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(11/17/06 5:29am)
Controversy surrounding a $5,000 IU Student Association grant to the campus group, Students Against Terrorism, for its Nov. 9 free T-shirt initiative, has led some students to question how the student government distributes student fees. However, IUSA leaders supported their decision and the process of distributing grant money to campus groups. \nAbout $350,000 is available for distribution to student organizations from the IUSA Assisted Inter-organizational Development Department, said senior Jeff Evitts, IUSA AID director for student organization funding. About $5 from the $69.51 Student Activity Fee students pay each semester was allocated to the AID fund this year.\nIUSA AID aims to foster an active student body by providing the necessary funding for events, speakers and other activities sponsored by student organizations that are registered with the Student Activities Office, Evitts said. \n"One big hindrance to student activities on campus are financial constraints," Evitts said. "This fosters an active student body by providing the necessary funds for events and speakers. This is a department where we want to get rid of our entire budget because that is our goal."\nThe proposal for the Students Against Terrorism grant explained the event would help raise awareness on campus by going beyond a typical program, said the group's president, junior Danny Schwarz. He added the T-shirts prompted a positive dialogue throughout the campus. \n"The T-shirts (were) not a one-time thing because students can wear them again and again," Schwarz said. "Yes, I do think it was a success. There have been a lot of people talking about it."\nBut some students argued there might be better ways to convey a group's message.\n"Terrorism is a big issue in our country, and there does need to be awareness," senior Derrick Smith said. "But I think there are better ways to promote anti-terrorism than T-shirts."\nWhile some students in the Indiana Memorial Union Thursday night said they were opposed to the amount of student fees Students Against Terrorism received, most said they supported IUSA AID contributing to campus groups that take action to improve the campus or community.\n"If I felt passionately about something with a group of students, I'd want to be able to express that," sophomore Rachael Tunick said.\nSupporting student organizations could be a good use of the $5 from the Student Activity Fee, junior Sean Bullman said, as long as there is oversight of where the money goes.\n"It's great to support student groups, but you want a goal to lead to action," senior Michael Moran said.\nTwo Habitat for Humanity fundraisers this semester have also been funded in part by IUSA AID grants, IU Habitat for Humanity President David Doyle said. During Rake-a-Thon, held Nov. 11, volunteers used rakes and trash bags bought with money from the grant. A separate grant provided funds that helped set in motion the inaugural Bucket 100, a bike tour beginning Saturday from IU's Memorial Stadium to Purdue's Ross-Ade Stadium. He wouldn't give the amount of funds they received but said it was enough for significant advertising in local papers.\n"They (the AID Board) look for organizations trying new things," Doyle said. "They are really generous with grants."\nHabitat for Humanity and Students Against Terrorism represent only a fraction of those who have recently received IUSA AID grants. About 80 total student organizations have received funding so far this semester, Evitts said. \nIUSA AID is connected to IUSA only through its name, IUSA President Betsy Henke said. Only the IUSA AID Board is involved in decisions about how the AID funds are distributed. \n"It provides resources to hundreds of student groups while making sure they have an unbiased, fair group when applying for a grant," IUSA Vice President Andrew Lauck said. \nThe IUSA AID Board is composed of nine members and one director. Four of the members are elected during the annual IUSA elections. The remaining five members and the director are then appointed by the incoming IUSA administration, Evitts said. \nTo receive a grant from IUSA AID, a student organization must fill out a four page application, which, Evitts said, is a simple process. The student organization must describe itself and what it intends to accomplish with its initiative. Groups must also provide an itemized budget listing the specific expenses for which funds are needed. After its AID application is submitted, a student group must make a brief presentation to the AID Board. \n"It's tedious to get a budget together," Doyle said. "But you have to go into the meeting prepared so everything is presented exactly as you have the event pictured." \nWhile Evitts said considering each done on a case-by-case basis, he said most applications receive at least a portion of what they asked for. He added it is not need-based funding, and they will support groups even if they do not have financial problems.\nIn order for a grant to be approved, a vote by the nine members of the board must pass by simple majority. \nThe AID board does consider certain criteria when reviewing a grant proposal -- the number of members in the organization, the number of students anticipated to participate in the event, the amount of funding an organization has secured on its own, how much money the organization may have already received from AID and how the event will enhance the student body at IU, Evitts said. He added they will only consider events that have not yet occurred held by registered groups.\nWhen a group applies for AID, up to 75 percent of the total amount requested may be granted, according to the IUSA AID application. Evitts was not able to release specific figures of how much has been distributed to groups so far this semester. \n"We don't have a forced breakdown because this allows us the freedom to adapt to student groups' needs," Evitts said. "It's hard to lay down a set policy when every event is so different"
(11/13/06 7:44pm)
CHEAP EATS - TACO BELL
(11/09/06 5:00am)
CHEAP EATS - TACO BELL
(10/25/06 6:19pm)
A new IU study that found a self-sustaining community of bacteria living 2.8 kilometers below the Earth's surface fuels optimism that similar life could exist on Mars.\nAccording to the study, published in this week's issue of the peer-reviewed journal Science, the bacteria community, which lives completely independent of resources found on Earth's surface, supports itself using resources obtained from water molecules that are converted into energy by radioactive uranium found in subsurface rocks. \nThe study shows the bacterial communities have been living deep in the Earth for millions of years, said Lisa Pratt, geological sciences professor and self-described "bio-geo-chemist." \nDuring the first three years of the six-year study, samples were collected from several different gold mines in South Africa, Pratt said; however, the study was completed using samples from Canadian gold mines. Although the South African study allowed the scientists the deepest access into the Earth, the permafrost found in Canada's colder climate provided a better comparison to conditions on Mars, Pratt said. \nThe organisms found below the surface are related to well-known surface bacteria from the division Firmicutes, Pratt said. \nThe microbes could have been initially carried into the deep earth by the ordinary movement of groundwater circulating through fracture networks below the Earth's surface, Pratt said. This water flowed deep enough into the Earth that it was not circulated back to the surface, and the microbes lived apart from their surface relatives long enough to evolve into their own community, Pratt said. \nAll rocks contain the naturally occurring radioactive elements uranium, potassium and thorium, said Princeton University geosciences professor Tullis Onstott, who collaborated on the project. These elements act as a "little power plant" to the microbes. \nRadioactive uranium interacts with water and splits water molecules, Pratt said. Once split, the products serve as chemical energy microbes can use, Pratt said. \nThis process is similar to photosynthesis, the mechanism through which energy is obtained from the sun and on which surface existence is dependent, Pratt said. However, the underground environment indirectly uses radiation to produce a chemical gradient that provides resources for the microbes, Pratt said. \nMars appears geologically dead, Onstott said, but the planet is composed of rock, water and radiation below its surface. \nThe Earth's atmosphere shields it from radiation from the sun. On Mars, a planet which lacks a protective atmosphere, radiation from the sun sterilizes the surface. Therefore, life on Mars has to be below the surface, said collaborator Doug Rumble, Carnegie Institute of Washington geophysical laboratory staff scientist. \n"The study demonstrates unequivocally that it is possible for organisms to live underground with no connection to the sun," Rumble said. "There are organisms that can live protected from the violent radiation of the sun. Our atmosphere protects us from radiation, but on Mars, where there is no atmosphere, life must be protected." \nMars and Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, are considered the most likely places to find life, the study's lead co-author Li-Hung Lin said. Lin, now an assistant professor at National Taiwan University, was a graduate student at Princeton University during the study. \n"Given that no photosynthesis, no oxygen, occurs on these two planetary bodies and the bedrocks are composed of primarily igneous rocks, we may find microbial