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(04/08/11 2:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Stuffing into the Moot Court Room of the Maurer School of Law on Thursday, students and community members filled the crowded room for a symposium titled “Same-Sex Marriage and the Future of DOMA: Law, Politics, Federalism, and Families.” The event discussed lawsuits challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act.“Today’s lecture is about same-sex marriage but I really hope you find it’s more than that,” said Steve Sanders, a lecturer from the University of Michigan Law School. “It shows how laws really affect our lives. It forces us to think about what our Constitution means in practice.”Massachusetts, the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, filed suit against the Defense of Marriage Act in 2009. Last year, a federal judge ruled that DOMA violates the Constitution’s 10th Amendment and equal protection guarantee, according to an IU press release.On Feb. 23, the Obama Justice Department announced it agreed that DOMA was unconstitutional and that it would cease defending the Massachusetts case and several other lawsuits against the act. On March 10, Speaker John Boehner announced that the House of Representatives would intervene to defend the suits, according to the press release. Maura Healey, chief of the Civil Rights Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, delivered a lecture titled “One State’s Challenge to DOMA.”“There are now over 16,000 gay couples married in Massachusetts. This has been a very positive development. The marriage rate continues to stay high and our divorce rate remains one of the lowest in the country,” she said.Healey then went on to discuss what DOMA does for people.“DOMA makes a national definition of marriage as between a man and a woman and requires no state to observe same-sex marriages from other states,” she said. “DOMA touches every aspect of a person’s life from the time they are born until they die. For example, a spouse is a beneficiary of pension plans.”Healey discussed how DOMA violates the Constitution.“DOMA violates the 10th Amendment by taking away the states’ power to define marriage,” she said. “Remember, you get a marriage license from a state, not the federal government.”She said she believes DOMA is one of the most discriminatory laws.“It’s the government’s official seal of disapproval on gay people,” Healey said.The lecture was followed by a panel consisting of Thomas M. Fisher, solicitor general for Indiana; Dawn Johnsen, Walter W. Foskett professor of law at IU; Brian Powell, co-author of “Counted Out: Same-sex Relations and Americans’ Definitions of the Family”; and Deborah Widiss, associate professor at IU Maurer School of Law.Sanders, who acted as moderator for the event, asked Fisher why Indiana finds flaws with Massachusetts’ stance on DOMA.“We disclaimed we were weighing in on a host of broader issues. It requires a proper understanding of state and federal laws,” he said. “Courts should rule on the basis of law, not public opinion.”
(04/07/11 2:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>David Goodstein, professor emeritus of physics and applied physics at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., spoke Wednesday about his book, “On Fact and Fraud: Cautionary Tales From the Front Lines of Science.”Goodstein began his lecture on a light note.“The title of my book is coincidentally the title of this lecture,” he said.Goodstein went on to explain some mistaken ethical principles.“Scientists don’t bend over backwards to show their theories are wrong — they bend over backwards to show their theories are right,” he said.He also discussed examples of scientific fraud.In 1974, William Summerlin reported he could transplant tissue from animals without rejection by the recipient animal if he kept the tissue from the donor in organ culture for four to six weeks. Summerlin demonstrated his claims by showing white mice that had black patches on their backs due to skin transplants. He was caught using a black felt-tipped pen.Isaac Newton, when calculating the speed of sound, got it wrong by 20 percent, Goodstein said. Newton went back to fix his calculations.“Is this fraud? No, because he showed exactly what he did,” Goodstein said.According to the National Science Foundation, scientific misconduct is “fabrication, falsification, plagiarism or other practices that seriously deviate from those that are commonly accepted within the scientific community.”As vice provost at Caltech, Goodstein was responsible for investigating all allegations of scientific misconduct, according to his online biography.Goodstein talked about why the bulk of scientific fraud is in biomedical science.“There is sometimes a conflict between clinical ethical and scientific ethical,” he said. “I think the main reason is biological variability.”He also discussed why people commit fraud.“I’ve seen many people under career pressure, so it’s not always for monetary gain. It might be for more subtle reasons,” he said. Next on the list of scientific fraud was the kind found in scientific textbooks and papers.“‘Fig. 1 shows typical data’ really means ‘these are the best results I got,’” he said.
