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(10/23/03 4:00am)
After taking some time off following tours for their last album and a serious injury to drummer Neil Primrose, Scottish pop sensations Travis are back with their newest LP, 12 Memories. With this, their fourth album, the Glaswegian lads have made a welcome return to the darker themes and moods of their seminal sophomore release The Man Who and move away from the simpler tunes of third album The Invisible Band. \nThe title of the LP seems to imply introspective lyrics about memories, but some of the songs don't quite fit this expectation as Travis begins to wax political. For example, "Peace the F--- Out" carries messages of individual empowerment while "Re-Offender" narrates a situation of domestic violence. \nMore interesting, however, are the intricate instrumentation of "Walking Down the Hill" and the catchy melody of "Love Will Come Through," a song that also appeared on the soundtrack for the 2002 Dustin Hoffman-Susan Sarandon film Moonlight Mile.\n12 Memories is a mature step forward for Travis. While The Invisible Band was not exactly a misstep, this newest release seems to be a more cohesive and complete album. It explores more serious and socially-minded lyrical themes and continues the band's evolution from their rough early days to higher musical sophistication.
(10/22/03 11:50pm)
After taking some time off following tours for their last album and a serious injury to drummer Neil Primrose, Scottish pop sensations Travis are back with their newest LP, 12 Memories. With this, their fourth album, the Glaswegian lads have made a welcome return to the darker themes and moods of their seminal sophomore release The Man Who and move away from the simpler tunes of third album The Invisible Band. \nThe title of the LP seems to imply introspective lyrics about memories, but some of the songs don't quite fit this expectation as Travis begins to wax political. For example, "Peace the F--- Out" carries messages of individual empowerment while "Re-Offender" narrates a situation of domestic violence. \nMore interesting, however, are the intricate instrumentation of "Walking Down the Hill" and the catchy melody of "Love Will Come Through," a song that also appeared on the soundtrack for the 2002 Dustin Hoffman-Susan Sarandon film Moonlight Mile.\n12 Memories is a mature step forward for Travis. While The Invisible Band was not exactly a misstep, this newest release seems to be a more cohesive and complete album. It explores more serious and socially-minded lyrical themes and continues the band's evolution from their rough early days to higher musical sophistication.
(10/16/03 4:00am)
Belle & Sebastian, the most beloved of Scottish indie bands, have just released their newest album of sweet, delicate pop tunes. Dear Catastrophe Waitress presents a pleasant '60s pop feel with the surprisingly straightforward, sometimes depressing and always clever lyrics that have become Belle & Sebastian's trademark. \nThat said, Dear Catastrophe Waitress does not see much innovation beyond the band's earlier work. The album begins with weaker songs, except for the snappy opener "Step Into My Office, Baby." Yet, skipping past the disappointing title track, the album begins to gain momentum. Accompaniment varies from the simple acoustic guitar of "Piazza, New York Catcher" to the delicate strings of "Lord Albert." Other highlights include the catchy "Wrapped Up In Books" and "If You Find Yourself Caught in Love," both of which could easily have appeared on the band's earlier albums. Belle & Sebastian tiptoe past their gentle pop formula on "Roy Walker," with its American folk feel, and "Stay Loose," which uses an organ and some electronica.\nAlthough Dear Catastrophe Waitress does not quite measure up to Belle & Sebastian's trailblazing early albums, Tigermilk and If You're Feeling Sinister, its sweet poppy melodies and intelligent lyrics still make it better than most pop music today.
(10/15/03 10:17pm)
Belle & Sebastian, the most beloved of Scottish indie bands, have just released their newest album of sweet, delicate pop tunes. Dear Catastrophe Waitress presents a pleasant '60s pop feel with the surprisingly straightforward, sometimes depressing and always clever lyrics that have become Belle & Sebastian's trademark. \nThat said, Dear Catastrophe Waitress does not see much innovation beyond the band's earlier work. The album begins with weaker songs, except for the snappy opener "Step Into My Office, Baby." Yet, skipping past the disappointing title track, the album begins to gain momentum. Accompaniment varies from the simple acoustic guitar of "Piazza, New York Catcher" to the delicate strings of "Lord Albert." Other highlights include the catchy "Wrapped Up In Books" and "If You Find Yourself Caught in Love," both of which could easily have appeared on the band's earlier albums. Belle & Sebastian tiptoe past their gentle pop formula on "Roy Walker," with its American folk feel, and "Stay Loose," which uses an organ and some electronica.\nAlthough Dear Catastrophe Waitress does not quite measure up to Belle & Sebastian's trailblazing early albums, Tigermilk and If You're Feeling Sinister, its sweet poppy melodies and intelligent lyrics still make it better than most pop music today.
(07/31/03 12:56am)
FRANKFURT, Germany -- It sounds like every child's dream: only four-and-a-half hours of school a day, no attendance taken, a free day if a teacher is sick, no punishment for playing hooky.\nBut this is no dream, as Germans have suddenly awakened to discover; it's the sorry state of their schools.\nGermany's education system, like its economy, was once considered the pride of Europe. Worries about the stagnating economy have recently preoccupied Germans, and now they are realizing their schools are also in trouble.\nThings have gotten so bad that not only parents are complaining. Even some high school students grumble that it's hard to take school seriously.\nThe system reaped praise after World War II for turning out fine shipbuilders and metalworkers. But such vocational training is out of step with the modern and more flexible needs of service-oriented or technical professions.\nAlso, a 1950s era assumption that mothers are home afternoons to help their children with homework has ceased to hold true as German women enter the work force. So instead of learning after school, many kids are goofing off or getting into trouble.\nThe real wake-up call came last year when an international test of 15-year-old ranked Germany 21st out of 32 leading industrialized nations in reading, mathematics and science.\nSouth Korea, Japan and Finland led in all three fields of the Program for International Student Assessment test in 2000, conducted every three years by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. U.S. students came in 15th.\nChancellor Gerhard Schroeder's government has responded by pledging $4 billion over the next five years to create all-day programs for elementary and secondary schools, improve teacher training and revamp classwork to encourage skills instead of rote learning.\nSchroeder, whose wife, Doris Schroeder-Koepf, spends afternoons helping her 11-year-old daughter, Klara, with homework, wants 10,000 more schools to offer extra hours. Currently there are 1,800 -- just 6 percent of the total.\nThe Meisterschule in the blue-collar Frankfurt neighborhood of Sindlingen has offered afternoon classes in art, music and sports, as well as tutoring, since the 1970s.\n"We felt the children needed more time together with their teachers, more time to really concentrate on learning and encourage their development," Principal Waltraud Schrader said.