communities potentially similar with that in our study," Lin said in an e-mail. \nNo scientific investigation could afford to make the deep subsurface excavations that commercial mines do, Pratt said. The researchers were allowed access by generous mine owners and operators who shared the scientists' curiosity about the unseen part of the biosphere, she said. \nThe researchers, who trekked into the deepest parts of the mine shafts, were subject to the same training and safety precautions as miners, Pratt said, and were only allowed to enter and exit the mines during miner shift changes. \nPratt said she was underground for between 60 and 70 hours during her two field excursions in South Africa. Many of her collaborators spent several weeks on site, going underground two or three times each week. The team spent thousands of hours total underground, Pratt said. \nPratt is also the director of the Indiana-Princeton-Tennessee Astrobiology Initiative. The NASA-funded research center develops instruments and probes to detect organisms living under Earth's surface in preparation for subsurface exploration of Mars and other planets, according to an IU press release. \nThe initiative will use the study published in Science to make research recommendations to NASA, said David Bricker of IU Media Relations. \nA team of scientists from eight collaborating institutions -- \nIU, Princeton, National Taiwan University, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Desert Research Institute, University of Toronto, the South African Mponeng mine and the German GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam -- contributed to the research. The project was funded through grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA and others.
(10/18/06 4:48am)
The IU Health Professions and Prelaw Center is bringing the future to prospective law students at the Indiana Memorial Union today. \nIU's Law Day has become the largest university-sponsored law fair in the country, said Rachel Tolen, the center's assistant director.\nStudents will have the opportunity to meet representatives from the 107 law schools registered for the Law Fair portion of the event, the center's director, Mac Francis, said. There are 192 law schools in the country, so it speaks well for the University that so many schools are interested in meeting IU students, he said.\nMany law schools will be sending an admissions dean or assistant admissions dean, so students might have the opportunity to speak with the person who will decide whether or not they will be admitted, Francis said.\nLaw Day will begin with a panel discussion titled "What I Really Like in a Law Application." Deans of admissions from IU, DePaul University, Iowa and Saint Louis University will share their perspectives during the panel discussion.\n"We made an effort to pick experienced people who have been around for a long time," Francis said. "The panel provides very practical tips for being successful in the application process." \nFrancis said the panel will help dispel law school application myths because the representatives will talk realistically about what they like, what's annoying and common application mistakes.\nAfter the panel, students will be able to mingle and talk to law school representatives, as well as speak with representatives from the Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunities, whose mission is to help students from populations that are traditionally underrepresented in the legal field gain admission to an Indiana law school, Francis said. The organization provides up to $7,500 per year in tuition assistance to some students.\nSenior Liz Emanuel attended Law Day as a junior last year. She said the fair helped give her an idea of whether law school was something she wanted to pursue.\n"I was able to talk to schools and have them send me information, allowing me to get a better idea of what direction I may want to go and what type of law I might like to pursue," Emanuel said.\nEmanuel said she has decided she would like to go to law school and plans to attend Law Day for a second time this year. The fair will give students a better idea of what to include and exclude on her application, Emanuel said, and talking to the recruiters will give her a better understanding of the law schools that interest them. \n"Students do make a big first impression at law fairs in the way they approach the recruiter and the level of preparation in their questions," said Dani Weatherford, director of recruitment for the IU School of Law.\nStudents who take the time to engage the recruiter and are prepared enough to ask specific questions about the school and its programs could leave a positive impression, Weatherford said.\nEmanuel also said that based on her experience last year, she would advise other students to be prepared when they go to Law Day.\n"Bring paper and a pen because the panel answers a lot of really important questions and gives a lot of valuable advice," Emanuel said. "Get an idea about what kinds of questions you will have for recruiters; it tends to be crowded and knowing what you want to ask before you get there will help ensure you get the most out of the experience"
(10/16/06 2:48am)
Ruckus, the music downloading service the IU Student Association brought to campus, will be available to students today, providing free, legal access to 1.5 million licensed songs. \nStudents will not be charged to download music, and IUSA is not spending any portion of student fees or University funding on the service, said Garrett Scharton, IUSA chief of external affairs. \nRuckus allows users to download music and create a profile to share music and playlists with friends in their social network, Scharton said. \nPC users can create an account by simply visiting the Web site www.Ruckus.com and clicking "Join today." Students can activate an account by entering a valid IU-Bloomington e-mail address and choosing a password. After downloading and installing the Ruckus player, users can search the Ruckus Web site for music. \nApple users must make their computers compatible with Windows to use Ruckus. Macintosh computers equipped with Intel chips can do this in two ways. \nThe least expensive option requires Apple users to purchase the Windows CD -- available to IU students, faculty and staff for about $10 at the Computer Connection store in the Indiana Memorial Union -- and download Boot Camp, available free at www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/. \nBoot Camp requires users to restart their computer to switch from the Mac OS to Windows. Once in Windows mode, Ruckus will work, but Boot Camp can't run Windows and Mac programs simultaneously. \nA second option allows Apple users to run the Mac operating system and Windows at the same time. To do this, users must purchase $10 Windows CD and the Parallels Desktop for Mac program, which is available for about $80 at the Computer Connection store or online at www.parallels.com. \nInstalling Parallels allows Apple users to open Ruckus with one additional keystroke while still in the Mac OS, Scharton said. \nJunior Andrew Simmons, an Apple user, said he wouldn't spend the extra money for additional software. \n"I don't think the extra effort is worth it," Simmons said. \nBut senior Kevin Waltz said he thinks "it's a great idea" to bring Ruckus to campus. \n"If people really want (Ruckus), they won't mind paying extra," Waltz said.\nUsers can transfer downloaded music from their computer to a portable media player for a $20 per semester fee. The portable media player must be equipped with PlaysForSure technology, which allows subscription music to be read, Scharton said. A list of portable music devices with PlaysForSure technology can be found at the Web site www.playsforsure.com. Apple's iPod is not built with PlaysForSure technology.\nSenior Susanne Simeri said her iPod is the reason she has a digital music collection.\n"I specifically download songs to make playlists to put on my iPod," Simeri said. "I rarely play music on my computer so the service would be useless to me."\nSophomore Geena Lawrence, a PC user, said she does not use an iPod and she might use Ruckus.\n"It might be nice to just use it to have music on my computer," Lawrence said.\nScharton said students shouldn't complain about downloading additional software in order to use Ruckus and stay legal. He said Apple users should consider that the cost of downloading the music from iTunes or purchasing CDs might cost more than the additional software for some students. \n"If you plan on listening to or accessing music throughout your college career, it's in your best interest to go that extra step," Scharton said. \nAbout 12 percent of the campus used Apple computers when IUSA and Ruckus began negotiating their partnership last spring, said Peter Opere, the Ruckus sales account associate who has been working with IUSA. \nThis year there has been a slight increase in the percentage of Apple users at IU, said Christine Fitzpatrick, UITS communications officer. \nIUSA realizes current technology does not permit an option that would easily satisfy both Apple and PC users, Scharton said, but IUSA chose the service it thought would benefit the largest percentage of IU students. \n"From IUSA's perspective, we are faced with the decision to help solve problems on campus," Scharton said. "Even though Ruckus isn't a silver bullet, it is still the best option to help curb illegal downloading." \nFor more information about Ruckus, visit the IUSA Web site, www.indiana.edu/~iusa/, or the Ruckus Web site, www.Ruckus.com. More information about running Windows on an Apple computer can be found on Apple's Web site, www.apple.com.
