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(09/20/02 6:21am)
The men's golf team will have another chance to compete this weekend, when they participate for the first time in the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational at The Players Club in Yorktown, Ind. The Invitational will be hosted by Ball State University and will feature a shotgun start Saturday morning at 8 a.m. The golfers have scheduled tee times from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Sunday morning.\n"Practice these two weeks has been invigorating," senior Aldo Jordan said. "I am excited to get out on the course again."\nThe Hoosiers will compete against Akron, Austin Peay, Butler, Bowling Green, Cleveland State, Creighton, Detroit Mercy, Eastern Kentucky, IUPUI, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Western Kentucky and Wright State at the tournament. \nSenior captain Ben Davidson said the competition, consisting of smaller schools, will work to the Hoosiers advantage.\n"We are looking forward to this weekend," Davidson said. "It's not the strongest of fields, and we have the idea of winning." \nSophomore Jeff Overton said the field didn't guarantee a victory, but that the team has a great chance to take home a win.\n"Because it is an easier field the other teams will have a chance as well," Overton said. "We just have to be the best team, and go out and do it."\nWhen conditions are good, the course has traditionally produced some low scores. This could allow some of the weaker teams to compete for the top position. \nWith competitive golf programs Ball State, Eastern Kentucky and Western Kentucky taking part, coach Mike Mayer said the victory will not be handed to them, but it is reachable.\n"We can go and win this tournament," Mayer said. "It's not going to be handed to us so we have to play very, very well, and shoot extremely low numbers."\nThe five golfers coach Mayer has chosen to play this weekend are seniors Michael Miller, Davidson, Jordan and sophomores Heath Peters and Overton. In addition to the regular team tournament, the Yestingsmeir Invitational has an individual tournament, in which junior Ryan Cassidy will be IU's lone representative. \nThe Hoosiers finished seventh at the Badger Invitational on Sept. 8. During the off week, the majority of the golfers worked on their short game. Some of the players said putting has been one of their weak spots all season and have looked to improve that area of their game. \n"Everyone is playing well, and working pretty hard," Miller said. "I'm working on my consistency, and putting. I'm, actually feeling really comfortable putting."\nThe Hoosiers said they are confident about the coming weekend, looking for their first victory since the Legends Intercollegiate during the 2000-2001 golf season. \n"We all have the potential and desire to win," said Jordan. "There is something in the air this week. We will do well"
(09/19/02 5:01am)
Freshman Scott Seibert, Brad Marek and Joe Miller have it much easier than the freshman from last year men's golf team. They have time to adapt to the transition from high school golf to college golf because all of last year's starters returned to the team.\n"In college golf all the players are good. There isn't much of a difference between the first place player and the last place player, where in high school there was a huge difference," Seibert said. \nSince coach Mike Mayer has the good fortune of having a surplus of players, he is not forced into throwing freshmen into competition immediately. \n"There is a lot of adjusting to be made," Mayer said. "A lot of organizing and a lot of difference. But I have been pleased with (the freshmen)."\nSeibert seems to have found the key to balancing his golf and his school, having classes in the morning so he can be on the golf course all afternoon. \n"I don't mind getting up early because I know I will be practicing for most of the day," Seibert said.\nEven though Seibert has not played in a tournament yet, he and Mayer said he will be in the lineup in the near future. \n"I'm ready to go whenever they want to put me in," Seibert said. "I'm feeling and playing good." \nComing off of four letter winning seasons at Lafayette H.S. in Chesterfield, Miss., where he won the Missouri Class 4A State High School Championship. He also won the Missouri State Junior Match Play Championship. This summer Seibert qualified and played in a Buy.Com tournament event. \n"Seibert is the most credentialed to play for us right away," Mayer said, "He has been playing good, and shooting low, and working hard. He gets to the course early, and stays late."\nThe second freshman on the team's depth chart, Marek has had a little more trouble adjusting to college life, both golf and academically, he said. \nAfter being named the 2002 Illinois Junior Golf Association's Player of the Year, and winning the Illinois State Junior Championship, Marek said he is looking to bring his past success to IU, but has to first learn how to deal with college life. \n"I haven't adapted the best I can. I need to manage my time between golf, school and my social life," Marek said. "But I have been learning more every day, and I am definitely getting better at it."\nComing into this season, Marek said he has worked hard to break some bad habits he developed over the summer. \n"(He) has a hard work ethic and a strong desire," Mayer said. "He wants to play; he wants to compete."\nThe third freshman, Miller, is a homegrown product. Graduating from Bloomington South High School in 2002, Miller was named All-Conference Indiana two years in a row (2001 and 20020). \n"Throughout this season so far, he has showed signs of talent," Mayer said. "But he just doesn't have the experience."\nMiller comes from a family rich with golf tradition. His father John "Spider" Miller won the 1996 and 1998 U.S. Mid-Amateur and competed in the 1997 and 1999 Masters. \nMayer said Miller has unlimited potential as a golfer and will help IU's golf program in the long run. \nEven though none of this year's freshman have competed in a tournament, they will soon have the opportunity to make their own name in IU golf and leave the shadows of last year's freshmen.
