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(02/14/07 2:33am)
What were you doing at 5:15 this morning? Hornist and IU Associate Professor of Music Jeff Nelsen was reading his own handwriting on a Post-It note he stuck to the snooze bar of his alarm clock. The question, "How bad do you want it?" stares Nelsen in the face every morning when he thinks about rolling over and going back to sleep.\n"It's all about being smarter than myself," Nelsen said. "And knowing my own tendencies and compensating for them in productive ways."\nKnowing his own tendencies has helped Nelsen lead a productive life. He is best known for his years as a member of the Canadian brass, during which time he performed hundreds of quintet recitals all over the world and was featured with numerous symphony orchestras, according to a press release from IU. Nelsen has also performed in the horn sections of the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra.\nNelsen was backstage at a New York Philharmonic concert when he first considered joining the brass faculty of the IU Jacobs School of Music, while talking to a trombone player he knew from the Seattle Symphony. That trombone player was Peter Ellefson who is also a professor at IU. Ellefson told Nelsen that his name had come up in a discussion at the University because there was an opening for a horn professor. Nelsen was asked if he would be interested, and he was.\nSince last September, Nelsen has brought what was referred to as his "unique teaching style" to IU, according to a press release. Nelsen said he thinks that a musician's training is identical to that of an athlete.\n"We exercise our muscles and learn our craft," Nelsen said. "On this path to excellence the moment we show our craft is usually in a performance situation like an athlete."\nNelsen said the big thing in teaching music is fearlessness, which is what his debut book publication "Fearless Auditioning," which is due for release this year, is about. Nelsen said fearlessness is better than confidence. This concept came about for Nelsen when he was writing an article called "The Confidence Myth."\n"I've never been 100 percent confident, but I can look back on performances and realize I was 100 percent fearless," Nelsen said.\nNelsen was raised on a pig farm in western Canada by his parents who met through opera. Nelsen said this mixture of experience in classical music and learning the work ethic of the farm has served him well.\n"Talent can get you best in high school, but beyond that it's the ratio of work to talent," Nelsen said. "It has to be a lot higher on the side of hard work."\nNelsen is also an enthusiastic magician and incorporated magic into his performance of a solo originally written and performed by Paganini, who was rumored to be in league with the devil in order to perform his great pieces. Nelsen would state that fact and tell the audience that in all his hours in the practice room he never actually made that deal with the devil, but that he might have thought about it once. On the word "once" Nelsen would set off an explosion of smoke and fire from his hand.\nNelsen said magic is another great art that takes discipline and practice and is endlessly creative.\n"When I was single I met girls with it too," Nelsen said. "But I'm married now."\nNelsen recently married his wife, Nina, who is studying opera in Philadelphia.\n"She helps me with my learning and loving," Nelsen said.\nNelsen said he is all about sayings. His favorite saying is "Most people don't aim too high and miss, they aim too low and hit."\n"Keep aiming high and that makes any two- or three-hour class or rehearsal fly by," Nelsen said. "And have fun"
(02/12/07 2:04am)
A man was arrested on preliminary charges of strangulation Sunday, said Sgt. Mic Williams reading from a police report. Bloomington Police officers were dispatched to the 700 block of South Clarizz Blvd. after a resident in a neighboring apartment heard a male and female screaming, Williams said. Officers initially could not make contact with anyone inside the apartment where the screaming came from.\n An officer heard a female crying inside the apartment and after continually knocking on the door announced that the officers would force their way in if no one answered. At that point Ryan Rene, 27, answered the door. Rene denied that there had been any problems. The officer located the female that she heard crying in back bedroom of the apartment. The officer observed scratches and red marks on the female's left arm and neck. The female told the officer that she and Rene were supposed to meet up with each other while they were out earlier that night. The two never ended up meeting and when they returned home they began to argue.\nRene told the female to get out of the apartment, Williams said. He then threw a cell phone at her and it hit her on the left side of the head. Rene picked her up with both hands around her neck in an attempt to throw her out of the apartment, according to the police report. The female tried to fight him off and made her way back into the apartment. Rene kept the female in the back bedroom when officers arrived to prevent her from answering the door, Williams said.\nRene initially denied that there was any physical altercation. He later admitted there was some physical altercation but did not elaborate, Williams said.\nRene was taken into custody by Bloomington Police and booked on preliminary charges of strangulation, a class D felony; criminal confinement, also a class D felony and domestic battery, a class A misdemeanor.
