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(02/26/14 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the Academy Awards less than a week away, it is time to assess the damage — the nomination lists.Every year it gets more disappointing how certain films and actors are either present or missing.Though I know my personal opinions differ wildly from that of the Academy and many other people, I believe we can all agree that certain victors and nominations of the past few years have been dull, predictable and sometimes unjustified.I was hopeful this year’s list would bode a new, more eclectic and refreshing selection of films, actors and actresses. I was saddened yet completely unsurprised to find that the same edgy, twisty, dark and dramatic bunch that consumed the last several Oscars earned the spots for Best Picture and an extremely repetitive list of men and women for Best Actor and Actress.In fact, of the nominees for Best Actress, only Amy Adams hasn’t previously won an Oscar. Still, she has been nominated six times . I don’t know what happened to the old Academy Award nominations that made the show so entertaining.The best part about the awards show used to be the genre variety of the nominated films and the balance of novice and experience that made up the Best Actor and Actress nominations.It seems like the criteria for a nomination now requires a specific mold that very few films and actors fit, making the nominations and awards more predictable, boring and disappointing when certain fantastic films and people are left with no acknowledgement.For example, “Saving Mr. Banks” could have been an Academy Award-winning film 20 years ago.The film was compelling, had an original storyline, starred an impressive collaboration of first-rate actors and was unlike anything else that has graced the silver screen this year. Yet, due to an obvious lack of edge, the film was regrettably left with only a nomination for Best Musical Score. Just another bullet point on the list of disappointing academy decisions.The irony of it all is that when “Mary Poppins” first was released, it was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and walked away with five Oscars. Walt Disney himself still holds the record for most Academy Awards won. Fifty years later, a movie that honors both Academy Award successes was all but ignored.This isn’t just another set of woes from me, the Disney fangirl.Snubs including Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful,” Lee Daniels and Paul Greengrass’ direction in “The Butler” and “Captain Phillips” and Jennifer Garner’s supporting role in “Dallas Buyers Club” all prove my point.This year is a lost cause.Hopefully such deserving contenders won’t be so blatantly lacking from next year’s lists. So this Thursday, let us all cross our fingers that the Academy’s mistakes solely came in nominations, that the deserving contenders of each category do in fact come out with the win and that next year’s nominations will boast more of a well-rounded variety.Also, let Leo finally take an Oscar home.cnmcelwa@indiana.edu @clairemc_IDS
(02/18/14 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Horse-drawn carriage rides are as much an iconic part of city life as yellow taxis and skyscrapers.Unfortunately, the animal rights activists of the world, including the mayor of New York City, are vying for the elimination of the tradition.The mayor announced last week it’s his full intention to remove all horse-drawn carriages from the streets of New York City and make way for old-fashioned automobile rides instead. Apparently, the two concepts are interchangeable.Those opposed to the use of horse-drawn carriages claim the animals are mistreated, neglected and malnourished. They argue the only humane thing to do is eliminate their use altogether.This is a terrible overreaction that is leading to a big mistake. The removal of all horse-drawn carriages after almost 200 years would be a tragedy. This is a metropolitan tradition millions have enjoyed since its origin. Any kind of criticism of the act can be addressed and resolved without having to remove it.The assumption all companies treat their horses poorly is a gross oversight of the hundreds that do.The Indianapolis Star this week explained just how well treated some of the horses that graze the downtown circuit are. The horses receive frequent haircuts, farrier treatments, chiropractic consultations and even specialized diets for joint pains and arthritis. They are hardly mistreated and anything but malnourished. Their forced participation during poor weather conditions, including extreme cold and heat, hasn’t been fairly assessed.The Indianapolis carriage company Yellow Rose even chose to forgo a highly profitable Valentine’s Day to ensure the safety and health of their 12 draft horses during weather that is too snowy or icy.Although I’m sure there are scenarios where horses aren’t treated as well, writing the practice off altogether is a mistake and a cause of unemployment for a lot of people. The argument all horses are overworked and unable to pull the demanded loads is a blanket claim that doesn’t apply to many companies who schedule days for the horses not to work. There are no better replacements for horse-drawn carriages, especially when they aren’t necessary.Leave carriages on city streets and invest the time and money aimed at replacing them into issues that actually require reconciliation.— cnmclwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @clairemc_IDS.