(10/13/06 5:16am)
Thursday night, the sole student representative of the IU Presidential Search Committee listened to students' opinions of how decisions made by the next IU president will affect their daily lives.\nMichael Renfrow, a graduate student at IU-South Bend, was the centerpiece of an open discussion hosted by the IU Student Association. About 30 students, most of whom were IUSA representatives, turned out for the event.\nThursday was Renfrow's first trip to IU-Bloomington to talk publicly about the presidential search since his appointment to the committee.\nIU Student Trustee Casey Cox said IU needs an energetic president -- one who will walk from the Bryan House to Bryan Hall and meet students on campus. Renfrow said he agreed and said that the next president needs to have the energy to drive across the state to be visible at all campuses.\n"We need a candidate who is very forward-thinking," IUSA President Betsy Henke said.\nHenke said the next IU president needs to be business-minded to make IU a "lean institution." \nThe president must be able to make the University more efficient while also keeping students in mind, she said.\nThe next IU President must keep tuition rates as low as possible, said IUSA Vice President Andrew Lauck, because recent tuition increases continue to burden students. \nStrong athletics programs have helped carry IU's name as its academic programs have developed, Lauck said. Students at the forum told Renfrow the next IU president should recognize that athletics programs, like the men's basketball team, should be supported because they are a point of pride for the campus as well as citizens across the state. \nLauck said Renfrow is capable of fulfilling his duties during the search, though IUSA remains disappointed that the Bloomington campus is not represented on the search committee.\nIf he were in the position of IUSA's leaders, Renfrow said he would fight just as hard for a representative from Bloomington. He said the student body government has a responsibility to make its campus heard, and IUSA is doing a good job making that point.\nRenfrow introduced himself as a non-traditional student; he is 29 years old and married with two children. He spent four years in the Army as a signals intelligence analyst, translating radio communications in Farsi. Renfrow completed his undergraduate degree at IUSB and now works toward his Master's in Public Administration.\n"There is no one student that defines IU," Renfrow said. "Some are 18 years old and live on campus like here in Bloomington, some are 40 years old with kids."\nRenfrow said serving as the sole student representative on a search committee composed of administrators, faculty members and trustees would be a challenge for anyone, regardless of which IU campus they came from.\nThough he is the IUSB student body president, Renfrow said he will not focus only on his campus during the presidential search.\n"I came into the search with a blank slate and no preconceived notions," Renfrow said. "I'm leaving whatever I bring from one campus at the door."\nRenfrow said dialogue with students from all IU campuses will help him finalize a set of criteria for the student's ideal candidate. So far, concerns have been similar on all campuses.\n"Everyone wants the same thing," Renfrow said. "It's not as split as you might think."\nRenfrow said his experience in IU student government qualifies him for the position. He served as the IUSB student body president for about two years and also has served as the chair of the All University Student Association. During this time, he has worked with the board of trustees and three IUSA administrations.\nRenfrow said though he is a student, his previous experience with the board of trustees will give him credibility during the IU Presidential Search Committee meetings.\nThough Renfrow will be the only student directly involved with the search process, one other student will be involved in the final decision. Cox, a law student at IUB who sits on the board of trustees, will participate in the selection of the next IU president from the three to five candidates the search committee will recommend.\nThe trustees have created a Web site, www.indiana.edu/~nextpres/, that details the presidential search. Ideal qualifications have been outlined in a six-page job description drafted by the trustees. \nIU President Adam Herbert has announced he will resign when his contract expires July 31, 2008. If a replacement is found before that time, Herbert has said he will step down from the presidency and finish his contract while serving the University in another capacity.
(10/12/06 5:02am)
The IU Student Association will host an open forum Thursday with the sole student representative on the IU Presidential Search Committee.\nThe open forum will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Ballantine Hall, room 304. \nMike Renfrow, a graduate student and IU-South Bend student body president, will be in Bloomington to hear student opinions about the IU presidential search, IUSA Vice President Andrew Lauck said.\nAt the forum, students will be able to share their thoughts on what they would like to see in the next president with Renfrow, IUSA President Betsy Henke said.\n"The complete focus will be on students," Henke said. "Our representative is coming to hear our thoughts and concerns."\nLauck said it was clear IU trustee and Presidential Search Committee Chairwoman Sue Talbot were not focused on student concerns at the previous presidential search forums. As a result, Renfrow was appointed to represent the student voice.\nAt least 40 members of IUSA will attend the forum to express their thoughts and concerns about the presidential search process, Lauck said. Among representatives from other student groups and interested members of the general student population, Lauck said he expects 60 to 80 students to attend the forum. Leaders from a variety of campus student groups -- including the Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Association, Residence Halls \nAssociation, Union Board and Board of Aeons -- have been invited to attend the forum, which is also open to the public, Lauck said.\nSeveral student groups have scheduled individual meetings Friday with Renfrow. Greek leaders will use the time to ask Renfrow to consider presidential candidates who will be supportive and understanding of greek life, IFC President Justin Sloan said.\n"Personally, I would look for traits similar to Herman B Wells," Sloan said. \nWells, the former IU president who guided the University through a period of growth, promoted greek life by allowing space for greek expansion and housing, Sloan said.\nThough Henke said she would like the Bloomington campus to have its own representative on the Presidential Search Committee, IUSA hopes to show Renfrow that the Bloomington campus deserves to have its input about the presidential search be heard.\nThe campus experience in Bloomington is unique compared to other IU campuses, Henke said. IUSA hopes the open forum and Renfrow's meetings with campus student groups will immerse him in the culture of a traditional campus.\n"Our overall goal is to connect him with the way students experience life at IU-Bloomington," Lauck said.
