39 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(02/08/13 3:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Whether through Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch,” stoner sitcom “That ’70s Show” or sketch comedy group The Kids in the Hall, you may have seen or heard Kevin McDonald.The Canadian comic performed Thursday night at the Comedy Attic and is performing again 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. today and Saturday, alongside Full Frontal Comedy, IU’s longest-running improvisational comedy troupe.“We’re always looking to book the most interesting thing we can find,” Comedy Attic owner Jared Thompson said. “I couldn’t be more excited about what this show is going to be.”McDonald is a veteran in the comedy field — he helped found The Kids in the Hall in 1984 after working at the Second City Training Center. Though the group’s TV show ended in 1995, he has appeared with them several times since and keeps in touch. The group has frequent phone meetings is are currently planning a reunion tour and possible miniseries, McDonald said.McDonald said he will forever be a “Kid in the Hall.” His standup act is a nod to those years of sketch comedy.“I do a sneaky kind of standup,” he said. “It’s a sketch show pretending to be standup. I am basically playing the character of a guy who is doing standup for the first time.”McDonald said he has known he wanted to be a comedian since fifth grade, when he realized it was what he was good at. He enjoys writing comedy the most, though he said he is better at performing.“You’re lucky when your talent is comedy, because you get a noise,” McDonald said. “When you’re good, people laugh.”McDonald said he thinks less in terms of jokes and more in terms of character and theme in his humor. He said Woody Allen, Steve Martin and Jerry Lewis are among his many influences, as well as “Monty Python’s Flying Circus.” In addition to live-action movies and TV, he has also done a great deal of voiceover work for cartoons like Nickelodeon Studios’ “Catscratch,” “Invader Zim” and “Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.” McDonald described the voiceover work as tiring.“I end up screaming and jumping around a lot,” McDonald said. “The characters I play always fall out of a tree or down the stairs.”McDonald’s standup routine may not include screaming, but it will include some singing and a Q&A session with the audience.“It’s comedy all the way through from beginning to end,” McDonald said. “I’m nothing if not energy.”Despite the energy and laughs after years of working in comedy, McDonald said he finds the world of stand-up comedy especially lonely. He texts his girlfriend before he goes on stage, but sometimes it makes him feel lonelier. What makes the loneliness worth it to McDonald?“There’s this magical feeling when you’re on stage,” McDonald said. “No matter how bad your life is, when you go on stage, it all disappears. There’s no pain.”
(01/30/13 4:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Musical Arts Center was nearly empty, but the orchestra pit buzzed with activity as conductor Gary Thor Wedow guided the players through the complex music.“You have to think like a dive-bomber,” he told them. “We are parachuted into the middle of these arias. We have to adapt.”Wedow and the orchestra were preparing for the upcoming performances of Xerxes, an opera by George Frideric Handel debuting at IU this weekend. The show is loosely based on King Xerxes I of Persia, though it is entirely in Italian and focuses more on personal relationships than historical events.“A Handel opera is a special genre, a special kind of singing,” Wedow said. “His operas tend to be real psychological studies of the characters.”Wedow, who is currently on the faculty of The Juilliard School, is an Indiana native and received his bachelor’s degree in piano studies from IU. He and stage director Tom Diamond previously collaborated in IU Opera Theater’s production of Giulio Cesare, also by Handel, in 2009.Xerxes will be Diamond’s and Wedow’s fifth production together, giving Jacobs students another opportunity to benefit from the pair’s signature style. Amanda Russo, a doctorate student who will play the title role this Friday and next Saturday, Feb. 9, said she had a very positive experience working with Wedow and Diamond.“They are both educators, which is so important,” she said. “They are so passionate and it’s contagious...it’s inspiring.”Russo received her master’s degree from IU and has appeared in several IU Opera Theater productions, most recently as Octavian in Richard Georg Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier. She said she relishes the opportunity to play the male lead.“It’s not very often that a woman gets to play the role of a king and have people bow down to her,” she said.Russo has spent countless hours preparing for the show since staging began in early January. She described the process as intense and difficult and said the show proved challenging in many ways. The success of the show relies heavily on timing, she said, and that it is essential for the actors to understand what they are saying.“It’s really important that we know what we’re saying and are listening to the other characters and reacting to each other,” she said.Diamond, an acting coach, also emphasized the importance of strong acting in the production. Diamond was a theater director and said he used to find opera boring, and now aims to make it lively.“The days where (performers) just stand and sing are long gone,” Diamond said. “You better be able to act.”He added something original to this production of Xerxes with the archer Amore, a character Diamond himself created for the show. Amore is simply the embodiment of love, Diamond’s version of Cupid, he said.“It’s basically a comedy of errors about love,” Diamond said. “All these people desperately love, but can’t find satisfaction.”Wedow said he thinks the show is going to be wonderful.“It will be lively entertainment for the audience and an enriching educational experience for the performers,” he said. “Humans are unpredictable, and it makes for great opera.”
