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(02/08/01 5:00am)
Some artists put out "best of" CDs far too early in their careers. Case in point, The Best of Tevin Campbell.\nIt's true, Campbell has been recording music since he released his first album in 1991 at age 14. But what is also true is his music hasn't grown or matured much since that time, producing a CD where most tracks sound exceedingly similar. In fact, the most dramatic changes from track to track are in Campbell's voice. One minute he's prepubescent, the next his voice has changed. Eventually this causes the listener to get a little seasick and annoyed that the record company didn't put the tracks in chronological order.\nThe best songs on the CD are Campbell's first and second successful singles, "Round and Round" and "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do" (For some reason, these two recordings don't appear until tracks eight and nine.) "Round and Round" is a great nostalgia trip despite having extremely corny lyrics. "Tell Me" takes full advantage of Campbell's vocal strong points and like "Round and Round" actually sounds different than the other songs on the CD.\nMost of the other offerings are a sample from Campbell's other albums to date. They all show exactly why Campbell hasn't had any really big hit songs since he was 14. All showcase Campbell's decent voice sounding like the majority of R&B now available. The goal of these songs was to sound mainstream; unfortunately they also sound boring.\nListeners should hope that when Campbell is ready for another "best of" album, he'll have acquired a little more courage and musical maturity.
(02/08/01 4:09am)
Some artists put out "best of" CDs far too early in their careers. Case in point, The Best of Tevin Campbell.\nIt's true, Campbell has been recording music since he released his first album in 1991 at age 14. But what is also true is his music hasn't grown or matured much since that time, producing a CD where most tracks sound exceedingly similar. In fact, the most dramatic changes from track to track are in Campbell's voice. One minute he's prepubescent, the next his voice has changed. Eventually this causes the listener to get a little seasick and annoyed that the record company didn't put the tracks in chronological order.\nThe best songs on the CD are Campbell's first and second successful singles, "Round and Round" and "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do" (For some reason, these two recordings don't appear until tracks eight and nine.) "Round and Round" is a great nostalgia trip despite having extremely corny lyrics. "Tell Me" takes full advantage of Campbell's vocal strong points and like "Round and Round" actually sounds different than the other songs on the CD.\nMost of the other offerings are a sample from Campbell's other albums to date. They all show exactly why Campbell hasn't had any really big hit songs since he was 14. All showcase Campbell's decent voice sounding like the majority of R&B now available. The goal of these songs was to sound mainstream; unfortunately they also sound boring.\nListeners should hope that when Campbell is ready for another "best of" album, he'll have acquired a little more courage and musical maturity.
(02/01/01 8:22pm)
The sound of familiar but not quite placeable classical music crackles through the speakers at Planned Television Arts, a New York-based promotion company. Minutes tick by as the clock moves closer to 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Relaxing sounds of violins and horns become the background music for an ever-growing number of men and women waiting at the other end of telephone lines. Finally, an overly happy and somewhat artificial-sounding woman delivers an introduction. \nVoices of college men and women speaking from New York to Nebraska to Washington State emanate faintly through the telephone, interrupted by electronic beeps and disturbances. These junior reporters, directors and fans are spending an hour glued to the phone to talk to playwright Eve Ensler, author of the acclaimed off-Broadway play "The Vagina Monologues." In the middle of this giant game of phone tag, Ensler's voice comes through loud and clear.\nEnsler is answering the questions of these faceless voices in order to promote the third annual celebration of V-Day. V-Day, a global movement to end violence against girls and women, began while Ensler was traveling the world during the first tour of "The Vagina Monologues." \nAfter watching the performance, a series of narratives about things shaping the lives of women and sexuality, audience members would come up to Ensler and share their own stories of being beaten and violated.\n"I just couldn't keep doing the piece if I didn't do something," Ensler said. "Meeting all those people and hearing all those stories led to the movement."\nThe goal of V-Day is to put a different spin on Valentine's Day; Ensler wants to take the romance out and put the vagina back in.\n"I say that kind of ironically, but the truth is in the name of romance a lot of violence gets committed towards women," Ensler said. "And I'm not anti-romance, but I am anti-romantization of patriarchy and domination. So I think we thought it was the perfect day to liberate women and to look at ending violence against women."\nEnsler will host a V-Day celebration Feb. 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. There, women can attend empowerment activities, hear of challenges facing women in countries all over the world and see a performance of "The Vagina Monologues," with proceeds going to cause-supporting organizations. Cities, colleges and universities, including IU, will spend some of the days thereafter putting on similar programs.\nDebby Herbenick, visiting research associate at the Kinsey Institute and head of the IU V-Day activities, will see "The Vagina Monologues" performed for the first time at the Feb. 10 benefit in New York City. \n"'The Vagina Monologues' gets women and hopefully gets people talking about their bodies and promotes a positive self-image," she said. "It takes away a lot of the secrecy and kind of gives people the power to reclaim their own bodies."\nKerrie Griffith, the director of the V-Day performance at the State University of New York at Fredonia, will also be a part of the Madison Square Garden audience. She told Ensler she reads parts of "The Vagina Monologues" almost every day.\n"It's such a profound thing for me," Griffith said. "I can't even begin to describe it."
