142 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(08/30/07 4:17am)
The class of 2011 is IU’s smartest and most diverse incoming freshman group in the University’s history.\nThis year’s freshmen had better SAT scores, more students in the top 10 percent of their high school class and more minority students than any class before them, according to the enrollment figures released Wednesday.\n“This is the equivalent of IU football hitting a major bowl game, or IU basketball going to the Final Four,” said Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Roger Thompson. “When we get our SAT score above 1,150 that will be like winning the Rose Bowl.”\nThe average SAT score for this year’s freshmen is 1146, just four points shy of Thompson’s next goal. This represents a 25-point increase from last year’s freshmen, who set a record high with an average score of 1,121. The new freshmen were also ranked higher in their high school classes, with almost one-third ranked in the top 10 percent of their graduating class. The class of 2011 also features 70 National Merit Scholarship finalists, up from 62 last year and just 29 the year before.\nThe dramatic rise in average scores and rankings comes less than 18 months after the IU board of trustees announced they would be raising admissions standards starting in 2011.\n“A strange thing happens in higher education,” said Chancellor Ken Gros Louis. “When schools announce they are going to raise admissions standards, applications go up. I think the explanation is that good students like to go where other good students are.”\nThis year’s freshman class is also larger than expected. Thompson said IU was planning to enroll a significantly smaller freshman class than last year, but a higher percentage of accepted students enrolled than in previous years. Thompson and Gros Louis attributed the higher enrollment rate to IU’s growing appeal to out-of-state students.\n“When I first became chancellor in 1980, out-of-state was only 19 percent (of students),” Gros Louis said. “Most people understand that out-of-state students subsidize in-state students, because of the tuition difference. There was a time most in-state students felt they could always get into (IU) Bloomington if they wanted to, and now people are surprised that they’re being waitlisted.”\nNow, 41 percent of freshmen are from outside Indiana, an even higher number than Thompson expected.\n“We were expecting about 39 percent of our freshmen to be out-of-state,” he said, which would have been the same as last year’s freshmen.\nThough there are actually four fewer black students in this year’s freshman class than last year, the total number of minority and international students has surged to 18 percent.\nThompson said the admissions office has worked hard to recruit more international students, hiring an admissions counselor to travel abroad and recruit students from countries like India and Korea. Thompson has also worked to have IU featured in minority student guides, allowing IU to be one of the only schools providing information in both Spanish and English.
(07/02/07 12:40am)
Editor’s Note: This story originally ran in the Indiana Daily Student on March 2, after Michael McRobbie was announced as the University’s 18th President.
(03/02/07 5:00am)
When Michael McRobbie is inaugurated as IU president, it will bring to a close an ongoing fight over the leadership of the University.\nThe past several years have been filled with confrontation, drama and winners and losers – with a beloved dean leaving, changes in the basic structure of IU’s leadership and the public downfall of a man once considered a steadfast president.\nThe entire episode illustrates how faculty unrest and weak or unpopular leadership can force change, even up to the highest position on campus.\nIt all started when then-IU-Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm stepped down in October 2003. The unpopular campus leader left office in January 2004 to make way for a string of interim administrators who are still in office today. Brehm’s resignation came just months after Adam Herbert was named president, a move that would shape the rest of his time in office.\nThe search for Brehm’s replacement would take longer than anyone expected. Even after a 10-month search that yielded three finalists, IU President Herbert was not satisfied. Members of the Bloomington faculty rose up in anger after Herbert turned down the most popular and public candidate, then-dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Kumble Subbaswamy. After the rejection, Subbaswamy bolted from IU to become the provost at the University of Kentucky before the 2006-2007 school year. \nThat was the turning point in Herbert’s presidency. Members of the faculty held a mass meeting at the IU Auditorium in November 2005, in which they blasted Herbert, asking that the board of trustees conduct a special review of his presidency. Herbert was accused of passing up the best candidate and extending a search that had already taken too long. Murmurs of a resignation floated through campus, and prominent faculty wrote damning letters citing inadequacies in Herbert’s leadership.\nTwo months later, at the January 2006 board of trustees meeting, Herbert recommended the chancellor position be eliminated altogether. He installed his protege, McRobbie, as interim provost – a move that meant there would be even more time without a permanent campus leader. The board of trustees stood by their man and refused to review Herbert, who said he would step down at the end of his five-year contract.\nBut the damage had been done. Faculty members were still demanding change, and it became clear that Herbert was losing his footing quickly. He stepped up the timetable for finding a new president, which would in turn allow for the hiring of a compatible provost.\nMcRobbie will face pressure to find a suitable provost, and quickly. The faculty discontent of 2005 wasn’t just the rabble of a few angry teachers: Out of 1,058 eligible faculty members, 754 voted for a special review of Herbert, while 229 voted against the review. The measure was approved by more than a 3-1 ratio.\nMcRobbie will also be pressured to be visible on campus – not just in Bloomington, but at the seven other IU campuses too. Herbert was criticized at the mass faculty meeting in November 2005 for spending too much time away from the University.\nWhatever the expectations are, McRobbie can expect to be watched closely.