(01/17/13 4:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Forget the controversy surrounding “Zero Dark Thirty.” Forget the criticisms of its inevitable inaccuracies. Forget anyone who accuses the filmmakers of having an agenda. Don’t think of it as a documentary — it’s not. It’s a movie that shows the 10-year hunt for Osama bin Laden like a bomb going off in slow motion. It’s a tense, wrenching build to an explosive climax.Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter/journalist Mark Boal, the dynamic Oscar-winning duo behind 2010’s “The Hurt Locker,” infuse “Zero Dark Thirty” with the same raw energy. They chronicle the search for bin Laden through a CIA lens, which focuses on Maya (Jessica Chastain), the young agent based on a real undercover operative who dedicated her career to finding bin Laden. Maya is the film’s guiding force, a hardened heroine hell-bent on settling the score in the war on terror at any cost. Her passion and confidence simultaneously impress and unnerve her male colleagues, especially in a stirring scene where she declares her 100 percent certainty of bin Laden’s location to a doubtful audience.But it takes her a while to gain that confidence. Bigelow and Boal push the envelope with graphic displays of torture as Maya’s fellow agent Dan (Jason Clarke) subjects a suspect to waterboarding and other vicious methods of questioning. Maya is visibly uncomfortable at the sight of such abuse, but her growing anger replaces her fear as the film progresses. Chastain is a master at capturing the nuances of Maya’s subtly changing character.This subtlety, along with Maya’s unyielding demeanor, is what defines “Zero Dark Thirty.” Bigelow directs her films in such a way that they lose all theatricality without sacrificing a shred of drama, accomplishing a stunning realism in her art, regardless of which facts are correct. She doesn’t delve into relationships or provide background. She simply tells the story as it is.The tension mounts throughout, stopping your heart with unexpected explosions and leaving you in constant suspense. Even though you know how the hunt ends, watching the Navy SEALs creep through bin Laden’s compound with their guns at the ready is the hardest scene to endure. The absence of a Best Director nomination for Bigelow is this year’s greatest Oscar snub.Bigelow’s style can easily result in a film lacking a strong emotional connection, as it did with “The Hurt Locker.” But Bigelow doesn’t fall victim to this trap in “Zero Dark Thirty,” thanks largely in part to her work with Chastain. Chastain brings depth you didn’t know was there to a seemingly one-dimensional character. Her performance as Maya is so controlled, so aloof (save for occasional badass outbursts) that when she finally loses her composure in the last two minutes of the film, it’s enough to make you feel every ounce of pain and triumph imaginable. Maya’s arc brings the movie from start to finish and gives “Zero Dark Thirty” its humanity, something for which Chastain deserves an Oscar.You won’t be able to get that last look on Maya’s face out of your head.
(01/16/13 5:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jacobs School of Music students are getting a taste of Great Britain and New Haven this week with the week-long residency of English choral conductor Simon Carrington, professor emeritus from the Yale School of Music.Carrington is visiting IU as part of the Five Friends Master Class Series and the Zachary Novak Visiting Conductor Program, both of which honor the lives of the five Jacobs School students who lost their lives in a plane crash in 2006.“We are very grateful for this opportunity to have these classes in our son’s honor,” Misty and Dan Novak said in a press release. “Zachary would be so touched; we know he would be.”Five Friends is an annual series of lectures, master classes and residencies by musicians from all around the world established in October thanks to a $1 million donation from the Georgina Joshi Foundation, Inc. Carrington is one of many acclaimed musicians scheduled for the program’s first year.With a full schedule of activities, Carrington began with a master class for graduate choral conductors this past Saturday. He will conduct a joint concert with Jacobs’ Pro Arte Singers and the Contemporary Vocal Ensemble Sunday in Auer Hall. He had a second master class with voice majors in the Early Music Institute on Tuesday.The Early Music Institute is for students specializing in an instrument or musical style of historical performance before the 1800s, director Paul Elliott said. He said the department is all about trying to recreate music in the context of its original time period.In Tuesday’s master class, the students were singing pieces by English composer Henry Purcell in preparation for their concert Jan. 27. Purcell is coincidentally Carrington’s favorite composer, Carrington said he began the class telling students how he recalled buying his first LP, Purcell’s “Fantasias for strings,” at age 11.The students recited their pieces then received feedback from Carrington, who worked with them to improve the selections. He suggested changes in tempo and emphasis on certain vowels, among other constructive critiques.Kevin de Benedictis, a graduate student in the Jacobs School, said he loved Carrington’s master class.“As soon as he walked into the room I knew he was a cool guy,” de Benedictis said. “You could tell he was really listening to each individual.”Carrington spoke highly of his experience at IU thus far.“It’s marvelous what’s happening here at IU in so many different areas,” Carrington said. He also praised IU’s wide selection of performance halls and said Yale is much more contained.Though he said he hopes his feedback helps, Carrington said all he needs to do at IU is drop a few remarks here and there.“They’re already quite far advanced in their training,” he said. “It’s really more about sharing ideas, making suggestions. It’s that extra cherry on the cake.”
(01/10/13 4:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Jacobs School of Music professor Claude Baker has joined the ranks of recorded Jacobs faculty with the release of his album of chamber music, “Flights of Passage.”Baker’s compilation contains music he composed during the course of 25 years. He said the CD has been in the works for a while, as it often takes IU Music a long time to release something under its label. Now, his work is available at the Jacobs School Marketplace, iTunes and Amazon.com.Baker recorded the collection of chamber music in collaboration with many Jacobs students and alumnus, including pianists, cellists and violinists, in addition to the IU New Music Ensemble. He also worked with Konrad Strauss, the chair of the Department of Recording Arts in the Jacobs School. Baker said he was extremely grateful for the high-caliber work of everyone involved.“We have one of the finest music schools in the world,” Baker said. “I couldn’t have asked for better players.”Much of the music on the album pays homage to other composers, such as Johannes Brahms, Nelson Keyes and Béla Bartók, with the exception of the final piece titled “Awaking the Winds,” which has no associations.“I like to make allusions to existing repertoire,” Baker said. “Almost all the pieces make reference to existing work.”The title track was inspired by the poetry of Walt Whitman, specifically the collection “Leaves of Grass,” Baker said.He said he sought to parallel the formal structures of the poems in the music.“I tried to capture the general words of the poems,” Baker said. “They don’t use rhymes but repeat phrases and words for cohesion. So I tried to follow the repetition of ideas in the music.”He said that listening to the piece while reading the poems creates a score for Whitman’s words. Overall, Baker said the album aesthetically reflects his life’s work.“It’s very reflective of what I enjoy doing,” he said. “It’s really a labor of love.”
