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(04/26/12 4:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A group of concerned students met at noon in front of the Sample Gates to raise their voices in unison against what they believe is a lack of University-level support for diversity on campus.Some students wore IU T-shirts turned inside out, symbolizing their frustration.“We will not represent them if they will not represent us,” senior Traneisha English, who helped plan the event, said. English and the group of mostly black students, which grew from just a few at noon to more than 50 by 2 p.m., chanted “IU, fulfill your promise” and “What do we want? Diversity. When do we want it? Now.”That “promise” refers to a May 2006 IU Board of Trustees endorsement of a comprehensive strategy to double the enrollment of underrepresented minority students on the IU-Bloomington campus by the 2013-14 school year.Following that announcement, the campus introduced both the 21st Century Scholarship Covenant and the Pell Initiative, both of which have potential to positively affect minority recruitment.Similarly, the Hudson and Holland Scholars Program, a main vehicle for the recruitment, retention and graduation of high achieving minorities, would act on plans for expansion, according to the 2007 Enhancing Minority Attainment work plan. The work plan listed goals, objectives and implementation models for achieving increased campus diversity. In June 2007, outgoing IU President Adam Herbert and then-President-elect Michael McRobbie jointly made a statement showing their commitment to diversity at IU.“The time has come to extend the goal of increasing the enrollment of under-represented minorities at the Bloomington campus to all campuses of Indiana University,” Herbert and McRobbie wrote in the statement.Since then, students noted the recent struggles of both Hudson and Holland and the Groups program, which helps recruit first-generation college, low-income Indiana residents who show academic promise. These troubles have, in part, been brought on by a tough economic climate, said Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs Edwin Marshall.“I need to figure out how we can go on with as many resources as possible to make things happen that need to happen,” Marshall said. He went on to say he thinks there is more that can be done, and that he’s currently having conversations with campus leaders with the aim of having solutions ready by the fall.In the meantime, students decided to voice their discontent in an attempt to expedite the process and ensure that action is taken.Two main ideas emerged from Wednesday’s rally.These students said they feel the campus is not diverse enough due to a lack of prioritization on the part of the University, as seen through the yet-unfulfilled realization of the 2006 IU Board of Trustees goal. While the end date for the goal is the 2013-14 school year, students noted that the percentage of black students on campus has remained around 4 percent since the initiative was announced in 2006. Secondly, the students feel the current support structures for existing minority students have weakened, and they seek personnel and resource cuts to be restored.They distributed a list of six demands: establish accountability in efforts to hire diverse staff and recruit diverse students; double the numbers of historically underrepresented staff and professors; see evidence and transparency of IU’s efforts to fulfill the 2006 Board of Trustees declaration; expand and promote primary vehicles for attracting and retaining high achieving underrepresented students; see incorporation of diversity efforts into the academic environment; establish a permanent task force, involving students, to make sure the first five goals are met.
(04/18/12 3:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Students again dined on chocolate-covered grasshoppers and fertilized duck eggs in the second annual Bizarre Food Fair on Tuesday at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures. As part of their A200: Bizarre Foods class, students chose a topic of interest about which they researched and developed a presentation for this final class project.Sonya Atalay, assistant professor of anthropology, first offered the course last school year, with about 90 students. This year’s event now includes the work of about 130 students.The class allows undergraduates to engage in food-related topics, which are mostly only available to graduate students through a Ph.D. concentration in the Anthropology Department.“The main takeaway is how much you can learn about people from their food and asking how much better our food is,” Atalay said.Atalay said acceptance of food choices and eating habits are culture-based and should be understood within context.For example, some cultures in Africa don’t eat honey, as it is considered “bee vomit,” Atalay said. Similarly, the United States, with its dozen-plus-ingredient Big Macs and seemingly imperishable Twinkies, has its own food items that might be gawked at in other cultures.“I wanted people to realize that we eat really weird foods, too,” Atalay said.Senior Mark Crossen, a student in the course, presented about the topic of exotic fruits in Southeast Asia. The group provided samples of mangosteen, a sweet, small fruit native to Indonesia, as well as the meaty jackfruit of the mulberry family.He said he took the course to gain a greater appreciation for different cultures’ food.“I’m very closed-minded when it comes to food,” Crossen said. “I hoped it would help me broaden my horizons.”Fellow group member and sophomore Jason Park said he moved around as a child, living in locations such as South Korea and Vietnam. This cultural exposure gave him an abundance of knowledge as to what Americans consider to be bizarre foods, he said. “I was exposed to a lot of this stuff growing up,” Park said. “We ate these things all the time.”Highlighting the cultural context, Park said his family often eats kimchi, or spicy fermented cabbage, which was included on the presentation board of a fellow classmate.Another student-run booth at the museum explored bugs, revealing that many common foods, such as spices, apple butter and sauerkraut, also include traces of the critters.Senior Pierre Perez said eating bugs is accepted in many places around the world but is mostly stigmatized in the U.S.“We’re trying to normalize them,” Perez said. “You eat them every day anyways, whether you realize it or not.”Ultimately, students wanted visitors to be understanding of different foods and cultures.“People don’t understand the cultural context of why people eat what they eat,” Crossen said. “This helps people get more perspective.”
(04/12/12 5:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The budget of the Hudson and Holland Scholars Program, considered to be the premier diversity scholarship program at IU, has been in fluctuation for a number of years. In the last four years, however, these changes have meant a $159,659 reduction, decreasing the budget from $558,705 in 2008-09 to $399,046 this academic year. This cut in funding played a role in the departure of professional staff members at Hudson and Holland, whose numbers have fallen from seven full-time staff members in 2006-07 to just two current full-time members. As these cuts in funding and the departure of staff members hit Hudson and Holland, the number of students in the program jumped from about 600 students in 2008 to the approximately 700 this year, putting strain on the nearly empty staff lineup and financially stressed program. During this time, graduation rates in the program have also fallen. Hudson and Holland graduated 88 percent of its 2002 group , more than the University’s 73 percent in the same year. With its most recent group, that number decreased to 72 percent, about the same as the University as a whole. Initiatives and requirements within the program have also been downsized or cut, with no staff left to maintain and monitor them. These figures illustrate the ongoing financial struggles of the Hudson and Holland program. But students and staff of Hudson and Holland said there’s more to the story than just numbers can tell.What is now the Hudson and Holland Scholars Program first enrolled students in 1988. Throughout the years, the name of the program has changed, but the mission has remained largely the same: to recruit the best and brightest underrepresented minority students and provide them with the tools they need to succeed throughout their years at IU and beyond.As recently as four years ago, the program was graduating nearly 90 percent of its students, providing them with monetary scholarships, supplementary advising sessions, conferences, workshops, internships and mentoring.While scholarship money has actually increased, junior and Hudson and Holland Scholar Titilayo Rasaki said other program features have decreased.