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(03/01/13 5:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There’s no clear consensus with faculty and administration in the telecommunications and communication and culture departments following Provost Lauren Robel’s Feb. 19 announcement regarding their departments’ merger with the School of Journalism. Telecommunications department chair Walter Gantz and interim chair of communication and culture Barbara Klinger both agreed the proposal to house the merged communication unit within the College of Arts and Sciences would be a smart move to increase coordination between units. They also echoed each other’s statements, saying their faculty appreciates the liberal arts tradition of COAS and enjoy their current residence within the College. Gantz said there haven’t been formal discussions about the merger among his staff to help shape a new proposal. He is still waiting for direction from upper administration. “My sense is that the report that had been delivered to the provost was a starting point, but that we don’t really have the architecture or scaffolding in place yet to build this combined edifice,” Gantz said. “I expect we’re going to learn more soon and that there’ll be ample time for faculty to construct what this new school is going to look like.” Robel noted last week that “the ball is back in the faculty’s court,” and that faculty from all three units would need to work together to develop a new proposal for her to consider. This would need to happen before submitting a finalized proposal to the Board of Trustees — which meets on campus April 11-12 — and President Michael McRobbie. Amy Cornell, an undergraduate adviser and assistant to the chair of the Department of Communication and Culture, hasn’t heard from her students about the subject. Nor has she heard from administrative superiors on a future meeting of department leaders to discuss its future, as suggested by Robel. Though her students haven’t been very vocal on the merger, she said she believes it will offer future students new opportunities in the form of new majors and courses.“We’ll be able to talk about media and communication in new ways by bringing together these three areas that look at things differently but have overlapping interests,” Cornell said. “The devil is always in the details.” Mark Deuze, associate professor in the Department of Telecommunications, spent his first year at IU as a visiting professor in the School of Journalism and CMCL, and later moved to telecommunications. He isn’t pleased with the progression of the merger proposal, he said. Media and communication at IU is not limited to just three areas, he said, and trying to force the three areas into a single unit is a missed opportunity for true innovation. “I’m asking the University higher-ups ‘what is it that you’re not getting?’ Nothing ever gets solved by adding another bureaucratic layer on top. That’s just not how things work,” Deuze said. “To be very honest, the way it looks like now, it makes it look like we’re going backwards and not forwards.”In academics, red tape currently prevents journalism students from getting a second major in telecommunications. Telecommunications majors cannot earn a major or certificate in journalism. Senior Kylee Wierks, a telecommunications and political science major, is also a reporter and anchor for IU Student Television. She’s taken enough classes in the journalism school to get a certificate in journalism but cannot due to the credit restriction. Wierks was a journalism major throughout her freshman year. First semester sophomore year she switched to telecommunications after getting nervous about the future of print journalism, she said. Still, she estimates she’s taken as many telecommunications as journalism courses. That said, the School of Journalism offers just two broadcast courses to undergraduates. “My ultimate goal is to be a broadcast journalist, so I decided I needed the reporting and writing skills that I would get at the journalism school that I couldn’t get at the T-comm (telecommunications) school, because as far as television production goes at the T-comm school, they mainly do the production aspect of it.”Cornell acknowledged details are scant, but from informal talks with her colleagues, she said faculty mood in the department is one of tempered optimism, given the proposal’s recommendation to keep CMCL in COAS. “Had it gone the other way, I guarantee you my faculty would have been upset about leaving the college,” she said. Thought the current proposal calls for the two departments to remain in the College, the new unit is tentatively scheduled to be housed in Franklin Hall, near the Sample Gates, forcing the Department of Telecommunications out of the Radio-Television Center, located between the School of Fine Arts and the Herman B Wells Library. Though the Radio-Television Center was built decades ago, a $7.5 million, 19,000 square feet addition was added in 1997, which included the remodeling of the older building. Gantz said he isn’t sure if production, administrative and academic space from all three units will fit in Franklin Hall. He noted the current, relatively new studios in the Radio-Television Center would be both difficult and expensive to move to Franklin Hall. “Our TV studio is wonderful and large and can’t easily be uprooted,” he said. “We also know that journalism would like a studio for news production. As we move toward incorporating more film, we’ll need facilities for that and post-production work.”Sharing space with telecommunications academic space is IU Radio and Television Services, which includes WTIU Public Television, WFIU Public Radio and IUSTV. “The boundary is porous,” Gantz said. “We have students who work for RTV Services. We have production professionals who teach some of our classes.”He expressed concern about the loss of that relationship if the move to Franklin Hall were to be approved. “At least for telecommunications, Franklin Hall isn’t the ideal location,” Gantz said. The new proposed school does hold promise, however, for IUSTV. Current studio space in Read Center isn’t the most spacious or up-to-date, Wierks said. IUSTV, as well as WTIU, have been crucial to her professional development at IU, she added. “If I hadn’t done IUSTV or interned at WTIU over at the T-comm school, I wouldn’t have any broadcast experiences at all,” Wierks said. “We learn how to put packages together in class, but that’s about it. You don’t really learn about news setup works at all in these classes. You really have to seek outside of school organizations like IUSTV in order to get that experience.” Despite the potential upsides of reducing academic course friction and increased student media connectivity, Dueze said collaboration must give rise to a school, not the other way around. “It’s well intended,” Deuze said. “I’m all for doing more things together and getting out of the cocoon that telecommunications is ... but I don’t think new school will facilitate this. Maybe in the long term, but the way it has been managed at this time, I don’t see it happening. It’s just sad. Something better could have been made out of this.”