(04/04/11 1:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Perfect Cut Productions spent Friday night and early Saturday morning filming “Dine n’ Dash,” its entry for Campus MovieFest, the world’s largest student film festival.Participants have from March 30 until April 5 to film and edit their entry, and the finale will be April 10 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.Telecommunication majors sophomore Evan Richardson and junior Lorne Golman are co-producers for “Dine n’ Dash.”The film is a comedy about a man who is going on a blind date but wakes up in an alleyway with a bomb strapped to his neck. He receives a call informing him that in order to not be blown up, he must steal cocaine while on his date.Julian Shine, a senior majoring in telecommunications, wrote the script and said it is based on a true story. The leading male role is Shine.“The hardest part is getting actors. Being in telecommunications doesn’t give you too many connections with theater people,” Richardson said.Richardson and Golman met last year through IU Student Television and participated in Campus MovieFest together.“I realized he knew what he was doing,” Golman said. “He had a lot of experience.”Golman began talking to Shine at the beginning of the semester about writing for their film. “This is the third time I’m writing for Campus MovieFest but the first time I’m working with people who really know what they’re doing,” Shine said.Last year, the team entered a music video for the band Massakren.“We lost so much sleep last year,” Richardson said. “We finished editing at 2 a.m. the day it was due.”He said they plan on not being that rushed this time. “My favorite part is being on set and shooting. It makes me want this so much more,” Richardson said. “Seeing the final product and making the bonds with people on set makes all the work worth it.”Richardson and Golman plan on pursuing work through their production company after college.“My passion is filmmaking,” Richardson said.Shine also wants script writing to play a part in his future.“Right now it’s just a hobby, but I’ve always wanted to write for TV or film,” he said.
(04/01/11 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The sound of music accompanied the smell of falafels and challah as community members gathered in Dunn Meadow for the 2011 Israelpalooza Block Party.The annual event was put on by Hoosiers for Israel, an Israeli advocacy group that’s part of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center.Every year, a different organization is chosen to benefit from Israelpalooza, said Ilana Nadel, program director for Hillel. Magen David Adom, the only EMT service in Israel, was this year’s cause.“Even though it’s the only EMT service there, it’s very underfunded by the government,” Nadel said. “They are actually the only ones allowed to do it. They really rely on volunteers.”Israeli ambulances were at the event, and former Magen David Adom volunteer Seth Gildenbaltt spoke about his three-month stint in 2003 in Tiberias.“We were in a less intense area, but it was still tough with some of the things you saw,” he said. Along with regular EMT calls, Gildenbaltt said he dealt with a hit and run and multiple terrorist attacks, some involving bombs.Gildenbaltt was a first responder for Magen David Adom but had also served in the military.“They are completely separate,” he said. “The whole Magen David Adom is supported by volunteers from all over the world really.”Thursday’s block party ended a week full of events that made up Israelpalooza. Other events included a night of the Israeli martial art, Krav Maga and a discussion titled “Israel and the GLBT Community.”“This is the first year it was turned into a weeklong event,” Nadel said.Along with free food, a shuk (Hebrew for “market”) sold various items to benefit Magen David Adom, and henna was offered in one of the tents. There were also activities for the kids, including a huge inflatable bouncy slide.Rena Forester, a freshman majoring in elementary education, is a member of Hoosiers for Israel and attended the block party.“I joined (Hoosiers for Israel) because I was involved with similar groups in high school and for the awesome leadership skills,” she said. “I’m having so much fun tonight. It’s great to see so many people here.”
(03/30/11 3:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Kelley Association of Women MBAs and My Sister’s Closet sponsored an event Tuesday at the Monroe County Public Library designed to explain the interview process and techniques to improve your interview skills. The event included an interview skills presentation, mock interviews and a question and answer session. They gave these tips on how to successfully tackle the job search and interviewing process. How to networkDecide what companies you are interested in, find contacts at those companies, have a conversation with your contact and then have follow-up conversations. This is a great way to figure out what working there is like.Tips for résumésKeep it to one page. The experience you showcase should show knowledge, responsibility and career progression. Don’t forget to proofread.Dressing for the interviewClean up, drop the jewelry, skip the perfume, avoid showing skin and dress like the boss. First impressions matterA firm handshake shows confidence and competence. Make eye contact and avoid slouching and crossing your arms.Be prepared for tough questions Turn those negatives into positives. Be aware they will ask about gaps in your résumé. Be prepared to answer questions about how your last job ended.Come with good questionsYour interviewer will ask if you have questions. Have them!Ask for the jobDon’t forget to sound excited about wanting the position. Make sure they know you’re the person they should hire.Avoid these mistakes: Don’t leave typographical errors in your résumé, don’t use only the Internet for job searching and networking, don’t show up late to the interview, don’t bring up salary too soon, don’t badmouth a former boss and don’t stop your job search while waiting for a response.
(03/11/11 12:18am)
Your guide to IU's culture centers.