(02/11/14 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I attend every Indiana men’s basketball game and have for many years.Because of my parent’s longtime possession of season basketball tickets, I’ve been present to watch many different teams transition through Assembly Hall.I remember Bracey Wright, Armon Bassett, Marco Killingsworth and Rod Wilmont. I drove down to every single game during Tom Crean’s first, and very unsuccessful, seasons. I watched Victor and Cody come and go — and this year, for the first time, watched the players as fellow classmates.I’ve seen a lot, and I’ve heard a lot.Regardless of who has been wearing the candy stripes, I have never witnessed a basketball game where at least one fan didn’t get a little too emotional.Passion and frustration take control. Throughout the game, a number of fans will stand and scream at some player or coach as some sort of therapeutic exercise.Whether or not the comments are warranted or intercepted usually goes unnoticed by the source, the game ends either successfully or not and everyone moves on.Marcus Smart, an Oklahoma State basketball player, notoriously shoved Jeff Orr, an opposing team’s fan, during a matchup with Texas Tech. People have anything but moved on.The media has tirelessly covered the story of Smart’s sporadic bit of violence with even one broadcaster claiming the act was “disgusting.”I agree physical altercations in the heat of sporting confrontation is never a good move. Most of us remember Ron Artest’s incident, now affectionately referred to as the “Pacer’s Brawl.” However, I think a lot of people are missing the point.I don’t care if Orr called Smart a racial slur, derogatory name or simply a loser. He is an adult, Smart is a kid — a kid who has a lot of pressure to perform, behave and live spotlessly day by day, on his shoulders.There is no situation that should warrant an adult getting into the face of a college athlete during a sporting event.Regardless of the fact that Smart acted inappropriately, I argue Orr acted equally inappropriately.Smart’s statement accepting complete responsibility was admirable, and I would bet that there will never be a repeat offense.I would also bet that if Smart shook off Orr’s comment and rejoined the game, Orr would inevitably have returned to Texas Tech to heckle another player half his age from another team.It’s a learning experience many people can benefit from, including many fans that will be returning to Assembly Hall this week.Passionate support of a home team makes college athletics fun. But in my mind, when it brings a player to violent actions, everyone involved is equally at fault. So let’s keep the negative and derogatory comments to a minimum during Wednesday’s matchup against Penn State.— cnmcelwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @clairemc_IDS
(02/06/14 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As a freshman, I have approximately three months left of dorm life.I encourage the students of IU to rethink leaving the dorms so swiftly and start taking advantage of this special experience that only comes around once in a lifetime.I came into the experience a bit uneasy after hearing horror stories of nasty roommates with even nastier tendencies.Luckily, I have experienced no such roommate. I will miss my fellow floormates very much when we turn in our keys the start of May. The bathrooms haven’t been bad, the halls haven’t been loud and the space will always be small. So, I’ve just gotten used to it.I have grown very fond of my little home in Foster Quad Harper.If it hadn’t decided to join a sorority, I would definitely consider doing dorm life again.That said, I’m surprised that the culture of IU typically limits dorm life to freshmen.Thirty years ago, this was hardly the case. Most students who didn’t participate in greek life chose to stay in the dorms multiple years and, on occasion, even all four years.My dad lived in Willkie Quad every year of college by choice. Although these were times when off-campus living wasn’t quite as common, it wasn’t unnatural at all to annually return to the same neighborhood, sometimes even the same dorm. I can see why that was the case.The community the dorm provides is a special experience. It will be very hard to leave behind.I have daily conversations with our floor janitor, and we exchanged Christmas gifts. I chat about IU basketball with our building’s maintenance man and check up on a cafeteria worker’s carpal tunnel syndrome on a weekly, if not daily, basis.I know who on the floor can effectively tutor me in A200, who has the best food, the cutest clothes and who is always willing to watch a movie.It’s the time in your life to be awkwardly living with too many people, too closely, in a too-small environment. It’s part of the amazing experience that is college.The dorms have prime locations on campus, includes staff that clean your bathrooms daily and cook moderately decent food for you.It doesn’t get much easier than that.Although I occasionally miss having my own space and definitely would never choose communal bathrooms if I had the option, I think the dorms are written off too quickly by the general student population. There is way more to appreciate.— cnmcelwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain @clairemc_IDS.
