IU organization urges divestment from fossil fuel companies
IU undergraduate and graduate students, alumni and professors gathered Thursday evening in the Indiana Memorial Union’s Maple Room to attend Reinvest IU’s first meeting of the school year.
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IU undergraduate and graduate students, alumni and professors gathered Thursday evening in the Indiana Memorial Union’s Maple Room to attend Reinvest IU’s first meeting of the school year.
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____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Envision coordinating a non-profit music festival while incorporating an effective strategic business plan. Now envision presenting that strategic plan in 15 minutes.Sixty high school seniors are participating in a new program called Meet-Educate-Experience-Transition to Kelley, formerly known as the Junior Executive Institute. During this weeklong program, the students are introduced to the Kelley School of Business, informed of the opportunities available, participate in campus activities and participate in a professional case competition, said Brittani Wilson, staff director of Kelley Admissions and director of MEET Kelley. The rebranded program targets high-achieving high school seniors from historically underrepresented racial minorities. The business school’s admissions office said it hopes it is able to recruit the MEET Kelley students and increase diversity, Wilson said. To be considered for the program, applicants must be a high school students finishing their junior year and have a minimum 3.4 GPA. The students’ primary academic goal while attending MEET is the case project. During the week, the students receive lectures from Kelley School of Business professors covering a range of business topics culminating in their final presentation. Students are then expected to incorporate different components into their final business strategic plans.“It’s more useful to them, rather than learning stuff in the abstract out of a textbook, to be presented with a project and to learn these business concepts in order to accomplish that task and complete the project,” said Tim Lemper, clinical professor of business law and MEET Kelley lecturer. “You’re creating the interest and desire for them to learn, because they need that information and knowledge to solve a problem.”Many of the MEET Kelley students appreciate the interactive heuristic approach to learning.“I like how it gives you hands-on experience,” MEET Kelley student Steven Austgen said. “It gives us real life examples and propositions of exactly what we’re going to be doing when we get into business.”While the students primarily focus on developing and honing their business plans, they will get an opportunity to experience some cultural aspects of IU. They will explore Kirkwood, receive a tour of the athletic facilities, view a play, bowl in the Union and partake in a campus-wide scavenger hunt. MEET Kelley is mutually beneficial for the students and IU because diversity on campus and in the classroom enriches the college experience for everyone, Lemper said. “We get a richer learning environment when you can assemble a group of students that can bring a variety of experiences, talents and cultures,” Lemper said. “Being exposed to other people’s backgrounds and perspectives is a way of broadening your horizons.” The MEET Kelley participants come from variety of geographic locations, representing eight states and Puerto Rico. MEET Kelley is not a co-ed program. The program is divided into two separate sessions. The women’s group attended the program this past week.Second-year participant Jeremiah Hilliard, 17, says he notices the transformation of students after shortly after starting the program. “Within a couple of hours of working on our project case, it’s like each kid is becoming a legit consultant,” Hilliard said. “I really believe they are transitioning us into Kelley students.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The University will soon be lending a helping hand to high school teachers in the art of teaching undergraduate-level reading and writing. IU faculty will collaborate with high school teachers on the Writing and Reading Alignment Project. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education awarded $286,662 to the IU School of Education and the IU Department of English for WRAP to assist high school teachers from marginalized school districts prepare students for collegiate reading and writing curriculum. “We’re acting as facilitators to aid the language arts faculty of high school teachers as they work to improve the reading and writing of their students,” said Ray Smith, clinical associate professor in the Department of Literacy. Two cohorts of teachers will travel to Bloomington. Once the groups are in Bloomington, the teachers will collaborate with IU faculty and participate in a series of workshops to fortify their teaching skills.“What we’ll do is work with them in designing assignments and choosing readings that are most beneficial for their students,” Smith said. “It’ll help them ensure that a greater percentage of their students are ready for college when the time comes.”The idea of WRAP blossomed through discourse between some of IU’s faculty and high school teachers who were uncertain if students were being properly prepared for college. “We often discussed the academic gaps that can happen when high school students leave for college,” said Ada Simmons, former director of the Center for P-16 Research and Collaboration and co-director of WRAP. “Teachers wondered how well-prepared students were when entering these writing composition courses. The idea grew out of those conversations.”Improving Teacher Quality Grant, a federal program supported by the U.S. Department of Education, funds WRAP, Ali Curtis, Indiana Commission for Higher Education Communications manager said. To receive funding, a program must aim to enhance academic achievement by professionally developing teachers and principals in core academic subjects. Additionally, institutions of higher education must be collaborating with “high-need” local education agencies. The majority of the funding will serve the high school teachers, Simmons said. It will help provide them with resources for their classroom and pay for their travel, lodging and meals while in Bloomington. The teachers and participating IU faculty will be paid a stipend. Through WRAP, the IU faculty hopes it will serve as a conduit for high schools to understand what will be expected of their students if they attend college, Smith said.“We’re going to work with them in an attempt to articulate very clearly the kind of reading and writing that college-bound students ought to be able to do,” Smith said.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Thirty-four women gathered Sunday as they prepared to kick off Miss Indiana week, a week of events including a cookout, charitable functions and preliminary competitions culminating in the crowning of the next Miss Indiana. The judges’ criteria extend beyond each woman’s ability to model a swimsuit or her elegance in an evening gown. The scoring is also based on each contestant’s self-awareness, articulation and global-awareness.“We expect the girls to know their minds, know their opinions, have an opinion on every subject and be able to speak and answer questions well,” said Marni Lemons, a Miss Indiana Board of Directors member.The women qualified for Miss Indiana by winning a college, county or local pageant in Indiana. There are five phases of competition the women will be judged on: a private interview with the judges, performing a talent on stage, modeling a swimsuit, an evening gown competition and answering an on-stage question. All the contestants are also advocating personal platforms.Although the women are not judged based on their personal platforms, there is a correlation between success in the pageant and the women that thoroughly embrace their platform, Lemons said.