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(09/13/10 3:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU women’s soccer coach Mick Lyon sat on the bench for an exceptionally long time before summoning the Hoosiers for a brief conclusion after IU loss to Hofstra, 3-1, on Sunday. Lyon said the first half of the game was probably the worst first half this season.“We didn’t even do enough to come close to win that game,” he said.But this was not the only bad first half the Hoosiers had played so far this season.In IU’s loss to Nebraska on Sept. 4, the only Hoosier goal came late in the second half when the Cornhuskers were already leading by three goals.The same thing happened in Friday’s 5-2 loss to No. 7 Texas A&M. It took the Aggies just 26 minutes after the opening whistle to take a 3-0 lead.Two Hoosier forwards, junior Carly Samp and sophomore Orianica Velasquez, scored in the first seven minutes of the second half, but a pair of Aggies goals in the 59th and 68th minutes put the rest of the Hoosiers’ efforts in vain.Lyon said though his squad could not walk away with a win, he was happy to see the determination the Hoosiers showed even when they were trailing the No. 7 team in the country.“Texas A&M is a very good team,” Lyon said. “But I am happy to see the girls fight through the game and scored two goals.” Then came Sunday.Hofstra found IU’s loophole on the backline less than two minutes into the first half. Hofstra midfielder Brittany Butts took a shot from top of the box that went past IU freshman goalkeeper Shannon Flower and into the post.The Hoosiers did not take a single shot before the second Hofstra goal in the 23rd minute. Hofstra forward Laura Greene dribbled all the way from the right wing to the center and scored from a dead angle after beating the Hoosier defenders.Hofstra midfielders Danielle Murino and Salma Tarik took advantage of a disorganized Hoosiers box in the 72nd minute. Murino delivered a cross pass at the top of the box to Tarik, who finished with a strong shot to the lower left corner.The Hoosiers’ goal was partly attributed to a red card that eliminated Hofstra forward Grace Hawkins in the 81st minute. The 11-on-10 advantage gave the Hoosiers a late boost as sophomore forward Ciersten Burks, who played mostly on the backline in the game, took a chip shot outside the box which deflected off a Hofstra defender and became an assist to junior midfielder Kaylin Clow. That goal saved the Hoosiers from being shut out at home.Burks said Lyon told her during halftime to get more involved in the offense.“He definitely wanted us to get forward more so we can attack the ball as soon as they turn over.” Burks said.The Hoosiers have a four-day rest before they meet Kent State and Central Michigan on Friday and Sunday, respectively, at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
(09/13/10 3:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Margo McAuley’s parents and older sister went to IU, but she did not carry on the tradition until she became a member of the IU’s women soccer team in the spring of 2009. After spending two and a half years at Florida State, the junior defender has turned to a new page by returning to Indiana and joining the Hoosiers.When she graduated from Noblesville High School, McAuley did not choose to be the fourth Hoosier in her family right away, but instead she said had been looking at a lot of universities in the South and in the West. McAuley said the fact that her older sister Morgan, who then was studying at Arizona State before transferring to IU, was the other reason why she wanted to go south.Though she played four years for her high school varsity team, McAuley said she did not consider soccer her first priority. “I never really looked at IU that much,” McAuley said. “Really, I just X’ed out most of the schools in the United States because I wanted to go to somewhere in the south and study marine biology.”However, a foot injury sidelined McAuley during her second season with the Seminoles, and she began considering coming back home.“It happened at the beginning of my sophomore season,” McAuley said, “It took a whole year to recover, and I had a lot of issues with it.”McAuley had surgery on her foot in Indianapolis last August. She said the injury gave her a strong feeling that it was time for her to come home.“I was still on the team,” she said, “but I couldn’t practice, couldn’t travel. I realized it’s not where I was supposed to be anymore.”While she was recovering from the surgery, McAuley reevaluated her idea of coming back and finally made the decision.By the time McAuley came back, her sister, Morgan McAuley, had transferred to IU. After visiting her on campus and talking to her parents, McAuley confirmed she would transfer.McAuley joined the team this spring, but she said at first she was nervous about how well she could make a transition from the Seminoles to the Hoosiers.“It was not really my team, and I was coming in as an outsider,” McAuley said, “but the girls were really amazing and welcoming me on and off the field.”This summer, while taking classes on campus, McAuley spent two whole weeks practicing with her teammates, and she said she found herself feeling much more comfortable on the young IU team.McAuley said her foot rehab is going well this season with the care from her athletic trainer on the team.“Though it still had a couple of issues in the preseason, it’s been 100 percent so far since I came here in January,” she said. McAuley said the encouragement from IU coach Mick Lyon also gave her confidence in coming back to the field. “Mick was really supportive throughout,” she said. “And again, one of the reasons I came back is that the coaches and teammates are really good people on and off the field. We have good chemistry this year, and I am just excited to see how we do.”So far, McAuley has played all seven games of the 2010 season and has been on stable rotations on Lyon’s back line.Lyon said though McAuley is still new on the team, what makes her different from other new faces is her approach to the game.“She is always asking good questions,” Lyon said. “That shows she is not just playing with skills and body, but with mind, too. That’s probably her specialty on the team.”