(01/09/13 4:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>He may be responsible for Tobey Maguire’s Spidey suit and Ben Affleck’s
Daredevil outfit, but costume designer James Acheson’s repertoire
extends far beyond
superheroes.
The British designer has won three Academy Awards for his work on “The
Last Emperor,” “Restoration” and “Dangerous Liaisons,” and he will give a
lecture on Jan. 17 at the IU Cinema titled “Dressing Movies and
Costuming Superheroes.” During the talk, Acheson plans to discuss the
process and history of his craft, while clearing up a few misconceptions
along the way.
“‘Costume designer’ is a strange phrase,” Acheson said. “It conjures up
Halloween, fancy dress, disguises. And that’s not what we do.”
This will be IU Cinema’s first costume designer and the beginning of
this year’s Jorgensen Lecture Series, IU Cinema Director Jon Vickers
said. He said he believes Acheson’s visit has value on multiple levels.
“The public lecture is a great opportunity for the community to have
access to Acheson’s inside look at filmmaking,” Vickers said.
He said Acheson will also visit a fashion design class to give select
students the chance to have a more intimate discussion with him.
Despite Acheson’s recent superhero endeavors and his involvement in the
upcoming “Man of Steel” movie, he has more of a background in theater
design.
“It’s a funny old job,” he said. “Along with hookers and doctors,
costume designers are the crazy people who say, ‘All right, take your
clothes off.’”
Acheson currently teaches at the Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School
in Wellington, New Zealand, his city of residence. He is in the process
of writing a book of costume designs that will include chapters full of
colorful anecdotes from his experiences. He recalls being at the Oscars
when he won best costume design for 1995’s “Restoration.”
“It’s very nerve-wracking,” he said. “You have to sit there not knowing.
I might have to get off my seat, kiss my wife goodbye, check that my
fly’s not open and get up in front of a billion people.”
He remembers being greeted by presenters Naomi Campbell and Pierce Brosnan. Brosnan even invited him to the Oscar after-parties.
“It’s kind of like a dream to be invited by James Bond to go in a
helicopter ride to the many after-parties,” Acheson said. “It’s
dream-like.”
Though he has had much success in his work, Acheson said he doesn’t have any specific training.
“I don’t know how to cut or drape clothes. I did more theater design,” Acheson said. “I’m something of a charlatan.”
Rather than skills, Acheson said he hopes to impart his enthusiasm and spirit to the students when he gives his lecture.
“You never know when you’re being noticed, and often people will be
attracted to you for your personality and conscientiousness before they
notice your talent,” Acheson said.
He said he has been very fortunate in his career.
“If I can do it, you can do it,” he said. “I hope I can inspire (students).”
(12/10/12 5:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jean Capler and her partner, Jenny, have been together for 15 years. They go to the movies like any other couple, they go out to breakfast like any other couple and they love each other like any other couple. As two lesbians in the state of Indiana, they cannot get married like any other couple.This is nothing new to them. Gay marriage has never been allowed in Indiana, and Capler has not made her peace with it. The fact that she can’t marry Jenny weighs on her every day. Rather than move to another state, she has chosen to stay and fight for equality. But with the potential institution of House Joint Resolution 6 in 2014, that fight could become much more difficult.HJR-6 is a constitutional amendment authored by Rep. Eric Turner, R-Cicero, which states “only marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Indiana” and “a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized.”The amendment has already passed through Indiana’s House and Senate once, and if it passes again in 2013’s upcoming session, it will be put to a popular vote by referendum in 2014.“By moving HJR-6 this year, we begin the process to put the definition of marriage in our state’s constitution,” Turner said in a 2011 press release. “We are ensuring that our current law, which the vast majority of Hoosiers support, is not overturned by an activist judge.”To combat HJR-6, Capler helped form FairTalk, a Bloomington-based organization dedicated to fostering discussion about the amendment and working toward marriage equality in Indiana. The group travels around the state and arranges training sessions to raise awareness and to teach people how to respectfully talk about the issue.“I knew I needed to do something, or I was just going to be depressed,” Capler said of HJR-6’s first passage through the House.Since then, she and the other board members of FairTalk, many of whom identify as straight, have worked to spread the word about what FairTalk considers the dangers HJR-6 poses not only to gay couples, but to straight ones, as well. Capler emphasized the importance of telling people about the second clause of the amendment, which outlaws civil unions and any other kind of non-marriage partnership.Without an official marriage, couples would not have the right to automatic inheritance of their partner’s estate, they would not be able to share health insurance and they would not have the right to make funeral arrangements for their partner, Capler said. She said the emotional impact is also a factor for her in particular. “Jenny and I would like to be married, and we can’t, and the message that’s sent is that our relationship doesn’t matter,” Capler said. “We are no more related than if we were strangers on the street in the eyes of the law.”The larger FairTalk group also formed a small IU chapter so students could become involved. Christine Webb, an IU senior, began as vice president of IU FairTalk in 2011 and is now the president. She has led the group in putting together several fundraisers and setting up tables at community events such as the Farmer’s Market to have conversations about marriage equality.“The goal is to talk to as many people as humanly possible before 2014, so if it goes to a popular vote, people are educated,” Webb said.Webb said she believes HJR-6 will most likely reach a popular vote, and while she hopes it doesn’t pass, she understands the challenges FairTalk faces in convincing people. The opposition comes from a moral standpoint, she said, and it’s very hard to change someone’s moral stance.Even if FairTalk can prevent HJR-6 from passing, Webb said the fight for marriage equality is a much longer one.“Just because we knock this amendment down, there’s still no gay marriage,” she said. “We’re just back where we started.”Though both the Indiana Senate and the Indiana House of Representatives passed HJR-6 with an overwhelming majority of 40-10 and 70-26, respectively, Capler said she thinks there is a very good chance of overturning it if it comes to a popular vote.“I’m counting on that Hoosier common sense,” she said.Her biggest fear is the sense of finality HJR-6 places on the gay rights movement.“The worst part of this is that it writes discrimination into (the state’s) bill of rights and constitution,” she said. “It’ll close the door for future change. Let’s leave the door open to talk about this.”