(03/09/11 5:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Although he doesn’t own a Mac himself, senior and informatics major Alex Spurgeon saw an opportunity and created a business selling his Magic Lapdesk, a desk meant for iMacs or Apple TVs that rests in a user’s lap.He said he had always been interested in business and got the idea for this product February 2010. He said his experience with informatics helped him with the e-commerce model, which is a lot different than having a storefront, he said.“I saw a friend using a 27-inch iMac on his nightstand with the keyboard in his lap. I went home that night and started work on my first prototype,” he said.This first prototype was made of a tough plastic, chloroplast, and had some problems, Spurgeon said. The next model was made of Plexiglas but was also too thin. The final product is now made of twin wall polypropylene laminated with dry erase material.“I had two returned because the edge broke. That’s when I decided on a thicker material,” he said.Spurgeon said he did a lot of work during the summer creating the website and getting a provisional patent for his product. He got help from his grandfather, who works in plastics, and also used his patent attorney.“The provisional patent basically shows it was my idea,” he said. “I had to write it up and draw pictures for it, but my grandpa paid for it.”Informatics professor Larry Yaeger gave Spurgeon feedback on his product. Yaeger is even quoted on Spurgeon’s website, saying that he “love(s) it.”Spurgeon said the hardest part in the process was coming up with a name for his product.“The names I would come up with, the domains would already be taken,” he said. “My cousin said something about the name ‘magic desk,’ but it was taken. That’s when I thought of putting in ‘lap.’ It actually worked out perfectly because now the Magic Lapdesk pops up with other Apple products like the Magic Trackpad when searched online.”Sophomore Cindy Uecker owns a Macbook and said she thinks the Magic Lapdesk is a good idea.“I think I would definitely use it just if I’m feeling lazy and would want to work sitting on my bed,” she said.Three different types of Magic Lapdesks can be purchased at www.magiclapdesk.com for $49.95 each plus shipping and handling. Spurgeon said he has sold about 45 Magic Lapdesks so far and has had some international customers from Norway, Russia and Austria.Spurgeon said he has a lot of other ideas that he keeps in his iPod Touch. For his next project, he’s thinking about an app for iPhones, something not product-based, he said.“My goal is to sell a lot and use this money to start another project,” he said.
(03/08/11 5:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Out of 278 applicants, 33 women have been chosen as 2011 500 Festival Princesses, representing the 500 Festival Program, the 2011 Indianapolis 500, their hometowns and their universities. Four of those women are IU Hoosiers. They were chosen based on their communication skills, poise, academic performance and community and volunteer involvement. The 500 Festival was created in 1957 to celebrate the “greatest spectacle in racing” through community events and has grown to sponsor such events as the Indianapolis Power and Light 500 Festival Parade, the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon Expo and the 500 Festival Princess Program.To qualify for the 500 Festival Princess Program, women must be between 19 and 23 years old, single, legal residents of Indiana and full-time students at a fully accredited Indiana college or university and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.8 on a 4.0 scale.The queen will be crowned May 21 during the Breakfast at the Brickyard by racing legend Mario Andretti and will receive a $2,500 scholarship.Danielle DickinsonFrom the time she was 4, Danielle Dickinson knew she wanted to be a princess. But she didn’t want to be just any princess. She wanted to be a 500 Festival Princess.“I was 4 years old, and that was the first time I really remember going. I went with my dad, and he had pit passes, and I saw the princesses, and I said, ‘Daddy, who are they?’”This year, Dickinson is living her dream.Dickinson is a fifth-year senior majoring in exercise science who recently picked up a major in elementary education, which forced her to stay another year.As a princess, the Westfield, Ind., native said she is hoping to bring her race experiences to others through outreach, particularly to kids. She said she is especially excited about the track program that brings fourth-graders to the Speedway for tours.“I think that was the thing I was most excited about when I found out I got it,” she said. “I love kids. I’ve already signed up for I don’t know how many days. I think six out of eight.”Dickinson’s involvement in outreach extends far beyond her princess duties. During her first four years at IU, she was involved in Kappa Delta sorority. She has volunteered with the Boys & Girls club since her sophomore year, and she currently plays bingo twice a week at Red Bud Hills retirement home. Dickinson said she plans to continue to apply her love of children and outreach to her future in education. She said she thinks her childhood dream will help her beyond just race weekend.“I really think having the opportunity to be a princess and gain leadership skills will give me the skills for my future,” she said.— Lauren SedamRiley HoffmanLike most Hoosiers, sophomore Riley Hoffman grew up with the Indianapolis 500 and, consequently, the 500 Festival Princess program. “I grew up in Indianapolis so I always knew about it,” the Greenwood, Ind., native said. “We always listened to the race with friends and family by the pool.”A graduate from Center Grove High School, Hoffman said she views being a 500 princess as an opportunity to represent Indianapolis, a place she said she is happy to call home.“I’m proud of the city and all its ties throughout the U.S.,” she said.Hoffman said she also looks forward to being an ambassador for not only Indianapolis but the entire state during the 500 Festival.In the next few weeks, Hoffman will visit local elementary schools and read to different classes to help fulfill her outreach requirement. As part of the program, each princess is required to do at least two community outreaches before the 500 Festival Queen is crowned.However, the rest of the princess’ roles do not stop once the Queen is announced.Looking at her planner to make sure she got the exact date right, Hoffman said she is most excited about being part of the Chase Kids Day on May 15. After she graduates, the exercise science major said she would ultimately like to work at Riley Children’s Hospital as a pediatric physician’s assistant.