(11/03/00 4:41am)
Six panelists discussing diversity in politics Wednesday night gave their support to Vice President Al Gore. The other two gave their support to Green party candidate Ralph Nader. They all expressed their discomfort with Gov. George W. Bush. \nThe Everest Organization, a new student-run group, brought together the eight panelists for a presidential election diversity symposium. The panel included representatives from Latinos Unidos, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services, Asian American Student Association, Hillel Center, Committee for Peace in the Middle East and IU Campus Greens. The event, held in the Whittenberger Auditorium, attracted about 20 people.\nLaw Professor Kevin Brown facilitated the event. He said this year's election will be one of the closest in recent history. He asked the panel what issues are important to the minority groups the Republicans and Democrats are courting.\n"(This panel is comprised of) a number of people who will clarify what this election means to their constituents," he said.\nSix out of the eight panelists said they supported Al Gore for president. The other two panelists supported Ralph Nader.\n"As a feminist, as a lesbian, as a former union organizer, I don't like any of the candidates," said Helen Harrell, faculty adviser for OUT, IU's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender student union. "If I thought Nader had a chance I would vote for him. I will vote for Gore because Bush is the least desirable candidate."\nThe panelists said Bush was far from anyone's ideal. \n"I personally would want to get out of this country (if Bush became president)," said Julie Thomas, a visiting lecturer in the gender studies department.\n"I just can't imagine what would happen," said Meisha Walker, a sophomore and programming chair for the Black Student Union. \nRabbi Sue Shifron, director of the Hillel Center said, "It would scare me to have Bush in the White House. Gore is the better alternative."\nBrown asked the panelists questions that covered many of the important issues in the election. He covered issues from religion and affirmative action to military funding and international affairs.\nThe panelists said they were frustrated at the way religion is often associated with politics.\n"Religion actually divides a population rather than bringing it together," Harrell said. "There has always been a freedom for religion in this country, not necessarily a freedom of religion."\nShifron said a state holiday called Jesus Day was created in Texas during Bush's time as governor. \n"I think (the holiday) is offensive not only to non-Christian groups but to Christians as well, mostly because it trivializes their religion," she said.\nOther issues were discussed including the appointment of Supreme Court justices. This year's presidential election is especially important, the panelists said, because of the influence the president will have on the appointment of new justices. \nSamson Chan, chair of the Asian Student Union, said it was important to realize the next president could appoint three to five justices. \n"Who is appointed will affect affirmative action, racial profiling and other Supreme Court issues," he said.\n Panelists said they were unhappy with the idea of education under the Bush administration. Thomas discussed Bush's support of a school voucher system and said he disliked the idea that with school vouchers anyone could open a school and get public funds.\n "The most important thing is that you find out about the candidates, do your own research, ask your own questions, find your own answers," Chan said.\nPhil Metres, a graduate student representing the Committee for Peace in the Middle East, wrapped up the night with a call to action. \n"I thought politics was boring when I was younger, but I have come to think differently," he said. "To make yourself into a political animal is a beautiful thing"
(11/02/00 4:46am)
Weightlifting, running, being captain of the cheerleading squad and attending cheerleading practices were all part of the norm in senior Todd Eager's life. He was in the best physical shape he had ever been in, but then unexpectedly, he was struck down in his prime last summer.\nEager's mother took him to his hometown hospital in Fort Wayne June 6, because he had a severe headache, dizziness, a fever, bloodshot eyes and he could barely breathe. \nHe was suffering from a rare illness called menningococcemia, which is a blood bacteria that causes blood to become toxic. \nThe hospital held him overnight and by the second day, two helicopters were flown there from Ann Arbor, Mich. to take him to the University of Michigan Hospital. Eager said he went into septic shock, when the vessels and veins dilate and the pressure drops causing the body to shut down. His liver quit working and his kidneys and lungs failed. \nBut Eager's heart never failed.\n"If they hadn't got there when they did, I wouldn't have made it another half hour or 20 minutes," Eager said.\nThe University of Michigan Hospital is one of three hospitals in the nation to have an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation machine, which is a portable lung and heart bypass machine, Eager said. \nEager's friend and roommate, junior Matt Money, said that once Eager was at Ann Arbor, he was on life support, and there was a 95 percent chance that he would die. Money said he called to check on him several times throughout the summer.\nDr. Robert Bartlett treated Eager at U of M, and he has become close to the Eager family, Eager said. Bartlett invited Eager and his family to dinner at his house with his family during the Oct. 14 Michigan football game against IU.\n"We keep in touch," Eager said. "I have blood work done every week and it's faxed to him because he wants to keep up with my stats."\nHe was released from the hospital July 10 and went home to Fort Wayne where he began physical therapy. By the time the school year began, he was in good enough health to attend classes.\n"He is a lot thinner now and he gets tired really easily, so he sleeps a lot," Money said. "People are always sending him cards and stopping by to see how he is doing."\nHis doctors believe he survived because of his muscle mass, and since he was in shape, he had enough energy to fight it, Eager said.\n"I still don't feel like myself yet, and I probably won't the rest of the year," Eager said. "This is a slow process."\nHis parents and two brothers were always there to support him, said freshman Kelly Miller, his friend and former cheerleading partner.\n"His mom was an angel," Miller said. "She was a nurse herself, so she was always making him drink protein drinks and babied him all the time."\nEager said one never knows how much family, friends and teammates matter until one has an experience like this.\n"I will never be able to tell (Miller) thanks enough, because there aren't words," Eager said. "She drove from Elkhart, Ind., about once a week and was with me at my worst. She is a very special person." \nEager now attends cheerleading practices and has accomplished one of the goals he set for himself -- to run the flag out at the IU-Michigan game.\n"Some other goals I have are to work out when I can and to push myself and try to get strong again as well as to run better and more easily," Eager said. "I want to show my family and doctors that I will beat the odds and be ahead of schedule in the recovery process."\nMiller said she is impressed with how he has stayed positive throughout the summer and how his health has improved.\n"I knew if the doctors could get him over the first hurdle that he would be fine, because he is the strongest person I know," Miller said.\nEager said he has realized that people shouldn't take anything for granted.\n"I learned no task is too small and should not be taken lightly -- like taking a shower or combing your hair," he said.\nEager is a biology major, but he is unsure with what he wants to do with his life, he said.\n"God has a plan for me or I would not be here," he said. "I don't know if I will be led to continue in a medical career or to teach at a high school since I love kids, but I am not really sure."\nHe said this last year was tough, but it was one of life's lessons.\n"My advice is to never pass off flu symptoms," Eager said. "It is not worth taking a chance"
