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(08/03/06 12:33am)
Puzzle enthusiasts from around the world gathered at IU this week to celebrate the grand opening of the newly refurbished Slocum Puzzle Room in the IU Lilly Library. Serious enigmatologists and library visitors alike can now view the exhibition and test their wits by trying to complete the puzzles themselves. \n"Confounding and delightful, precise and whimsical, the puzzles selected for this exhibition represent centuries of mathematical, social, and recreational history from across five continents," wrote Jillian Hinchliffe, Lilly Library curatorial assistant, in the Jerry Slocum Collection guide, "A World of Puzzles." \nThe Slocum Puzzle Room will showcase about 400 pieces from Jerry Slocum's immense puzzle collection, which he has donated to IU. The entire collection includes 30,000 mechanical puzzles and 4,000 puzzle-related books, as well as the historical files used by Slocum to research the books he has authored. \nSlocum's collection, which he has spent 65 years building, is regarded as "the best puzzle collection in the world," said Hinchliffe.\nMost of the mechanical puzzles on display are either put-together, take-apart or interlocking. Some examples in the Slocum Puzzle Room are displayed in the concealed drawers of specially-created tables that are puzzles themselves to open. Highlights on display include the "impossible" soda bottle pierced by an arrow and a carved ivory Chinese Ring puzzle. Even some of the seemingly-simple puzzles include elaborate designs that prove puzzles can be more than child's play. \nSlocum, who is now retired from his career as an aerospace engineer with Hughes Aircraft Co., has been fascinated by mechanical puzzles since childhood. He was introduced to puzzles by a gift from his father -- a puzzle brought home as a souvenir from the 1939 World's Fair. \nAt the age of 10, Slocum used his weekly allowance of 25 cents to buy a mechanical puzzle known as Chinese Rings. The puzzle consists of a series of circular rings which must be removed from a rod. Completion of this particular puzzle cemented Slocum's puzzle love. \n"I worked and worked at that puzzle, probably for a couple weeks," Slocum said. "When I finally solved it, I had such a sense of satisfaction to have solved something this difficult." \nAs his interest deepened and his collection grew, Slocum began to have what he called a "long-term vision" for his puzzles. He recognized that in addition to its entertainment value, his extremely large collection could serve as a resource for education and research. He decided to donate his puzzle collection to a place that was both a serious research institution and open for public enjoyment. \nSlocum began the search for a destination for his collection 13 years ago. He considered many esteemed institutions, including the New York Public Library and the Smithsonian, but the IU Lilly Library impressed him with its open facilities and attentive staff. \n"Lilly came out ahead," Slocum said. "Their collections are very well protected and they also met my criteria for ease of access." \nAs with all collections at the Lilly Library, any of the pieces from the Jerry Slocum Collection may be checked out and observed in the library's Reading Room, said Hinchliffe. \nTo show Slocum that his puzzles would be prized at IU, Lilly Library officials asked department heads throughout the University whether or not such a collection would be used. Several departments responded with a resounding "yes," and one upcoming fall semester course is already scheduled to use the collection. \n"Puzzles motivate people to learn by having fun," Slocum said. "Once they have fun, people wonder -- What other puzzles like this can I solve?"\nSlocum's friend, fellow puzzle enthusiast and IU alumnus Will Shortz visited his alma mater to celebrate the exhibition opening. Shortz turned his love of puzzles into a college major and then a career: he earned a degree in enigmatology -- the study of puzzles -- from IU's Individualized Major Program and is now editor of The New York Times crossword puzzle, NPR Puzzlemaster and star of the recent documentary "Wordplay." \n"People sometimes don't take puzzles seriously," Shortz said. "But they train the mind to be observant and foster mental flexibility." \nThe Lilly Library, one of 18 libraries on the IU-Bloomington campus, houses IU's collection of rare books and manuscripts including more than 400,000 books, 130,000 pieces of sheet music and about 7 million manuscripts. \nThe Lilly Library is open to the public and admission is free. Regular hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Lilly Library tours are offered at 2 p.m. each Friday. More information about the Lilly Library can be found on its Web site, http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/.
(08/03/06 12:33am)
The IU School of Education will use its expertise to improve the caliber of future IU students when it opens the Center for Educational Science Research and P-16 Collaboration this fall, University officials announced this week. \nIU faculty members will work closely with Indiana elementary and secondary schools, building relationships with young students and improving their curriculum and test scores, said Catherine Brown, associate dean in the School of Education and director of the new center. \n"The role of the Center will be to expand on the work our faculty is doing to bring research-based knowledge to bear on improving student achievement from pre-kindergarten through college," said Gerardo Gonzalez, dean of the School of Education, in a press release. \nP-16 Collaboration aims to create a seamless educational system from kindergarten through college, Brown said. The Center will combine knowledge from IU faculty members and schools to try to solve problems in education. \nThe Center will work with schools to improve college preparation by raising achievement levels and improving curriculums so students are better equipped to handle a college work load. It will also track Indiana high school graduates as IU freshmen and report their level of success to schools, which may then make adjustments for better preparation. \nTeachers across the state will benefit by working with IU faculty to improve their methods of instruction. The University will allow Indiana teachers to have access to improved teaching methods and proven curricula so students may benefit. \nThe Center will work with IU's new Institute for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education, also opening in the fall, to assist schools improving in those areas. \nThis goal has already been started at Decatur Middle School. \n"We must do everything we can to support teachers in providing quality instruction in the STEM subjects so that our students are given every opportunity to be successful," Decatur Township Schools Superintendent Don Stinson said in a statement. \nProjects will initially be aimed at those most in need of an educational boost -- schools in Indianapolis, Gary and South Bend that have significant low-income and minority populations. \n"The Center will provide an infrastructure for building relationships between IU and youth-serving agencies and schools in Indiana," Brown said. "Forming relationships with schools and teachers will have an early impact on younger students, making IU an attractive and positive place to learn."\nBrown said the Center is about equality -- giving everybody the opportunity to prepare to come to IU. \n"The Center will work with minority populations whose students have not traditionally been well-served by the educational system," Brown said. \nIU plans to increase its admission standards in 2011, which may cause the diversity of the student population to decrease, Brown said. The Center will aim to increase diversity by improving education for minority populations. \n"In order to have an excellent University we need excellent students," Brown said. "And an excellent student body needs diversity so we can learn from each other." \nUniversity officials said they are optimistic the Center will reap positive benefits for IU and for the state. \n"We hope this effort will result in more Hoosier students leaving high school with the knowledge and skills they need not only to gain admittance to the college of their choice, but to succeed once they are there. We are especially interested in the potential impact this center could have on helping prepare promising minority students for post-secondary education," said IU interim Provost Michael McRobbie in a statement. "IU is always looking for new ways to help Indiana progress"
