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(10/25/07 4:00am)
Needless to say, I was flattered to be invited to represent WIUX by speaking on a panel at the CMJ Music Marathon. For the unacquainted, the College Music Journal (College radio's Billboard, essentially) hosts an annual weeklong conference in New York City for bands, music-industry personnel and representatives from college-radio stations all over the country. The marathon allows the underground and underrepresented to make the pilgrimage to New York for some great panels, shows and networking opportunities, and this year, I was in the thick of it.\nI arrived late in the game but was still able to take part in two days of the festival. The days usually started with events planned on New York University's campus and other select locations in Manhattan. However, after a few hours of sharing advice and strengthening bonds in the already tight-knit college-radio community, the army of 20-somethings, fueled by energy drinks and a passion for music, descended upon the city to enjoy the many shows that were free to all CMJ attendees. As my duty to you, dear reader, the following is a summary of some of the best performances and up-and-coming artists I was able to see:
(10/17/07 2:56am)
Every Monday and Thursday evening, sophomore Alex Luboff makes his way to Boxcar Books at the corner of Third and Washington streets. He spends the next several hours pouring over letters, filling book requests and packaging, reading materials to be sent to prisoners all over the United States in a collaborative effort for Pages to Prisoners. \nThe weekly service project, directed toward prisoner rehabilitation and self-education, is just one of many volunteer initiatives hosted and organized by Alpha Phi Omega. \nAlpha Phi Omega is a coed national service fraternity that focuses on promoting fellowship, leadership development and service. The fraternity has chapters in all 50 states as well as in Australia, Canada and the Philippines. \n“We serve the campus, community and the nation,” President Jenny Rohde said. “There is a lot of emphasis on leadership roles, and we often have meetings and socials. We don’t just do service projects all the time. We also get together, have fun and bond as an organization.” \nEvery semester, the fraternity has a rush period for students interested in becoming members. This semester, the pledge class consists of 44 pledges, which Rohde said is an ideal number.\nSo far, the pledge class has been ambitious in serving the community. Rohde and Luboff both said the new pledge class has already shown will to get involved in the community. \n“This is a really good group,” Luboff said. “This semester we have pledges that have done some amazing things already. The class really wants to branch out and not just do a simple fundraiser or a one-time event, but a big-brother type of project for mentoring kids. I really like to see that kind of ambition; it definitely bodes well for the future.”\nAlthough Rohde stressed that membership is nonexclusive, all its members have a variety of qualities and interests. \n“We look for someone who is involved in multiple areas and activities; it makes for a very diverse environment. We’re interested in people who want to be involved and help out,” she said.\nEach pledge class is responsible for a specific project before initiation into the organization. The current class is planning an effort in collaboration with the Bloomington Boys and Girls Club or another youth-development organization that focuses on mentoring children and encouraging them to become involved in their communities. \nThe chapter has also begun planning its active semester service project, which will involve the current initiated members. The project will include a Battle of the Bands competition Dec. 1 at Rhino’s Youth Center and All-Ages Music Club. The event will have judges and prizes, and all proceeds will go toward Wonderlab, a Bloomington children’s museum oriented toward science and research.\nAnother one of the fraternity’s distinct qualities is its emphasis on leadership. \n“Even as a new pledge, you have the power to tell the active body about a certain organization or project going on in the community, and you can get people involved with it,” said Luboff, who helps guide pledges through the membership process and serves as a pledge-trainer, mentor and reference. \nBesides planning semester service projects, both the pledge class and active members of the fraternity chapter volunteer with several organizations around Bloomington. Besides Pages to Prisoners, Alpha Phi Omega volunteers with the Hoosier Hills Food Bank, Bloomington Parks and Recreation and the Bloomington Animal Shelter. The organization actively participates in highway cleanups and recently collaborated with other Alpha Phi Omega chapters from all over Indiana for a tree-planting expedition in Indianapolis.