(10/27/00 6:36am)
Several students are registering for next semester's classes on the Web using a pilot program that will run until Nov. 17. The purpose of the project is to see if it is ready to be implemented for all students.\nAssociate registrar Roland Cote said nearly 3,000 students from the Kelley School of Business' MBA program, residents of Willkie Quad and students in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation were selected to participate.\nCote said students were chosen from a wide base.\n"We also wanted a defined group that would include a broad population ranging from the sophomore level through the doctoral level," Cote said. "Willkie students were selected because our data indicate that it is the residence center with the highest percentage of students who own PCs. This will help to determine whether students who have PCs at their residence are likely to register from that location or not."\nCote said the project would give them a chance to determine what the impact on public computing facilities might be if all students were allowed to register via the Web.\n"We will be sensitive to the need that some individuals may have for face-to-face interaction and assistance," Cote said. "We must also be aware of accessibility issues, particularly where certain disabilities preclude an individual from using this type of remote facility."\nBut Cote said registering on the Web would help out students.\n"The Web is maturing into a reliable and respected medium for conducting important business," Cote said. "We believe that the convenience offered by the introduction of the Web is a tremendous benefit to the students."\nUniversity Information Technology Services worked jointly with the office of the Registrar on the project. Robert Reynolds, senior software analyst for UITS, said they began focusing seriously on the project in July.\n"The Registrar is in contact with students everyday, so they know what students need," Reynolds said. "We handle technical expertise, so it was important to mesh the two and we were able to meet our goals to have it ready for a pilot."\nThe current student registration system runs on IU's mainframe, called IUIS. To make registration on the Web possible, Reynolds said IU purchased a java program from ResQNet, Inc. in New York.\n"This java program runs on a Web server and is able to translate between the HTML language of the Web browser and the native language of the mainframe," Reynolds said. "The goal of the pilot project is to test the feasibility of making mainframe registration available over the Web, while IU works on the new PeopleSoft student system."\nCote said they will determine the success of the pilot by conducting an analysis of student interaction with registering on the Web, and collecting information and comments from students as they complete the registration process.\n"We will evaluate the nature and frequency of the requests for assistance that we receive during the pilot, and we will evaluate the impact of registration on the Web on existing computing facilities," Cote said. "We hope that if this pilot is successful, and if the modifications required to make it work successfully are minor, that this opportunity will be extended to all students who register in April for the fall."\nFreshman Kristen Da Rosa said she would like online registration to be available to all students.\n"I think it is a great idea," Da Rosa said. "It would be a lot easier and so much more convenient"
(10/25/00 4:36am)
Since 1996, reported incidents of racism against Asians have risen by nine percentage points, according to the Racial Incidents Team report. \nAt the same time, incidents against Asian Americans have decreased by four percentage points. Daisy Rodriguez, a graduate student, said these incidents merit discussion, which is what she wants to do with the Responding to Incidents of Casual and Everyday Racism (RICER) Project.\n"We believe there's a need for this kind of thing, and we don't want students to feel isolated," said Rodriguez, who came up with the idea for the project and wrote a grant proposal that brought in funding from NAFSA: Association of International Educators.\nThe RICER Project started this semester and meets from noon to 1:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the Asian Culture Center. Participants meet to share personal experiences with racism, empower themselves to initiate dialogue on race and civility and discuss ways to identify, cope with and confront racism, Rodriguez said. She said the project will go on next semester with or without funding from NAFSA.\nAndrew Shih, a junior, has attended every session. He said he started going because he felt it would be a good place to voice his opinion and contribute to discussion. \n"To be honest, I haven't really experienced any sort of racism here on campus," Shih said. "I'm sure I've been stereotyped, but I don't think that was on purpose. Sometimes people are ignorant when it comes to other cultures."\nThe group begins by discussing reported incidents of racism on campus and the discussion is then opened up to personal experiences, Rodriguez said. The groups have consisted of about seven people each week. Rodriguez said she likes the small-group atmosphere and does not want the groups to be bigger than 10 people.\nA member of the Racial Incidents Team is present at every meeting, by request of Rodriguez and Melanie Castillo-Cullather, director of the Asian Culture Center. There is also a counselor and someone from international services.\nBill Shipton, co-chair of the Racial Incidents Team, has attended the RICER Project.\n"We're not there to take notes," Shipton said of the Racial Incidents Team's involvement in the meetings. "We're on hand for students, to make it easier for them to report incidents if they want to."\nThe team deals with harassment or racism based on race, religion and national origin, Shipton said. It provides a place where students can go to report incidents and get help dealing with them, he said.\nRodriguez said she wanted to create a program for students who had been targeted by racism or stereotypes. She said she thinks that too often students ignore racist comments or actions, and they think it is OK for other people to treat them as a stereotype. \n"Students do not deserve to be stereotyped and accept these assumptions as normal," she said. "I want to help prepare people to live in this world and be aware of who they are and proud of who they are."\nShih and Rodriguez said they have hope for what the RICER Project can do to improve conditions at IU. \n"I think, given time, this project will become huge," Shih said. "I think that once it is in full swing, it will make a huge difference on the IU campus"
(10/20/00 5:52am)