(02/11/07 11:53pm)
Bloomington police are investigating an aggravated battery case involving a dispute over a parking space that occurred Saturday.\nThe complainant was standing in a parking space with her dog to save the spot for her husband outside PetSmart, 240 N. Gates Drive, Sgt. Mic Williams said, reading from a police report. A green Chevrolet Blazer began to pull into the parking space where the complainant was standing with her dog. The complainant said she heard a male voice yell to get out of the way, Williams said. She pointed to her husband's vehicle and said she was saving the space for him.\nThe complainant said the male in the green Blazer then pressed his accelerator and hit her in the knee with his bumper. The complainant said the impact moved her back several inches.\nThe complainant's husband and the male in the green blazer got out of their vehicles and exchanged words. The complainant then called the police. The male got back into his vehicle and drove away before officers arrived.\nAn officer was able to make contact with the male driver after the complainant gave him the license-plate number on the green blazer. The driver of the vehicle said he was upset and that it was a "road rage thing." Officers couldn't say for sure that the driver actually struck the complainant because there is no damage to the vehicle and the complainant sustained no injuries. Bloomington police are still talking to witnesses to determine what happened.
(02/11/07 11:50pm)
A man was arrested on preliminary charges of strangulation Sunday, according to the Bloomington Police Department.\nBPD officers were dispatched to the 700 block of South Clarizz Boulevard after a resident in a neighboring apartment heard a male and female screaming, said Sgt. Mic Williams. Officers initially could not make contact with anyone inside the apartment where the screaming came from, Williams said, reading from a police report.\nAn officer heard a female crying inside the apartment and, after continually knocking on the door, announced that the officers would force their way in if no one answered. At that point, Ryan Rene, 27, answered the door. Rene denied there had been any problems. The officer located the female she had heard crying in the back bedroom of the apartment. The officer observed scratches and red marks on the female's left arm and neck. The female told the officer that she and Rene were supposed to meet up with each other while they were out earlier that night. The two never ended up meeting, and when they returned home, they began to argue.\nRene told the female to get out of the apartment, Williams said. He then threw a cell phone at her and it hit her on the left side of the head. Rene picked up the female with both hands around her neck in an attempt to throw her out of the apartment, according to the police report. The female tried to fight him off and made her way back into the apartment. Rene kept the female in the back bedroom when officers arrived to prevent her from answering the door, Williams said.\nRene initially denied that there was any physical altercation. He later admitted there was some physical altercation but did not elaborate, Williams said.\nRene was taken into custody by Bloomington police and booked on preliminary charges of strangulation, a class D felony; criminal confinement, a class D felony; and domestic battery, a class A misdemeanor.
(02/08/07 5:25am)
Though Bloomington is famous for its restaurants, culture and entertainment, students often overlook another form of its nightlife -- dancing. Lessons are available in everything from ballroom to country line dancing, and with Valentine's Day just around the corner, they're a great way to have fun with a current partner or find a new one.\nArthur Murray dance studio, located off Third Street near Borders Bookstore, offers lessons in 18 different styles of ballroom dancing, including smooth dances like the fox-trot and tango, rhythm dances like the salsa, rumba and cha-cha and the popular swing dance, said Barbara Leininger, owner of the Bloomington Arthur Murray dance studio.\nStudents who enroll in one of the studio's programs will learn to dance through a combination of private lessons, group classes and weekly practice sessions designed to feel like a party. \n"Students come in, dance, have fun and practice all of the dances they have been learning," Leininger said.\nThe studio teaches everyone from beginners to advanced dancers of all ages. Leininger said her youngest student is 10 and her oldest is 91.\nDancing is a life skill, Leininger said, and she encourages everyone to try it. She said the skill of dancing can make participants feel good about themselves in a social situation and that good dancers are admired.\n"For all the guys, girls like to dance, so if you know how to dance, you'll be a popular man," Leininger said.\nThe studio offers many programs that cater to the specific desires of each student, including an introductory special that starts at $35. Visit the studio's Web site at www.bloomingtonarthurmurray.com or call the studio at 334-0553 for more information.\nStudents looking for a different style of dancing can head east on State Road 46 toward Nashville, Ind., to find Mike's Music and Dance Barn. Mike's, which is a restaurant as well, offers line dancing, ballroom and freestyle dance lessons, dance instructor Carla Willis said. Line dancing classes are held Monday nights and are available to everyone without an appointment. Admission is $5. Friday and Saturday nights are open to the public. Saturday night the doors open at 6 p.m. There is a DJ from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and then owner Mike Robertson's house band, Smooth Country, plays until about 11 p.m. \n Dancing there is both a way to have fun and a great exercise, too, Willis said. Mike's uses all kinds of music such as "club music" and "top hits" to line dance to.\n"Some people get the misconception that it's all country music," Willis said. "It's certainly not."\nMike's provides a "family atmosphere" so visitors don't have to be 21, which Willis said is good for some college students. For those who are 21, Mike's does serve beer and wine. Visit www.thedancebarn.com or call 327-0493 for more information.