(02/22/13 5:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Few specifics have emerged concerning the proposed merger involving the IU School of Journalism and two other academic departments.No definite academic or administrative structure is finalized. Nor are the futures of IU Student Media, various units’ distinct honors programs or future financial and infrastructural support clear.The merger itself is not a done deal, as it must still go before the Board of Trustees and President Michael McRobbie.Rather, Provost Lauren Robel said, faculty and other leadership from the three units will soon form a committee that will prepare a proposal envisioning the merged school, newly framed in the context of the College of Arts and Sciences and its future home in Franklin Hall.“The ball is back in the faculty’s court,” Robel said.The new committee will report to School of Journalism Interim Dean Michael Evans, COAS Dean Larry Singell Jr. and Robel before she addresses the trustees. “We’re still a team on this,” she said. The plan inched closer to reality after Robel’s State of the Campus address Tuesday, in which she announced her intentions to recommend the merger of the School with the departments of Telecommunications and Communication and Culture within COAS — thus dismantling the freestanding School of Journalism — and to relocate all three units to a renovated Franklin Hall. With this recommendation, the prospect of an independent school of merged units seemed less likely. “We need a structure to make it move forward. That’s part of it,” Robel said. “We need a structure to have a discussion. Now, you need to bring the faculties together in a serious way.”That process began Thursday afternoon when Robel met with a crowd of about 50 School of Journalism faculty and staff.“We’re very happy that happened,” Lesa Hatley Major, journalism senior associate dean, said after the meeting. “She was as forthcoming with us as we were with her.”Major, who is acting in Interim Dean Evans’ place as he interviews for a job in Vermont, said the meeting helped clarify certain details, such as the role of faculty going forward and possible personnel cuts.She said Robel assured those in the meeting that through the merger process, mass cuts to administration and faculty would not occur. Rather, attrition, or gradual lessening of personnel through retirements and a freeze on additional hires, will shrink school’s size.Not specified to the group was a timetable for the proposal or the start of the new school, though Robel later said she hoped to launch the school in fall 2015. Now, the School of Journalism is soliciting input from alumni, faculty, staff and students to help move forward. Major said she’s open to all input, including that which doesn’t neatly align with the provost’s recommendation. “Coming at this saying ‘we’re going to do this’ or ‘we’re not going to do this,’ it’s not productive,” Major said. “I don’t know that those opportunities could see their full potential if we are hardened in our position.”Soon, Singell will speak with journalism faculty, he said. Singell sent an email to journalism faculty Wednesday morning, expressing his willingness to help resolve uncertainties among faculty.Singell, along with the other three unit heads, was not made aware of the full extent of Robel’s announcement before the address on Tuesday. However, he said he understands why Robel would choose to house the new school within COAS and is ready to work with faculty.“I think the New Academic Directions reports were saying these small units don’t make economic sense,” Singell said.The School of Journalism’s spring Bloomington undergraduate enrollment is more than 600 students. It’s not the smallest school on campus, contrary to a statement in a Thursday release from Robel — that distinction belongs to the School of Social Work, according to IU’s official enrollment report. “There are intellectual reasons why this isn’t a bad idea either, too. The School of Global and International Studies is a model, and that was informative with what happened with journalism, media and communications. They could operate together with a bigger footprint then they could individually.”He said a main challenge will be striking the right balance between maintaining the nationally accredited, professional journalism school while still providing flexibility for the other, non-professional areas. Overall, he said, the merger creates new, yet unknown possibilities.“I don’t know where it’s going to go because I’m not a media expert, but I think there’s a lot of exciting things that can come from this,” he said. “But it’s unclear.”Also to be included in the new building is student media. Robel said she should not make a decision regarding student media operations or independence and will leave that for faculty to decide. She does, however, want to unify the various groups.“My vision for that, and the one that media at IU started with, is to bring IU student media in,” she said. “Have them brought together in this new facility, so the cross-disciplinary world you guys are entering into actually exists here.”Barbara Klinger, interim chair of the Department of Communication and Culture, said the merger would be a major development for the campus, though she needs more details before making a more informed judgement.“Bringing the three of us together, in an ideal scenario, could maximize our strengths, make ourselves more visible not only on the IU campus, but to the larger world of film, media and communication studies,” Klinger said. A release by the School of Journalism faculty and staff to the journalism community read, “We are committed to supporting students as they confront the challenge of transforming journalism in the 21st century. We consider ourselves stewards of the school’s proud history and international reputation.”Even with a future in COAS, Major said keeping the 100-year-plus tradition alive can happen with proactive work now, while still in the formative stages.“It’s realistic,” she said. “Believe me, we will do whatever we can so that happens.”
(02/20/13 5:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU School of Journalism merger with the telecommunications and communication and culture departments is moving forward following Provost Lauren Robel’s decision to recommend the plan to the Board of Trustees. She also recommended the new merged units reside within the College of Arts and Sciences and be located in Franklin Hall. Robel made the announcement at the State of the Campus address Tuesday afternoon. It follows months of debate, administrative sessions and town hall meetings concerning the proposed merger. “I have concluded that the programs have a bright future and will best serve students if they are combined into a single school, if the campus can invest the appropriate resources in facilities and faculty and if the departments can repurpose their existing resources away from administrative overhead and towards their shared academic mission,” Robel said in her address.The recommendation will now go to the Board of Trustees and President Michael McRobbie.Interim Dean of the School of Journalism Michael Evans is in communication with the provost’s office to clarify questions not addressed in the speech, according to a School of Journalism statement released after Robel’s remarks. In an email to School of Journalism students, Evans said Robel is still working out specific details. He also said Robel is encouraging the public to look at the new School for Global and International Studies as a model for future direction.Evans was publicly supportive of a merger arrangement in recent months, but insisted journalism remain its own school. “As many of you know, I have argued vigorously that the new school, if it were created, should be free-standing outside the College,” Evans said in the email. “The Provost listened to my concerns and those expressed by many of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni, but in the end she made the decision to recommend that the new unit exist inside COAS.”Both the communication and culture and telecommunications departments currently fall under the College of Arts and Sciences, whereas the School of Journalism operates independently as its own school, much like the Kelley School of Business or the Jacobs School of Music. Walter Gantz, telecommunications department chair, said he was pleased with the provost’s announcement. “I think this is something that is very much appreciated by the two departments in the COAS,” Gantz said. “We love the liberal arts tradition. Journalism has a liberal arts tradition, but I suspect that this will be, as a result, a bit more trying transition for them than for us, and I hope that my colleagues will grow to look forward to these and I’m sure we look forward to working with them as colleagues.” Gantz is looking for specifics from Robel on a final structure. He said he expects the trustees to follow her recommendation. “One of the elements pushing us to this is coming from the trustees, and perhaps the president himself,” Gantz said. “I’m confident that under the provost guidance, the trustees will approve the plans."Jim Stinson graduated from the School of Journalism’s master’s program in 2002 and is currently an editorial writer at the Daytona Beach News-Journal in Daytona Beach, Fla.He said he was greatly troubled after learning the news Tuesday afternoon. “I don’t mind the consolidation of schools and programs, but I can think of few things more harmful to IU or the School of Journalism than emptying journalists from Ernie Pyle and teaching math or anthropology next to Ernie’s Pulitzer — short of firing Tom Crean, or changing the IU colors to blue and gold,” he said.President of the School of Journalism Alumni Association Board JR Ross, a former Indiana Daily Student editor, expressed confusion and concern about the school’s potential placement within the College of Arts and Sciences.“It’s been a fear of the alumni all along that the new school will be placed in COAS,” Ross said. “There traditionally hasn’t been a respect of journalism in the school as a study, as a profession. Why you would take a thriving school that’s producing some top notch talent and put in it COAS is beyond me.” The alumni board met with Robel in September. At that time, Ross said Robel left the distinct impression that her preference was for the School of Journalism to remain its own independent school.Ross said losing its status as an independent school will impede autonomous financial decision power and ensnare the school in COAS bureaucracy, slowing the school’s response time to the changing media landscape. “The issue is, no two ways about it, is putting the school back in the COAS,” Ross said. “The best j-schools in the country are by and large independent. It will be seen as a secondary. It will diminish its reputation.”He said alumni will want answers in the form of specific merger plans. Until then, he said alumni will continue to make their voices heard. “We still pay attention,” he said. “We still care.”