(01/31/14 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Britney, Christina, Lindsay, Amanda — we should have seen it coming.Hollywood has become notorious for taking young stars and screwing them up left and right, usually resulting in a really interesting haircut or a mug shot or two.So when it comes to the recent situation with Justin Bieber, it was less than shocking to learn of his arrest and various run-ins with the law.What was surprising, however, was that an MSNBC interview with U.S. Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., was cut off to announce the so-called “breaking news” of Bieber’s arrest.I understand he’s idolized by some in our culture for whatever reason, but this is taking it a step too far.A member of Congress was speaking on national television about issues that are of high importance to many people.And it was cut off to announce that a spoiled brat celebrity once again did something stupid.I understand the National Security Agency is a touchy subject, but I think most people would collectively agree that it’s a more prominent piece of news than how many times Bieber dropped the f-bomb when interacting with police.MSNBC is not solely to blame for its coverage, either. CNN went as far as to construct a CGI animation to illustrate how Bieber’s drag race could have played out.As a prospective journalist, seeing such intense media coverage about a baby-faced slime ball is extremely disappointing.And as an everyday person, I’m just tired of news coverage being so painfully misdirected.In total, CNN has devoted 103 minutes to their “Bieber Busted” story, Fox News devoted 57 minutes and MSNBC 46 minutes. The fact that Bieber’s arrest was more than a blurb before signing off the 11 o’clock news is embarrassing.So as this news coverage continues, as we all know it will, my disappointment will inevitably continue.Actual news stories such as safety at the Olympic games, President Obama’s State of the Union address, breakthroughs in stem cell research and, heck, even the Royal Caribbean cruise from hell will be either shortened or left out to make way for discussion of what Bieber will wear to court or what Selena Gomez has to say about the situation. I think we all expected this out of People Magazine or TMZ, but not actual news sources. — cnmcelwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @clairemc_IDS.
(01/13/14 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A new semester begins, and with it comes an entirely clean slate.The snow is finally melted, with an impending replenishing more than likely on the way.For some, this semester is just another restart.For freshmen like me, it’s the first time we can give off a more convincing allusion that we have the slightest clue what we’re doing, and that we actually are old enough to attend school here.We’ve experienced everything true freshman at IU do.We’ve been lost in Sycamore Hall, gagged after eating Gresham fruit salad and overslept a class or two — some even accidentally.For a select few, however, it’s the beginning of the end. The last semester at the most beautiful campus in the nation with the best inhabitants.It’s the last chance to miss the bus because the times aren’t accurate. The last time to see the Hoosiers win in Assembly Hall from the student section. Looking back on my first semester and planning ahead for this one, I know no matter what I do or where I end up at the end of these 16 weeks, I will be better off because I spent the time as a Hoosier.So cheers to second semester, whatever it may mean to you, and go Hoosiers.— cnmcelwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @clairemc_IDS.
(01/10/14 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A proposal to expand the Maurer School of Law could mean a relocation for Phi Gamma Delta fraternity members, the demolition of a group of historic homes and controversy left to be sorted. In short, this would be a lose-lose situation for most parties involved.However, it does appear to be warranted in more ways than one.First of all, the Phi Gamma Delta house was a hot spot for years.The University has made no bones about the fact that the possession of the piece of real estate in which the “Fiji” boys live would be necessary for expansion of academic buildings.Not to mention the fact that most students who have spent time in the Fiji house claim it has seen better days anyway.Nostalgia makes the move a little salty, but the fraternity had to have seen this coming.As for the “historical” buildings over on Eighth Street and Woodlawn Avenue, I’m calling your bluff.If someone can come up with an actual reason that the buildings are historically significant — not just that they’re really, really old, then I can understand some hesitation in removing them to make way for a big, bad frat castle.As a soon-to-be displaced journalism student, I do feel for the WIUX radio station folks. Nonetheless, the Radio and TV Building, as well as the new Franklin Hall media school, could be great options for relocation of IU’s student radio. This isn’t especially convenient for anyone. Moving never is.Still it does appear the University and the IU Foundation have made every justifiable effort to make the transition as fair and smooth as humanly possible.If you think about it, the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity gets a brand spanking new house in a great location close to campus, the law school gets a much needed expansion and the WIUX radio station can relocate to a place just as nice, if not nicer, than where they are currently.The “historic” houses are just bulldozed. But as they say, the only thing permanent in life is change.Without it, IU wouldn’t be the fantastic and innovative University it is today.— cnmcelwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @clairemc_IDS.