(12/11/06 4:17am)
Three IU students recently appeared in a video about higher education in the United States that aired in China.\nThe students, all international graduate students from China, were filmed for short segments and two half-hour shows that aim to promote American universities.\n"The U.S. is engaged in a global competition for international students," said Associate Dean and Director of International Services Christopher Viers. "The world's most talented students are widely sought after."\nJing Zhang, Yifan Xu and Qiong You were interviewed in Mandarin, the most widely spoken Chinese dialect. Their interviews were part of a combined effort of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Commerce to lure China's top students to American universities.\n"It is very helpful for students in China to see with their eyes how the American universities are, how the Chinese students feel about their lives here," Zhang said, "because in China, students only get to know the universities through brochures. They cannot fly across the globe to check each university like American students do."\nChinese students make up the third-largest segment of the international student population at IU, behind Indian and South Korean students, Viers said. About 387 Chinese students were enrolled for the fall 2006 semester, he said.\nViers said international students sometimes have trouble understanding the American education system, and videos like the one produced by the Department of State can help students understand the process of applying to and attending American universities. About 60 percent of international students are at the graduate level, while 40 percent are undergraduates, Viers said. The video attempts to lure both to IU.\n"When assessing educational opportunities in the U.S., one of the things we fail to recognize is the complexity of the U.S. higher educational system," he said. "Imagine having to apply for colleges in the U.S. sitting at a computer in Beijing."\nAs part of the taping for the show, each student was interviewed in Mandarin and filmed doing something on campus. You showed viewers her job at Read Dining Hall, Xu played basketball at the Student Recreational Sports Center and Zhang practiced her opera singing at the Jacobs School of Music.\nZhang said she was happy to appear in the video because of her positive experience at IU.\n"American universities have the best conditions for students," she said. "For instance, in the music school, we have well-known faculty, the best music library and the biggest opera house, best costumes and most opera productions."\nViers said the international program wants to enroll the best and brightest students from all over the world and IU's contribution to the video can only give the University a jump-start on other schools competing for top students.
(12/07/06 3:57am)
Gone are the chanting and marching of last spring. \nNow, IU graduate-student employees are settling in for the long haul in their fight to get dental insurance and lower-cost health-insurance benefits.\nMembers of the Graduate Employees Organization held a sit-in protest Wednesday inside Bryan Hall, just a few feet away from the offices of the administrators whose attention they are seeking.\n"It's an ongoing problem, not something that can be resolved quickly," said graduate student Adrianne Wadewitz. "We're the only school in the Big Ten without dental coverage, and that's unfair."\nWhile the University does provide basic insurance for graduate employees, premiums for spouses and children are prohibitively expensive, they said. According to several signs the protesters were holding, a graduate instructor who teaches a class earns about $12,000 an academic year, while coverage for a spouse and one child costs up to $6,000.\n"It puts us in a bad position," Wadewitz said. "You can't have an uninsured child."\nSome students were angry that their premiums were raised even though they're getting the same basic coverage as before. Even though IU is paying almost 70 percent of the increase in premiums, grad students are paying about $180 more than last year.\n"They increased my fees again this year, and every time they raise fees that's less money I have for the semester," said Morgan Fritz, a graduate student at the protest.\nMany of the students at the protest felt that, as IU employees, they deserve full coverage.\n"We teach a lot of classes," Wadewitz said, "so if they didn't have us here, the University would basically shut down."\nFritz said the Graduate Employees Organization has contacted administrators repeatedly in an attempt to work out a compromise.\n"We've talked to (Neil Theobald, vice provost of budget and administration) a few times, but the only response we've gotten is, 'There's nothing we can do for you.'"\nTheobald said that decreases in state budget appropriations have made the 2006-07 budget very tight and that IU can't afford to pay for much more.\n"We wish we had more funds," Theobald told the IDS in late March. "It's just a very difficult year. We'd love to be able to do more... Graduate students are obviously a very high priority around here."\nThe insurance plan, which was revised last year, left many students feeling like they would get less benefits for more money. Some benefits were significantly reduced: Lifetime maximum benefits for a single diagnosis were cut in half from $500,000 to $250,000, a $5,000 limit was set for coverage of prescriptions purchased outside the IU Health Center, and co-pays for doctor visits were increased from $10 to $15, according to an April 28 IDS article.
