knew someone over there and were able to talk to them and send them a letter or something, they’ll tell you it sucks,” he said. “It’s dusty, it’s hot – it’s no fun. If I could do anything to lighten up their day or help them out in any way, I’ll try to do so.”\nGasior, who is helping organize Thursday’s event, said he’s unsure of how much money the group will make, but $1,000 is the goal. And he’s hoping a night of cheap drinks will only help the fundraising efforts.\n“Hopefully by 3 a.m., when everybody’s fairly intoxicated, we might be able to get a couple of bucks that way,” he said. \nStill, the group wants to raise $7,777.77, Linsley said, a challenging goal that means more fundraising is needed. Professor Rubinstein picked the figure because “he likes to put his own stamp on things,” Linsley said.\nThe group has a deadline of April 1 and said it will make as many care packages as it can out of the money it receives.\nRubinstein said he doesn’t know if the project will succeed or fail.\nEven though twhe project counts for only 10 percent of the students’ final grades, their drive is enough to make him proud, Rubinstein said.\n“They’re going to change the world, and the only way they can do that is starting with a little piece of the world,” he said. “I like to think once they’ve done that they’ll make it a habit.”
(02/08/07 4:19am)
Some single-stall restrooms on campus have gotten a name change -- from "male" or "female" to "gender neutral." \nThe signage switch is designed to make the restrooms more inclusive to transgender students, said Barry Magee, assistant director of diversity education for Residential Programs and Services.\nRPS spearheaded the effort.\n"We want to be accommodating to people who have various gender identities," Magee said. "Some people, whether they identify as transgender or not, don't feel as comfortable with that (male or female) label."\nOutside a gender-neutral bathroom at the Wright Place food court, most students said they had never heard of the new restrooms.\n"I didn't even know that was there," said Mandy Scott, a freshman exploratory major who lives in the building. "I guess it's good because whenever I have to go (use the restroom) all I can really find is the men's room, so now we're set."\nOthers said the sign switch was confusing.\n"I thought it was weird," said Pablo Navarrete, a freshman biology major. "I didn't expect it."\nThe 14 restrooms, converted in late December, are located in 10 University residence halls -- all but Eigenmann. They are open to the public and can be locked from the inside.\nAnd that kind of privacy is crucial, advocates say, for students who feel uncomfortable or threatened in large, communal restrooms. \nCarol Fischer, an assistant in IU's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student Support Services office, said transgender students might be attacked or ridiculed in some restrooms, particularly if they look different from the average man or woman. The gender-free spaces, she said, provide a safe haven against such harassment.\n"It's a comfort thing. It's a safety thing. It's a security thing," she said. \nThe new restrooms also come at a time when the number of transgender students is increasing, Fischer said. While no hard statistics exist, Fischer estimates that there are about 100 transgender students at IU, which includes transsexuals, cross-dressers and those who simply identify somewhere between the male or female dichotomy. \n"It was always assumed that people went from one (gender) to the other," Fischer said. "A lot of people are stepping forward and saying, 'We don't buy into this binary system.'"\nSenior Nick Clarkson is one of those people. The gender-studies major completed a sex surgery more than two years ago to transition from female to male. \nHe says the restroom experience can be one of the most traumatizing for transgender individuals, and he supports the new "gender neutral" restrooms. \n"There are lot of trans people that just make a point of not going to the bathroom in public," he said. "I think it really facilitates transition (between sexes) to have that private, undesignated space to go."\nSome say the effort doesn't extend far enough.\n"It should go across campus," said Kim Ruggles, an executive of OUT, a campus GLBT support group. "It's about time"
(01/23/07 7:10pm)
When Amanda Shettlesworth sent the School of Public and Environment Affairs' students a mass e-mail last spring describing a competitive internship opportunity, she got an unlikely reply -- from a student's mother. \n"She called me up and asked that her son be given a leg up in the process," Shettlesworth said. Confused by the mother's involvement, Shettlesworth, an assistant director in SPEA's career-services office, said she couldn't do anything to help.\n"This is your son's responsibility," she told the mother, "and hopefully he will write the essay well and apply."\nBut the mother fought back, arguing that the school should help him get ahead.\n"It's almost like she didn't hear me at all," Shettlesworth said. Some say her situation underscores a growing trend across the country.
(01/23/07 7:07pm)
Looking for a local coupon? John Evons wants to help. \nThe senior entrepreneurship major recently created a Web site, www.iucoupons.com, that lets students and faculty access coupons from local businesses. \n"It's a kind of whole new industry," Evons said. "It's really an on-demand coupon system."\nOn the site, which makes its official debut today, users can print coupons or have them sent electronically to a cell phone in the form of a text message. Nineteen merchants, from local sandwich shops to hair salons, are offering deals on the site. \nUnlike their paper counterparts, online coupons give greater control to businesses, Evons said, allowing merchants to update coupons daily or change them throughout the day. \nIf a restaurant has a slow breakfast business, for example, it can instantly compensate by adding a coupon that customers can use during lunch or dinner. Businesses can monitor Web traffic to see which coupons generate the most interest.\n"It's really about exploiting the inefficiencies within the coupon industry," Evons said, "making the experience easier for the merchants, easier for the students."\nThe project has been in the works for six months, after Evons came up with the idea while driving home from classes last summer. He was talking to his girlfriend and knew there had to be a way to market the city's businesses with discounts that would attract students.\nSo, he started hiring programmers -- in places as far away as Romania and Argentina -- and committed to getting the project off the ground. But it wasn't without hardships.\nInitially, many local businesses were reluctant to sign up for the plan, questioning whether the coupons would compensate for the monthly fee required to join the site. \nSome simply said the monthly price was too high given their tight budgets. \n"If they've gotten burned by these type of Web sites before, how do you really come across as a new and innovative company when you're another student with another Web site?" Evons asked. "It's really hard to do that." \nSo he changed his plan, dropping the monthly fee to $40 a month and offering the first month free. It was a no-risk way to join, and more merchants hopped on board. \nAt the Bloomington Sandwich Co., 107 N. College Ave., manager Mike Moy said he hopes the site will result in more student business in his shop, which is known for its homemade corned beef and Reuben sandwiches. \n"Students are a big part of my business here," he said. "They're online all the time; that's the type of people they are. That's why I think the marketing towards the students is going to be very good."\nNot all students use coupons, however.\nBrittney Wing, a senior accounting major, said she never uses paper coupons because "they don't save you enough money" but wouldn't be opposed to using them online -- depending on the deal. \n"It would have to be a big enough savings," she said.\nMoy admitted he is unsure if the site will work for his business -- or if he will be able to afford to pay the monthly fee once his free trial ends.\n"We're so small here, we don't pay for advertising," he said.\nThe online coupon industry itself, while growing at 50 percent a year, still only represents 1 percent of the overall coupon market, according to the Promotional Marketing Association, a trade group. \nBut Joe Denekamp, the director of the Young Entrepreneurs Association at the Kelley School of Business and a lecturer in the business school, said he has no doubt the site will be successful. \n"I think it's a very elegant solution for businesses that want to target students and faculty," Denekamp said. "I really wouldn't be surprised if this is something that can be scaled to other universities."\nLooking ahead, he said Evons' biggest challenge will be deciding how to centralize his operations and apply it to other cities, if he chooses to do so. \nWhile Evons said he has no immediate plans to expand, he hasn't ruled it out for the future. Startup costs were $2,500, and he said he expects the site to be profitable once 25 businesses commit.\nHe also wants to cement the company to the community by focusing on local businesses -- rather than corporate chains -- and committing to donate 10 percent of his profits to local charities each month.\nIt's good policy -- and good business, he said. \n"These people that are really trying to do good within their industry are really becoming the most successful," he said. "By giving back, (customers will) choose you over other companies"
(10/27/06 1:23am)