(02/19/13 10:19pm)
Provost
Lauren Robel will indeed recommend the IU School of Journalism merge
with the IU departments of Telecommunications and Communication and
Culture.
(01/28/13 6:31pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>They’re the last thing you want to deal with when moving into a new house or apartment — four-legged, furry transients or anthropoid infesters. Bloomington is no stranger to these critters, but with a bit of investigative work and the right product, renters can at least keep them far from their doorstep.Vickie Davison, the owner of Bloomington Hardware, has seen her fair share of pests. She said oftentimes, locals even bring pests to her in plastic bags, ready for inspection and classification in-store. Davison said that’s the key: to know exactly what you’re dealing with before you try to treat the problem.Mice and other rodents are a group Davison said she’s been helping customers treat more often then usual, something she suspects the past summer’s drought helped exacerbate.And now, with Bloomington on track to experience another mild winter, insects might have time to flourish.“When we’ve had such mild, mild winters, that cold never really got into the ground,” Davison said. “As the insect population keeps growing, the rodent population gets larger and larger. It’s a natural circle.” She recommends doing a visual inspection of common insect/rodent entry points, including the building foundation, area underneath doors and space that encircles piping.For treating mice and other rodents, a variety of options range from simple kill traps to electronic noise devices. Here’s the rundown of options.For treating insects, there are a variety of products on the market, not all of which use toxic chemicals.Davison said she’s seen a recent switch to more earth-friendly, less toxic methods of insect control, including products with capsicum, or pepper. Other traps, with sticky surfaces, also eliminate the need for harsh chemicals.“I think if people use too many products, it affects the world around them,” she said.Regardless of treatment method, the important thing to remember is to seek help from products, an inspection or exterminator service or even your landlord. “Nobody should be embarrassed that they have bugs,” Davison said. “From time to time, it’s something we all have to deal with.”
(01/28/13 5:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Couches, armchairs and futons are among the traditional indoor furniture that dot Bloomington front porches. In the near future, rental property tenants will be banned from using such seating and instead be limited to using only designated outdoor furniture.That’s one of the changes the Bloomington City Council approved in the Property Maintenance Code on Nov. 14, 2012.Changes in smoke detector requirements dominated the debate during the code’s updating process, but other changes are coming soon.The ban on upholstered porch furniture won’t immediately go into effect. A review of three chapters of the Property Maintenance Code by the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission was tentatively set for early 2013. Check idsnews.com for updates on final decisions.Housing and Neighborhood Development Director Lisa Abbott said she worked on the changes for months. The code’s most recent update was in 2003.Much property in Bloomington is rental units. In 2011, there were 21,612 registered rental units in the city, accounting for 60 percent of total housing, according to city records.“The neighborhoods have been asking for this for a long time, for a number of reasons,” Abbott said.She cited neighbor complaints about weather-exposed upholstered furniture that often begins to smell due to mildew. Aesthetic concerns about older front porch furniture also played into some complaints.“You can still sit on your front porch and enjoy the great outdoors,” Abbott said. “You’ll just have to use furniture intended for outdoor use.”But more than complaints, the decision was also made out of safety concerns, Assistant City Attorney Patty Mulvihill said.“It’s a public health matter,” Mulvihill said. “(Rodents) like the stuffing and the warmness. We see a lot of infestation problems coming from the front porches.”The problem is nothing new, she said.“The couches have been an issue for a while, but this is the first time we’ve been able to address it,” Mulvihill said.Mulvihill also said she wasn’t sure exactly when the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission members would read through the code changes, nor did she know definitively if the commission would approve or strike the changes individually or altogether.She said the changes were not the biggest message of the new code. Rather, she said it’s the fact HAND and its resources exist.“I think it’s an underutilized resource of the average renter in Bloomington,” she said.The new Bloomington code bans upholstered furniture that would usually go indoors from sitting outside the rental. This includes both screened-in and non-screened porches.Some pieces of furniture you can legally enjoy from your front porch:Adirondack chairThe rustic recliner made of durable wood.Bench/arm chair with removable pillowsA cheap frame option with a comfy, interchangeable addition.HammockWhat could be classier?Plastic chairCheapest, though most uncomfortable, option.
(01/21/13 7:59pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>WASHINGTON, D.C. — We the people.We the people, President Barack Obama said, more than ever, must work together as one nation, as one people.Evoking the Declaration of Independence, Obama called for the pursuit of the document’s ideals through collective action and cooperation.During his second inaugural address, Obama addressed the crowd of more than 800,000. He faced the challenge of addressing his people four years after his first inaugural speech revealed many aspirations that remain unfulfilled.“Faith in America’s future” was the theme of Monday’s inauguration.The theme of faith ran throughout the ceremony — faith in the country and its future prosperity, faith in each other to work together and faith, ultimately, in Obama.He addressed the deficit, saying difficult choices must be made to reduce it, as well as healthcare spending, but caution will remain.“We reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future,” he said.Moments of near-silence were punctuated by loud eruptions of cheering, such as when the president discussed equality.He emphasized it throughout the speech, including equal pay for women, full legal rights for homosexuals and non-discrimination against the downtrodden and poor.“We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths — that all of us are created equal — is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall, just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone.”The topic of climate change and preserving the earth also arose, with Obama putting forth a desire to lead development in that sector.He asserted the United States’ role as leader of the world, maintained not through war but, “through strength of arms and rule of law.”Obama also addressed immigration, a topic largely tabled in his first administration, saying it’s time to reform the process.He closed with a charge to the public and to himself to uphold the values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans.“Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life,” he said. “It does not mean we will all define liberty in exactly the same way, or follow the same precise path to happiness. Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time, but it does require us to act in our time.”
(01/20/13 6:57pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>WASHINGTON, D.C. — A sea of white began to spread over the faded green grass of the National Mall.The hard, plastic squares were slowly laid over the newly sodded grass, a preventative measure to protect the greenery from hundreds of thousands of feet that would soon trample it come Inauguration Monday.Brian Wanzer, 22, stood waiting for instruction.He was just one part of the 16-man team tiling the grass with white covering.He was younger than many in the group, wearing sneakers and dark wash jeans in a sea of work boots, camouflage cargos and faded jeans. His well-groomed, freshly buzzed hair, thin goatee and chinstrap beard didn’t let on to the hell he was facing just five months ago.They did not reveal his addiction to heroin that brought him to his knees. Nor did they tell of his partner, Luke, who overdosed on the drugs Wanzer gave him.He was not aware it was the National Day of Service. For Wanzer, service has been more than a weekend pastime. It’s a promise of a new future.