(07/31/06 3:26am)
Puzzle enthusiast and author Jerry Slocum has donated his immense puzzle collection to IU's Lilly Library. The collection includes more than 30,000 mechanical puzzles and nearly 4,000 puzzle-related books. \nBeginning Wednesday, 400 pieces from the donated puzzle collection, including hands-on examples, will be on display in a newly refurbished area of the Lilly Library that will be named the Jerry Slocum Puzzle Room, said Jillian Hinchliffe, Lilly Library curatorial assistant. \nVisitors to the Lilly Library will be able to test their wits by trying to reassemble or disentangle replicas of puzzles that have entertained for centuries, according to a press release. \nMechanical puzzles are hand-held objects that must be manipulated to achieve a specific goal, such as a Rubik's cube or a Tangram. The puzzles soon to be on display will be mostly put-together, take-apart and interlocking puzzles.\n"Slocum, who developed a mechanical puzzle classification system adopted worldwide, identifies 10 types of mechanical puzzles, ranging from put-together puzzles to dexterity and disentanglement puzzles," according to a press release.\nIn the days before the exhibit opens to the public, the Lilly Library will be hosting a conference to celebrate the gift, Hinchliffe said. IU alumnus Will Shortz is slated to speak at an invitation-only reception expected to attract more than 100 puzzle enthusiasts from around the world. Shortz is the editor of The New York Times crossword puzzle, NPR Puzzlemaster and served as inspiration for the recent documentary "Wordplay."\nSlocum began solving and collecting mechanical puzzles during his early childhood. His collection is now considered the largest in the world. He is the author of several puzzle books, including 1986's award-winning "Puzzles Old and New" and 1996's best-selling "The Puzzle Arcade." In 2002, Slocum was curator of the "Puzzles using Mathematics" exhibit at IU. \nSlocum is also president of the Slocum Puzzle Foundation, an organization that aims to educate the public about the history, development and use of puzzles in cultures throughout the world. The Foundation also supports educational use of puzzles. \n"This gift culminates a long relationship with Jerry Slocum, and we are honored he chose the Indiana University Libraries to house and display his collection," said Pat Steele, interim dean of University Libraries, in a press release. "The collection is an excellent resource for teaching and learning, in part because it's so engaging. The more challenging and complex the puzzles, the more they fascinate and instruct"
(07/27/06 12:30am)
A contractor has been caught illegally dumping debris from the demolition of the old Ashton Center at 10th and Union streets on a farm in rural Monroe County, officials said. \nHomrich Inc., the company handling the demolition of the Ashton residence hall complex, has been ordered to stop the illegal dumping and remove the materials, said Kirk White, IU director of community relations. \nThe Monroe County Solid Waste Management District received an anonymous call July 14 reporting demolition debris dumping in the 3200 block of old Indiana 446. After witnessing the large amount of materials involved, district environmental enforcement director Tom McGlasson made the decision to call the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. \nIDEM instructed Homrich Inc. to remove the "mixed materials" and take them to a permitted disposal factor, said Amy Hartsock, IDEM public information officer. As an alternative option, the contractor could submit to IDEM a proposal for beneficial re-use of the materials. \nThe "mixed materials" included painted concrete blocks, metal, pipes and plastic that must be removed from demolition debris before it is considered "clean fill," Hartsock said. Clean fill includes brick, cinder block, concrete and untreated matter. Clean fill cannot include any hazardous material and must comply with environmental regulations. \n"The contractor we hired had a problem with the definition of 'clean fill,'" said White. "The fill taken from the Ashton site was not considered clean, and it was not acceptable for fill purposes." \nAny construction or demolition debris not considered clean fill may be disposed of at approved waste sites, White said. \nIU and IDEM officials said they were both concerned about the dumping. Homrich Inc.'s actions were stopped when the problem was realized. Proper waste management is the contractor's responsibility and that contract was violated, White said. IU is following the situation to ensure corrections are made. \nIDEM is working with Monroe County Solid Waste Management to monitor the contractor's actions and ensure the materials that were illegally dumped are removed. Although the contractor dumped the debris with the farm owner's permission, 'clean fill' requirements have since been explained to both parties. Homrich Inc. has removed 90 tons of material from the farm, said Hartsock. \nThe Ashton residence hall complex is being razed so the site can be reused for another dormitory facility. IU hired Homrich Inc. to do the demolition because of its "long track record," White said. The Michigan-based company has been doing business across the Midwest since 1964. \nHomrich Inc. officials could not be reached for comment by press time. \n"The University did not make the mistake here," White said. "We were surprised when they [Homrich Inc.] made a mistake like this."\nHomrich Inc. had removed shingles and asbestos from the debris as required. The contractor is complying with the IDEM request to remove the illegally dumped debris, Hartsock said, and there will be no fines assessed at this time.
(07/23/06 11:17pm)
In about a month two IU graduates will begin an extreme off-road adventure called Expedition Cure, as the friends will attempt to drive the entire North American Continental Divide in 21 days to raise money and awareness for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. \nHanley Noel and Brent Hatherill, who both graduated from IU in 2004, share a love of adventure and a desire to raise money for Parkinson's research. Noel, who is involved with the Hoosier Cruisers four wheel drive club, said the idea for an off road expedition evolved from several conversations with his friends. \nExpedition Cure will use the extreme adventure to promote fund raising for Parkinson's disease research. \n"We thought, if we're going to go out and take a month to do this we should make it into something bigger," said Hatherill. \nNoel, who will drive during the expedition, has been practicing off road techniques with fellow Hoosier Cruisers at the Badlands Off Road Park in Attica, Ind. \nHatherill and Noel will travel in a highly modified 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser from Glacier National Park to the Mexican border through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. The portion of the route through Colorado is the most extreme, Hatherill said. It includes old mining roads and mountain passes used in the Great Divide Land Rover expedition. \n"I don't like to keep cars normal -- I like to mess with them," Noel said. \nIn addition to standard off road equipment, the beefed-up Land Cruiser includes a folding rooftop tent and a hot-water shower. \nAlthough the 21-day goal has been set, Hatherill said Expedition Cure is not a race. The two plan to drive carefully and efficiently to respect the environment.\n"In this sport, you have to be very careful because the impact of the vehicle can be destructive on the land -- you have to be responsible," Hatherill said. \nAn interactive Web site, www.expeditioncure.com, will feature global positioning system tracking, journal entries, photos and videos so followers can stay updated throughout the trip. Text message updates will also be available from Proxito. \nExpedition Cure is part of the Michael J. Fox Foundation's Team Fox, which supports grassroots fund-raising programs. Donations can be made by accessing Team Fox through Expedition Cure's Web site. \n"Brent and Hanley's goal is to meet their fund-raising objective of raising $5,000 for Parkinson's, complete the trip and not become bear food in the process," states a press release. "And with any luck, IU won't be asking for their diplomas back when they're finished"