(10/10/06 3:42am)
A new philanthropic search engine gives users a chance to donate to their favorite charity without spending any of their own time or money.\nGoodSearch, at www.GoodSearch.com, gives Internet surfers an alternative to the usual search engine business model.\n"We know there are a lot of people who want to do good but don't have the time or don't have the money to help out," co-founder Ken Ramberg said. \nLos Angeles Internet entrepreneurs Ramberg and his sister JJ Ramberg developed GoodSearch when they realized the potential for charitable results from Internet search engines, he said. \nGoodSearch functions just like any other typical search engine. It is powered by Yahoo to ensure the quality of its search results. Users select the charity they wish to support before they submit a search query by either entering its full name or entering a keyword and selecting it from a list. \nGoodSearch earns its revenue from the companies who advertise on the Web site and donates 50 percent of its revenue to the charities specified by its users. This equals a donation of about one cent per search, Ramberg said. An organization makes the most money if it spreads the word about GoodSearch to its supporters. The more people who use GoodSearch for their search queries, the more money that will be donated, Ramberg said. \nSince its public launch in Nov. 2005, the response has been tremendous, Ramberg said. More than 100 new nonprofits register on the Web site every day. Ramberg said there are currently more than 20,000 charities actively using GoodSearch to raise money. \n"The whole idea is to make it as easy as possible," Ramberg said. "We take something people do every day -- searching the Internet -- and turn it into doing good." \nInternet search engine advertising revenue will exceed $6 billion in 2006, according to the Internet Advertising Bureau. \nThere's a fine line between charity and business, senior marketing major Reed Schafer said, and although 50 percent of the GoodSearch profit goes to charity, the other 50 percent does not. \n"There might be some opposition to those who make money wearing the charity hat," Schafer said. \nFreshman Dianna Dorman said she thinks the idea is "pretty fantastic" and could be helpful to any charity. Dorman said she would make the switch from using a typical search engine to GoodSearch if the Web site could actually benefit an organization. \n"I'd definitely give it a shot," she said. \nDance marathons from more than 50 schools are registered on GoodSearch, Ramberg said, including the IU Dance Marathon. \nIUDM Fundraising Director Adam Hirschkatz said that when the organization visited the Web site to register, it found that someone had already signed up IUDM. IUDM advertised its participation in GoodSearch by sending an announcement to its e-mail list. Hirschkatz said he told his family and friends to use the search engine to benefit IUDM. \nSince Jan., $216.55 has been raised for IUDM.\n"It's easy to use," he said. "If everybody on campus used it, we'd make a lot more"
(10/09/06 2:42am)
Family and friends of Jill Behrman gathered Friday afternoon at the Student Recreational Sports Center to remember a life well-lived.\nIU Recreational Sports dedicated two benches and a tree outside of the SRSC in Jill Behrman's memory because the center is where she spent much of her time while she was an IU student.\nTwo benches, carved from Indiana limestone, now sit next to a black gum tree. The heart-shaped logo carved on the end of the benches matches the buttons that were distributed when Jill Behrman disappeared.\nAfter the dedication ceremony, guests tied yellow remembrance ribbons on the tree.\nThe choice to plant a black gum tree represents the curiosity Jill Behrman embodied, her father Eric Behrman said during his dedication speech.\nA storm destroyed a birch tree in the Behrmans' front yard, Eric Behrman said. A landscaper suggested a black gum tree -- which turns crimson during the fall -- be planted in its place.\nJill Behrman, then about 8 years old, helped replace the dirt around the new tree. A few days later, she had a question for her parents.\n"I overheard her go up to Marilyn and ask, 'Mom, when do we get the black gum?'" Eric Behrman said.\nJill Behrman, always interested in physical fitness, started working at the SRSC during her freshman year at IU before she disappeared during a morning bike ride May 31, 2000. She was enthusiastic about her job even when faced with the task of cleaning exercise mats, Kathy Bayless, director of Recreational Sports said\nJohn Pedersen, SRSC director of facility support and Jill Behrman's former supervisor, said he remembers the day Jill disappeared. She didn't show up for work, which was in striking contrast to her ordinarily conscientious behavior, he said.\nPedersen said the newly dedicated tree and benches will preserve Jill's memory at IU.\n"It will help students become more informed about the legacy that she left," Pedersen said.\nMarilyn Behrman, Jill Behrman's mother, said she thought her daughter was headed toward a career in wellness or fitness.\n"The SRSC was a place that was very special to Jill," Eric Behrman said. "She enjoyed working here very much."\nMargie Polley, a Behrman family friend and board member for Jill's House, which will help families of cancer patients seeking treatment at the IU Proton Therapy facility and is named after Jill Behrman, said the tree and benches located outside the SRSC are a fitting way to carry on Jill Behrman's memory forever.\n"Jill was a wonderful young lady," Polley said, "and it's nice to see her remembered this many years later." \nThe dedication ceremony was part of the kickoff for the Oct. 21 Jill Behrman Run for the End Zone, a 5K race that benefits the Jill Behrman Emerging Leadership Scholarship fund and Jill's House. \nThe trial for John R. Myers II, Jill Behrman's alleged killer, is scheduled to begin Oct. 16.