“I know, personally, lots of the growth I’ve had at IU has been through this program,” Rasaki said. “That’s what upsets me so much, that the freshmen don’t see what they’re missing. They just get the money and go.”Staffing issues in recent years have hindered the program’s ability to aid the students. With the departure of the program’s previous director, Virginia LeBlanc, last summer, only two full-time employees and one part-time employee remain.“She was kind of a mother figure to me, and I don’t know about your mom, but she didn’t let me know when the ship was going under,” Rasaki said of her relationship with LeBlanc.Rasaki is also part of the Hudson and Holland Advisory Council, a student group led by senior Christina Robinson. A recent objective of the group has been for students in the program to come together to work toward better understanding the current woes of the program. The group also aims to establish a better sense of transparency between students, faculty and staff all across the plate, including the student scholars, Hudson and Holland staff members, IU officials and the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs, which oversees the Hudson and Holland program.Current program staff members have had to pick up the weight of their non-existent colleagues, and in that process, additional programs have had to be downsized, if not eliminated all together. Interim Director Anthony Scott assumed his current role this past summer while still filling his old role of associate director in charge of marketing and recruitment. He said his staff is working to still provide the same essential services, while acknowledging that endeavor has been both frustrating and stressful.“We have a lot more students and lot less staff, but we are required to do more with what we have,” Scott said. “And I understand that a lot of units are asked to do more with less, but what we’re being asked to do is ... we don’t have the opportunity now to do the things that we used to do.”Scott said the lack of personnel has caused the program to reduce the number of mandatory student advising meetings. A mandatory volunteer hour requirement, in which Hudson and Holland students would engage in the community through service, has fallen by the wayside, simply because there weren’t the hours or staff to enforce this requirement or to keep track of those records.Law Professor Kevin Brown, former director of the Hudson and Holland program, said for a program like Hudson and Holland, for which relationships are key to student development, the loss of staff is a huge hit.“That’s a disaster for that program,” Brown said. “With that few of people, you can’t really understand the stress of the students, the desires of the students or match them up with opportunities that would benefit them. So you start to see this in so many ways. The most important way you see it is the reduction in the graduation rate.”Indeed, graduation rates have fallen by nearly 20 percentage points since Brown left in 2008.“Hudson and Holland is the crown jewel in the diversity department,” Brown said. “I met with (DEMA Vice President Edwin Marshall) one time for 10 minutes, and that’s it. So in his first year, the head of his crown jewel program meets with him one time for 10 minutes. To me, that was unconsciousable.”More recently, the departure of Dan Woodside, former academic coordinator of science and math, in January 2012 left a gap in the program’s life science initiative. Woodside, through his relationships with employers such as Cook Medical, was able to secure internship opportunities for the students. He was directly responsible for advising 250 students in the program.Woodside said he left the program in 2008 when the program made a move toward becoming more of a scholarship program than a scholar program.“It’s never a good sign to see (money) for funding diversity to be cut,” Woodside said. “Especially at IU.”Rasaki compared Woodside’s leaving the Hudson and Holland program to a hypothetical scenario of Herman B Wells leaving IU in the midst of serving as president.“I’m really disappointed things couldn’t have been better that would’ve been more enticing to stay,” Woodside said. “There were opportunities to work in the athletic department with people to work with student success. It was something I just couldn’t turn down.”Woodside now serves as the director of academic services for Olympic sports within IU Athletics.Brown, who hired Woodside in 2005, said the academic coordinator’s absence in the program was another great loss.“They could have fired the vice president of DEMA, and it would have done less damage than Dan Woodside going,” Brown said.The cutbacks and internal stress have not gone unreported or unnoticed by Marshall, both Brown and Scott said.Marshall said he first learned of student discontent after a regularly scheduled town hall meeting with Hudson and Holland students in attendance in January.What does seem to be lacking, however, is a sense of urgency, Scott said.Since LeBlanc resigned as director last summer, Scott has filled in as interim director. Yet, Marshall said a search committee was assembled only recently and it has not yet met to begin the search process, nor is there a provided time frame as to when a full-time director will be in place. “We had some other issues that we were trying to address, as well,” Marshall said in response to the promptness of the director search. “We probably could have pushed this search process up a little earlier, and we probably should have. (Anthony’s) doing a good job as an interim. The urgency may not have been as great, but nevertheless, we don’t want to draw this out.”Additionally, positions that have been vacant, some for more than two years, still remain empty. Scott does not know when, or if, these positions will be filled.“I would like there to be a sense of urgency,” Scott said. “I can’t tell that there is, and I don’t know why there is not. We’ve had meetings, and we’ve talked about it, but there’s just no movement at this point.”Marshall attributes the lessening of Hudson and Holland’s budget and the lack of filled positions to budgetary problems within DEMA. He said not only has the University tightened budgets across the board, but a 2010 loss of a crucial five-year, approximately $400,000-a-year grant sent DEMA further into “crisis mode.”“We’re trying to address these very, very significant issues, and we’re basically patching together funds to operate at the current level,” Marshall said. “So it’s hard to think about adding to that until we can fix the current situation. Now, that’s not to say we can’t look at the people we have currently and see if there’s a better way to utilize people to provide the services that we need to provide.”Marshall said he and his office are currently in the process of reevaluating how the similarly minded programs in DEMA can more effectively share resources.“We’re still looking at ways that that may play out,” Marshall said. “It may result in a different way of doing things. Trying to maintain old structures may not be the best way of going forward.”Marshall said he values each of his programs and envisions a possible internal program restructuring, not an absolute scrapping of any program, he said. “There’s no intent to do away with any of the programs,” he said. “How we function within those programs, that may change.”The Hudson and Holland staff members who currently serve the program said they feel as though they are being spread too thin.“I think that is certainly the case,” said Jennifer Poe, a Hudson and Holland program mentor. “There are positions that remain unfilled. I don’t know the reasoning behind that. (It’s about) not just the quantity, but the quality. It’s hard to make things mandatory. There’s the issue of the budget, in order to make something mandatory, you have to have the staff, (and) it’s gone to the wayside.”Poe said she was aware of the budget cuts and faculty vacancies to some extent when she came to Hudson and Holland in fall 2011.“(I was) more aware of things going on in other parts of DEMA,” she said. “Part of it stems from budget cuts, economy, decreases in funding, (but) at the same time, it seems like there is money there somewhere, we just don’t know why we’re not getting it,”The University asked many programs in 2008, including Hudson and Holland, to slow or freeze hiring in an effort to cut expenses from University operations, DEMA Associate Vice President Vicki Roberts said. But the freeze has long since ended.Even with the budget cuts and hiring freezes, Brown said he thinks the value of the program to the University is called into question. “Even if that was the case, the question becomes is it worth it to the University, a billion-dollar-a-year University, to deprive its premier program dealing with underrepresented minority students?” he said.