(07/20/06 1:33am)
Since OneStart has been implemented as the class registration interface, student donations to the IU Student Association Rape Crisis Fund have dropped by more than half, Middle Way House and IUSA representatives said. \nStudents may choose to purchase event and IU sporting tickets or support a cause by checking the corresponding box on the "Optional Selections" page during class registration. Students can donate $3 to the Middle Way House Rape Crisis Center by clicking the "IUSA Rape Crisis Fund" box. \nDifferences between the old INSITE registration program and OneStart have caused student confusion and resulted in fewer boxes being checked, said Lindsay Kerrigan, IUSA director of women's affairs. IUSA and other groups are now pushing the Registrar's Office to correct the changes so that they see increases in the funding. \nDuring the spring and fall of 2002, student donations from the registration option allowed IUSA to donate $27,500 to the Rape Crisis Center, Kerrigan said. However, student donations from the registration option now total about $11,000 per year as the number continues to decrease. \nWhen INSITE was still in use, students had to check "yes" or "no" for each "Optional Selection" before pressing "Continue" to finish registration, Kerrigan said. \nOneStart does not require a "yes" or "no" decision -- students may check a box to make a selection or simply press "Continue" to bypass the page. Students must also press "Save Selections" before pressing "Continue" to record their donation, Kerrigan said. \nA recent survey of IU students conducted by Friends of Middle Way House showed some students are unaware their selections are only recorded if they press "Save Selections" before pressing "Continue," Kerrigan said. \n"(OneStart) is set up in a way that it doesn't activate the user's conscience, and it really should -- we're talking about rape," said Garrett Scharton, IUSA chief of external affairs. "The old system forced users to make a decision."\nScharton said the system is now like a "checkout process" because it is easy to breeze through without paying attention to the options.\nDuring 1987, Bloomington faced a sharp rape increase and declared a rape crisis. The Rape Crisis Center was opened in 1988 by Middle Way House at the request of the city, said Toby Strout, Middle Way House executive director. \nIU initially tried to help Middle Way House by providing space for a rape crisis center, Strout said, but a permanent home at the University was not possible. Although the University could not provide financial support, Middle Way House recognized the large group's power and asked students for support. A Middle Way House proposal to add the Rape Crisis Fund to the "Optional Selections" registration page received more than 10,000 supportive student signatures, Strout said, and the option was added. \n"The combined power of $3 student donations really helped our program," Strout said. "Recently, we've been very disappointed." \nStudents' "Optional Selection" to support the Rape Crisis Fund during registration has provided the primary source of support for the Rape Crisis Center since 1989, she said. \nDiscussions about the current setup of the "Optional Selections" page are ongoing between IUSA, Middle Way House and University officials. \n"Rape and money are both sensitive issues," Scharton said. \nRoland Coté, University registrar, said data provided to the Registrar's Office does not link the decline in selections to the new registration process. However, Coté acknowledged that "key individuals" are in discussion about the OneStart registration system. \n"We have put together some options that are being reviewed and that we hope will be in place for the upcoming registration," Coté said. \nKerrigan added that they're hoping talks this week will create productive changes. \n"Ideally, I would love to see the system change so that there are 'yes' or 'no' choices and users don't have to hit 'save' before 'Continue,'" said Kerrigan. "I would love to see Middle Way House receive the funds they need"
(07/20/06 12:36am)
An entire department at IU is responsible for representing the University's position on higher education issues to the government. \nThe IU Office of Government Relations maintains University connections with state and federal lawmakers, and the alumni group, Hoosiers for Higher Education, provides easy access for those interested in legislative issues pertaining to Indiana education. \n"State Relations serves as the primary liaison between Indiana University and the legislative and executive branches of Indiana government," reads the State Relations' Web site. "The state relations team also works closely with other universities and higher education groups in Indiana." \nThe department is currently preparing for the next legislative session, during which IU's budget will be set for the next two years, said JT Forbes, assistant vice president of Government Relations and executive director for State Relations. \n"Our job is as much shaping what people throw at the University as it is advancing the funding and policy agenda," said Forbes. \nRecently, the Government Relations staff has dealt with legislative attempts to mandate research, Forbes said. A few state lawmakers considered regulating research at the Kinsey Institute, but IU's State Relations Department argued that would be a violation of academic freedom and faculty members should be free to determine their own research. \nRather than actually lobbying, Frobes said Government Relations instead primarily provides information. The staff spends a great deal of time on the road and on the phone, getting to know legislators and what is on their minds so they can promote the University. \n"There is an extraordinary network of legislators who believe in IU," Forbes said. \nGovernment Relations works beyond the state level, as well. \n"Federal Relations serves as the primary link to the federal government, working regularly with Congress, the White House and federal agencies on matters that affect IU and higher education," according to the Federal Relations Web site. \nDoug Wasitis, director of IU Federal Relations, works in Washington to promote the University among the federal government. \n"IU receives $400 million a year in federal grants and contracts, so it makes sense to have someone in Washington," said Wasitis. \nForbes said the department is responsible for a broad range of activities. \n"We are advocates for the academics and the research of the University and at the same time we are problem-solvers," he said. "We have to help people when problems come up with the government and, likewise, we also help the government." \nHoosiers for Higher Education, a University advocacy sponsored by the IU Alumni Association, guides people in search of information about higher education policy. \n"The primary goal of Hoosiers for Higher Education is to engage its members to connect with public officials about the importance of supporting funding and policies that will ensure that IU continues to be a premiere international teaching and research institution," according to the HHE Web site. \nHHE supports the entire IU system, said Debbie Sibbitt, HHE director. With about 10,000 members -- including students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni and University friends -- HHE is one of the largest grassroots university advocacy organizations in the nation.\nCurrently, HHE is working closely with the State Relations staff to prepare for the next legislative session.\n"We are putting together our toolbox of information that we can have readily available when we go into next year's General Assembly," said Sibbitt. \n"(HHE tries) to maintain a large database of people who are interested in contacting the government about issues important to IU and higher education," Sibbitt said. \nIts Web site provides several resources that simplify finding information and contacting government officials, including a link to important issues facing IU, a way to find elected officials for a specific area and tips to consider when writing or visiting elected officials. \nIU aims to convince the state to provide the desired financial support for University research and development that will ultimately complement state goals for economic development, Sibbitt said. \nStudents interested in actively promoting IU and higher education may join HHE on its Web site, www.gov.indiana.edu/hhe/index.shtml.