Yes, there's the football game. That's a given.\nBut don't expect returning IU alumni to limit their homecoming activities to sports.\nSome will go tailgating. Others will tour the town. All plan to relive memories.\nWhile every plan is different, alumni say some places and experiences are essential to the homecoming weekend.\nFor Stan Fox, a 1965 IU graduate and resident of Syracuse, Ind., meeting old friends is at the top of the list.\n"That's the No. 1 thing for homecoming," said Fox, chairman of the IU Alumni Association. "It's probably the best football weekend when most people come back."\nMarc D. Fine, a 1981 grad who works as an attorney in Evansville, agrees.\n"You never know who's going to show up," he said. "There's always the excitement in the air, everybody's upbeat, notwithstanding the record of the football game."\nSuch enthusiasm translates into the evening, when alumni frequently revisit their favorite bars.\nIU Alumni Association President and CEO Ken Beckley said it's a no-brainer. \n"One word," he said. "Nick's."\nReferring to the popular bar on Kirkwood Avenue, Beckley said Nick's English Hut is the place most former students visit when returning to Bloomington. \nJana Sauers, who graduated in May, said she will be there to play the beer game "Sink the Biz" but plans to spend most of her time across the street at Kilroy's. It was one of her favorite bars as a student, she said, and home to plenty of memories.\nOther graduates might not be so lucky.\nLori Juerling, a 1991 graduate and Indianapolis resident, said she loved spending time at bars like Hooligans when she was an undergraduate but now must go elsewhere since it closed.\n"The places (where) we used to hang out are gone now," she said.\nThat doesn't mean all hope is lost. Juerling still gets her fix of restaurant memories with the sweet barbecue wings from BuffaLouie's -- she first started to like them after living near the store's former 17th Street location -- and the fried zucchini from Opie Taylor's.\nIn fact, of the alumni interviewed, most said a trip to a local restaurant is a "must" on the weekend to-do list.\nFor Fine, that means sitting down for a meal at the Trojan Horse downtown, a requirement in every trip to Bloomington.\n"That will happen no matter what," he said. "Food's good, same thing hasn't changed in 30 years. I like it." \nStill, other popular activities take simpler tacts.\nFox likes to browse through the IU Bookstore to add to his collection of IU clothing and "paraphernalia," as he calls it.\nFormer Student Alumni Association President and 2006 graduate Kirk Walda, now working in Cincinnati, said he plans to walk through the Arboretum and drive past his former house on Mitchell Street to reflect on past experiences.\n"It just makes me smile," he said, "to think of all the great times that I had there"
(10/17/06 3:45am)
Business major Jeff Dulla knew he'd be nervous before his interview Monday with banking giant Wells Fargo. But he was happy just to have made it that far. \nAfter attending a job fair, talking with a recruiter and corresponding by e-mail for weeks after, Dulla earned a spot on the company's preference list, giving him priority over other students in scheduling an interview. \n"It feels great," he said. "It just makes the effort and the work you put into it worthwhile."\nAs recruiters head to the Kelley School of Business in droves in the coming weeks, thousands of students like Dulla are clamoring for interviews with visiting companies.\nFor many, half the battle of landing a job is getting the interview, especially with popular companies that offer a limited amount of interview times. \nOne way business majors can grab an interview slot is through the preferencing process, in which companies pre-select students to interview with them. Such a designation gives the student higher priority in getting on the company's interview schedule, but it's no guarantee. \n"Being on a preference list absolutely is an advantage," said Mark J. Brostoff, associate director of the business school's Undergraduate Career Services Office. "At the same time, a student who doesn't get preferenced is certainly not blocked out of an interview opportunity." \nBusiness students sign up for interviews by placing electronic "bids," ranked by priority, in an automated computer program administered by the office. Each student has 39 bids per semester, with some designated as priority bids, meaning there is higher chance of getting the desired interview. \nBut preferenced students get the added advantage of having their requests reviewed first, even though some type of bid is still required. \n"You have a greater probability of getting on to an interview schedule, a very competitive interview schedule, if you've been preferenced," Brostoff said, also noting that some companies preference more students than available interview positions. "If you're preferenced, you still are encouraged to always bid (according to) your interest." \nSome of the most difficult interviews to get are those with the Big Four accounting firms -- Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers -- Target Corp., Proctor & Gamble and Unilever, Brostoff said. \nFor interested students, simply getting on the preference lists requires focus and effort, Brostoff said. \nSome students are placed after submitting resumes to the companies, while others meet with a recruiter through company presentations, networking sessions and career fairs. In some cases, a student is pre-selected to interview even without expressing interest, due to the business school's compilation of Web resumes. \nBrostoff said he encourages students to directly ask recruiters to be placed on their preference lists. He also advises students to include such a request at the bottom of a cover letter.\nOftentimes, multiple approaches work best, he said. \n"The more times that you have contact with that company ... the greater chance you have of being preferenced," Brostoff said. "You can't over-network with recruiters."\nMore than 80 percent of the interviews conducted through the business school's career office use preference lists. A few others are open to all students -- without preferences -- while some are closed to only students selected by the company. \nNo official figures track how many students were preferenced last year, although more than 100,000 bids -- including online resume submissions -- were placed for 11,534 interviews and more than 2,600 job postings, Brostoff said. \nStill, preferencing isn't everything. \nFor companies looking to hire students, preference lists help ensure that qualified, interested candidates make it to interviews, recruiters say. \n"It really gives us a stronger indication where students' true interests lie," said Molly White, an Indianapolis-based recruiter for Ernst & Young, which conducts about 200 interviews on campus each year. "It really helps us narrow down the search and ultimately find the right people for the right position." \nBut preferencing might give the biggest boost to international students and applicants who don't meet the posted requirements for jobs, Brostoff said. \nEven though a company may stipulate that only permanent U.S. residents may interview for a job or internship, for instance, students may bypass that requirement if they are added to a preference list. \n"It's not rare that companies will preference a student who's below any of the published qualifications so they will have the opportunity to get on the schedule," Brostoff said. \n"Many times international students say they don't have enough opportunity, and yet through preferencing and through their ability to network with companies, they can clearly increase their opportunities beyond what might be published (in the company's stipulations)."\nYet Abramoff, the finance major, said students can't relax once they get to the interview stage, even if they are preferenced. After all, she said, they still need to get the job. \n"It's a big sigh of relief when you do get the interview," she said. "But you are really nervous; it's not all over from there"
(10/10/06 3:46am)
When junior Cheri Hite first came to IU three years ago, business seemed like a natural fit. \nFlattered to be directly admitted to the Kelley School of Business, Hite thought a business major could be her ticket to multiple job offers, a good career and a high salary. \nBut while she did well in her business courses, she wasn't happy. \n"I realized I just wasn't as competitive as (my classmates)," she said. "Making business plans and all that stuff is not my kind of thing."\nShe switched into the University Division -- after having to convince her parents that she did indeed want to move out of the business school -- and defaulted to an undecided major. \nAfter some anxiety and soul--searching, and a brief period as a communication and culture major, Hite decided upon human development and family psychology. She doesn't regret it. \n"I love my new major," she said. "With this degree, yes, I'm going to have a huge pay cut, but I'm going to be so much happier." \nHite's experience is just one of many that illustrates the process of switching majors once in the business school. \nNo official IU statistics track how many students change their minds every year, but advisers say, if done early, business students have plenty of opportunities for new majors. \n"There are a lot of options open to them," said Gail Fairfield, manager of undergraduate advising for the business school. "It's really important for students to be internally clear about what they are wanting to do and what works for them." \nShe said the school's required 45 hours of general education credits make for an easier transition for students who later switch degrees. Many move to the College of Arts and Sciences or the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, she said. \nTransferring to SPEA is particularly easy, thanks to overlap between courses, said Matthew Auer, director of undergraduate programs, in an e-mail. \nSPEA's computer literacy credit, for instance, is fulfilled by Kelley's K201 Computers in Business course. And the nature of SPEA's undergraduate programs, which allow between 24 to 30 elective credits to count toward a bachelor's degree, helps, too.