(09/10/10 3:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Leo R. Dowling International Center will formally welcome students and scholars back to IU on Friday.An annual program, the International Student Welcome Reception invites faculty members, Office of International Services staff members and friends of already involved students to participate.“Everyone is invited,” said Sandy Britton, the center’s director. “It’s a nice way to say ‘Welcome back. We are here to greet you and work with you.’”Britton said each year’s reception is well attended, and she expects more guests to show up this year.“We had the occasions that 300 or more people came to the reception,” Britton said, “People were coming and going because they have different schedules. That’s why the number of people in the house varies during the reception.”At the reception faculty and staff members that work with the center will join the students and will have the chance to mingle.Britton said she did not have the list of faculty invited this year, but most of those from the culture centers and various offices associated with international affairs and admission will be on the list.Patrick O’Meara, vice president for International Affairs, and Christopher Viers, associate vice president for International Services, will attend the event.Britton said the center had invited notable speakers such as Provost Karen Hanson to speak to students in the past.“We try to have individuals who represent IU as a whole so that students can see they are welcomed by the IU administration,” she said. The center started working on its welcoming events early. The ice cream social on Aug. 18 let early-arrival international students have the chance to get to know each other.Britton said the welcome reception is one of her favorite activities of the year.“I see it as a way to really connect a lot of students and let them know they are important to IU,” Britton said. “It is an opportunity to let them know we really care.”Although the reception takes place at the International Center, Britton said American students are also more than welcome to join.“It’s important to bring the two populations together and let them know each other well,” she said.
(09/06/10 3:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior forward Carly Samp did little celebrating after scoring the IU women’s soccer team’s only goal. The Hoosiers did not have the luxury to spare that moment of joy.In the first-ever meeting with Nebraska on Saturday, IU lost to its future Big Ten rival 3-1 at Bill Armstrong Stadium.Saturday’s win gave the Cornhuskers a 16-5-2 all-time advantage in matchups against their future conference foes.In an attempt to build depth along the bench, IU coach Mick Lyon started freshman goalkeeper Shannon Flower.It didn’t take long for the Cornhuskers’ upperclassmen to find the lack of experience in the Hoosiers’ backfield.Just six minutes after the kickoff, Nebraska’s leading scorer, junior forward Molly Thomas, turned teammate Morgan Marlborough’s assist into a goal. Marlborough delivered a low pass inside the penalty area to Thomas, who made a little adjustment and went for a 12-yard shot on the left. The shot passed Flower’s fingertips and hit the net on the right side of IU’s goal.The Hoosiers tried to retaliate and created some good opportunities that could have changed the score. The most threatening attack occurred when Samp found a teammate’s flank pass and went for a chest shot in the 10th minute. The attempt missed the left side of the goal and exited the endline.An increase in offensive intensity did not cover the unorganized defense under Nebraska’s quick counterattacks.In the 28th minute, Marlborough, who assisted with Thomas’ first goal, scored one of her own to give the Cornhuskers a 2-0 lead. Nebraska’s Jordan Jackson dribbled through the IU box and found Marlborough, who ambushed the eight yards for a close-range goal.The Hoosiers took 10 shots to Nebraska’s five in the first half but did not see any product.Just two minutes after the halftime break, the Cornhuskers drew a call for a penalty kick. Marlborough found her cool and gave Nebraska a 3-0 lead.The Hoosiers’ intensifying offense finally went into effect when Samp took advantage of a Cornhuskers’ defensive mistake and beat the goalkeeper in a one-on-one meeting.Indiana outshot Nebraska 9-5 in the second half.Lyon said since the team played a soft first half, he used some motivational rallies during the halftime.“It’s about competing,” he said, “Just inspire them to compete. And like I said, the second half was tremendous.” Despite IU’s late efforts, the score remained 3-1 until the end of the contest.Though not satisfied with the result, Lyon said he was happy to see how the Hoosiers tried to fill the gap after the early deficit.“My final thoughts to them are that I’m very, very proud to go from 3-0 down to force a goal,” he said, “I can walk away happy with that.”
(09/03/10 4:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After surviving a double overtime contest against Western Michigan on Wednesday, the Hoosiers (3-1-0) have little time to breathe as they prepare to face another challenger at home this Saturday.IU will play Nebraska, one of the highest scoring teams in the country last season. The Cornhuskers averaged 3.1 goals per game in 2009. The game — the first meeting ever between IU and Nebraska — will take place at noon Saturday at Bill Armstrong Stadium.But the Hoosiers may still be recovering from Wednesday’s marathon match. The game against Western Michigan stretched to two overtime periods before IU’s freshman defender Lara Ross hit the golden goal with two minutes remaining in the period.The decisive moment occurred at a Hoosiers’ corner kick. Junior forward Carly Samp flicked the spot pass from sophomore forward Orianica Velasquez to Ross for a close-range shot that hit the upper right corner of the goal.IU coach Mick Lyon said after the game that he was very happy with the victory and gave a lot of credit to the team effort displayed throughout the whole game.Nebraska is 15-5-2 all-time against Big Ten teams. It has not met a Big Ten team since a game against Northwestern in 2008.The Hoosiers will stay home for the remainder of September, and they will have their first conference game Sept. 24 against Northwestern.
(09/02/10 4:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Lara Ross’s game-winning goal was more than just a score.The freshman defender’s goal came in the final two minutes of the IU women’s soccer team’s victory against visiting Western Michigan in a 130-minute, two-overtime contest on Wednesday.The Hoosiers (3-1), playing their first home game of the season, did not see any signs of victory until Ross nailed a corner kick into the Broncos’ goal.“It’s definitely a team effort thing that gets us this win,” Ross said after the game. “It will boost our confidence in the upcoming games.”Junior midfielder Devon Beach broke the game in the 30th minute for IU, but Western Michigan forward Stephanie Skowneski answered just three minutes after the Hoosiers’ goal.Both teams exchanged shots and free kicks in the following minutes but failed to finalize the game before it went to overtime. The winning goal occurred when junior forward Carly Samp delivered the inbound pass from sophomore forward Orianica Velasquez to Ross — who had been actively involved in the team offense since the second half — for an easy shot that put Broncos goalkeeper Julia Francy’s shutout effort in vain.The Hoosiers play host to Nebraska at noon Saturday.