(09/13/02 6:25am)
Seniors bring experience, expertise and excitement. Two seniors on this years men's golf team are full of these attributes. Ben Davidson and Mike Miller have been playing competitively for IU since they were freshmen. \nDavidson, a 1999 graduate of Southport High School in Indianapolis, came to the Hoosiers fresh off a stellar prep career, which included being named All-State and setting two school records with the low-18 hole score and the lowest single-season average. His freshman year was not what he had planned it to be. \n"I struggled the whole year," Davidson said. "One round I would shoot a 70, and the next round I would be in the 80's."\nPlaying in only nine rounds his first season, Davidson was looking to improve and not let himself shoot high.\nMiller was in the same boat as Davidson his first year. \nGraduating in 1998 from Farragut High School in Farragut, Tenn., Miller also came to IU fresh off a stellar high school career, which included being named the East Tennessee Player of the Year in 1997. \nMiller was red-shirted his freshman year, and did not have a chance to display his skill until his sophomore year. In his first year of playing, Miller played in 12 rounds, most of which came in the fall season. \n"I didn't play too well during some of the early rounds my freshman year," Miller said. "But I was given time to work on my game, and it has come around very nicely."\nAfter his freshman year, Miller went home and reconstructed his swing with a swing doctor. The adjustments took a year to become comfortable with and the results prove it was well worth it. \n"I made my swing into more of a body swing, instead of a wrist and arm swing," Miller said. "It was very hard to do, and it isn't usually done by college players. It's more of a professional change."\nOver the next two years the tandem worked on their game to put themselves in position this year for a run at the Big Ten and NCAA championships. \nTheir sophomore year Davidson played in nine rounds again, and Miller's rounds increased to 19. \nBut the similarities stop there. \nLast season Davidson exploded with 33 rounds, and played well the entire season except for the Big Red Shootout. He averaged a 74 throughout the season with a low 18-hole score of 71. His best finish last season was when he tied for 5th at the Emerald Coast Collegiate. The highlight of his season was when he tied for sixth at the 2001 Big Ten Championship.\n"The Big Ten tournament was by far the high point of my career," Davidson said. "It gave me a lot of confidence going into the summer."\nThe increase from nine rounds to thirty three rounds gave Davidson a little jolt. \n"I needed to stay on top of things more, and stay more organized," Davidson said. "But that just comes with playing a sport here at Indiana."\nMiller's junior year brought with it hardship and frustration. In the midst of gaining familiarity with his newly developed swing, his wrist was ridden with soreness. On Oct. 10, Miller underwent successful surgery on his right wrist to correct a dislocated tendon. \n"My wrist was a golf related injury," Miller said. "It was basically from practicing too much." \nHe was cleared to play in early February, but did not feel fully comfortable until early June. After being cleared he played in three tournaments. He tied for 72nd in the Big Red Classic. In the El Diablo Intercollegiate, he tied for 48th. And in the Marshall Invitational he tied for 84th.\n"The injury lasted until early June," Miller said. "In the beginning of the summer my game was showing the effects of the injury, but as I played more the better I got, and I feel very good coming into this season."\n"(Miller) has certainly had a very impressive summer, and I expect him to have a productive senior season," coach Mike Mayer said. \nThis season, their final year as Hoosiers has come with heavy expectations, both as a team and individually. Both men are aiming for the Big Ten Championship and to qualify for the NCAA tournament. On top of those expectations as a team, come the expectations of being named captain for Davidson.\n"There is no pressure with being captain," he said. "I just need to be more vocal and more of a leader. To be honest, I was a little surprised that I was named captain. I think this is the most talented team since I have been here. Our expectations are high. We want to win the Big Ten." \nPersonally, they both have their own goals without forgetting about the team. \n"I set my own expectations for myself. But I still keep the team in mind, and I am always trying to help the team. This year we are talented and there is a lot of potential," Miller said. "I want to play solid, consistent golf." \nDavidson's goals are not far behind.\n"I just want to play as well as I can," he said. "I also want to be named to the All-Big Ten team, and average 72-73 a round."\nThe two said there is a bright future for the Hoosier golf team. With four freshman, all of which will have an impact for Indiana, Davidson is looking forward to giving them advice on anything from traveling to shot placement.\n"I have seen most of the freshman play, and I have been very impressed with who I have seen. They will be tough," Miller said.\nOff the course, the teammates are as close as their careers have taken them. \n"We didn't get along at first, but now in the last two years are very good friends," Davidson said. "We are more than teammates"