(07/17/06 3:19am)
Making textbooks tax-free for students will be one of the IU Student Association's top priorities for the upcoming year, said student representatives. If such a bill passes, Indiana would join the ranks of at least 10 other states that have sales tax exemptions for collge textbook purchases. \n"The idea of tax-free textbooks receives overwhelming support from everyone we talk to," said Garrett Scharton, IUSA chief of external affairs. "This would have a lasting effect -- it would directly affect the pocketbooks of every student in Indiana." \nStudents should not be subjected to multiple taxes in order to access higher education, Scharton said. He said although tax dollars already support in-state tuition, students are taxed again when they purchase the textbooks they need to be competitive and succeed in their college courses. \nThe concept for tax-free textbooks is not new. The first bill proposing sales tax exemption for textbooks, Indiana House Bill 1825, was introduced in 1999 but denied a hearing. Several bills have since been authored but none have been granted a hearing, including 2001's widely-supported House Bill 2128. \nIn 2001, a petition in support of tax-free textbooks was submitted to each member of the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee. The petitioners represented 19 Indiana colleges and universities, including IU. Despite more than 13,000 signatures in support of textbook sales tax exemption, the bill was denied a hearing. \nSupport for tax-free textbooks has also been demonstrated by a letter-writing campaign that sent about 1,000 letters to the Indiana State House. In 2001, two rallies were held at the Indiana State Capitol Building in Indianapolis by students representing eight Indiana colleges, and a third protest was held later in Bloomington, according to IDS reports. \nThe fact that none of the bills written for textbook sales tax exemption have been given a hearing, despite numerous efforts to support the concept, is "a crime against students," Scharton said. \nWhile the University cannot control the cost of textbooks, it supports the concept of student savings, said JT Forbes, IU assistant vice president and executive director for the IU Office of State Relations. \n"It's important to IU that we do everything we can to keep things as affordable as possible," Forbes said. \nForbes' office, which represents the University's position to the State, helps align student government representatives with State officials responsible for the issue of concern. \nPaul Hazel, director of the IU Bookstore, said he would be excited for students if such legislation were passed. \nWhile getting a bill through legislation is incredibly complicated, Scharton said, support for a textbook sales tax exemption must be shown between now and the next legislative session in order to demand attention to the bill. \n"If any single student thinks this is a good idea, they must contact their representative or senator," he said.
(07/17/06 2:31am)
About 300 new graduates of an online university received their diplomas Saturday at a ceremony in front of the IU Auditorium. \nWalden University, one of many accredited online institutions in a growing distance learning market, held a traditional commencement ceremony that was simultaneously Webcast for the nearly 3,000 graduates who couldn't make it to Bloomington.\nWalden students hail from the United States, the Virgin Islands, Canada, Germany and the United Arab Emirates. While all Walden courses are taught online, there are some residency programs held on IU's Bloomington campus. \n"One of the major challenges in the next decade is preparing scholar practitioners who will affect positive social change in an increasingly multicultural, global society. And Walden is proudly leading the way with our most recent graduates," Paula Peinovich, president and provost of Walden, said in a press release. \nRoberto Ibarra, Walden board member and University of New Mexico sociology professor, gave the commencement address, titled, "Ambassadors of Change," and also received an honorary degree.\nWalden University professors and students both firmly believe that learning takes place both within the classroom and outside its walls. \nAn online education benefits those who are truly motivated to push themselves and devote time to their studies, said graduate Rajesh Pericherla of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He chose Walden for his advanced degree because of the flexibility allowed by the online courses. Pericherla earned his Master of Science in Computer Engineering from Walden while working at IBM. \nGraduate Sara Meineke also worked full-time while furthering her education through Walden. She earned her Master of Science in Education while teaching at a public elementary school in San Antonio. \nThe program and her instructors were "instrumental in motivating us to reach the 'digital natives' -- our students," she said. Meineke will use her newly developed technology skills in her own classroom to prepare her students for life in the digital age. \n"Walden is changing and reframing the deeper context of education, and perhaps society as well," Ibarra said in his address. "Go out and change the world"
(07/12/06 11:26pm)
A recently completed interactive Web-based map built from digital aerial photographs will enable users to zoom in on any area of land within Indiana, said Rick Hill assistant director for technical services with the Indiana \nGeological Survey. \nThe Indiana Geographic Information Council contracted IU's University Information Technology Services and the Indiana Geological Survey to create the IndianaMap. The project was funded with federal money as part of the 2004 Indiana State and Local Homeland Security Grant was set aside to fund this project -- the 2005 Indiana Orthophotography Program. \nThe IndianaMap makes Indiana the first state to have aerial photographs recording images of the entire state, Hill said. Users can zoom in on any area of any of Indiana's 92 counties using the map.\n"This map is the first of its kind," he said. \nThe completion of the IndianaMap shows significant coordination between multiple levels of government, even during the transition from former Gov. Frank O'Bannon's term to current Gov. Mitch Daniels, said Anna Radue database and geographic information systems specialist in UITS. \nEach pixel of the online map is equivalent to one square foot of land. In 13 counties, the resolution has been increased so that each pixel is equivalent to six inches of land, Radue said. All images were taken with the Leica ADS40 Airborne Digital Sensor, a high-performance digital camera. \nThe map is a composite of full-color orthophotographs -- aerial photographs of the land taken from a plane, Hill said. Photographic distortions have been removed so that the photographs have been corrected to compensate for the curvature of the earth and blurred photograph edges. \nThe orthophotographs were compiled into an interactive map for use by the government, businesses, researchers and all interested Hoosiers. Although it was only recently unveiled, the IndianaMap has already begun to show its usefulness. \nThe IndianaMap will be used by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to map the state's wetlands and the White River Watershed Alliance to view the state's watershed. \nThe site for the newly-planned Honda plant in Decatur County was found in part by use of the map, Radue said. In addition, Hill said, Bloomington has begun to use the map to inventory trees. IU researchers in geography or geology could also find benefits in using the map, Radue said.\nThe IndianaMap orthophotography data set totals six terabytes - the equivalent of 6,000 gigabytes, Radue said. UITS has archived the large data set by use of IU's massive storage system. \n"The high-perfomance networking at IU will allow the general public to access the map by either downloading it or viewing it online," Radue said. \nEach county within the state owns their own orthophotography, although the images are used at all levels of government, said Radue. All counties are sending the information to Google, Microsoft and the U.S. Geological Survey so it may be included in new maps of the state. \nRadue and UITS were recognized in April by the Indiana Geographic Information Council Board for their efforts in setting up the host Web site. The Indiana Geological Survey was also recognized for their effort to post the orthophotography on their server. \nThe IndianaMap can be found on the Web site www.in.gov/igic/projects/indianamap/index.html.