(04/09/12 5:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In anticipation of a campus visit by evangelical theologian and Pastor Doug Wilson, members of the IU community are uniting to raise their voices against the controversial speaker.A group of about 30 students gathered late last Wednesday in WoodburnHall to discuss a plan of action to address Wilson, whose views have garnered both praise and outrage within the Christian community.Students raised concerns about Wilson’s statements, which the students called homophobic,sexist and in support of slavery. Wilson’s lectures Friday, “Sexual By Design,” are sponsored by ClearNote Campus Fellowship, a “reformed and evangelical Christian student organization,” according to its website.The lecture will focus on the work of sex researcher Alfred Kinsey and how his “quest to normalize perversion did not end in sexual liberation” but rather “created sexual confusion and sexual brokenness,” according to ClearNote’s website.“One of the things that we’ve noticed is that sexuality is a hot-button issue on campus. It’s a point of contention,” said Jake Mentzel, the campus director and pastor of CNCF at IU. “We do think that Kinsey is wrong. We do think that it’s very, very important that students understand why. We are convinced that souls are at stake, and that’s why we take it seriously, and we want others to take it seriously, too.”Mentzel said Wilson is simply bringing a biblical view of the issue of sexuality and homosexuality, which Mentzel said he hopes sparks discussion.“This is a public university,” Mentzel said. “We’re going to have a public exchange of ideas. We want and think that it’s important for what the Bible says about sexuality to be well represented and debated and discussed in a public way.”Sophomore Laura Douglas attended the student meeting last Wednesday after hearing about Wilson’s ideas about the relationship between men and women in marriage. Wilson calls for the “loyal submission of a wife to her husband,” according to a blog post on his website , a value he deems a Christian standard.Douglas works with women’s affairs for the IU Student Association and said shewanted to show general support for the counter efforts by helping to facilitate the meeting.“I just think it’s really important that there is a huge community of support forthese groups in Bloomington,” she said. “I think these are groups that often get too separated. I think it is important to stand together against him.”And while the focus of Wilson’s lectures will be Kinsey, Douglas said his other views are equally of concern.“I think ClearNote is concerned about sexuality issues, but all of this other views arerelevant, too,” Douglas said. The gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community is among the groups concerned about Wilson’s lectures.GLBT Student Support Services Office Coordinator Doug Bauder said some studentshave consulted him, seeking guidance concerning Wilson’s visit. He said while the office isn’t officially participating in any response, it will provide resources to those who need them.“What often bothers me about these things, an individual speaks as though theyhave the truth, and that’s the end of the story,” Bauder said. “My whole point is that biblical wisdom is not based on one person, not by one great preacher.”Sophomore Kara Veal was one of those students who stopped by the GLBT office, conflicted about the pastor’s visit. She said she takes issue with his stance about the immorality ofhomosexuality.“I don’t like the idea of people feeling that they’re wrong,” Veal said. “I do respect people’s beliefs, but I don’t support hateful beliefs. I’m OK with Christians and fighting for what you believe in, as long as it doesn’t hurt someone else. It’s a form of bullying.”She said she worries that students who hear Wilson’s message might take his words personally.“The danger that I see is queer youth on campus feeling unwelcome,” she said. “I don’t want anyone to feel oppressed or bullied.”Similarly, Rev. Linda Johnson, Episcopal priest and president of the IU Campus Religious Leaders Association, worries about the reception of Wilson’s message, she said.“My most fundamental concern is the pain and suffering that his words and actions might have in the lives of our students, and that concerns me the most, not his political views or interpretations,” she said.She noted that sexual norms change from generation to generation and that Christians have a history of picking and choosing which values on sexuality to uphold. Johnson added that Christians today have different viewpoints about sexual mores, and that these differences are exacerbated by a lack of a central interpretation authority.As such, she said she wants students to know that she believes Wilson is providing his owninterpretation.“I would say that Doug Wilson is not giving the Christian viewpoint,” Johnson said. “He’s giving his interpretation on a Christian viewpoint, and that’s a significant difference.”Johnson said she views Wilson’s visit to campus as “a gift” to the GLBT community, as a means to promote discussion between individuals.“I believe it’s important that he speaks here,” she said. “This is a university, and we want to have a wide variety of views on everything and some of those are competing views.”Mentzel said he hopes for an open discussion and perhaps reconciliation.“We would hope to see some students repent and be reconciled to God, and we expect other students to at least have a better understanding of what scripture says and be appreciative of our willingness to tell it straight, out of love,” he said.In response to Wilson’s lectures, Veal is among the individuals planning a demonstration at the clock between Ballantine and Woodburn halls Friday to coincide with the lectures.She wants the demonstration to remain just that, not a protest, and she wants discussion to stay civil, she said.Wilson will have security provided at the lectures, and the website instructsattendees to remain “on topic.”“It’s a demonstration of solidarity against what the speaker is speaking about,” Veal said. “It would be a message to individuals that we are here for them.”
(04/02/12 1:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There were only minutes left until their 11:40 a.m. qualifications time slot. The women warmed up on stationary bikes in the center of Bill Armstrong Stadium, Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor” thumping from the team’s portable radio in the background as they pedaled.When their warm-up was done, they took to the track. Despite a first-attempt fault between the third and fourth lap, they eventually took the top spot on the leaderboard with a time of 2:42.95 that would stick throughout the day, giving the women of Teter cycling their first quals pole since 2009.In the past two years, Teter has fallen short of first in quals, taking second place. However, on race day, the team pulled out a first-place victory.With back-to-back wins and a pole victory in hand, the team members said they look toward the race after months of training. Yet with the absence of star-rider Caitlin Van Kooten, who graduated last year, the question remains: Can the team produce another win?“You don’t really push it when you’re doing endurance. You’re like, ‘This is long,’” senior Co-Captain Lauren Gowdy said to senior Lisa Hutcheson, trying to describe her teammate’s best quality.“It hurts, dog,” Hutcheson replied.“Susan’s there when we need her,” Gowdy said, turning to her co-captain. “I’m present,” senior Susan Laurie deadpanned, following with, “I look good on the bike.”“She always encourages the rookies and is really sweet to them,” Gowdy said. “I don’t know why.”“We’ve got a good cop, bad cop thing going on here,” Laurie said with a laugh.Since they started training in August, the six women of Teter cycling have spent dozens of hours per month training, all for a shot at Little 500 supremacy.Gowdy and Laurie co-captain the team to fill the role Van Kooten previously had. This is Gowdy’s fourth year riding for Teter and Laurie’s third.The team’s lead coach, Chris Wojtowich, lives four hours away and makes it down to Bloomington for qualifications and the race. When he’s not there, it’s up to Gowdy and Laurie to provide direction.“The seniors are really doing a lot of the coaching for exchanges and what needs to happen during practices,” Gowdy said. “But it’s really a team thing where we all make the decisions as a team, and maybe the captain makes the final call, but all of us critique each other and tell each other what we’re doing wrong, just because we really depend on each other, so we’re kind of independent in that way, which is nice.”Gowdy said the team learned much from Van Kooten last year. She said Van Kooten did a great job leading the team by allowing teammates to workout with her.“We always were doing workouts with her, and I think that’s really important as a strong rider to incorporate your team into the hard workouts and to make sure that they’re working hard, as well,” Gowdy said. “It’s just made everyone stronger riders training with her.”Van Kooten, who captured the Miss-N-Out and Individual Time Trials titles this past year, aided Teter by eating up a lot of laps with her endurance.“It’s unfortunate she graduated, but we have a really strong team this year, and the times look comparable to Caitlin’s, too,” Gowdy said.“We’re obviously not going to win every spring series event like she did, or maybe,” she said, trailing off. But so far, the Teter riders have not taken the win at either the ITT or Saturday’s Miss-N-Out. “(Van Kooten) was really strong, and right now, we don’t have one strong rider,” Gowdy said. “We have four strong riders. We don’t have one Superman.”And while Van Kooten now lives in Minneapolis, she still occasionally makes it down to Bloomington to ride and spend time with her old teammates.Laurie said she has found her new leadership role more of a thrill than a challenge.“It has been different because Caitlin was captain for two years, and she had things kind of set, so it’s also kind of figuring things out,” Laurie said. “I think we’re all stepping up. It’s definitely going to be different for us as a team going into the race, which is a lot more exciting, I think.”Gowdy said the team doesn’t have a specific game plan for race day, only that she’s using the spring series events to see where her teammates are the strongest.Knowing Teter is defending back-to-back wins does create some pressure, Gowdy acknowledged.“It’s a little nerve-wracking just because there’s a lot of pressure, and you don’t have that one rider that’s sticking out and could crush anyone on the track, but then again, we’re all really confident riders on the track, and we handle our bikes well, and we all know what to do,” Gowdy said. “We just know that we have to get out there and do what needs to be done.”