(09/25/07 3:43am)
Few indulgences have had such universal historical appeal as chocolate, which spans cultural boundaries and exists in all varieties to match each individual’s tastes and budget. The average Joe can grab a Mars Bar out of the nearest vending machine for less than a dollar, while connoisseurs seeking a more refined taste can travel to Knipschildt Chocolatier in Norwalk, Conn. and buy a single dark truffle for $250. \nIn extreme cases, people confess themselves to be “chocoholics” – exhibiting voracious cravings and physical symptoms of withdrawal when they cannot get their chocolate “fix.” Yet, can we classify a craving for chocolate in the same way that we determine caffeine, nicotine or drug addiction? \nUniversity of Bristol professor Peter Rogers says no. Chocolate’s appeal is more likely attributed to our attitudes about it, he said in a news release. Most people consider chocolate, comprised mainly of sugar and fat, a treat that should be savored in moderation. Roberts said that a supposed “addiction” to chocolate is therefore really an unfulfilled desire for the substance. Basically, when people deprive themselves of something, they crave it more.\nThe claim that chocolate is “addicting” stems from the presence of several psychoactive ingredients such as serotonin, tryptophan, phenylethylamine, tyramine and cannabinoids, which have potentially mood-enhancing effects, Roberts said in a news release. \nHowever, other foods with greater concentrations of mood-boosting compounds are much less appealing than chocolate, Roberts said in the news release. Dark chocolate has more cocoa solids and therefore a higher concentration of the psychoactive substances but is usually less preferred than its lighter counterpart.\nGeorge Rebec, Chancellor’s Professor of Psychology, researches the mechanisms of substance and drug addiction.\n“The typical definition of an addiction would be someone who persists in a habit despite harmful consequences,” Rebec said. “A person might be addicted to a drug, even though it affects work, family life and a variety of other aspects.”\nWhether or not chocolate could be classified as an addiction is up for debate. \n“I wouldn’t rule (chocolate addiction) out for some people, but it’s certainly not as strong as most drug addictions,” Rebec said.
(08/31/07 3:58am)
“Sex museum.” \nEyebrows skyrocket. Faces light up. Heads bob off desks. The term is admittedly crude, but leaves little doubt as to which campus establishment is being referenced. \nThe Kinsey Institute for Sex, Gender and Reproduction investigates questions about sexual health and behavior and explores issues that affect people’s lives. Yet despite its intriguing content and accessibility, an air of mystery pervades the Institute and its resources. \nSometimes comments about the Institute are limited to lewd jokes and references to condoms, sex toys and pornographic materials. However, the Institute is an international resource for scholars and researchers that attracts visitors from all over the globe. \n“There is no other place where an interdisciplinary research community and a comprehensive library can be found under one roof. This is becoming the center for sexual study and scholarly attention,” said Jennifer Bass, director of communications for the Kinsey Institute. \nThe Institute has been controversial since it was founded in 1947 by Dr. Alfred Kinsey who taught the first “marriage course” to IU students in 1939. However, the students, faculty and administration have always been supportive of the Institute’s mission.\n“The University understands that human sexuality is something we all have to deal with and it’s a really neglected area of understanding. All of us are affected by our sexuality, and sexual health is something we need to know more about and not be afraid to study,” Bass said. \nSophomore Peter Robertson first heard about the Kinsey Institute when the documentary “Kinsey” was released. He knew that it was a sexual studies institute but didn’t realize the extent of the Institute’s resources until he took a tour with his class through the Collins Living Learning Community. \nRobertson’s class saw exhibits featuring a special on condoms and sexual board games from the 1970s, as well as a film with photographs and paintings that resembled poses from the “Kama Sutra.” \nRobertson praised the Institute as a valuable tool for exploring sexual issues. \n“I think it’s an amazing resource. When you hear about it, you automatically associate the Kinsey Institute with sex. After going there I realized that it’s not just a big porn store,” Robertson said. \n“It’s really awesome for people our age because we are all experiencing a phase of sexual exploration and thinking about questions that everyone has but doesn’t want to talk about.” \nThe Institute offers a variety of resources for interdisciplinary research and scholarship, including a library with over 115,000 items. Its materials include everything from medical journals to comic books to historical documents and personal diaries – all of which relate to sexuality, gender and reproduction. \nThe library is non-circulating, but students may use the reading room with permission of a faculty member, and materials are also available online. \nThe Kinsey Institute also houses an art collection started by Kinsey as another form of data collection to understand how people represent sex across culture and time. \nStudents are encouraged to attend a new exhibit, Kinsey Confidential, from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 7 in the Kinsey Institute Gallery. The exhibit will answer commonly asked questions about sexual health and behavior using artwork, photographs, objects and other printed materials. \nAlthough she had no prior knowledge of the Kinsey Institute, freshman Becky Williams expressed an interest in attending the exhibit and learning more about the opportunities and resources the Institute offers. \n“I think this sort of resource is especially applicable because most of us have already been exposed to being sexually active,” Williams said. “We should know more about how and why people think about sex the way they do.” \nThe Kinsey Institute is located on the third floor of Morrison Hall. The gallery is open from 2 to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Tours may be arranged and require reservations. For more information, students can check out the Kinsey Institute Web site at www.indiana.edu/~kinsey/.