(07/10/06 5:15am)
What's a six-letter word for enigmatology? No, it's not puzzle, it's Shortz -- as in Will Shortz, the IU graduate who stars in the documentary "Wordplay". \nPuzzles are more than games to Shortz, whose passion for puzzles has produced a personalized degree and a prosperous career.\nShortz graduated in 1974 from IU's Individualized Major Program with a degree in Enigmatology, the study of puzzles. He is now the editor of The New York Times crossword puzzle, the Puzzlemaster on National Public Radio and author of numerous puzzle books. \nBefore Shortz was the feature of the documentary, which has created significant buzz for more than just puzzle fans, he started his passions for designing puzzles at young age. \nShortz published his first puzzle when he was 14 years old. At 15, he was a regular contributor to Dell Logic Puzzles, a game magazine. \n"My mother is a writer so it was always a natural thing to send things in (for publication)," Shortz said. "I was a puzzle-head when I was a kid," said Shortz, who completed his first puzzle when he was eight years old. \nHe had joked about majoring in puzzles as a kid growing up in Crawfordsville, Ind., not knowing that it was really possible. In fact, Shortz began to complete the requirements for an economics degree before his mother discovered the Individualized Major Program during his sophomore year at IU. \n"I consider myself extremely fortunate to have gone to IU, with its innovative Individualized Major Program," Shortz said. "This was hugely helpful with my puzzle career." \nThe Individualized Major Program has not changed since Shortz was at IU, said IMP Director Ray Hedin. Potential students are required to write a proposal for course topics and a final project, which is then approved or modified by a faculty panel. Courses can be from any department and the final project can be a research paper, creative project or professional internship. \nShortz designed courses about constructing crossword puzzles, logic puzzles, math puzzles and the psychology of puzzles, among others. His final project was a thesis on the history of American word puzzles before 1860. \n"My degree gave me credentials that still no one else in my field has," Shortz said. He is still the only person in the world to hold a degree in enigmatology. \nWhile one may assume a puzzle person might spend all his free time with a dictionary, Shortz was no recluse during his college years -- instead, he was an active member of Greek life at IU. He was secretary, rush chairman and then president of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He even became the secretary of the Interfraternity Council and champion of an all-fraternity tennis tournament. \nAlthough his shy, studious nature paints him as a "non-frat guy," Shortz said fraternity life, especially his responsibilities recruiting new members as rush chairman, helped him overcome his shyness. \nShortz remembers sharing "how come" mystery puzzles with his fraternity brothers. \n"A how come mystery is a puzzle that poses a curious or paradoxical situation, and players ask yes-or-no questions to try to discover the solution," Shortz said. "I remember these being very popular for a week."\nDuring the 1973 spring semester, Shortz published 11 sets of brain teasers in the Indiana Daily Student. Shortz also crafted an Indiana Challenge puzzle for the IU Alumni Association's 150th anniversary in 2004. He has contributed puzzles to the IUAA's magazine. \nAs editor of The New York Times crossword, Shortz chooses the best puzzles for publication from the 60 to 75 he receives each week. Because the difficulty of the crossword increases each day, Shortz advises puzzlers to start with a Monday puzzle then work through the week. Crossword puzzles should be attacked with the same philosophy as any other predicament -- start with what you know, Shortz said, and the rest will become easier to figure out. \nEverything that is newsworthy enough to appear in the newspaper is fair game for inclusion in The New York Times crossword puzzle, Shortz said. While the crossword used to be filled with obscure words from unabridged dictionaries, Shortz has supplemented traditional subjects with modern culture. But while the Monday Times puzzle has become easier, only the elite can complete the puzzle at the end of the week. \nElite crossword puzzlers share the limelight with Shortz in "Wordplay", which tells Shortz's story and follows the 2005 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. "Wordplay" also includes interviews with celebrity crossword puzzlers Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, the Indigo Girls, New York Yankee Mike Mussina and Jon Stewart, whose presence in the film shows that crosswords are not just for nerds. \nIt seems that people who are busiest are the ones who do crossword puzzles in their spare minutes, Shortz said. Crossword puzzlers are people who love words, like a challenge and like to exercise their brains. \n"The people they bring me into contact with are intellectual, educated and well-rounded," said Shortz. "Crossword puzzles stretch my brain and they never get old." \nMore people already seem interested in the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, founded by Shortz in 1978 and featured in "Wordplay". Last year about 500 puzzlers competed to be the best crossword puzzler in the nation. This year, Shortz said, the tournament's Web site has been flooded with requests for information and a large spike in participants is expected. \n"I've heard from a lot of people that they will start doing crossword puzzles," said Shortz. "It's making them slightly cool again and leading more people to try them." \nThe New York Times crossword puzzle appears daily in the newspaper and "Wordplay" is now showing in Bloomington at Kerasotes ShowPlace East 11.
(07/10/06 4:48am)
A structural change in the search effort to find the next president of IU will make the process more effective, said Ted Miller, president of the Bloomington Faculty Council. \nIn addition to the 12 members of the presidential search committee, the IU board of trustees has tapped a dozen more people to lead a faculty advisory committee that will assist in the pursuit of a successor for current IU President Adam Herbert.\nThis is the first time a faculty committee has been asked to participate in an IU presidential search. \n"(Trustee President) Stephen Ferguson had this concept, and it is something that has been heralded by the faculty," said Sue Talbot, trustee and committee chairwoman of the presidential search.\nThe faculty advisory committee will represent the ideas and opinions of the faculty, Miller said, whose position as BFC president and member on the search committee will enable him to act as a liaison between the search committee and the faculty committee. \n"(The IU board of trustees) seems to think that having smaller rather than larger search committees is better," Miller said.\nSearch committees are usually comprised of about 20 members, Talbot said. While there are faculty members on the search committee, the faculty advisory committee was formed to involve more faculty members in the search. \nMembers of the faculty advisory committee were recommended by deans or administrators and then chosen by the trustees. Professors appointed to the faculty advisory committee represent the Bloomington campus as well as IU-Purdue University Indianapolis, IU-East Richmond, IU-Kokomo and IU-Southeast New Albany. \nThe faculty advisory committee will be asked to review dossiers -- which include biographies and resumes -- of the candidates. Because of their extensive academic networks, these faculty members may also be able to recommend additional candidates, Talbot said. \nAnd because the faculty advisory committee will illuminate the search with an academic viewpoint, Talbot said she prefers to think of it as an academic advisory committee. \n"Faculty will be able to advise (the search committee) with an academic view of dossiers we receive in relation to the need of the University," Talbot said. \nFaculty opinion will be especially important during the initial search period when candidates are identified, qualifications are reviewed, and opinions are expressed, Miller said. \n"It's a search and screen process," he said. "The faculty committee will help evaluate candidates and narrow them down to a smaller group." \nBoth committees will work together to find a suitable candidate to be the next IU president. Although Talbot said there are many characteristics that make an ideal candidate, the search committee will look for a strong leader. \n"We will look for someone with a proven track record in leadership who understands the culture of a large university like IU," she said.