(12/02/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Saturday’s Old Oaken Bucket game went swimmingly for Hoosier fans.The rival teams faced off on our home field, the weather was ideal, IU played well and the Bucket was returned to its rightful place in Bloomington.Yes, the day was a total success and arguably couldn’t have gone better, with the exception of a couple thousand passionate students noticeably missing from the crowd.In the most recent Bucket Games of the past, both in West Lafayette and in Bloomington, the majority of students have been unable to attend because of poor scheduling that coincides with Thanksgiving Break.It’s becoming an annual factor of the game — huge rivalry, extremely competitive and important match-up and no student section.This is totally unacceptable for every administrative party involved. It doesn’t make sense to schedule our most important rivalry game when most students can’t attend.At the beginning of each school year, people pay hundreds of dollars to purchase tickets for football and basketball games, with the assumption that the only reason a student wouldn’t be able to attend would be conflicts drawn from personal schedules, not poor game scheduling.It isn’t fair to pay for a ticket, whatever price it may be, when a game is scheduled at an arguably impossible time to attend.Most of all, it isn’t fair to the team.The argument is that the biggest game should be saved for last and feature special senior acknowledgements and recognitions.I understand that to a point.However, I have a hard time believing they wouldn’t like to see some fellow Hoosier students in the stands as opposed to just empty seats.This game was also the only ticket provided in the package purchased at the beginning of the year that gave students the opportunity to see the Boilermakers compete against the Hoosiers at home since Purdue won’t be playing against the men’s basketball team here this year.Therefore, if you were unable to attend Sunday for obvious holiday travel reasons, you just missed the only chance included in the ticket package to see the Hoosiers beat Purdue in Bloomington.Though it’s fun to watch IU beat Purdue in any setting, there need to be better scheduling decisions to ensure students can see it first-hand.It just isn’t as fulfilling to see the Boilers fail on television like it is in person, and every single IU student should always have total access to that opportunity.— cnmcelwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @clairemc_IDS.
(11/18/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As a freshman, my eating habits rely heavily on the neighborhood in which I live. Living on the eighth floor of Harper Hall in Foster Quad, my daily meals are, or at least should be, centered around Gresham food court.However, since the middle of October, my floor mates and I have been taking a bus almost every day to the new restaurant dining at Forest Quad for our daily meals.What seems like the Mecca of RPS dining on campus, Woodland is chocked full of freshly-prepared food fit to your specifications, with each individual restaurant stand changing it’s offerings on a weekly and even daily basis. It blows my mind how different the on-campus dining experiences are depending on where you live.As a northwest kid, I enjoy the same options no matter what day of the week it is, including chicken sandwiches, tacos, pasta with the choice of the same three sauces, and if you’re lucky to find it open, create-your-own stir fry, which, chances are, is burnt to a nice black, charcoaled, crisp.The privileged population in the Southeast corner of campus enjoys freshly-grilled steaks with a variety of sauces and sides, create your own skillet tossed pasta entrees, Mexican dishes that rival Chipotle meals and a humongous salad bar including multiple fresh fruit options.I understand that the facilities over at Forest are more conducive to a more sophisticated style of cooking. However, it is confusing that the quality of similar food options such as pasta can vary so wildly based on location.It doesn’t take any special kind of appliance to cook penne noodles, yet the pasta over at Woodland is significantly better than those found under the heat lamps at Gresham.I also understand that food options are limited, since the dining courts are constructed to serve hundreds of people three meals per day. However, I find it disappointing that the difference in food quality and variety of meals found between Woodland Dining and Gresham food court is so night and day, with easily adjusted options left to mediocrity.Woodland Dining options could be largely helpful to some freshman fifteen candidates, who rely on PopTarts and Lays to pad their Gresham meals, by providing healthier options similar to those offered at Woodland.As someone who has compared and contrasted all of the dining courts on this campus, I encourage the University to throw us Northwest residents a bone and spend some time improving the food and facilities over in our neck of the woods.Even just providing the same fruit options would be improvement enough.Unfortunately for all of us non-Southeast residents, we will have to continue using public transportation on a daily basis just to get fruit that hasn’t been laying in a corn syrup soup all day, and enjoy Mom’s home cooking a little more this Thanksgiving break.— cnmcelwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @clairemc_IDS.