(06/28/07 4:00am)
n 2002, terrorists in Pakistan kidnapped Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl while he was on his way to a supposed interview with Shiekh Gilani. Despite the best efforts of Pearl's pregnant wife Marianne and Pakistani officials to meet the terrorist's demands, Daniel Pearl was brutally slain. "A Mighty Heart" is Marianne's story.\nBased on a riveting true story, "Heart" really only has two problems. However, they are major ones. \nFor starters, its 100-minute run-time feels like three hours. The film struggles to show every ounce of time and manpower put into the investigation of the kidnapping of a man we never fully understand. We're never told why he so badly needed this interview (which many warned him against pursuing) or even what attracted the Pearls to Pakistan and the war in the Middle East to begin with. We aren't even given any type of background into how Daniel and Marianne met -- all we see is their wedding.\nSecond, I refuse to hop onto the potential Oscar nomination bandwagon for Angelina Jolie's performance. Granted, she plays the part well, keeping herself together through the ordeal up until the fated breaking point, but it was nothing spectacular. For an actress who generates so many headlines about the latest kid she is adopting, it is hard to see past Jolie's star persona in a role that demands shedding it entirely. Had a more unknown actress taken the part, it would likely have been more believable.\nAs the political thriller it sets out to be, "A Mighty Heart" works OK at best. I've grown weary of these films that find it necessary to photograph the Middle East with shaky, pseudo-documentarian camerawork. Here it only makes the viewing more complicated and a chore to keep up with. \nThree elements of the film are exceptional -- Dan Futterman's brief-but-committed performance as Daniel Pearl, Ifran Khan's weighty performance as the Pakistani captain in charge of the manhunt and director Michael Winterbottom's pursuit to make every film he tackles seem completely different from all the rest -- but "A Mighty Heart" fails to live up to its potential.
(05/31/07 4:00am)
Over the course of four albums, including 2005's excellent sleeper success, Alligator, The National have shown a rare ability get better with every release. And their latest project, Boxer, is so good that, if there's any justice, it should finally launch them into indie rock's A-list. Could it go mainstream? It's probably too moody -- but, hey, who knows what'll happen if one of the songs gets on "Grey's Anatomy." \nIf you're new to The National, here's what you should expect:\nWith his languid baritone, Matt Berenger sounds like the world's weariest frontman (excepting, possibly, Tom Waits), and his impressionistic lyrics suggesting failure, heartbreak, paranoia, resignation and societal decline seem like a ready-made soundtrack for an Irish wake at the end of the world. Add to this a loping piano refrain, then a single note plucked repeatedly on guitar, then drums and bassoon, build in tempo and volume, then kick everything into a clockwork shuffle and fire up a triumphant volley of brass and guitars -- and that's "Fake Empire," the album's very first track. Then, as incredible as "Empire" is, it's outdone by "Mistaken For Strangers," with its powerful drums, chilly lead guitar, heavy bass and catchy chorus: "You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends / when you pass them at night under the silvery, silvery Citibank lights / arm in arm in arm, and eyes and eyes glazing under."\n"Strangers" might be Boxer's most immediate song, but not a weak track follows. Other highlights include the office drone lament, "Squalor Victoria," and the bittersweet, but deeply romantic, "Slow Show" (chorus: "You know I dreamed about you / for 29 years before I saw you"). \nSlow and powerful, with fire seething between the cracks in its surface, The National's Boxer rolls past the ears like lava, although it is a lot easier to sing along to.