\nAuer said many business students share a similar interest with SPEA students: guiding organizations and people. \n"They discover that sure, they're interested in being managers and being leaders," Auer said. "They also discover that they want to give back, that they want to help society, that they want to do something that's close to their heart and not just have a job and be connected to an ordinary business." \nTo judge whether a business major is a good fit, Fairfield recommends students take X100 Introduction to Business. The course provides a sense of the business school before students fully commit, she said.\nShe also advises students to take introductory courses in other fields to help them refine their interests. \nThe reasoning, she said, is simple: If students aren't happy, they won't do well. \n"It's pretty hard to fake your way through the business school," Fairfield said. "It's a rigorous program. You're not going to get to your senior year if you're not engaged." \nBut for those who do choose to switch out of the school, some say business classes are still useful, even if the credits don't transfer. \nSophomore Cortney Johnson, who majored in accounting before switching to SPEA this semester, said she's glad she took X220 Career Perspectives, even though it doesn't directly transfer to a SPEA course.\n"It was a stressful class ... but each part you did was a resume, a cover letter -- things you needed," she said. "I'm kind of glad I took it"
(09/19/06 3:51am)
When junior Andy Goheen graduates in two years, he won't be leaving with just his degree and memories.\nHe'll also have student debt and lots of it. \nThe guitar performance major predicts he'll accumulate up to $80,000 in debt through private and federal Stafford loans by the time he finishes his senior year. \n"That's obviously unmanageable debt," he said. "It's going to be a huge burden." \nAs college costs rise and students borrow more to pay for them, experts say situations like Goheen's are becoming increasingly common. \n"The reality is that each year we're burdening the next set of graduates with more loans than the kids that came before them," said Heather Boushey, a senior economist at the Washington, D.C.-based Economic Center for Policy Research. "They're not graduating into labor markets with wages that are rising that much faster."\nThe nonpartisan think tank published a study last year concluding that the average undergraduate student leaves college $17,600 in debt. That figure puts IU's level of indebtedness above average.\nIn its most recent report, the IU Reporting and Research office shows that, of graduating seniors, 44 percent took out loans at some time in their career, accumulating an average of $21,251 in debt during their time here. \nBut with September's designation as National College Savings Month by the National Association of State Treasurers, student debt management is getting a renewed focus. \n"It's never too early, and it's never too late to save for college," said Martha Holler, a spokeswoman for lending agency Sallie Mae, which processes federal and private loans IU administers. \nHoller said students can control debts by saving as much as possible -- therefore reducing the need to borrow -- and joining programs that give cash rewards on purchases. \nHer other tips: \n-- Go for the free money. Some scholarships might only be worth $500 or less, but they add up quickly, Holler said. \n-- Set up savings in state college savings plans (Indiana's is called the College Choice 529 plan) because they allow individuals to qualify for tax-free investments and withdrawals. \n-- Choose a federal loan. They provide the lowest interest rates and have favorable terms for students, Holler said. Some options include Stafford loans, available to all students regardless of need, which have fixed interest rates at 6.8 percent, and the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students, which also has a fixed interest rate. Additional interest rate discounts might be available through lenders. \n-- Fill in gaps with private education loans instead of other types of student debt. Holler said many private loans mirror the federal programs and offer more flexibility than credit card loans or those available through banks. \n-- Stop delaying the inevitable. "You just have to pay down your loans," she said. \nDavid Haeberle, a finance professor in the Kelley School of Business, has simpler advice.\n"Don't spend money," he said, as a way of controlling debts. "If you don't have any salaries, there's even that much more reason why you need to budget. Anything you spend, you're going deeper in the hole." \nHe also urged students to throw credit cards in the trash.\nThe majority of students, he said, will only reduce credit with them. \n"They get the credit card for the right reason, but the card ends up hurting them more than it helps them," Haeberle said. \nThe whole issue of student aid isn't just confined to college though. \nBoushey, the economist, said the large amounts of students' debt trickles into other parts of life for affected students. \nAs students attempt to pay off loans, some might be forced to wait on purchasing a home or buying a car to hold down costs. Others might decide not to get married and have a family, she said.\n"These are profoundly important issues for quality of life for what people can afford," she said. "Given the high cost of homes, the high cost of child care, the high cost of health care, young people are looking at a whole basket of cost constraints and high student loans are adding to those"
(08/29/06 3:17am)
Cereal fans take note: The classic snack isn't limited to just milk and cornflakes anymore. \nWith the opening of the new Cereal Barn and Peanut Butter Cafe, 408 E. Sixth St., cereal can now come with everything from crushed cookies to trail mix and even mini marshmallows, anytime of the day. \n"The whole concept here is fun food-- comfort food that's not complicated," said owner Mark Wilson. "Kids like comfortable places that remind them of home, and I think that's one thing we can do." \nThe restaurant, which opened Aug. 2 in the former space of the Bizarre Cafe, features more than 30 different types of cereal and 20 toppings to go along with them.\nIt also grinds its own peanut butter and lets patrons customize peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for another familiar snack option.\nInside the barn-themed restaurant, the ordering process is simple: Step up to the counter, choose a cereal or sandwich and point to the jars of toppings. \nNothing's off limits, Wilson says. \nWant Froot Loops and chocolate chips? Go for it. Special K and raisins? That's fine, too. \nA junior bowl is $2.50, and a big bowl is $3.25. Both include up to two different types of cereal and two toppings. Wilson says one of the most popular combinations has been \nGolden Grahams and \nCinnamon Toast Crunch topped with mini marshmallows. \n"It's fun stuff," Wilson said. "It doesn't have to be just healthy. It doesn't have to be just sweet, either. It can be whatever people want." \nThe idea for the restaurant came after Wilson, a former IU rowing team coach, and his wife, an IU cross country coach, felt a need for an eatery where people could relax but not feel obliged to purchase a large meal. \nHe initially wanted to open a franchise of Cereality, a national chain of cereal bars. But that was two years ago, before the company began franchising across the country. \nSo Wilson decided to step out on his own. \nHe quit his job as a boat salesman in February and delved into the effort, taking care to create logos and designs that seek to make the store look as if it were part of a brand. \nHe expects the store to be profitable in six months and says he's already looking at opening more locations in cities like Indianapolis, West Lafayette, Cincinnati or Dayton, Ohio. \n"I don't sit around very long," he said. "We've had a lot of people come in and ask if we're a chain, and that's a huge compliment to us." \nThe atmosphere of the store, with its hardwood floors, light blue ceiling, colorful menu names -- "the cereal silo" -- and games like Chutes and Ladders is all part of the effort to make
(08/29/06 3:07am)