“What we find is that the girls who excel and succeed in the program are the ones who immerse themselves the most in their platform cause,” she said.The 34 contestants will be divided into 3 different groups and will compete in the preliminary competitions this week in their respective groups. All the contestants will have private interviews with the judges on Wednesday. During each preliminary competition date, a different group will compete in a separate facet of competition. “Depending on the group you are in, one night you will compete in talent, the next night you’ll compete in lifestyle and evening gown and one night you’ll answer the on-stage question,” Lemons said. “That’s why there are three separate groups.” The judges will tally up the scores and announce the top 10 contestants on the final night of preliminary competition, Lemons said. The finalists and a People’s Choice Winner will compete Saturday evening in the Miss Indiana finals. The People’s Choice Winner is decided by whichever contestant receives the most votes online. Each vote costs $1, which benefits the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Miss Indiana Scholarship Fund. There are three IU-affiliated contestants in this year’s pageant: Erika Burghardt, 2014 graduate and reigning Miss IU; Paige Geer, 2013 graduate and Miss Koscuisko; and Chelsea Smith, student at IU for the past two years and Miss White River. In addition to the competitions, the women will be charitably active during the week. They will be visiting the Riley Hospital for Children and the Zionsville Boys and Girls Club. The Miss Indiana Parade and autograph signing will be before the final competition Saturday in Zionsville, Ind. All the pageant participants will receive a scholarship. In addition to an $8,000 scholarship, Miss Indiana will represent Indiana in the Miss America pageant this September in Atlantic City, N.J., Lemons said. The Miss Indiana finals will be at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Zionsville Performing Arts Center. To purchase tickets or find out more information visit missindiana.org.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU alumni will vote to elect one member to sit on IU’s Board of Trustees this month. The Board of Trustees is comprised of nine trustees. Indiana’s governor appoints six of the trustees, including one student, and IU alumni elect the remaining three. All trustees serve three-year terms except the student trustee, who serves a two-year term, and the alumni-elected trustees, who serve rotating terms that require an alumni vote annually. The Board of Trustees has a range of responsibilities that includes setting tuition and fees, establishing curriculum and appointing and reviewing IU’s president. There are two candidates vying for election. Pat ShouldersIncumbent Pat Shoulders is an Evansville native who has served as a trustee since 2002. Shoulders is a first-generation college student who received his bachelor’s degree in English in 1975.Three years later, Shoulders earned his Juris Doctor from IU’s McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. Working as a lawyer has assisted Shoulders in preparing to be a trustee, he said.“My work as a lawyer has taught me dispute resolution, conflict management and a great deal about the regulatory environment within which our educational enterprise must succeed,” Shoulders said. An IU trustee must be open-minded, willing to listen to diverse points of view and unafraid to provide well-reasoned positions on the variety of issues facing a multi-billion dollar institution, he said. “A trustee should value what makes IU special — honor its heritage but remain unafraid of change and the challenges of the future,” Shoulders said. He said he thinks affordability is IU’s primary challenge of the future.“As state support continues to decline, IU must continue to find alternative revenue sources if it is to remain affordable and accessible to the students,” Shoulders said. In addition to maintaining affordability, Shoulders said he believes IU must pay faculty and staff competitive wages.“They are what makes us the excellent institution that we are,” he said. Shoulders said he also believes IU must continue its recruitment efforts so that its diversity is reflective of the state of Indiana and the nation. Whether he’s elected or not, Shoulders said he is dedicated to IU’s success.“I continue to attempt to repay the debt which I owe to the education and habits of lifelong learning I received while a student at Indiana University,” he said. His philanthropic efforts, he said, have been to preserve IU for future generations.“I give my time and money to insure that IU will be available when my granddaughters are ready for college,” Shoulders said. Shoulders said he tries to live up to the expectations of former IU president, Herman B Wells, who wrote Shoulders a letter of recommendation to attend law school.Andrew BaldwinBaldwin graduated from IU in 2007 with a degree in finance. He earned a master’s in 2013 from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He said his fervor for IU sparked his interest in becoming a trustee. “I am motivated by a deep passion for IU and a drive to make IU the best public university in the world,” Baldwin said. “I have no secret political agenda. The mission is making IU better.” Baldwin is an associate with Western Technology Investment located in California. He said he believes his professional experiences will allow him to effectively find the right balance between innovation and tradition at IU.A trustee must have a deep-rooted passion for IU and be a selfless ambassador that contributes to the success of everyone in the IU community, Baldwin said. “They must uphold the highest standard of excellence and be relentlessly accountable,” Baldwin said. “Perhaps most importantly, they must be available and transparent.” Baldwin said IU will encounter challenges of balancing equality, accessibility and affordability. And they are challenges that will only increase with time, he noted. “This will surface through specific issues like incorporating dynamic curriculums, providing regional campuses the best resources, focusing more on at-risk students, continuing to build our own online educational platform versus using others, and initiating outside-the-box ideas to operate the University in a more capital efficient way,” Baldwin said.If elected, Baldwin said he expects to challenge himself, to challenge and inspire others and to work closely with IU to execute a mission of excellence. Baldwin said he will forever be indebted to IU.“I love IU, and IU has given me and my family more than I could ever give back,” he said. “I would be humbled by an opportunity to help IU at the highest levels.”IU Bloomington’s Dean of University Libraries conducts the annual election with assistance from the IU Alumni Association. Ballots will be counted beginning 9 a.m. June 30. IU alumni from all regional campuses are eligible to vote. Alumni can either vote online or by mail.This past year, 13,709 alumni, only 7 percent of IU alumni voted in the trustee election, Alumni Trustee Election Coordinator Amy Cope said. “It’s a bummer more people don’t vote,” Cope said. “A trustee election is very important.”Being a trustee is a laborious duty that is done pro bono, Cope said, and trustees are required to sacrifice a lot of time. A lot of their work requires studying the logistics and operations of IU and all its regional campuses. “They easily have to read 20 to 25 hours weekly,” Cope said.For questions or concerns regarding the election process or to cast a vote, call 812-855-6610 or email truselec@indiana.edu.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Army veteran Carlos Gonzalez is among IU’s first class of Tillman Military Scholars, a scholarship awarded to former active-duty military personnel and their spouses. Gonzalez was born in Managua, Nicaragua, in the middle of a national revolution. A civil war was sparked by turmoil within the government, and young boys were being kidnapped and forced to join the military, Gonzalez said. When he and his brother were 7 and 9, respectively, their mother decided to gather her two young boys and flee Nicaragua. “It was more of a precautionary measure to ensure that none of that happened to us,” Gonzalez said. Gonzalez, his brother and mother emigrated from Nicaragua and relocated to San Francisco.