(09/02/10 2:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Chabad, a Hebrew acronym for the three intellectual faculties — chochmah for wisdom, binah for understanding and da’at for knowledge — has ties around the world. Here at IU, the Chabad House, also known as the Jewish Student Center, has been the home for Jewish students and community members. Rabbi Yehoshua Chincholker, co-director of the center, and his wife, Zlata Chincholker, migrated from Israel and opened the Chabad House in the 1980s.“We target all types of Jews. From observing backgrounds to non-observing backgrounds, from Jews that come from highly-religious Jewish families to Jews that were separated from organized Jewish communities,” said graduate student Alex Groysman, president of Chabad House located at the corner of Indiana Avenue and Seventh Street. A student board assists them in operating the center’s affairs, including cultural activities and kosher meals.Groysman said the center tries to have activities that make Jewish students feel at home, including kosher meals on Friday nights.Besides these services, the center celebrates all major Jewish holidays, Groysman said. On Sept. 9, the center will celebrate the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah.Throughout the year, the center will also work with different Greek organizations, such as Zeta Beta Tau and Sigma Delta Tau, as well as non-profit organizations such as The David Project and the Indiana Israel Public Affairs Committee. This fall, the center is offering an educational program called The Sinai Scholars Society, which introduces students across the country to a significant Jewish cultural experience. Students who want to participate in the program will meet once a week in the form of an open seminar. Chincholker will lead the seminar, which features teaching the Ten Commandments and how they apply to daily life. “It’s a great program because it gets people to learn the foundation of Jewish religion and culture,” Groysman said. “Students will have discussion sessions featuring Jewish text study, and sometimes they will write a paper on the materials they read.” The program will provide a stipend of $350 for students who take the course, and they will also receive college credit from the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.Groysman said all the programs and activities the center coordinates on campus serve to create an open environment for everybody, regardless of religious observance and affiliation. He said this Chabad House on campus is no different than any other Chabad House around the world in terms of serving that purpose.Groysman traveled this summer around the Middle East. One Friday he ended up in Cyprus, a country with a relatively small Jewish population. But that night Groysman was amazed when he met more than 100 Jews in a Chabad House, an experience that gave him something to think about.“I found that all these Jews came from different countries all over the world with different education and backgrounds,” he said. “But this Chabad House brought them together and to share the meal. It’s the mission of Chabad to provide services and kosher meals to Jewish people.”The center at IU sees 50 to 60 people any given Friday night, talking about their weeks and sharing a meal. Another program the center coordinates is a free trip to Israel through Taglit-Birthright Israel. Jewish young adults ages 18 to 26 have the chance to take educational trips to Israel. The program typically coordinates three trips a year. Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies, one of Taglit-Birthright Israel’s largest financial supporters, provides 10-day trips that consist of adventurous tours around Israeli cities, as well as cultural discussions and activities. Groysman said each trip usually accommodates about 40 people.“This allows Jews who have never been to Israel to make connections with their homeland,” he said.Groysman went on one of the trips in the winter and described it as “a miraculous experience.”
(09/01/10 2:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After three consecutive road trips, the IU women’s soccer team is ready for its first home contest.The Hoosiers (2-1) play Western Michigan today in their first game at Bill Armstrong Stadium in 2010.The Broncos (2-1) won their first two games before losing to Michigan State on Sunday. The team earned a berth in the Mid-America Conference Tournament last season and have seen all goal-scorers return this year. Today’s game marks the beginning of a month-long homestand for IU. The team plays its next eight games in Bloomington, including contests against conference rivals Northwestern and Wisconsin on Sept. 24 and Sept. 26, respectively.Coach Mick Lyon said in the second episode of “Mick’s Minutes,” a weekly video blog on IU Athletics’ website, he and the team are trying to lobby for more fans to attend games. IU won two of its first three games on the road, including a dominating 6-0 victory against Butler on Sunday. Junior midfielder Devon Beach scored twice against the Bulldogs and is currently tied with sophomore forward Orianica Velasquez and junior forward Carly Samp for the most goals scored on the team with two.Velasquez broke the tie in the first half with a floated long shot, and her assist to Beach two minutes after the halftime break unveiled the second-half massacre.The Hoosiers scored on a penalty kick after Butler’s goalkeeper drew a red card in the 58th minute, and the team delivered the ball to the goal three times in the final 15 minutes. In the 2-0 loss to Kentucky on Aug. 27, IU did not turn its advantages on the field into a win. The zero on the scoreboard did not reflect the Hoosiers’ offense as IU led in shots attempted and corner kicks earned.
(08/31/10 2:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Leo R. Dowling International Center has been assisting IU international students adjust to American campus life and classroom culture at its Jordan Avenue location since 1958.This year, Center Director Sandy Britton said more programs and activities have been added to the schedule.“Besides our ongoing programs such as cultural coffee hours, noon concerts and conversation clubs we will also have more educational programs,” Britton said.On Sept. 8, the center will co-sponsor an educational seminar series with Counseling and Psychological Services. The workshop, called “Making Sense of Academics,” features a lecture by psychologist Cathy Kocarek of CAPS, that will cover topics such as cultural norms, professor-student interactions in American classrooms and how to deal with challenges and stress in a new country.“It’s targeted for international students who are anxious and concerned about the classroom culture,” Britton said.Another education program Britton is coordinating is a workshop about how to ride a bicycle safely on campus.“We are a little bit concerned that some international students are riding bicycles, and the traffic rules here might be different than those at home,” Brttion said.Fearing that traffic accidents involving bike riders in previous years could happen again, Britton said the center is coordinating a workshop with the IU Police Department and is having them go over the safety issues of riding a bike.Britton said the center has also been the place where different IU departments have their social activities and workshops targeting international students.“The center is getting busy, and people are sending their requests,” Britton said. “It’s continuing, and we hope we can be busy doing different things throughout the semester.”Britton said the center does not track the number of visitors on a daily basis, but according to its monthly report, sometimes it has as many as 2,000 guests a month.Though the center impressed a lot of international students in last week’s CultureFest, Britton said it will still need to help them adjust to their new lives at IU.“There is so much to the college experience,” Britton said. “Welcome Week gave a taste of what we have in Bloomington, but to really learn about the new culture and be comfortable with the new setting, you have to go through day-to-day experience.”Her suggestions were simple — reaching out to people and getting involved in campus and community activities.“Don’t wait for people to reach out to you,” she said, “but you should also reach out to them.”