(12/10/12 5:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s not just big box retailers that see a sales bump during the holiday shopping season.Local business, like those lining Kirkwood Avenue or surrounding the downtown square, stand to rake in a little extra cash in the weeks leading up to Christmas.The National Retail Federation, one of the largest retail trade groups in the U.S., expects a 4.1 percent rise in sales during the months of November through December, according to an October forecast report.For some local businesses, the holiday season is about more than just a bump in sales. It’s about earning a bulk of their yearly profits.Talisha Coppock is the executive director of Downtown Bloomington Inc., a nonprofit membership organization that aims to revitalize the downtown area.“The holiday season is crucial for some local businesses,” Coppock said. “Especially in Bloomington, it’s even more important because of the IU schedule. People start leaving town around mid-December. Those weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are really, really important.”By Hand Gallery in Fountain Square Mall, 101 W. Kirkwood Ave., sells handmade crafts made almost exclusively in Indiana. Manager Sharon Bussert said about one-third to one-half of the co-operative’s total yearly sales are made during the last two months of the year.“December is by far our biggest month,” Bussert said.Usually, just one manager operates the gallery, but during the last two weeks of the shopping season, the co-operative’s 11 owners come in to sell their handiwork.Bussert said the gallery doesn’t pay for a lot of extra holiday advertising. Rather, its name and Bloomington’s local business culture entices customers.“First of all, their money is going to support their own community instead of buying things from overseas,” Bussert said. “They’ll also find things that are more unique, as many of these things were made one of a kind.”At The Game Preserve in College Mall, 2894 E. Third St., holiday traffic is driving up sales, but not to the extent store manager Wendi Ketchen would like.Competition from big box retailers swipe away some of the shop’s business, though Ketchen said store patrons often visit their shop after not finding what they need at larger stores.“Our biggest sales come closer to Christmas,” Ketchen said. “That’s when we’re busiest, the last few Saturdays before the big day.”She estimated the business earns an additional $500 during the holiday season.Top sellers are puppets, as well as higher priced specialty games that buyers can more easily justify buying during the holiday season.John Bailey, managing partner of Malibu Grill, 106 N. Walnut St., said the restaurant sees more festive customers during the season. He said in terms of sales, not much changes.“A lot of the students are gone, but you get a lot of the holiday traffic,” Bailey said. “Before Christmas and New Year’s, people are festive. After, they’re done. They’ve had enough food and parties and gifts.”The holiday season means low sales for some businesses. Superior Shoes manager Amber Conner said now is a slow time her’s.“It gets a lot slower during the holiday season because it’s hard to buy shoes for other people,” Conner said. “It’s usually bigger for us in the spring and summer.”Gift cards and shoe care packages are its main way of tapping into the holiday market, which worked on days like Small Business Saturday, a day to promote local small businesses on the day after the infamous Black Friday. Coppock offered last-minute shoppers a tip.“We really try to say ‘at least think local first,’” she said. “And then, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, then go elsewhere.”
(12/06/12 4:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Mike Trexler isn’t sure where he’s going or what he’s doing once he leaves his spot as the City of Bloomington controller, and he’s OK with that.“I’ve been at the city for about 10 years now,” Trexler said. “I’ve just gotten to a point in my life where I’m looking for something different.”His tenure of four years as head of the controller’s office was marked by his modernized approach, Mayor Mark Kruzan said. Trexler introduced a new financial software system to the city that unified the financial languages of different departments to better monitor recordkeeping. Trexler is also credited with going beyond the status quo by actively seeking to review city spending for waste and analyzing city bonds for possible refinancing options. Before serving as controller, Trexler was a student at IU. He earned his undergraduate degree from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 2003 and went to graduate school also in SPEA studying public finance and policy analysis. While still a student, he began interning with the city’s utilities department through the SPEA Service Corps program.“He was our wunderkind,” Kruzan said. “I kept hearing about how remarkable this kid was.”When previous controller Susan Clark announced her intention to leave the office in 2008, Trexler put in his application alongside others. Kruzan said Trexler was the clear choice from the beginning. Announced in May, the decision to step down was both a personal and professional loss, Kruzan said. “It’s a lot of pressure to manage public monies,” Kruzan said. “I know how incredibly seriously he took that to heart. In fact, I think that contributed to his decision to leave. It’s a tremendous amount of pressure knowing your decision impacts other people’s money and city jobs.”Trexler said he most enjoyed training new employees, but there were times he felt like the bad guy. “It’s also not fun to be the finance guy at the table,” he said. “It’s not fun being the guy listening to all these wonderful ideas and saying ‘We don’t have the money.’ It was a chore.”The city is into its second hiring attempt after a first round in September failed to replace Trexler. In total, about 25 applicants have applied for the position. “We’re finding he’s proving hard to replace,” Kruzan said. “The CFO would be making considerably more than a city government who employs the same number of people would pay. We’re at a competitive disadvantage. You need someone who is interested in public service. And that’s what we found in Mike.”Trexler agreed to stay on past his original September departure date to see the city through its budget proceedings and will stay on to help train once a new hire is announced. “It’s exactly why I don’t want him to leave,” Kruzan said. “It’s the spirit in which he tries to help people. He would have preferred to move on already.”Though Trexler said his presence in the office has been greatly diminished, he hopes to be mostly out the door by the beginning of the year. Once he leaves the city, he plans to spend a month travelling up north and out west. He said he might finally entertain pleas from friends in Seattle for him to join them. But nothing’s for sure yet. He may remain in Bloomington, with some reservations. “I’ve always said Bloomington is perfect except we don’t have a mountain or an ocean,” he said.By Matthew GlowickiHe’s also just wrapped up his final lecture as an adjunct professor in SPEA. He uses a rigorous book in class, Fiscal Administration by SPEA professor John Mikesell, which he’s both learned from as a student and now teaches. “After taking the class twice and then doing it for 10 years and then teaching the class, I think I finally understand the whole book,” he said.
(11/30/12 4:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Renters, get your indoor couch off your outside porch.That’s one of the changes the Bloomington City Council approved in the Bloomington Property Maintenance Code on Nov. 14.Changes in smoke detector requirements dominated the debate during the Property Maintenance Code updating process, but other changes are coming soon.Couches, armchairs and futons are among the traditional indoor furniture that dot Bloomington front porches. In the near future, rental property tenants will be banned from using such seating and instead be limited to using only designated outdoor furniture.The ban on upholstered porch furniture won’t immediately go into effect. A review of certain parts of the Property Maintenance Code by the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission is tentatively set for February 2013.Housing and Neighborhood Development Director Lisa Abbott said she worked on the updates for months. The code’s most recent update was in 2003.Much of the property in Bloomington is rental units. In 2011, there were 21,612 registered rental units in the city, accounting for 60 percent of total housing, according to city records.“The neighborhoods have been asking for this for a long time, for a number of reasons,” Abbott said.She cited neighbor complaints on weather-exposed upholstered furniture that often begins to smell due to mildew. Aesthetic concerns of older front porch furniture also played into some complaints.“You can still sit on your front porch and enjoy the great outdoors,” Abbott said. “You’ll just have to use furniture intended for outdoor use.”But more than complaints, the decision was also made out of safety concerns, Assistant City Attorney Patty Mulvihill said.“It’s a public health matter,” Mulvihill said. “They like the stuffing and the warmness. We see a lot of infestation problems coming from the front porches.”The problem is nothing new, she said.“The couches have been an issue for a while, but this is the first time we’ve been able to address it,” Mulvihill said.Mulvihill said she wasn’t sure exactly when the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission members would read through the code changes. Nor did she know definitively if the commission would approve or strike the changes individually or altogether.She said the changes were not the biggest message of the new code. Rather, she said it’s the fact that HAND and its resources exist.“I think it’s an underutilized resource of the average renter in Bloomington,” she said.