Around campus, many students are paying attention -- at least a little -- to the presidential debates and other election coverage in the media.\nBut the students in professor Gerald Wright's Y200 class are absorbed in it.\nThe class, an introduction to voting, campaigns and governing, is placing a special emphasis on the upcoming 2000 presidential election. The course offered through the political science department gives students a unique insight into the political process and equips them with the knowledge to make an educated vote.\n"We use the lens of 2000 to get a deeper understanding of what government and politics are about in this society," Wright said. "I want my students to have a deep and critical understanding of the election process."\nTo attain that understanding, the course must be somewhat strenuous. The class format allows students to discuss their views on different aspects of the election. Small group work, guest speakers, video clips and short films are also incorporated in the curriculum. While there are several assignments, exams and the requirement to keep up with what goes on in the debates and polls, many students in the class say the effort and time they expend is well worth what they are learning about politics.\n"We learn the little things, the nuances between the parties that really help clarify what each candidate stands for," said senior Denise Roe, who is a Y200 student. "I'm glad I'm taking the class. It's interesting, and it's nice to look forward to coming to a class every day."\nRoe said the class helped shape her choice for president.\n"Before this class started, I knew I was going to vote, and I thought I was going to vote for Gore," she said. "But I wrote a paper for this class on Nader and then I changed my mind. He really doesn't have a shot, but if he gets 5 percent, that will help the Green Party."\nBy getting so much exposure to the campaign coverage, students in the class learn to analyze the way politicians get their votes.\n"I am learning how much candidates influence the voters," said sophomore Christie Fortney. "They try to get votes any way they can, so it is difficult to figure out what they really stand for because they just want to win." \nFortney said the class has helped shape her views of the candidates.\n"I was very Democratic before I started this class, but I realized I didn't know enough about (how) the whole thing works," she said. "Both candidates are pretty moderate, and what we have discussed in class has really made me change the way I look at the election."\nThe class stresses the importance of being an educated voter. The aim is for each student to come away from the course equipped with enough knowledge to make a confident vote. \n"We want them to have a certain sophistication about how the election and politics work and politicians try to get their votes," said associate instructor John Summers. "It's a civil education. Students will come away from the course with a way to be good citizens and an understanding of the importance of democracy and the actual choices that we all have"
(10/18/00 6:52am)
It's 4 p.m. Women wearing snug black pants with flared legs wander into the Gladstein Fieldhouse in groups of two and three, joining the rest of the group in a jumble on the floor. As more women file in, the noise level in the fieldhouse rises and the reverberation of the echo makes the chatter nearly indecipherable. \n"Alpha block, please!" says Janis Cooper Parker, Redsteppers' coach, addressing the dancers. The women switch on a tape and begin to stretch and twist themselves into contortions resembling pretzels, warming up to a Dave Matthews Band song.\nBut the mellow music doesn't play for long -- after a few minutes, a tape of the Marching Hundred's music is slipped into the player, and the Redsteppers come to life. Their moves are swift and completely in unison. After watching for a while, it seems they become one unit rather than 22 separate dancers.\nThe Redsteppers have been busy practicing a new dance for this weekend's Homecoming game, when they will perform with the Marching Hundred.\n"I think Homecoming is a time where the fans come out and really show their support," said Redstepper Laura Coulter, a freshman. "It is also a time where students can come out and show their pride in the University. I think we help the football team by showing our support. We excite the fans, which in turn gets the players fired up."\nThe Redsteppers are an auxiliary section of the Marching Hundred. Each week, they learn a new dance routine to perform at the pre-game and half-time shows of every home football game. When the Redsteppers are not performing, they stand in the loudest cheering section in the stadium.\n"We never sit down during the entire game," Cooper Parker said. "Our chants and cheers are much appreciated by the team, as pointed out to us by head coach Cam Cameron. Our support is particularly felt each year when we travel to one away game."\nThis year the Marching Hundred traveled to Northwestern with the team. Despite the loss, the Redsteppers continue to offer their support to the team. \n"The Marching Hundred has built a wonderful relationship with the football team in the last four years," said senior Annie Neuendorf, captain and four-year Redstepper. "Cam Cameron has invited us numerous times to perform for the football team before a game, and the team seems to really enjoy it. Although they cannot watch us during halftime, they are always very thankful for our support. School spirit is such an easy gratification; not only is it fun to dance and support the team, but also to be involved in as much of this college experience as possible."\nMany Redsteppers said a nostalgic feeling overcomes them while on the field.\n"After four years of being a Redstepper, I can dance the school song in my sleep, yet I still get nervous at the beginning of every game," Neuendorf said. "It is a complete adrenaline rush to have 300 band members playing the school song behind me and when I look around the crowd, all I can do is smile and sometimes laugh at all the things football fans will do"
(10/17/00 4:43am)
It's midterm week at IU. But if anyone went to the IU Auditorium Sunday night stressed about grades or exams, they didn't leave feeling the same way. They heeded Wyclef's words of wisdom.\nIt doesn't matter.\nUnion Board brought MTV's Campus Invasion Tour to Bloomington, showcasing Black-Eyed Peas, De La Soul and Wyclef Jean. Black-Eyed Peas kicked off the show with a high-energy, bass-bumping set. The group opened their set with "Bringin' It Back," instantly getting the crowd on their feet. \nThey're not incredibly well-known, but they had no trouble getting the energy flowing in the auditorium. The group took a slightly jazzy switch with "Joints and Jam," a song that made one want to snap one's fingers rather than throw one's hands up. Not letting things settle down for long, they launched into another beat, complete with breakdancing by all three group members -- undoubtedly the highlight of their set. They closed with "Weekend," the first single from their recently released sophomore album and threw several tapes and cassettes out into the audience.\nDe La Soul took the stage next, and, while it maintained their energy level in the crowd, it was disappointing in comparison to the Peas. While they do get some credit for keeping the audience involved throughout their set -- dividing the audience into halves and using each sides' noise level to decide "where the party was" -- their sound was a little garbled and nearly impossible to understand at times. \nThe most well-received song was probably "Oooh," the band's newest single; because of radio-airplay, the audience sang along here and there. It took the audience "way back in the century" with "Me, Myself, and I," probably the biggest hit off its first album Three Feet High and Rising and picked up its set a little bit with "Stakes Is High," but it still seemed a little tired and just slightly past their prime. \nBut it doesn't matter.