(12/07/12 4:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Bloomington-based self-publisher, Author Solutions, Inc. recently collaborated with publisher titans Simon & Schuster to create Archway Publishing, a self-publishing service for aspiring authors.After 14 years of trying to boost the self-publishing business, ASI is taking its work “to the next level” through a partnership with a larger company, ASI CEO Kevin Weiss said.“If people want to publish their book, they should be able to publish their book,” Weiss said. “There’s been an explosion of self-expression.”Archway Publishing will assist writers by consulting with them to determine what publishing method best fits their needs. The writers then select a package: fiction, nonfiction, children’s or business. Archway walks them through the process, providing editorial, design and distribution and marketing services.Weiss said self-publishing has grown immensely throughout the years, with nearly 220,000 books self-published in 2011. He compared the increase of self-publishing with similar rises in the independent music and film industries. It was only a matter of time before independent books made their mark, he said.Adam Rothberg, senior vice president of corporate communications for Simon & Schuster, said this dramatic increase is why Simon & Schuster opted to partner up and create Archway Publishing.“Self-publishing is a rapidly growing segment of the publishing business,” Rothberg said. “It’s something we needed to understand and be a part of.”Weiss said ASI has driven the surge in self-publishing across the nation. He has high hopes for Archway Publishing, he said.“The initial interest is amazing,” Weiss said. “I think there’s enormous opportunity here.”
(12/04/12 4:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s basketball team is currently ranked No. 1 in the country and off to a promising start. It’s only fitting that Assembly Hall would make improvements to match.The arena recently replaced its original sound system from 1971 with new speakers, amplifiers and signal-processing units, a collaborative effort by Sweetwater Sound Inc. and All Pro Sound.Sweetwater, a Fort Wayne-based company, has history with IU. The company makes annual donations to IU and frequently sells sound equipment to the Jacobs School of Music, Sweetwater Director of Program Development Christopher Guerin said.Sweetwater also sponsors the school’s computer music lecture series.“With Fort Wayne, Ind., being the home of Sweetwater, I felt a particularly strong desire to see the sound system in this incredible sports facility be installed by an Indiana company,” Sweetwater founder and president Chuck Surack said in a press release.Guerin said technology has made major advances since the hall’s last system was installed.“It’s all very state-of-the-art equipment, very cutting edge,” he said. “Assembly Hall was able to take a big step forward.”He said the audio should be much clearer and sound should carry consistently throughout the hall. Whether fans have floor seats or are stuck in the nosebleed zone, they should be able to hear everything the same, he said.Though such a project would normally take several months, Sweetwater and All Pro Sound’s crews completed the installation in about 30 days, working at night to fit the team’s practice schedule.The system has been in place since the season began, but there have been some kinks. This past Saturday, when Jacobs School professor Tim Noble went to sing the National Anthem before IU played Coppin State, the microphone gave out. The sound returned with a loud blast, and then went out again. Noble abandoned the microphone and opted to sing without equipment, encouraging the audience to sing along.Guerin said such problems are to be expected, and said he would bet the issue has already been addressed.“For anything like this, you have a shakedown period,” Guerin said. “It’s a very complicated system ... it’s not surprising that there’s been a glitch already.”Still, he is optimistic about the system’s future in Assembly Hall.“Bottom line, you want a better experience for everyone in attendance,” he said. “The sound is just as important to that as anything else.”
(11/16/12 4:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was formally an open house for the renovated Monroe County Courthouse, but really, it was Pat Haley’s night.During the open house, former Monroe County Clerk and County Recorder Haley received a surprise when her close friends and co-workers announced they were naming a conference room after her.“I’m speechless,” Haley said to the crowd gathered at the courthouse Nov. 15.Monroe County Commissioner Patrick Stoffers and current Recorder Jim Fielder made the dedication. Both have a long history with Haley, especially Fielder, who has known her since 1979.Fielder was looking for a job, and a friend of his referred him to Haley, he said. Haley hired Fielder and they immediately clicked. The two spent the next couple decades working together at the courthouse.Haley served as county clerk three times and recorder twice. She and Fielder would swap jobs. When Haley first ran for recorder, Fielder became clerk, and then they switched for her next term, and the term after that. Fielder said he always called Haley if he needed advice.Fielder said he has fond memories of Haley, such as when the courthouse was last renovated in 1984 and they had to move their offices. He recalled how Haley didn’t want to wait for the moving van, so she made Fielder help her roll the office shelves down the sidewalk. He said he also loved that she was quotable. If someone told her a story, Haley, a Monroe County native, would play a trick and say, “You’ll have to show me, I’m from Missouri.” If she misplaced a file, she’d offer a nickel to anyone who would help her find it.“I never saw anyone come around Pat that she didn’t treat the way people should be treated,” Fielder said. When it was time for the unveiling, one of Haley’s friends took her hand and led her down the aisle as everyone clapped and cheered.Stoffers presented Haley with a certificate and a hug.Haley, who had a small American flag pinned to her navy blue sweater, accepted the award with grace, thanking all of her co-workers for everything they had done through the years. Haley’s husband died in 1977, and she said the courthouse helped her through the hardest time in her life.Once the formal ceremony was over, members of the crowd went up one-by-one to hug her and kiss her cheek. Stoffers was one of the last. He said the dedication was long overdue.“We have a consummate public servant who’s served the people of Monroe County well with honor and distinction,” Stoffers said. “It’s the least we can do.”