“I just love kids,” she said. “I think they’re incredible.”— Danielle RindlerVictoria MeyerJunior and nursing major Victoria Meyer will be seeing the race for the first time. And, as a princess, she will be seeing it from the inside of the track. Her father and brother are big race fans who go to the Indianapolis 500 every year, but this year they will also be there supporting her. She said this is the first year she applied to be a 500 Festival Princess, which she said has a rigorous selection process.First was a five-minute interview with three judges, which cut the applicant pool from 278 to 66. Two weekends later Meyer had a longer interview with a panel of seven judges who cut the pool from 66 to the final 33.“I think people perceive it as a beauty pageant or something,” Meyer said. “There are events two or three times a day. It’s not a beauty pageant. You have to be well-rounded individuals.”As a princess, Meyer is an official ambassador of the entire festival, which encompasses the Indianapolis 500 as well as events in the community. She said she’s most excited about the parade, when all the princesses dress in evening gowns and wave to the crowd from their very own float.“Something like 300,000 people come to the parade,” she said.— John SeaslyLauren RatcliffAt 14 years old, senior Lauren Ratcliff’s life changed. While on vacation at Lake Cumberland in Kentucky, Ratcliff was riding on a jetski when she was struck by another jetski. The collision almost took her life, but ever since that day she said she views life completely differently.“It changed my outlook on life,” she said. “I try to be as positive as I can each and every day.”That positive outlook is now being carried over into Ratcliff’s work as a 500 Festival Princess. A policy analysis and legal studies major from West Lafayette, Ratcliff said she found out about the program from Katie Rayl, her Zeta Tau Alpha sorority sister, who was first runner-up two years ago. Besides having the free time to participate, Ratcliff said she wanted to be a 500 princess because of the outreach programs and the history the program has. She said the princesses are involved with many activities that include visiting hospitals, schools and nursing homes, and she said she is excited to take part.Growing up, Ratcliff said her family would watch the race but they were not huge fans. But because the Indianapolis 500 is a big part of Indiana, she said she can’t wait to be a part of it.“I was born and raised a Hoosier,” she said. “So I’m excited for a very unique experience and to be immersed in the culture of the race.”Ratcliff will graduate this May and said she plans on attending one of the 11 law schools she applied to. She said she would like to pursue working in environmental law or with intellectual property rights. Ratcliff said she would recommend the program to any woman who is the least bit interested.“If you really put yourself out there and have fun while you are working, you will get everything you want out of it,” she said.— Jake Wright
(03/03/11 2:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Alternative Break Program, run by the Civic Leadership Development program in the Kelley School of Business, sends IU students on volunteer trips across the country and around the world. Senior and marketing and management major Meghan Janotka is the president of ABP and went to New Orleans during winter break.“We worked with The Phoenix of New Orleans to do cleanup for houses that were affected by Katrina,” she said. “We did a lot of painting, dry wall replacement and other cosmetic repairs.”Janotka is going on another ABP trip for her spring break. She will be spending a week in Florida City, Fla., volunteering for an everglades hospital.“We’ll be doing a lot of beach cleanup,” she said.Students travel to domestic and international locations to volunteer over winter break, spring break or various weekends throughout the school year. Each trip consists of six to eight students. Senior and finance major Kara Morton is the vice president of ABP and said it has been amazing to watch the program’s popularity spread, showing that students have a significant interest in conquering social issues facing the world.ABP allows students to discover the social issues that exist in the world today and devote a week or a weekend to help fight them, according to ABP’s website.“The immersion in a different culture enables you to see a social issue and can make you an active citizen,” Program Director Molly Barwick said.Janotka said ABP allowed her to volunteer even with a busy schedule.“I don’t have a lot of time during the week to consistently volunteer,” she said. “That’s why ABP is such a great way for students who don’t have time but want to get involved in community service to be able to do that.”
(03/01/11 5:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Then-Senator John F. Kennedy challenged University of Michigan students in 1960 to serve their country for the cause of peace by working in developing countries. Today marks the 50th anniversary of the fruits of that challenge: the Peace Corps.Since 1961, the Peace Corps has sent more than 200,000 volunteers to 139 countries to spread peace and friendship. IU ranks 23rd among large colleges and universities for producing the most current Peace Corps volunteers, according to an annual rankings press release. These Hoosiers are part of the IU Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, a group focused on promoting the third goal of the Peace Corps: to strengthen Americans’ understanding about the world and its people.Abbie HantganMali, West AfricaJanuary 1998 through June 2001Ph.D candidate in African linguisticsAbbie Hantgan intended to spend the normal two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, West Africa, but ended up extending her stay for a total of three-and-a-half years.“After two years, I finally had learned the language and the culture. I finally learned how to live there, so why leave?” she said.After graduating from Warren Wilson College in North Carolina in 1996, Hantgan began to research programs and decided on the Peace Corps for a variety of reasons.“I went to Cameroon in college for a service project and wanted to go back. I was looking for a program that had some financial support, and I was also thinking about health care,” she said. “I had a little knowledge of French, so West Africa was a great fit.”Hantgan spent her time in the village of Koira Beirier teaching a women’s group to read and write.