\nAfter a brief intermission, music again began to play. The crowd got excited but still had to wait a little longer for Wyclef -- he built anticipation with a show-off, shirt-stripping DJ spinning popular hip-hop songs and a video featuring Wyclef on a refugee raft declaring "I'm gonna' take over." The movie stopped, and Wyclef burst through the screen -- at long last. He started off with "No Woman, No Cry," an acoustic Marley cover that first appeared on the Fugees' The Score. \nHe mellowed out the crowd but immediately got them dancing around to a Fugees medley, encouraging them to sing Lauryn Hill's vocal parts and warming them up to songs they knew by heart. He did part of a new song, "Where Fugees At?" rapping about the "bling-bling," then abruptly stopping and starting "It Doesn't Matter." Both these songs are from his new album, The Ecleftic, 2 Sides II a Book, which was what he was supposed to be promoting. \nBut it doesn't matter.\nClef didn't seem to care about selling records. He didn't seem concerned with talking up the new album or any selfish causes. The show was full of feel-good moments, including one where he praised his brother for trading in his job as a drug-dealer for a more reputable management position. Wyclef promised students stress relief; and he made good on his word. The show started off similar to other concerts, but once Wyclef got warmed up things started changing. His most well-known song, "Gone 'til November," had been given a face-lift. Instead of being "Gone 'til November," Clef sang that he'd be "Smokin' til November." OK, slightly risque, but who cares? \nIt doesn't matter. Stress relief, right? \nWyclef briefly turned the stage over to his sister, Melky Sedeck, who wowed the audience with a bit of a capella gospel. But Clef wasn't gone for long. He returned and upped the energy level another notch by addressing security. "Let me tell you guys something," he said. "I was a security guard once, too, and you guys ain't makin' no money. You're workin' for me." \nIn an effort to combat the ridiculously inappropriate venue, he then told everyone to get as close as they could to the stage. "They told me to be intimate," he said, "and y'all was just too far away." After a few more songs, Wyclef announced it was past his curfew and he had to leave, but after obvious disappointment from the crowd, he got a half-hour extension from the promoter. \nNext he played "911," which he dubbed the "official" college sex song. The song was sweet and slow, but, of course, he didn't let things stay this way for long. He did a snippet of a cover of Naughty By Nature's "OPP" before stopping the music altogether and instead having a dance contest with members of the audience. Clef didn't hesitate to get down with the competitors, several of whom he danced with and one of whom he took quite a liking to. \nSecurity and the auditorium staff were getting a little uncomfortable at this point, screaming at people to get off chairs (which lasted for all of 2 seconds, until they turned their backs) and back away from the stage. It's impossible to be sure, but it seemed that maybe Clef was encouraged to end his show (the dance contest ended abruptly). Maybe so.\nBut it doesn't matter.\nWyclef ended the show with "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," encouraging unity and peace among the human race. Whether he was forced to end his set or not, Clef did what he came to do. He promised some surprises, and he promised to de-stress the students. He did that and more. For a few hours, students put the stress of midterms, papers and whatever else was on their minds on the back burner. So maybe a few of the chairs in the auditorium have footprints on them.\nIt doesn't matter.
(10/13/00 3:29am)
For Wyclef Jean, life seems to be all about moving up in the world. Formerly one-third of The Fugees, the hip-hop visionary is now promoting his successful solo career as well as taking on many extracurricular projects, including his new record label, Clef Records.\n"You can see the maturity and the growth of Wyclef, and it's just the the next level," he told MTV in September. "All I keep doing is bringing it up to new levels and levels."\nPart of Wyclef's growth included the release of his second solo effort, The Ecleftic -- Two Sides II A Book. \nAn MTV Campus Invasion Tour promoting his new album will sweep though the IU Auditorium 7:30 p.m. Sunday. For the first time, MTV has added hip-hop flavor to the typically rock-based concert, with Wyclef headlining and the Black-Eyed Peas and De La Soul in the mix as well. \n"I'm the King of Colleges," Wyclef said. "There's not a college I haven't invaded. MTV is going to get the most craziest footage. There ain't nothing like a bunch of college kids -- they're stressed out, and they need a concert, so we're going to bring it to them."\nUnion Board booked the tour, spicing up the entertainment scene on campus by adding something a little funkier than usual.\n"It's definitely a different direction for the local music scene," said junior Vaughn Allen, Union Board public relations director. "It was a challenge to pull together. But it's worthwhile to have the artistic variety of this caliber."\nWyclef promises an unforgettable show. \n"For 'Smoking Grooves' I came out with a lion called Simba," he said. "That was two years ago. It was this gigantic lion that freaked everybody out. So for this tour, I ain't saying that I'm bringing out any wild animals on the stage, but anything can happen." \nWyclef "Clef" Jean, the son of a minister, was born in Haiti but moved to New York at age 9. In high school, he began performing with his cousins as the rap group Tranzlater Crew, later called The Fugees. Aside from a successful rapping career and guitar playing skills, Wyclef has also produced songs and albums for many artists, such as Whitney Houston and Carlos Santana. With his newly acquired record label, he will preside over, sign and produce new talent.\nBack in 1997, Wyclef released his first solo album, The Carnival. The album, though well received by critics and fans, seemed only to throw fuel on the fire of The Fugees' demise. With solo records from Wyclef and Lauren Hill, the group slowly disintegrated, and while they still claim to be a band, provocative lyrics and recent legal battles may have ruined the chance for another record. \nWhile their fate is still up in the air, Wyclef has continued to pursue his solo career. Three years later he has put out his sophomore effort, The Ecleftic. \n"What I wanted to do with Ecleftic is touch base once again," he said. " I wanted to go back to my hip-hop formula, but bring a whole lot of music with it. So this is the next level of Wyclef."\nA self-proclaimed "prodigy from the hood," Wyclef is all about "next levels." His second album has been nearly as commercially successful as the first. \nIt's also garnered critical acclaim.\n"Clef's second solo album is the most pleasingly direct yet musically adventurous hip-hop long-player you're likely to hear all year," said Rolling Stone.\nBillboard Magazine also praised Wyclef's sophomore release. \n"Throughout, Jean appears to be an open book with many chapters," said the Billboard review. "The Ecleftic is full of many surprising guest stars, including Kenny Rogers, WWF superstar The Rock and Mary J. Blige. Although not as cohesive as Carnival, his second release spins a compelling tale of a hip-hop superstar who defies convention."\nStaff writer Joseph S. Pete contributed to this story.