(03/19/12 3:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Those who seek medical help for an underage intoxicated friend in the state of Indiana will now be able to receive limited protection under the newly signed Indiana Lifeline Law. Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the bill into law Friday after the bill passed unanimously in both the Indiana House and Senate. The signing makes Indiana the 12th state to adopt some form of an alcohol-related lifeline law.Lifeline targets those between 18 and 20 years old who find themselves in an alcohol overconsumption situation. It encourages those people to call emergency personnel for a friend who has drank too much by protecting them from legal repercussions, though applicable circumstances are limited.According to the new legislation, law enforcement officers won’t be able to take the emergency assistance caller into custody in cases of public intoxication, minor possession, consumption or transportation of alcoholic beverages.Other, more serious alcohol offenses, such as driving under the influence, are not covered under the law, nor are offenses with other types of drugs. The law will not protect those who are ill or have overconsumed — only those who call on their behalf.The IU Student Association joined forces with other Indiana schools, including Purdue University, to help push the bill to the state legislature.Having worked on the bill, at both the campus and state level, since last spring when the current Big Six administration entered office, the work for IUSA members is now finished.“It’s incredible,” IUSA President Justin Kingsolver said. “It’s done, and you don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to say that. We are completely done with the process. It’s the standing law in the state of Indiana. There are no other hoops we have to jump through.” Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington, said Lifeline does have the power to save lives.At the scene of the incident, the law enforcement officer will assess if the caller did actually request emergency medical assistance or did so with another person on behalf of the intoxicated friend.Full cooperation by the caller with emergency medical assistance personnel and law enforcement officers is also expected. Callers will need to provide the law enforcement officer with any relevant information requested, as well as stay at the scene with the intoxicated individual in need of help until emergency personnel arrive.Added to the bill during the legislative process was a section protecting law enforcement officers, which states that individuals cannot initiate or maintain an action against an officer due to their compliance or failure of compliance with the law. Hoosier Youth Advocacy, a nonpartisan student-run organization that aims to involve young Indiana residents in the political process, helped IUSA in its efforts to make Lifeline a reality. IUSA invested a portion of its resources toward Lifeline efforts, with $5,000 earmarked for HYA and $500 allocated just for Lifeline efforts.Junior Bennett Fuson, HYA director of communications, said engaging students in the legislative process was a personal accomplishment during the process.“It’s a testament to what most people don’t really assume, that you don’t have to be a politician or an elected official to effect change in your state,” Fuson said. “We’re really proud of the fact that a lot more people are more interested in the political process. Advocacy is something that everyone can do.” Last fall, IU passed Hoosier P.A.C.T., a University policy that emphasizes education rather than punitive punishments for those involved in alcohol and substance overconsumption.Purdue also recently adopted a similar medical amnesty policy called Purdue CARES, which shields students from university disciplinary action after seeking medical attention in alcohol-related cases of overconsumption.And while the law grants protection to emergency assistance callers, Fuson said he believes the law does not encourage student drinking."This is not a bill that in any way makes it easier to drink underage,” Fuson said. “It makes it easier to help a fiend that is ill. The point is to save lives while not facing legal repercussions.” For Kingsolver, the takeaway message for students is to not be afraid to pick up the phone and ask for help.“It’s most important that students know that they can use it, that there’s no penalty for seeking help,” Kingsolver said. “It’s always the right choice to call for help, to take care of your peers and your friends.”
(03/09/12 4:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Nearly one year ago, Japan was hit with the most powerful earthquake it had ever seen. That 9.0-magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami and a nuclear accident that plagued the country for months and, in some respects, continues to do so. More than 15,000 people lost their lives, with thousands more injured or missing, according to the Japanese National Police Agency. Sunday marks the one-year anniversary of the tragedy. Nearly a year later, IU students are bringing the tragedy to the forefront once more. These students are in the midst of translating and subtitling the documentary “Protecting Today,” which examines the after-effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. The translation project began after Purdue University Professor Kazumi Hatasa saw a news story about the production in November. The film takes viewers to documentary filmmaker and university student Yuka Kan’no’s hometown as she searched for the location where her house once stood and spoke with family and residents, post-disaster, about the recovery process.While Kan’no’s family stayed safe, she lost three close friends, and her home was completely destroyed. After seeking approval from Kan’no, Hatasa got to work on the subtitling project. He first thought to employ professionals to subtitle the work, but once he realized the corporate route would delay the process and force him to miss his spring 2012 completion goal, Hatasa looked to students at various colleges to carry out the work. “My primary reason for that was the educational value of the process and to increase the number of possible screening possibilities,” Hatasa said. “That is my ultimate goal. Instead of having professionals doing the subtitling, it’s become much more educationally orientated.”Ten colleges and universities, including Middlebury College, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, are working to subtitle the documentary. Keiko Kuriyama, assistant professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, headed the IU translation project by finding willing students and coordinating the transcription and translation process. Kuriyama said students were drawn to the project for both the educational opportunity and the emotional connection.“It affected everybody. This March 11 event affected every single Japanese person,” she said. “Even Americans who study Japanese or American students who went to Japan or lived in Japan, they are attached to Japan. They all really wanted to help, so that’s why this is a special topic and really emotional.”Thirteen IU students are taking part in the project. Kuriyama paired native Japanese speakers with American students to work with small segments of the documentary. Native speakers transcribed the documentary, and the American students translated that text into English. The translation process, however, is not always straightforward.“Sometimes from Japanese to English, there is disagreement,” Kuriyama said. “There can be conflict.”Kuriyama said even the title can be translated a number of ways, including “Deserving Today” or “Let’s Protect Today.” Ensuring the translation is a faithful representation of the original Japanese is a main concern of student volunteer Bethany Muncy. She worked on the project with her partner.“We talked about very small details to get the closest translation as possible,” the sixth-year senior said. “We were very concerned about what was implied because some things are not explicitly stated. That’s why it was very important to have an English and native speaker working together, to get those nuances.” Muncy was studying in Kyoto, Japan, last year when the earthquake hit. While her town wasn’t affected, she said she felt a need to help the victims. “As soon as I found out what the documentary was about, I knew I wanted to do it,” she said. “I was there in Japan, and we talked about it in my Japanese classes, and my friends have family members involved. I wanted to do something so people here would know about it, and this project was just the thing to do that.” Fellow student volunteer and first-year graduate student Jude Coulter-Pultz was also in Japan at the time, wrapping up five years of English language instruction. Working on the project gave him more insight into the disaster, he said. “Even watching that segment, it’s pretty clear,” he said. “Yeah, we had a difficult time in Chiba, but there were people whose homes were completely lost and who lost their entire families. To some extent, the film did give me a better understanding of the tragedy.”Muncy said she hopes to screen the complete subtitled documentary on campus by the end of the semester to bring more awareness to students of the continuing nature of relief efforts.“I would hope that they realize that it happened a year ago, that there’s still a lot of work going on,” she said. “There are a lot of things that come up. It’s not just rebuilding buildings. People went through a lot. They lost their families. It’s not just sending money and it’s over. You just can’t put a Band-Aid on it. It takes time. I hope students realize that their help is still needed. Also, don’t take things for granted. You never know when things could change.”
(02/27/12 3:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Members of Youth for Ron Paul at IU spread the word about the presidential candidate on Sunday in front of the Sample Gates. Bright red and blue balloons attracted passerbys to the group’s table, which was covered with buttons, pocket Constitutions, pamphlets and stickers, all aimed at raising awareness of Paul’s candidacy.Junior Nate O’Conner, treasurer, considered the event to be a way to publicize Paul in lieu of what they say is the U.S. media’s failure to do so.“There are four candidates. Therefore, each makes up 25 percent,” he said. “Ron is definitely not getting 25 percent of the coverage. The media is not doing their job, so someone needs to be the media.”Reactions were mixed. Some drivers passing the makeshift press center honked their horns in support, and some pedestrians stopped to talk with supporters who held large posters. Many people simply walked by the display, and one car’s occupants yelled, “Boo, Ron Paul sucks,” from their window.Sophomore Adam Prasch, vice president, said the group’s efforts will outlive Paul’s candidacy.“After his candidacy, it’s more of a movement throughout time,” Prasch said. “For me, it’s more about his message, not his candidacy. The youth will make it easier in the future to carry on those ideals.” Emily Stewart, who was visiting IU from Purdue University, said she’s inspired by the student activism.“It’s definitely important to see what your peers are thinking and what their motivations are for supporting this candidate,” Stewart said.