(10/05/06 2:39am)
The IU Student Association will support an initiative to make IU an environmentally healthy and sustainable institution. \nAt its meeting Tuesday evening, the IUSA Congress voted to support a letter asking interim Provost Michael McRobbie to create an IU-Bloomington Sustainability Task Force consisting of faculty, staff and students. \nThe IUSA-sponsored letter proposes the task force assess IU's current sustainability status, identify key areas of concern and create a plan to make the campus more environmentally efficient. \n"Sustainability is a broad issue that is essential for the survival of humankind," physics professor Ben Brabson said. \nBrabson and Isabel Piedmont, the administrative assistant in the French and Italian department, presented the letter at the IUSA Congress meeting. \nSustainability is the concept of environmental preservation. Major issues include energy use and recycling. Brabson said implementing a plan for sustainability would save money and environmental resources in all areas of the University: energy at the physical plant, paper in computer labs and food preparation in the residential dining halls.\n"IU is the only school in the Big Ten without a sustainability initiative," Piedmont said. \nThe sustainability initiative is an attempt to revitalize environmental preservation initiatives on campus. \n"In the past, students have been involved in sustainability and environmental issues," IUSA President Betsey Henke. "However, the issue has not attracted the attention that it deserves in order to bring IU to a level comparable or exceeding that of our peer sch----ools and their respective sustainability initiatives."\nStudents are important for the vision and implementation of a sustainability plan, Brabson said. He said younger people have the motivation to act, while older generations hesitate to make change. \nInput from student groups could help persuade the provost to create a Sustainability Task Force. Henke said if the task force is created, IUSA would like to see students aware of sustainability issues and involved in making a difference. \n"We want to help collaborate student voice and advocacy to demonstrate to administrators and the University that students do care, even though it may seem our time here (as students) is limited," Henke said. \nThe letter, which Brabson and Piedmont hope will be sent to McRobbie within a week, has been signed by faculty members, staff members and IUSA. Other groups on campus, including the Bloomington Faculty Council and the Graduate and Professional Student Organization, are being approached for support. \nMcRobbie is aware that a letter has been drafted and of the overall concerns that various campus groups have for the environment, director of IU Media Relations Larry MacIntyre said. However, MacIntyre said because McRobbie has not yet read the letter, he will not comment about the state of sustainability on campus at this time. \n"IUSA has not taken a role regarding IU sustainability initiatives, but this is an opportunity to change that," Henke said. "We want to be proactive and enable students to take a more active role in this task force to demonstrate to the University, including its students, faculty and especially administrators, that we care and want to make an impact on the foundation of future sustainability efforts"
(10/03/06 4:41am)
After making it a key issue last year during its campaign and after months of planning, the IU Student Association announced Monday it will be bringing Ruckus -- a free, legal music downloading service -- to IU students. \nGarrett Scharton, IUSA chief of external affairs, said the program will officially launch on campus the week of Oct. 16 with the recent approval from the IU legal counsel and from Ruckus. \n"Our goals are to provide a safe, legal option for students to access music," IUSA President Betsy Henke said in an e-mail. "Unfortunately, students are being bombarded with illegal ways to obtain music, (and) Ruckus gives them a chance to make the right choice."\nRuckus provides users with unlimited access to 1.5 million licensed songs, but songs cannot be downloaded to Apple iPods. The service will be available to everyone with an IU-Bloomington e-mail account, including students living both on and off campus.\nThe registration process to create a Ruckus account simply requires that users enter their University e-mail address and choose a password. They can then search and download music to their computers, Scharton said.\n"Students will now be surrounded in an environment where there are options," Henke said. "No longer are they forced to pay out of pocket for music that is more easily stolen. Ruckus gives them an opportunity to listen, organize and discover music at no cost."\nScharton said this will be a welcome change considering the options now are to either "go broke or break the law."\nThere will be no fee to students or IUSA for use of the service. Some smaller universities do have to pay for the service, but Ruckus has waived the fee for IU because of the large size of the student body, said Peter Opere, the Ruckus sales account executive who has been working with IUSA. However, Opere said students who graduate and lose their IUB e-mail accounts can choose to pay a fee of about $9 a month to keep the music they have downloaded and to continue to use the service. \nIn addition to digital music, Ruckus also hosts a digital video service that includes movies and TV shows. However, this service is not included in the proposed partnership between IU and Ruckus, and if students wish to use this service, it will cost $15 per semester.\nImplementing a music downloading service at IUB was an integral part of the platform for the Hoosier campaign. Once elected, executives immediately began reviewing downloading services. Ruckus, which seemed the most user-friendly and had the highest user ratings, beat out iTunes, Cdigix and Peer Impact for IUSA's bid, Scharton said.\nAlthough iTunes was considered, it wanted to charge students more than the regular price the company offers with its pay-per-song service, Scharton said. \n"I wouldn't even put iTunes and Ruckus in the same category," Scharton said.\nSome universities currently using Ruckus have a 95 percent usage rate, Scharton said. The extensive list of participating universities includes University of Southern California, Wisconsin and University of North Carolina. Ball State implemented the program this fall, Scharton said.\n"Both Mac and PC users can use the program," Henke said. "There is an additional program needed to more easily use Ruckus on a Mac, but this extra step is a simple request."\nBut additional software that would make her Apple computer compatible with programs that are only supported by the Windows operating system does not appeal to senior Amy Mills.\n"It's the extra step -- I'm not sure I'd take the time to download the extra software," Mills said.\nHenke, a Mac user herself, disagreed.\n"I use a Mac, and I don't think one extra step is too much to ask to make downloading legal," she said.\nOnce downloaded from Ruckus to a user's computer, a $20 per semester fee will allow the music to be moved to almost any type of media player except for Apple's popular iPod, Opere said. Though Scharton said programs exist to allow users to download Ruckus' music to iPods, he said IUSA in no way encourages illegal uses of the service.\nApple enthusiast and junior Chris Mart said he does not see the benefit of a music downloading program that is not compatible with the popular iPod.\n"That sucks," Mart said. "If I can't even use it on my iPod, why would I even worry about it if there are other ways I personally can download music?"\nJunior Alli Newell said she has had personal experience with the problems caused by illegally downloading music. Newell, who used Limewire during the fall 2005 semester, was contacted by University Information Technology Services after representatives discovered she had about 15 shared songs on her Macintosh's hard drive. In order to keep her IU network account, Newell was told to delete the shared music within 24 hours. She also had to take a test to prove to IU that she understood copyright privileges.\nNewell now buys all of her digital music from iTunes. Even though she has a Macintosh, she said she would download additional software for a chance to use Ruckus and legally access music for free.\n"I've had Macs my whole life, so I'm used to doing a few extra things for it," Newell said. "If the extra software is accessible and easy to download, I don't think it's a big deal."\nDownloading the additional software is a much better option than stealing music, Scharton said.