(08/30/10 4:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After losing a rough battle to Kentucky on Friday, the IU women’s soccer team bounced back and finished the weekend with a dominating victory against Butler on Sunday.Despite claiming advantages in shots attempted and corner kicks, the Hoosiers (2-1) could not translate their statistical advantages into a victory against the Wildcats (2-0), who started quickly and rendered IU unable to make a difference. It took just four minutes for Kentucky to score. The Wildcats intercepted an IU pass along the sideline and centered the ball, which allowed Kentucky forward Natalie Horner to record her first goal of 2010.The Hoosiers tried to retaliate, shooting eight times in the first half and applying defensive pressure on the field, but another Kentucky goal in the 71st minute put IU’s efforts in vain. Kentucky forward Kelsey Hunyadi dribbled along the endline and took the shot, which deflected off an IU defender and went into the goal.IU shot 10 times in the second half, including four attempts on goal, but Kentucky goalkeeper Sydney Hiance shut the door on any effort on the Hoosier end to score. Hiance registered eight saves during the Wildcats’ 2-0 victory.The Hoosiers didn’t need much time to bounce back from their first loss.
IU coach Mick Lyon said in-state games were always challenging but winnable, and Sunday, the Hoosiers used a 6-0 road win against in-state rival Butler to confirm their coach’s words.In addition to netting six goals, IU prevented the Bulldogs from scoring. A 19-6 advantage in shots attempted contributed heavily to the win.IU struck first blood in the 26th minute in the game as sophomore forward Orianica Velasquez scored her second goal of the season.The Hoosiers’ five other scores came in the second half as Butler Alumni Day turned into to a dominating Hoosier win.Junior midfielder Devon Beach scored her first goal of 2010 two minutes after the second-half kickoff with an assist from Velasquez.In the 59th minute, a red card on Butler goalkeeper Olivia Walter allowed IU junior forward Carly Samp to score on a penalty kick.The Hoosiers’ final three goals came in the last 15 minutes. Beach, senior forward Darby Hannon and freshman defender Lara Ross added the remaining scores.IU returns to their home field Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. to play Western Michigan.
(08/26/10 3:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Food, music, speakers and performances have demonstrated the success of IU’s CultureFest. But as a Welcome Week tradition, CultureFest represents deeper messages behind those backdrops. Each year’s CultureFest has featured different guest speakers and performers, but what has not been changed is its core spirit.“It’s about being consistent,” said Melanie Payne, associate director of First Year Experience Programs. “Every year, it is intended to introduce new students to different cultures at IU and to celebrate the diversity.” Payne said CultureFest has both outdoor and indoor components. The outdoor portion consists of food, music, cultural performances and activities, while the indoor aspect is meant to inspire and educate. CultureFest will take place at 4:30 p.m. today at the IU Auditorium.“Mostly, the challenge to the freshmen class is to think beyond the cultural boundaries they have and to meet other people,” Payne said. Payne said the message is simple for all students, regardless of who they are.“Connect with each other, share yourself, learn about somebody different and immerse yourself in what IU has to offer in terms of culture,” Payne said.CultureFest tries to make new students get out of their comfort zones, Payne said. By doing that, they will adopt multicultural perspectives.The selected keynote speaker, Kevin Wanzer an Indianapolis native and inspirational speaker, will return to address this year’s crowd.“Kevin has actually been to the CultureFest before, and he is probably the most popular speaker,” Payne said. “He is not just entertaining, but he also has a good message about embracing cultural differences.”She said Wanzer has worked with David Letterman in New York City, has toured the world and has visited many different colleges in America.“He’s been a great and powerful speaker at CultureFest in the past,” said Doug Bauder, coordinator for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services. “I noticed that when he spoke to the students, they really loved it.”Follwing Wanzer’s speech will be various other performances.“We have performances such as hip-hop, breakdancing, bluegrass music, hard rock, Irish and Indian dancing performance and also American swing dancing,” Payne said. “It’s quite a bit a mix of everything.”The display of cultural booths also plays a big role in CultureFest. IU centers will set up promotional booths at the event and have cultural activities as well as ethnic food for participants to enjoy.