(11/15/12 2:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Copies of “The Absolut Vodka Advertising Story,” “Burnham’s Celestial Handbook” and “The Great Gatsby” sell for $1.These titles are just a few of more than 100,000 options lining the shelves of the new Half Price Books Outlet store, 3120 W. Susan Drive, which opens today.The outlet is the first of its kind for the franchise. Rather than buying books from the public, it will offer overstock books from 30 other Half Price bookstores in the Midwest, District Manager Tony Warmus said.Warmus said he thought of the potential need for an outlet while he was working as the store manager at a Half Price Books in Indianapolis. The store was buying so many books that it had too many leftovers and nowhere to put them.“We’ve toyed with the idea for a while now,” Warmus said. “I finally wore them down.”The Half Price Books Outlet will offer cheaper items than regular Half Price stores, with almost everything costing $5 or less. Most books are used but in good condition, Warmus said. The outlet will also offer movies, CDs, LPs and video games.The outlet has the familiar feel of any other Half Price store: tables stacked with cardboard boxes filled with bargain merchandise, shelves for every genre imaginable and the subtle yet comforting scent of yellowed paper. Though they haven’t been allowed to buy anything, prospective customers have stopped by all week to check out the new location.Martinsville residents Laura Ziegler and her 4-year-old daughter Jazmyn said they were not familiar with the Half Price Books franchise, but the sign caught their attention, and they came in to check it out. Ziegler said she was looking forward to the official opening.“I love to read. I just read everything,” she said. “It’ll be good for getting some Christmas shopping done.”Warmus said he wants the store to cater to both kinds of customers — those who come in and like to browse for treasures and those who know exactly what they want.Though Warmus said he enjoys science texts the most, he recommended the lesser-known philosophy section to adventurous bookworms, as well as the Bathroom Readers and trivia books. He said the biggest value at Half Price Books is the diversity of the material, especially with out-of-print books.“You probably need to bring your own wheelbarrow, there’s so much stuff,” he said. “They will not walk out of here empty-handed.”
(11/13/12 5:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tyler Kivland grips the bow, brings the arrow up just below eye level and lets it fly. The arrow buries itself deep in the earth a few dozen yards away.This is just a practice shot after almost five hours spent in his tree climber, waiting for prey that might never come. He hasn’t caught sight of a single deer, but Kivland says it’s still been a good day. In almost four years of bow hunting, he has killed only two deer. For Kivland, it’s not just about the kill. It’s the quiet. It’s the challenge. It’s the constant quest for knowledge.Today he calls it quits early. Usually he camps in either his climber or his tree stand for as long as 13 hours, depending on the conditions and how he’s feeling. On this particular day it is too warm and too windy for the deer’s sensitive noses. He’s been hunting for almost 48 hours in the last week, so he can let one day go.
(11/12/12 5:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A classic Disney princess received an extravagant French makeover in IU Opera Theater’s “Cendrillon” this past weekend.Though Jules Massenet’s 1899 opera is based on 17th-century author Charles Perrault’s version of Cinderella and not the animated film, the core story remained the same.Hard-working, unappreciated Lucette, referred to affectionately as “Cendrillon” by her father, lives with her abrasive stepmother and stepsisters with nothing but housework to keep her occupied. Her dream of attending the king’s ball comes true when her Fairy Godmother, or “La Fée,” appears.She provides Cendrillon with a beautiful gown and a horse-drawn carriage. At the palace, she meets Prince Charming, they fall in love and the rest is history.The opera added some flair to the fairy tale. Set pieces were intricately designed and frequently moving. With every scene change or adjustment, new set pieces flew in and old ones flew out.But the set pieces weren’t the only things flying. La Fée floated onstage suspended by cables. She waved her wand and ushered in a whole children’s chorus of additional fairies and elves. They danced amidst a sea of fog so thick it spilled over the edge of the stage into the orchestra pit. Stars displayed behind the actors placed them in what looked like the center of the universe.The entirety of the opera was in French with English supertitles, but the supertitles were not needed to enjoy the more humorous scenes of the production. Audience members roared with laughter as the daughters of nobility fought to stuff their oversized feet into Cendrillon’s glass slipper, much to the dismay of the palace guards.Massenet called “Cendrillon” not merely an opera but “conte de fées – a fairy tale,” according to the program. IU Opera Theater’s production certainly expounded upon the simple story in its technical aspects. However, there was no escaping the predictability of an age-old plot.Despite this obstacle, freshman Stephanie McQueen said she loved “Cendrillon.”“The set was amazing, really good effects, awesome lighting,” she said. “Everything was awesome.”Senior Miles Johnson also enjoyed the production. He is fluent in French and was able to understand some of the arias, one of the reasons he liked it, Johnson said.“The comedic aspect they brought to it made it enjoyable for everyone,” he said. “It’s always fun to bring back some Disney.”