(12/06/06 5:33am)
Aaron Waltke will take the idea of layering for the winter to a new extreme Saturday when he tries to wear a record-breaking 160 T-shirts at once.\nWaltke, who graduated from IU in May, will attempt to set a new world record for "the most T-shirts worn at one time by a single human being" by breaking the old record of 155 shirts. He will attempt to put the shirts on at a comedy show at 9 p.m. Saturday in the Frangipani Room in the Indiana Memorial Union.\n"Ever since I was a little boy, I've always wanted to hold a world record," Waltke said. "My idea of the measure of a man didn't come from power or success or money. It was whether you had eaten the most hamburgers or done the most pogo-stick jumps."\nWaltke said he has known he wanted to break a world record for years but realized he had to set his sights on something reasonable.\n"I don't think I could conceivably be the man who has run across the United States the most times or the highest pole vaulter, but I could be the man to wear the most T-shirts at once," Waltke said. "It was that or eating the most jalapenos in one minute."\nWaltke's friend, Phil McLaughlin, an IU senior, is documenting the entire process, including their recent trip to the Guinness World of Records Museum in Gatlinburg, Tenn. McLaughlin plans on using the footage to make a short documentary about the process.\n"I think it's interesting to note what kind of mentality someone breaking a world record has and the drive that goes into it," McLaughlin said.\nWhile some people have laughed at Waltke for thinking he can break the record, most have been supportive, he said. A group on Facebook promoting Waltke's record attempt has more than 100 members, and Waltke said he expects a good crowd for his official attempt Saturday.\nBut Waltke won't be taking any chances about breaking the record. He said he will hold at least one or two "rehearsals" where he will actually break the record in private before doing it in front of an audience.\nWaltke will wear shirts ranging from size small to 10XL, the largest size available. He had to special order about 60 shirts from "big and tall" stores across the country.\nWaltke will appeal to the public for some of the other 90 shirts. He plans to collect donations of shirts outside Ballantine Hall at about noon today and Thursday. Waltke said he will return shirts to their owners after the record attempt and donate any unclaimed shirts, as well as the huge ones he special-ordered, to Goodwill.\n"I'd go just to see if he can do it," freshman Morgan Faske said. "I wouldn't lend him a shirt because I like my T-shirts, but it's a cool idea."\nThe current record-holder, Matt McAllister, a radio host in Santa Barbara, Calif., wore 155 T-shirts on Sept. 15. McAllister said he was skeptical Waltke could break the record during a conversation McAllister and McLaughlin had on McAllister's morning radio show.\nAccording to the official Guinness World Records Web site, there is a strict set of guidelines for official record-breakers.\nWaltke had to send in paperwork months in advance to get clearance for an official record attempt. Guinness researches past records and accepts or rejects proposals to break the records. If Waltke succeeds in his record attempt, he will send Guinness a video tape of the event, as well as newspaper clippings and pictures. He said he doesn't expect to get a spot at the Guinness Museums but said it's possible that the record could be in the "Guinness Book of World Records."\n"The book doesn't list every record; it's more the highlights, but it's conceivable I could be in it," he said.
(10/07/06 11:27pm)
Debbie Sibbitt experiences a moment each year when her heart soars. On a day when thousands of people come together to support one cause, Sibbitt finally sees a year of work come together. That day this year will be Saturday, the day of the annual Hoosiers Outrun Cancer race.\n"You can see it in people's faces, when they look out over this huge crowd of people," said Sibbitt, a member of the Hoosiers Outrun Cancer steering committee. "Especially students. It takes you aback to know how many of these people are going through the same thing or know someone who is."\nThis year's race, to be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday on the west side of Memorial Stadium, will be the seventh running of an event that gives thousands of dollars to the cause.\nSibbitt expects more than 4,000 people to participate in events this year -- the largest number of registrants ever. The day includes a 5K run, a 5K walk, a 1-mile kids run, family fitness walk and an awards ceremony.\nSeveral IU athletic teams will participate in the 5k run, including the men's and women's basketball teams.\nSenior Errek Suhr, a member of the men's basketball team, has run the race every year he's been at IU. His sister Jenny -- an IU student at the time -- died of cancer in 1999.\n"It's great to see how much support we get, seeing people come out and support our family and Jenny's memory," Suhr said. "There have been so many people affected by cancer, and it's a great feeling to see all these people come out and try to make a difference."\nSibbitt said she has seen the annual race go from just a few hundred runners to one of the largest footraces in Southern Indiana.\nSophomore Dave Ariel, who will participate in the race for the first time Saturday, said the event is a great way to exercise while supporting a good cause. \n"Any time you have an opportunity to do something you like doing while helping people out, it's great," said Ariel, who is training for the Little 50 race in April.\nAriel said one of his best family friends, who was almost like a grandfather to him, died of brain cancer several years ago. Ariel said he can't think of a better way to honor him than to contribute to an event like Hoosiers Outrun Cancer.\nSibbitt encouraged anyone who is interested to come to the race. Registration for all events will still be open until half an hour before race time.