(04/18/07 4:00am)
“Hold on Tight.” There couldn’t be a more appropriate tag line for a Facebook event. Dedicated to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank, the Bull Riding Challenge will be hosted from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Kappa Sigma house, 1411 N. Jordan Ave. The event, which is co-sponsored by Kappa Sigma fraternity and Delta Gamma sorority, is the culmination of a student-organized Little 500 food drive.\nSeniors Emily Jablon, Anna Burke and Steven Hall first came up with the idea of a mechanical bull-riding competition for a service learning project in their business leadership class, Z442: “Leading and Motivating Individuals and Teams.” \n“The goal of our project was to change a group of people or organization for the better. We chose to benefit the Hoosier Hills Food Bank,” Burke said. “We met with the directors, and they expressed the need for private donations. The poverty level in Bloomington is high, and not many students are aware of how many people go without food.”\nHoosier Hills Food Bank is an organization that delivers food to impoverished individuals in six counties across South Central Indiana. According to the Web site, 13.5 percent of the total population in the bank’s service area lives in poverty.\n“The Hoosier Hills Food Bank is the primary food distributor in the area. There are people not only in Bloomington, but in surrounding communities who need our help,” Jablon said. “My teammates and I are putting up boxes around dorms on campus with C-stores. When students go to buy food they can easily drop off an extra can or two. If we can reach residents as they’re buying food, it makes it convenient.”\nThursday’s Bull Riding Challenge will offer students another way to donate while tackling a mechanical bull.\n“The bull-riding competition sprang from the idea that Little 5 is a week where people are all out having fun and doing things,” Burke said. “If we can spark awareness when a lot of students are out, it would be great way to get donations.”\nParticipants in the competition are encouraged to bring three canned goods or $3 to the event to get their turns to ride the mechanical bull. Prizes will be awarded for the longest ride and best style. Food will be provided by Smokin’ Jacks Rib Shack, which plans to donate a portion of the proceeds to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank. The event also includes free entertainment by a live band, 2 Greasy Hogs and a Mandolin.\n“It’s Little 5. Three 6 Mafia will be playing across the street, and we wanted something to grab the attention of people walking by. We’re really trying to incorporate philanthropy into the excitement of Little 5,” Hall said.
(03/23/07 4:00am)
Computer games and academics typically don’t go hand-in-hand. However, Jeff Bardzell, assistant professor at the IU School of Informatics, and several of his colleagues are directing their efforts toward changing this. Through the recent foundation of the Enlightening Games Group, Bardzell aims to take the first steps toward promoting and initiating game research on the IU campus. \nBardzell said game research is an interdisciplinary field that is directly applicable to various academic concentrations. \n“In education, there is an interest in using game technology to create interactive learning applications,” he said. “People enjoy games, and games force people to learn.”\nA popular example is the massively multiplayer, online game “World of Warcraft.”\n“I have over 1,000 pages of strategy guides (to ‘World of Warcraft’) sitting on my desk right now,” he said. \nThese guides provide useful information, statistics and suggestions to players. The game also promotes online forums in which thousands of people can talk about their experiences and exchange ideas and advice. \n“The goal is to take that and convert it into socially productive learning,” Bardzell said. \nGame research can also be used in interactive storytelling to give people a broader and high-dimensional perspective. \n“(Storytelling) is usually pre-packaged and linear. When you tell a story through a game, every single individual experiences it differently,” Bardzell said.\nSophomore Graham Sheldon enjoys the strategic element of computer games but thinks that to make computer games effective learning tools, they need to be fun. \n“The only way to educate kids through games is to make them forget they’re being educated,” Sheldon said. “They need to play a game and learn at the same time. Games that make people forget the educational aspect are the most effective. You have to integrate it into the game play.” \nSheldon participated in a computer game simulation called “Arden,” which is being developed in the Telecommunications Department and aims to introduce children to the world of Shakespeare.\nSheldon thinks that the Enlightening Games Group is an excellent idea. \n“We haven’t uncovered one-tenth of the potential that games have to teach us. This sort of project will definitely help,” he said.\nAlready, individuals at IU are conducting game research in various departments around campus, but there has been little inter-departmental communication, Bardzell said. The new group hopes to bring the entire campus together to create an interdisciplinary and coherent approach to game research.\nBardzell is particularly involved with human-computer interaction, which focuses on developing efficient and productive computer software. The goal of human-computer interaction design is to develop software applications that people enjoy.\nThe Enlightening Games Group is focused primarily on massively multiplayer online games, or MMOGs, because IU has one of the biggest concentrations of MMOG players in the world, Bardzell said. However, the members were hired individually and communication has been limited until now, he said. The group hopes to bring together researchers from various departments and encourage people to connect.\n“Our first steps will be to host a monthly colloquium to discuss what we’re doing. Our long-term goal is to create an interdisciplinary Games Research Department that pulls from multiple areas,” Bardzell said.