(08/26/10 3:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s soccer team is off to a quick start with two road wins — winning an exhibition and its season opener — in the past two weeks. But for head coach Mick Lyon and his players, the test continues with two more road games this weekend.Last season, Indiana started the season with six consecutive wins, during which they upset then No. 6 Florida. If the Hoosiers hope to match last season’s start, Kentucky and Butler stand in the way.IU will face Kentucky at 7 p.m. Friday in Lexington and will play 1 p.m. Sunday at Butler.The Wildcats had a 4-0 season-opening win against Coastal Carolina on Aug. 21, and Lyon said the Kentucky trip would be a different test for the Hoosiers.“It’s going to be fast-paced and intense,” Lyon said. “It will be a very, very good battle. It’s just like going on the road to West Virginia that pushes us to our limit. But it’s definitely a game we are capable of winning.”To open the season, IU defeated West Virginia 3-1 in an exhibition game on Aug. 10. The Hoosiers came back strong from an early one-goal deficit by earning three goals — two from IU players and an own-goal by West Virginia in the second period.In the season-opener last Friday at Evansville, Lyon’s alma mater, IU upped its performance with a 3-0 shutout against the Purple Aces.All three goals came from Hoosier forwards — sophomore Orianica Velasquez, junior Carly Samp and freshman Rebecca Candler. Samp scored in the first two minutes of the game.Lyon said the victory meant something more than just the score.“We absorbed the pressure, held on to the ball and executed well,” Lyon said. “It was a good win for us on the road.”Lyon said he is confident of the new season, since the team has been staying active on the training field during the summer recess.“Through the offseason, what the girls have been doing is either staying here, voluntarily training with strength and conditioning coaches or playing some amateur games at home,” Lyon said.Most of the freshmen came early to campus in the middle of July, getting ready for the training camp, which started on Aug. 3. Lyon said he was “very, very happy” to see the physical condition of the players at the beginning of the camp with all players passing the fitness test.Last season, the Hoosiers faltered in the second-half of the season after a blistering start. IU’s 6-0-0 start turned into a 10-7-2 final record and failure to make the NCAA tournament.Indiana had some injuries that hurt the team’s performance last season, and Lyon said that is the reason why this year he brought in a large freshmen class to provide more depth on the bench.This season, 15 players have returned while the team added 12 fresh faces on the roster — 11 freshmen and one transfer from Florida State.On this young team, senior players said they were ready to be role models.“I think it’s definitely important to live by example and show the freshmen what to do and what to expect,” senior Leigh Anne Cummings said, “Just keep pushing them and help them reach their highest potential.”
(05/12/10 11:27pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Current and former students and staff of Fairview Elementary School as well as community members will have a final opportunity to bid farewell to Fairview’s old school building, part of which will be demolished in the summer as the school prepares to move to a new site in the fall. Fairview, the only school in the Monroe County Community School Corporation near downtown Bloomington, will host a community day from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday for students, staff and friends of the school to celebrate the history of the old school building.During this community day, student council members will lead building tours, student musicians will play their instruments, favorite Fairview memories will be recorded for their archives and a celebration will be held in the gym.First-grade teacher Megan Parmenter said the school has already received feedback from former students, staff and friends of Fairview that they would attend the celebration.“As we’re moving forward to the new Fairview, we are excited to honor our school’s history,” Parmenter said.The current building, located at 627 W. 8th St., was built on a seven-storied structure and constructed in three phases, Parmenter said. The oldest part of the building was built in 1920, and the rest was constructed in 1953.Fairview principal Karen Adams said in an interview with Parmenter that the old building is not handicap-accessible and needs a lot of repairs. “The basement floods in one area every time it rains,” Adams said. “There are cracks in some of the walls, and some of the limestone is crumbling away from the sides of the building.” Adams said there are also issues with plumbing and heating.Remodeling was not a cost-efficient solution, and school officials proposed constructing a new building in fall 2007, Adams said.The new building is on the same site where the school playground once was, but there are four floors instead of seven. It also features a regulation-sized gym with a wooden floor.Adams said that during construction, the school and workers worked together minimize the inconvenience brought by the construction. During the week of Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus, the building was shaking as limestone was broken up for removal, Adams said. Adams also said that good communication ensured the continuation of the school’s academic activity.“We asked that the workers do something else while we took the test,” she said. “They readily agreed.” Teachers and students are excited about the move and looking forward to the new additions.“I feel excited about going to the new school because we are going to move onto the second floor,” second-grader Gavin Hillenburg said in an interview with Parmenter. “There is going to be a new playground. I think we are going to have fun there.” Second-grader Chloe Shook said in an interview with Parmenter that she could see a “squeaky clean” picture of the new school. “I feel good about the new school because we get to have new bathrooms and things, and all of our materials and supplies are going to be new,” Shook said in an interview with Parmenter. “There is going to be a new lunchroom, a new library, a new gym and new stage. We’ll work hard to keep it that nice.”To the Fairview teachers, the move has its own meaning. “I’m so excited to move into the new building,” Parmenter said. “I’ve enjoyed watching it go up over the past year and documenting the construction progress with my students. I’m happy that our students will have the opportunity to attend school in such a fantastic new building.”