\nStudents who want to enjoy lively and energetic dancing on a regular basis can check out the Bloomington Old-Time Music and Dance Group. The group is a nonprofit community organization dedicated to the enjoyment of music and dance, according to its Web site.\nThe group was started in 1972 and has sponsored dances every Wednesday since then, dance coordinator Bill Baus said. There is always live music, and the type of dancing is mostly contra-dancing, which involves partners and a "caller" who calls out the names of many different types of figures. People are usually familiar with some of the figures, like the "do-si-do," Baus said. \nDances are normally held at Harmony School, 909 E. Second St. Someone is available to give newcomers a few pointers if they show up about 15 minutes early, Baus said. Admission is normally $3 for members and $4 for nonmembers, but the group offers free admission coupons for first-timers.\nBloomington Old-Time Music and Dance Group is unlike some square dance clubs that require people to pay for lessons and get certified.\n"We don't do anything like that," Baus said. "You don't have to wear funny outfits either."\nSome female members of the group tend to wear flowing peasant-type skirts so that their skirts flare out when they twirl, but not all do, Baus said. He said he usually wears shorts and a T-shirt because the energetic style of dancing can make people hot.\n"People who show up with heavy sweaters on usually shed the sweaters very fast or end up very sweaty," Baus said.\nThe group also hosts two weekend events. The smaller event, which is coming up the first full weekend in April that is not Easter weekend is called "Swing-into-Spring." The other weekend event is called "Sugar Hill," and is in August. Both events are held at a Boy Scout reservation near Lake Monroe.\nSugar Hill draws about 300 or 400 people from many different states, Baus said. People come in Friday evening and dance until about 3 or 4 in the morning.\n"People are wimpy nowadays," Baus said. "We used to dance until dawn."\nThe cost is $35 to pre-register, which includes camping, dancing and food.\nContra-dancing attracts a wide variety of ages. The group has a number of IU students who are regulars, Baus said.\n"It's funny because on holiday break periods, IU students in the group go home," Baus said. "But the kids who used to dance with the group in high school who are off in college come home and dance."\nBaus said people don't need to know anything or anybody when they first come because the group is always glad to have new participants.\nVisit www.bloomington.in.us/~botmdg/ or call 339-1210 for more information.
(02/08/07 5:00am)
Though Bloomington is famous for its restaurants, culture and entertainment, students often overlook another form of its nightlife -- dancing. Lessons are available in everything from ballroom to country line dancing, and with Valentine's Day just around the corner, they're a great way to have fun with a current partner or find a new one.\nArthur Murray dance studio, located off Third Street near Borders Bookstore, offers lessons in 18 different styles of ballroom dancing, including smooth dances like the fox-trot and tango, rhythm dances like the salsa, rumba and cha-cha and the popular swing dance, said Barbara Leininger, owner of the Bloomington Arthur Murray dance studio.\nStudents who enroll in one of the studio's programs will learn to dance through a combination of private lessons, group classes and weekly practice sessions designed to feel like a party. \n"Students come in, dance, have fun and practice all of the dances they have been learning," Leininger said.\nThe studio teaches everyone from beginners to advanced dancers of all ages. Leininger said her youngest student is 10 and her oldest is 91.\nDancing is a life skill, Leininger said, and she encourages everyone to try it. She said the skill of dancing can make participants feel good about themselves in a social situation and that good dancers are admired.\n"For all the guys, girls like to dance, so if you know how to dance, you'll be a popular man," Leininger said.\nThe studio offers many programs that cater to the specific desires of each student, including an introductory special that starts at $35. Visit the studio's Web site at www.bloomingtonarthurmurray.com or call the studio at 334-0553 for more information.\nStudents looking for a different style of dancing can head east on State Road 46 toward Nashville, Ind., to find Mike's Music and Dance Barn. Mike's, which is a restaurant as well, offers line dancing, ballroom and freestyle dance lessons, dance instructor Carla Willis said. Line dancing classes are held Monday nights and are available to everyone without an appointment. Admission is $5. Friday and Saturday nights are open to the public. Saturday night the doors open at 6 p.m. There is a DJ from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and then owner Mike Robertson's house band, Smooth Country, plays until about 11 p.m. \n Dancing there is both a way to have fun and a great exercise, too, Willis said. Mike's uses all kinds of music such as "club music" and "top hits" to line dance to.\n"Some people get the misconception that it's all country music," Willis said. "It's certainly not."\nMike's provides a "family atmosphere" so visitors don't have to be 21, which Willis said is good for some college students. For those who are 21, Mike's does serve beer and wine. Visit www.thedancebarn.com or call 327-0493 for more information.\nStudents who want to enjoy lively and energetic dancing on a regular basis can check out the Bloomington Old-Time Music and Dance Group. The group is a nonprofit community organization dedicated to the enjoyment of music and dance, according to its Web site.\nThe group was started in 1972 and has sponsored dances every Wednesday since then, dance coordinator Bill Baus said. There is always live music, and the type of dancing is mostly contra-dancing, which involves partners and a "caller" who calls out the names of many different types of figures. People are usually familiar with some of the figures, like the "do-si-do," Baus said. \nDances are normally held at Harmony School, 909 E. Second St. Someone is available to give newcomers a few pointers if they show up about 15 minutes early, Baus said. Admission is normally $3 for members and $4 for nonmembers, but the group offers free admission coupons for first-timers.