(03/06/07 5:00am)
You may not wear a peg leg or a patch over one eye, but the next time you log on to LimeWire and click Download, you may be committing an act of piracy.\nIU was included in a list of the 25 universities with the most notices of music copyright infringement this school year.\nThe Recording Industry Association of America released the list in February.\nOhio University and Purdue University topped the list with 1,287 notices and 1,068 notices, respectively.\nIU was listed as No. 21 with 353 notices.\nAlthough 353 might seem like a large number, Chief IT Officer Merri Beth Lavagnino said it must be considered in proportion to the total number of IU network users.\n“It is important to note that these numbers apply to the entire student population at all IU campuses – 98,000 students – because we receive copyright violation notices for anyone using our network from any location, including laptops using wireless on campus, and access from home using IU’s (Virtual Private Network) service,” she said in an e-mail.\nThe RIAA is a membership organization that represents the U.S. recording industry. Its goal is to protect the property rights of artists and copyright owners, oversee state and federal legislation and policies, and investigate illegal production and distribution of music.\nThe RIAA allocates its resources toward tracking offenders who repeatedly infringe copyright laws. It sends notices to the offending users’ Internet service providers. IU is regarded as an “online service provider” and therefore receives infringement notifications for users on its network, according to the Web site of the University Information Technology Policy Office.\nWhen IU receives such a notice it is expected to “act expeditiously to remove or disable access to infringing material.” This is in accordance with policies established by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act , according to the U.S. government’s copyright Web site. \nThe University can then track offenders through their IP addresses, which are unique addresses given to computers connected to the Internet. Every time a student logs on to a network, the IP address, time and hardware of the computer is identified, Lavagnino said.\nAn IU student who receives a copyright violation notice receives an e-mail with the complaint, and he or she has 24 hours to complete an online tutorial and quiz on copyright laws and infringement. Second offenses merit another e-mail, tutorial and quiz, as well as a two-week ban on any access to the IU network and a disciplinary referral to the Office of the Dean of Students. Third-time offenders are blocked indefinitely from the IU network, banned from registering any computer or device on the network and again referred to the Office of the Dean of Students, according to www.filesharing.iu.edu\n“We have already applied our standard procedures to the notices we’ve received so far this year from the RIAA,” Lavagnino said. “We believe the education part of our procedures is working well, since we see very few second offenses. For example, out of the 353 RIAA notices, only 17 of them have been second offenses, and none of them have been third offenses.”\nDespite strict disciplinary measures, not all students believe sharing music is bad.\nSophomore Brent Williamson doesn’t have much sympathy for losses to record labels and artists on account of copyright infringements.\n“I’m a poor college student,” Williamson said. “I need my money more than a recording artist needs my money.”\n“I don’t deny that it’s stealing,” freshman Allison Germain said. “But I don’t feel any guilt from stealing from some wealthy recording company that’s going to make millions whether or not I share music online. On the other hand I feel a twinge of guilt for stealing music from budding recording artists who are trying to make it in the music world and individual artists who are signed with small independent labels like Domino and Sub Pop.” \nLavagnino suggested measures students should take to avoid copyright infringement.\n“The most important thing you can do is to ensure that the person or place you are getting your music, movies, software, games or other digital files from has permission from the copyright holder to distribute those files to you,” she said.\nLavagnino said students should ensure that their computers are not sharing digital files without authorization and keep their computer’s operating systems current.\n“(Students should) install anti-virus software and keep virus patterns up-to-date,” she said. “These actions can help to protect you from attackers who take over your computer to store their illegal files.”\nFor more information about IU’s copyright and file-sharing policies, visit www.filesharing.iu.edu.