(05/07/10 12:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Among the undergraduate seniors graduating tomorrow, there are 43 students who studied in the Individualized Major Program. While their stories share common threads, their journeys have been as unique as their majors.Senior Alexander Plotkin initially wanted to join the Kelley School of Business when he came to IU. But after realizing that business was not his favorite subject, he decided to concentrate on something tasty: food.Coming from a big family, Plotkin said he grew up in an environment where food and cooking really mattered. So, he decided to major in food and entrepreneurship.“I found the program in my freshman year, and I applied in my sophomore year,” he said. “With the help of the program, I can do anything with food now.”Plotkin said IMP has allowed him to focus on learning a lot about various aspects of the food industry and food history. Writing his final project for the program, a personal food memoir, allowed him to express all of his food experiences such as working in many restaurants, including Alinea, which is now rated the No. 7 restaurant in the world in S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2010. “Working there last summer was one of the most tremendous experiences I have ever had in the food industry thus far,” he said.For Plotkin, the future after graduating is “cooking somewhere.”He may go back to Europe and cook in Spain, where he studied food last year for one semester in San Sebastian, a northern city in Spain that is famous for quality restaurants.“Chefs dream about studying in San Sebastian, so I am truly lucky to have experienced such an incredible semester abroad.” Plotkin said.Joining the program was the best decision Plotkin said he made in the past four years. “It is essential to not just go through the motions in college,” he said. “But rather, focus your time and energy on something that you feel very strong about.”Senior Aasiya Mirza wants to be a political speech writer in the future, and she said she feels IMP has helped her a lot in accomplishing that goal.Besides majoring in speechwriting in IMP, Mirza is also an English major. “I wanted to be a professional political speech writer,” she said, “and I felt I could create such a major myself by combining classes in different departments.”Mirza said what she enjoyed most about IMP was the opportunity to work with “really incredible” faculty on a one-on-one basis. She said her professors have been very important mentors and that the IMP staff is really invested in the students and the program.“It is different from other programs,” Mirza said, “probably because it’s so intentional about getting involved with students and encouraging one-on-one student-faculty interaction from the first year of the major.”After graduation, Mirza said her plan is to go to graduate school at the University of Cambridge, pursuing an M.Phil in English: Criticism and Culture.“I’m not really sure whether I’ll be doing law or academia, but I’m hoping to figure that out while I’m in my master’s,” she said.Senior Margaret Hirschauer chose to apply for an individualized major because she wanted to focus on the study of non-human animal behavior, mostly wildlife. She said IU offers a concentration and minor in animal behavior, but since a major is not an option, she created her own. “I feel like I did well in school because I was enrolled in classes that meant something to me,” Hirschauer said. “As my interests changed slightly, I was able to change my core courses to exclude some classes and include others I found more interesting.” Hirschauer said IMP allowed her to get out into the real world. She traveled to Uganda to conduct research with the Semliki Chimpanzee Project and get course credit at the same time. “That experience helped me focus my career goals and taught me practical research and management skills,” she said.After graduation, Hirschauer said she is taking one year off to apply to graduate schools. Having volunteered during the past three years with WildCare Inc., Hirschauer said she would like to continue to research wildlife and human effects on wild populations after graduate school and to continue to be involved in wildlife rehabilitation. Hirschauer said students who have specific interests that are not offered through another major and feel that IU can offer enough classes to comprise a major in the area should apply to IMP.“Taking the time to choose my courses and validate my choices was worth the effort,” she said. “I feel proud to graduate with my own major. Being a part of the program allowed me to shape the last four years of my life the way I wanted.”
(04/29/10 4:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jack McCarthy and Natsuki Atagi are different in many ways. Each of them pursued a unique college experience at IU during the past four years. However, what relates one to the other is that both of them are graduating in May. But, most importantly, they will be the first-ever student speakers at the undergraduate commencement. Since IU Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson announced that there would be student commencement speakers this year, an appointed selection committee has been busy reviewing applications, interviewing candidates and recommending the finalists to her.After Hanson reviewed all the recommended finalists, the selected speakers were notified.“Provost Hanson called me about two weeks ago and told me that I was selected as the speaker of the student commencement,” said McCarthy, the current vice president of IU Student Association. “I was really exited about it.” McCarthy and Atagi will be speaking to more than 17,000 graduates, faculty, alumni, friends and family members on May 8 at Assembly Hall.McCarthy said he heard the Office of the Provost was looking for student speakers at this year’s undergraduate commencement from his peers, including IUSA President and junior Peter Servaas. Some University administrators McCarthy has worked with nominated him and encouraged him to go for it.“At IU, I was involved in a lot of activities and campus organizations,” he said. “They all helped me a lot in terms of meeting different people and getting different experience.”Majoring in economic consulting and public policy analysis, McCarthy also had minors in French, Italian and economics. His other extracurricular activities involve Kelley Student Government, Student Business Ambassadors, Beta Theta Pi and the Trockman Microfinance Initiative, through which he built a reputation in leadership. McCarthy hesitated to pick one as his best experience at IU.“It’s hard,” he said. “By getting involved in so many different things at IU, it’s really hard for me to put one thing over another.”He will speak during the morning ceremony.Atagi, who will speak at the afternoon ceremony, has a different story to tell. Coming from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., to IU four years ago, Atagi said she decided to apply to be a student commencement speaker when she was notified that she had been nominated. “I was honored to have been nominated for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I applied for the position,” Atagi said. “In addition, I thought that this would be a wonderful and memorable way to end my undergraduate career.”Majoring in both psychology and gender studies, Atagi said she knew graduation was an exciting but scary turning point for a lot of students. She wanted to have the opportunity to remind her fellow classmates that IU has provided them with all the tools necessary to face even the most difficult aspects of the future. Atagi said she wanted to give her classmates a chance to reflect on their college years. “I was scared of public speaking when I first came to IU four years ago,” she said. “Because of numerous public speaking and presentation opportunities that I have had during my undergraduate career, I have successfully overcome stage fright and actually really enjoy public speaking now.”Atagi sees being the student commencement speaker as just another challenge.Atagi will talk about her involvement with students groups such as the Hutton Honors College, and her research in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.Greg Buse, project specialist for the Office of the Provost, said the selection committee faced a difficult decision when picking two out of more than 20 highly-qualified applicants.“All were students who have excelled in the classroom and who have been active participants or leaders in student organizations,” Buse said. Buse said during interviews, both McCarthy and Atagi spoke eloquently about what IU meant to them. Buse said McCarthy has demonstrated his leadership abilities many times by being elected by his peers in student government, and Atagi has done very impressive research and made meaningful contributions to IU diversity education. “I’m confident that both of them will do a wonderful job at the commencement ceremonies,” Buse said.