(07/03/06 2:39am)
IU continues to lose valued tenure-line professors to other universities and private institutions because of the "raiding" of its faculty members, meaning top faculty leave the University for more attractive, higher paying jobs at other institutions, said IU officials. \n"The level of faculty raiding by other institutions is currently at an all-time high for this year and the previous academic year," said College of Arts and Sciences Interim Dean David Zaret. \nOutside offers were made to 55 COAS faculty members during the 2005-2006 academic year, said Zaret. Of those faculty members, 20 have accepted the offers and will leave IU. \n"(IU has suffered) grievous losses over the past few years, especially among the ranks of recently tenured faculty and faculty recently promoted to full professor," Zaret said. "This group represents future intellectual leadership -- it is a group of rising stars." \nThese rising stars fall to raiding by highly-ranked institutions. IU has lost faculty members to institutions such as the University of Michigan, Northwestern University and Oxford University, among others, Zaret said. \n"There are different reasons for faculty to explore employment at other institutions," Zaret said. "In some cases, personal or lifestyle considerations may be important; for example, relocating to an area near one's family. But in most cases, faculty members are concerned with an optimal place for their research and teaching." \nWhile it is a growing concern, this is not a new problem. University Chancellor Ken Gros Louis addressed the issue at a 2005 board of trustees meeting when he said, "All of the schools in Bloomington are facing significant challenges of other institutions raiding (our faculty)." \nAll schools on the Bloomington campus -- including the Kelley School of Business, the Jacobs School of Music and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs -- have been affected by raiding, but none as much as the College of Arts and Sciences. \nWhile some faculty members may simply prefer a different environment and others may enjoy the thrill of a new challenge, sometimes another institution offers greater resources and newer facilities than can be found at IU, said Jeanne Sept, vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of the faculties. \n"Because of dwindling state support, our classroom and office buildings have deteriorated ... and the campus has had to turn to private donors to fund the new, state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities that faculty demand and deserve," Sept said. "Sadly, some of our colleagues have become discouraged by the lack of state support, and have decided to leave." \nThe raid on IU faculty members has created a huge strain on the University's budget. In an attempt to retain faculty members who are offered positions elsewhere, salary matches are attempted but not always possible, Sept said. \n"At IU-Bloomington, there is a disparity between the outstanding quality of our faculty and relatively low salaries, compared to salaries at other public and private research universities," Zaret said.\nIU operates at a competitive disadvantage compared to private research universities with deeper pockets, Zaret said. Those institutions are able to offer higher salaries to their faculty members. \nSept said that faculty salaries at IU are among the lowest in the Big Ten. \nAs IU Dean of Faculties, Sept attempts to support faculty members by guiding them through tenure and promotion. Sept said deans attempt to retain their faculties by reassuring them of IU's commitment to academia, in addition to attempting to increase salaries. She said former COAS Dean Kumble Subbaswamy retained several key science faculty members by securing the funding for the two new multidisciplinary science buildings, one of which is currently under construction. \nDespite the raids, Zaret said the overall size of the COAS faculty has increased slightly in the past few years. There are about 800 tenure-line faculty members in COAS, Zaret said, and about 1,400 on the entire campus. \nSept cited the quality of the current faculty, the high caliber of the University's schools and Bloomington's diverse offerings as attractive characteristics to potential faculty members. \n"We pride ourselves in recruiting outstanding faculty members to come to IUB, and Bloomington has one of the best faculties of any university in the country," Sept said. "It is no surprise that other universities covet our faculty and try to lure them away. They are jealous"
(07/03/06 2:29am)
School of Public and Environmental Affairs professor Charles Wise recently wrote an article calling for a reorganization of federal agencies dealing with disasters and emergencies, something he thinks is needed after the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe. \nIn the article, published in the May issue of Public Administration Review, Wise cites the federal response to Hurricane Katrina as the most recent major indicator that the traditional system currently in use is not working.\nWise traces the problems to planning and management. The hierarchical system follows directions from the top, Wise states in the article. Almost all of the first responders to an emergency are from local or state, not federal, agencies. Therefore the hierarchical system is not reflective of how our government works, Wise said, because each agency operates independently and cannot give orders to each other. \n"What I suggest is that what we have instead of a hierarchy is a series of organizations that make up a network," Wise said. "We need an approach that knits together the plans and programs of these networks." \nWise said he suggests adopting an adaptive management approach to resolve the problem. \n"(The government) could then adapt on the fly in an environment of rapid change," Wise said. "Agencies could then plan together and have an ongoing decision-making process to respond to unforeseen circumstances." \nAll potential dangers to homeland security are included in that broad category of unforeseen circumstances, from environmental disasters like Hurricane Katrina to potential terrorist attacks. \nThe article, "Organizing for Homeland Security after Katrina: Is Adaptive Management What's Missing?" is available on the Public Administration Review Web site, http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/par. This is professor Wise's third publication in the highly respected journal. Wise teaches SPEA graduate courses in public organization and management as well as public management law.
(06/29/06 1:18am)
Students from around the country are spending the second half of their summer learning an African language at IU. \nNine African languages -- Bambara (Bamana), Igbo, Kiswahili (Swahili), Somali, Twi (Akan), Wolof, Xhosa, Yoruba and Zulu (Isizulu) -- are being taught during the national Summer Cooperative African Language Institute, currently being held at IU through Aug. 4. \n"SCALI is a cooperative effort of the Title VI Africa National Resource Centers," said John Hanson, director of the IU African Studies Program. "It is funded by the U.S. Department of Education." \nDuring the seven week session, classes are held for four hours, five days out of the week. Completing the program is the equivalent of one academic year of language study, said Alwiya Omar, SCALI director and IU African languages coordinator. \n"It is very important for Americans to learn other languages, including African languages," said Maria Grosz-Ngaté, associate director of the African Studies Program. "This summer we are teaching a few of the most widely spoken (African) languages." \nStudents who applied during the spring semester listed their top choices of language study and the languages taught this summer were picked to meet that demand, Omar said. \nAlthough most of the 82 students are graduate students, some undergraduates are participating as well. Omar said the graduate students may need to know an African language for purposes of their research or for their future careers as professors abroad, and undergraduate students may use the program as credit toward their language requirement. \nThere are 14 instructors, all of whom were specially trained before the program to teach an intensive language. The teachers had to apply to teach during SCALI, come from IU as well as the other cooperative universities. \nSCALI uses performance-based instruction, which includes reading, writing and speaking a foreign language. Students in this program are learning a language using normal human interaction. \n"Performance-based instruction allows people to generate language use in context," Hanson said. \nIn addition to classes, SCALI students can participate in several evening activities. Graduate students will be given an opportunity to present their African research to anyone interested during research forums each Tuesday evening. An African film series, being held at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, is also open to the public. Five African films relevant to the languages taught during SCALI will be shown. \nThe highlight, Hanson said, will be the language festival scheduled for July 28, at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center. Students from each class will prepare and perform a skit or song in the language they have studied. \nThe cooperative universities include IU, Michigan State University, Ohio University, University of California, Los Angeles; University of Florida, University of Illinois, University of Pennsylvania, University of Wisconsin and Yale University. Each university hosts SCALI for two consecutive years -- this is IU's second year. \n"It's amazing to see how much the students have learned so quickly," Hanson said. "They all chose to be here, and they are incredibly motivated." \nSenior Christina Fonte said she feels lucky that SCALI is being held in Bloomington. She already speaks Swahili and is learning Zulu this summer because her career interests are in Africa. \n"It's intense but I love it," Fonte said. "It's a good speed for me because I love learning languages"