(10/02/06 4:19am)
When former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak visits IU on Oct. 30, he will most likely be met with cheers, heckling and everything in between. Speaking on one of the most controversial conflicts of the 20th and now 21st centuries, Barak will attempt to explain some of the reasons behind the continuing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.\nBut the former prime minister has already come under fire as a controversial and biased speaker. Most IU students, however, seemed to respect such an important political figure's right to speak.\n"Even if people don't agree with what he has to say -- I don't agree with a lot of things he believes -- this will foster more dialogue and hopefully understanding," said sophomore Andrew Schwimmer.\nKhalil AbuGharbieh, president of the Muslim Student Union, said he is worried that Barak will be able to present a very one-sided account of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.\n"My main problem with it is that it's hard to build an accurate account of what's going on between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and there's a really big information gap between what you would hear from each side," AbuGharbieh said, cautioning that his views do not necessarily represent all members of the Muslim Student Union. "(Barak is) going to be able to say a lot of things without the opportunity for the other side to respond."\nOther campus figures said they believe it's good to attend political speeches simply to hear what the pundits have to say.\n"Even if Israel wasn't one of the most hostile regions of the world, he's a political speaker, and there are always going to be people who disagree," said Tslil Shtulsaft, senior Jewish campus service corps fellow at the Hillel Center. "But everyone can be respectful, listen and express their own opinions."\nUnion Board officials said the simple fact that a figure this historically important is visiting campus is something to be excited about.\n"A prime minister of one of the most important countries in the world is going to speak to us here in Bloomington. That, to me, is incredible," said Union Board President Bradley Allen. "What's more, a group of students did the work to bring him."\nBarak will be paid a $35,000 honorarium, Allen said. It is not unusual for prominent speakers to receive such large amounts of money for their time.\nBecause of Barak's prominence and potential protests, security will be tighter than usual for the speech.\nUnion Board Public Relations Director Emma Cullen said security for the event is still being organized. Cullen said that the Board is considering searching bags or banning them altogether. Allen added that there will be a "zero tolerance" policy for audience members who interrupt the prime minister, and anyone who creates a disturbance will be removed from the auditorium.\nAbuGharbieh, who also works on the Union Board lectures committee, said the Union Board plans to bring a Palestinian speaker to IU later this year. But he cautioned that a Palestinian speaker might not get the same audience as Barak.\n"You're not going to have complete parity because there's nobody we could bring that has the same stature (as Barak)," AbuGharbieh said.\nBarak will not be the first controversial speaker to come to IU. Last year, Union Board hosted conservative author Ann Coulter and conservative activist David Horowitz in 2005. Shtulsaft said Barak's status as an elected figure makes him an even more legitimate speaker.\nBarak was elected prime minister of Israel in 1999 and served one term until 2001, when he was defeated by Ariel Sharon in a special election. He served in the Israeli Armed Forces, leading teams of commandos in several missions. BBC News called him "the most decorated military officer in Israeli history"
(09/25/06 3:05am)
For some, life as a graduate student can seem lonely and unguided, but the Graduate and Professional Student Organization has a solution -- Graduate Survival Week. \nThe organization will host a series of lectures and discussions this week, focusing on issues like applying for grants and managing time, money and relationships. They will also discuss how to use the new health care plan.\nGraduate Survival Week coincides with the opening of a new grad student lounge and study area, the Grad Pad, located in the Indiana Memorial Union. \n"Graduate students are sort of thrown into the mix of things," GPSO Moderator Paul Rohwer said. "In some ways they feel like castaways marooned in this island of Bloomington where they need to find resources to help them. The GPSO put together the events for people to come discuss with University officials things that are important." \nThe lectures and discussions will take place at the new Grad Pad, located in room 088 on the mezzanine level of the IMU. \nMonday's "Show me the money!" lecture will focus on applying for research grants. Tuesday's lesson will focus on the new health care plan and feature a talk from IU Health Center officials, Wednesday's discussion will look at stress management tips and Thursday will have two sessions -- one about life as a graduate student with a spouse or partner, and the other about health and physical wellness. Friday, the last lesson, will host first-year graduate students.\nRohwer said Monday's talk will be especially important for students doing research. \n"We're at the cusp of the important grant-writing season for graduate students, so a representative from GPSO funding is going to come and discuss how to approach grants, what type of money is out there and how to write applications," he said. \nLily Ibarra, who works for GPSO's University Life division, said the meetings and the addition of the Grad Pad will help graduate students feel less isolated. \n"It's good for graduate students to get out of their departments and share their experiences," she said. \nThis is only the second year that GPSO has hosted a "survival week," but Rohwer said they hope it becomes an annual event. \n"Last year we had similar events, but this year we expanded it," he said. "The graduate life is all about survival."\nIbarra added the Grad Pad will make a big difference in allowing graduate students to mingle but said she hopes they will eventually have a larger lounge area, a reading room and offices. \n"We definitely want a larger space where students can have office hours or readings," Ibarra said. "This is just the beginning"
(09/25/06 2:56am)
Rain and wind might have kept some fans away from Sunday's football game against the University of Connecticut, but it did not stop several IU ROTC cadets and cadre members from showing up. \nAs part of the Operation Tribute to Freedom initiative, sponsored by the U.S. Military, eight student and faculty members who recently returned from service in Iraq and Afghanistan were honored at the game. \nThe cadets, soldiers and officers were acknowledged for their service during a halftime ceremony. Two veteran soldiers, home from Iraq on leave, served as honorary game captains and assisted with the coin toss before kickoff. Throughout the game, taped messages from local soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan played on the large video screen above the south end zone. \n"All the people in the stands were cheering really loud, and it showed us that they still support us," said Sgt. 1st Class Vernard Roundtree, senior military instructor for the Army ROTC department at IU and an Iraq veteran who served in the 1st Cavalry Division. "I think it was a great thing, recognizing the individuals, for one, and then what the military has done as a whole." \nRoundtree said he and the other soldiers were proud of their service and are happy to see support from the public even at a time when public support for the war in Iraq is low. \n"I have had a lot of people come up to me out of the blue and shake my hand and say thank you," Roundtree added. "It shows that the American public in general supports us, even if they disagree with what our commander-in-chief is doing."\nCadets present at the ceremony said they were proud to be honored at the game but were quick to downplay individual achievements. \n"The reason we wear the uniform is not for recognition," said sophomore Cadet John James, who served in Iraq with the 151st Infantry Regiment. "We wear it to serve our country and because we love our country, and we want to defend it." \nJames said ROTC members are not the only veterans on campus and there are more than most people realize. \n"It's a little bit weird walking around being 22 and calling yourself a veteran, but there is a whole generation of young veterans out there," he said. \nJames and the other cadets said the cheers from the crowd and even little things like saying thanks makes a big difference to them. They said because media coverage is so focused on violence and terror, people tend to overlook the positive aspects of the United States' presence overseas. \n"We do a lot of good stuff -- a lot of people have no idea that we're rebuilding schools and hospitals," James said. "A lot of the time those stories don't get out because of all the violence"