(10/06/00 6:15am)
IU banned Napster for a second time April 20 after the University was threatened with a lawsuit from the heavy metal group Metallica. Now Georgia Tech has decided not to ban Napster, because university officials feel a ban would be impractical. "At a university like Georgia Tech, such a solution is impractical. Further, even if we found a temporary method, our students are bright enough to find ways around it," according to a statement released by Georgia Tech.\nBut IU officials said Napster will continue to be off-limits.\nSenior Matt Cramer said he agrees with Georgia Tech's decision.\n"Right now I do not see anything wrong with sharing files, so I don't think (Napster) should have been banned," Cramer said. \nChristopher Simpson, IU vice president for public affairs and government relations, said Napster was banned for legal reasons.\n"There are technical legal ramifications of having a site like Napster up, and these are still unclear," Simpson said. "The courts will decide this and everyone is watching with great interest."\nHe said the focus is not on the intelligence of the students.\n"It is not an issue about the smartness of the students, because ours are among the brightest in the world," Simpson said.\nMark Bruhn, information technology policy officer for University Information Technology Services, said he agrees with Georgia Tech's assessment because blocking any application is impractical from a technical standpoint.\n"We don't feel, from a cultural standpoint, like we should block anything unless it is in self-defense of the University," Bruhn said. "The legal situation surrounding (Napster) is unclear and concerning legal issues could be taken against the students."\nThere are other Web sites that many students are using in place of Napster, such as Scour.com, mp3.com and imesh.com.\nCramer said he uses both Scour and iMesh to download music from the Internet.\n"It is a lot easier to use Scour because you just type in whatever song you are looking for, and it gives you places where you can download the song," Cramer said. "I also feel that the whole banning of Napster is irrelevant, because people find ways around it, which is obvious, like Scour."\nHe said there is a way to still use Napster through a program called Napigator despite the ban, but he doesn't like it as much because it is slow and doesn't work as well as Scour.\n"Instead of turning your computer into a server, you can gather songs from Napster, but people can't grab the songs from your computer," Cramer said. "It basically sets up a server other than the Napster server, which pulls the music from the Napster server to the new server."\nBruhn said they are now watching Scour and are going to try to prevent it from being a problem through education.\n"We want students to learn about Scour and to use it properly and legally," Bruhn said. "However, if we get complaints about people using Scour or any other application in an illegal way, then we will investigate it. This has been our practice for many years and it will continue."\nHe said the outbound usage is very high, so unless they can get students to decrease usage of the site then they might have to take technical action to restrict use.\n"We have limited outbound traffic to 15 megabytes per second, and we reduced that to 10 percent (Wednesday)," Bruhn said. "This way we are limiting the amount of information from Scour that the people outside of the University can get, because the problem is more with what the outside world is getting so we are limiting the information taken from the University."\nHe said UITS suggests that students limit their use and that they not serve files to the Internet community.\n"There is a parameter that can be set in Scour that keeps other people from seeing the person's files on their desktop," Bruhn said. "Under options under media library there is a check box that says do not share my files with the Scour exchange community."\nCramer said he sometimes checks this box on his Scour.\n"I turn the file sharing off during the day to cut down on network traffic, but if I am up late at night like two or three in the morning then I go ahead and turn it on," Cramer said.\nBruhn said Napster would stay blocked until the legal situation is clarified.
(10/05/00 4:32am)
Monroe County Habitat for Humanity and IU Habitat for Humanity are building their first handicap-accessible house.\nJennifer Titus was chosen to be the recipient of the house by the Habitat selection process. The first phase is anonymous, so there is no bias when the Monroe County committee views the applications, said junior Jennifer Murphy, president of IU Habitat for Humanity.\nTitus, a lifelong Bloomington resident, has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair. Her house will be completely handicap accessible, including the appliances.\n"The first thing we did was build a ramp for her so she could get to her house, and we got a side-by-side refrigerator, so she could reach the icebox, too," said senior Cathy Jones, work site coordinator for IU Habitat for Humanity. "There are a lot of things you don't even think about having to do differently, so this is a new challenge for Habitat but we are always open to new ideas."\nThe Lion's Club of Monroe County is sponsoring the house by supplying the money, and they also volunteer at the work site.\n"A Habitat house ends up costing between $30,000 and $35,000," Jones said. "The homeowner has to eventually pay this money back, so she will pay it back, however long it takes, to the Lion's Club interest free."\nFraming day for the house was Sept. 16, and it is now almost winterized, Jones said. Work sessions are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.\n"They are right on schedule with the process," Murphy said. "The roof is ready to be shingled, and they did framing a couple of weeks ago."\nTitus has to put in 250 hours of sweat acuity (hours Titus has to spend working on the house), and these have to be finished by the time the house is completed, said Mary Stroup, Monroe County Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Coordinator.\n"Jennifer is there on Saturdays and is doing the hours with her mother, who she currently lives with," Stroup said.\nJones said working on the house gives Titus a sense of ownership and pride.\n"She has to be there every Saturday, and it's frustrating for her sometimes because there are some things she just can't do," Jones said. "Me and the other leaders make a conscious effort to find things she could do, so she will feel good."\nMurphy said Titus is very independent and is definitely contributing.\n"She is a really sweet and has a heart of gold," Murphy said. "She is willing to put in the time and works in the office, too."\nTitus said she hammers and cuts insulation and will at least give anything a try.\n"I am glad to be a part of something that will benefit me, and it is really kind of neat," Titus said.\nShe said she was ecstatic when she learned that her application was chosen and that she was going to have a house built for her.\n"I was shocked and was very happy," Titus said. "It is more or less a dream come true to get something that will cater to my needs."\nStroup said the plan is to have the house finished either Dec. 9 or 10, so she can get in her home before Christmas.\n"We will try to have it dedicated a week after that in which everyone who helped with the house will be there and the Lion's Club will present her with the key," Stroup said.