(11/28/12 2:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Rep. Peggy Welch, D-60th District, served 14 years in the Indiana General Assembly. That streak came to an end Nov. 6. Now, she is looking to the future as her political career ends.The public had spoken, and it wanted Republican challenger Peggy Mayfield in Welch’s seat.The seven-term state representative lost her reelection bid 59 percent to 41 percent.She said she was disappointed about the prospects of not serving in the Statehouse again but was confident in knowing she did all she could to market herself to potential voters.“I’m very sad because I loved serving in the legislature,” Welch said. Welch will continue to serve as a practicing nurse at IU Health Bloomington Hospital, a job she said keeps her grounded. “It’s like, ‘Get over yourself, Peggy,’” she said, putting her loss in perspective. She said she’s not sure if she will run for political office again, as much of her future is still undetermined.“I’m exploring different avenues,” she said. “I want to best use my policy experience and figure out how to best continue to serve.”Welch devoted many of her resources to getting to know the people of Morgan County, a recent addition to the 60th District after congressional redistricting in 2011. “It’s a county in which I had no name identification and in which people had no problem voting straight Republican ticket,” Welch said. She said she doesn’t hold judgment against the people of Morgan County. In fact, she said her campaign effort led her into the homes, businesses and local hangout spots of Hoosiers of whom she grew fond. “I’m a diner girl,” Welch said. “You really get to know folks at their diners.” Monroe County overwhelmingly supported Welch 63 percent to Mayfield’s 37 percent. Morgan County, conversely, supported Mayfield 67 percent to 33 percent. Monroe County Democratic Party Chair Rick Dietz said the splitting of Monroe County is a prime example of the 2010 redistricting. “In fact, some of the worst examples of Republican gerrymandering are right here in Monroe County and Bloomington,” Dietz said. “There are five Indiana House districts that break up Monroe County, and, even more outrageously, there’s a single largely Democratic township that’s split into three Indiana House districts.” The redistricting breaks up a more liberal-leaning Monroe County vote, Welch said.“I hope the University community and all of Monroe County will make their voice heard to the five legislators,” Welch said. “They’re all good people, but there’s less of a connection to Monroe County.”
(11/27/12 5:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>MUNCIE — In kindergarten, Oprah Winfrey wrote a letter to her teacher explaining why she didn’t belong. Winfrey said it was because she knew so many big words.“Hippopotamus. Mississippi. Shadrach. Meshach. Abednego,” the list read. Young Oprah Winfrey was moved into first grade the next day.The mass of students, faculty and other Hoosiers applauded the lady of the hour. Humoring his guest, David Letterman looked at Winfrey with a grin that often precludes one of his punch lines. “That’s how I got into Ball State,” Letterman said. The home crowd cheered its most famous graduate. It was just one of many quips between the duo in the nearly 90-minute discussion as part of the Ball State University alumnus and television host’s David Letterman Distinguished Professional Lecture and Workshop Series Monday night at the university in Muncie, Ind. Media queen and philanthropist Winfrey stepped onto the stage moments earlier, somewhat teetering in her pink pumps, her form-fitting vibrant red dress shining in the stagelight. “Whoa,” she roared to the crowd, throwing her arms into the air in welcome.The power couple’s visit filled the John R. Emens College-Community Auditorium and neighboring John J. Pruis Hall, seating a combined total of nearly 4,200 people. Letterman sat close to Winfrey, yet sometimes his presence was barely noticeable. He sat and listened, occasionally bobbing his crossed leg and exposing his powder blue socks. Letterman spent most of the talk ushering the crowd through the states and cities of Oprah’s life — Mississippi, Milwaukee and Chicago. She talked about her humble beginnings in rural Mississippi, an apartheid America, as she called it. Her early life was filled with frequent beatings and abuse, something Winfrey said she had to learn to cope with. “I never had therapy, but I did have the Oprah Winfrey Show,” she said. “Every one of these life experiences, when I started out on television, created such a bond of empathy with the audience.” One of those viewers was Kathleen Schmaltz, a faculty member at Ball State. Weeks ago she waited for three hours to secure an event ticket. “I liked her spirituality,” Schmaltz said. “She said that over and over, how if you don’t have spirituality, you don’t really have much.” Her daughter-in-law Shelly, also a Winfrey fan, found her inspirational, and was pleased with Letterman’s handling of the discussion. “I was impressed that he gave her the floor as much as he did,” she said. For 25 years, Winfrey hosted the nationally televised show that ended in 2011. Since then, she has increased focus on her production company, television network and Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.Letterman said it was her academy that won his admiration. Winfrey said her passion for education came from a desire to affect real change. “No problem will ever be solved unless you change the way people think about it,” Winfrey said. “The reason why I’m so involved in education, from the ground up, is because you just can’t write a check if you really want to see something done.” In fact, Winfrey left Indiana on Monday evening and headed to her school in South Africa to teach her girls one final lesson, Life 101, before they graduate Dec. 1.Attendee and Ball State freshman Rahissa James has watched Winfrey on TV for more than a decade. “I’m a fanatic,” James said. “She’s just a really strong person to go through what she’s gone through and still be productive. It’s beautiful.” After prodding by the university president to reach finish up, Letterman read audience submitted questions.“What do you know for sure?” Letterman said, closing out the evening. “Every one of us comes to the planet Earth to make our mark,” Winfrey said. “And how you choose to do that is up to you, but knowing there is a mark to make is what is significant. And I’m still making my mark.”