(02/26/07 5:00am)
It was early in the evening but already the Indiana Memorial Union Alumni Hall was filling with dozens of students eager to test out their hand-eye coordination in order to help a charitable cause. Intensive Freshman Seminars Extended member Kim Karr made a few practice tosses as she prepared to participate in the Campus Cornhole Championship.\nHoping to raise money for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, the Lutheran Campus Ministry hosted the Campus Cornhole Championship Friday in the IMU Alumni Hall from 8 p.m. to midnight. \nKarr and fellow members of the Intensive Freshman Seminar Extended decided to take on the challenge as a community service project. The IFS Extended is a living learning community that combines academics with community service and leadership experience.\n“I think it’s a good idea – this isn’t like any other fundraiser,” she said. “There’s no cure for AIDS, so it’s great to raise money to build awareness.”\nThe Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation strives to reduce the progression of HIV in infected children, work on preventive methods and help develop a vaccine to ultimately cure for the disease, according to the organization’s brochure. The organization aims to fight pediatric AIDS through funding critical research and training, launching and supporting global health initiatives and advocating for children’s health care.\nIn cornhole, opposing teams consisting of two contestants take turns tossing bags at raised platforms with holes in the centers about 25 feet away. The goal is to get the bag into the hole. The game originated in Cincinnati and is popular among Midwestern college students.\nThe goal of the Cornhole Competition is to promote awareness of the Lutheran Campus Ministry and to raise money in support of fighting pediatric AIDS, according to an advertisement for the event. \n“As Lutherans we’re called to serve and we’ve chosen pediatric AIDS as a cause,” said junior Morissa Moore. “We’ve just chosen to do it in a fun, non-traditional way.” \nThe Lutheran Campus Ministry hopes to raise around $2,000 for the foundation, Moore said. The total amount raised was not available as of Sunday night.\nSeveral local businesses helped support and donate money to the Campus Cornhole Championship and offered many of the raffle prizes including a $200 sitting from Chadron Photography, five free tanning sessions from A Total Tan and an IU basketball signed by coach Kelvin Sampson and the entire men’s basketball team, valued at $500. Groups such as the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and IFS Extended sponsored teams to compete.\nPhi Sigma Kappa President Brian Skram was encouraged to get involved in the Cornhole Championship by his sister, Lutheran Campus Ministry Pastor Kelli Skram, and organized a group of fraternity brothers into teams.\n“Philanthropy is always a great thing to get involved with,” he said.\nGraduate student Doug Doblar was one of three students to organize the event, along with senior Elizabeth Oates and Moore. \n“(Cornhole) is a game that people enjoy and everyone can play,” Doblar said. “It’s a universal game where you don’t have to be an expert. If we’d said that we were going to play basketball, some people might not have turned out because it’s more competitive.”\nCompetitors paid $30 to enter the competition, for which they received two free T-shirts and 10 raffle tickets. The competition consisted of five round robin rounds in which teams were narrowed down from 16 until the final championship round. Winners received a set of boards and gift certificates to the IU Bookstore. \nLutheran Campus Ministry Minister Jeff Schacht said that another reason that the organization chose to support the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation was to promote the understanding of AIDS.\n“One of our purposes as Lutherans is to minister to people on the edges of society,” Schact said. “There is still a stigma attached to AIDS and student groups often seem to shy away from AIDS issues.”