\nBloomington Old-Time Music and Dance Group is unlike some square dance clubs that require people to pay for lessons and get certified.\n"We don't do anything like that," Baus said. "You don't have to wear funny outfits either."\nSome female members of the group tend to wear flowing peasant-type skirts so that their skirts flare out when they twirl, but not all do, Baus said. He said he usually wears shorts and a T-shirt because the energetic style of dancing can make people hot.\n"People who show up with heavy sweaters on usually shed the sweaters very fast or end up very sweaty," Baus said.\nThe group also hosts two weekend events. The smaller event, which is coming up the first full weekend in April that is not Easter weekend is called "Swing-into-Spring." The other weekend event is called "Sugar Hill," and is in August. Both events are held at a Boy Scout reservation near Lake Monroe.\nSugar Hill draws about 300 or 400 people from many different states, Baus said. People come in Friday evening and dance until about 3 or 4 in the morning.\n"People are wimpy nowadays," Baus said. "We used to dance until dawn."\nThe cost is $35 to pre-register, which includes camping, dancing and food.\nContra-dancing attracts a wide variety of ages. The group has a number of IU students who are regulars, Baus said.\n"It's funny because on holiday break periods, IU students in the group go home," Baus said. "But the kids who used to dance with the group in high school who are off in college come home and dance."\nBaus said people don't need to know anything or anybody when they first come because the group is always glad to have new participants.\nVisit www.bloomington.in.us/~botmdg/ or call 339-1210 for more information.
(02/06/07 4:32am)
The IU Office of Creative Services plans to change the IU gateway Web page, www.indiana.edu, by August.\nThe Web page's last redesign was in 2002, said Rebecca Salerno, associate director of the Office of Creative Services and leader of the office's New Media Team. The Web page is redesigned to keep up with new Web technologies and trends.\n"One of the things we want to attempt with the redesign is to make more technologies available to people," Salerno said.\nOne of the ways this will be done is with RSS news feeds, which have been up on the current gateway page for about a month, Salerno said. People can subscribe to IU news headlines using the RSS feeds if they have a news reader, also known as an aggregator. Salerno said news readers will be installed by default with Microsoft's new operating system, Windows Vista.\nThe University Information Technology Services told the Indiana Daily Student last month that Student Technology Centers will likely be upgraded to Windows Vista by the summer of 2008.\nSalerno said a link to the new podcast portal on the new Web site will make it easier for people to access IU's podcasts. People can use RSS feeds with their "podcatcher" software to download or subscribe to podcasts, Martin Wagner, podcast project manager, said in an e-mail interview.\n"The new podcast portal will make podcasts much easier to find using our simple registration and storage system," Wagner said.\nSimilar to iTunes' , Yahoo's and others' podcast portals, IU students, faculty and staff will be allowed to register their podcasts in the portal, Wagner said.\nAfter registering, people can browse for podcasts by category, keywords, popularity and featured podcasts or by searching the registration database. In addition to registration, the portal can also serve as storage for podcasts, Wagner said.\nThe Web page serves a wide variety of audiences, such as people in the business community, students, alumni and prospective students, Salerno said.\n"We really do want prospective students to find information about all our campuses at a glance from the Web site," Salerno said.\nWagner said podcasts can help to do this. \n"Podcasts that will be served from the portal could benefit prospective students who want to see what a day in the life of a Kelley School of Business student is like," Wagner said.\nPodcasts can also help alumni who want to keep up with current events or current students who want to hear, for instance, IU men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson discuss the Hoosiers' victory over Wisconsin, Wagner said.\nA survey to gather feedback from people visiting IU's gateway Web page was taken down Friday to analyze results, Salerno said. The survey's questions for the site's visitors included who they were, how often they use the Web page and how easy it was to find information.\n"Our philosophy is that to build a really good Web site, you have to understand your audience and their needs," Salerno said.
(02/06/07 2:57am)
Bloomington police are looking for a man who attacked two men with a bat Sunday morning.\nThe Bloomington Police Department was called about 3:44 a.m. when a Bloomington man, 35, was screaming for help in the 400 block of East Hillside Drive, BPD Detective Sgt. Jeff Canada said, reading from a police report.\nOfficers discovered that the man, who was bleeding heavily, had jumped from the second story window of his apartment in the 400 block of East Southern Drive and crawled to the 400 block of East Hillside Drive. The man was fleeing from a suspect described as a heavyset male with a wooden bat.\nThe suspect broke a window and kicked in the door to the victims' apartment, Canada said. The suspect started to attack one victim, who then jumped out the window. Then the suspect began to attack another man in the apartment. The 48-year-old victim was hit in the head, hand and body.\nThe suspect was gone by the time officers arrived.\nBoth victims were uncooperative with officers, Canada said. Officers said the victims acted as if they wanted the officers to leave. Both victims said they did not know the suspect. The 35-year-old victim was taken to Bloomington Hospital to be treated for his injuries. The 48-year-old victim refused treatment. The case is still under investigation, Canada said.