(09/09/02 6:07am)
Improvement is always good. Finishing 15th at last year's Badger Invitational, the only direction the men's golf team could go was up. And that's exactly what they did. Shooting a collective 286 in the third round helped the Hoosiers secure seventh place out of 15 teams. \n"We played okay. There was a lot of talent in this tournament. We improved on last year, but we still have to eliminate mistakes," coach Mike Mayer said. \nJumping out early to four-under par early in the first round, senior Aldo Jordan helped the Hoosiers end the first day in ninth place, 12 shots off the lead. He ended Friday with a two-under par, 70, tops for all Hoosiers that round. The rest of the squad had a rough time through the first round, with the next lowest score coming from sophomore Jeff Overton with a one-over par, 73. Senior captain Ben Davidson shot a dismal nine-over par 81. Senior Mike Miller came out with a three-over par 75. \n"I played well the first round, struggled the second round, and made some dumb mistakes the last round. But I hit the ball really, really well. I'm on the right track," Jordan said.\nThe pillows must have been colder on Friday night, because the Hoosiers came out a different team during the second round Saturday. Led by Davidson, who had the biggest turn around of the day, shot a two-under par 70 to help lead the men to a 288 second round score which helped the team move one place into eighth place. Miller shot a par 72 for the round, displaying his senior leadership. \n"I got down on myself after the first round, but I played smart the rest of the tournament. I hit fairways and more greens in the second rounds and I putted better," Davidson said. \nSunday included three of the bigger stories of the tournament for the Hoosiers. Overton shot a three-under par, 69, which left him in the top 15, tied for 14th. Overton's score of 69 was one shot off of the Indiana record for an individual-18 hole round at the Badger Invitational. Former Hoosier John Andrews holds the lowest round score at the Badger Invitational with a 68 in 1987. Davidson tied his career best for 54 holes with a 219, which he set at the 2001 Badger Invitational. It was not something he was even aware of this time around. The third achievement during the weekend was Jordan setting his career 54 hole record with a 218, one below his former personal best. \nFor all the low totals for a round and overall, there is still room for improvement -- a lot of improvement. \n"We expect rounds like that from Jeff. He is capable of shooting a 69 or lower each and every round. He just had a tentative first two rounds," Mayer said. \nThroughout the next week and a half before their next tournament, the one thing that the team will prioritize the most will be their putting. Mayer said the men struggled with their putting and many of the players agreed. \n"We need to work on our putting. No one could putt well throughout the weekend," said Mayer.\n"I need to work on not three putting anymore," Jordan said. \nIn Madison the conditions were ideal for golf. \n"The conditions the whole weekend just made it perfect to hit a low round," said Mayer. "But the course was a very tough course. And we got off to a bad start, this year and last year, but the difference was last year's bad round wasn't as bad as this year's bad round."\nThe weekend's finish brought added confidence to the team, who accomplshed the goals they had set before the tournament began.\n"We had two goals for the last round. One was shooting under par as a team, which we did. And the other was having one guy shoot in the 60s, which also happened," said Mayer. \nMiller seemed to have recovered quite well from his wrist injury, tying his career best for 54 holes. Mayer said Miller is about 80 to 85 percent healthy. \n"When he gets back to 100 percent, he will be dangerous. He battled, and competed this weekend," Mayer said.\nBig Ten teams Illinois and Penn State finished ahead of the Hoosiers, while Iowa and Wisconsin finished at the bottom of the pack. Toledo's Brad Heaven and his team took home top honors as a team and in individual competition. \nThe Hoosiers finished in seventh place as a team. Individually each of the Hoosiers tied within their respectable place finishes. Overton placed 14th, Jordan finshed 25th, Miller 28th, Davidson 46th, and sophomore Heath Peters 55th.