(02/15/12 4:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It can be as simple as smiling at passersby or as serious as becoming an organ donor.These acts of kindness are just some of the things on Ryan Garcia’s list.For the next 314 days, Ryan, a 2005 IU graduate, will work towards completing 366 random acts of kindness.Two days before New Year’s, Ryan still didn’t have a resolution for 2012. Hitting the gym and eating healthier crossed his mind. But they weren’t enough, he thought. He wanted to do something more meaningful — something that his daughter could be proud of.Inspired by the birth of his now 5-month-old daughter, Isla Quinn, Ryan set out on a mission for 2012: do a kind deed for someone each day for a year.“She’s the reason why I started,” Ryan said. “I wanted to do something that had an impact that I could show to her and be a model for her.”When he first told his wife, Lindsey, she didn’t think the resolution would materialize into anything significant, she said.“I figured it would be something traditional,” she said. “When he first told me, I didn’t quite get it. At first, it didn’t seem as quite a big of a deal. I didn’t expect him to actually follow through with it because of how traditional New Year’s resolutions go.”Since then, he’s launched his blog, “366 Random Acts of Kindness,” and an accompanying Facebook page and Twitter account.He’s given out free hugs on a cold day in downtown Chicago. He’s cleared snow from all the cars on his block. He’s written a letter of condolence to the family of a fallen soldier, Army Spc. Brian Leonhardt of Merrillville, Ind.Though he only had a few ideas to start, suggestions have poured in from social media sites and emails. Complete strangers have emailed him to give him well-wishes, encouragement and ideas.“I have a list of different events, but it’s a lot of fun and it means a lot more when I get emails from other people. I feel like it’s worth more,” he said.For one day’s act, Ryan passed out gloves, socks and food, among other items, to Chicago homeless. One homeless man told Ryan he had asked God that day for someone to help him.Lindsey said when Ryan returned home, visibly emotional, she knew he had truly been affected, making it a moment out of the past 45 days that stands out to her. “It’s extremely humbling to know that I had that impact on someone where I inspired them,” he said. “It inspires me and gives me the drive.”Since the day Isla was born, Ryan said, he’s had a lot more on his plate.“My life has changed completely,” he said. “Rather than just looking out for myself and my wife, we have someone to set an example for. We want her to grow up in the best environment possible so she can have the best possible life.”And while planning and performing the daily acts do take up time, Ryan said that if he’s still able to juggle his responsibilities, so can others.“That’s the thing. I’m a busy guy. I have a full-time job. I have a family. I have commitments outside of that,” he said. “But I still have time to do these acts.”Ryan said he receives anywhere from 65 to 75 emails daily, which can be overwhelming at times.Lindsey enjoys reading emails from those affected by Ryan’s actions, she said.“I just think it’s amazing and really inspiring, especially when we get these emails from people,” she said.In one email, a woman who said she was sick of hearing negative news told Ryan she was moved by his actions.“Things like that are things he never expected, and he’s totally blown away,”Lindsey said.Ryan also feels pressure from the growing number of online followers. The blog has been read by more than 60,000 people in more than 100 countries.“That’s one of the things that has come with it — I do feel more pressure,” he said. “I sometimes feel like I have to outdo myself, but I know I don’t have to. It’s just me putting on that pressure.”Regardless, Ryan will continue to devote his attention to his two main priorities.“I’m always going to make sure my family and my job come first,” he said. “I have to be able to provide for them and take care of them and spend time with them.”With more than 300 days — and acts — left to go, Ryan said he will complete his goal, 100 percent. “My only goal for this, besides setting a goal for Isla,” he said, “is to set an example for other people, for them to take the torch and run with it.”
(02/08/12 4:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Incoming freshmen are the beneficiaries of an array of financial aid assistance, including assistance from IU’s Selective Scholarship Application, help from their high school’s college centers and the provision of padded envelopes at graduation.But financial help for current IU students is out there and accessible, too, if students only put in the time to search for such opportunities, said Ron McFall, associate director of the Office of Scholarships.“First of all, the perception does exist that there aren’t any opportunities for current students, but that’s definitely not the case,” he said.While larger, four-year scholarships such as the Adam W. Herbert Presidential Scholars Program and the Cox Research Scholars Program are offered only to freshman, McFall said opportunities for current students come often in the form of single-year financial awards.“I would actually say that, while IU certainly focuses on first-year recruitment for thefreshman class, I would say that in the four years that our office has been around, I feel like the departments and schools have been doing a better job of providing scholarships to current students,” he said.A good place to look for aid is within the departments or schools of students’ majors, McFall added.“In reality, there are a lot of great students here at IU, and with some exploration and talking with students and professors within their own department, there are indeed additional opportunities,” McFall said.IU SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIESIU Alumni Association ScholarshipsOne-year $1,000 scholarship based on financial need and academic achievementFull-time undergraduate children of IUAA members are eligible.Applications due March 30. Winners will be notified by May 11.Visit alumni.indiana.edu/students/scholarships/iuaa.html for the application.Cox Legacy Scholarship ProgramIndiana residents who are working students with financial needThe three-part application process must be finished by March 1.Visit scholarships.indiana.edu/scholarships/cox/index.phpIU Foundation scholarship applicationComprised of more than 180 scholarships, both financial need and merit-basedAll IU students who meet scholarship criteriaSubmissions through OneStart are due by March 10.Visit iufoundation.iu.edu/students/scholarships.htmlADVICEMcFall advises that students who are looking for scholarships should submit as many applications as possible. There is no downside to putting your name in the pool, he said.“I would also suggest that there is no magic answer in terms of what committees are looking for,” McFall said. “I always tell students to not be afraid and be themselves in their responses. Let your own personality come through in the application process.”FEDERAL AID IU students have only 31 days to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid before the March 10 priority date.While that day is only considered a priority date, and the FAFSA is accepted anytime throughout the school year, administrators at the Office of Scholarships and the Office of Student Financial Assistance say it is in students’ best interests to file as soon as possible, and certainly before the priority date.“You could jeopardize or sacrifice potential need-based funding,” said Roy Durnal, interim financial aid director at the Office of Student Financial Assistance.The Office recently sent out postcards to students’ home residences to remind parents the deadline is soon approaching.New this year, FAFSA filers can use an Internal Revenue Service data retrieval tool that allows filers to pull IRS tax information, such as adjusted gross income, for use when filling out the FAFSA.“It’s a time saver, and it allows us to know that the information submitted on that FAFSA is correct because it comes from the IRS,” Durnal said. ADVICE-Don’t forget to sign the form. It’s one of the most common mistakes, Durnal said.-Put a zero for fields that require a number, but in which you don’t have a number to fill it.-Double check your information, looking for transposed or incorrect numbers, even after submitting the form.-Use the proper website: fafsa.ed.gov. Some websites will charge you to file, which is a scam.
(02/06/12 4:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Saturday night, the IU Marching Hundred played for a smaller crowd of teachers, friends and family. Twenty hours later, they would be performing before an audience of more than 60,000 screaming football fans. The IU Marching Hundred practiced Saturday for the second time in preparation for their pre-game Super Bowl XLVI performance Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.This practice, however, was marked by the presence of many of their family members and a new sense of excitement on Super Bowl-eve.A whistle cut the noise in IU’s John Mellencamp Pavillion. The chatter fell silent. Friends and family moved toward the 50-yard line.Band members moved into formation and began testing their instruments. Choppy grunts of tubas and the nervous tapping of drums started to fill the pavilion.Some band members donned wide, toothy smiles. Others looked like they were just trying to hold down their dinner.“Trombones have the most distance to cover,” David Woodley, director of the Marching Hundred, said to the group. “Can you do that?”A definitive “yes” rose from the trombone players, and practice continued.“R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” by John Mellencamp started to play as band members kicked off their dress rehearsal. It marked the second time the Marching Hundred had played together since the last home football game in the fall.Parents with iPads, cellphones and cameras tried to keep their eyes on their sons and daughters.They tapped their toes and swayed from side to side with the beat of the music.Dawn Ellenson, camera in hand, looked eagerly into the crowd. She was looking for her daughter, Rachel, among the sea of red.“Oh my goodness, there she is,” she said with a smile, training her camera on her daughter.Dawn drove three hours from Wheatfield, Ind., to be at the rehearsal.“She’s very excited about it,” Dawn said of Rachel. “My younger daughter is sick, and I said ‘well, do I run down here to see this or do I stay home?’ So, she’s home with grandma. I ran down to see this because it’s a chance of a lifetime for her.”Rachel, a freshman, taught herself the trumpet in sixth grade and has played it ever since.“It still hasn’t hit me that we’re actually going,” Rachel said. “It’s amazing to be back here marching with everyone here because it really was sad not to be able to see these people every day, but now that we’re back here and actually doing this again, it’s just a great feeling.”Since the Marching Hundred’s performance was not fully televised, the dress rehearsal was the only time those outside of Lucas Oil would fully see the Super Bowl routine.“I wish we could be there, but this is as close as I could get,” Dawn said. “We’re very proud of her.”Farther down the field’s sideline in the pavilion stood Brian and Stacey Tempest of North Vernon, Ind.Their daughter, piccolo player Brittany Tempest, was treating the performance just like any other.“We’ve marched for the Colts before, so it feels kind of routine, but I’m sure once I get down under Lucas Oil I’ll be more nervous,” Brittany said.As the band rearranged themselves for another run through of “Sing Sing Sing (With a Swing),” Brittany’s parents whipped out their phones for a quick check of the IU-Purdue game.The two said they were pretty wound up about Brittany’s Super Bowl appearance."We just love this kind of thing,” Brian said. “We come to everything for the Hundred if we can. We’re typical band parents.”Leading Brittany, Rachel and the rest of the Marching Hundred was drum major Tiffany Galus, who graduated in December.After thinking the final football home game against Purdue would be Tiffany’s last performance with the Marching Hundred, Galus’ family all came down for the game.With the Super Bowl, she’s getting an encore.“It’s very bittersweet,” she said. “Going into rehearsal today, I had that little lump in my throat that this is really the last time, but there is really no better way to go out than the Super Bowl.”After practice drew to a close, Galus assessed the performance of the band.“As of tonight, the show looked great,” she said. “The energy was great. We have a lot of fun on the field, and we look good doing it.”David Woodley was similarly pleased with the rehearsals. The band had to perfectly time their performance to fill six minutes — no more, no less. “I think that the students are all smart kids, and the staff have worked really hard to get everyone ready,” he said. “I think we’ve done about as well as we can do. I have no concerns about tomorrow. At this point, if anything goes wrong, it’s something we could not predict.”One of the last to leave the practice field, Galus said she is proud of her fellow band members.“My friends and family and, really, the whole IU community has been really supportive,” Galus said. “It just seems like they’re really supportive for the Hundred to have this opportunity. It’s something that the Hundred has really deserved for a long time. It’s finally happening. All the hard work has paid-off.”