“We were fortunate to come to the United States during those times of civil war,” Gonzalez said.As a young kid, Gonzalez was able to adapt to his new home, but he said the language barrier was his biggest challenge. Gonzalez remained in San Francisco until he moved to Miami when he was in high school.As a high school wrestler, Gonzalez flourished, earning a scholarship to wrestle at California State University. “I attribute a lot of my success to my collegiate dedication and trying to excel in wrestling,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a good way to stay out of trouble and stay disciplined. It’s one of the things that definitely helped in my development as a young man.”However, after breaking his leg during his junior year, Gonzalez said he focused solely on his academics. After earning his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from California State University, Gonzalez joined the Army Reserves.Gonzalez, who once sought refuge and lawfulness in the U.S., also sought to reciprocate his gratitude by serving in the U.S. military. “Years ago, my family and I were fortunate to be given an opportunity to be a part of such a great nation,” Gonzalez said. “Joining the Army felt like the right thing to do.”The Sept. 11 attacks occurred one year after Gonzalez joined the Army Reserves. He said he was initially in shock, then became overwhelmed with a slew of emotions. “I was feeling fear, anguish, along with a roller coaster of emotions,” he said.After the attack, Gonzalez mentally prepared himself for his anticipated deployment to Iraq.“When President Bush gave his Address the Nation speech regarding the attacks on the twin towers, I knew I was going to get deployed,” Gonzalez said. “So I locked in, mentally prepared and wrapped my head around it.” Gonzalez was deployed in 2004, the second rotation of Operation Iraqi Freedom. “The initial rotation invaded Iraq,” he said. “We came in and tried to establish infrastructure.”Shortly after his rotation arrived in Iraq, his military base came under attack every day, Gonzalez said. “They would drive up outside the military base at various hours, fire off a couple of mortars into the base indiscriminately,” he recalled.Gonzalez said he would forever cherish his time in the Army. “The best experiences I ever had stems from my interaction with the people I came across while I was in the Army,” he said.“We all came for the same cause, and we worked together as a team, a cohesive unit, working for a common goal.” Gonzalez’s character is affirmed by some of his fellow Army peers. “Carlos has excellent interpersonal skills who motivated others to do well, even in a difficult and hostile environment,” said Kevin Carr, an army officer that served with Gonzalez during Operation Iraqi Freedom.“In my 32 years of service as an Army Officer, I have never come across such a humble and exceptionally articulate soldier.” After serving a one-year tour in Iraq, Gonzalez returned home to continue his service as a police officer with the Oakland Police Department for nearly 10 years.Gonzalez is set to receive his Jurisdictional Determination from McKinney School of Law in December 2015. He plans to pursue a military and law enforcement career in the courtroom to provide legal services for underserved people.“I want to be able to represent victims of crimes that has no representation,” Gonzalez said. “I want to be a part of something good and leave a legacy behind.”
Three years ago, Lauren Spierer, a 20-year-old apparel merchandising major from New York, vanished without a trace from downtown Bloomington.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosier Hills Food Bank will begin providing monthly food packages to low-income senior citizens in Monroe County through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered through the Indiana State Department of Health, and it will start this month. Its purpose is not to be the sole source of food for low-income seniors but to merely supplement their current diets with nutritious foods. Each participant will receive a 40-pound box of food stocked with vegetables, fruit, canned meat, peanut butter, greens, cereal, juice, milk and cheese, said Casey Steury, director of programs at the Hoosier Hills Food Bank.To qualify for the program, a potential applicant must be a Monroe County resident, must be at least 60 years old and must make 130 percent lower than the national poverty level.The national poverty line is $11,670 annually for a single-person household, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.The Hoosier Hills Food Bank is one of three food banks in Indiana that participates in the CSFP.Hoosier Hills currently operates the CSFP in Crawford, Orange, Martin and Brown counties. It was recently approved to expand operation into Monroe County, Steury said. “The USDA gives each state a caseload — a certain amount of boxes of food,” Steury said. “Then the state caseload is split between the food banks participating in the program.” Hoosier Hills will receive 850 boxes per month to divide between the five counties. “We try to do it based on the number of seniors in poverty based on the census data,” Steury said. “We estimated that there were 2,400 impoverished seniors in Monroe County.” Hoosier Hills will accommodate 100 qualified seniors. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis, Steury said. The applicants will then be scheduled for an interview in which they will be required to provide income documentation.After the first 100 seniors are approved for the program, any additional applicants will be placed on a waiting list. Steury said Hoosier Hills hopes to expand the 100-person limit in Monroe County. “We envision the program growing,” he said. “Eventually, we hope to be able to add additional seniors, but that depends on how federal and state caseloads are allocated each year, as Congress and the USDA consider funding availability.”Six-and-a-half percent of Monroe County’s senior citizen population, or those 65 years and older, lives below the poverty level. This is the lowest among the five participating counties administered by Hoosier Hills. Additionally, Monroe County has the highest poverty rate in the state at 24.6 percent.“The supplemental food program is vital for Monroe County,” Steury said. “Monroe County has the most individuals in poverty, and this is a huge step for the food bank in working towards our goal of getting food out to individuals.” Julio Alonso, Hoosier Hills executive director, said he hopes this program will help other local charities in a collective effort to combat hunger among the Monroe County senior citizen population. “We hope that this program will help supplement the efforts of others like Area 10, Meals on Wheels, Community Kitchen and various food pantries to help ensure that these older people have access to adequate nutrition,” Alonso said.Area 10 Agency on Aging relishes the opportunity in assisting Hoosier Hills with the CSFP, Laura Kray, nutrition manager at the Area 10 Agency on Aging, said.“We’re really excited about the program, and we will be working with the Hoosier Hills Food Bank to help identify seniors that might qualify for the program,” she said. “We have promotional information, and we will be distributing it to people we think will qualify or be interested in the program.” Hoosier Hills is seeking volunteers to assist in the laborious task of packing the boxes to distribute to the seniors, Steury said. “This program is 90 percent volunteer-run,” he said. “We have to pack 850 boxes a month and are in desperate need for volunteers during the summer. This program and volunteers are vital to the seniors being able to sustain their living.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Three IU students were named 2014 Tillman Military Scholars, and they became the first students from IU to receive the coveted scholarship since the program’s inception. The Tillman Military Scholars program was established in 2008 to support America’s active-duty service members, veterans and military spouses by investing in their higher education. The 2014 class of Tillman Military Scholars is composed of 59 scholars selected out of an extensive pool of more than 7,500 applicants. The newly selected class will receive more than $1.4 million in scholarships to pursue their higher education.The Tillman Military Scholarship isn’t merely a gift, but it is an investment in excellence and potential, Marie Tillman, president and co-founder of the Pat Tillman Foundation said in a press release.The Tillman Military Scholars who were selected embody the same ideals Tillman lived by every day, Marie said.James Bishop, Jamal Sowell and Carlos Gonzales earned the honors.In January, IU became one of the 15 partner institutions with the Tillman Foundation. This partnership benefits the IU Tillman Military Scholar applicants. “As a University partner, our applicants compete against those from the other partner institutions rather than the entire national pool of applicants,” said Margaret Baechtold, director of IU’s Veteran Support Services. “These three had superb examples of leadership and sacrifice during their military service and a clear view of how they wanted to continue to serve in their civilian life.” Bishop joined the Air Force after earning his bachelor’s degree in 2000 from Louisiana State University. He then earned his master’s degree in literature from IU and went on to teach at the Air Force Academy in Colorado for two years.