“I worked with a literacy instructor and an organization called the Near East Foundation to teach the women’s collective to read and write in a Dogon language, but there are about 18 Dogon languages,” she said. “While they learned Najamba, which they do speak, their own language is Kindige.”Literacy materials are now being made for the teaching of Kindige, she said.Hantgan has returned to West Africa three times since her time with Peace Corps. She spent summer 2008 and summer 2009 in West Africa and recently returned from a six-month stint there. Each time, she has continued teaching literacy.“I began also working on another thought-to-be Dogon language, Bangime, which turns out to be completely unrelated, though the people live among the Dogon.”Hantgan is currently a Ph.D. candidate at IU in African linguistics and said she hopes to complete her dissertation by next May. “I just got back from doing this research and have been wanting to spread the word,” she said.Shan WeatherbeeKachiry, KazakhstanJune 2004 through July 2006Shan Weatherbee spent his two Peace Corps years as a volunteer on the edge of southern Siberia in the village of Kachiry, Kazakhstan, teaching English to primary and secondary school students.He said learning the native language and communicating was probably the hardest part, as it probably is for most volunteers.“I didn’t know the language or culture, so communication was pretty hard, but you get a hold of it after about six months or the first year,” he said.Weatherbee spent his first year living with a host family but lived on his own the second year in the back rooms of a house that was shared by a woman and her son who lived in the front.“It was a little better to be living on my own just because it gave me more independence,” he said.While on his own, Weatherbee had to keep his rooms warm by buying coal and wood.“It was a pretty life-changing experience,” he said. “Living in a different country and seeing what problems people have to deal with that we take for granted, like the coal for keeping warm. The whole experience was great and a real eye-opener.”Kate SlavensMali, West AfricaJuly 2007 through July 2009 Master’s student in SPEAAfter finishing her undergraduate studies and graduating in May 2007, Kate Slavens said she decided to spend two years in Mali, West Africa, in the village of Senossa with a population of about 3,500.Slavens focused on general health and sanitation there by holding workshops and presentations for the community.“We did weekly baby weigh-ins and also did demonstrations for mothers about how to make a more nutritious and substantive porridge,” she said.Slavens said she had always thought about being a Peace Corps volunteer.“I’ve always been interested in new countries, new cultures and new languages,” she said. While Slavens majored in French at University of Evansville, a prominently spoken language in West Africa, as an undergraduate, she still had to deal with the language barrier of the local dialect, Fulani.The first nine weeks of her stay were spent learning the language, Slavens said. Along with Fulani, the training also included health safety.“There was a lot of training about safety when drinking water and how to cook,” she said. “There were also lots and lots of shots in preparation for the trip.”Because the days mostly revolved around the sun, Slavens usually began her average routine at sunrise followed by breakfast while listening to BBC radio. After eating lunch with her host family, she would then visit schools or make follow-up visits in the afternoon.While in Mali, Slavens stayed in regular contact with her family.“The use of cell phones is growing exponentially, so I actually had a phone. My parents also got a Skype account, too,” she said. “There was also a lot of letter writing.”Slavens is now at IU, pursuing a master’s in publics affairs with a concentration in nonprofit management.“It was an amazing experience,” she said. “Everyone was so warm and friendly.”
(02/23/11 3:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU coed a cappella group OverStaffed aims to provide IU students with the opportunity to join a non-gender specific a cappella ensemble.Sophomore Cassie Schwietert, who sings soprano, started the group last semester with friend Chris Yousif, a freshman majoring in music education who sings bass.“We talked about starting our own a cappella group and joked around about it,” Schwietert said. “We held auditions in November and started rehearsing in December.”Schwietert said she was a dancer and participated in choir and show choir in high school but didn’t find anything to get involved in at IU.The name OverStaffed was chosen because the group has a lot of members and because they wanted the name to relate to music, Schwietert said.Currently, the young group consists of eight women and nine men. While they said they have started thinking about the future, they have no plans for a second round of auditions yet.“Our group is pretty young right now,” Schwietert said. “We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores and one junior. We’ll hold auditions when we need to.”The group practices twice a week and is led by two group members. Its first performance was Thursday at BuffaLouie’s.“We were a little nervous about how we sounded and if people could hear us because it was really loud, but the feedback we got was pretty good,” Schwietert said.OverStaffed performed a Michael Jackson medley and “Glitter in the Air” by Pink, which was arranged by group member Michael Day.A freshman majoring in music education, Day joined OverStaffed in November.“Chris encouraged me to audition so I did, and it’s been a really fun experience,” he said. “I did some a cappella in high school, but there’s not much opportunity here outside of Straight No Chaser.”Freshman and soprano Alex Onion is majoring in communications and was involved in an a cappella group with her church. She said this is her first real experience with pop a cappella music. The group is currently working on songs like “Marry You” by Bruno Mars, “Earth” by Imogen Heap and a Katy Perry medley.“I’m also in a curricular ensemble, so being a part of OverStaffed has been a nice compliment to that,” Onion said. “It’s fun to learn more current music in a student-led group where we all have a say in what we perform. Performing in OverStaffed has been such a unique experience, and I’m glad to be a part of it,” she said.