(11/08/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Andy Williams didn’t coin it “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” for nothing.The holiday season is without question the most enjoyable part of my calendar year. The lights, the decorations and the music all make for a portion of the year filled with happiness, love and, you guessed it, cheer.So with all of the joy that Christmas brings me, there’s no chance I’m waiting to start my celebrating just because the Halloween candy is still half uneaten and the Thanksgiving turkey hasn’t been roasted.As soon as Costco props up their Douglas faux-furs and Starbucks brings out the red cups, it’s fair game to play all of the Carpenter’s Christmas Album I want.Premature Christmas celebration is part of living in this country. One in four Americans admitted to starting their Christmas shopping before even Halloween is over. Not that you have to go that far, but it’s something that has become more common of late.And I couldn’t be more thrilled.It’s not that I don’t understand why people don’t like it.It is a little strange to see cobwebs and pumpkins hanging next to Rudolph at Hallmark.But when you boil it all down, what’s it hurting?The lights are beautiful, the music is cheerful and the overarching concept of putting other people before yourself for a whopping 25 days out of 365 is something that, yes, I do believe should be stretched over a longer period of time than originally allotted.So whether or not the pumpkins have rotted yet, it’s never too early to start the celebration of one of the few times during the year where a large majority of the population is focused on hope, love and giving back.— cnmcelwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @clairemc_IDS.
(11/04/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the first time since 1998, Disney World might get an expansion.Walt Disney Company’s Parks and Resorts division chairman Tom Staggs recently released prospective concepts and model plans for an expansion on Walt Disney World Resort’s Animal Kingdom park in Orlando, Fla.Starting next year, however, the park will make way for much more than animals and plants as Disney pairs with director James Cameron to bring the world of Avatar to Disney.This is the second wave of non-Disney films to be referenced in Disney parks, including the “Star Wars” inspired attraction, “Star Tours.”As a Disney purist, I can’t help but think Walt is rolling over in his grave.Walt Disney World and Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., are reserved spaces to pay tribute to and display the creative genius of the Disney company from the past six decades. This new trend of creating attractions for films completely unrelated to Disney is something the company has never attempted, and rightfully so.I thought we all had an agreement about what went down in Central Florida. The Disney resorts handle all stories and attractions related to Disney itself, while every other movie recreation is stuffed into Universal Studios. It’s worked well, offering both options to the public, and Disney has continuously remained on top.The reason to add movies like “Avatar” into the Disney parks is most likely profit, but with Disney perennially pumping out hit movies, animated or not, it doesn’t seem necessary.The Walt Disney Company maintains the licensing to hundreds of films, including 102 Disney Channel Original Movies, 555 Feature Films, more than 40 animated feature films and 53 Wonderful World of Disney television movies. With all of these you’re telling me we couldn’t find one of them to provide the inspiration for an expansion? And if it isn’t about profit, and the company just likes the idea of an extra-terrestrial, fantasy world spin on Animal Kingdom, Disney easily could have used scenes and mockups from “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” and kept the expansion in the family.It may seem like a harmless addition, but this opens the door for many foreign concepts to enter into one of the few tangible examples of Walt Disney’s life work.The argument that Disney would want anything that could make the park successful is applicable only to a certain point, and this exceeds that realm of possibility. Disney felt so strongly about his and his company’s exclusive use of Mickey Mouse that when approached in 1945 by producers of the film “Anchors Away” about the use of Mickey in the movie, he responded that Mickey Mouse would never appear in an MGM Film.I don’t think Disney would feel any better about 21st Century Fox moving onto his namesake’s property.The guy gave us hundreds of classic songs, movies and characters, not to mention five theme parks. I think the least we can do is make sure his parks are maintained in the essence of how he imagined them in 1950.If James Cameron signs on to work with Disney, this is only the start of a multitude of unrelated attractions to take up valuable space in these beloved theme parks.So before Jack and Rose find their way into “It’s A Small World,” let’s strap on our mouse ears and stick to true Disney ideas and products as inspiration, the way Disney intended it to be.— cnmcelwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @clairemc_IDS.