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Correction: Morgan County Memorial Hospital was misidentified in this story. The IDS regrets the error.\nTragedy crossed the path of the Hilly Hundred Saturday as two cyclists died during the first day of the tour. \nThe first man who died was 77-year-old George Burgard of Indianapolis, as confirmed by his family. The cause of death thought to be a heart attack. Burgard went into cardiac arrest shortly into Saturday's route. He was found laying motionless on the ground, CPR was performed without success, and he was then transported to Monroe County Memorial Hospital in Martinsville, family members said. He is survived by his wife, daughter, son and two grandchildren. \nThe second man who passed away Saturday evening, according to the coroner, has been identified as James Corpus, 49, of Carmel. The cause of death was "probably cardiac arrhythmia," said Dave Toumey, Monroe County coroner. Corpus collapsed two miles from the finishing point. Corpus is survived by his wife and two children. \n"We are so concerned that this happened," Catherine Dusing, volunteer coordinator for the Hilly Hundred said. "Our prayers go out to their families. We are devastated that this happened to them while they were riding their bicycles." \nThe Bloomington Hospital Ambulance Service was the first to arrive on the scene for Corpus. They were then accompanied by the Bloomington Township Fire Department who responded to the call at 5:35 p.m. at 4397 N. Maple Grove Rd. Corpus was then transported to Bloomington Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. \nBoth Burgard and Corpus were taking part in the 5,000-cyclist Hilly Hundred, a three-day event with two days of cycling, which took place this past weekend in Southern Indiana. \nRay Cannarella, the president of the Central Indiana Bicycling Association, the sponsoring body of the Hilly Hundred, was reached but declined to comment. Among the 5,000 cyclists, 40 states were represented as well as several foreign countries.\nThe coroner's report was released Monday and included the above information.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
At 10:24 this morning, Bloomington resident and breast cancer survivor, Mary Serbin will be jogging a two-tenth of a mile stretch through the streets of Terre Haute carrying the Olympic torch on its way to Salt Lake City for the beginning of the 2002 Winter Games. \nTwo years ago Serbin was diagnosed with breast cancer. \n"It was a devastating moment, but she was non-complaining and in good spirits," her mother Annie Serbin said. \nAfter going through chemotherapy, the cancer went into remission and today she is cancer free. \n"It was a shocker to my family as well as friends," Serbin said. Other than being very active with her husband and three children, Serbin was a loyal volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club. There, she is the president of the Boys and Girls Club Auxiliary, a group of women that raises money for the club. \nDuring her struggle with cancer, Serbin experienced the support of Bloomington's community through cards, meals and friends. \n"I love Bloomington. It's such an honor to be representing such a great city," Serbin said.\nIn order to be a torch bearer, Serbin had to be nominated and then selected out of 210,000 nominations. \nKarla Kamster, also a resident of Bloomington, nominated Serbin in mid-July. But Serbin did not find out who nominated her until mid-December. \nAfter sending in the nomination form without Serbin's knowledge, Kamstra said she forgot about it. When she found out about Serbin's selection she was incredibly touched. \nAfter meeting Serbin about five years ago, the two realized they had mutual friends, and their small circle became even closer. When Serbin was diagnosed with cancer, Kamstra was there the entire time. \n"Mary's cancer affected so many people. She doesn't realize this but she had half the town of Bloomington praying for her. She's just an inspiration for many," Kamstra said. "I know plenty of runners, volunteers, breast cancer survivors and over all good people, but no one fit them all like Mary did. In my mind it was not a question."\n Serbin's quest to be a torch bearer began in mid-July when she recieved an envelope from the Salt Lake Olympic Committee informing her of her nomination and possible selection. \n"For a while we were confused. The letter wasn't very clear about whether or not I was carrying the torch. It wasn't until I got the final details that I realized what was happening," Serbin said. \nShe has kept the letter ever since. She was in shock and disbelief upon finding out she was an official torch bearer. At first she said she did not think she could be the one chosen. \n"It felt like winning a million dollars. I was in a dream-state," Serbin said. \nCarrying the torch in the shadow of the Sept. 11 events, Serbin said she feels extra special being chosen. \n"Our lives are totally different since the events on Sept. 11, but I like to focus on the totally positive. I'm almost beyond words. It's an incredible honor to be carrying it for the United States," Serbin said. \nIn front of an audience consisting of her parents from Missouri, three sisters from Oklahoma, Putnam Valley, New York, and Cincinnatti respectively, her children, husband, and many friends, Serbin will be running stronger than ever. \n"This is a real tribute to our daughter, she's a real triumph," Serbin's mother said. \n"This is a wonderful thing for our country to host the Olympics, for breast cancer survivors and for the community," Serbin said.