(02/05/07 11:00pm)
Bloomington police are looking for a man who attacked two men with a bat Sunday morning.\nThe Bloomington Police Department was called about 3:44 a.m. when a Bloomington man, 35, was screaming for help in the 400 block of East Hillside Drive, BPD Detective Sgt. Jeff Canada said, reading from a police report.\nOfficers discovered that the man, who was bleeding heavily, had jumped from the second story window of his apartment in the 400 block of East Southern Drive and crawled to the 400 block of East Hillside Drive. The man was fleeing from a suspect described as a heavyset male with a wooden bat.\nThe suspect broke a window and kicked in the door to the victims' apartment, Canada said. The suspect started to attack one victim, who then jumped out the window. Then the suspect began to attack another man in the apartment. The 48-year-old victim was hit in the head, hand and body.\nThe suspect was gone by the time officers arrived.\nBoth victims were uncooperative with officers, Canada said. Officers said the victims acted as if they wanted the officers to leave. Both victims said they did not know the suspect. The 35-year-old victim was taken to Bloomington Hospital to be treated for his injuries. The 48-year-old victim refused treatment. The case is still under investigation, Canada said.
(02/02/07 5:26am)
The words "If you were a woman and I was a man" blasted from the speakers in the McNutt Quad Flame Room Thursday night, while Miss Gay IU Vanessa Vale kicked off OUT's first Hoosier Daddy Drag King Competition.\nSix female IU students dressed as males to perform and answer an onstage question for judges and a large crowd.\n"The crowd is already better than the first two years of Miss Gay IU as far as audience attendance," said judge and previous Miss Gay IU emcee Vicki St. James before the competition.\nVale hosted the event where six contestants were judged in three categories: onstage question, costume wear and performance. Six judges looked for qualities, such as confidence among the contestants.\n"I'm looking for someone who puts across a good illusion and leaves behind their female persona," said St. James, who said she was also interested in the contestants' answers to their onstage questions. "I want someone who is well-spoken, because they will be representing me and the rest of the GLBT community."\nThe onstage questions followed a performance of "Mambo No. 5" by one of the judges, Xavier Brooks, who was named Mr. Gay USA for Male Impersonators at Large.\nDressed in white from his hat to his shoes, Brooks pleased the crowd enough to be handed cash from several audience members.\nEach contestant answered a different question from Vale. Contestant No. 1 , freshman Kadin Kox, said one of the obstacles that needed to be overcome during the contest Thursday night was fear of the stage.\nThe talent competition followed the performances by "King of Clubs." Each contestant performed to a song, but contestant No. 6, senior Aiden, stole the show and the judges' votes with freestyle rapping and break dancing. Aiden received a sash and crown and will be Miss Gay IU's escort at the Miss Gay IU competition April 13.\nOUT is still selling a select number of Miss Gay IU tickets for $9. For more information, e-mail OUT at out@indiana.edu.
(01/31/07 5:27am)
Computers on the IU campus will likely be updated in 2008 to Microsoft's new operating system, Windows Vista.\nThe operating system is the successor to Windows XP and was released Tuesday.\nThe decision to move to Vista will be left to the owners of the IU machines, said Sue Workman, director of user support for University Information Technology Services at IU.\nWorkman said that according to the manager of the Student Technology Center, the UITS Student Technology Centers will likely be upgraded by the summer of 2008.\nUITS Student Technology Centers include the Information Commons machines in the Herman B Wells Library.\nThe University will not be charged by Microsoft if it chooses to update the computers. Upgrade licenses are included in IU's enterprise Microsoft agreement, and there is no additional licensing cost to IU to upgrade existing Windows licenses to Vista, Workman said in an e-mail interview.\nWhile the University will not be charged for upgrading to Vista, entire computers may need to be replaced to do this.\n"Perhaps they will need to be replaced if the hardware is not beefy enough to run Vista ," Workman said.\nVista hardware requirements are listed in a UITS Knowledge Base article at http://kb.iu.edu/data/auhq.html.\nSince the software is part of IU's Microsoft agreement, students, faculty and staff can expect the software to be available for a low cost, Workman said. However, she said an exact price has not been set, as IU waits to see what the cost of the operating system will be for the University.\nWindows XP Professional is available to students at the IU Bookstore for $10. Vista will be sold for a similar price, Workman said.\nTwo versions of Vista -- Enterprise and Ultimate -- will be available. For those who already own a copy of Windows, Amazon.com sells the Ultimate-brand upgrade version for $250.\n"This is a substantial savings for personal purchases," Workman said.\nIU junior Josh Falcon said he sees IU updating its machines to Vista as a forced expense to students.\n"I think I'll buy it just to make things easier," Falcon said. "If my computer is outdated compared to IU's computers, it will make things difficult."\nFalcon said he can foresee potential problems for IU students with some online programs.\nOne current problem for those who update their systems is that there are many software packages not compatible with Vista.\n"Textbook vendors sometimes include accompanying CDs that are operating-system- and application-version-dependent," Workman said.\nIU negotiates its enterprise agreements to benefit the institution, Workman said. They try to extend those benefits to faculty, staff and students.\n"This is a case where literally the institution and our faculty, staff and students will save literally millions of dollars," Workman said.\nMore information can be found at the UITS Knowledge Base, http://kb.iu.edu, and on the UITS Web site, http://uits.iu.edu.