(10/03/06 4:03am)
IU alumnus Scott A. Jones has just created an Internet search engine with a human touch. The Web site, www.chacha.com, launched Sept. 5, uses human guides -- including some IU students -- to provide users with the most relevant responses to their search queries. \nJones, the co-founder, chairman and CEO of ChaCha, graduated with honors from IU in 1984 with a degree in computer science. He conceived the idea for the new search engine in October 2005 while reading a book about the availability of information through Internet searches. He realized most search engines do not access the deep Web. Instead, they deliver thousands more results than users can effectively deal with. \n"Think of the search results," Jones said. "You don't need a million results. Wouldn't it be cool if you could ask the question and get the answer?" \nHe said ChaCha is the first search engine to connect people with human "guides" in real time through an instant message-type chat session. This immediate connection produces more relevant search results quicker than searches that do not use human guides, he said.\n"It does take human intelligence to make sense of words and the way we use language," Jones said. "The same thing is true with (Internet) search." \nChaCha offers two ways to search: Users can click "ChaCha Search" or "Search with Guide." To search with immediate human assistance, users can search with a guide who is an expert in a certain area. Because guides have done extensive Internet searches on select topics, Jones said they know where the information can be found. \nChaCha uses its guided results to fuel user requests for unguided searches. The search index is filtered through results provided by guides for similar previous searches. \nJones said human guides will be able to provide better results for a particular search because of their own interest in the topic. Most people do not have the patience to go past page three on Google, Jones said. \nSince its launch, more people have signed up to work for ChaCha than Google's nearly 8,000 employees, Jones said. Guides come from diverse backgrounds; they include college students, work-from-home mothers and retired people, he said.\nStudents from IU and more than 150 other universities have signed up to work as ChaCha guides. \n"It's the perfect job," Jones said. "You get to pick what you want to search on, you sign up for what you like and work for however long you want." \nBefore they can start answering search queries, ChaCha guides must complete training and an apprenticeship. Once they prove they're search-savvy, guides begin accepting search queries as pros. There are currently about 7,000 people training to become guides and about 2,000 have already completed their apprenticeship. \nMatt Pickel, IU senior and telecommunications major, currently works as a ChaCha guide. He signed up to search for keywords he is familiar with -- including the Indianapolis Colts and golf. \nPickel said he can run the ChaCha guide application in the background of his computer while working on other things. A doorbell notification sound alerts him to an incoming search query that needs his response. \n"It's not a bad gig," Pickel said. "I'm not really doing anything out of the ordinary -- just being on my computer." \nPickel said he introduced his mom to ChaCha and she loves that the new search engine provides two or three relevant results as opposed to thousands of hits. \n"If the results the guides provide are good enough, you can use them," Pickel said. "But if they're not what you want, the guide keeps searching for you."\nBut junior business marketing major Kristy Blum said she worries about the bias a guide might have.\n"Who is to say that a great site might not be listed in the five sites returned to you by a guide?" Blum said.\nSenior exercise science major Ben Petty said he would use the new search engine for nonacademic purposes, but he can also see potential for ChaCha's expert guides to serve as an academic resource.\n"I would like it most for finding academic sources that I could cite for a research paper," Petty said.\nBecause it is still in its experimental "Alpha phase," according to a press release, some kinks still need to be worked out. ChaCha indexes search results produced by its guides, the system becomes smarter and stronger as more people perform more searches.\n"ChaCha injects human intelligence into the (search) results," Jones said. "People will get better results faster and they'll do it with someone who cares"
(09/29/06 3:25am)
The IU Student Association has selected 13 freshmen for its 2006 Fall Freshman Internship Program. \nWith the help of these interns, IUSA will be able to "extend its reach to become an all-encompassing body," said Phillip Smith, IUSA chief of operations and intern coordinator. \nTypically, Smith said most students are unaware of IUSA until their sophomore year or later. The internship program will get freshmen involved in the organization on the ground level while providing them with a wide exposure to the University, Smith said. \nEach intern has been assigned an IUSA executive or director who will serve as their mentor. Under the guidance of their mentor, interns will act as a liaison between IUSA and two to three student groups.\n"(The work done by these interns) will allow IUSA to be in more than one place at one time," Smith said. \nThe program was designed to cultivate leadership skills that will be useful in any organization these freshman interns become involved with in the future, Smith said. IUSA hopes this program will help develop future leaders not only for itself but also for the Union Board, Panhellenic Association, Interfraternity Council, IU Dance Marathon and many other influential organizations on campus. \nAs far as the current IUSA administration is aware, this is the first time IUSA has offered an internship program, Smith said. IUSA executives decided to create an internship program during a conference for the Association of Big Ten Students after being inspired by a similar program at Ohio State. \nFreshman Michelle Landis is one of the 13 new interns. She said she applied for the program because she thought it would be a great way to get involved and find out what IU is about. \n"It will let me meet more people and learn more about student government and leadership," Landis said.
(09/26/06 3:54am)
Two projects led by the IU Digital Library Program will provide Indiana residents with a better understanding of their history through an upcoming project.\nThe program will digitalize Indiana Magazine of History and a set of letters that dates back to the early 1800s, said Stacy Kowalczyk, associate director for IU Digital Library Program Projects and Services. The magazine project will place all issues from the 105-year-old magazine online, while the letter project will make scientific papers currently housed in New Harmony, Ind., available to those who can't make the trip to see the original documents.\n"The benefits (of the project) are two-fold," said Patricia Steele, Ruth Lilly interim dean of University libraries, in a press release. "Citizens across the state will have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of their own history, and we at the IU libraries will advance our goal of providing free and open access to the information researchers need."\nThe Indiana Magazine of History is one of the country's oldest historical journals. It has been published continuously since 1905, Kowalczyk said, and is edited by associate professor of history Eric Sandweiss.\nEvery published issue of the magazine will be digitalized, and the text and images will appear as they would in print. Though the Indiana Magazine of History is available elsewhere, digitalizing all of its issues will make searching the journal much easier, Kowalczyk said.\nThe letters are located at the Working Men's Institute in New Harmony, Ind., the oldest continuously operating public library in Indiana, said Kowalczyk. Because so many scientists lived in New Harmony during the early 1800s, the Working Men's Institute houses a large scientific collection.\nIncluded in New Harmony's scientific collection is what Kowalczyk said is a "wonderful collection of historical papers," including the letters. The scientific correspondence that will be made available will illuminate the scientific process of the time, Kowalczyk said.\nAs more primary source material is made available in a digital format, people will have access to a greater volume of materials.\n"It will be wonderful to be able to get to the original primary source material," Kowalczyk said.\nDigitalizing library materials extends their use and expands their audience, Steele said. Converting information into a digital format also preserves the materials to ensure their continued availability.\n"Libraries have been trusted to build collections for researchers and students that will last through time," Steele said.\nThe two projects are funded through grants from the Indiana State Library. The IU Digital Library Program operates as collaboration between the IU Libraries and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Information Technology.