(02/03/12 4:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s just a pile of used, plastic water bottles, but for one IU organization, it represents the struggle of millions.For the past week, the first floor of Ballantine Hall has been home to a mass of water bottles assembled by the Public Health and Water division of the IU Global Brigades.There are 750 bottles in the display, which represents the number of water bottles used in the United States every half second.Collin Abbott, global public health brigades president at IU, said the artwork is all about spreading knowledge.“The main goal is to bring awareness to people here on campus that there is so much use of plastic water bottles when there doesn’t need to be,” he said.The display has been in the works since last semester and is a revamping of a similar project done last school year. That awareness effort used only a few hundred strung-together water bottles and was hung in Jordan Hall.This year, the display has doubled in size and moved to a roomier location in the traffic-heavy Ballantine Hall. Group members were originally inspired by a 2009 New York City urban art display to raise awareness of plastic water bottle use. Global Brigades took that concept and adjusted it to promote clean water availability across the globe, said junior Brittany McCoy, awareness committee chair for the public health brigade.Abbott contrasted the condition of water in the United States with its state in other nations.“We have all these resources at hand. We go to the grocery store to buy bottled water,” Abbott said. “People have to walk miles to even reach the water, which is dirty.”Fifteen members worked on the display and completed it in two days, which was better than expected, Abbott said. Many of the bottles used in the display were collected on bottle raids in Ballantine Hall after club meetings and then stored in members’ closets and bedrooms until the group got approval by building officials. “It’s not meant to bash anyone here,” he said. “It’s just to bring awareness and to think of ways to get the ball rolling on change.”The display will be moved this evening to Jordan Hall for a week. After that, it will most likely be recycled.At IU, there are a number of different sub-chapters within Global Brigades. Public health and water work together while at IU, but go on different service trips to different locations.The water brigade focuses more on creating a sustainable, and most importantly, sanitary water system for communities.The public health brigade often works in small, rural villages. A goal of the brigade is to educate the people of the community about how to maintain the infrastructure for use long after the students have left, McCoy said.Members help the community by building latrines, water storage units, concrete floors and eco-friendly stoves. The stoves allow smoke to escape from the home, reducing respiratory illnesses. Concrete floors prevent dirt-born parasites and muddy floors.McCoy first joined Global Brigades at IU during her freshman year, but she did not go on a service trip until her sophomore year. On that trip to Honduras, she said she saw and worked directly with rural village people who didn’t have many of the necessities or knowledge those in the United States do.This spring, she’ll return to Honduras.“It makes you really appreciative of what you have here, and it makes you want to go back and help more, which is why I’m going back,” she said.
(01/27/12 6:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This weekend marks the fourth annual IU GLBT Alumni Association Celebration Weekend. For the first time, the annual Spirit Awards will be given by the GLBT Student Support Services in conjunction with the celebration weekend. Since 1999, the awards have been given to those who embody the strength, character and spirit of the GLBT Office. This year two individuals and one organization will receive Spirit Awards. CYNTHIA STONEWhen Cynthia Stone first came to Bloomington in 1973 as an undergraduate student, she said campus was a less accepting place for those who identified as a member of the GLBT community.“When I was a gay student in the ’70s at Wright Quad, you had to be closeted,” said Stone, now a faculty lecturer in the Kelley School of Business. “I’ve been pretty out for the last 20 years, but back then, it wasn’t a safe place to be out. We’ve come a long way in the almost 40 years I’ve been here.”In those nearly 40 years, Stone has been with IU in some capacity, from working as a secretary at the University during graduate school to serving on the Board of Trustees in the early ’90s to lecturing in the Kelley School.By serving on the IU Board of Trustees in 1993, Stone became the first openly gay member of the board.While on the board, Stone fought for the creation of the GLBT Student Support Office on campus. At the time, controversy surrounded the idea, and it took much convincing of the board by Stone to allow for the office’s creation, Doug Bauder, GLBT office coordinator, said.“She had to work hard in making sure they knew it was important,” he said. “She’s a force. She’s a big woman with a big heart. We owe her a great deal of gratitude.”The GLBT office is now entering its 18th year on campus.“I’m very proud of the office,” Stone said. “It’s an oasis that a young, shy gay student coming from the Midwest can say ‘Oh wow, I can go get support and get the resources I need as I find my way in my college years.’”Stone was also a voice in the 2001 passing of same-sex domestic partner benefits. She served on a task force commissioned by former University Chancellor Ken Gros Louis to research and study the issue.“I happened to be very affected by the University not having benefits for faculty and staff that were in same-sex relationships,” she said.It was here at IU where Stone met her late partner, Donna Payne.“The reason I stayed in Bloomington is because I met my late partner,” she said. “In 1974, she worked in the office at Wright Quad. She and I struck up a friendship and stared dating. We were together for almost 20 years.”Payne died in 1995 of cancer before the policy was implemented.“We can now take care of our loved ones,” she said.However, that comfort is not completely secure, Stone said.“We’re always looking over our shoulder that our politicians might decide that state universities shouldn’t offer health insurance to gay faculty and staff employees,” she said. “IU and Purdue do the right thing, but what if a more conservative politician passed a law that denied those benefits?”As she approaches retirement, Stone still serves as a faculty advisor for the groups Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Equality and Out at Kelley. She also said she continues to advocate for the GLBT community on campus, with the help of others.“There’s been a lot of change. We’ve come so far,” she said. “And many, many people have worked on these issues. I’ve been privileged to roll up my sleeves and work alongside them, and the University is a much better place for it.”ROB DECLEENERob DeCleene, a 1994 IU graduate and immediate past president of the IU’s GLBT Alumni Association, is also one of this year’s Spirit Award recipients.“One the most humbling things about winning the award is that the office wasn’t there when I was at IU,” he said. “I was closeted throughout my undergraduate career. I always wonder if my life would have been shaped differently if this office existed. I’ve been able to make up for that by working with them.”DeCleene first started interacting with the GLBT Office when working at the Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau, where he was put in charge with promoting Bloomington as a gay tourist destination.Since that initial interaction, DeCleene went on to serve on the GLBT Alumni Association board, which eventually led to two consecutive terms at president from 2007 to 2011.“Creating this weekend that is taking place was one of the proudest achievements,” he said. “It was a fledging thing at first.”He worked with the GLBT office and the heads behind the PRIDE LGBTQ Film Festival to boost attendance and grow the weekend celebration.“The award and weekend is fun and all, but the best part will be seeing old friends and just having a good time,” he said.And while he has moved to South Bend, Ind., DeCleene still maintains ties with IUB’s GLBT office.“It’s very important, especially to me, to work closely with the office,” he said, “because they do help kids when it comes to coming out and figuring out how it will affect them for the rest of their lives.”ILLUMENATENationally known as Mpowerment Project, Illumenate is a Bloomington-based organization that specializes in providing a safe environment for gay and bisexual men.The community group has been around for nearly two years and, in that time, has promoted a message of safe sex through social events and the distribution of nearly 25,000 condoms.“We provide a safe place for young gay/bisexual men and a sex-positive approach to HIV intervention,” Mpowerment Coordinator Patrick Battani said.The organization is driven by a core group of seven to 10 gay and bisexual men between the ages of 18 and 29, which is the target audience of the group.Six principles, which include a social focus, community building and empowerment, guide the group and its activities.Group members were honored and surprised to receive the award, Battani said, because they just do what they love: community building. “The LGBT office is one of the greatest things,” Battani said. “For us to be a group that embodies their spirit and their work is such a great honor and accomplishment. It means a whole lot to use because we really do admire the work that they do.”