(10/29/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>My most profound political opinion to date was formed, not from any news coverage, but during a season six episode of Grey’s Anatomy I watched last weekend.An angry widower shot down employees of Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital until he felt justice was served for his deceased wife, raising the topic of restrictions on firearms.As I watched this fictitious character open fire left and right on people, I was struck with an overwhelming realization: who wouldn’t be for gun control?Guns should not be as easily purchased at a store as a pair of shoes.The man in the show, a fictional figure who represents many real-life cases, claims he simply purchased a gun at a “superstore,” enabling him to waltz through the hospital doors and kill whomever he wanted.We live in Indiana. Many Hoosier hunting enthusiasts enjoy weekends killing deer.Everyone enjoys their sports and passions, and that’s cool.But this isn’t about pigeons, deer and geese anymore.It hasn’t been about that since 1999 at Columbine High School, 2007 at Virginia Tech, 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary or the movie theater in Aurora, Colo., or any of the other deadly mass shootings in the United States.I don’t see why gun control isn’t at the forefront of immediate action in this country.I’m tired of people retweeting pictures of crying family members to pay “honor” to those who lost their lives, relatives or friends in a massacre and then weeks later claiming gun control to be a violation of their rights as citizens.Gun control is more than a topic of political debate and more than the right for someone to maintain their hobby.For example, most IU students were bombarded with text messages, phone calls and voicemails Sunday morning claiming there was an armed person at large on campus.Though we later learned the weapon was not in fact a gun, what if it had been?Many citizens against gun control claim guns don’t kill people, people kill people.If you’re lucky enough to not have been affected by gun violence in your life, imagine how those who have must feel.It’s the same as it was in first grade: if one person abuses a privilege, it ruins it for everyone. And by now I think it more than evident that the privilege is lost.As citizens of the country that claims to be about the rights of its people and justice for everyone, when did life become exempt?In dozens of cases in the U.S., lives have been taken — some as early as age 6 — to maintain the right for a hobby.That is more of a violation of rights than anything.So far, the shootings haven’t been enough.The innocent lives taken and the millions of people affected haven’t been enough to change the way people think about making weapons of mass destruction available to the average Joe.The victims of the past mass shootings don’t deserve another Sandy Hook Elementary, Luby’s Cafeteria or even fictional Seattle hospital shooting. Before it can happen again, let’s all take up a new hobby, such as knitting, and initiate gun control.— cnmcelwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @clairemc_IDS.
(10/15/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>From trendy weight-loss programs to the people who are in desperate need of them, obesity has become a weighty issue for many Americans.Because of this, elementary schools in 19 states, including California, Massachusetts and Illinois, have begun an attempt to stop excessive weight gain early by employing school dietitians to measure and report students’ Body Mass Index results.It seems like a good idea, and probably would be if the schools weren’t giving out what are now affectionately referred to by the students as “fat letters.”These letters, indicating BMI percentages that show potential obesity, are being handed to students in the classroom setting, amidst all the other kids.The children who receive the letters are to take them home and discuss the results with their parents or guardians. This is done in hopes of sparking their attention and in interest of reversing the results.As if they wouldn’t have already noticed.What a fantastic way to go about encouraging personal health for children.Let’s hand them a note in front of their fellow classmates who may not have been deemed a “fatty” and, by doing so, potentially subject them to ridicule.Elementary school is a time of personal adjustment and potential bullying, so, why also throw in self-esteem crushing reports from teachers — the people children are encouraged to trust most?It could be a great resource if handled properly.Many parents have requested private parent-teacher conferences to discuss the results of the BMI reports instead of requiring their child to take a “walk of shame” in the middle of second grade homeroom.What’s worse is these reports aren’t limited to elementary schools.There are several preschools in southern California that have been handing out these “fat letters” indicating that the children at their schools, ages 2 to 5 years old, are showing signs of obesity. And we wonder why 40 percent of 9- and 10-year-old girls have admitted to attempting diets?These “fat letters” are heinous and won’t live up to their potential if they are continuously handed out publicly to these kids.I understand the desire to improve health for the next generation, but this isn’t the way to go about it.If we’re really going to get into the nitty gritty, BMI results don’t distinguish any difference between lean muscle mass and fat, making the tests partially inaccurate. These kids aren’t Arnold Schwarzeneggers, but they may not be Pillsbury Doughboys, either.Health awareness at an early age is important.But, before we crush the self-esteem of children across the country, let’s make sure we at least consider options that promote mental health as well as physical.So, have some compassion while attempting to solve childhood obesity, and leave the “fat letters” unwritten.— cnmcelwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @clairemc_IDS.