(11/07/12 4:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Though Democratic candidate for Indiana's 9th Congressional District Shelli Yoder did not win Tuesday night, the love and support was there.Republican incumbent Todd Young received 57 percent of the vote, while Yoder received 43 percent. She awaited the results at a private location with her husband, their three children and her parents.Meanwhile, Yoder’s supporters and other Democratic voters packed into the Monroe County Democratic Headquarters, a house on South College Avenue with squishy carpet and a maze of rooms and doorways. They drank iced tea and beer from Solo Cups and snacked on a wide assortment of food ranging from hummus and pita bread to pudding cups. Some rooms were empty, but most were bustling with activity — people making phone calls, people watching results on TV or a computer, people mingling and discussing their views and predictions. Cutouts of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama stood silently among the Democrats.Yoder’s husband Josh Perry, a professor in the IU Kelley School of Business, made a stop at the headquarters before joining his wife. He embraced Yoder’s interns as though they were family. Perry was the one who convinced Yoder to run. He said his main role in the campaign has been as a supportive husband and father.“The kids have seen something that’s going to leave a positive impression for a long time,” he said.Interns and volunteers for Yoder’s campaign came and went, wearing white “Shelli Yoder for Congress” T-shirts. They had spent months making calls to help fundraise for the campaign, coordinating events and telling people where they could vote. Jon Sutton, an IU sophomore and Yoder’s internship director, described Yoder as “dynamic” — a word others seemed to agree with.“She captures your attention in a crowd,” Sutton said. “She has a way of making connections with people ... a way of explaining complex issues in a way that is easy to understand.”Connecting to Yoder was a common theme among her supporters. Bloomington resident and IU alumnus Angel Rivera Jr. walked in parades for Yoder in what he said was 100-degree heat during the summer. He said he remembers Yoder shaking every hand she could during her campaign.Sutton was disappointed but commended Yoder’s efforts.“I think she ran a very tough race in a very tough district,” he said. “She picked up votes that another Democrat wouldn’t have picked up. She outperformed the baseline of the district. With what she had, she did very well.”When Yoder arrived at the headquarters Tuesday night, the crowd cheered and chanted her name. Her two eldest children, each with a slice of cake, stood by her side, along with her husband, sister, parents and in-laws.She began by announcing that it was a bittersweet time, saying that the group had much to celebrate with Democrat Joe Donnelly’s win in the Senate race.“I feel lucky and honored to be on the ticket with Donnelly and President Barack Obama,” Yoder said.She then thanked her family for their support, her campaign for their efforts and the Monroe County Democrats as a whole.“What happened with Joe Donnelly happened because of Monroe County,” she said.Yoder cautioned the crowd that although she lost the race, the fight was not over.“We decided to run because we wanted to make sure the middle class had someone fighting for them in Washington, and we cannot forget this loss,” she said.At the end of her speech, a voice in the crowd called, “2014, Shelli!”Afterward, Yoder expressed deep appreciation for the Bloomington and IU community that supported her throughout the race.“I know the IU Democrats worked so hard, and I’m very proud of them,” she said.Yoder does not yet know if she will run again in the next election, but she said she knows whatever she does will be a continuation of how she has lived her entire life.“It’s always been with a heart for helping folks and helping the community,” she said. “I don’t know how it will unfold, but I know I can trust that the future is bright. I’ll make it bright.”
(11/06/12 5:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If it were up to the students at Arlington Heights Elementary School, President Barack Obama would be re-elected today.In Jennifer Fox’s third grade class, 8-year-olds called the shots, first taking the oath of office, then sitting on the carpet counting paper ballots. Fox’s class was in charge of calculating the votes in the school’s mock presidential election.Fox did a mock election in 2008 for the Democratic primary between Obama and Hillary Clinton to educate her students about the historical significance of having a woman or an African American as president. This year, she said the students were enjoying the election unit so much that she proposed a school-wide election for grades three through six.“I want them to be familiar with what they’re seeing around the community and how the sequence of events happens and why it happens,” she said. “I want them to see the bigger picture.”Outside Fox’s classroom, a cardboard trifold atop a table formed the voting booth, decorated red and blue with signs bearing the slogans “Vote for the Democrat!” and “Vote for the Republican!” Behind the trifold, a plastic container held voting slips, pencils and handwritten “I voted!” stickers. The booth was open all day for students, teachers and school employees working in the front office. When the clock struck 2:35 p.m., it was time to tally the results. The school’s election mimicked the national one, with an electoral college composed of classrooms and the office as well as a popular vote. Fox distributed the ballots, to the students. They scattered around the room and eagerly counted them.As she counted, 10-year-old Cashae McEwen said she had mixed feelings about who to vote for since her mother and father each support a different candidate.“I like the Democrats and the Republicans,” she said. “It was hard for me to choose.”Once the students tabulated the votes, Fox projected a school map in front of the class and colored the rooms with blue for Obama and red for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. She gave the students a chance to shout the teacher’s name before announcing which candidate had won the classroom but chided them for cheering. She reminded them they were to remain silent about their political leanings.“We’re proud of both candidates,” 8-year-old Zack Rhone said. “When they get out there to debate, they probably get scared and nervous, and they’ve got to talk in front of all those people.”Fox had emphasized privacy in the class’ election unit, telling students not to talk about who they wanted to vote for. The unit covered political ads, polls, bumper stickers, the national conventions, party colors and animals, and computer ballots vs. paper ballots.With the final count in, Obama led Romney five electoral votes to three and won the popular vote 107 to 54. Many of the children squealed with excitement after hearing the results, but Fox warned them not to tell anyone.“How many people can keep a secret until Wednesday?” Fox said.Some put their thumbs up, some put their thumbs down and some put their thumbs sideways.“Well, you’re gonna have to,” she told them.Fox said she was surprised by the large difference in the numbers considering how close she considers the real election to be. She was also surprised the students picked Obama to win. But that isn’t what matters to her most. What she wants the students to take from the experience is the importance of the election process. She said she wants them to go out and vote when they turn 18.Some students are getting a head start. Justus Morgan, 8, took a field trip to the polls with his mother during the weekend to observe the real voting process firsthand.Though Fox is unsure of how Tuesday’s national election will go, she doesn’t want the students to be discouraged by conflicting results.“I hope, for their sake, (the national election) reflects what they’ve shown, because I want them to feel that they can represent it,” she said. “But if it doesn’t, it’ll still be a good learning experience.”