(01/31/07 3:33am)
Most applicants to conservation schools are not admitted the first time they apply.\nIU graduate Preston H. Smith will find out in April if he has beaten the odds and been accepted on his first try. \nSmith applied to Buffalo State College in New York, one of three schools in the country that offer a conservation program.\nThe average age of conservation school applicants is about 30, Smith said.\n"I'm younger than that now, but let's just say I'm confident good will come of this," Smith said.\nConservation science is notoriously difficult, said Janet Kennedy, head of the Department of the History of Art. Applicants to conservation schools have to be very skilled in studio art, art history and chemistry, and they must have completed internships with professional conservators, Kennedy said.\nSmith was able to accomplish all of these things at IU.\n"I can't stress enough how fantastic IU is for this program," Smith said.\nSmith graduated from IU with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting, a Bachelor of Arts in art history and a minor in chemistry. Bloomington is home to several conservators because of the IU Art Museum, Mathers Museum and Lilly Library. Smith worked under IU Art Museum Conservator Margaret Contompasis as a volunteer intern while working on his undergraduate degrees.\n"It was great to work alongside someone with so much knowledge and experience," Smith said.\nSmith has worked on several conservation projects to add to his portfolio. Last summer he worked with art conservator Tony Rajer to remove two murals painted on the walls of 100-year-old Brookside Elementary School in Indianapolis. The murals were painted directly onto the wall in 1921. Smith assisted architects, engineers, professional riggers and construction crews in treating and moving the two pieces -- 5 feet tall and 17 feet wide -- to their new location.\nThere is a lot of travel involved in conservatism, Smith said. Conservatism has taken him around the U.S. as well as to London, Italy, France and India.\nSmith worked with Rajer again, traveling to northern India where he worked on a project to evaluate the condition of a 25-acre sculpture park known as "Rock Garden" by Nek Chand.\n"It was like a handmade Disneyland," Smith said. "Over the course of 50 years the artist used anything you would normally throw out to assemble as people and other figures."\nFor three weeks Smith helped to survey and assess over 3,000 sculptures and train local volunteers in identifying damage patterns.\nSmith said figuring out what you want to do in life is a journey and a process, but it all works out in the end as long as you're doing what you want.\nSmith was a student in several of Kennedy's classes while he was at IU and she was able to get to know him during that time.\n"Preston has discovered something he wants to do and gone after it," Kennedy said.\nSmith said he is lucky to have found a career that involves art work in the way that conservatism does. \n"I chose conservation because I didn't want to work a day in my life," Smith said. "Being able to do the things I do is a dream, I love it"
(01/30/07 5:27am)
A man held a Marsh grocery store employee hostage Sunday night. The Bloomington Police Department received a call at 10:27 p.m. that a man armed with a gun and a bomb was inside the store located at 1825 N. Kinser Pike and was threatening to detonate the bomb, according to a BPD press release.\nThe man, who was wearing a gray sweatshirt and a black hat, initially went into the front office with two female employees, Bloomington Police Sgt. Jeff Canada said reading from a police report. The suspect let one of the employees, age 21, go before police arrived. The suspect made no mention of any demands. One of the employees told him to take the money, and he told her to shut up, Canada said. The suspect said the manager of the store had disrespected him some time ago.\nThe initial responding officers were able to see that the suspect was holding a handgun to a hostage, and had a "suspicious" device which he told the officers was a bomb, according to the press release. At one point he choked the hostage and threw her to the floor. Officers were able to contain the suspect in the office, establish a perimeter and have the surrounding businesses vacated for safety reasons.\nBPD negotiators successfully negotiated the release of the hostage at approximately 12:05 a.m, according to a press release.\nAt one point the suspect left the office and headed toward the front doors of the store, Sgt. Canada said. While the suspect was near the doors Officer Matt Gilmore hid behind a cabinet. The suspect then headed back to the office, and as he approached officer Gilmore identified himself. The suspect then ran to the back of the store. He fell while going through the double doors to the storage area in the back of the store. When the suspect fell, he lost his gun. The suspect continued to run, Canada said, but was then apprehended by the BPD Critical Incident Response Team.\nOfficers later found that the handgun was actually a BB pistol and the purported bomb was fake, according to a press release. James B. Robertson, 40, was first taken to Bloomington Hospital to be examined, and was then booked into the Monroe County Jail on charges of kidnapping, use of a hoax destructive device, resisting law enforcement and battery. Members of the Indiana State Police, Monroe County Sheriff's Department, IU Police Department, Ellettsville Police Department, Bloomington Fire Department and Bloomington Hospital Ambulance Service all assisted.