They're back, and businesses know it. \nAs freshman students moved in and others returned to the area last week, retailers, restaurants and hotels saw an opportunity for sales. \n"It's a lot of spending, really fast," said Valerie Pena, executive director for the Bloomington Convention and Visitor's Bureau, about move-in week. \nShe estimated the overall economic impact of the rush of students to be as much as $2.5 million, which includes hotels, restaurants and gas stations, but not retailers.\n"That, for us, midweek -- that's terrific," Pena said. \nTo cope with the influx of students -- and their parents -- some restaurants limited menu options to increase table turnover, while others added more staff and kitchen help, she said. \nGetting a hotel room was tough, though. \nWhile some hotels sold out the night of Monday, Aug. 21, every hotel in Bloomington, Martinsville, Bedford and Nashville, Ind., was full Tuesday night, Pena said. Bloomington hotels were full again Wednesday night. \nThat meant that some parents had to settle for properties they'd usually avoid.\n"They do come to a point where they'll take anything, especially the farther away they're coming," Pena said. \nIn addition, most hotels in the area sold out four months in advance, driving the average rate from $100 to $150, said Laura Newton, assistant director of the bureau. \nAt downtown's Malibu Grill, managing partner John Bailey said the volume of tables doubled Tuesday and Wednesday of Welcome Week, with much larger groups than usual. \nBut that came as no surprise to Bailey. \nBailey said his restaurant ensures a busy week by first attempting to reach students and parents during summer orientation. \n"You absolutely have to put your best foot forward all summer long," Bailey said. "This Freshman Parents Weekend is the culmination of a long season of friend-making." \nDuring Welcome Week, his restaurant doesn't limit menu items but increases his staff by about 25 percent. He also adds staffers in the bar and cocktail area so customers can easily get drinks while waiting. \n"I want everything as good and as fresh as you expect it to be throughout the year," he said. "(With) a lot of these parents, you get one shot at them, and the food has to be good, and the selection has to be good." \nBailey, who's been with the restaurant since it opened in 1994, said training, menu consistency and a loyal staff also help ensure quality word-of-mouth advertising from customers, which builds future sales.\nThat kind of promotion is what works at Kilroy's two bars, as well, said Ami Holthouse, manager of the Kilroy's Sports Bar at 319 N. Walnut. \nShe said last week her location had the busiest Wednesday it has had in a year. She attributes part of the increase to a new half-priced drink promotion initiated recently. \nTo stay successful, she said the restaurant follows last year's sales figures to maintain proper inventory and keeps the menu fresh by adding new vodkas, gins and high-end tequilas.\n"That stuff drives business," she said, adding that the bar has also renovated to build sales. "Newness is exciting to people." \nSome restaurants take a different tact.\nAt the Penn Station sub shop on Indiana Ave., manager Joe Radanovich sent trays of cookies to some dormitories, along with coupons, all to help advertise his restaurant's name to incoming freshmen. \nHe also spent 15 hours during the week on campus handing out coupons and giving students directions to the store. \n"I want to drive sales," he said. \nSo far, he said it's been working, with sale figures tripling since students came back this past week. \nTo keep up with the demand, he said, every employee worked as much as possible, and managers put in between 60 and 80 hours in the store. \nOn the retail front, Christy Steele, president and CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, said businesses selling office supplies, electronics and furniture were particularly affected by the return of students.\nTo get ready, she said many increased their inventory of oft-forgotten student items and added temporary signs and flyers to draw students to stores. \nSome even put information in dormitories and residence halls to further market to students, she said. \n"Students have tremendous buying power," she said. "A lot of our businesses have been around a lot of years and are used to the seasonal change of students coming back.\n"They do plan accordingly"
(04/28/06 4:38am)
An official decision may be a few days away, but likely plans for next year's health care coverage for graduate student appointees reflects a host of compromises, according to those close to the issue.\nThe changes, which were designed to minimize the effects of a proposed 58 percent increase in health care costs by IU's insurer, Chickering, are varied and include some cuts, said Julie Swando, a graduate student on the committee. She said likely changes include:\n-- A reduction in the lifetime maximum amount paid per medical diagnosis. Currently the maximum is set at $500,000 per diagnosis; under the new plan the maximum would lower to $250,000 for graduate appointees and $100,000 for their spouses and children. \n-- An increase in the in-network deductible, from $100 currently to $250 per person. It does not apply at the IU Health Center or for prescriptions of any kind. \n-- Increases in co-pays for doctor visits outside of the health center, from $10 to $15.\n-- An annual $5,000 prescription cap for medicines purchased outside of the health center. \n-- The addition of a co-pay of $10 for prescriptions at the IU Health Center. Currently there is no co-pay for prescriptions purchased at the center, Swando said. \n-- A reduction in payments to out-of-network doctors. Currently, Chickering pays 60 percent of outside doctor's fees. The employee pays up to $3,000, after which the insurer pays the total costs. Under the proposed plan, Chickering would eliminate the maximum paid by the policy holder and would only cover 50 percent of the doctor's fees.\n"It's not great; these changes are not good, but I think they could have been a lot worse than they were," Swando said. \nCurrently, the entire $1,007 cost of the graduate employee health insurance plan is subsidized by the University. \nIU had offered to pay nearly 69 percent, or $1,409, of the proposed increases, leaving the graduate appointees to pay $181.20, said Neil Theobald, vice provost of budget and administration. \nBut Theobald said effective negotiations with the insurer lowered the price of the increase below $1,409, although he did not have specific figures available. As a result, graduate appointees will not pay for the insurance. \nHe said in addition to negotiations, further cuts and reductions were made to lower the price of the coverage for those required to purchase a plan, such as some international students. \n"The concern here is that there are international students that have to pay for this out of their own pocket," he said. "The changes to the coverage were by choice in order to hold down the price that the students have to pay for themselves."\nSwando said the tentative cost of student insurance would likely be around $1,375 a person, while the premiums for spouses and children, not covered by the University, would rise to $3,270 and $2,480 per year, respectively.\n"That may go up, that may go down, but it's probably in the ball park of what we're looking at," she said. \nTheobald said the University would still pay their initial pledge of $1,409 to the graduate students and would take the surplus between the $1,409 figure and the lowered price to help students in the graduate school. \n"The amount of money sent out of the campus will still be 40-percent (of the initially proposed 58 percent increase), but the difference will go to the graduate school for the benefit of graduate students," he said. \nBut Paul Rohwer, moderator of the Graduate and Professional Student Organization, which represents graduate students, said the changes in coverage were fair, but would still affect graduates and those using the plans. \n"All in all students will have to adapt in how they use health insurance," he said. \nHe said students with dependents, such as a spouse or child, would be the most affected because their plans are not subsidized by the University. \n"If you have a dependent, or if you're planning to start a family you need to look at state welfare agencies," he said. \nTo deal with the issue, the GPSO plans to present a resolution to the board of trustees next week to ask for 50 percent of the dependent subsidy granted to employees, Rohwer said. Many appointees -- which include graduate associate instructors, graders and research assistants -- have .50FTE status, meaning full-time employment status, he said. \nThe Graduate Employee Organization, which supports unionization as a way to deal with many issues facing graduate students, also supports the resolution, said Adrianne Wadewitz, a co-coordinator of the steering committee for the group. \nDan Rives, IU's associate vice president of human resources, cautioned, however, that no insurance plan has been finalized and said negotiations with Chickering were still underway. \nHe said he expects a quote on premiums by early next week, and said he would then pass it to the Student Academic Appointee Health Benefits Committee, Dean of International Programs Patrick O'Meara and Theobald for input. Upon their review, the plan would then require approval by O'Meara and interim provost Michael McRobbie, Rives said. \nFor her part, Swando said she was not particularly concerned with some aspects of the plan, such as the $10 co-pay for prescriptions at the health center, because she said such practices are standard in most insurance plans. But she said she was worried about the reduction in the maximum amount paid to dependents per diagnosis.\n"I feel that that's a low maximum," she said. "It's just too drastic a cut in coverage."\nShe also cautioned graduates using the plan to be careful when receiving medical treatment, and to ensure that both their doctor and medical facility are part of the insurance network. \n"If you use a network doctor at an out-of-network facility it will be paid at the out-of-network rate," she said. "It's sort of a sneaky way insurers get around (in) shifting some more of the costs to the patient."\nRohwer also encouraged the use of the health center, as he said it offered more cost-efficient care to graduates.