(04/21/10 4:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The fall break proposal considered by the Bloomington Faculty Council on Tuesday passed, bringing proposed changes to the academic calendar a step closer to reality.After discussions at Tuesday’s BFC meeting, the Bloomington Campus Calendar Committee members voted “yes” on four proposed recommendations regarding changes on the University calendar for the 2011-12 academic year.In November 2009, Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson convened the committee and brought two questions: the possibility of adjusting the calendar so no classes would be held on Labor Day and a fall break.At the BFC meeting, Calendar Committee Chairman Tom Gieryn said making Labor Day a University holiday is a “must-do” as it is part of the U.S. history to honor American laborers.On possibility of a fall semester recess, Gieryn said the need for a few days off in the long stretch between August and Thanksgiving is necessary.“It allows students and faculty to catch their breaths in a long run,” he said.The Committee recommended that the fall break occur on Monday and Tuesday of the seventh complete week of classes in mid-October; however, implementing the break will require faculty and students to “reaffirm their commitment to treat Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving Week as bona fide instructional days,” a response to faculty concerns that students miss class in the days leading up to the holiday.Since the price that comes with the two-day break is an early start in the semester (on Wednesday of the week prior to the current first day of class), some faculty members on the Calendar Committee opposed the break. Herb Terry, associate professor in the Department of Telecommunications, said the early start of fall semester makes no sense to start with a broken week since it is “especially difficult for Monday classes.”Some other members feared that the change in the calendar would cause reduced time in faculty research before the semester starts. Some said they would not oppose starting the semester a full week earlier instead of several days earlier. The chemistry department responded to the proposed changes to the calendar in a letter with a warning flag. The department worried the changes would result in “major logistical perturbations for those of us that teach large, multiple-section laboratory courses.” Randy Arnold, associate scientist in the department and also a BFC member, said re-scheduling the lab programs is a huge concern for meeting the needs of science students.The proposal suggested that the half-week early start will not reduce the instructional contact time, since it moves the orientation activities previously scheduled on Monday and Tuesday to Wednesday, which reduces opportunities for “undesirable” student activities between residence hall move-ins and the start of classes.Some also argued that a two-day recess could not be called a break since it is too short. It makes that week “awkward.”The BFC also recommended a re-schedule of summer sessions, which consists of three four-week modules.Classes in the first summer module will begin on the current first day of classes for six weeks. With no breaks in between, each module will start immediately as soon as the classes in the previous one ends, which shortens the current 14-week summer sessions to 12 weeks. The BFC said this change will allow a longer buffer zone between the end of summer sessions and the start of fall orientation, while also providing an extended period for facility maintenance.Another critique in opposition to the proposal took costs of bureaucracy into consideration. Some members said it would simply be “too expensive” for the University to make changes in the calendar and accordingly adjust all facilities and forms that have already been set up. Despite the existing debates on the proposal, IU Student Association executives said they were excited to see the projected break finally get passed.“I am optimistic about the prospects of the fall break next year,” IUSA former Vice President for Administration Jack McCarthy said after the meeting. McCarthy said the fall break has been a big issue on the iUnity student government platform during the campaign and he was happy to see the progress because the BFC was not always positive about changing the calendar.“I can still remember then the administrators told us the fall break was one of the topics that they were very interested in discussing,” IUSA former President and current Vice President for Administration Peter SerVaas said. “It’s really exiting to see how it has progressed from that point until it has been passed now. Now we need to make sure it’s implemented well.”
(04/20/10 3:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Though the average annual salary for full-time IU-Bloomington professors has increased from the previous year’s $118,400 to $120,700 in 2009-10, according to a searchable database on The Chronicle of Higher Education website, it does not figure to increase much, if at all, during this economic recession.A survey by the American Association of University Professors found that college professors’ paychecks barely improved from the previous year, undergoing a 1.2 percent increase, the lowest in 50 years.AAUP discussed the severity of the historically low increase in its “2009-10 Report on the Economic Status of the Profession.”“This is well below the rate of inflation recorded between December 2008 and December 2009, 2.7 percent, which means that the earning power of many (if not most) full-time faculty members is less than it was one year ago,” according to the report.The AAUP’s faculty salary survey, which is limited to faculty members currently employed full-time, found that faculty members at two-thirds of the 1,141 higher education institutions experienced either a cut in pay, a freeze in raise or an increase of less than 2 percent on average in last two years.In the report, AAUP encouraged college professors to make sure their institutions have a “recovery plan for a ‘return to normalcy’ once the economic crisis is past.” Even they are facing the tough economic status of the profession.AAUP found a full-time faculty member was paid $80,368 in 2009-10, which was battered by unpaid furloughs whose influences were represented in the report.As part of IU’s $177 million in cost reductions, for the first time in at least 50 years, IU froze salaries in 2009-10, which resulted in one-time savings of $25.2 million, according to a University release in December 2009.Student trustee Abbey Stemler said the president and IU board of trustees are working hard to lower expenses through structural changes such as centralizing purchasing.“The president and the trustees are taking a very conservative approach because we are preparing for further cuts in state appropriations,” Stemler said. However, she mentioned the possibility of a change in the future.“If state revenues improve and we continue to have strong enrollments, all University employees will hopefully see a salary increase of around 2 percent in the next year or two.”Stemler said the trustees and University administration are aware of the hard financial period and that they have been working on solutions for that.“We want to continue to make sound and smart decisions and provide University faculty and staff with the care and compensation they deserve,” she said.