(06/26/06 3:07am)
As learning scientists study the nature and conditions of education, they must find a way to convince other researchers, teachers and policy makers of the value of their findings. \nIn order to further that organic process, the School of Education's Learning and Developmental Sciences Program will host the International Conference for the Learning Sciences Tuesday through July 1. The conference is centered on the "Making a Difference" theme which aims to show the learning sciences do make a difference in educational models, said Sasha Barab, education assistant professor and conference co-chair. \n"Simply put, the learning sciences are the study of learning and the environments that support learning," said Ken Hay, a conference co-chair from the School of Education. \nAbout 450 attendees from around the world are expected at the conference. About 140 researchers will present in a series of poster sessions, presentations and symposia. One invited symposium, "Projects that Made a Difference," will feature presentations from four individuals -- John Bransford, Barbara McCombs, Marlene Scardamalia and Seymour Paper -- whose innovative projects are considered "legendary" in education and the learning sciences, Barab said. \nTwo prestigious events sponsored by the National Science Foundation are planned for today, said the conference co-chairs. One is a doctoral consortium for graduate students and the other is a career workshop for exceptional young faculty members. More than 100 applicants applied for 30 available seats. \n"(The conference will) really get people thinking more deeply about the impact our work is having on schools and people more generally," Barab said. "This year we are focusing on what impacts our projects and theories are having and how we might better align our work to have impact." \nA panel of National Science Foundation Science of Learning Center directors will present at the conference. The Centers have access to a combined total of $45 million in federal grants toward learning sciences, said the conference co-chairs. They added, collaboration during research and at conferences like this one promote the future of the learning sciences. \n"The learning sciences community is rooted in the synergy between cognitive science and computer science that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s," said education associate professor Dan Hickey, a conference co-chair. "It differs from related disciplines by its focus on innovative considerations of learning as they occur in actual learning contexts."\nThe conference is co-sponsored by the School of Education and the School of Informatics. The two schools, along with the cognitive sciences program, share interests in this interdisciplinary field and were recently awarded a Learning Sciences "Commitment to Excellence" award that added faculty members in each area. \nThis conference is the seventh biennial meeting of its kind. All meetings will take place on campus in the Indiana Memorial Union. Previous host sites include University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and University of California, Los Angeles. The next ICLS meeting will be held in June 2008 at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
(06/26/06 2:34am)
For dedicated IU cyclists, staying competitive in the sport requires a longer commitment than Little 500 season. Top riders from the most competitive Little 500 teams train year-round and compete in races around the Midwest. Saturday, many IU riders competed in the Downtown Carmel Criterium in Carmel, Ind.\nRiders represented top Little 500 teams including Acacia, Black Key Bulls, Cutters, Dodds House and Phi Kappa Psi, among others. During the summer racing season, these riders train and compete together with Little 500 alumni riders on teams such as Bacardi-NUVO, Bloomington/Morris Trucking and Tortuga.\nThe Bacardi-NUVO team showed their strength in the Category 3 race when four of them rode shoulder to shoulder across the line going into second to last lap setting up the final sprint. Bacardi rider Andy Cvengros, a recent IU graduate, finished second in the Carmel Criterium. Bacardi riders Pat Ahlberg and Adam Mahomed, both IU juniors, finished in the top 10. All three rode for Acacia in the 2006 Little 500.\nThe Downtown Carmel Criterium was a one mile loop made up of eight turns. A strong headwind increased the difficulty on a short incline and coming out of the last turn in the chicane. The criterium included a Pro/1/2 race, a Category 3 race and a Category 4/5 race. Riders begin racing in Category 5 then qualify for higher categories based on their history of race results. \nA criterium is a road race around a loop that can range from a half mile to a mile and last for a period of time ranging from 30 minutes to an hour and a half, said Doug Robinson, a representative from TrueSport.com,which organized the race.\n"The course was tight," said Mahomed. "Real tight. The turns in the chicane really strung out the pack before the long straightaway."\nTurns are crucial in a criterium, said IU graduate Matt Kubal, a Briscoe Little 500 team alum who now rides for Bacardi-NUVO. Because riders cannot ride through turns in a pack, corners are a good place to gain ground. This also makes corners more dangerous than straightaways, where riders have space to fan out. When the pack narrows to take a turn, riders jockey for position. Sometimes this causes brutal crashes.\n"If you're a serious cyclist and you've never picked asphalt out of your skin, needed stitches or broken anything, you probably haven't been racing very long," said Kubal.\nLike all athletes who love their sport, cyclists think those risks pale in comparison to the thrill of a race. Enthusiastic cyclists embrace opportunities to compete. Participating in summer races gives riders a chance to develop skills while building camaraderie with other Little 500 riders, said Cvengros.\n"It's a chance for Little 500 riders to apply hundreds of hours of training to more than just one race," said Cvengros. "Riding during the summer with guys from various current teams and Little 500 alumni continues the tradition of IU cycling."\nSummer racing will come to town for the TrueSport Bloomington Criterium August 5 and the Lake Lemon Road Race August 6.
(06/22/06 12:07am)
Few students know that IU is home to its own publishing company and fewer still know what the IU Press actually does. \n"Indiana University Press's mission is to inform and inspire scholars, students and thoughtful general readers by disseminating ideas and knowledge of global significance, regional importance and lasting value," according to the Press' mission statement. \nThe IU Press is the largest of those in the Big 10 affiliated with the Association of American University Presses, said Janet Rabinowitch, IU Press director, but its space is limited. As the Press' business has grown, so has its staff and its need for space. \nThe Press is housed in the old office building of The Showers Brothers Furniture Company, which was a significant furniture producer during the 19th century. The deteriorating exterior of the three-story building does not do justice to the quality of work being done inside. There are currently 53 employees at the press, so every inch of space is used -- multiple desks share offices and stacks of manuscripts are piled high on file cabinets. \nTwo old bank vaults, installed when the building was used by the furniture company, now house books. One vault contains a copy of every book title currently in print. A library containing out-of-print titles is in the basement of the building. \n"The Press keeps one copy of every book (they publish)," said Alisa Alering, tights and permissions manager at the Press. \nRobinowitch has worked at the Press for the past 31 years. She has seen the successful publication of hundreds of titles. \n"Our books are our ambassadors," she said. "They extend the presence of the University known to readers far out into the world." \nHerman B Wells had that vision when the IU Press was founded in 1950. \n"The Press will be an ultimate expression of the influence of the University in scientific and intellectual publishing," Wells had said. "The Press will endeavor to extend the University's teaching and research beyond the library, laboratory and classroom, thus performing a function of a university peculiarly important in a democracy."\nThe Press is divided into two publishing departments, books and journals. About 140 new books are published each year during the fall and spring publishing seasons. The Press currently publishes 28 journals, most of them quarterly. There are over 3,000 titles currently in print, said Pat Hoefling, marketing director at the IU Press. \nThe IU Press publishes in a wide range of subject areas. The 2006 spring/summer catalog includes subjects such as bioethics, feminism, fiction and war. The strongest subject areas of publication include Africa, international studies and music. It is no coincidence that those are also areas in which IU is a leader Robinowitch said.