(09/19/06 4:19am)
A new Web site aims to simplify the search for off-campus housing by allowing students to view available Bloomington properties and connect with property managers using one online forum. \nUsers can browse www.campus1housing.com for properties by street location, number of bedrooms, occupancy and property type. No initial registration is required, and all listed properties can be viewed immediately. If users become interested in a particular property, they can register an e-mail account to contact the property manager directly to arrange a visit or place a bid, said Joe Condit, Campus1Housing cofounder and director of sales and marketing. \n"Students are the most technologically savvy group in the world," Condit said. \nHe said the Web site takes advantage of students' Web usage and helps students avoid the hassle of driving around town searching for housing options. \n"The real value is having everything on one Web site," Condit said. "Why do you go to Google? It's easy because everything is there." \nJunior Allison Glock said she found the Web site helpful when she began looking for off-campus housing.\n"The pictures give you a good feel for the house and the amenities it comes with," she said. "Plus, it's helpful to not have to drive around looking for a house." \nStudents considering off-campus housing for the first time can use the site to help inform their parents of their options. Condit said viewing multiple housing options in one place makes parents feel more comfortable with their son or daughter's housing choice. \nRachel Walker, director of human resources and corporate communications for Campus1Housing, said the site currently has information on 3,500 units in Bloomington.\nCondit said the site allows property managers to learn how to appeal to students using advertising that makes technology work for them. \nMillennium Property Management, Omega Properties, Renaissance Rentals and Vencel Property Management are among the Bloomington companies that have chosen to list their properties on the site, Walker said. \nCampus1Housing is a client of IU's chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, said the society's vice president and senior Jackie Gutmann. By working with the company during the school year, PRSSA members gain experience in public relations and event planning, she said. \nIn addition to working with the society, Campus1Housing hires summer sales interns. By seeking out properties to list, Condit said these interns help shape the Web site. \nSenior Craig Herron, a School of Public and Environmental Affairs management major, was the sales intern last summer. His responsibilities included meeting with property managers to encourage them to sign with Campus1Housing, as well as updating property profiles on the Web site. \n"It's an innovative company that has great ideas for students on campus," said Herron. \nEventually, Campus1Housing will provide information about storage, moving and utilities, said Campus1Housing co-founder and CEO Jake Burns. \n"We want to help students manage their living experience and make the whole thing easier from start to finish," he said.\nIn addition to IUB, Campus1Housing operates at Bowling Green State University, Central Michigan University, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Kentucky, Miami University of Ohio, Notre Dame and Xavier University.
(09/13/06 4:14am)
The transition into a large university atmosphere can be daunting, but a series of workshops the IU Student Academic Center presents is designed to acclimate undergraduates to the challenges of college life. \nFreshmen, sophomores and anyone else interested in starting the semester off right might be interested in attending, said Jim Honeyford, a graduate student in religious studies and assistant instructor at the center. \nHoneyford led Tuesday evening's workshop, titled "How to Talk with Your Instructor." \n"People don't understand that professors and AIs aren't your enemies," said junior Andrew Bowers, who attended the workshop. \nA professor recently complained that none of his students come to office hours anymore, Honeyford said, and many professors say they find it refreshing to communicate with undergraduates. \nHoneyford said personal interaction is easily lost in a large research university setting. He said while some professors seem too busy to care about their undergraduate students, many are happy for the chance because they do not get to do it very often. \n"If your professor never asks students for feedback during a lecture, they probably do not want to be interrupted," Honeyford said. "If they ask questions and walk around the room, they probably welcome constant interaction." \nAt the start of the workshop, Honeyford distributed a handout listing five scenarios, each of which detailed a common reason why a student would need to talk with an instructor. After small groups discussed the scenarios, solutions were shared. \nOne of the common scenarios detailed a student who realized she would miss an exam because of a family wedding. Honeyford advised workshop attendees to check the syllabus at the beginning of the semester. If a conflict is inevitable, he advised talking to the professor in advance to humbly negotiate a solution. When asking to re-schedule an exam, Honeyford said to be flexible since a professor who allows this is doing the student a favor. \nAnother common scenario detailed a student who overslept and missed a discussion section. It is important to ask a classmate what was missed, e-mail the AI or discussion leader and go to office hours, Honeyford said. He said seeking out assistant instructors will show them you care about the class. \nWhile discussion to professors is not limited to direct person-to-person contact, Honeyford gave advice on how to best e-mail professors. He said students should be courteous, use a respectful tone and write complete sentences. He added, instant message shorthand is not appropriate for e-mails.\n"People make assumptions based on how you word your e-mails," Honeyford said. \nBowers said listening to the workshop made him rethink how he communicates with his teachers. \n"Asking questions helps you out a lot (in a class)," Bowers said. "(This workshop) made me realize I need to talk to my professors more." \nThe workshop will be presented again at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Ballantine Hall, room 109. \nThe Student Academic Center sponsors the Fall 2006 College & Life Long Learning Workshops, held each Tuesday and Wednesday evening from 7 to 8 p.m. Additional workshops for the semester are planned, covering a range of academic and time management topics. \nIn addition, the center is sponsoring the Study Smarter Workshops, which introduce study skills and strategies for test preparation, Honeyford said. \n"The workshops are nice because they are like an à la carte menu for study skills and strategies," he said. "You can pick and choose to attend what you are interested in." \nMore information about the Student Academic Center -- including a complete listing of all scheduled fall workshops -- can be found on its Web site, www.indiana.edu/~sac/.
(09/12/06 4:13am)
Miss a class and need the notes? A new Internet forum will help track them down.\nNoteSwap.com is an online environment where students can exchange course notes with classmates. The service will help students supplement their own notes or find notes from a missed class.\n"It's an opportunity to create a virtual classroom," said Ryan Grush, the Louisiana State University junior who founded the Web site.\nAnyone with a university e-mail account can register at NoteSwap and any NoteSwap user can post course notes for other users to download, said Chandler Cherco, LSU senior and NoteSwap public relations director. Although the Web site does not guarantee content or quality of posted notes, multiple sets of notes might be available from several students in one course. \n"We envision NoteSwap.com as becoming the academic counterpart to Facebook's widely successful social network," Cherco said.\nNoteSwap rewards users who actively contribute to the service, Grush said. Use of the Web site is dependent upon an extensive rating system that represents each user's level of participation. Points are awarded when users upload notes, and downloading notes requires a certain amount of points. \n"We're not catering to slackers," Grush said.\nThe idea of NoteSwap was conceived during fall 2005 after Hurricane Katrina turned the Gulf Coast upside down. Students transferring out of the New Orleans area after the storm found themselves missing notes from the courses at their new universities, which were already a few weeks into the semester. After Grush received numerous e-mails from new classmates looking for notes, the idea for a note-sharing Web site was born.\nAfter achieving success at LSU, NoteSwap expanded to other Southern universities with large numbers of students who transferred because of Katrina, Cherco said. Numerous large universities from across the country, including IU, have been added this fall.\nThe Web site will unveil a new look within the next week. The update -- including an improved professor ratings system, expanded message boards and customizable user profiles -- is intended to expand the academic resources available to students.\nAlthough the service is new to IU, a few students have already posted notes for selected courses. NoteSwap staff expects more notes to become available once more students find out about the Web site.\n"If I have to upload lots of notes or if the teacher posts notes, I don't think it will affect me," said Catie Sweetwood, a senior majoring in sport marketing and management and sport communication. "I think it would depend on the class. If I didn't know anyone in the class and I need to get notes, I would use it."\nIn order to be safe from academic misconduct charges, students should use their best moral judgment about what becomes available on the Web site and how that material is used, said Pam Freeman, associate dean of students and director of student ethics.\n"Students must be responsible enough to attend class because there is no substitute for the experience of being in the classroom with a professor," Freeman said.\nIU administrators are aware that students currently share notes, Freeman said, and there is not a policy against note-sharing unless a professor specifies it is not allowed. However, students should act responsibly if graded material turns up online, she said.\nIf a professor has specified an assignment should be done independently, use of the Web site for the assignment could possibly be considered academic misconduct, Freeman said. Posting graded materials could also be considered a violation of the policy against facilitating academic misconduct.\n"How (NoteSwap.com) is used will be critical for students," Freeman said.\nNoteSwap did not contact the universities before expanding the service, Grush said. All of the information -- including all course listings for every department and each professor's name -- was extracted from the universities' Web sites.\nGrush said about 80 schools will soon be listed on NoteSwap.com. IU joins LSU, Auburn University, University of California Los Angeles, University of Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Penn State, Wisconsin and others.