(04/25/06 4:15am)
They graced the stage with their music, spirit and talent. \nNow Jacobs School of Music officials say they are faced with the task of finding a way to fill the void left by the students who died in a plane crash late Thursday night. \n"They were extremely visible," said Carmen Helena Téllez, a professor of music in the choral department. "Their profile in the school was very prominent. These people were gifted in many, many, many ways." \nThe deceased students -- Robert Samels, Zachary Novak, Garth Eppley, Georgina Joshi and Chris Carducci -- were all graduate students in the music school. They held positions in ensembles and choral groups at the school and performed with outside groups throughout the country, said Jan Harrington, chairman of the chorus department. \n"They're going to be sorely missed," he said. \nNo positions had been cast for next year's opera performances or performing groups, although some initial auditions may have occurred, Harrington said. \n"There's no immediate holes in anything because nothing had been cast yet," he said. \nAt the music school, Harrington said each student had been active in ensembles and choral groups. \nJoshi was a member of the Pro Arte Singers, a chamber orchestra of about 24 people that performed music from the baroque, medieval and renaissance times, Harrington said. Eppley was a three-year member of the Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, which performed "new music," or classical music written by contemporary artists. Carducci, Novak and Samels were performers in the University Singers, a graduate chorus of about 24 people, he said. \nEach group performs about two or three times a semester, he said. In addition, he said the groups re-audition their members for their roles in the fall. \nThe deaths of the students represent no immediate impact on the performance schedules of the ensembles, since each has finished for the academic year, Harrington said.\nBut he said they would be difficult to replace. \n"They weren't moving from ego," he said. "They were moving from love of the art and joy of the art. And because of that they were great leaders and beloved by everyone." \nOne of the students, Samels, a doctoral choral conducting major, was an associate instructor in the theory department. He lectured to about 200 students in the Music Skills II course, a required undergraduate oral skills training class, said Eric Isaacson, chair of the music theory department. \n"He had a way of making it really fun for the kids to help them really see the relevance of it to their own musical lives," Isaacson said. "He was clearly very well-liked." \nSamels also served as course supervisor, overseeing between one and five other associate instructors who helped teach the course, Isaacson said. \nIsaacson referred to Samels as a "musical Superman." \n"It's unusual for a non-music theory major to be an AI in our department and even more so to be put in charge of one of these classes," he said. "The fact that he was in this position is not only a testament to his musical skills but also to his superb teaching abilities, as well." \nSince his death came near the end of the semester, a substitute has been arranged to help for the remainder of the semester, Isaacson said. \nSamels had already decided not to teach the course next year, and so before he died a replacement had been named for the coming year, he said. \nTéllez said deciding how to fill the inevitable void left by the students was not a primary concern. More importantly, she said, was that the community be able to mourn the loss of the students and remember their lives.\n"We're going through a mourning period," she said. "The students are very affected by this. They are coming forward very generously to participate in memorial services. It's kind of early in the story for us to take account the consequences practically for all of us from now on. I think we'll deal with all of that next week"
(04/21/06 4:00am)
Hopes of a future for the abandoned Kappa Sigma fraternity house at 1503 E. Third St. were crushed Thursday as construction crews began demolishing the historic structure. \nThe house, built during the 1920s and once home to IU alumnus Hoagy Carmichael, has recently been the subject of controversy among students and local groups who have fought to save it. \nBut its dilapidated structure and the nearly $2.5 million required for repairs made renovations all but impossible, said IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre. \n"That's more than twice what we would pay to renovate an office or classroom building," he said. "It is not cost-efficient or cost-effective to renovate the building."\nThe issue of what do with the house has been debated since 1994, when a study was first conducted on renovations for the property, he said. But even then, he said, cost estimates from contractors were prohibitive.\nThe board of trustees voted to raze the house in its Dec. 9 meeting, according to meeting minutes. \n"The issue has been considered at the trustee level at least a couple of times," MacIntyre said. "We think that the decision the board of trustees made was the only logical one that could be made."\nIndianapolis-based contractor Denney Excavation was awarded the demolition contract at a price of $110,000, MacIntyre said. \nBut the fate of the house sparked debate from student groups, fraternities and local community organizations, including the Bloomington Historic Preservation Commission -- who all said it should remain standing. Some have argued the house holds historical significance, while others have said it represents a potential option for on-campus greek housing.\nChris Sturbaum, an advisory member of the Bloomington Historic Preservation Commission, said his commission, which held three meetings on the issue, fought to protect the house because of the memories it reflects.\n"It's like losing a bookmark to all these stories that are connected to a historic structure," he said. "It loses the window on that moment in time when the greek system was exploding on campuses and (the) Roaring '20s were going (on) and Hoagie was playing. \n"It's the window on that era ... and the town's history. It's irreplaceable." \nThe commission submitted a 2,000-signature petition to University officials and passed a resolution stating the needs for preservation, he said. Just last week, the commission signed an initiative to begin a process that would help the structure gain status on the National Register of Historic Places, he said. \n"We did everything we could," he said. "We couldn't have done anything else and we couldn't have made our point more clearly ... It all fell on deaf ears." \nCalls to IU Assistant Vice President and University Architect Bob Meadows were not returned by press time. MacIntyre said the University values the concerns of the community but had to make financial choices in the end.\n"We recognize historic concerns, but there's a trade off," he said. "We are a public institution and we have to use our money wisely, and it's the trustees' responsibility to do that. It's inherent."\nHe said future plans for the site, as part of the campus master plan, call for apartments and housing to be built, focused especially on students in the music school. He said such a property would have designated practice space available and would fulfill a need on campus, although no timetable for the structure has been established. \n"Because of the proximity to the School of Music, we think there would be a high demand for that kind of housing," he said. \nBut Sturbaum said he feels sad -- and upset -- in what he said was a case of an institution acting on the basis of power, not ideas. \nHis hope is that this situation serves as a reminder that careful studies need to be made before action, he said. \n"My hope (is) that out of this senseless demolition will come an awareness that the current review process for University-owned historic property is woefully inadequate," he said. "They've demonstrated that administrators cannot be trusted to protect historic property on campus under the current level of review"