(01/25/12 5:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With a resounding 50-0 vote in the Indiana State Senate, the Indiana Lifeline bill is leaving the Senate floor and heading to the House.The Senate unanimously approved the bill, which first began last spring as a campaign platform of IU’s student government, the IU Student Association. The bill aims to encourage students to call for emergency assistance in cases of alcohol overconsumption by granting them immunity. Protection would be extended in cases of public intoxication, underage possession of alcohol, and consumption or transportation of alcoholic beverages.The bill won’t shield those who drive under the influence of alcohol or those who don’t fully comply with emergency personnel. It also doesn’t apply to any other type of drug possession. IUSA President Justin Kingsolver was not surprised the bill passed, but he didn’t expect it to be as well-received as it was, he said. “To see this external validation, that our hearts were in the right place and that we had a good public policy idea, that these senators that were elected by the people approved our ideas that were brainstormed in a room by a bunch of people a year ago, that was really validating and the right thing to do,” Kingsolver said. IUSA collaborated with Purdue University in bringing the bill to the Indiana General Assembly. They also worked heavily with Hoosier Youth Advocacy.IUSA’s current leaders contacted Hoosier Youth Advocacy, a nonpartisan organization founded in 2010 by college students, soon after they took office in spring 2011. HYA provided IUSA with guidance through the process, research to give the IU coalition an edge and assistance in reaching out to legislators and gathering support from other universities. And while Tuesday’s announcement marks a victory for the bill, the effort still has a number of hurdles to clear. Kingsolver believes the bill will make it through the House and to the governor’s desk by the General Assembly’s adjournment on March 14, though that process may prove more time consuming than the Senate process, he said.Junior Bennett Fuson, HYA director of communications, said that now that the bill is reaching the House, where debates on right-to-work legislation is dominating discussion, the lifeline coalition may need to fight for attention of lawmakers. “Expect to see this organization and the lifeline coalition start to make an impact across the state,” he said. “The success we’ve had this week in the Senate will hopefully be a great selling point. If we need to make a bigger impact, we plan to make our voice heard.”
(01/24/12 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A new partnership between the Kelley School of Business and the School of Education is aiming to better prepare IU students pursuing a career in education leadership. The collaborative effort, known as the IU Executive Ed.D. program, will allow School of Education students to simultaneously earn Educational Leadership degrees and master’s degrees in strategic management through the business school.In offering this program, IU hopes students who may eventually work as superintendents or serve in other administrative positions can reduce time and save money while striving for both degrees.Those in the program will study areas such as instructional leadership, law, entrepreneurship, strategic planning and research methodologies to prepare themselves for school leadership with management and leadership skills. “Research has consistently shown that the quality of school leaders is one of the most important factors in promoting effective school reform and increasing student achievement,” said Gerardo Gonzalez, dean of the School of Education, in a University press release.“This collaboration brings together outstanding faculty from two different but complementary disciplines to prepare school leaders at a time when both instructional and management skills are so clearly needed for effective educational reform,” Gonzalez said.Students admitted into the Ed.D.in Educational Leadership program are eligible for master’s degrees through the business school. “We are excited to provide an interdisciplinary graduate program that will prepare educational leaders to be innovative and responsive to the needs of students in the 21st century,” said Gary Crow, professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in the School of Education in a press release.Leaders in education have praised this move on behalf of both programs as a step toward the right direction.“This is an important step forward for educational leaders in Indiana,” Suzanne Eckes, associate professor in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, said in the press release. “With access to business and education professors from two nationally ranked schools, Ed.D. students will acquire a deeper understanding about transforming schools.”— Matthew Glowicki
(01/13/12 5:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While the Great Recession ended in 2009, struggling families in poverty are still at risk as the economy slowly begins its rebound, according to a new study released by professors in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and IU alumnus and broadcaster Tavis Smiley. The report found that the number of those living in poverty in the United States increased significantly — 27 percent — between 2006 and 2010. Approximately 46.2 million Americans live below the official poverty level as of 2010 — about 15.1 percent of the population. That number is expected to increase.“At Risk: America’s Poor During and After the Great Recession,” was authored by Kristin Seefeldt, assistant professor in SPEA, John Graham, dean of the SPEA, and a number of doctoral students. Smiley commissioned the report to serve as a factual basis for his recent national poverty tour. “This has been a particularly difficult recession, with a record number of people who are poor and with large, large numbers of people who have been unemployed long term,” Seefeldt said. “The economy seems to be sputtering along, but given the depth of these problems, it’s going to take some time for these problems to get better.”Authors of the report gleaned data from existing sources, such as the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, to create a more comprehensive look at poverty in America today. “One of the struggles that we highlight in the report is that there is going to be a real dilemma faced by policy makers,” Seefeldt said. “On the one hand, there is all of this need out there. There is also pressure from certain parties that we need to rein in spending. How to balance those competing desires to help struggling families and reign in spending is a real dilemma.”A main finding of the report shows the Great Recession produced the largest number of long-term unemployed workers since records started in 1948. More than four million American workers report they have been unemployed for more than 12 months, and while the unemployment rate has fallen over the last two months, Seefeldt said it could be due to both seasonal hiring and discouraged workers who have stopped looking for work. “The general trend, if we look at past recessions, is that poverty rates don’t fall in conjunction with economic recovery. They lag behind,” Seefeldt said.Another concern raised by the report is the weakening of safety-net programs such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Unemployment Insurance. The study concluded that while the 2009 stimulus package aided struggling Americans, that relief is coming to an end. “Studies have shown that it really made a difference and kept families out of poverty,” she said. “That said, most of those provisions will expire or already have expired. So many will argue that the stimulus didn’t go far enough.”If unemployment insurance benefits run out for the long-term unemployed before the economy can steadily produce jobs, increasing numbers of citizens may become part of the growing poverty statistic, the report noted. Seefeldt acknowledged that a point of contention regarding poverty statistics is how poverty is actually measured in the U.S. She said the method has largely remained the same since the 1960s and does not fully take into account changes in standard of living and living costs. “It is true that there are a lot of problems with the way the poverty measurement is designed,” she said. “That said, I think it’s also important to note that when analysts and researchers calculate poverty in new ways, it’s not as if things are a whole lot better. “There are criticisms of the way poverty is measured in the U.S., and we can argue about the conclusion, but in the end poverty rates won’t look very different.”In the end, however, the report is meant to provide facts, not to make judgments. “We very much did not view the white paper as a place to make policy recommendations,” she said. “We’re just proving the background for people to draw their own conclusions.”