(08/11/06 12:30pm)
IU will showcase its talents and celebrate its commitment to Indiana at the 150th Indiana State Fair. Although activities, exhibits, giveaways and performances on IU Boulevard will give the University a daily presence, IU will be celebrated Thursday during IU Day at the State Fair. \nExpo Hall Street at the Indiana State fairgrounds in Indianapolis will be lined with more than 60 hands-on booths from the University. There will be 'Red Hot' giveaways, parades, pep rallies and performances. Presenters are scheduled to include the Jacobs School of Music, the School of Informatics, the School of Dentistry, the School of Medicine and several departments from the College of Arts and Sciences. IUPUI and the other regional campuses will also participate. \n"IU needed a presence at the State Fair," said Lisa Townsend of the IU Office of University Marketing. "It is a great venue for reaching the Hoosier public. We have lots and lots of great things planned." \nThe fair will celebrate its 150th anniversary with a preview concert Tuesday on the Grandstand Stage. The IU Summer Music Festival Jazz Orchestra, directed by IU director of jazz studies, David N. Baker, will perform at 6:30 p.m. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and five-time Grammy winner Sandi Patty will also perform. A complimentary concert admission ticket is available on the Web site www.in.gov/statefair/fair/entertain/sandipatty.pdf. \nThe music school will present classical, jazz, rhythm and blues musical performances throughout IU Day on the Home and Family Arts Building Stage and the Jack FM stage. \nThe IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis Music Academy will offer a "musical petting zoo" at which a range of popular instruments will be available for visitors to try for themselves. \n"People will be able to get information about the Music Academy and the different instruments," said Jennifer Clark, senior administrative assistant at the academy. \nThe IUPUI School of Science will offer an interactive forensic science investigation. Visitors will be able to participate in a game called "If the Shoe Fits" to compare shoe prints from a mock crime scene, said Jennifer Boehm, IUPUI director of community relations. IUPUI offers the state's first and only bachelor's degree in forensic and investigative sciences.\nThe School of Dentistry will bring Seal Indiana, a mobile dental program, to IU Day. The School of Medicine will provide health information and give iPods to the winners of a health quiz contest. IU technology experts will provide online security advice. \nThe nightly 6:30 p.m. fair parade will be led by IU Thursday. \n"All IU students, alumni and fans are invited to join us in the parade," Townsend said. "If they're wearing their IU garb, they can line up at the swine barn beginning at 5:30 (p.m.)." \nIU Day would not be complete without an IU pep rally with football coach Terry Hoeppner. Joining the IU football coach will be the winner of the Miss IU and Miss Indiana pageants, graduate student Betsy Uschkrat. The IU Marching Hundred and the IU and IUPUI cheerleading squads will also be present. Three pep rallies are scheduled for 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m Thursday. \n"As Hoosiers, we all take pride in the Indiana State Fair," IU President Adam Herbert said in a press release. "It reminds us of so many things that make our state such a terrific place to live and work. I urge all Hoosiers, and especially our alumni, students and their families, to attend the fair on this special day to see all that Indiana University has to offer." \nThe Indiana State Fair will run from Tuesday through August 20 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. For more information and a complete schedule for IU Day at the State Fair, visit its website at www.indiana.edu/~fair/.
(08/06/06 11:58pm)
In a sport that has recently been plagued by scandal at the Tour de France, amateur cyclists ride harder than ever with hopes of climbing up the ranks. Current and former Little 500 riders alike go shoulder to shoulder to test their endurance, strength and will to tolerate the summer heat throughout a series of races around the Midwest.\nCyclists from all over the Midwest rode into Bloomington Saturday to see for themselves if riders in the home of the Little 500 are as strong as the movie "Breaking Away" portrays. The TrueSport.com Downtown Bloomington Criterium, sponsored by Tortuga/Big Brothers Cycling Team, was held on a three-fourths-mile loop around downtown Bloomington.\nA crowd gathered on the Kilroy's Bar and Grill patio as riders prepared for the start. When the opportunity only comes once a year to blaze down Kirkwood Avenue at 30 mph in front of a crowd of summer students, race fans and townies, riders from Acacia, Alpha Tau Omega, Cutters, Dodds House, Fiji, Major Taylor, Pi Kappa Phi and Sigma Pi are the first to line up.\n"A criterium is a timed race around a short circuit," said Doug Robinson, assistant race director. \nRiders race for a set amount of time before they are given a three-lap warning to the finish. The Bloomington Criterium was divided into three races: a Category 3/4 race, a Category 4/5 race and a Pro/1/2/3 race. Cyclists race in a category according to their skill level, beginning in Category 5.\nMost of the cyclists who rode in last spring's Little 500 competed in the Category 3/4 race. The race started rough with a pile-up in the third turn. Since it was early in the race, riders were able to re-enter the race. As the race went on, several riders made attempts to break away. However, the peloton -- the pack of cyclists -- fiercely chased them down. Josh Weir from the MOB Cycling team took the victory, followed by teammate Dave Enmark and then Little 500 veterans Kevin Moore, senior David Caughlin, junior Alex Bishop, Kirk Habegger and senior Ryan Knapp.\n"I just wanted to make sure I kept the bike upright because there were crashes early in the race, including my own," said Moore, a 2006 IU graduate who rode for Dodds House and now rides for Bacardi-NUVO Cycling. "I saw Steven Ballinger, who I know is a good sprinter, and he led me to the front. I was happy with third."\n2004 IU graduate and Little 500 veteran Bri Kovac was in town to see her friends and teammates race.\n"Bloomington is a fantastic venue and this race is very spectator-friendly," said Kovac. "The course was tough -- riders made six 90 degree turns in one loop and rode over brick crosswalks."\nSpectators can see more strategy in this type of race than when watching Little 500, said Kovac. Teams have more than one rider racing and therefore the teamwork is more evident than in Little 500, when only one rider from each team is on the track at any time.\n"Many Little 500 veterans and IU graduates who have raced all summer choose this to be their last race of the year simply because of the home-town nostalgia," said 2006 IU graduate Andy Cvengros, an Acacia veteran who now rides for Bacardi-NUVO Cycling.\nOfficial results for all the races are available online at the Web site www.truesport.com/Bike/2006/results/bloomington080506.html.