“Teaching at the U.S. Air Force Academy was absolutely the most rewarding job I had in the service,” Bishop said. “I will continue to serve in the Air Force Reserve, finish my dissertation and, hopefully, return to the Air Force Academy as a civilian professor.”Bishop expects to earn his Ph.D. from IU in spring 2015.Sowell enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 2006 during his first year of graduate school at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After completing his master’s degree, Sowell became a Marine Officer and decided to go into active duty.“I did not want to miss the opportunity to serve my country,” Sowell said. Sowell will begin his studies at the Maurer School of Law in the fall, and he aims to focus on business and national security law and policy. Additionally, he hopes to continue mentoring undeserved youth. “I want to bring that same passion I had for the military to my community,” Sowell said.Gonzales was deployed in 2004 to southern Iraq while serving in the U.S. Army Reserves. Gonzales served as a police officer in Oakland, Calif., for 11 years before enrolling at McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. The IU Veteran Support Services is thrilled to have three Tillman Military Scholars, Baechtold said. “The program is highly competitive and prestigious,” she said.Despite being a part of a distinguished group of Military scholars, Sowell says he can never forget the inspiration of the foundation, Pat Tillman. “I remember being in college when Pat Tillman passed,” Sowell said. “I am honored that his life of service directly affected mine. I will always be thankful for that.“He’s a role model. He made an unparalleled sacrifice to leave a glamorous and lucrative career to risk his life and fight in a war. That’s heroic.”Tillman excelled as a student–athlete at Arizona State University.He earned three consecutive selections to the Pac-10 All-Academic football team, a first team Academic All-American honor, and in 1997 he was voted the Pac-10’s Defensive Player of the Year as he led ASU to an undefeated season.The Arizona Cardinals drafted Tillman in the seventh round of the 1998 NFL Draft. Tillman became the team’s starting safety and set the franchise record for tackles in the 1999-2000 season. Tillman finished the 2001 NFL season and married his high school girlfriend, Marie, in the spring of 2002. The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks ignited Tillman’s patriotism.After returning from his honeymoon, Tillman announced he would postpone his NFL career and enlist in the U.S. Army with his brother, Kevin Tillman.The Tillman brothers served tours in 2003 in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and in 2004 in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.On the evening of April 22, 2004, Tillman’s unit was ambushed, and he died because of friendly fire, according to the Pat Tillman Foundation’s website.After Pat’s death, his family and friends created the Pat Tillman Foundation in his honor.“Through our mission, we are proud to support and empower these outstanding leaders as they pursue their educational goals and strive to impact significant, positive change for our country and communities after their military service,” Marie said.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Through the morass of renovations and construction in the Herman B Wells Library, the University Archives on the fourth floor of the east tower contains an exhibit encapsulating IU’s contribution in World War I.This year marks the 100th anniversary of the start of the war.Carrie Schwier, assistant archivist at the University Archives, said she thought it was an appropriate time to create a WWI exhibit.As a result, library science graduate students Alison Haack and Alessandro Meregaglia curated an exhibit titled “Indiana University and the Great War: Student, Professor and Alumni Involvement in World War I.” The creation of the exhibit not only educates the public on IU’s contribution to the war, but it also shows what the University Archives have to offer, Haack said. “I think a lot of people assume the archives store these really boring documents, but we have alumni, professors and students’ documents,” she said. “We collect the story of IU.” The story of how IU and WWI affected one another is told by an assortment of historical documents, including scrapbooks, photographs, Indiana Daily Student clips from the time period, handwritten letters and course bulletins, Haack said. When WWI erupted in 1914 in Europe, United States President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation of neutrality.However, repeated German submarine attacks on civilians and the loss of American lives incited the entry of the U.S. into WWI in April 1917.Like many Americans, the IU community rallied to contribute and support the war effort. By the fall semester of 1918, 60 percent of the student population had enlisted in the Student Army Training Corps, according to the exhibit. Former IU President William Lowe Bryan still wanted the students in the SATC to obtain their undergraduate degrees.Therefore, he consolidated the SATC academic coursework so the students were able to complete their degree requirements in two years, Haack said.She said it was important to find a balance for students to contribute to the war effort and have students prepared to contribute to the skilled labor force after the war. In addition to the SATC program, IU offered students courses that could potentially be beneficial to the war campaign during the 1918-19 academic year. “There were emergency courses created for training and instruction in first aid, making of garments for Red Cross and civilian relief, hygiene and home care for sick people,” Haack said.The exhibit also highlights the contributions of the Red Cross, the 1918 influenza outbreak on campus and the IU ambulance corps that spent months overseas during the war.There are photos of the SATC members standing outside of their barracks, which were repurposed fraternity houses, hospital beds that were set up in Assembly Hall to combat the influenza epidemic and women working in a Red Cross workshop located in Kirkwood Hall.Haack said she and Meregaglia spent nearly two months working on the exhibit.It was fun doing the research, and it was a difficult process determining what materials to place in the exhibit, Haack said.The exhibit is free and will be on display in the IU Archives from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays until June 30.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Million Dollar Arm” is a tale of one man’s livelihood hinging on the improbable task of transforming two Indian teenagers into major league pitchers.The most daunting task is plucking those two Indian teenagers, hurling them into a foreign culture and expecting them to thrive without an adequate support system.This is a quasi-sports film that appeals to all demographics.It’s an entertaining baseball drama that shows the personal journey, replete with hardships and awkwardness, of two Indian teens trying to acculturate into the United States and be molded into Major League Baseball pitchers in less than a year. This real-life story makes a seamless and beautiful transition onto the big screen.Jon Hamm plays the main character, J.B. Bernstein, who is a Los Angeles sports agent whose firm and career are in limbo.Hamm turns in an unimpressive performance as Bernstein, a stiff sports agent who cares solely about business.Hamm fails to personalize his role, as he remains formulaic and dry throughout the film. His character is naturally obnoxious and selfish.Fortunately, Amit, his Indian assistant, introduces a vibrant personality and counters Bernstein’s surliness.Bernstein reaches an epiphany as he flips back and forth between Susan Boyle enchantingly singing “I Dreamed a Dream” on “Britain’s Got Talent” and an Indian cricket match.He decides to conduct a competition in India searching for a cricket bowler with an arm explosive enough to become a Major League pitcher.Similar to “Slumdog Millionaire,” there’s an allure to witnessing Bernstein conduct his contest in India.We’re privy to a small insight to Indian culture.