(04/20/06 4:11am)
If history is any indication, the weather may play some role in how many people are arrested during the weekend's Little 500 festivities, police and University officials say. While no official statistics are available to indicate a rise in illegal activities, IU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger said his 34 years of experience have shown that a warm day typically includes more arrests than a cold, rainy one. \n"It's almost a no-brainer," Minger said, referring to the correlation.\nWhen it's warm, people take their indoor activities outside, which are more visible to the public and officers, while people generally stay in their homes or apartments during cold weather, he said. \n"(In cold or rainy weather) the chances for them getting into trouble will decrease exponentially because they won't be out in other people's space and other people's environment," Minger said. \nHe said crimes most associated with weather change include public intoxication, underage consumption and related offenses, including vandalism, trespassing, larceny and assault, among others. \n"The minute the weather gets nice and people start going out, now they're traversing from one place to another," he said. "When you do that out in the public now, you start to encroach on someone else's environment and their space (and) then it becomes an issue."\nThe trend is one that has been documented nationwide, said Bill Head, a senior lecturer in the criminal justice department. \nBut, Head said, much of the research centers around instances of violent behavior in urban areas when temperatures reach above 90 degrees. At IU, and especially during this particular weekend, he said the issue is less about an increase in crime but rather an increase in outdoor, public behavior.\n"We're not talking about raping and pillaging here for the most part," he said. "We're just talking about students letting off steam and having a tough time. If it's cooler or rainy, people tend to be more inside and more discreet in their debauchery, and so they're less likely to draw the attention to the police."\nHe compared the police in warm weather situations to firefighters who can spot trouble just by looking at it. \n"If you can see smoke, you know there's a fire," he said. \nDean of Students Dick McKaig agreed and said warmer weather conditions could shift parties and other gatherings out of basements and closed spaces into the outdoors. But he said the warm weather itself did not cause more of the activities to occur -- it just makes them more noticeable. \n"(If) it's a big party and it's warm weather, the big party spills outside," making it easier for police to recognize illegal activities, he said. \nDuring the weekend of the annual bike race, weather for the Bloomington area should be cloudy with a high of 68 \ndegrees Saturday and 69 degrees Sunday, with precipitation possible Friday night, said John Ogren, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service office in Indianapolis. \n"It looks like a pretty decent weekend," he said. \nBut Minger said in recent years arrests from IUPD officers have decreased during Little 500 weekend, which he attributed to increased enforcement of rules from the Dean of Students' office.\n"It pushed the parties out into the municipal areas of the city and even out of the county," Minger said.\nHe said when the race occurs, officers hope for warm, sunny weather, despite the possible correlation to more arrests. \n"If we didn't really appreciate these kinds of times when it comes up, we wouldn't be working in this kind of environment," he said. "We as a police department absolutely hope for the best, nice weather, (and that) everyone gets along. \n"Saying that, we hope for the best," he added, "(but) we are absolutely prepared for worst case scenarios where people do get intoxicated"
(04/17/06 12:20pm)
The campus will rock into a week of Little 500 festivities tonight with a concert by Wilco -- a Grammy award-winning group recognized for music that spans a range of genres. \nThe event, to take place at 8 p.m. in the IU Auditorium, marks a tradition of concerts held near the annual bike race, said Dick McKaig, dean of students.\n"The idea (is) that we want this Little 5 week to have a special-ness to it, and so you have the event itself, and you have events around it that add to the excitement," he said. "It provides (an) alternative program that people can enjoy and the University can be happy with." \nMcKaig said he didn't know the exact date of the first concert associated with the race, but said they've been around at least since he came to the University in 1971. Some have been held in outdoor venues in the past, like Memorial Stadium, while others have been put on after the race itself, he said. \nThis year's concert, organized and sponsored by the Union Board, will be the first time a performance has occurred as an opening to Little 500 week, said Katie Ly, the director of concerts for the group.\n"We never tried a kickoff concert before, now it's something new," she said. \nWhile the Union Board and its concert committee attempted to organize a concert closer to the actual race, she said only a limited number of bands are touring in April, and there were problems coordinating artists' traveling schedules through Indiana.\n"With Wilco, it just so happened it was the only date they could stop in Indiana," she said, referring to today's event. \nShe said simply finding a band that was accepting a performance date near the Little 500 race took weeks of phone calls to agents and performing groups because most bands organize tours only in the summer and winter months. \n"What's happened in the concert industry (is) big summer outdoor concerts have become some kind of financial boon for artists," McKaig said, noting that many bands weren't ready to go into the summer circuit but were already finished with their winter acts. \n"The April time period has kind of become an in-between," he said. \nLy said her concert committee -- made up of about a core of 20 undergraduates -- and her six assistant directors recommended Wilco to Bloomington because of their unique sound and ability to deliver entertaining performances. \n"It really spans across a wide audience," she said. "It draws in the indie rock people, it draws in the alt country; it's just a lot of the alternative crowd."\nAs of Friday, 900 seats remained of the 3,200 available, she said. \nTicket prices are $27 for IUB students and $35 for nonstudents. \nPeople who buy tickets to attend the event pay for the costs of the concert -- nearly $67,000 if the show sells out, less if it does not -- Ly said in an e-mail. The portion of the student activity fee the Union Board receives is not used for the Wilco concert, she said. \nFreshman Alex Boyd, who is attending the concert, said he is going for what he describes as Wilco's "surreal" music.\n"(I like) just the oddness of their music," he said. "Just how it seems that they're the only ones that could pull off the songs that they do. It's just unique." \nBoyd, an English major, said he is a particular fan of Wilco lead singer, Jeff Tweedy. \n"His voice isn't particularly neurotic, it's creepy," he said. "It works perfect for his songs." \nFor her part, Ly said she just wants concertgoers to have a good time, all in the spirit of Little 500.\n"Everybody's looking to get together, and music is really important for celebrating and having fun," she said. "Part of Little 5 is about everybody getting together and tradition"
(04/10/06 2:02pm)