(02/22/11 4:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana Public Interest Research Group, or INPIRG, has recently published FAILbook, a how-to guide for protecting your online information on Facebook, for the IU community.Abbi Brown is a senior majoring in political science and is a co-coordinator for the Student Consumer Action Network, the division of INPRIG that is spearheading the FAILbook campaign.“More than anything we want to educate students,” she said.Kevin Morgan, a senior majoring in communication and culture, is also a co-coordinator for SCAN.“So many people don’t realize what they’re sharing online,” he said. “Especially for people about to graduate, employers will be seeing your information.”Work started mid-January as part of the national coalition for FAILbook.“We have been able to educate 14,000 people,” Brown said.Companies can buy Facebook consumer information to tailor advertisements to that particular person, Brown said, but the Federal Trade Commission wants to change that.“The agency supports giving consumers a ‘Do Not Track’ option because the practice is largely invisible to consumers, and they should have a simple, easy way to control it. The FTC proposes that Do Not Track would be a persistent setting on consumers’ web browsers,” according to the FTC’s website.Max Drizin, a freshman majoring in economics and public policy, has also been working with INPIRG and SCAN for FAILbook.“We’re really just trying to educate people so they can make better decisions online,” he said. “We want people to understand how the information they’re putting online is being used.”Currently SCAN is offering online, step-by-step, printable, PDF versions of the FAILbook Guide. “This is so much bigger than just Facebook,” Brown said. “But this is our main audience. Everyone has a Facebook.”
(02/17/11 3:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Foot Notes Tap Dance Group is dedicated to sharing the passion of tap dancing.Started by senior Sara Kaufman when she was a sophomore, Foot Notes is the culmination of three women’s hobby.Kaufman approached seniors Lillian Feldman-Hill and Kelsey Sheppard about the club. None are dance majors.Feldman-Hill is a senior majoring in telecommunications. Currently a general member of the club, she has served on the executive boards in past years.“It’s the only tap-related club on campus,” she said. “Tap is such a small, close community, so it’s a great way to meet other tappers.”Foot Notes meets every other Saturday in the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, according to sophomore secretary Amanda Tober. A new technique is taught at every meeting.Sheppard, majoring in theater and drama, is the club’s artistic director.“It’s really a collaborative effort,” she said. “We all take turns teaching at meetings.”Though not a dance major, Sheppard has been dancing for 17 years. She has studied ballet, jazz and hip-hop but says tap is probably her favorite.Tober joined Foot Notes last year but has been tapping since she was three years old. “I’m in the club with another girl in my sorority, so it’s been fun,” she said.Feldman-Hill said the club is filled with a variety of skill levels although all the members have had some experience with tap dancing.Feldman-Hill has been dancing most of her life.“Ballet was never really my thing,” she said. “But tap is just so rhythmic. I plan on it being a part of my future at least as a hobby.”Foot Notes usually hosts a “master class” each year where a tap dancer comes in from a place like Chicago to teach. However, the master class may not happen this year. There has been more focus on training the upcoming executive board as the current one is soon to graduate, Feldman-Hill said.“I love to tap, and there’s not a large community here for it,” Sheppard said. “We’re really a bunch of rhythmic junkies.”
(02/16/11 3:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Six Kelley School of Business MBAs have been chosen to implement business concepts from author Jim Collins’ book “Good to Great and the Social Sector” to benefit Giving Back to Africa, a Bloomington-based not-for-profit dedicated to educating young people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a press release.Team leader Nadirah Al-Uqdah already knew GBA founder Ann Marie Thomson, so when a board member of GBA asked if Kelley students would be interested in the project, Al-Uqdah said she was excited.“GBA was a great choice because they were local but also had an international reach, giving us an opportunity to apply the frameworks in a more complex environment,” Al-Uqdah said.Groups from all across North America competed and student teams from Yale University, University of California Berkeley, University of Alberta and Duke University were also selected, according to the press release. “Good to Great and the Social Sector,” a New York Times best-seller, discusses a framework of concepts to move a company or nonprofit from good to great. “Working with Giving Back to Africa was a great opportunity to apply theoretical business knowledge to help a Bloomington nonprofit improve their operations,” team member Neha Kale said. The case study program allows graduate students to learn how to apply business skills to the private sector, and the chosen teams get to participate in a conference call with Collins to gain feedback on their plan.“To see a young generation of leaders embracing the ‘Good to Great’ ideas is inspiring,” Collins said in the press release. “The whole thing just seems to me to be a win for everybody because we are putting ideas in a place where they can make a difference.”The book explains concepts like “Good is the enemy of great” and “It is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work.”Al-Uqdah learned of the project and got in contact with other Kelley MBA classmates Virginia Myers, Chantal St. Louis, Anne Christensen, Neha Kale and Unyi Agba. They divided the team of six into two teams of three to focus on different aspects of the project, Al-Uqdah said.“As a second-year MBA student, I am constantly seeking ways to apply classroom learnings in a real-world setting,” Al-Uqdah said. “The Net Impact project provided a great opportunity.”Currently in its first year, the Good to Great case study program was co-developed and managed by ChimpWorks, Jim Collins’ management laboratory, and Net Impact, a nonprofit that encourages the use of the power of business to promote sustainability, according to the Net Impact website.“We will present our final recommendations to the GBA board and work with them to develop an implementation strategy over the next few weeks,” Al-Uqdah said. “I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with my classmates on the project.”