(09/20/06 3:37am)
Several students in the School of Education had a problem last year -- they worked hard to research and write term papers but had nowhere to publish them. None wanted their hard work to go to waste, so the students took matters into their own hands, starting an education journal titled "Law and Disorder".\nThe journal, written entirely by IU students and published through the University, covers the issues and legal aspects of special education. \n"I hope that our journal will really promote awareness on special education and law," said senior Alison Boehning, one of the students who submitted a paper for publication. "It's aimed towards a lot of different people -- anyone like an undergrad, like us, or people not in special education who want to learn more about it."\nBoehning added that the journal is a good resource for students interested in special needs education or other education majors.\nOne issue has been printed so far, and "Law and Disorder" is looking for additional contributors, editors and designers. Boehning said the group hopes to print another issue this spring.\nTheresa Ochoa, an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, who oversaw the project, said the journal is more than just an educational read.\n"Law & Disorder is important as a tool not only to disseminate information about special education law and students with disabilities, but, equally important, it serves as a tool to empower undergraduate students to begin to take themselves seriously as professionals," Ochoa said in a press release.\nThe journal includes articles about education for socially and emotionally disturbed students, as well as others about sex education for special needs students.\nBoehning said she hopes more than just education students get involved with the journal. She said students involved in journalism, English and graphic design could all help with publication, and she hopes that a staff can produce issues for years to come.\n"It is slightly difficult when we have some of our staff -- editors and contributors -- leaving, but we're trying to get younger people involved," Boehning said. "We're looking to invite some other potential editors and contributors in."\nThough some of the contributors have graduated and moved on to student-teaching, there is still a core group of students who want to publish their research.\n"We have a lot of resources at our fingertips," Boehning said. "We should use them as much as we can"
(09/06/06 4:17am)
Cheers erupted as the white and blue bus pulled into view. Some ran while others stumbled toward the edge of the sidewalk outside McNutt Quad, jostling for a good spot in line. The bus door creaked open and a small mob of students clawed their way out into the comparative fresh air of Fee Lane and out of the bus. The Midnight Special was making another run. \nIU, working with Bloomington Shuttle Service, Inc., has four buses serving three routes -- Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays -- that are intended to help students get home safely from campus locations or downtown Bloomington. Also known as the "drunk bus," the Midnight Special often serves as the designated driver for students visiting bars on Kirkwood Avenue. \nIU has a contract with Bloomington Shuttle that costs about $153,000 per year to provide late night services for the 'drunk bus', said IU Transportation Services Assistant Kent McDaniel. The buses gave students about 56,000 rides last school year, Bloomington Shuttle ends up earning about $2.70 per student ride. \nMcDaniel said, despite the cost of providing the service, the Midnight Special program was something that the IU Student Association was willing to pay for and many students supported. \n"About six years ago when IUSA decided that they wanted to push for a transportation fee, one of the things that they really wanted was this late night bus service," he said.\nIUSA campaigned for the service with the idea it would provide a safe and legal alternative to driving home while intoxicated. \nBut some students are concerned that IU is spending a lot of money on programs that only a select group use. \n"The money that is put towards that service could be better used for a service that the majority of students actually use," said Graduate and Professional Student Organization moderator Paul \nRohwer. "They're making a lot of money from \nstudent fees when some of us never even use the drunk bus." \nBut the Midnight Special is carrying more now than it was in 2001 or 2003. According to a Jan. 12, 2004 Indiana Daily Student article, 7,941 passengers rode the bus in 2001 and 33,998 rode it in 2003. During the 2005-2006 school year, 56,265 rides were given on Midnight Special buses. \nIU does not pay Bloomington Shuttle per rider but has a yearly contract with the company. \nSome students say it's unfair that they have to pay a fee that goes towards the Midnight Special when they don't use it often, or, in some cases, ever. \n"It's unfair to charge students who don't use the drunk bus, but on the other hand you can't really pick who to charge," said freshman Peter Puthenveetil. "Maybe they should charge a fair each ride instead of charging everyone"
(08/31/06 3:46am)
In a move to lower traffic congestion and free some campus parking spaces, IU Parking Operations announced a carpool program that will allow three or more riders to share a parking spot only for registered carpool participants at a designated lot. \nThe program, available to anyone eligible for an A or C permit, is intended for appointed employees, graduate and research assistants, associate instructors and professors. Hourly student employees are not eligible, however. \nMaggie Whitlow, executive director of Transportation Services, said in a statement that the program will not just make it easier for riders to get to work. It will also lessen the strain on others who drive. \n"In addition to saving gasoline costs, parking costs and other automobile operating costs, this program should reduce the amount of traffic on Bloomington streets, the amount of pollution in our air and reduce the difficulty of finding parking for those of us who still drive," Whitlow said. \nThe program will also include a "guaranteed ride home," meaning that IU Parking Operations will pay for the first 50 miles of a cab ride in the event that riders are stranded without their driver. The free ride can be used up to three times per semester, but IU Transportation Services Assistant Kent McDaniel said he doubts riders will use it often. \n"What we found in doing research -- it's a very common program -- is that people feel very comfortable when they know it's available, but they don't use it very often," McDaniel said.\nHe said a similar program in Indianapolis spent less than $500 per semester on free rides. \nThe program requires at least three riders to form a group. Interested parties can either apply individually and be matched with other riders or form their own groups. Carpool permits will cost the same as a standard C permit -- $105 per semester -- but will be split among the riders. \nMcDaniel said carpools will even be able to pick which garage or parking lot they want to park in. \n"If we can get a carpool registered, they can pick the site," he said. "We'll pick out a spot in the parking lot that will be permanently assigned to them." \nCarpool participants will each be given five one-day permits per semester for emergencies and days when they have medical appointments or different schedules. Groups will be assigned by commuting time and will usually have to drive to and from campus at the same time every day. McDaniel said the program isn't meant for employees with changing schedules. \nAccording to a May 18 Indiana Daily Student article, a similar program was suggested in 1993, but failed after only a few employees signed up. The old program used a satellite parking lot with shuttle bus service, while the new one allows motorists to park in any lot or garage they choose. \nRegistration for the program is by mail-in form. Forms are available at http://parking.indiana.edu/parking_operations/carpool.html.