(01/30/07 5:27am)
The new campus shuttle service for IU faculty and staff saw few riders in its first day of service. Throughout the entire day a total of six passengers sat in the cushioned seats of the tan and red IU bus as it made laps through campus. \nIU Transportation Services decided to provide the service after some faculty and staff expressed concerns about the loss of a 144-space parking lot at the corner of Fess and Atwater avenues, according to a news release. That parking lot is now the construction site for a new 500-space parking garage.\nThe shuttle will continue to run until the garage project is completed, as long as enough people take advantage of the service, said Director of IU Transportation Services Kent McDaniel.\n"If nobody rides the shuttle we won't continue to offer the service," McDaniel said.\nIn the past, Transportation Services offered a shuttle service from Memorial Stadium to the Student Recreational Sports Center, but did not renew the service due to a low number of passengers, McDaniel said.\nOne of the shuttle's six passengers was IU Director of Veteran Support Services Margaret Baechtold. She found out about the service after receiving an e-mail last week and reading an article about it in the newspaper. Baechtold said she enjoyed riding the bus yesterday.\n"It's a fun bus," Baechtold said. "I've had a conversation every way."\nBaechtold parked at the Indiana Avenue Church of Christ parking lot, at the corner of Indiana Avenue and 12th Street this morning where the shuttle picked her up. She got off the shuttle at its Law School stop on Indiana Avenue. Baechtold works in Franklin Hall and asked driver Roger Gardner if a stop could be added at the Sample Gates. Gardner radioed in, and Baechtold's request was granted.\nBaechtold thought the service was a good idea \nbecause the closing of the lot at Fess and Atwater will cause people to park farther north on campus.\n"I hope more people will ride the shuttle so the service will continue," Baechtold said.\nBaechtold said that once the new parking garage is completed, people will shift back to the south side of campus for parking and the service might no longer be needed. In the meantime, the shuttle is a nice contribution to IU Transportation Services and adds more options for parking, Baechtold said.\nThe low number of riders might have been due to people not knowing about the service. Gardner said there was confusion as some would-be riders mistook the shuttle for a B bus.\n"It usually takes a while when they start something new," Gardner said.\nTomorrow will be a better indication of how many people will take advantage of the service, Gardner said.\nNo specific sign designs have been developed to mark shuttle stops, McDaniel said. Stops may change depending on passenger needs.\n"We'll try it and talk to customers," McDaniel said.\nAnyone with questions or comments can send an e-mail to McDaniel at kemcdani@indiana.edu, or talk to a bus driver.
(01/30/07 4:24am)
A 26-year-old Bloomington man was arrested on one count of child molestation Sunday. The man confessed to Bloomington Police Officer Joe Henry that while waking up a 13-year-old female relative who had stayed the night at his house he fondled her, Sgt. Jeff Canada said while reading from a police report.\nThe victim woke up while the man was fondling her, but pretended to still be asleep until he left. Later the girl told the man's wife what happened. After calling a friend, the man decided to turn himself in to the police. The man did not give a reason for committing the crime.\nOfficer Tiffany Willingham interviewed the victim, who told approximately the same story as the man, Canada said.
(01/30/07 4:23am)
A man was found dead inside his pickup truck Monday afternoon, after it had been stranded in flood waters, Monday.\nThe Monroe County Sheriff's Department received a call at about 3 p.m. from a passer-by that a pickup truck was in flood waters that covered a portion of Friendship Road in eastern Monroe County, Sgt. Ann Maxwell said. The pickup truck was about 150 feet out in the water, which would make the water level about chest high, Maxwell said. Ice had begun to form around the vehicle. When officers arrived they could see a male subject sitting upright in the vehicle. The Monroe County Dive Team was able to wade into the water to reach the truck. The man inside, who appeared to be deceased, was brought to shore by the team. The Monroe County coroner pronounced Charles Vaught, 80, of Spencer, Indiana dead at the scene at 4:12 p.m.\nVaught had been reported missing by his family members at about 9 p.m. Sunday night. Vaught's family were expecting him to return home at 4 p.m. that afternoon.\nThere was no evidence of anything that would indicate something other than a tragic accident, Maxwell said. The official cause of death is not known at this point. A more in-depth medical exam will be conducted Tuesday.