“Million Dollar Arm” hits the road resembling more of a carnival than a contest seeking legitimate major league talent.Despite successive failures and witnessing an innumerable amount of noodle arms, this tour de India is charming and amusing as an uncommon trio travel together.Whether it’s Bernstein’s scout Ray (Alan Arkin) in an everlasting slumber or the eager and effervescent Amit, they provide a much-needed balance to Bernstein’s frigid personality. Madhur Mittal, known for his role in “Slumdog Millionaire,” and Suraj Sharma, who starred in “Life of Pi,” are the two main Indian characters. They do a sensational job translating and internalizing their emotions as they transition from India to the U.S.The Indian teens are hurled into a culture shock, forced to navigate the chaotic and fast-paced culture without the tangible support of their families. In addition to the cultural and baseball elements of the film, a quasi-love story buds.Bernstein comes to like his tenant, Brenda (Lake Bell).The two finally connect only after Bernstein brings Brenda an elaborate mini Taj Mahal back from India and realizes she is dating a chiseled hunk.Ironically, Brenda grows to care more about the Indian teenagers than Bernstein.While I agree with the sentiment that the film is predictable, I emphatically reject the sentiment that this film is clichéd.It’s a feel-good story that everyone will enjoy.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Two alleged carnival workers were arrested May 19 and are facing two charges of animal neglect.The two men were traveling from the state of Georgia to Chicago in a 1995 Ford pickup, which was pulling an enclosed trailer. An Indiana state police trooper patrolling U.S. 41 in Sullivan County pulled over the two men for a routine inspection of the trailer and its contents, according to a release from the Indiana State Police Department.The trailer contained two miniature horses, one male and one female, which were emaciated and in poor health. Additionally, there wasn’t food, water or sufficient air flow through the trailer, according to the release.The two men told police they were employees of Modern Midways Carnival.However, Modern Midways denies any connection to the two men.“Modern Midways, Inc. vigorously denies any responsibility surrounding the recent allegations of animal abuse,” said Kristen Dunn, the company’s attorney.The two individuals have never been employed by Modern Midways, Dunn said. “Modern Midways, Inc. is a carnival ride company and does not employ animal acts for our customers,” she said.Modern Midways offered to rent space to the two men at a carnival without any knowledge of their identities, of the proposed use of miniature horses nor of the alleged condition of the miniature horses, Dunn said.The company operates in multiple states, and Dunn said she believes the two men were likely vendors who hoped to rent floor space at a local carnival.The Sullivan County Humane Society took the miniature horses to an animal hospital, where they were checked out and treated, said Jen Petty, shelter manager of the Humane Society of Sullivan County. After receiving treatment the horses were taken to a temporary foster home, which is monitored by the Humane Society. The foster homes are an extension of the Humane Society.“It’s an individual in the community who provides temporary homes for our shelter animals to help alleviate some of the overcrowding in shelters,” Petty said.A woman with a lot of horse experience supervises the two horses’ particular foster home, Petty said.Both horses are in poor condition but are being medically treated and properly nourished.“We’re feeding them, providing them with water and making sure nutritionally they’re back on track,” Petty said. “We have to get the horses back to a good weight and physical appearance.”Despite their poor health, Petty said she believes the horses can return to a healthy condition.“They should be able to be rehabilitated,” she said. “It shouldn’t be a life-long detriment.”The two men are facing Class A misdemeanor charges that are punishable up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $5,000, Indiana State Police Sgt. Joe Watts said.The Sullivan County Court system will determine whether the two horses are released back to the two men or released to a new owner.The criminal charges against the two men are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless or until they’re proven guilty, Watts said.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Attorney General Eric Holder met with officials from eight universities in the Washington D.C. area to discuss how to address sexual assault on university campuses across the nation.The gathering was organized to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act and concluded an eight-day tour organized by the Office of Violence Against Women. The meeting, which took place May 14, came in the wake of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights releasing a list of 55 colleges under investigation for possible sexual violence violations that includes Ivy League universities, public universities and local colleges. IU and Vincennes University are the only two Indiana institutions on the federal list. Officials at the meeting exchanged ideas on the successes and shortcomings of their respective plans in confronting sexual assault on their campuses. Catholic University of America was among the universities represented at the meeting that is also under investigation by the DOE.While some colleges’ placement on the list was a result of students filing a Title IX complaint, Mark Land, associate vice president of public affairs and government relations, said IU’s placement on the list was not a consequence of such a complaint.“The DOE is in the process of conducting what it calls a compliance review to take a look at how Bloomington campus handles sexual assault cases and to examine the programs and staffing we have in place to help educate students on the issue and create a safe environment,” Land said. But in 2012, the University had the highest number of sexual assaults reported among universities in the state of Indiana. According to the 2013 IU Annual Security report, 27 sexual assaults were reported on campus in 2012. Vincennes University had three sexual assaults reported. Purdue University and Ball State University, Indiana’s other two major public universities, reported two and eight, respectively. In January, President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum establishing the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. The White House task force aims to accentuate and remedy the prevalence of sexual assault crimes at higher education institutions nationwide.Last month, the White House task force released its first report titled “Not Alone.”“As the name of our new website NotAlone.gov indicates, we are here to tell sexual assault survivors that they are not alone,” the White House task force said in the report. “We’re also here to help schools live up to their obligation to protect students from sexual violence.” The task force recommended four initial steps for schools to undertake: identify the scope of the problem on college campuses, help prevent campus sexual assault, help schools respond effectively when a student is assaulted, increase transparency and improve enforcement. Since 1999, the Office of Violence Against Women has spent more than $139 million in projects addressing violence and sexual assault on campuses across the nation. Debbie Melloan, a counselor at the University’s Sexual Assault Crisis Services, said she believes schools must also play a role in preventing sexual assault. “We have a responsibility under Title IX to respond to and prevent sexual violence,” Melloan said. “I think we have a good network of services and resources to respond to sexual assault on campus.”The Sexual Assault Crisis Services administers several programs throughout the year directed at raising awareness and providing information about sexual assault, Melloan said. Additionally, it offers individual, couples and group counseling for sexual assault victims. Sexual Assault Services also provides a free 24/7 service line for assault victims or anyone who knows assault victims. “We’re here to address sexual assault on campus and advocate for not only women, but also men who have also been affected by this,” Melloan said. “I think we do a good job. The information and resources are available.”After becoming aware of the Department of Education’s compliance review in mid-March, the University provided the initial pieces of information requested, Land said. “The campus has not yet received any feedback from the DOE and probably won’t for a few months,” he saidNevertheless, IU administration will continue to address sexual assault on campus.