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Two years ago, while on a lecture tour in Asia, David Gallahue, School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation associate dean and Great Wall Walk coordinator, visited the Great Wall of China as a tourist. He was taken through the overly-crowded public areas of the wall. Gallahue was so intrigued by the experience that he felt he needed to get back to China so he could experience what else the wall had to offer. \nThis past May, Gallahue returned to the Great Wall of China and brought with him a group from the HPER. Gallahue, wife Ellie Gallahue, trip photographer John McDermott and graduate student Narisara Murray shared their experiences Jan. 10 at the Monroe County Library through a presentation and discussion on how the trip evolved from an idea into reality. \nThe presentation lasted an hour and included a slide show accompanied by a narration of the slides, as well as stories and anecdotes about the trip from the four presenters. The audience, consisting largely of elderly individuals, was very inquisitive during the question-and-answer session. Some of the photographs taken by McDermott raised many "oohs" and "aahs" from the group. \nAfter returning home from his first visit, Gallahue thought of a way to get back to China and the wall. During this time, HPER Dean Tony Mobley was retiring, and Gallahue thought a fitting way to say goodbye was a trip to the Great Wall. Gallahue also wanted to bring together members from the HPER and the Beijing University of Physical Education as part of the 10th anniversary of an exchange agreement between the two schools. \nOther than proposing the idea to Mobley, Gallahue also presented the idea to Chi Chien Hung, also known locally as Papa Chi. He was born in China and moved to Bloomington in 1982. Hung is an honorary faculty member at both BUPE and HPER and the Honorary Chairman for the walk. \nThe 40-member group contained IU faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of IU. The trip lasted 10 days -- May 7-17 -- and was dubbed The Great Wall Walk. The area of the wall that the group walked had never been walked by westerners before and was rarely walked by Chinese. \n"Most of the wall that we walked and hiked was not reconstructed, so it became tricky sometimes," Gallahue said. \nOf the 10 days that the group was in China, they only hiked five, accomplishing about eight to 12 miles a day, depending on the skill level of the hikers. \n"We had a variety of skill levels, anywhere from very accomplished hikers to the novice level," Gallahue said. "But it didn't matter, because everyone helped themselves." \nThe group did not hike to each site. They would hike their day's worth and then get transported by coach buses to their hotel each night, where they enjoyed large meals of traditional and non-traditional Chinese food. \nSurprising to many was the media attention they received. \n"During the opening ceremonies, there were television cameras and news reporters there. This was a big media deal," McDermott said. \nAs well as being the first westerners to hike some parts of the wall, the group was also the first westerners to camp out on the wall. With sleeping bags provided by the Chinese Army, the group spent the night teaching their Chinese counterparts square dancing and in turn learning Tai Chi. \n"The group got very close during those nights, and especially during the night on the wall. It was fun to see everyone joking, laughing and telling stories," Gallahue said.\nSince the language barrier was one of the only challenges steeper than the sharp inclines, the nights were filled with jokes acted out in charades so everyone could understand them. \n"There was a lot of community building and that was great to see," Gallahue said. \nAs a thanks to BUPE and the Chinese government for their permission and help coordinating the event, the group from IU asked American Play Systems to donate five playground sets. Shipped by FedEx, the sets were delivered and set up at five of the sites where the group stayed. The retail value of the playground equipment was $30,000. They are imprinted with a message and "Indiana University" across the top to let everyone know where they came from.