(11/14/12 4:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s been one week since Republicans secured a full supermajority in the Indiana General Assembly, leaving Indiana Democrats effectively powerless against a unified GOP vote.Election 2012 brought Republican membership in the state House of Representatives from 60 to 69 members, with Democrats down from 40 to 31 members. Republicans needed 67 seats to lock in the supermajority.Republicans maintained their hold of the state senate with a 37-13 split. Thirty-three seats were needed to keep the supermajority.Such high numbers of a single party creates a supermajority — a large mass of elected officials whose votes can override the votes of the minority group. That means Democrats will need to rely on bipartisanship to get any of their initiatives pushed through the legislature in the 2013-14 session. Leaving the state to break quorum, forcing a stalled legislature is no longer an option as it was during the right-to-work battle earlier this year.“We’re prepared to work with Republicans,” said Jennifer Wagner, spokesperson for the Indiana Democratic Party. “They can do business without us. The Senate race shows us that Indiana and Hoosiers don’t like partisan agendas.”Republicans don’t have to reach across the aisle to pass legislation, but it might just help them come 2014 said Andrew Downs, IU-Purdue University Fort Wayne assistant professor of political science and head of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics.Downs said the supermajority will allow Republicans to potentially move more legislation than usual, but it also opens the door to a larger and possibly more divided Republican presence.“It’s a blessing and a curse,” Downs said. “It’s a curse in that if there can’t be or isn’t a true agreement among Republicans about which issues will be addressed, they’ll have trouble getting things done. If they’re too busy or if they push controversial legislation, it could cost them in the next election.”Wagner said she believes Republicans will try to gain bipartisan support for legislation to find middle ground, as their own membership — many of which are new to the assembly — might not cohesively agree.“If there’s a failure to agree on what’s best for Indiana, they’ve got no one else to blame,” she said.Indiana Republican Party spokesperson Pete Seat said voters spoke on Election Day, saying they believe Republicans represent the right track.“You travel around this state and the message is by and large the same,” he said. “Hoosiers support jobs creation and economic growth. They want a state that lives within its means.”Some Democrats are concerned that their voice will be ignored.Senior and IU College Democrats President Chris Babcock said he believes the supermajority will render Indiana Democrats ineffective. “It means that a once nearly powerless minority is now a completely powerless minority,” Babcock said. “Which is an unfortunate thing, because we work on a two party system and what we have is a single party state.”Focusing on the issues, Rick Dietz, chair of the Monroe County Democrats, said a variety of causes could suffer under a Republican supermajority.“I don’t think it has implications just for Monroe County, the whole state will be impacted,” Dietz said in an email. “There will likely be continuing attacks on women’s health and equal treatment/civil rights for women, GLBTQ citizens and minorities."He said the social safety net, unions and public education could take a hit. “Essentially Indiana will be the Tea Party’s playground,” he said.Seat said he expects the Republicans in the statehouse will work together while acknowledging that not all Republicans will vote in the same way.“By and large we’re one team with one goal with one focus,” Seat said. “That’s doing right by fellow Hoosiers, adding jobs and lowering taxes.”Much legislation passes with a fair amount of bipartisan support at the state level though more controversial bills tend to be voted on by party lines, Downs said. He suggested the final vote on bills may not be the trend to watch, but rather how the supermajority chooses to prioritize its legislation.“In the end, there’s a finite amount of time for legislation to be considered,” Downs said. “Leadership has to decide what gets heard.”
(11/14/12 4:18am)
Election 2012 was not kind to state Democratic candidates. Republicans
now form a supermajority in the Indiana General Assembly. Democrats
maintained their hold in the Senate and lost nine seats in the House.
(11/07/12 7:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>CHICAGO — Four more years, the Chicago crowd chanted.President Barack Obama had kept his title as president after securing both the electoral and popular vote. The crowd waited for about two hours before the Obama family took the stage at McCormick Place in Chicago.A round of waves. A parting hug. And then the address to the thousands in person and the millions watching that helped vote him into office.“Tonight, in this election, you the American people reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back and we know in our hearts that for the us of a the best is yet to come,” Obama said.* * *Obama supporters who were supposed to stand in front of the stage came streaming into the hall. They walked down a parted sea with general crowd members on one side and the wall of media on the other.Like celebrities on the red carpet, some waved and flashed big smiles. Others cracked a grin as they walked down the path. One young man enthusiastically fist-pumped Obama’s victory.It was their night, too. Their man had won.Jorge Zamora, 18, is a senior at Chicago Bulls College Prep. He’s a member of the school’s first graduating class.He was just happy his girlfriend’s mother secured him a ticket to watch history happen, he said. He is grateful for Obama’s past actions about education.“He’s never given up on education,” Zamora said. “I’m a little poverty kid trying to come up in the world. He’s not going to give up on us.”Earlier that evening, with state results sporadically pouring in, two 2011 IU graduates joined the crowd.Christian Hines, a self-described cautiously optimistic Obama supporter, and Kate Suffern, a big Obama fan, entered the hall at about 8:30 p.m.Hines said he thought Obama would eek out the victory despite a predicted close race. But they were prepared to stay into the evening, at least through the announcement of key battleground states.“We’ll be here late,” Suffern chimed in, smiling at Hines.Throughout the evening, music by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen kept the mood upbeat as crowds waited for results and waited for their re-elected president to take the stage.“It’s so electric in here,” Hines said. “You feel the energy when you walk in the door.” The growing crowds roared as New York, New Jersey and Michigan were called for Obama.Following behind the IU students was Chicagoan Scott Goehning, 24, who last week voted early, inspired by Obama’s act of early voting.“For me, it was an easy choice,” Goehning said. “Not only his economic policy, but as a 24-year-old, I can stay on my parents’ health care until I’m 26.“It’s nice to have a president who would look me in the eye and say that I should be able to marry anybody that I want to.”Periods of quiet chatter masked by music, often Motown hits, were punctuated by ecstatic cheers as Obama took each state. American flags started appearing late in the evening, spreading throughout the crowd to add to the increasingly vocal cheers.Proudly wearing her 2008 and 2012 Obama pins on her Obama-printed sweatshirt, 74-year-old Leota Johnson of Kentwood, Ill., had her heart set on an Obama victory. “I believe if we don’t get Obama, I’ll leave the country,” Johnson said.***Fifteen hours earlier, Elyse Remenapp, 19, left the polling place at the Spertus Institute along Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. She voted absentee in Michigan’s elections days ago but never got her keepsake from her first time voting — that small red, white and blue sticker.“I just wanted a sticker because I’m proud to have voted,” she said, a small square of white paper in her hand.“Ballot Receipt. Nov. 6, 2012. General Election. Thank you for voting.”She tried to score a sticker from Spertus, telling officials she already voted, but walked away with the slip of paper after learning the precinct wasn’t handing them out.But she’s not that upset, she said. She’s more concerned about her health care coverage in the coming years, given her future career.Remenapp, golden hair flowing from her knit cap in the cool Chicago morning, has a preexisting medical condition that could put her insurance coverage in jeopardy.