\nA staff of six acquiring editors is responsible for finding new titles to publish, Robinowitch said. The acquiring editors have also consulted with IU graduate students about their dissertations and junior faculty members about their academic monograph, or initial publication required for tenure. \nThe acquiring editors have become experts in a variety of fields. Robinowitch said they acquire manuscripts by networking within their field of interest -- attending conferences and meeting with authors and editors. When a potential manuscript is presented, it is sent to at least two experts in its subject area for a peer review. If a manuscript is determined worthy, it is sent out to be printed. Robinowitch said color publications are printed in Asia and all other publications are contracted out within the United States. \nRobinowitch named "Ovid's Metamorphosis" as the Press's all-time bestseller, with over 500,000 copies sold since it was originally printed in the 1960s. New printings are periodically done to fill the demand for the book, which is oftentimes used in University courses. \n"Each year various books of ours win awards," Robinowitch said. \nSome of the recent awards recognize a range of subjects. "Louis Johnson and the Arming of America" by Keith McFarland and David Roll won the 2005 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Silver award in biographies. "Jazz in Black and White" by Duncan Schiedt won the same organization's silver award in music. \nCultural publications that come out of the IU Press find success as well. University of Missouri professor of African American history Wilma King's "Stolen Childhood: Slave Youth in Nineteenth Century America" won the National Conference of Black Political Scientists 1997 Outstanding Book award. The Jewish Book Council recognized "The Moscow State Yiddish Theatre" by Jeffrey Veidlinger with the National Jewish Book Award for Yiddish Language and Culture in 2001. \nAlthough some material included in the course packets used by some IU classes comes from IU Press publications, the course packets themselves are not published by the Press. Kinko's or TIS generally handle that printing, in compliance with copyright regulations. \nNot all publications are academic in subject matter. In accordance with its own mission statement, the IU Press publishes general interest books about subjects such as dinosaurs and railroads. Robinowitch said books about Indiana and the Midwest make up a large portion of the general interest category. \nTwo recent general interest publications have been very popular. The first, "Indiana Cooks!" by Christine Barbour and Scott Feickert, profiles 15 Indiana restaurants and provides four recipes from each chef. Another, "Bringing the World to Our Neighborhood" by LuAnne Holladay highlights Bloomington's annual Lotus Festival. \nIU Press publications are available through catalogs or online. Selected titles for the general readership are available in bookstores. Authors or readers interested in IU Press publications can find more information on the Press's Web site, www.iupress.indiana.edu
(06/19/06 4:26am)
Standing in the lobby of the Back Alley in the Indiana Memorial Union, many bowlers' complaints are not only directed towards the sub-par game they may have just bowled, but also towards the conditions and frequent breakdowns in the alley. \n"It looks really old -- like (from the) early 90s, 'Saved by the Bell' gone bad," said senior Coleen Adley. \nThe Back Alley was built in 1957 and has never been renovated, said John Bower, the manager of Recreation Center in the IMU. \n"There comes a point where new coats of paint on the walls won't cut it," Bower said. \nSeven of the 12 lanes have a history of breaking down, said senior and Back Alley employee Tomo Sato,. Sunday five of the lanes were not usable. Bower said there are holes in the gutters and some of the kickbacks are cracked. He also said the pool tables, which are the same tables as originally installed in 1957, are nearing the end of their life. \nBloomington resident and incoming freshman Andrew Saucier plays pool at the Back Alley with his friends almost every day because it's the only all-ages pool hall he knows of in town. He said the pool tables are usable but most of the cues are warped. \n"You kind of have to fish around to find a good cue," Saucier said. \nDespite the criticisms, many bowlers said they are still happy bowling at the Back Alley.\nRecreational bowler Nick Dale, an IU senior, enjoys bowling at The Back Alley because it is cheap, close to campus and less crowded than other bowling alleys in town. He said he likes the friendly atmosphere. \nJunior Jamie Minick, a Back Alley employee, said the facility provides entertainment for all ages. \n"It's a good family center," she said. "The weekends and nights host lots of families, especially during the summer and during freshman orientation sessions." \nIU is home to bowling team and a billiards team. The bowling team is not NCAA-sponsored, but it competes nationally against teams who are. If the facility were updated, Bower said the team could host small competitions in Bloomington instead of traveling to Indianapolis.\nEach fall and spring semester there are 14 sections of bowling classes and 12 sections of billiards classes through the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. About 500 students participate in the bowling classes. The Back Alley employees consider it a University classroom, which makes it eligible for University funding. \nBower said that bringing the Back Alley up to modern standards would require a complete renovation. He estimated the project would total $450,000 to $500,000. \nFacilities like the Back Alley are common at Midwestern universities, said Bower, though some centers have been remodeled. Two years ago, Purdue University's bowling alley was remodeled. University of Illinois spent $500,000 two years ago to transform its bowling alley into what Bower called "a gorgeous place to bowl." \nThe Back Alley is open from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. daily for bowling, billiards and video games. With an IU student ID it costs $1.75 per game of bowling, $1.50 for shoe rental and $5 per hour of billiards.
(06/12/06 2:35am)
Works offering a look at regions, worlds and realms that have captivated human curiosity throughout the ages will be on display when the Lilly Library opens its "Places of Imagination" exhibition Monday. \n"The exhibition was designed to appeal to children and adults," said Anthony Tedeschi, reference associate at the Lilly Library who is managing the display. Tedeschi said the exhibit pieces are organized into themed cases and visitors with a variety of interests -- from childhood fables to heavyweight philosophical theories -- are sure to find an enchanting piece. The exhibition, composed entirely of books, manuscripts and artifacts from the library's collection, includes works dating from the 15th century through present day. \nA Harry Potter popup book is part of a tribute to the well-loved series. Also displayed is the entire series of "The Wizard of Oz" books as well as a first edition of "Alice in Wonderland" that was originally banned from printing presses. \nLocal connections to myth are featured in the original handwritten manuscript and first edition book of "Raintree County", by Ross Lockridge. Although some speculate about the novel's similarities to Bloomington because the author was born here and then attended IU, the story about a Midwestern schoolteacher takes place in a mythological place. \nA handful of exhibit pieces examine the lost city of Atlantis. Plato's "Omnia divini Platonis opera", written in 1546, is the philosopher's account of the fabled city. Also on display is "Atlantis: The Antediluvian World." Ignatius Donnelly's 1882 portrayal is considered responsible for sparking modern interest in the city swallowed by the sea. \nSeveral cases are dedicated to grand expeditions and geographical theories. Marco Polo's travels will be displayed, as well as a map displaying the once-popular theory that the state of California was an island separated from the continental United States. \nA complementary exhibition, titled "Imaginary & Constructed Languages," showcases both scholarly and literary exploration of language.\nScience fiction fans will marvel at The Klingon Dictionary placed next to a version of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" -- translated into the Star Trek language. \n"The Lilly Library is an under appreciated resource," said Tedeschi. "It holds a vast collection of original documents." \nThat collection includes 400,000 books, 7 million manuscripts and 130,000 pieces of sheet music as well as artifacts and works of art. Many collection pieces are rare editions or first printings. \nTedeschi said the library's collection provides resources for strong, in-depth research. He said in the Lilly Library, you can turn the pages of an original document instead of reading another author's description. The latest exhibition is one more chance to take a personal look at legendary works. \nThe "Places of Imagination" exhibition will be open until September 2, 2006. Exhibit admission is free. Summer hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. More information about the Lilly Library may be found on its Web site, http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/index.html.