(08/30/06 5:23am)
IU and Bloomington Transit have announced a new plan to allow all IU-Bloomington staff and faculty to ride campus and Bloomington buses for free. Riders will use passes issued by the University and Bloomington Transit and can use the buses for any ride, not just rides to and from campus. \n"The program is good year-round," said Bloomington Transit General Manager Lew May. "It may not even be a work related trip you're going on -- you might be going shopping or to a medical appointment, but faculty and staff can use Bloomington Transit for free." \nMay said the program might help commuting staff and faculty members get on campus faster and easier because it will allow them to avoid the typical commuting headaches.\n"Rather than having to deal with traffic, parking and high gas prices, this is a great alternative for faculty and staff to consider," May said. \nIU already has a system to issue passes, and Bloomington Transit has set up a Web site at which staff and faculty can apply for a pass. Passes won't be required to use campus buses, but city buses will require the pass. \nIU Campus Bus Operations Manager Perry Maull said in a press release that using the bus system is better than driving to work for several reasons. Beyond saving gas money, Maull said riding the bus gives people a chance to relax and get ready for the day. \n"You can work, you can read, you can use your laptop, or you can also just be mindless," Maull said in a statement. "It's a time to just not think -- to just chill." \nPasses are available at www.iubus.indiana.edu.
(08/30/06 5:23am)
Thumping, screaming and the noise of several explosions reverberated through Assembly Hall Friday evening as thousands of freshmen learned about IU school spirit at the annual "Traditions and Spirit" Welcome Week event.\n"I've never been to anything like that," freshman Branden Davenport said. "I went to a small high school, and it was really cool to see that. I thought the crowd was pretty good."\nAbout 4,000 freshmen banged inflatable noisemakers and sang, waiting for the event to start. Each dorm prepared a cheer to perform in front of the rest of the freshman class, and it was a rowdy group by the time Assembly Hall announcer and Assistant Athletics Director Chuck Crabb took the floor.\nCrabb introduced a video that highlighted move-in day. Students cheered when they saw friends or their own dorms.\nThe event featured appearances by men's basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson, women's basketball head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, football head coach Terry Hoeppner and an inspiring -- if not somewhat off-pitch -- video rendition of "Indiana, Our Indiana" sung by men's soccer coach Mike Freitag.\nSampson said he was thrilled to see the amount of support that students have for IU sports and said that he couldn't wait to see Assembly Hall filled for Hoosier Hysteria, the annual basketball pep rally Oct. 13.\nThe ever-energetic and positive Hoeppner got the crowd to its feet, urging students to help "defend the rock" starting next weekend for the first home football game of the season.\n"You all know what playing 13 means," he said. "Bowl game!"\nStudents learned "Indiana, Our Indiana" and heard some of the other songs featured at basketball and football games. The songs were performed by the Indiana Marching Hundred and sung by Tyler Trepp, director of IU's male a capella group Straight No Chaser. The RedSteppers dance team and the Cream and Crimson cheerleading squads danced along.\n"We want the atmosphere to be great, and we're trying to spread some school spirit," said freshman Danielle Richardson, a member of the cheerleading squad. "We're trying to show people what spirit here is all about."\nStudents attending the event were largely enthusiastic. Cheers erupted after a blazing pyrotechnic display accompanied the band's finale, red and white sparks spewing from the ceiling and bleachers near the court.\nIU Auditorium Assistant House Manager Christine Foust, who helped direct the event, said she thinks Traditions and Spirit is a great way for freshmen to start the year.\n"I think it's really exciting for freshmen, just to introduce all of the spirit of IU," she said. "They all come in; they're all pumped up; we're pumped up. It makes them feel like they're really a part of the school"
(08/30/06 5:18am)
The fair-trade coffee, local produce, fresh cakes, pies and salads give it away -- Sugar and Spice has gone organic. \nThe bakery and coffee shop, located on the second floor of the Indiana Memorial Union next to the IU Bookstore, was redesigned as part of a larger effort to remodel parts of the building. \n"We're trying to get people to not just think of us for their sugar fix," said Sugar and Spice manager Suzette May. "We wanted to add some local and organic things to the store, too." \nGone are the Starbucks coffee -- replaced with fair-trade and organic Green Mountain coffee -- and the refrigerator of Nestea and POWERade. The store's shelves and wooden baskets are now full of organic peanuts, trail mix, dates and chocolate bars. A new 'cold' display case holds a selection of pasta, salad, pies and cakes. Still remaining is the basic selection of cookies, brownies, no-bakes and breads. \n"It is unique in the union - the focus on organic, fresh and local products," said IMU Director Loren Rullman. \nStudents will not have to deal with the absence of Starbucks in the IMU for too long, though, as a new Starbucks Coffee will open on the third floor before the end of the semester. Rullman said the Starbucks location will host events like poetry slams and feature small musical groups.