(10/01/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For 19 years, Walter Cronkite ended every newscast with “And that’s the way it is,” delivering honest journalism to a trusting audience. He was, I believe, the cream of the crop of journalists, and as a prospective journalist, I am striving to be Walter Cronkite.However, it has recently been announced that the proposed plans for emptying the IU journalism school’s home, Ernie Pyle Hall, are approaching reality, and the school and its students will be merged with the departments of telecommunications and communication and culture into the College of Arts and Sciences.After selecting IU instead of other universities with equally esteemed journalism programs, my opportunity is apparently slipping away. Although I entrusted the administration to provide me every opportunity to become the best journalist possible, the opportunity is being revoked. And I can’t find one good reason why.In a statement made last year, President Michael McRobbie voiced his opinion about the removal of the independent journalism school by saying, “There’s no point in saving a school that trains people to manage fleets of horses if the motorcar has taken over horse-drawn transportation.”Unfortunately, President McRobbie has this entirely wrong.Journalism doesn’t start and stop on the paper it’s printed. For that matter, journalistic integrity and art doesn’t change depending on the way it’s delivered to its audience. Be it by app or paper, journalism takes more than simple communication.We are too fortunate to attend a school with such highly qualified journalism professors to relocate them and award their students an unspecific degree for the specific art they’re studying.Don’t get me wrong, I will be proud to hold a degree from IU when my years here are finished. However, I want to be holding a degree that applies directly to my passion, not a compromise I was forced to make by the people who are the least affected by this radical change.I will be extremely disappointed with my University and its leaders if I return for my sophomore year and my beloved Ernie Pyle Hall has become another book store or an expansion of Starbucks.So here’s my plea to you.Journalism has become more digital, but that doesn’t mean the importance of a journalism school dwindles because of it.The world won’t see any trusted reporters like Walter Cronkite if we continue to shut down the institutions that develop them. It is vital to this University and to the art of journalism that we fight to keep the IU School of Journalism. The next generation of reporters should be more than just communications experts.Save the art of good reporting. Save the right for students to become world-class journalists and future Cronkites.Save the School of Journalism.And that’s the way it is.— cnmcelwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @claire_mcelwain.
(09/17/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last week, Apple introduced two cell phone models new to the iPhone dynasty.The iPhone 5S, showing a lot of similarities to its predecessors, basically has the same exterior design as the iPhone 5 with three new color options and some internal improvements and camera upgrades. The second option, iPhone 5C, is an entirely new concept for the company, introducing a lower-priced, colorful, non-aluminum model.In other words, Apple has gone plastic.The offering of these two models is no doubt an attempt to appeal to a wider variety of clientele— a smart move by Apple.The company has always kept a constant price point for its newest iPhone models, and because of that, has earned a very positive reputation for its product quality and ability to stand apart from the competition. People have never had a problem forking over more cash for what they know will be a superior product.I once saved every penny of my money for nine months to purchase my own MacBook.I could have easily cut that time in half to purchase an HP Notebook, but was adamant that any other company’s substitutions weren’t good enough. The quality, ease and guarantee that what I’m buying is going to be the best of the best in every way is first.Whether or not that sounds frivolous or obnoxious, statistically there is more than a 30-percent chance that Americans own an Apple product.By introducing iPhone-gone-plastic, it seems the company is hinting at a new direction for future products.Although many are saying the adaptation to more “Windows-like” options means Doomsday for the company, I find it extremely refreshing that a top-grossing company such as Apple takes a look at not just the people who are purchasing its products, but the people who aren’t.Yes, it’s obvious people had no problem paying for the extra-expensive iPhone models of the past, but now more people can afford to get in on the fun.Apple has now designed and presented two models, one for each demographic.As long as Apple continues to hold up its end of the bargain by providing cutting-edge, high-quality products, I don’t care how many different versions it provides.I hope this is the path Apple will take in the future with its other products.Should the day come where Apple surrenders to Window’s design standards of completely plastic products, then we can look back on this and blame the 5C for getting the ball rolling. However, if Apple is smart enough to double its offerings in an attempt to provide service and quality for the masses, I doubt that will happen.As long as the plastic Apple doesn’t fall too far from the quality tree, I’ll be hanging with the company for a long time.— cnmcelwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @claire_mcelwain.