“This is a vitally important area, and campus takes nothing more seriously than the safety of its students,” Land said. “Campus leaders are continually looking at ways to strengthen its processes and practices regarding sexual assault to create the safest possible environment for our students and to nourish a culture of respect toward women on our campus.” The administration also works closely with IUPD on sexual assault prevention strategies, Land said. Lt. Craig Munroe, the IU Police Department public information officer, said IUPD has a meeting every quarter with all the agencies that might have a sexual assault reported to them. “It’s a collaborative effort, and we try to get a reflection on what’s happening at IU,” Munroe said. “The IU Health Center, Student Advocates Office and IU administration get together, sit down and make sure everyone knows what’s going on.” IUPD participates in any committees or programs associated with sexual assault, Munroe said.“This is a cultural problem,” he said. Land said law enforcement offices outside of campus are a big help to IUPD in fixing that problem.“IUPD has a very close relationship with the Bloomington Police Department as well as the Monroe County prosecutor’s office to ensure that sexual assault complaints in and around campus are investigated promptly and thoroughly and, when appropriate, prosecuted vigorously,” Land said. IU appreciates the focus being placed on this issue by President Obama’s administration, Land said. “We are hopeful that this increased emphasis on sexual assault on college campus will help all universities address this issue more effectively,” he said.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Anyone in Indiana will now be able to text 911 for emergency assistance, in what the Federal Communications Commission is calling next-generation 911 capabilities.The Indiana Statewide 911 Board has announced a public safety initiative that will enable everyone who lives or travels in Indiana direct access to emergency services via text message.Indiana is the second state to offer this service.For now the service is only available to those with Verizon Wireless service.The nation’s three other preeminent wireless companies, T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T, are expected to provide this service in the upcoming weeks. The public should only communicate with 911 dispatchers via text messages if they’re unable to speak because of a medical condition or if speaking would be unsafe.Using a phone to call 911 is still the most efficient way to contact emergency services, said Barry Ritter, executive director of the Statewide 911 Board. To emphasize the importance of using the most efficient method during emergencies, the 911 Board introduced the slogan “B 4 U TXT 911 VOICE is best,” to correspond with the introduction of the text-to-911 service. The Statewide 911 Board advises customers using the text-to-911 service to provide their location and nature of their emergency in the first text message, since the emergency dispatch centers will only receive an approximate location of the cell phone. Text message abbreviations or slang should never be used so the dialogue is as clear as possible, the Board said. After the emergency dispatch center receives a 911 text, they will attempt to engage in a text conversation to procure as much information as possible, said Jeff Schemmer, Bloomington Police Department communications manager. The text-to-911 service will be beneficial to those who are deaf or speaking-impaired. “The main concern, as the deaf and speaking-impaired population has transitioned to wireless devices, is their availability to emergency services has been nonexistent,” Ritter said. “It was our focus that the sooner we could begin offering text-to-911 services, we would be providing equal access to the deaf and speaking-impaired.”Indiana was estimated to have more than 240,000 residents with a hearing disability in 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That number has steadily increased since 2009. “This project enables direct access to emergency service for an underserved segment of our population,” Ritter said. In October, INdigital telecom of Fort Wayne activated the 911 connection capable of supporting this pioneer service. INdigital telecom designed, built and operates the IN911 network, the text-to-911 service, for the State 911 Board, which provides the service to 911 agencies throughout the state. The Monroe County Dispatch Center in Bloomington recently installed the text-to-911 software on its computers, and it is currently in the process of training staff to use it.The text-to-911 service is currently unavailable for Indiana residents living in Monroe County. “We need to familiarize ourselves with the software and be efficient using that software before going live,” Schemmer said.Schemmer said he anticipates Monroe County residents being able to utilize the service within the next month. Until then, if someone dials 911 by text message, he or she will receive a kickback message informing them that the feature isn’t available in their area. “Ideally, we want to talk to somebody when there is an emergency going on,” he said. “There is a lot of information we need to obtain, and it’s quicker and a little bit more efficient by voice.”The Monroe County Dispatch Center answers 911 calls for everyone in the county except the IU campus, which has its own dispatch center. IU students will not have access to the text-to-911 service until the Monroe County Dispatch text-to-911 service is operational. All wireless 911 calls and text messages go directly to Monroe County Central Dispatch. If a call or text message originates from campus, central dispatch will forward the information directly to the IU Police Department, Lt. Craig Munroe said.IUPD currently doesn’t have the software capabilities to operate the text-to-911 service, Munroe said.“We figure we’ll be operational by the 2014 fall semester,” he said. “That’s what we’re shooting for.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Kelley Executive Partners was ranked fourth among all public universities and 16th among all business schools in the United States by The Financial Times, a publication specializing in business news. The partnership was also ranked 35th overall in the world for the second consecutive year in a pool of 6,000 other business programs worldwide.Kelley Executive Partners began in 1968 and is an education arm that represents the Kelley School of Business.Idalene Kesner, dean of the Kelley School, said she is proud of the ranking and hopes the school continues to strive in being a firm center for education.“We are proud that some of the most prominent companies in the world turn to us for the knowledge and skills that will help them compete more effectively in the global marketplace,” Kesner said. “This Financial Times ranking confirms once again that we are among the best in the world at providing custom-designed executive education programs.” The Kelley School is a strong collaborator with companies in the state. It has provided custom executive programs to corporations such as Cummins, Eli Lilly, Cook Medical, Hill-Rom, Zimmer, Bemis Polyethylene Packaging, Elanco and Deaconess Health System, as well as companies based in states outside of Indiana and abroad.Other corporations also rated Kelley highly on its strong focus on teaching methods, course design, overseas programs, follow-up and overall value for money. The business school’s work was also recognized May 16 on the Nasdaq stock market’s towering video monitor in New York’s Times Square.Kesner said she felt this banner appearing in Times Square was great publicity and exposure for the Kelley School. Despite the heavy attention on the school, John F. Cady, executive director of Kelley Executive Partners, said he feels the placing is justified. “Kelley has been among the leaders in business education precisely because it has focused on helping its corporate clients achieve their business, as well as their learning outcomes, through executive education,” Cady said. “Through our work with our corporate partners, we ensure that our students are exposed to the knowledge and business practices which allow them to make important contributions to their employers and society at large.