\nBut not everyone is happy about the changes to Sugar and Spice. Bloomington resident Lori Teach said she shops at the store regularly for the cake but is disappointed with the new organic look. \n"It's supposed to be a quick, in-and-out store," Teach said. "They need to stop changing things around." \nMay countered that most customers are happy with the new look, saying Sugar and Spice is a unique place on campus. It has longer hours than Kiva, another IMU foot outlet, and serves vegan food that isn't available everywhere. \n"There are people on campus who like vegan meals," she said. "Some of them come over from Collins -- I don't think they're serving as many vegan meals over there as they used to." \nSugar and Spice will still carry most of the items that were sold last year. Though some customers have expressed their disappointment that iced coffee is no longer available, May said it might become available in the future. \nIU Outdoor Adventures is another IMU program that will receive a face lift. It will move from a temporary location into remodeled space after spending the last 10 years without proper offices. The new facilities will include racks to store equipment as well as desk space.\nThe Whittenberger Auditorium, too, is in the process of being updated. It is getting new seats, a new electronic media package and a taller screen. Rullman said these additions should be completed and ready to open sometime in October. He said the new screen will be designed to provide improved visibility.\n"We had some people complaining about not being able to see the (old) screen," Rullman said, "so we're moving it up about two feet. That should make it easier to see."\nThe IMU is spending a significant amount of funding on the remodeling projects. The Whittenberger improvements are set to cost about $400,000, while the Starbucks facilities will cost $200,000 and the IU Outdoor Adventures space will cost about $40,000.\n"Because the Union Board programs things in these spaces, (renovations) will help enhance the experience of students and customers," Rullman said.
(08/25/06 4:39am)
IU Health Center officials said a new policy announced Thursday allowing over-the-counter sale of Plan B -- also known as the morning-after pill -- should make it more accessible but might not significantly decrease the amount of time it takes IU students to get the drug.\n"It's not going to impact us a lot," Cheryl Thomas, IU Health Center pharmacy director said, adding that the health center will carry the new nonprescription pill, which it previously offered with prescription only. "What it's going to help with is knowledge. People are going to read and hear about it."\nThomas said the process of prescribing the drug is already quick at the health center and the new policy will only cut out talking to one person. She said as long as the center is open the time it takes to get plan B will not be greatly affected. \nThe drug, called Plan B, will be for sale without a prescription to women and men age 18 or older. While many women's rights groups declared the decision a victory, several organizations stated they want it to be available to women age 17 and younger. \n"It's a very good thing to have more opportunities for women to access different kinds of contraceptives," said Office of Women's Affairs Assistant Dean Carol McCord. "Having a safe and effective backup method of birth control that's available to women without having to ask for permission for it is undeniably good."\nMost Bloomington pharmacies will carry the drug, said a pharmacist at the CVS/Pharmacy on College Mall Road who wished not to be identified because of store policy prohibiting communication with the press. \nThe drug, if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse, can significantly lower the risk of pregnancy. It is more effective if used soon after sex, but becomes ineffective if the woman is already pregnant, according to the IU Health Center Web site. \nThe drug will be sold only at pharmacies -- not other stores like gas stations or grocery stores. Pharmacists will be responsible for checking identification before selling the drug, which could be on shelves by the end of the year. \nThomas said the next big question is the cost of the drug. At its current $25 for a single dose at the health center, price can be a deterrent for some women, she said. She said she hopes the price will be reduced, but Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the company that manufactures Plan B, has yet to publish any information about new prices.\nThomas and McCord agreed that easy access to Plan B will be especially important for universities.\n"On college campuses, it's quite clear that the number of people who are having sexual encounters is pretty high," McCord said, adding that many partners are not in serious relationships and might not talk about safe sex. "There are also more sexual assaults, and all of those situations show a need for contraceptive plans."\nSome groups oppose the plan, preferring to teach abstinence.\n"The main opposition to this is from people who want to withhold contraceptives as a way to prevent people from having sexual interactions," McCord said.\nCalls Thursday evening attempting to reach members of Campus Crusade for Christ and the St. Paul Catholic Center in Bloomington were not returned by press time.