(04/16/10 4:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sir Nigel Sheinwald, the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States, spoke to about 200 IU students, faculty members and University officials Thursday at the Indiana Memorial Union.Sheinwald served as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s foreign policy and defence adviser as well as Head of the Cabinet Office Defense and Overseas Secretariat before being appointed as the ambassador in 2007. He talked about his view on the partnership between Europe — especially the U.K. — and the United States and the relationship between Europe and the rest of the world based on his knowledge and experiences in foreign policy and affairs.As a brief introduction, IU President Michael McRobbie said one of the reasons the University invited Sheinwald was “his dedication to international education.” McRobbie said Sheinwald has long been interested in promoting higher education and researching links between the U.S. and the U.K. Sheinwald said the student- and scholar-exchange programs between the U.S. and the U.K will continue to grow. Currently, IU has 10 study-abroad programs that travel to the U.K.He also referred to the historic wartime partnership between former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and former U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and said the two countries have gained shared similarities in global strategic agendas since then.Sheinwald admitted today’s global community is facing many problems and that it is not enough to solely rely on the cooperation of the U.S. and U.K. to work out solutions for issues such as terrorism, nuclear proliferation and climate change. “We want to take a global approach to global problems,” Sheinwald said. Recognizing the power of emerging developing countries and their roles in the world, Sheinwald said he looked forward to seeing countries such as China and India realize their responsibilities in global issues and search for more cooperation.Though stressing the importance of global cooperation, Sheinwald said the partnership between Europe and the United States is still “most operational and critical,” something he called a “strong legal binding.”Sheinwald illustrated his view on the foundation of progressing the world in the 21st century by using Churchill’s famous wartime quote: “If we are together, nothing is impossible, and if we are divided, all will fail.”However, Sheinwald did not forget to entertain the audience by referring to a possible upcoming rivalry.“That’s the match between the United States and England in the World Cup,” he said, as both teams will be competing in Group C in South Africa this summer.
(04/15/10 4:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>An international house set to be built on campus is in its final stage. The building on Jordan Avenue south of the Herman B Wells library will establish a learning community on campus and accommodate student educational interests. Now the project awaits approval of its funding. Completion is still more than two years away.The IU board of trustees approved President Michael McRobbie’s proposal for a new International Studies Building two years ago, which will “house many of the international centers, institutes and culture and language study programs that are currently at a variety of scattered locations around the campus” according to a release.Bob Richardson, senior associate at the University Architect’s Office, said the building has been taken through the “design development stage of the drawings and contract documents.”“This is basically the final design,” he said.The 2008 proposal included a 160,000 square-foot building on Jordan Avenue directly south of the Herman B Wells Library.Richardson said the project’s status is “on hold” until the funding can be defined.He said the funding for the building, which is around $47 million, is being sought through Office of the President, University Administration, College of Arts and Sciences and other departments.“When we get the go-ahead, it will take approximately six months to finish the contract documents and bid the project. Construction will then probably take about two years,” Richardson said.IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said McRobbie is working on a financing plan that will combine both public and private funds.MacIntyre said McRobbie hoped to move forward with the building in the near future but the financing plan is “not yet complete.”“He is very anxious to get the financing in place and move into the construction phase,” MacIntyre said. “I can’t give a timetable because we just don’t know yet.”
(04/07/10 3:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Tuesday, CNN's HLN news anchor and correspondent Richard Lui highlighted IU’s early observance of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, a celebration of history and presence of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States.The Asian Culture Center observes APA Heritage Month a month early each year, in order to encourage campus and community involvement during the semester. Serving as the kick-off of this year’s celebration activities, Lui’s lecture at the School of Journalism brought his take on the importance of intercultural skills as a professional journalist.Melanie Castillo-Cullather, director of the ACC, said one of the goals in observing APA Heritage month is to “raise awareness of the contributions and accomplishments of people of Asian descent.” “We thought we should invite someone who is not only successful in his field of discipline but someone who can serve as an inspiration to our students.” Castillo-Cullather said.Lui began his discussion on understanding multiculturalism by relating his personal life and family history. His grandfather immigrated to the U.S. illegally in the 1920’s and started his new life in San Francisco. But it was not until 1975 that Lui’s father learned his real family name was Wong instead of Lui which appeared on his father’s faked immigration documentation.Using his grandparents’ early story, Lui illustrated understanding of cultural backgrounds and said he really wanted to emphasize “it is important to understand a story and what’s behind it.”While taking intercultural understanding to the professional level, Lui shared his experience as an international news correspondent while reporting overseas.“Our objective is to get details, context and profiles,” Lui said. “The bottom line issue when you are covering things that beyond your culture, you have to try hard to cross cultural barrier to get the story.”Lui said being able to understand intercultural skills is necessary even when looking for a job.“When I go out to look for jobs,” Lui said. “I am looking at ones that can not only can develop my intercultural skills but also showcase them. I always try to find practices to understand them better.”Intercultural skills were not the only ones that made Lui a success, he also was in the business world for 15 years.“Before I joined Channel NewsAsia in Singapore,” Lui said. “I practiced my interview skills and some other business-related knowledge in business school at Michigan and later on in various management capacities such as Citibank.” Lui said what he learned in business helped him a lot when he switched to journalism later because he found “there are a lot of overlaps between them.”As for his suggestions for journalism students, Lui made them simple and straight.“It’s always interesting to argue, but to make sure it’s just a point of view, not an opinion,” Lui said. However Lui said opinion shows have their place.“They are at least fun to watch,” he joked.Castillo-Cullather said the ACC really appreciated what Lui brought to the APA Heritage Month.“Richard Lui is the person and we are grateful to the School of Journalism for making it possible for Richard to come to IU,” Castillo-Cullather said.“The story that he told about his family mirrors the history of Asian immigration to the United States. I think his message about gaining an appreciation for cultures from family, school, work and personal choices is appreciated by those who came to tonight’s lecture.”