(11/05/12 4:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The audience roared with laughter as the busty piano teacher expressed her orgasm by singing a high note.This almost-pornographic display was one of many in IU Theatre and Drama’s production of “Spring Awakening” on Friday night. “Awakening” will continue its run Nov. 6-10 in the Ruth N. Halls Theatre.A sordid tale with an excess of controversy, “Spring Awakening” tells the story of Wendla, a teenage girl living in 19th century Germany with no clue about the birds and the bees. Tired of being shielded from the world of sexuality, she questions her mother about where babies come from only to get another lie as an answer. Meanwhile, nervous schoolboy Moritz struggles to understand the erotic dreams he’s been having. His best friend, the educated Melchior, bridges the sexual divide and explains such thoughts are normal for teenage boys.Melchior also helps Wendla accept her body’s natural tendencies, pressuring her into experimenting as they consummate their feelings for each other — on stage, in the spotlight. Their sexual escapades have tragic repercussions.Rock music balances out the heavy subject matter as the actors interrupt their sorrows by pulling microphones from their suit jackets and dresses and jamming out. They spring around the bare stage, stomping their feet and climbing on chairs as they sing about desire and frustration.The orchestra plays beneath the stage, which is at an extreme incline. It seems the actors would slide off it into the audience. Handheld mics give the musical a rock concert feel but at times makes it difficult to hear the words. IU Theatre’s production adheres closely to the Broadway version in style and choreography.“Spring Awakening” is known for its graphic content, and this performance does not shy away from the explicit. The audience laughed and cheered during the edgier scenes and songs, particularly “My Junk” and “Totally Fucked.” They remained somber and silent during the scenes that dealt with darker themes, such as teen pregnancy, abortion and suicide.At the end of the show, the cast received a loud standing ovation.The production impressed even the audience members who had seen previous incarnations of the show.Senior Matt Burke saw a production in Asbury Park, N.J. He said IU Theatre’s production was different, but not in a bad way.“It catered more to college students,” he said. “I thought it was great.”Senior Candice Marshall said the performances held up to the original Broadway production.“They were equally as good,” she said. “Amazing. Breathtaking.”
(10/31/12 4:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There have been 17 more documented cases of fungal meningitis and one more death in Indiana in the last two weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The latest increase brings the total number of documented cases in Indiana to 45, with three deaths. The cases are linked to contaminated steroid injections administered by the New England Compounding Company to relieve back and joint pain. The NECC has since voluntarily recalled the medication, and the CDC is in the process of working with states to investigate other NECC products.Fungal meningitis is not contagious, but symptoms often take time to manifest themselves, so patients should continue to pay attention to possible development of fevers, stiffness and headaches.The CDC has documented 356 cases of fungal meningitis with 28 deaths plus seven peripheral joint infections across 19 states. Approximately 14,000 patients received the medication, as estimated by the CDC in conjunction with state health departments. There are 1,502 people in Indiana who have been exposed to the medication, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.“Unfortunately, the number of patients and victims has grown,” State Health Commissioner Gregory Larkin said in a press release. “Every patient exposed in Indiana has been contacted by their health care provider. Once again, we emphasize that fungal meningitis is not contagious as it is not transmitted from person to person.”
(10/29/12 3:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>What are the secrets to Jacobs School of Music master’s student Kelly Glyptis’ operatic success? Tap dancing and apple juice.Glyptis woke Saturday morning, roused by her biological clock. She never sets an alarm before a performance. She curled her hair, put on her makeup and threw on a simple but elegant purple dress. She listened to Lee DeWyze’s single “Sweet Serendipity,” a guilty pleasure, as she drove to the Musical Arts Center for the district round of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.The song gave her perspective: the audition might not go her way, the judges might not like her or her voice, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if she lost.But she didn’t. Glyptis was one of two winners, receiving $1,550 in prize money and a chance to compete in the Central Region Finals next week in Evanston, Ill.Before she auditioned Saturday, she felt calmer than normal.She did a tap dance, a simple time step. She has to tap dance before every audition to steady herself. It works because she’s not very good at it. She can juggle, she is certified in stage combat, she can design lighting, but she can’t tap dance. Her mother, a professional dancer, refused to teach her.She also has to drink apple juice. Apple juice mimics saliva. Apple juice is key.Glyptis walked on stage. She stumbled with her introduction. Shaking it off, she sang an aria from “Hérodiade” by Massenet. The judges requested “Mi tradi quell’alma ingrata” from “Don Giovanni.” It was difficult but familiar. Glyptis’ mind went blank. She took a minute as she turned to the piano and asked the accompanist for the first word. He obliged, and the lyrics came rushing back. Though she wasn’t thrilled with her rendition, one of the judges told her it was the reason she won.Glyptis, who began acting at age 3, was in her first main stage production at age 8 and began singing opera at age 14. Hailing from Manassas, Va., she chose IU because she noticed all the professors in other programs she was considering were IU graduates. People warned her in a school as large as IU she’d be a little fish in a big pond. She knew better.“I’d like to think I’m gonna be a medium-sized fish,” she told them.She is. As a sophomore, she played Cleo in “The Most Happy Fella.” Glyptis continued to land roles, acting in “The Light in the Piazza,” “A View From The Bridge” and, most recently, “Don Giovanni,” among others.She never forgets the importance of acting in her singing, especially for an audition. It’s the only way to avoid the “park-and-bark” — standing stiffly on the stage and singing without becoming the character.For Glyptis, character is everything. Performing is about being able to share a story with someone.“The opportunity to reach someone else appeals to me on such a deep level,” she said. “I want to do it because I get to affect people.”Glyptis’ education is as much a part of her art as anything else. She has taken a year each of French, German and Italian — all voice majors are required to do so — and has taken diction classes for all three languages, plus English. When she is working on an opera, she translates the entire show to ensure her grasp of her character.The challenge of auditions like Saturday’s is that rather than immersing herself in a role for the duration of an opera, Glyptis embodies each character for only four minutes. She has to change tack quickly to move to the next aria.“I have five different people I have to completely commit to,” she said. “And then I have myself, so I guess that’s six. It’s like a bad romance novel.”When she has free time, much to the dismay of her performer friends, Glyptis does not like to talk about opera. She wants a break. Glyptis grew up without TV, but as an adult, she enjoys kicking back and watching episodes of “How I Met Your Mother,” “30 Rock” and “Say Yes To The Dress.”She recently went through the entirety of Jim Henson’s “Dinosaurs” on Netflix. Glyptis said opera singers have great abs. It makes childbirth a breeze.“If someone wants to have an easy birth, learn how to sing,” she said.After graduating from the music school, Glyptis hopes to earn a spot in a young artists’ program. She will audition for the Wolf Trap Opera Company, the Merola Opera Program and the Florida Grand Opera, among others. At age 23, Glyptis knows the odds are against her. She is young to be starting an opera career. She estimates her voice won’t mature until she is 35, which limits the range of arias she can sing without hurting herself. Still, she will do everything she can to get where she wants to be. She knows she can do this. All she needs is time to tap dance and a swig of apple juice.