(02/23/07 5:00am)
At first glance, interpersonal fulfillment might not seem to fit with Emily Jablon’s other academic majors – management and international business. Although the senior enjoys the flexibility and security of a traditional management degree, Jablon wants to bring a thoughtful and creative aspect to her business studies. \n“When you understand yourself better and other people better, you become a much better leader, as well as a team leader, which is very relevant to the business world,” she said. “I’ve taken the initiative to study something I’m passionate about.”\nJablon – who wants to work in consulting, earn a master’s degree or MBA and possibly conduct research involving issues of confidence, security and sexuality – is able to pursue her interests through IU’s Individualized Major Program. The program allows students to draw on University resources and take a variety of courses from any department.\nDirector Ray Hedin said the Individualized Major Program is a College of Arts and Sciences program that gives students a “chance to put together majors of their own that can’t be accommodated in another department or major.”\n“It’s a place to get the kind of degree that students need that they can’t get anywhere else on campus,” Hedin said.\nInterested students usually begin the admissions process by setting up an appointment with an IMP faculty member to explore potential ideas and form a tentative plan of study. Each student writes an admissions statement explaining the coherence and feasibility of his or her program. \nThe student identifies which departments the courses will draw from, why an individualized major is necessary, and what the plausible ideas for a final project are. The student then must identify a faculty sponsor, form a list of courses for the major and schedule an interview with a board of three faculty members to present their case.\nOnce the student is admitted, the IMP provides full-time advising for the student, who is expected to meet regularly with a sponsor and undergo a mid-program assessment. The IMP also offers a plethora of resources and different opportunities for student internships and study-abroad programs. \nJablon spent her winter break in New Orleans for an intensive youth-leadership training program. The 10-day training process involved exercises aimed at helping participants change their self-perspectives, attitudes and behaviors in a positive way.\n“The IMP has been so accommodating of every student’s desire,” Jablon said. “You can come with whatever idea you have, and they have always been supportive. I love that it embraces uniqueness and nonconformity. (The IMP) celebrates different kinds of student ideas.”\n“There are always some students whose interests are not going to be met by a single department or program,” Hedin said. “Knowledge is increasingly multi-disciplinary, and we are matching a national trend. We’ve turned out to be a register for emerging interests for the University.”\nSenior Jake Talve-Goodman transferred to IU from Long Island University in New York for the program. The IMP has allowed him to design his own major, soul of camping, which he defines as “character development through alternative education and spirituality in the outdoors.” Talve-Goodman hopes to use this major to achieve his goal of owning and operating a summer camp for children.\n“The only way I’m going to be happy is if I get to spend all my time outdoors with children,” he said.\nHis course load is made up of classes from a variety of areas, including folklore and ethnomusicology, leadership development, philosophy, education and recreational studies. \nTalve-Goodman spoke highly of the IMP and its available resources but said the most challenging aspect of the program is often finding a faculty sponsor, who will serve as a mentor. He found the task especially difficult as a transfer student who didn’t know many IU staff members.\nHe wasn’t easily deterred, however, and soon found his niche in the IMP.\n“For someone like me, I never felt like I fit into any designated program,” he said. “I always wanted something different. I know what I want to do and how to get there. The IMP is perfect for me because I can illustrate what I want to study. I can sign up for anything.”
(01/25/07 5:31am)
Muddy Waters is more than what you'd find on a typical day at Lake Monroe.\n"Searching for the Ghost of Muddy Waters: The Rhetoric and Representation of Rock and Roll Culture," the title of an English W170 topics class this semester, refers to the legacy of the famous blues musician whose music has had an enormous influence on rock 'n' roll music.\nThe discussion-based class open to freshmen meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:05 to 9:55 a.m. Designed and taught by graduate student Pat Maley, it aims to meet the requirements of a standard English W131 composition class but is concentrated on a specific topic.\nMaley focuses on several genres of rock representation. The course is divided into three units in which students explore rock criticism and journalism, visual representations such as concert posters and album covers, and film.\nMaley gives short quizzes, but grades are based mainly on responses to articles and microthemed papers. \nFreshman Vanessa Eicher described one assignment that consisted of a trip to the School of Fine Arts in which students visited a rock 'n' roll art exhibit and wrote papers on concert posters.\n"We analyzed the vectors, subject matter and subject placement to determine the attitude of the poster and what the artist wanted to convey to the public," Eicher said.\nThroughout the semester, students gain valuable skills in critical reading, analysis and writing.\n"We treat a text as a text as a text," Maley said. "We read for construction ... what's being said and how it's being said." \nThe fact that students get to examine rock 'n' roll culture at the same time is "icing" on the cake, Maley said. However, he warned that students should not go into the class with false expectations. \n"This isn't a rock 'n' roll history class," Maley said. "Students will become better analytical readers and writers. Learning about rock 'n' roll is just the cherry on top." \nFreshman Max Einsohn, who took the class last semester, said it helped him gain important critical thinking skills.\n"I'm a more analytical reader and a more polished writer," Einsohn said. "I retain more information."\nEicher agreed and praised Maley for his ability to make the material interesting, even early in the morning when most students are drowsy and inattentive. \n"Even though it was an 8 a.m. class (in fall 2005), he found new ways to keep people thinking and encourage responses," she said. \nEicher said that she was initially frustrated because she was required to take the introductory English course, but at the end of the semester she was grateful for taking it. \n"The best part for me was making a required class into almost an elective that broadened my knowledge of one my interests," she said.\nThis is the second semester IU has offered Maley's class. He is unsure whether he will continue to teach the course in the future.