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Northside Exchange Club of Bloomington will be honoring a Monroe County police officer today as the 2014 Police Officer of the Year in its 54th annual awards dinner. The Exchange Club is a national service organization for men and women who want to serve their community, develop leadership skills and enjoy each others’ fellowship.The Exchange Club Programs of Service is divided into four main areas: Americanism, Youth Program, Child Abuse Prevention and Community Service. “As part of Community Service, we recognize and express our appreciation for police officers and firefighters who serve the community,” said Ken Todd, Exchange Club member and chair of the Officer of the Year awards.“We select and honor a Police Officer of the Year and Firefighter of the Year from county departments annually.”The Exchange Club solicits nominations from Monroe County’s five law enforcement agencies: the sheriff’s department, the Bloomington Police Department, the IU Police Department, the Indiana State Police and the Ellettsville Police Department.After receiving one nomination from the department chiefs of each respective agency, the Exchange Club’s selection committee reviews the nominations before determining the Officer of the Year.“Nominations by department chiefs may be based on a specific act, such as an act of heroism, a life-saving act or solving a particularly significant or complicated crime,” Todd said. The nomination can also be based on years of distinguished service, overall excellence in the performance of duty or commitment to the enhancement of the department’s mission, Todd said.The Northside Exchange Club then appoints a selection committee that reviews the nominations and makes the selection, he said.The Officer of the Year will be announced at the award dinner.The first Monroe County Police Officer of the Year was named in 1961.“This year marks the 54th consecutive year in which we have held an award dinner attended by the chiefs of each county law enforcement agency, past recipients of the award, current nominees, elected officials and others to honor each of the nominees and announce an Officer of the Year,” Todd said.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Northside Exchange Club of Bloomington will be honoring a Monroe County police officer today as the 2014 Police Officer of the Year in its 54th annual awards dinner. The Exchange Club is a national service organization for men and women who want to serve their community, develop leadership skills and enjoy each others’ fellowship.The Exchange Club Programs of Service is divided into four main areas: Americanism, Youth Program, Child Abuse Prevention and Community Service. “As part of Community Service, we recognize and express our appreciation for police officers and firefighters who serve the community,” said Ken Todd, Exchange Club member and chair of the Officer of the Year awards.“We select and honor a Police Officer of the Year and Firefighter of the Year from county departments annually.”The Exchange Club solicits nominations from Monroe County’s five law enforcement agencies: the sheriff’s department, the Bloomington Police Department, the IU Police Department, the Indiana State Police and the Ellettsville Police Department.After receiving one nomination from the department chiefs of each respective agency, the Exchange Club’s selection committee reviews the nominations before determining the Officer of the Year.“Nominations by department chiefs may be based on a specific act, such as an act of heroism, a life-saving act or solving a particularly significant or complicated crime,” Todd said. The nomination can also be based on years of distinguished service, overall excellence in the performance of duty or commitment to the enhancement of the department’s mission, Todd said.The Northside Exchange Club then appoints a selection committee that reviews the nominations and makes the selection, he said.The Officer of the Year will be announced at the award dinner.The first Monroe County Police Officer of the Year was named in 1961.“This year marks the 54th consecutive year in which we have held an award dinner attended by the chiefs of each county law enforcement agency, past recipients of the award, current nominees, elected officials and others to honor each of the nominees and announce an Officer of the Year,” Todd said.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As a native Colombian, department of Spanish and Portuguese lecturer Israel Herrera never anticipated living, let alone teaching and being a community activist, in the United States.This month, Herrera was named the 2014 Indiana Latino Educator of the Year. Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard presented the award to Herrera on May 3 at the Indiana Latino Expo.As a high school teenager, Herrera was captivated with American music. As a monolingual, the lyrics were beyond Herrera’s comprehension, but he remained enchanted with the rhythmic melody, instruments and composition of American music. He said he fondly remembers gravitating to a radio to hear his favorite song, Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Herrera’s desire to learn English, ignited by his passion for American music, prompted him to study “teaching languages” at his university in Colombia. Herrera began his coursework exuberantly learning different languages, unaware that the program was preparing him to be a teacher. “At first I didn’t realize it was for teaching students. I was just learning different languages,” Herrera said. After completing his studies in Colombia, Herrera got an opportunity to teach Spanish at South Dakota State University.Soon after, he departed for the University of Iowa, where he earned his master’s degree in Hispanic literature. Upon receiving his master’s, Herrera said he yearned to study a subject related to Latin America.“The IU Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies was the best program in the country,” Herrera said. After completing his second master’s degree, Herrera was offered a position as a lecturer in IU’s Department of Spanish and Portuguese.The Indiana Latino Educator of the Year is selected based on the merits of his or her educational and community impact.“They have to be exemplary in their field. We assess the numbers of lives they may have affected and how their impact has affected students and teachers in the state of Indiana and beyond,” Pamela Gemmer, an ILE awards committee member, said. “I’ve seen Israel make things happen for students, teachers and colleagues at all levels.”Herrera contributes to language education on a local, regional and national level by also serving as the president of the City of Bloomington Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs.“We try to promote and educate all aspects for the Latino community,” Herrera said. Herrera also serves as advocacy chair in the Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association, where he is working to incorporate the Seal of Biliteracy in Indiana. The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school, district or county office of education in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation.The Seal of Biliteracy encourages students to learn different languages and is attractive to future employers and college admissions offices, Herrera said. When the requisites are met and the legislation passes, Indiana will be the fifth state in the country to receive this distinction. Additionally, Herrera was recently elected the president of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. This organization promotes the learning of Spanish and Portuguese languages and cultures at all levels, Herrera said. “We organize workshops, conferences and programs promoting activities where teachers can improve and have professional development,” he said.Coming from Latin America, Herrera understands the need to advocate for the Latino community. “There are many members of society,” Herrera said. “We are a minority, so if you are a minority, people won’t constantly see you or realize what you are doing for other people.” Through his organizations, Herrera recognizes Latino high school students who excel academically, helping them obtain scholarships for college. He also strives to get recognition for language teachers across the state. Despite Herrera’s relentless advocacy for the Latino community and language education initiatives, he remains fervent about teaching and his students.“That’s my passion. That’s my thing,” Herrera said. “There will never be a moment when I don’t like teaching.” Herrera said he believes his impact and duty transcend the classroom. “I don’t see my role here as just teaching them grammar or teaching them to say ‘Hola, cómo estás?’” Herrera said. “It’s doing the personal things.”Herrera’s passion and teaching style has resonated with some of his students.