(10/04/00 5:08am)
The Asian-Pacific-American Symposium was held Tuesday in the Indiana Memorial Union, marking the second anniversary of the Asian Culture Center's opening.\n"We decided that we should host a working celebration of our second anniversary," said ACC Director Melanie Castillo-Cullather. "One that everyone can take part in."\nThe meeting focused on how Asian Americans are perceived in America and the struggle of being a minority in American culture. \nEvelyn Hu-DeHart, professor of history and chair of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, said Asian Americans are a multicultural people.\nHu-DeHart, who was born in China and raised in America, said Asian Americans have been "racially triangulated" -- in other words, they have been placed between the two extremes of black and white. Hu-DeHart said Asians are used to alternately reinforce black or white positions, but always to enforce white privilege.\nShe said they are referred to as a "model minority," a phrase that breeds resentment. She said Americans resent anyone who is overly successful, anyone they perceive as taking too much of the pie.\nHu-DeHart said that while Asian Americans are said to be over-represented in terms of wealth, "I don't hear people say that (Africans or Latinos) are over-represented when it comes to poverty."\nUntil the same people who describe Asians as an over-represented minority use that term to describe white students, Hu-DeHart said she does not see the claim as valid.\nOther discussion leaders expanded on Hu-DeHart's comments. Radhika Parameswaran, an assistant professor of journalism, talked about "Perceptions of Asians in American Culture." Parameswaran said Asian women are often portrayed as submissive victims. She shared the headline of a newspaper article, "Born Oppressed," which discussed Asian women as victims.\n"If we all believe that Asian women are born oppressed, then we will give up," Parameswaran said. "What we have to say is 'I will stop being titillated by these headlines.'"\nChristina Frazen, a junior, missed class to come to the symposium.\n"I don't know that much about Asian culture, and I thought it would be beneficial as an education major to know a little bit about every culture," Frazen said. "I thought (Parameswaran's lecture) was very beneficial."\nThe symposium finished with a panel discussion led by David Takeuchi, a professor of sociology. The panel had four Asian-American students who were all on the symposium steering committee.\nTakeuchi asked the panelists if they could only see one change in the way the Asian-American community is addressed at IU, what would it change be?\nThe panelists said they would like to see more scholarships for Asian Americans in non-science areas, more education for the entire student body on Asian-American issues and more Asian-American students involved in student issues.\nDaisy Rodriguez, a graduate student, said she would like people to think about who is included and left out in every aspect of society.\n"I would like to see everyone get involved in Asian-American issues," Rodriguez said.
(10/03/00 7:02pm)
A relatively new Web site, iuclass.com, is targeting IU students to help find things they need in the Bloomington area -- an alternative to the classifieds. The site is not affiliated with the University.\nJunior Jon Tavernier is responsible for the creation of the free site, which he started in February 1999. The site features classified advertisements from the area. \nTavernier said he is mainly the only person running the site, but anyone can place an ad on the site by filling out a membership form.\n"I noticed a lot of free sites that have a lot of classified items, so I decided to open a classified site for the Bloomington area," Tavernier said. "It\'s free and is built by IU students. It is a meeting place for students to find items without going cross country or to a bookstore."\nTavernier is a computer information system major and said this would help to make him more marketable when he looks for a job after graduation.\n"This will set myself apart from other students during interviews, and I wanted to do it for the experience," he said.\nTavernier said he is pleased with the success of the site because he has seen increases in the number of visitors to the site during the past two years. And he has added other attractions to interest students such as items to download, virtual cards, contests and news.\n"I wanted to establish something for the people besides just classifieds, so they will want to come back to the site," Tavernier said.\nMany students were unaware of this site, but said they are happy to know of its existence.\n"I didn\'t know about this site," sophomore Lauren Moore said. "I would definitely use the site for reference like with jobs or if I was looking for something in particular."\nSophomore Erica Warner said she is skeptical about the site because she is unsure of the quality of it, and said it would depend if students were Web shoppers as to whether they were to use the site.\n"It sounds like it would be convenient, but I won\'t use it because I won\'t have the need for it in the near future," Warner said. "I am not searching for anything." \nEditor's Note: This story originally appeared Sept. 22.