(01/13/12 5:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Purdue University announced Wednesday that it will begin its transition toward a full-year, trimester-based system as opposed to its current semester-based academic year.The end result, Purdue spokesperson Chris Sigurdson said, will be full implementation of the system: three 13-week trimesters in the fall, spring and summer. The change comes as part of the school’s 10-year funding plan, which hopes to raise revenue for the university as well as contain costs, he said.The summer trimester, Sigurdson said, will be optional and available for students hoping to obtain their undergraduate degrees in three years instead of four. He said the university hopes the change will respond to increased job market demands for individuals with degrees in engineering and science.Other possibilities for students under the new trimester system include prolonged studies abroad as well as internships in the fall and spring, when competition among students tends to be less than in the summer, he said.“Credit offerings will also expand 25 percent, yielding $40 million for the university, but the cost of credits per hour will drop because things like upkeep of facilities will already be taken care of,” he said.Sigurdson said the university will not abandon its semester structure all at once but rather use the next few years to build up summer faculty, and students have reacted positively to the proposal.“Once the students found out it was optional, they saw opportunity,” he said.IU Associate Vice President of University Communications Mark Land said IU and Purdue share similar educational goals.“Universities all want the same kind of things. We want to keep students on tack. We want to keep it as cost effective as possible,” Land said. “There are just a lot of different ways of doing that.”Land cited the University’s October 2011 announcement of summer tuition discounts.“We’d certainly like to see students using our facilities more during the summer, and that’s why we feel that giving our students a significant discount on tuition during the summer will encourage them to do so,” he said. “It was done to provide financial relief for students and families and give an incentive for students to adopt a more flexible calendar.”However, Land would not rule out the possibility of IU operating on a trimester system in the future. “I would say its probably too early to say that anything is off the table.”
(01/10/12 5:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A newly published biography written by IU professor James Capshew celebrates the legacy of Herman B Wells. The work depicts the childhood of the beloved former president and chancellor of IU. Capshew, associate professor in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, authored the book “Herman B Wells: The Promise of the American University,” which will be released in April of this year. The biography looks at Wells’ early development, stretching from his childhood in Jamestown, Ind., to his college experiences. Capshew introduces readers to a young Wells who is already finding success as a neighborhood newspaper boy. Yet it also reveals the young boy’s struggles. Capshew revealed cases of suicide within the Wells family and noted in the biography how Wells overcame a case of mumps, endured torment in regard to his weight and battled with depression. The biography takes readers to IU when Wells was an undergraduate, the time when his love for the University began. A tease of the work appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Indiana Magazine of History, which is a published quarterly by the history department. — Matthew Glowicki
(01/10/12 5:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As sorority girls screamed and cheered with their new sisters across campus Monday night, another kind of noise came from the lobby of the Student Recreational Sports Center. The smell of popcorn, as well as a bit of sweat, was in the air as the booming sound of top-40 hits filled the room. An SRSC employee fist-pumped the air to the beat of “Till the World Ends” in the middle of the lobby as people flowed in and out.Through Wednesday night, the SRSC is hosting a spring semester kickoff event.Visitors spoke with staff and snagged some Recreational Sports (RS) swag at booths representing intramural sports, club sports, aquatics and fitness.Theresa Lehman, assistant director of marketing, said the event usually draws more than 1,000 students over the three-day span.“We’re trying to welcome students back. We know it’s busy this time of year,” she said. “It’s tough. It’s been a long break, and everyone is wanting to get back on track and get healthy and fit.”In addition to welcoming those members back to campus, the event also serves as a way to receive student feedback and inform students about spring opportunities.“It’s mainly just so we can hear from our students about what they love about our facilities and programs,” Lehman said.A new way to get student feedback comes in the form of a costumed mascot — Active Andi. Visitors to Andi’s booth posed with the new mascot while holding a dry erase board, upon which they wrote a few words about their feelings on RS’ programs and facilities.The booth acts as both a personal testimony campaign and a social media campaign, new media coordinator Mike Walker said.After students pose for a photo with Andi, the images are uploaded to RS’ Facebook page, where viewers can see the photos and “like” them. The person whose photo garners the most “likes” will win a prize pack that includes RS gear.“We’re student-driven, and we want to know what students think,” Walker said. “Social media is where the conversation is happening today. It’s a unique way of marketing because it’s a two way street.”Freshmen Erica Crowe and Samantha Copenhaver were leaving their Zumba class when they entered the lobby. The two made their way to Active Andi’s photo booth.As Copenhaver took her photo with Andi, Crowe stepped aside.“I look so bad right now,” Crowe said, quickly smoothing down her hair.Crowe wrote “I love Zumba” with a heart on the board and high-five-posed with Andi with a smile. The two students, who attends Zumba classes in the SRSC almost daily, said they enjoyed the event.“I’ve never him before, but it’s a nice touch,” Copenhaver said. “I think it’s a really good way to advertise. I don’t think people use the services here as much as they could.”Freshmen Jordan Peirce and Waed Ramadan were drawn in by all the free items.“I’m not going to lie, we wanted that T-shirt,” Ramadan said.Others, such as sophomore Logan Laswell, picked up some info about RS programs with their free T-shirts. Laswell has attended group classes and intramurals and uses the SRSC’s weight room.“We definitely would tell people to come,” he said. “We already take full advantage of the things they have here.”Highlighting the fact that students pay for much of what RS offers in their student activity fee, Walker encourages students to take advantage of the offerings.“We want them to know we have programs and services for everyone at every level,” he said. “We know that a lot of people do start the new year off healthily, and that’s why we want to have a large presence at the beginning of the year.”
(12/08/11 3:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In its final meeting of 2011, the IU Student Association Congress met Tuesday night with 27 of 48 members in attendance. Because the Congress did not meet quorum, it could not vote on any resolutions. However, IUSA President Justin Kingsolver still delivered an executive report and followed with a discussion on the future direction of Congress. Congress ChangeAfter questioning why Congress has not been consistently well-attended this semester, Kingsolver facilitated discussion on how Congress can raise attendance or be changed to encourage greater numbers. He first thanked the present members for their dedication during the semester. “You guys have been real advocates for the student body,” he said. “You can definitely be proud of yourselves for the work you’ve done this semester. I really am thankful for all of your efforts.”Congress members led discussion of how to improve Congress. Some suggestions simply tackled logistics of meetings, with recommendations to better survey members on agreeable meeting times and locations. Other comments focused on the ideas Congress generates. The overriding theme was connection between Congress and campus as a whole. Members suggested creating an all-student survey that would gather student complaints and issues from the ground-up and inviting student leaders from across campus to occasionally speak at Congress. A final area of reform centered on the actual effectiveness of Congress. Members pointed out that after resolutions leave Congress, they often don’t know the outcome of their work. Suggestions to remedy the problem included sending passed resolutions to the Bloomington Faculty Council and having student authors of resolutions present the legislation to the governing bodies that it concerns to create a more personal connection. “If you guys are in this with us, I think we can really change this relationship,” Kingsolver said. “The next meeting will be a big test. Stay passionate.” Executive ReportIUSA is planning to purchase 50 bikes at a cost of just less than $60,000 from SoBi, Social Bicycles. The rentable bikes, which will employ smart phone technology and built-in locks, will make their debut on campus after spring break. IUSA hopes to secure 600 paying subscribers to the program by the end of summer 2012. As part of a semester challenge, interns in the Freshman Internship Program were divided into four teams and asked to develop an idea on how to improve IU. Four ideas were developed, ranging from installing lighting in dark spots on campus to creating a central “Ask IU” texting service with University Information Technology Services in the vein of ChaCha, a question-answering text company. These plans will be further expanded upon by the interns next semester, with the eventual goal of presenting the idea to Congress and possibly requesting funding. Kingsolver updated Congress on the progress of what has become the Indiana Lifeline Law, a product of Big Six’s medical amnesty platform, as well as the tax-free textbook program. He said the initiatives have both Democratic and Republican authors in both houses, and that IUSA will increase travel to Indianapolis to lobby for the causes in the coming months.