“I’m majoring in something that doesn’t guarantee me excellent medical coverage,” she said. “So, I might be relying on my parents for insurance if I’m denied health care because of my preexisting condition.”She put her trust in Obama.“I’m nervous,” she said. “I hope it goes the way I want. It’s important. It’s my health care.”The college student joined other Obama backers casting their ballots Tuesday morning in Chicago. Busy moms. College students. Dedicated volunteers. Some are first-time supporters. Others are long-time Democrats.All were voters.***Boaz Smith, 42, is a barber just finishing a trim on a customer. It’s just after 11 a.m. at Headrest Barbershop, a few blocks away from the Spertus precinct.One of Smith’s cousins is a staunch Republican. That doesn’t sit well with Smith. It’s a rarity in his family and among customers in the shop.“I love him, but we’re never going to agree on that shit,” Smith said.People’s mamas and girlfriends are on the table for discussion at Headrest. So is politics, but customers supporting Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney might just find an Obama logo shaved in the back of their heads.The youngest barber in the room, Josh Kruel, 23, said jokingly that it reflects the consensus of the room: Obama, especially with his policies on extending health care coverage, is moving along the right track.“I think Romney is full of shit,” Smith said. “He blew me with that 47 percent. He wouldn’t say it if he didn’t mean it.”Herb Hunter, 56, nods his head as Smith slowly trims the salt-and-pepper hair on the side of his head.“A lot of the things he wanted to do was blocked by the Republicans,” Hunter said.He’s doing the best he can with the mess he had to clean up, Smith said. But he’s doing right by the American people, securing more health care coverage for his seven children.On Tuesday night, when he leaves the shop, Smith will go home to watch the election results pour in with three of his children and his grandfather.***The voices of 100 volunteers mix indistinguishably with only bits and pieces of sentences escaping clearly audible.They’re calling Wisconsin voters and plan to reach out to Iowans later in the day, all with a simple message to re-elect Obama.It’s about noon at the Obama for America Chicago Field Office. It’s a wonderland for any Obama supporter.Cardboard cutouts of first lady Michelle Obama and her husband greet every visitor.Clippings are taped around the room, as is an American flag, a pop-art photo of Obama and countless campaign posters.Big Bird says, “Thank you, Mr. President,” from above the printer. Michelle reminds volunteers to keep their phone volume low. A list of office rules starts with “#1. Win the election.”Debbie Mesloh, a media volunteer at OFA, said the field office could support about 125 volunteers at a time. During the last four days, these volunteers have generated about 20,000 calls each day.“The Obama campaign since 2008 has been about personal contact,” Mesloh said.Posters reading “African Americans for Obama,” “Young Americans for Obama” and “LGBT for Obama” reflect that idea.One sleepless volunteer, Emily Carson, has just taken a break from the phones. She plans to attending the election night watch party at McCormick Place, Obama Headquarters, later Tuesday evening. But for now, it’s full steam ahead on calls.“The mood here is pure excitement,” Carson said, smiling. Obama, too, smiles from her black T-shirt.She’s confident of an Obama win, she said. His policies and track record will pull him through.But nothing is certain.“I feel like there’s been so much progress that’s happened,” Carson said. “A loss would be heartbreaking.”***When Obama took the stage early Wednesday morning, he addressed how far the nation has come and what is yet to be accomplished.“I returned to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about our future and the work there is to do,” Obama said.
(11/07/12 12:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>CHICAGO — Elyse Remenapp, 19, left the polling place at the Spertus Institute along Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. She voted absentee in Michigan’s elections days ago but never got her own keepsake from her first time voting — that small red, white and blue sticker.“I just wanted a sticker because I’m proud to have voted,” she says, small square of white paper in hand.“Ballot Receipt. Nov. 6, 2012. General Election. Thank you for voting.”She tried to score a sticker from Spertus, telling officials she already voted, but walked away with the slip of paper after learning the precinct wasn’t handing them out.But she’s not that upset, she says. She’s more concerned about her health care coverage in the coming years, given her future career.Remenapp, golden hair flowing from her knit cap in the cool Chicago morning, has a preexisting medical condition that could put her insurance coverage in jeopardy.“I’m majoring in something that doesn’t guarantee me excellent medical coverage,” she says. “So, I might be relying on my parents for insurance if I’m denied health care because of my preexisting condition.”She’s putting her trust in President Barack Obama.“I’m nervous,” she says. “I hope it goes the way I want. It’s important. It’s my health care.”The college student joined a host of other Obama backers casting their ballots Tuesday morning in Chicago. Busy mom. College student. Dedicated volunteer. Some are first-time supporters. Others are long-time Democrats. All are voters.***Boaz Smith, 42, is a barber just finishing a trim on a customer. It’s just after 11 a.m. at the Headrest Barbershop, a few blocks away from the Spertus precinct. One of Smith’s cousins is a staunch Republican. That doesn’t sit well with Smith. It’s a rarity in his family, and among customers in the shop."I love him, but we're never going to agree on that shit," Smith said.People’s mamas and girlfriends are on the table for discussion at Headrest. So is politics, but customers supporting Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney might just find an Obama logo shaved in the back of their heads.The youngest barber in the room, Josh Kruel, 23, is joking when he says this, but it reflects the consensus of the room: Obama, especially with his policies on extending health care coverage, is moving along the right track.“I think Romney is full of shit,” Smith says. “He blew me with that 47 percent. He wouldn’t say it if he didn’t mean it.”Herb Hunter, 56, nods his head as Smith slowly trims the salt-and-pepper hair on the side of his head.“A lot of the things he wanted to do was blocked by the Republicans,” Hunter says.He’s doing the best he can with the mess he had to clean up, Smith says. But he’s doing right by the American people, securing more health care coverage for his seven children.On Tuesday night, when he leaves the shop, he’ll go home to watch the elections results pour in with three of his children and his grandfather.***The voices of 100 volunteers mix indistinguishably, with only bits and pieces of sentences escaping clearly audible.They’re calling Wisconsin voters and plan to reach out to Iowans later in the day, all with a simple message of reelecting President Obama.It’s nearly noon at the Obama for America Chicago Field Office. It’s a wonderland for any Obama supporter.Cardboard cutouts of first lady Michelle Obama and her husband greet every visitor.Clippings are taped around the room, as is an American flag, a pop-art photo of Obama and countless campaign posters.Big Bird says, “Thank you, Mr. President” from above the printer. Michelle reminds volunteers to keep their phone volume low. A list of office rules starts off with “#1. Win the election.”Debbie Mesloh, a media volunteer at OFA, says the field office could support nearly 125 volunteers at a time. In the last four days, these volunteers have generated about 20,000 each day.“The Obama campaign since 2008 has been about personal contact,” Mesloh said.Posters reading “African Americans for Obama,” “Young Americans for Obama” and “LGBT for Obama” reflect that idea.One sleepless volunteer, Emily Carson, has just taken a break from the phones. She plans on attending the election-night watch party at McCormick Place, Obama Headquarters, later Tuesday evening. But for now, it’s full steam ahead on calls. “The mood here is pure excitement,” Carson says, smiling. Obama, too, smiles from her black T-shirt.She’s confident of an Obama win, she says. His policies and track record will pull him through.But nothing is certain.“I feel like there’s been so much progress that’s happened,” Carson says. “A loss would be heartbreaking.”