(08/24/06 5:22am)
A nervous-looking mother stood on the sidewalk outside Foster Quad, a pile of boxes and suitcases at her feet. She looked up at Harper, the nine-story building that towers over Fee Lane, as if trying to figure out which room belonged to her child.\n"How are you doing today?" a man wearing a straw IU hat and shirt asked her. A smile crept across the woman's face when the man introduced himself as President Adam Herbert.\nHerbert visited with parents and students Wednesday morning outside Foster. As thousands of students descended on residence halls all over campus, Herbert and several members of the Residential Programs and Services staff talked with students about the new journey on which they were about to embark.\n"From the first day I came to the University, I've always come out to welcome members of the freshman class," Herbert said. "I think it gives me a feel for what some of our new students are thinking and to make sure some of the parents are more sure of their student's well-being."\nFreshman Eric Slivka said Herbert's visit was a great way to start off his college experience, and it helped his parents feel more comfortable with the transition.\n"I'm their last child moving out, so it's a little bit of an empty nest, but it's time for me to move on, and they know that IU is a good place for me to be," he said. "I'm getting everything thrown at me at once. To come down here, get to meet the president, see the whole University -- I'm really excited right now."\nSlivka wasn't the only freshman excited to start college. Cars lined the Fee Lane sidewalk while students lugged huge boxes up the stairs into their new homes.\n"Today is a start. It's a new beginning with a lot of excitement and a lot of great expectations," said RPS Executive Director Pat Connor.\nConnor said Herbert makes an effort to greet students every year, and though Herbert might seem like a distant figure to the average student, he likes to spend time with IU students and parents.\n"I think he likes the opportunity to go out and meet some students and their parents and welcome them to IU and try to get out in the community," Connor said.\nIU Student Association President Betsey Henke, who, along with other IUSA representatives, was distributing water bottles outside dorms, said not all universities have officials who make an effort to meet students.\n"It's great to have someone humble enough to come out and be here," she said.\nIn the end, Henke said, the most important thing is that students get comfortable at IU.\n"It's very overwhelming for the new students and parents," she said. "So if a few people can walk away having met the president and it makes their day better, that's great"
(05/05/06 5:00am)
While students are packing up for the summer and seniors are putting on their caps and gowns, the IU board of trustees is still in session.\nAt Thursday's early meeting, IU Vice President for Student Development and Diversity Charlie Nelms presented a strategy to raise the number of minority students on campus. Nelms said he felt that several minority groups, including African American and poor students, are underrepresented. Several groups have had concerns that new admissions standards, passed by the trustees last month, might exclude some minority groups from IU.\nIU President Adam Herbert said he thinks it is important to recruit minority students to Bloomington so that the campus is a more diverse learning environment.\n"The opportunity for our students to enroll in classes with students of different backgrounds enhances the learning process and ensures students will have greater respect for people from other circumstances," he said.\nTrustee Sue Talbot said she believes IU can put an effective plan in place that will attract more minority students.\n"IU statewide is severely lacking in the number of minority students it is serving," Talbot said. "What we're looking for is a commitment to recruit more minority and underrepresented students."\nThe trustees will conclude their May meeting today after approving the 2006-2007 budget and several new building proposals. \nThe 2006-2007 budget, which was drafted at previous board meetings, includes allocations of money to different academic departments and student fees.\nThe trustees are expected to approve building proposals for a reference reading room in the Herman B Wells Main Library, a new building for the Hutton Honors College, a new house for Beta Theta Pi fraternity, additional funding for the Multidisciplinary Science Building Phase II and a new parking garage at the corner of Atwater Avenue and Fess Avenue.\nThe projected cost of the parking garage is estimated to be $10,946,000 and will be funded by Parking Operations according to the trustee's Web site. The site also lists the Hutton Honors College to cost an estimated $3 million, which will be funded through a gift from Edward L. Hutton. \nThe Multidisciplinary Science Building Phase II, a new science building intended to serve several science departments, is part of IU's effort to make IU a top-ranked research university and create life-science jobs in Indiana.\nIf approved, the new three-story limestone chapter house for Beta Theta Pi will be located at 1100 N. Jordan Ave. and will accommodate 50 live-in students and 30 non-residents. \nThe trustees will also hear comments from IU Student Association representatives. Outgoing IUSA President Alex Shortle and incoming IUSA President Betsey Henke will both speak.\nThe business meeting will be held at 10:45 a.m. today in the Frangipani Room at the Indiana Memorial Union and will be open to the public.
(05/01/06 5:03am)
Several former employees at Read Center said they believe there is a cockroach problem at Read Dining Hall, claiming IU officials are ignoring a growing problem.\nOne former Read employee, Rhea Kutche, said there were cockroaches in the salad bar, ice cream machine and kitchen. Kutche, who used to be an assistant dining manager at the residence hall, alleges that cockroaches fell out of the ice cream machine when students pulled the dispenser handle, and said she was told to cut the mold off of old cheese so it could be used.\nAnother former Read employee, Melvin Archer, said he used to lead a team of pest control employees, but said his team of full-time employees was replaced by a part-time employee from an outside pest control company. Archer now works for another department in Residential Programs and Services.\nRepresentatives of Read and RPS said they were not aware of a problem, and noted that Read Dining Hall has not failed any county health inspections.\n"We did have a routine inspection at the end of February and passed it," said Read Dining Manager Linda Branstetter. "We have regular treatments from pest control (professionals)."\nDining Services Director Sandra Fowler said she was also unaware of any cockroach problems.\n"I am not aware of any major roach problems at Read," she said. "We have a contract with an exterminator to routinely treat all of our facilities to avoid problems. We have routine inspections from our Environmental Health and Safety Department, and actually, I've never known of any of our facilities to fail an inspection."\nCockroaches were not visible during a lunchtime visit Friday.