“The difference with Israel is that he’s so passionate about teaching, and he loves the language,” William Northdquist, a sophomore and former student of Herrera, said. “He dedicates himself to his students and his classes like a professor I’ve never seen.”Northdquist said taking Herrera’s class had a lasting impact. Herrera told him education is indispensable, and promoting education is paramount.“He encouraged me personally to double major in Spanish,” Northdquist said. “If you don’t have education, you won’t take advantage of life as the maximum level,” Herrera said. “You can share and help people with what you know and assist in the welfare of many people.”“You will help with the development of a city, of a country, because you will be cultivating with your knowledge.” Herrera’s work ethic, benevolence and selflessness is lauded and has been recognized by his peers. “Israel’s leadership, creativity and dedication to turning ideas into reality are highly esteemed in the world language communities,” Gemmer said.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The University celebrated its 185th graduation commencement Friday and Saturday, honoring 8,530 degrees to 8,241 graduating students. On the distinguished stage, President Michael McRobbie, Provost Lauren Robel and many more who play a significant role in the success of IU stood overlooking the rows of students who awaited the words they had been looking forward to for years — “Congratulations, graduates.”Graduate CommencementFour graduates all receiving their master of public health degrees from the School of Public Health stood outside the doors of Assembly Hall making finishing touches on their gowns and snapping photos. These four students — Desiree Chenault, Hannah Boyer, Elizabeth Peyton and Erin Adams — all met and bonded during their years in the master' s program. Chenault said it didn’t feel like the end. “It doesn’t feel real,” she said. “Still abstract.”Boyer said she agreed.“This is way more special than undergrad graduation though,” she said. “We became really close while in the program. That is one of the differences from undergrad.”McRobbie welcomed students, families and friends of the graduate commencement to Assembly Hall Friday. His speech was followed by “The Star-Spangled Banner,” sung by Gwyn Richards, dean of the Jacobs School of Music, and an invocation led by Father John Meany of St. Paul Catholic Center.McRobbie then awarded Paul O’Neill, former United States Secretary of the Treasury, with an honorary doctorate of humane letters.O’Neill came to IU in 1966 while on leave from his government post. He completed a master of public administration degree.“Whatever you do in life, make time to have fun,” O’Neill said in his address. “Put yourself in the way of opportunity. Let it happen to you, and if you are as fortunate as I have been, it will work.”In his introduction, McRobbie expressed his deep appreciation of O’Neill’s presence at the ceremony and his support for the University.O’Neill, a philanthropist for IU, has presented the School of Public and Environmental Affairs with the largest endowment in its history — a donation of $3 million. “Secretary O’Neill is a generous philanthropist,” McRobbie said in his introduction for O’Neill’s speech. “He has maintained strong ties with the school and has come to speak to students over the years. We are deeply grateful.”McRobbie then spoke to IU graduates before offering the podium to Robel for the conferral of degrees. She introduced each dean of the schools, and he or she recognized those who were graduating from their particular school. Undergraduate CommencementHanging from the caps of each student was a different color tassel, symbolizing the designated school he or she has been a student of for their undergradute career. The tassel color differed and the school they stood for differed, yet the students sitting in Assembly Hall Saturday graduated together as one, representing the 2014 class of IU. Undergraduate exercises were split into two 90-minute ceremonies. All schools outside of the College of Arts and Sciences attended the 10 a.m. commencement. The College ceremony took place at 3 p.m.Graduates entered in a single file line, smiling ear-to-ear and scouring the audience for friends and families. The Herald Trumpeters sounded their trumpets as they began fanfare, playing the short musical flourish harmoniously in euphonic synchrony. The audience silenced, and the procession began.The Grand Marshal led the platform party procession — administration, commencement speakers, trustees and deans — followed by the heraldic banners graphically symbolizing the different schools at IU.In his welcome address, McRobbie highlighted the significance of a college degree and acknowledged that the graduation ceremony doesn’t adequately commensurate the students’ years of hard work.“Earning a college degree is an unparalleled accomplishment,” McRobbie said. “Our ceremony today is brief compared to the years of diligent work that these candidates have invested in their education.”Irish president Michael D. Higgins was conferred an honorary doctorate of humane letters and delivered both undergraduate commencement addresses.Higgins attended IU for two years before receiving his master’s degree in sociology in 1967. In his speech, he reminisced about his time at IU. “I wish that all of you had as pleasant a time and, even more important, as interesting a time of discovering achievement here at Indiana University as I had 47 years ago,” Higgins said.He cautioned the graduates against intellectual hubris, urging them to remain open-minded.“Those who have the benefit of education must always guard against an arrogance of knowledge,” Higgins said. “They must always base their intellectual endeavors on the merits of curiosity, equality, respect and must remain open to new ideas.”These new ideas and experiences can come in many ways, which student speaker Christopher Kauffman reflected on in his speech Saturday morning. The prospect of moving into a dorm freshman year with a randomly assigned roommate, flying alone in Beijing for a study abroad program, nail-biting during IU sporting events, joining a fraternity, writing a senior thesis, going on the road with a rock band, and testifying in front of Senate Committees were just some of the uncomfortable experiences Kauffman was met with during the past four years.“I have found merit in being uncomfortable,” Kauffman said. “At the time what seemed so unbearable now seems so integral to my life in the form of lasting friendships, passions for travel in my field of study and a closer connection to this University.”Despite graduation being the formal end to some graduates’ education, Kauffman said he believes students never stop learning.“We can always be students,” Kauffman said. “We can always explore, inquire and try new things. This education transcends pen, paper, textbook, touching every aspect of our lives.”Parker Mantell, the student commencement speaker at the afternoon ceremony, delivered a triumphant message of overcoming adversity and combating doubt with confidence, a message he deemed imperative. “The message I have to share is one that must be heard,” Mantell said. Mantell, who has a speech disorder, graduated with a degree in political science and has completed internships in the Washington D.C., offices of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Senator Marco Rubio and in the office of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. “Far too often society has instilled and reinforced the idea that those of us with disabilities are to remain disabled and perhaps even incapable,” Mantell said. “We have been tacitly yet resoundingly told to doubt both ourselves and our abilities.” Doubt has killed more dreams than failure ever will, he added.Mantell concluded his address by challenging the graduates.“Imagine what you are depriving the world of if you never dare to achieve your purpose,” he said. “I challenge you to stop believing in those who cast doubt upon you and to start believing in yourselves.”Mantell’s address was met with a roaring 30-second standing ovation. “I think he had a really sincere speech,” IU graduate Barton Girdwood said. “It was really emotional for me.”Following the student commencement addresses, the class of 2014’s degrees were awarded.McRobbie made his closing remarks, and the ceremony ended with the singing of IU’s alma mater, “Hail To Old IU.”As the commencement came to a close, emotions ran high.“I feel liberated but bittersweet at the same time,” IU graduate Stephen Stepnoski said. “It really didn’t hit me until I walked out of Assembly Hall.”