(02/15/11 5:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Seniors Robert Demaree and David Cavise said they created the Bloomington Grub Club because they have always been interested in business and bringing great values to customers.The card offers its customers about $70 worth of food at Bloomington restaurants.“We started putting the business model together last spring,” Demaree said. “We worked on our sales pitch so the first card could be ready for the fall semester. We’ve heard nothing but positive feedback from customers and participating restaurants.”The back of the card lists the participating restaurants with a corresponding scratch-off square. When customers redeem their food, the restaurant is scratched-off, according to the Grub Club website.“The great thing is that this sends customers to restaurants they might not have gone to previously,” Cavise said.Cavise said he faced no trouble when searching for restaurants to participate because it brings them customers that might not have visited the restaurant otherwise.Brianna Smith is an IU senior who uses the Grub Club card.“It’s great because my friends got one also so we can go out and try new places together,” she said. “Bloomington is such an original town. This is a chance to get out and try new stuff.”All the participating restaurants are in Bloomington and are considered to be Bloomington staples such as Mother Bear’s and the Runcible Spoon, Demaree said.“We’re really community-oriented,” he said. So far, about 200 Grub Club cards have been sold, Demaree said. The Grub Club member card can be purchased for $20 at www.bloomingtongrubclub.com or at Black’s Mercantile on Seventh and Walnut streets.“The greatest marketing for us has been from customer feedback,” he said. “There’s so much positive feedback.”Cavise said the team is currently working on a weekly e-mail blast to Grub Club members that will include even more exclusive offers to Bloomington businesses.In looking into the future, the pair is thinking about taking the Grub Club to other schools. However, they still plan on continuing the Grub Club post-graduation.“We’ll definitely stay in Bloomington,” he said.
(02/09/11 1:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU School of Education, Arts in Education Club, Department of Theatre and Drama and Office of Multicultural Initiatives are teaming up to put on a public performance of the theatrical production of Anna Deavere Smith’s “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992.” The performances will be March 25 and 26 at a site still to be determined. “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” is labeled as “documentary theater” that explores the consequences of the 1992 Los Angeles riots that began after jurors acquitted police officers charged with the beating of Rodney King, according to the School of Education’s website. Will Johnston and Katie Golonka are the volunteer directors for this performance. Johnston is a 2010 alumnus who majored in secondary education and is the alumni adviser for the Arts in Education Club. Golonka is a senior majoring in theater and drama and represents the theater department in this collaboration.“This is going to take a team,” Johnston said. The School of Education and Office of Multicultural Initiatives teamed up for the first time last year to put on “The Laramie Project,” which was a success, according to Gustave Weltsek, project faculty adviser of the Department of Literacy, Culture and Language Education.“It was a very powerful program. People like myself who didn’t know much about the history of Matthew Shepard learned a great deal. We hope that this program will also raise awareness in our community,” said Babita Upadhyay, special projects coordinator for the Office of Multicultural Initiatives.Johnston was involved in “The Laramie Project” last year as a student performer.“This year we invite people from all over the IU-Bloomington family to use theater to explore the very serious tensions which arise through ideas of cultural, class, gender and race,” Weltsek said.“The ‘Twilight: Los Angeles,1992’ is related to an unfortunate incident that took place in our country not very long ago,” Upadhyay said. “We would like people to remember it, learn from it, so that we can take steps to ensure it won’t happen again.”There were three open callouts that resulted in 37 main characters, Weltsek said, because it is a performance of monologues. The production will also include footage of the real Los Angeles riots.“We want to create space for dialogue about these issues,” Gustave said. “We’re not so concerned about the performance as we are about familiarizing ourselves with each other about the journey.”
(02/07/11 2:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jim Kurose of the University of Massachusetts Amherst spoke at a colloquium sponsored by the School of Informatics and Computing on Friday titled, “Cyber-physical systems: linking sensing, networking, computation and people.”Kurose is currently the executive associate dean of the College of Natural Sciences and a distinguished university professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Minaxi Gupta, associate professor of computer science in the School of Informatics and Computing, introduced Kurose as a distinguished researcher in computer networks and author of one of the two most widely used course textbooks for senior/graduate computer network courses around the world.“Actually, it’s the best selling textbook,” Kurose said.“Anything physically connected to the Internet is a cyber-physical system,” Gupta said. Friday’s colloquium focused on the Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere. CASA is funded by the National Science Foundation and seeks to revolutionize the way we observe, detect and predict atmospheric phenomena by creating distributed collaborative adaptive sensor networks that sample the atmosphere where and when end-user needs are greatest, according to the NSF website.NEXRAD, or next-generation radar, is currently being used as the U.S. weather sensing system, according to Kurose.“They just sit and spin,” he said.This causes a sensing gap, according to Kurose, which means the earth curvature effects prevent 72 percent of the troposphere below 1 kilometer from being observed. Members of CASA said they want a dense network of inexpensive, low power, short-range radars to sense the lower 3 kilometers of earth’s atmosphere to provide a finer spatial resolution.“Flooding, in terms of loss of life and property, is more destructive than tornados,” Kurose said. “The ability to do this kind of prediction can absolutely save lives and property.”“The really big picture I took away was the importance of the end-user,” he said. End-users such as the National Weather Service, emergency responders and researchers want to observe, understand, predict and respond, but Kurose said this can’t always happen simultaneously.“It’s not about meteorological sensing, it’s about the end-user,” Kurose said. “I hope you walk away knowing the importance of people.”