The start of the Hoosiers' football season might be months away, but law student Arthur Traynor and some of his neighbors on North Woodlawn Avenue are already worried. \nThey say public drunkenness during tailgating in the grassy parking area between Fess Street and North Woodlawn Avenue has caused problems in recent years. \nChief among their concerns are instances of public urination, when they say unruly tailgaters trespass and urinate wherever they please. \n"I might want to leave town on a weekend, I might want to study," Traynor said. "When people are peeing all over the yard and the compost garden where we grow food in, it's a serious problem, a serious health problem." \nIn the past year, Traynor said football fans have urinated on the side of his two-bedroom house, on his air conditioning unit, on the front porch and on the compost pile. \n"These people are so drunk they're not even thinking straight," he said. \nTo fight back, Traynor spent home football game days patrolling his yard, attempting to keep people out, he said. Some of the tailgaters became verbally abusive, while others simply ignored his requests. \nDuring more popular games -- like the Nov. 19 matchup against Purdue -- the sheer number of people coming into his yard made enforcement difficult, he said. Traynor estimates hundreds of people trespassed. \nColleen Cleary, who's lived on North Woodlawn since 1973, said she agreed that trespassing is a problem. She enjoys her property, she said, but tailgaters encouraged her to begin spending weekends out of the city.\n"It's a beautiful neighborhood, I absolutely love it there, (it has) lots of green space, but then it's totally invaded on weekends," Cleary said. "There's just absolutely no concern (by tailgaters) for us who live there day in and day out." \nCleary and Traynor, along with eight other residents on the street, signed a petition Jan. 18 asking for help from the University. The residents represent five properties near the field.\nThe neighbors want barricades to protect their property and two officers assigned to prevent trespassing. They also want IU Police Department officers trained to better protect their property, Traynor said. \nBut IUPD Capt. Keith Cash said the problems are complex, and that some solutions -- like barricades or police tape -- wouldn't help solve the issues. Tailgaters could cut them down or urinate through them, he said. Cash has addressed the group in letter.\nHe said better, targeted enforcement from existing officers in the area would be the best solution to the problem.\n"We've now been alerted to a problem that's obviously bigger than we imagined, and we've said we'll do more targeted enforcement of that area," he said. "We already have every officer working, so it will just mean they'll hit that area with more frequency." \nCash said officers received no phone calls resulting in arrests from a resident near the 1200 block of Woodlawn during the 2005 football season.\nTraynor said residents made many calls to IUPD complaining of trespassers and public urination. Cash said he did not recall cases when residents called the police for help.\nDuring games, IUPD officers are assigned to the grassy parking area, Cash said, adding that Bloomington Police Department officers and Indiana State Police are also there on duty. \n"We've got more than enough officers that patrol that lot," Cash said. \nBut Traynor said the University's lack of specific patrols places the burden of protection in the hands of neighborhood residents.\n"I definitely made phone calls (to the police) and told them about this ... (The officers) were only effective while they were standing there," he said. "This is a problem that needs prevention, not response." \nHe said unless guards or police stand in the area along property lines, they are not a deterrent to trespassing and other activities. And he said residents should not have to be around or on alert -- that they shouldn't have to call IUPD -- to feel their property is protected. \nTraynor said he would like to see funds used from the athletics department's $10 parking fee, which fans pay to enter the lot, in order to employ private security guards. \nThe IU Athletics Department media relations office did not respond to e-mail requests for interviews. The office also did not answer specific questions relating to the parking fee and its uses, or other matters relating to the tailgating issues.\nDean of Students Dick McKaig said the University understands the issues affecting residents of the area, and is working to improve the situation. Specifically, he said IU administrators try to add more toilets as the number of tailgaters increase.\nRecent regulations have been implemented that ban kegs from the area, restrict the use of tents and large trucks and require all tailgaters to have tickets to the games, McKaig said.\nBut he noted the inherent demands on police officers' time during sporting events, and said that law enforcement could only go so far in protecting neighbors. \n"I don't know if it's possible to have as many police officers in a single area that the residents might hope for and that's why we've also got to have some community agreement that certain behaviors aren't acceptable," McKaig said. "Clearly, it's an issue of enforcement, but it's also an issue of community support." \nComplicating matters for Traynor, though, is the fact that he rents his house from the University, which also provides his education. IU owns most, but not all, of the houses on the street, he said. \n"Normally if this situation was different, I would be able to move out of my house and cease paying rent ... because I would be able to claim that I was constructively evicted," he said. "(But) if I withhold paying rent, they'll hold my transcripts."\nTraynor says he's not against the University or the athletics department, and appreciates their efforts to clean up the garbage from the area after games. But he said further changes need to be made.\n"It wouldn't be correct to say that I want all the tailgating to stop, or I hate IU football," he said. "I'm not against the idea of the tailgating, I'm just upset that the University doesn't fix all the problems that it causes."\nTraynor's goal, he says, is for him and his wife to simply live in their house, without disturbances, because they have made long-term investments in the house. Traynor said he and his wife would not have planted a garden, bought a dog and built custom furniture if they had not planned to stay.\n"In every regard this has been a perfect fit with the exception of this issue," he said.
(04/07/06 5:13am)
Graduate students will have a chance to socialize and de-stress this weekend as part of a planned outdoor activity meant to coincide with the end of the graduate student appreciation week. \nThe event, which includes kayaking, cave tours, canoeing and hiking, is coordinated by IU's Outdoor Adventures and sponsored by the Graduate and Professional Student Organization, which represents graduate students. \n"We're putting (this) together for graduate students and professional (students) to meet one another and to see what else Indiana has to offer," said Paul Rohwer, the GPSO's moderator. \nThe activities will be scheduled in two sessions -- one in the morning and another in the afternoon -- and will take place at different parks and recreational locations in Bloomington and Bedford. All will be accompanied by guides, and the GPSO is subsidizing the cost of transportation and lunch, said Reem Sweiss, the GPSO's public relations director. \n"We get excellent deals for graduate students to really take advantage of the things here that they wouldn't be able to do otherwise," she said. \nCurrently, 50 people have signed up for the activities, although Sweiss said spaces are still available. Graduate students, their families and friends are eligible to participate, she said. \n"Every student that I speak to feels isolated in some respect in their department and schools and so offering these events is some way to link together the community," Rohwer said. \nThe events come at the end of the GPSO's graduate student appreciation week, part of a national celebration, which included a tour of the IU Art Museum on Sunday and a wine tasting at Tutto Bene wine cafe Tuesday. A happy hour, part of the group's normal social calendar, will be offered Friday at Upstairs Pub, 430 E. Kirkwood Ave. \n"Everyone gets a week and this is our week to be appreciated," Rohwer said. \nThroughout the week, campus schools and departments have also provided food and refreshments to graduate students to recognize them, \nRohwer said.