(10/26/12 4:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With election day looming, Bloomington residents and IU students had a chance to make their voices heard on statewide television.WHTR Indianapolis Channel 13 Eyewitness News anchors and reporters made their 10th stop of 11 since August in “Decision 2012 On the Road,” a program in which they traveled across central Indiana to talk to voters about issues that are important to them. For the most part, people are concerned about the economy and jobs, Eyewitness News anchor Andrea Morehead said.“No one’s talking about too much of anything else,” she said.The program will conclude next week in Indianapolis.“The purpose for us has been to show viewers that we care about what you think,” Morehead said. “The chance to hand the mike over to them is a great exercise in democracy.”After spending the day interviewing people around campus, the Eyewitness News crew had a community conversation in Ernie Pyle Hall.Only a handful of people came to the discussion, but there were no lulls in the talk. Morehead reminded them that the goal was to talk about policies, not their candidate preferences.She informed the group that after their day’s expedition, the news crew found that the majority of people said they either didn’t know who to vote for or were not going to vote at all.The discussion kicked off with what, as Morehead said, is all people want to talk about — the economy.Senior Nate O’Connor said the government cannot create jobs in any sense.Sophomore Allie Dembar talked about the bigger picture, and said she believes the only way the U.S. can generate a strong performance is by investing in innovations. She also said that she thinks the U.S. should be a nation where everyone has health care because it is a human right.O’Connor disagreed. He said he did think free health care would be great, but said society is the responsibility of the people, not the government. He said people do not have the right to health care or to an education because these are services that people get paid for.“There’s no such thing as a free lunch and there’s no such thing as free health care,” O’Connor said.Other students interjected from time to time, sharing their views and personal experiences without stating any party affiliations. The group mainly focused on the economy and health care, but attendees also discussed the relationship between politics and social media. They shared their opinions about people using Facebook and Twitter to push their views on others, and they talked about candidates using popular, humorous talk shows such as Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report to resonate with younger audiences. Morehead frequently commented on how well spoken the students were in the conversation.At the end of the hour-long talk, those who attended were asked if they had already decided which candidates they were voting for. Almost every hand went up.Instead of raising her hand, senior Aubrey Merrell took the microphone. Earlier on, she told the group about how angry she had been with both presidential candidates after the second debate, and how she was beginning to let the anger go. Still, her mind was not made up, she said.“I’m not going to decide until I get into the booth on election day,” she said.
(10/26/12 2:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Those interested in seeing the future of opera will get their chance this Saturday.Indiana District’s round of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions will begin at noon at the Jacobs School of Music and Musical Arts Center.Only seven of the 26 singers auditioning are not from IU. Mary Ann Hart, chair of the Jacobs School department of voice and the event’s faculty chair, said IU has more national finals winners than any other school.Students will begin by performing an aria, a self-contained piece for one voice, from a package of five they put together. The judges may then ask for a second, often contrasting aria. Auditions are free and open to the public.Former General Director of Florentine Opera and the Atlanta Opera Dennis Hanthorn, vocal coach and artistic consultant Susan Ashbaker and artist manager and consultant Ken Benson will judge the auditions. IU first lady Laurie Burns McRobbie served as the director of the Indiana District and will be the mistress of ceremonies.Contestants will be judged on the quality of their voices, expression, polish and originality. Judges want people who sound authentic rather than rehearsed, Hart said.“They want to see someone be expressive because the music means something to them,” she said. “Someone with a communicative gift.”IU is in one of 40 districts competing in 13 regions across the U.S. and Canada.Regional winners will go to New York to compete in the national semifinals at the Metropolitan Opera. The national finalists then compete in the Grand Finals Concert for five grand prizes of $15,000.“It’s a big opportunity for the school,” Hart said. “The Metropolitan Opera is the crown jewel of the opera world.”Maria Levy, auditions and casting coordinator for IU Opera Theater and coordinator of the event, said the singers who audition are the singers with potential to have opera careers.The competition is an opportunity for the Metropolitan Opera to hear talent from all across the country. Winners could end up in the Opera’s young artist program.“This is a very important step for the singers because it can open a lot of doors,” she said.Even if the students do not win this round, they can talk to the judges after the competition and receive feedback. “This competition really launches a young singer,” Hart said. “I hope everyone sings well and learns something, and I hope we bring home all the prizes.”