(04/17/02 4:42am)
Every university has its own living legend. There are stories about him or her that date back before our time. Everyone hears about how hard these people are, yet they still want to have them as their professors, just to say they had them. \nIU is losing its own living legend. \nAfter 38 years of teaching history and Jewish studies here in Bloomington, professor Irving Katz is retiring. He will teach the second session of summer session and then pack his bags and move back to his beloved Manhattan. \nAt the Wilkie Auditorium on Sunday, Katz's 38 years of service to the school, community and residence halls was honored with "A Roast in Honor of Irving Katz." The two-and-a-half-hour event featured music from the IU School of Music, dinner, dessert and the roast to professor Katz. With more than 100 students, friends, faculty and administrators in attendance, Katz made it clear he was pleasantly shocked with the dinner. \n"I had no idea it was going to be on that scale. I was told it was going to be a small going away party, or maybe a small dinner," Katz said. "But when I saw that many people, and all those faces, I was honored but shocked at the same time."\nHeadlining the event was IU President Myles Brand, who presented Katz with the Thomas Hart Benton Mural Medallion, which upon presentation Brand dropped to the ground. This ignited a roar of laughter and applause from the jubilant crowd. Those who also spoke were: Patrick Connor, executive director of Residential Programs and Services; Richard McKaig, vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students; Michelle Bernstein, resident assistant in Read Center; Al Ruesnik, residential fellow and professor of biology; Amy Cornell, academic advisor at the Department of Communication and Culture; Nancy Lorenz, director of Academic Initiative Services and Residential Programs and Services; and professor Katz. \nThe roast and dinner were put on by Residential Programs and Services, with which Katz has had a long and solid relationship. \nKatz has spent 17 years with RPS but has been involved with the resident halls since 1965, beginning as a faculty advisor for Foster Residence Center until 1967. However, his work with residence halls did not stop in 1967. It had begun. \nAfter a 14-year break, Katz began working again with the residence halls. From 1981 to 1984 he was part of the University Residence Halls Committee. From 1985 to 1999 he was a Forest Friend. During that time he worked with many other residence halls. From 1988 to 1993, he was on the Residential Education Advisory Board. From 1988 to 1994, Katz was on the Campus Housing Advisory Committee. From 1990 to 1993 he was on the Wellness Center Task Force. Since 1990 he has been a Groups Faculty Friend. Also since 1993, he has been part of the Foster International Advisory Board, as well as the Briscoe Wellness Center Advisory Board. From 1997 to 1999 Katz was the chair of the Campus Community Council. In 2001, Katz was the Keynote Speaker at the Big Ten Housing Officers Conference. \nEvery year, Katz is given one or more floors from any of the residence halls, and he is that floor's floor fellow. That means he interacts with these students on a weekly basis, including eating a few meals in the residence halls each week. One of those meals is usually with his floor. \nOne of the speakers during the evening was Bernstein, a Read Center resident assistant.\n"He's very dedicated to his students," Bernstein said.\nKatz goes to dinner with Bernstein's floor once a week and has taken the students to dress rehearsals of the operas that perform at the Musical Arts Center. \nThat's on top of the in-depth discussions he has with his floors about a wide range of topics. Bernstein presented him with a few gifts: a pocket organizer, a Read Center T-shirt and a book titled "The Joys of Yiddish."\n"One of the girls on Michelle's floor and I always get into it about why different foods are Kosher. We discussed how pigs weren't, and every time we'd eat together, she would sit down with a plate of ham. And I'd tell her, 'Now is that Kosher?'" said Katz, igniting a roar of laughter during his speech. \nKatz also addressed his love of opera. \n"Ever since I was a little boy, I loved musicals. I love going to Broadway and hearing Rogers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Leonard Bernstein and Irving Berlin," Katz said. "I guess I have just grown to love opera. It was a natural progression. Opera demands more from the voice and from the orchestra."\nUsing baseball as his metaphor, Katz explained the way musicals are just the minor leagues, but opera is reaching the majors because of the demands he mentioned above. \n"Seeing all the fine arts come together is unreal. The orchestra, the drama, the individual singing, the chorus singing, the dance and even the sets," Katz said. "When it works it's heaven."\nHis daughter Naomi, a graduate of the IU School of Music, is a violinist on Broadway. The last performance he attended on Broadway was "Suessical," a musical about the Dr. Suess children's books; Naomi performed in the orchestra. \n"I love sharing my love," Katz said. "I'm not impeding it on anyone -- just sharing it. If they don't like it, to each their own. I don't get offended. Opera isn't for everyone."