(10/03/00 6:54pm)
The School of Informatics officially opened this semester, making it the first new school to emerge on campus in more than 25 years. Students who choose to major, minor or receive a certificate in this field will find many jobs available to them when they graduate, school officials said.\nDean of Informatics Michael Dunn said the cognate area that the student is studying would be the key to what type of job the person receives. Some example cognate areas are journalism, economics, chemistry, fine arts, public and environmental affairs, telecommunications, computer science and interior design.\n"A student with a cognate area in fine arts could possibly be a digital artist or graphic designer," Dunn said. "Also with chemistry for example, the student could work for a pharmaceutical firm. They would work with information technologies in that particular industry."\nThe school teaches about information technology applied to solving human problems.\n"Unlike computer science that focuses on core technologies, our students will be trained with tools used in various disciplines and be able to use and participate in development," Dunn said.\nHe said starting salaries will vary widely depending on the cognate area, but overall salaries should range between $40,000 to $60,000 a year.\n"The interesting feature about the School of Informatics is that it allows students to explore information technologies and subject matter and end up with the credentials to get a well-paying job," Dunn said.\nBecause informatics is a new school, there aren't any graduates as of now, but the school hopes to have a placement and internship program in place in a year and a half to two years.\n"Information Technology Association of America currently has one million, six hundred thousand vacancies in information-technology related jobs," Dunn said. "These jobs will continue to develop since there is a need for them, and right now the Midwest is the hottest region for new technology jobs."\nHe said other related jobs are virtual set designer, Webmaster, database developer and software developer.\n"There are brand new jobs that people aren't even aware of like a user experience analyst," Dunn said. "These people design computers and computer interfaces."\n"Students trained broadly with information technologies are very likely candidates for decision support or management positions of information technology issues," he said. "The school tries to educate students broadly since people change careers three and four times during their life."\nFreshman Jonathan Raimondi is majoring in informatics and is taking I101, an introductory course to informatics.\n"I am happy with the way class is going, and things are pretty good right now," Raimondi said. "I am going to go into network engineering probably with my degree in informatics."\nDunn said with informatics it is like a two-way street as students can minor in it instead of majoring.\n"You will still get a heavy dose about information technologies through a minor in Informatics," Dunn said.\nFreshman Cory Steger is majoring in computer science and is unsure of what he will do with informatics at this point. He is also enrolled in I101, introduction to informatics, and is just exploring his options right now.\n"There are a lot of careers in informatics, and it is an up-and-coming profession," Steger said. "My teacher tells us that there are so many jobs out there"
(09/22/00 4:58am)
A relatively new Web site, iuclass.com, is targeting IU students to help find things they need in the Bloomington area -- an alternative to the classifieds. The site is not affiliated with the University.\nJunior Jon Tavernier is responsible for the creation of the free site, which he started in February 1999. The site features classified advertisements from the area. \nTavernier said he is mainly the only person running the site, but anyone can place an ad on the site by filling out a membership form.\n"I noticed a lot of free sites that have a lot of classified items, so I decided to open a classified site for the Bloomington area," Tavernier said. "It's free and is built by IU students. It is a meeting place for students to find items without going cross country or to a bookstore."\nTavernier is a computer information system major and said this would help to make him more marketable when he looks for a job after graduation.\n"This will set myself apart from other students during interviews, and I wanted to do it for the experience," he said.\nTavernier said he is pleased with the success of the site because he has seen increases in the number of visitors to the site over the past two years. And he has added other attractions to interest students such as items to download, virtual cards, contests and news.\n"I wanted to establish something for the people besides just classifieds, so they will want to come back to the site," Tavernier said.\nMany students were unaware of this site, but said they are happy to know of its existence.\n"I didn't know about this site," sophomore Lauren Moore said. "I would definitely use the site for reference like with jobs or if I was looking for something in particular."\nSophomore Erica Warner said she is skeptical about the site because she is unsure of the quality of it, and said it would depend if students were Web shoppers as to whether they were to use the site.\n"It sounds like it would be convenient, but I won't use it because I won't have the need for it in the near future," Warner said. "I am not searching for anything"
(09/22/00 4:49am)
About 25 people gathered Wednesday night at the Asian Culture Center for "Over a Cup of Tea," a monthly forum on Asian and Asian American issues. The group met to discuss Wen Ho Lee, a 60-year-old Chinese American nuclear physicist accused of espionage.\nHe was arrested for mishandling classified information at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Jeannine Bell, an associate law professor and one of the forum's discussion leaders, asked the question at the heart of the night's topic: "Was this racial profiling?"\nNick Cullather, an associate history professor and discussion leader said nuclear secrets have traditionally been tied to issues of race. He referred to the capital murder of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, children of Polish immigrants, who were found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage in 1951.\n"Whether or not they actually did it was immaterial," Cullather said. "The government was, in fact, making a point about split loyalties of ethnic groups," he said of the Rosenbergs.\n"Is this profiling or not?" Bell asked. "Was this selective prosecution? Were there issues of unfair treatment?"\nLee was arrested for downloading information that was not secret at the time. He was held in prison for nine months without bail.\n"When pressed to point to a country (Lee) was spying for, (the U.S. government) indicated he was a freelance spy," Cullather said. Members of the crowd chuckled.\n"I don't think this has anything to do with racial profiling," said Lewis Maudlin, a prosecutor in Washington County. Maudlin said he thought Lee was guilty of the charges because, among other things, he pleaded guilty to one charge and didn't go to trial.\n"After nine months (a plea bargain) would look pretty darn good to me, because I could go home at the very least," Bell responded. "I think the United States government found an easy mark (in Lee). The case wasn't evidence-based. If they had something, him pleading guilty to one count would not have been the outcome."\nCullather said the real issue is how Asians and Asian-Americans are perceived.\n"Beyond guilt or innocence, the issue in Lee's case was how the American government views Asian and Asian-Americans. Most Americans see Asians as an undifferentiated mass," said Cullather.\nThe United States accused Lee of spying for China, although he was born in Taiwan and is now a U.S. citizen.\n"He has lived here since the '60s or '70s," said Chin-Li Wang, a Taiwanese master's student in the School of Law. "He went to Texas A&M. He raised his family here. He is an American citizen. We don't think of him as Taiwanese. We think of him as American. That's why we don't care." \nHe grinned as he adjusted the black cardigan resting on his shoulders. Then his grin faded. \n"For Asian Americans, no matter how long they have been here, they are seen as Asians," he said.\nDaisy Rodriguez, a Filipino American doctoral student in higher education and student affairs said she gets offended when people comment on her English. She was raised in the United States and is an American citizen. "People ask me where I'm from, and when I say the United States, they say 'No, I mean what country are you actually from.' I'm a United States citizen."\nMelanie Castillo-Cullather, director of the Asian Culture Center, said Lee's case has given reservations to Asian people who want to come to the United States. She said many scientists from China do not want to apply for American government positions because they do not want to invite trouble.\n"It has an affect on aspiring Asian professionals wanting to work in the United States. It has a domino effect," she said.\nCullather said the Asian community is at an important point in the process of forming an identity within the larger context of ethnic minorities in the United States. \n"There is a change happening here," he said. "Something is about to happen"