(01/30/07 4:22am)
A robbery was reported in the 200 block of Varsity Lane on Sunday, according to the Bloomington Police Department.\nThe complainant, 19, reported that four males entered his residence during a party Jan. 20, BPD Sgt. Jeff Canada said, reading from a police report.\nAll guests at the party were asked to remove their shoes because new carpeting had recently been installed in the residence.\nWhen leaving, one of the four males, who was described as "short and stocky," discovered his shoes were missing. Another of the four males, described as "tall and slender," pulled up his hooded sweat shirt to reveal a black semi-automatic handgun. He told the complainant to "find his shoes or give me yours." The complainant gave him his $120 black and white Nike shoes.\nOn Sunday, one of the complainant's roommates was outside when he saw a man walking by. The man said, "You were the two bitches whose shoes we jacked last week." The man then pulled up his shirt to reveal a black semi-automatic handgun and said, "Come down here and I'll shoot your ass."\nThe complainant said he didn't report the crime when it first happened Jan. 20 because he was underage and had been drinking. The case is still under investigation, Canada said.
(01/29/07 8:00pm)
Bloomington Police discovered two local businesses were burglarized this weekend after receiving a call Saturday morning. Bloomington Police Department Officer Keller responded to Tropical Tan in the 300 block of S. Hickory Drive after Tropical Tan's owner notified the police of the incident, said BPD Sgt. Daniel Carnes, reading from the police report. \nOfficer Keller discovered pry marks on the back door of the business and an interior door had also been forced open, Carnes said, and $50 was missing from the register, according to the owner.\nWhile responding to this the call, Officer Keller discovered additional pry marks on the rear door of Jeff Sullivan American Family Insurance also located in the 300 block of S. Hickory Drive, Carnes said. The owner of the insurance business also said he found $50 missing. \nCarnes said there was no surveillance video from the burglaries but he believes they are connected.\n"These burglaries appear to be related based on time frame and location," he said.
(01/29/07 4:09am)
Some students don't pay for parking tickets they receive from the city of Bloomington because they think they won't be taken to court. They're wrong.\n"We do pursue unpaid tickets to the court level," Manager of Parking Enforcement for Bloomington Jack Davis said.\nSome students don't seem to realize this or don't care.\n"There are a handful of students owing $700 or more in unpaid parking tickets," Parking Ticket Appeals Officer Alicia Ayers said.\nOn the Bloomington Parking Enforcement's list of repeat offenders there is one student who has received 35 citations from Sept. 9 to Jan. 25. That student owes a total of $1,040 in fines.\nThe city's legal department takes 50 people with parking violations to court each month, Davis said. Those offenders who are taken to court must pay a $109 court fee whether their cases are dismissed or not. Davis said he cannot remember any cases where parking violations were not upheld in court.\nFines and a court appearance are not the only punishment for repeat offenders. According to a city ordinance, Bloomington Police Department can tow someone who has 10 or more outstanding tickets with four of those being 60 days old or more, Supervisor of Parking Enforcement Raye-Ann Cox said.\n"Parking enforcement only operates from 6:30 a.m. \nto 5 p.m. Monday through \nSaturday," Cox said. "But BPD \noperates 24/7."\nAn outstanding parking ticket will also keep people ineligible to purchase a parking permit from the city of Bloomington until that ticket is paid, Davis said.\nAnyone who believes they have received a parking ticket in error can either appeal online at www.bloomington.in.gov or in person at the Office of the City Clerk, 402 N. Morton, Suite 110.\nThe appeals office hears about 5,500 parking ticket appeals a year, and many of the people that come in are students, Ayers said. Being nice makes a difference in the appeals process because Ayers has known the legal department to set up payment plans and sometimes even cut fines in half.\n"Some people come in and cuss up a storm," Ayers said. "They won't work with you then."\nThe majority of people receive tickets because they fail to read signs, but "left side park" is an Indiana state law that applies everywhere, even where signs are not posted, Ayers said. The left side park law requires all vehicles to be parked on the right side of the road in the direction they are facing.\nStudents should also check out parking situations before they sign a lease, Cox said. Some residences, especially downtown, do not provide places to park, which leaves students fending for themselves when it comes to parking, Cox added.\nAyers advises students, especially those from different states, to research parking laws before parking in Bloomington.\n"If you don't have a lot of extra money, take the precautions to prevent yourself from getting tickets," Ayers said.
(01/28/07 10:17pm)
Bloomington Police discovered two local businesses were burglarized this weekend after receiving a call Saturday morning. Bloomington Police Department Officer Keller responded to Tropical Tan in the 300 block of S. Hickory Drive after Tropical Tan's owner notified the police of the incident, said BPD Sgt. Daniel Carnes, reading from the police report. \nOfficer Keller discovered pry marks on the back door of the business and an interior door had also been forced open, Carnes said. $50 was missing from the register, according to the owner.\nWhile responding to this the call, Officer Keller discovered additional pry marks on the rear door of Jeff Sullivan American Family Insurance also located in the 300 block of S. Hickory Drive, Carnes said. The owner of the insurance business also said he found $50 missing. \nCarnes said there was no surveillance video from the burglaries but he believes they are connected.\n"These burglaries appear to be related based on time frame and location," he said.