\nThe evening was full of presentations, hugs and even some tears. But what kept everyone's attention was the anticipation of Katz's response to it all. In the natural Katz character, he cracked jokes, using his signature Jewish humor throughout almost his entire speech. \nReligion is one thing Katz is not afraid to discuss. He is very proud of his Jewish heritage, and he will talk about it with whoever dares to listen. That is why he has taught American Jewish history for more than 25 years. He incorporates some piece of Jewish history into all of his lectures, whether they are about Jewish history or not. During his speech, he used many Yiddish words, some out of habit, some as an example of what his students heard in every class. \nAnother topic very close to Katz's heart is his hometown of New York. Born Sept. 24, 1932, Katz lived in Manhattan until he graduated from City College of New York in 1954. Before he went to CCNY, Katz attended the Yeshiva until he was Bar Mitzvah'd at age 13 and then attended Peter Stuyvesant High School, an elitist high school in Manhattan. \nAfter graduating from CCNY, Katz was immediately drafted into the U.S. Army. The war in North Korea had just ended, so Katz was in the infantry for two years and came out an infantry corporal. \n"I was very grateful to the United States Army for helping defeat the Nazi's," he said. "And for that I would have gone to war in a second."\nFrom the Army he went to graduate school at New York University, where he got his master's in 1959 and his doctorate in 1964. \nIn 1959, Katz met and married Sarah Katz and began teaching full time at a junior high school in East Harlem from 1958 to 1961 to support the family while Sarah was a piano student at the Julliard School of Music. In 1961, Katz moved to Cambridge, Mass., and worked in the Harvard research faculty for three years, researching investment banking in America, about which he wrote a book. After the three years was over and his dissertation for NYU was through, Katz went to an American Historical Association convention and received three offers for teaching positions -- one at Northwestern and one at Berkeley. Both were only one-year offers, and Irving and Sarah did not want to move to Evanston, Ill., or Berkeley, Calif., for one year. Then IU gave Katz a three-year offer. Katz accepted, and after the three years was over he was offered another three years as a history professor. After those six years, the University decided to tenure Katz and offered him a seventh year. He has been here ever since. \n"The real reason why I took the job at Indiana was because the offices were bigger," Katz joked. "I got my own office and a library; they didn't offer me that at Northwestern or Berkeley." \nEvery seven years Katz takes a sabbatical, usually back to New York. \nWhen Katz finishes the summer session, he will return to Manhattan. Except this time it will be to the other side of town. He will live in the Upper West Side, within walking distance from Columbia University. \nHe said he wants to get back into teaching, most likely adult education, either at the local Jewish Community Center or Columbia University. But that venture will not be likely for a few more years, until Katz gets settled back into his home. \n"They are more motivated to learn than undergraduates," Katz said of teaching adults. "They are already motivated when you get them, compared to the younger kids -- you need to motivate them. But there's nothing more rejuvenating then being with young people."\nAnd over the course of 38 years, Katz has been with plenty of young people; he figured he has taught more than 20,000 students. His goal the whole time was to just keep them awake, as enthusiastic about history as he is.\n"History is something everybody should be concerned with," Katz said, "because everyone has a history."\nAnd Katz has built quite a storied one at IU.
(04/04/02 5:41am)
After a three-year absence, Siblings Weekend is making its return to IU April 12-14. Students' siblings, cousins and friends ages 13 and older are are invited to attend this two-and-a-half-day event. The IU Student Association and the Residence Halls Association, the two organizations overseeing the weekend, have scheduled a full weekend of events with Saturday, April 13 holding the main attractions. The day's events include a carnival, tours of Assembly Hall, a concert and a casino night in the Foster Quad formal lounge. \nUntil 1998, Sibs Weekend, as it has been dubbed, was run by the Student Alumni Association. It has since been taken over by IUSA and RHA. \n"We felt it was important to bring Sibs Weekend back to campus -- not only for the siblings and students but for the whole school," said senior Ian Yost, director of services for IUSA and co-coordinator for Sibs Weekend. "After the past few years of alcohol related mishaps, and now rioting, we hope that Sibs Weekend will be a strong moral boost for the entire campus." \nSince this is a RHA event, only the residence halls will be officially housing siblings. Those students who live off campus, in sororities or fraternities are encouraged to participate; however, they must find housing for their siblings on their own. In the case of an opposite sex sibling coming to visit, the residence halls have devised a plan where floors will buddy up with each other. Visiting siblings will have to stay on their same sex floor for the weekend. The guidelines are posted on the Sibs Weekend Web site.