(04/03/06 5:51am)
Students screamed, ran and hid -- but they couldn't escape the color. It was purple, green, yellow and orange, and it was everywhere. \nAbout 100 people from the Indian Student Association came together in Teter Quad's south courtyard Friday night to celebrate Holi, an Indian holiday rooted in Hindu tradition, that recognizes the start of spring and beginning of the harvest. \n"We're celebrating Indian culture," said Arun Bhattacharyya, a senior finance and marketing major, and the ISA's vice president. "It's just a fun and joyous occasion." \nThe event kicked off at about 5:30 p.m. and included food and drinks. \nBut participants ate quickly and soon grabbed cups filled with colored powder, taking handfuls of it and throwing it on each other. \n"I look like a rainbow," said Vani Joshi, a sophomore biology major, who had orange hair, green on her face, and purple on her shoulders by the time the event was finished. \n"It's like in your ears, in your eyes," said Rishi Patel, a junior finance and accounting major, who said the challenge comes in removing the color. "(You) take a shower, keep washing, then you rinse, then you repeat over and over again." \nMost students said they didn't mind the mess since it gave them a chance to reconnect with India's culture. \n"I grew up in a place where there weren't too many Indians and to celebrate this with this many Indians is rare," said Anand Shah, a biochemistry and Indian studies major from Indianapolis. "I think it brings out the kids in us." \nThe holiday has become more secular recently and is celebrated throughout the streets of India as one of the country's biggest holidays, said Karan Chaudhri, the ISA's president. \nHe said today, throwing color is sometimes a form of flirtation between some people.\n"If you have a lot of color, it's kind of a good luck thing," he said. \nAt the ISA's event, 50 pounds of colored powder -- costing $200 -- were used up in about 45 minutes. Some participants then grabbed trays of food and soft drinks and began flinging them at their friends. \nThe evening was sponsored through funds from the IUSA's Commitment to Assist Student Initiatives program, Chaudhri said, although he did not have exact figures available. \n"The ISA is one of the largest and most active cultural organizations on campus and they know that," he said. "I think they probably just wanted to reward diversity and broaden people's horizons by giving people the opportunity to attend events." \nAkshay Kumar, a senior finance and accounting major, said for him, coming to Holi was just a way to remember his background, even in Indiana. \n"This function has been a tradition in India for a long time -- we just decided to bring together that same feeling, that same atmosphere," he said. "Even though you're in college, you can still remember home"
(03/29/06 5:31am)
Graduate students looking to fight a significant increase in health care costs will take their views to the Sample Gates this morning, as part of a rally the Graduate Employee Organization organized. \nThe demonstration, to be held at 10 a.m., is part of an effort to express dissatisfaction at a proposed 58 percent increase in health care costs for student academic appointees, said Adrianne Wadewitz, a graduate student in the English department, and co-coordinator of the GEO's steering committee. Student academic appointees include graduate associate instructors, research assistants and graders.\n"We want the administration to know how upset the graduate students are and we want to make the issue more public to the campus," she said. \nThe rally coincides with a meeting of the Student Academic Appointee Health Benefits Committee, which will be deciding in late April what health care plan to recommend to University administrators, and ultimately the board of trustees, for final approval.\nThe University has already offered to pay nearly 69 percent of the increases, leaving the graduate appointees to pay $181.20, said Neil Theobald, vice provost of budget and administration. \nWadewitz said the rally is one way to advocate for more coverage from the school. \n"The budget has not been approved," Wadewitz said. "It has not been voted on by the trustees, which means that the University could still, theoretically, fund the entire 58 percent increase of the premiums, and so that is what we're going to be asking them do, rather than cutting benefits."\nThis year IU subsidized the full $1,007 cost of the graduate employee health insurance. The total cost will be $1,591 under the proposed plan.\nBut Theobald said $6.5 million in state appropriations cuts in the last two years, combined with tuition increases of less than 5 percent in the last three years, have created hardships for the campus budget. Covering the increases alone will cost $1.3 million, he said, adding that such a price represents significant sacrifices on the parts of the departmental deans who fund the insurance plans. \n"We wish we had more funds, it's just a very difficult year," he said. "We'd love to be able to do more ... Graduate students are obviously a very high priority around here." \nThere are 3,505 student academic appointees in Bloomington and 637 appointees at IUPUI.\nPlans for the rally call for a small speech by Ursula McTaggert, co-coordinator of the GEO's steering committee and associate instructor in the English department. Also, flyers will be passed out to people in the area. \n"Our ultimate goal is to get the University to change its mind and to be willing to cover these cuts, and we think that's still possible (given) the budget for this year," McTaggert said. \nShe said the increases to graduate budgets, even when less than $200, are still significant.\n"It's a lot when you only make $12,000 a year," she said. "Yes, the University has to consider its budget, (but) they also need to respect that we're also struggling with money, and our budgets don't have a lot of leeway for additions like this."\nThe stipend for graduate appointees varies by department, but typically ranges from $9,000 to $12,000 a year, although the graduate assistants in the sciences can typically make more than $15,000 annually, graduate students say. \n"If we had a larger stipend, it wouldn't be such a problem for people," McTaggert said. \nThe GEO, a group separate from the Graduate and Professional Student Organization, was founded almost two years ago, and advocates unionization of graduate employees, McTaggert said. It currently has about 400 members.
(03/23/06 5:25am)
Some work, some study and some teach -- but all raise a child.\nBut high prices for some programs and long waits are creating challenges for those people who rely on child care on campus, according to some University officials and students close to the subject. \n"It's an issue that needs to addressed and it hasn't been in years past," said Paul Rohwer, moderator of the Graduate and Professional Student Organization, which represents graduate students on campus. "It's an extra burden on graduate students that they can't find affordable child care on campus." \nThe topic of child care has seemingly spread across the campus recently, with multiple student groups, administrators and departments contributing to the discussion. \nAt the core of the dialogue is the Office of Campus Childcare Support, which oversees child care services in five facilities on campus, providing full-time care for 210 children, as well as shorter, part-time services for those who need it. \nThree facilities are nationally accredited and staffed with professional employees, and two others are co-ops, where parents work and receive a reduced rate. \nBut strong demand for infant and toddler care, combined with the already high cost of those services, has created hardships for some parents said Tim Dunnuck, the office's coordinator for child services. \nAround 350 children are on waiting lists for the five centers' care, he said. Some people wait months or years to enroll, he said.\n"Parents will put child on a waiting list many times before their child is even born, and a lot of time those folks still won't get in," he said. \nThe price of infant care is $10,000 annually, while full time preschool care costs about $7,500 per year, he said. \n"At those prices, we're still either the lowest or second lowest in the Big Ten depending on what ages you're looking at," he said. \nDuring a recent budget conference earlier this month, Dunnuck asked for $392,000 from the University to add three additional classrooms for infant and toddler care in the Campus Children's Center facility and one more for the Hoosier Courts Cooperative Nursery School. He said such classrooms would accommodate 50 additional children in the infant and toddler mixed aged group. \nHe also requested funds to help increase starting teacher salaries from $22,900 to $27,000. \n"Everyone agrees there's a need for more care, child care availability," said Carol McCord, assistant dean for the Office of Women's Affairs, which is searching for funds both internally and through external sources to help pay for care. "We have physical plant space for four more rooms -- (the) funds that we're all requesting are funds to turn those empty spaces into child care-ready rooms."\nMcCord said her office has already received word that a previous request for a University loan to renovate a room in the Campus Children's Center has been approved, and she said it would provide space for eight additional infants or toddlers. \nBut she said just as crucial was finding a way to help reduce fees of such infant and toddler services, which cost more because they require larger numbers of staff members. While plans are still being suggested, some options have included increasing the student fee, although its unclear by how much, or attempting to increase a campus subsidy, among others. \nStudents currently pay 34 cents of their student activity fee to pay for child care, generating $25,500. The University pays 17 percent of the child care costs on campus, or $191,000, according to a December 2005 child care report written for the committee for fee review. \nDunnuck said he would like to see more funding from the campus, including subsidies to fund tuition assistance and scholarships for child care, although he acknowledged hardships of such plans. \n"I'd love to increase the support from both campus and students, but I'm also aware that you can only expect so much from either," he said. \nPart of Dunnuck's recent proposal included a request for a yearly $121,000 subsidy from the University, to be initiated during the 2007-2008 year, that would be used to reduce the costs of care. \n"That would help bring the cost down so the parents wouldn't have to pay an outrageous fee," he said. \nBut McCord said the issue was complex, and cautioned that no group on campus, nor the University, should be blamed for potential problems in child care. \nShe said her office's goal was to simply find the funds to help campus members succeed in their own goals, one of the reasons the Office of Women's Affairs began a baby-sitting list, designed to give faculty members an option for quick care when emergencies occurred.