(11/02/12 4:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Media interest in the gender gap, the difference between percentages of males and females that vote for a particular candidate, is nothing new, but could just be relevant as ever.Women have voted in higher numbers than men since 1964 and in higher rates than men since 1980. More women register to vote than men, as seen in 2008 when 78.1 million women registered compared to 68.2 million men.Women also make up about 51 percent of the U.S. population. That means they’re not only the majority gender but represent a majority of the voters. At the same time, just like ethnic racial minorities, women are grouped into the minority category, targeted by campaigns in television advertisements, tailored mailings and declarations of “I love you, women,” at national conventions.It’s more socially acceptable to make explicit appeals to women, said Elizabeth Bennion, associate professor of political science at IU-South Bend, who researches gender politics.“It’s seen as being inclusive,” she said. “If men were to make these appeals to men as men, it would seem as being exclusive to men.”She said this difference in campaigns’ approaches to gender reflects the historical dominance of men and the excluding of women from the political sphere.“Nobody could watch the speeches in the conventions and conclude anything else than women were being pandered to,” Bennion said. “We certainly do see more of the pandering and targeting in the case of women than in the case of small or more specified groups.”And in an election where national polls show the presidential candidates neck and neck, and swing state numbers even closer, appealing to women could pay off come Election Day. Even here in Indiana, with conflicting U.S. Senate race polls and a close gubernatorial race, women could have a pivotal role to play.In 2008, 56 percent of women voted for President Barack Obama, opposed to 49 percent of male voters. This 7 percent gap, the gender gap, has been apparent in every presidential election since exit polling started testing it in 1972.“That’s important for any candidate to think about,” Bennion said. “Because the gender gap has been so consistent in favor of the Democratic Party, part of the strategy of the Republican Party is shrinking that gap.”The reasons behind women’s vote, just like the Latino, black and male votes, are not simple or clear cut.Contrary to some national dialogue, research suggests women’s issues aren’t the cause of the gender gap. Rather, women take into account the state of prevailing issues like the economy but place an increased focus on social welfare issues like health care and poverty.“One of the things that we really do see is that the parties really only diverged on those issues in the late ‘70s, but we saw the gap before that even happened,” Bennion said.A Politico-George Washington University Battleground Poll taken from Oct. 7-11 showed both men and women considered the economy the most important issue for Congress to focus on. The same survey also showed women ranking Medicare/Social Security and education higher a priority than male voters.Similar studies in September by CBS, New York Times and Pew Research Center showed the economy at the top of voter issue concerns, with women more heavily ranking health care and abortion as secondary concerns and men choosing the deficit as their other big concern.Life experiences and societal roles and expectations can reflect in the gender gap. “Women are more economically vulnerable, more likely to make less money and in more need of some of these policies,” Bennion said. “They tend to favor more access to services through government than men.”Democratic candidate for 9th District of the U.S. House of Representatives, Shelli Yoder, has twice headlined women vote rallies, evening programs with “a special focus on the issues involving women locally and nationally,” according to advertisements.Yoder said the first rally attracted a mixed gender audience. She framed issues such as access to birth control, health care and equal pay as economic issues.“When women aren’t being paid as much as men, it’s hurting everyone’s pocketbook from the small business to the big corporation,” Yoder said. “If we’re not earning as much money, we’re not having as much to spend.”The events featured prominent female political leaders from the region who discussed the highlighted issues.“These are still hurdles that women are still fighting to win,” Yoder said. “Women need to get out and vote in their best interest.”Even if the gender gap is close this year, the real value of studying it may be in the very idea of having a discussion about gender. “They’re not a monolithic block,” Bennion said. They don’t all agree. They won’t vote for the same candidate or party.”“But we have very few women in elected offices in 2012. There is a concern about women not being represented and there is this concern that their issues might not get heard.”
(10/30/12 4:52am)
Manns graduated from Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn., in 1964 and
later from the IU School of Law in 1972. He earned a Master of Public
Affairs degree from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs in
1975.
(10/30/12 4:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>People slowly trickled out of the building marked with a small red, white and blue sticker. A multicolored array of campaign signs blew in the wind in front of Assembly Hall. Local candidates shook hands and made one last pitch to those passing through the doors. Early voting had come to the home of Hoosier basketball.Monday was the first day of early voting at Assembly Hall and continues today in the south lobby from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.It’s the only satellite early voting site on campus and the final satellite voting location of the season. Early voting acts as an extra opportunity for voters to cast their ballot before Nov. 6, Election Day, when lines are long and time is limited.Larime Wilson, an early voting lead, said 333 people voted Monday. Nearly 100 of those ballots were cast in the final hour of the site’s operating hours.X and A route busses brought some students to polls. Other walked in the gusts that hit 40 mph. Those who could drove. For most of the day Assembly Hall saw relatively light traffic. Lines formed when the polls first opened at 10 a.m. and then again after 3 p.m. through closing time. “I appreciate all your patience” Wilson said as she made her way down the line, reminding voters to silence their cell phones. “I’m sorry for the wait.”Elizabeth McClary, a junior, doesn’t have a car. Getting to her voting day precinct was a challenge, so Assembly Hall became a clear choice. “It was a lot easier to go on campus,” McClary said. Though she was done for classes for the day, she said the lines could have been shorter.“I feel bad for people who don’t know who come between classes and might have to leave,” she said. Those in line, a mix of students and other community members, were leaving classes or getting off of work. Some squeezed in voting between classes.“It took a little longer than expected,” junior Jorden Block said as he made his way to the X Route bus, voting sticker pressed onto his backpack strap. He had class in Ballantine Hall in 20 minutes.The voting process slowed in the final hours of operation for two reasons, Wilson said. One delay stemmed from voters needing to update their address at the polling station. Though not a uniquely student driven problem, the transient nature of students helped that group make up a good portion of the address changers, Wilson noted. A second delay was caused by a reduction in technology. Four computers connected to the state’s voter registration database were used at previous satellite early voting sites and are currently used at central early voting site at the Curry Building, 214 W. Seventh St.Wilson said IU officials provided only two secure Internet connections, limiting the voting system to just two computers checking voter registrations. This station comes early in the voting process and thus helped back up the line of people waiting to vote. Monroe County IT officials on scene denied comment and contact with county heads were not immediately answered. Many voters in line said they turned out to avoid the long lines usually associated with Election Day. The line stretched some 30 people deep by 5 p.m., but sophomore Melissa Calero didn’t mind. “I’m happy there’s a long line because that means there’s a lot of people voting,”The member of IU College Democrats worked during the last month in the Get Out the Vote effort. She hoped some of those she helped register would stop by Assembly Hall. Also waiting in line was Rebecca Mandell, a senior, who said she got an email Monday morning from an academic mailing list reminding voters about the Assembly Hall voting site. She missed a class to vote.“I’m giving myself a good reason to miss stats,” Mandell said, laughing.Her friend, Nick Colvin, a senior, said he wanted to avoid long Election Day lines like he encountered in 2008. He also defended Mandell. “She told me earlier that performing her civic duty is more important than learning a two-tailed T-test,” Colvin said.Early voting continues through next Monday, except on Sunday, at the Curry Building.