\nAll resident halls will be housing guests for the two-night stay. However, the same guidelines that pertain to current residents will also pertain to their siblings. \n"There will be a strict no alcohol policy, such as the one we now have," said junior Erin Ransford, former RHA vice president of programming and co-coordinator of Sibs Weekend. "Students are responsible for their siblings and the activities of their siblings. We just hope everyone enjoys themselves." \nEvents begin 8 p.m. Friday night with a movie and at an undetermined location.They will then continue Saturday with a full day of activities. There will be a carnival from 11a.m. to 2 p.m., with lunch provided. At 1 p.m., the Office of Admissions will be conducting one-hour tours. At 2 p.m., in conjunction with Student Athletic Board, tours of Assembly Hall and the fieldhouse will take place. After that, in the South Lobby of Assembly Hall, an autograph session with student athletes from various sports will begin at 3 p.m. \n From 4 to 6 p.m. there will be a concert in Dunn Meadow featuring mens' a capella group Straight No Chaser and other bands, who will be announced in the near future. A casino will conclude the night from 8-11 p.m. in the Foster Quad formal lounge.\n Food will only be provided for lunch Saturday. All other meals are the responsibility of the student. "We have left an adequate amount of time between activities for students to take their siblings out to eat and show them around campus and Bloomington," Ransford said. \nTransportation information is also posted on the Web site, with links to Bloomington Shuttle and other modes of transportation. \nParents are welcomed to join their children in attending Siblings Weekend but are not required to come. \n"This being the first year that IUSA and RHA has paired together to do such a thing, we are going into the unknown, and are not sure what to expect," Yost said. "But everyone is very excited and very enthusiastic about the whole weekend."\nRegistration for the weekend is available online at www.indiana.edu/~sibs . IUSA and RHA recommend registering on the Web site. There will also be on-site registering for those who need to register late. The cost is $10 per visitor, and siblings must be registered at the residence hall where they are staying. Registration is from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday night.\nQuestions or comments should be directed to Ian Yost or Erin Ransford at sibs@indiana.edu.
(10/15/01 3:59am)
In response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, Gov. Frank O'Bannon established the Indiana Counter-Terrorism and Security Council. The move came one month after the attacks and a day after O'Bannon returned home from a visit to Ground Zero.\nThe mission of the council, created by an executive order, is to coordinate public safety efforts to detect potential terrorist threats or attacks in Indiana and prevent them. The council will also expand preparedness plans already in place and develop and implement a strategy to address terrorism in Indiana. \nThe council will be Indiana's connection to the new federal Office of Homeland Security. The extent of its role with Homeland Security is yet to be determined. Lt. Gov. Joe Kernan was named council chairman and Clifford Ong was named council director. Ong has been the chairman of the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission since February 2000. Other members of the council include House Speaker John Gregg, D-Sandborn and Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Garton, R-Columbus, and other state departments heads. \n"Hoosiers need to know that, while they should be concerned about the threat of terrorism, they should not live in fear or be afraid to go to a football game, the symphony or another event where large groups of people gather," O'Bannon said in a press release.\nMeanwhile, eight Evansville men being held over the weekend as witnesses in a federal terrorism investigation were transferred out of the area by federal authorities. The men, all of Middle Eastern descent, were transferred Saturday morning from the Henderson County, Ky., Detention Center, Tom Cassels of the U.S. Marshal's Office told The Associated Press. Cassels and other federal officials declined to identify where the group was being taken, but WTHR-TV in Indianapolis reported late Saturday night the men were taken to an undisclosed facility in Chicago.\nAuthorities identified eight of the detained as Tarek Eid Omar, 26; Fathy Saleh Abdelkhalek, 34; Khaled Salah Nassr, 25; Yasser Shahin, 24; Tarek Abdelhamid Albasti, 29; Adel Ramadan Khalil, 46; Hesham Salem, 28; and Ahmed Attia Hassan, 26.\nThey have not been charged with a crime.\nA ninth man detained at the same time remained at the detention center, across the Ohio River from Evansville, on a hold from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. He was identified by authorities as Mohammed Youssef. His age was unavailable.\nAn attorney told one of the men's wives the group was detained because they were wanted as material witnesses in a case out of Alexandria, Va., according to a story published Saturday by the Evansville Courier & Press. The attorney, Mark Foster, told The Associated Press he was prohibited by a judge's order from speaking about the case. \nAirport security has heightened since the attacks. Bryan Nicol, the state transportation commissioner, is on the council and will be the link for airport security issues. \nCities and states nationwide are taking measures to protect their residents against anthrax after incidents in Tampa, Fla., and New York. \n"We have had a number of requests to assess situations with a probable threat of anthrax," Ong said. "We have to assess the threat first, then if deemed necessary, test the substance and take action from there." \nThe last major anthrax scare in Indiana was on Oct. 30, 1998, when three letters supposedly containing anthrax were sent to three Planned Parenthood clinics. \n"No doubt what happened on Sept. 11 is what is driving this council," Ong said. "We want to take the necessary steps to get everything back to normal."