(02/04/11 3:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Ski and Snowboard Club and Union Board are bringing “The Story,” a Ski Channel original production, to Whittenberger Auditorium at 4 p.m. Saturday for free.“The Story” is a film that tells the stories of different famous and inspiring skiers such as Bode Miller, Lindsey Vonn, Bobby Brown and many others, according to the Ski Channel website.Senior and vice president of the Ski and Snowboard Club Mark Fischer was contacted during the summer by the Ski Channel and was excited about the film.“This is perfect for the ski club because it’s what we’re all about,” said Fischer, who is a public affairs and management major.Wayne Levinson, a senior majoring in accounting and supply chain management, is the Ski and Snowboard Club president and is excited to share the film with more people.“I’ve seen the film about 13 times, and it’s probably the best movie I’ve ever seen,” Levinson said.Fischer got in contact with Stephani Victor, one of the people profiled in the film, in order to bring her to IU for the showing. Victor lost both her legs in an amputation following a car accident in 1995. She then went on to win gold medals in the 2006 and 2010 Paralympic Games, according to www.stephanivictor.com.“She’s so upbeat,” Fischer said. “Her story is so inspirational.”“The whole movie brings a light to how much perseverance this sport takes,” Levinson said. “Stephani’s is by far the most amazing story I’ve ever seen.”After the film, there will be a Q&A session with Victor and her husband Marcel Kuonen, who is a former racer for the Swiss National Team, according to Victor’s website.“Along with the Q&A session, Victor will be signing autographs after the showing,” said Graham Davis, sophomore and Union Board director of films.
(02/01/11 4:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A hobbit specimen was the center of attention Monday at the Darwin Club meeting.Members of the club, composed of anthropology graduate students and faculty members, arrived prepared. An article from the American Journal of Physical Anthropology titled “Brief Communication: ‘Pathological’ Deformation in the Skull of LB1, the Type Specimen of Homo floresiensis,” along with three other scholarly articles, helped guide the meeting. Much of the night was spent examining the “hobbit” from Indonesia and debating whether it represented a previously unknown Hominin species or was just an example of a pathological Homo sapien.“We need more skulls of these things, I think,” said Tom Schoenemann, faculty coordinator of the club. “If someone asked me how many more I would need to see to be convinced, I would say one more would be nice.”The club meets biweekly, usually the second and fourth Mondays of the month, to focus on recent articles, current research or the interests of visiting scholars.Though the club is primarily composed of anthropology majors, graduate students and faculty members, undergraduate students who are interested in biological anthropology are welcome. Within the hobbit debate, members also discussed topics such as DNA testing.The meeting adjourned after a short discussion of the teaching of evolution in public schools. The next meeting of the Darwin Club will be at 4 p.m. Feb. 14 in Student Building 159. Refreshments are always provided. For more information about the Darwin Club, visit www.indiana.edu/~anthro/index.shtml.
(01/28/11 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After meeting at IUBeginnings as freshmen, seniors Jenna Bourdow and Marina Best brought back the Model United Nations student club to IU in 2009.The previous club fizzled out after members graduated and left IU. “We started talking about it about a year and a half ago but really got it going as juniors,” Best said. “It’s a student club, but we’re a part of CIBER.”CIBER is the Center for International Business Education & Research in the Kelley School of Business, but the Model United Nations is for all students. The club fluctuates at about 15 active members who participate in conferences and fundraising events in the community. Members include political science, international studies and business majors. Sophomore Paul Cappelli serves as treasurer for the club.“I was involved with it at my high school, Oak Park and River Forest in Illinois, and loved it,” Cappelli said.Since being revived, the club has been to two conferences. Its first was in Chicago in November 2009 and was hosted by the American Model United Nations. Its most recent conference was hosted by the National Model United Nations and was held in Washington D.C. in October 2010.“You take the role of a country. IU was given Libya and Turkey, and I took Libya,” Cappelli said.Ranking at the conferences is based on the preparation of resolution papers and public speaking.“The best skills I’ve learned are public speaking and delegating,” Cappelli said.Along with public speaking skills, networking plays a huge role in the conferences.“It’s a huge networking thing,” Best said. “You learn to compromise and work with people.”Bourdow agreed. “Networking is a big one,” she said. “I’ve met a lot of international students at the conferences and have stayed in contact with some.” The club applies for funding from IUSA and CIBER and is currently pursuing a corporate sponsor for a possible trip to New York for a more prestigious conference hosted by the American Model United Nations this semester.“I love it because it’s a unique experience. You go to the conferences and form really strong relationships with people,” Cappelli said.