(09/03/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I was sitting in my dorm room the other day when I heard a voice trailing in from across the hall. My neighbor, also a freshman, was reliving her experiences from her previous night out, somewhat graphically. Her roommate was on the edge of her seat in anticipation of which hickey was from which guy and which basketball player was which in the pictures she had taken on her phone.As I was climbing down from my bunk to go shut my door, ensuring the juicy parts of my “Sound of Music” movie were uninterrupted, I heard one of the girls say, “I would definitely say we are doing college the right way.”I looked back at Julie Andrews and thought, “What exactly does it mean to ‘do college the right way’? Whatever it is, I’m sure it doesn’t involved Frauline Maria.”Seriously, though. What kind of world do we live in or university do we attend that we have people setting daily schedules and to-do lists just to make sure that they are “doing college the right way?” It makes me so sad to think that this poor girl is purposely talking loudly and with her door open to try and impress our fellow floormates with what she believes is the quintessential college experience.I’ve met her several times. We’ve engaged in conversations about her interests in high school, her family and her friends back home. These conversations have led me to believe there is no way she truly feels comfortable going out and doing the things she proudly boasts about the next morning as we pass each other on the way to brush our teeth.Where is she getting this idea of “the right” college experience? I’ve met her family, and I feel confident it isn’t from them. Her roommate is just hanging on for dear life. So what is this “right way”?Maybe it’s just me being a freshman, but I don’t think anyone knows how to do college the “right way.” I come from a family of three IU grads. All three of them would attest to the fact that there are tests they wish they could retake, parties they wish they had not attended, and people they wish they had never met. Not to mention probably one or two evenings and experiences they definitely are glad to have left behind in Bloomington. There is a “right way” to do it, because there’s no one who’s done it yet. And no one will.I don’t have any intention of waking up everyday while living in Bloomington thinking “What would the ultimate college student do today?” I am determined not to shelve all my personal aspirations and dreams for my college years to chase some imaginary standard.I plan to focus my next four years on making great memories with great Hoosiers at the greatest school in the country, and leave the checklist of “rightness” to my sorely mistaken neighbor and all the other foolish people who believe in such a thing.In my mind, that is the right way to do it.— cnmcelwa@indiana.eduFollow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @claire_mcelwain.
(08/28/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I grew up on the classics, being introduced to the “greats” of Hollywood by my grandpa from day one.We listened to Tony Bennet in the car, Louis Armstrong in the house and Ella Fitzgerald on the radio. Even though my grandpa has been gone several years now, I still walked to class the other day listening to Glen Miller, and my room decor at home is Audrey Hepburn. What can I say? I’m a traditionalist.This being the case, I was completely shocked, and frankly, straight up annoyed at the Sunday evening airing of the MTV Music Video Awards.Was that serious?I always knew the award show was somewhat of a farce. After all, the trophy is a metal sculpture of an astronaut. But my disgust was taken to an entirely new level as I watched Miley Cyrus degrade herself on national television, and Robin Thicke, dressed as an extra from “Beetlejuice”, parade around the stage acting like he had some sort of right to be up there.Throughout the airing of the show, I kept returning to the same question. Where did we go wrong?There really is no pinpointed time in which hope was lost, because frankly, it isn’t. Some people are even attempting at this very moment to bring back what used to be. Michael Buble charms us all with a Sinatra-esque record every now-and-then, and Adele graces the world with her presence at the occasional award show, giving us a glimpse of what life must have been like with a living Audrey Hepburn.Styles change. No one is going to be singing songs like “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” forever, and that’s fine. I was pretty content with the Backstreet Boys cargo pants and acid wash phase because at least they did it with dignity and the illusion of true talent.But what do you call what Miley was doing up there? Music? Talent? I beg to differ.We’re students of Indiana University, home to one of the most prestigious music schools in the nation. It seems almost an oxymoron to walk to class each day with the subtle melodies of Jacob’s fluttering in the air to then return home after class to watch the new generation of “talent” expose and humiliate themselves on national television.I seriously hope Miley’s spasm isn’t going to be one of those “gateway” performances that leads to bigger and braver things down the road. If Miley is trying to “twerk” her way to some lasting impression on the Hollywood scene and audiences for decades to come, she might want invest more time listening to classics like “I’ll Be Seeing You” and “Young At Heart” and leave the “strip club,” “big butt” lyrics behind, as well as that horribly shaved head.It’s not that she’s talentless. Miley isn’t on the same page as Cole Porter for me, but she’s got pipes.The true problem with performances like Miley’s is simply a loss of class. I don’t know where it went or how it disappeared so quickly, but vanish it did.In my mind, Miley Cyrus needs a large, old-fashioned, Kathryn Grayson, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen-style helping of class. And a new hairstyle.Until then, I’ll stick with my “High Society” and keep praying for ours.— cnmcelwa@indiana.eduYou can follow columnist Claire McElwain on Twitter @claire_mcelwain