(02/01/01 5:00am)
A romantic comedy about love, destiny and other events you just can't plan for." This is the tagline (or the sentence appearing on movie posters, ads and the trailer) for the "The Wedding Planner." After reading this tagline and seeing the trailer in theaters a few times, I knew exactly what this movie is about and more or less how it would end. "The Wedding Planner" is predictable and basically a fluffy fairy tale.\nDespite all this, I couldn't wait to see it.\nAlthough "The Wedding Planner" doesn't deserve Oscars or the pile of money it probably made last weekend (in relation to some other more deserving films), it is the perfect movie for a certain mood. You've probably experienced this before: the desire to go into a theater, sit back and watch a completely uncomplicated and predictable story with a happy ending. Personally, I think this is the whole point for a good many movies falling into the genre of "chick flick." \nThe story of an anal wedding planner (Jennifer Lopez, who, thanks to this movie, is inexplicably on the cover of every wedding issue of every magazine this month) who has an accident, falls in love with her cute, pediatrician savior (Matthew McConaughey) and finds out he's off limits.\n In no way shape or form does Lopez work in "The Wedding Planner" compare with her surprisingly impressive role in "Out of Sight." But let's just say her acting is far less grating than her singing. McConaughey's main function is to look cute and act dreamy, which he does quite well. Plus, all of this fluff is taking place behind some really nice San Francisco scenery.\n After this review I may never be able to say I have high movie standards without receiving a mass quantity of hate mail. But let me point out something. I think movies should in general strive for creativity and dimension. I like to see a film and spend the next three days talking about the meaning of every detail. But sometimes I just want to go to a movie, see a happy ending and feel good afterwards. I don't want to worry about all the terrible things happening the world or to try and figure out how a surprising twist finale worked with the rest of the plot. I just want to have a good time.\n This weekend I saw two movies: "The Wedding Planner" and "Crouching Tiger..." "Crouching Tiger..." can only be described as amazing: it was thought-provoking, visually stunning and one of the most creative films I've seen in a long time. "The Wedding Planner" is none of these but I still left the theater satsified.
(02/01/01 4:33am)
A romantic comedy about love, destiny and other events you just can't plan for." This is the tagline (or the sentence appearing on movie posters, ads and the trailer) for the "The Wedding Planner." After reading this tagline and seeing the trailer in theaters a few times, I knew exactly what this movie is about and more or less how it would end. "The Wedding Planner" is predictable and basically a fluffy fairy tale.\nDespite all this, I couldn't wait to see it.\nAlthough "The Wedding Planner" doesn't deserve Oscars or the pile of money it probably made last weekend (in relation to some other more deserving films), it is the perfect movie for a certain mood. You've probably experienced this before: the desire to go into a theater, sit back and watch a completely uncomplicated and predictable story with a happy ending. Personally, I think this is the whole point for a good many movies falling into the genre of "chick flick." \nThe story of an anal wedding planner (Jennifer Lopez, who, thanks to this movie, is inexplicably on the cover of every wedding issue of every magazine this month) who has an accident, falls in love with her cute, pediatrician savior (Matthew McConaughey) and finds out he's off limits.\n In no way shape or form does Lopez work in "The Wedding Planner" compare with her surprisingly impressive role in "Out of Sight." But let's just say her acting is far less grating than her singing. McConaughey's main function is to look cute and act dreamy, which he does quite well. Plus, all of this fluff is taking place behind some really nice San Francisco scenery.\n After this review I may never be able to say I have high movie standards without receiving a mass quantity of hate mail. But let me point out something. I think movies should in general strive for creativity and dimension. I like to see a film and spend the next three days talking about the meaning of every detail. But sometimes I just want to go to a movie, see a happy ending and feel good afterwards. I don't want to worry about all the terrible things happening the world or to try and figure out how a surprising twist finale worked with the rest of the plot. I just want to have a good time.\n This weekend I saw two movies: "The Wedding Planner" and "Crouching Tiger..." "Crouching Tiger..." can only be described as amazing: it was thought-provoking, visually stunning and one of the most creative films I've seen in a long time. "The Wedding Planner" is none of these but I still left the theater satsified.
(01/26/01 6:45pm)
First and foremost, "Save the Last Dance" teaches us that its director, Thomas Carter, has a thing for stories of teenagers who use dance to fight the close-mindedness of general society. While his 1993 movie "Swing Kids" told the story of two boys fighting the influence of Nazism through American swing dance, "Save the Last Dance" tells the story of Sara (Julia Stiles) and Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas) breaking from the constraints of racism and classism through ballet and hip-hop.\nSara is a (literally) lily-white ballet dancer who after simultaneously losing her mother to a car accident and losing a chance to go to Juilliard has her safe Midwestern life packed away along with her guilty conscience and moves to inner city Chicago. There she meets a new group of friends, including Derek, a black overachiever, who encourages her to dance again.\nThe dance sequences are the heart of "Save the Last Dance," and they are both well-choreographed and set to a fabulous hip-hop and R&B-filled soundtrack. Stiles and Thomas look great together, and their chemistry shines brightest when they dance together. Stiles seems a bit uncomfortable spouting Sara's newfound "inner city" lingo, but this (kind of) works to her portrayal's advantage. Thomas, who has the whitest teeth ever seen on film, shows he possesses a lot more talent than evidenced by his throwaway performance as the music teacher in "Cruel Intentions."\nThe emotional baggage the script gives these two lovebirds enhances the obvious roadblocks of this relationship. Sarah's and Derek's friends oppose the relationship realistically, the exception being jealous Nikki (Bianca Lawson) who is nothing more than a cliche wearing a smirk and a tube top. \nLike "Swing Kids," Carter ultimately makes a winner out of "Save the Last Dance" by creating a movie with the perfect blend of social consciousness with a beat you can dance to.
(01/25/01 5:00am)
First and foremost, "Save the Last Dance" teaches us that its director, Thomas Carter, has a thing for stories of teenagers who use dance to fight the close-mindedness of general society. While his 1993 movie "Swing Kids" told the story of two boys fighting the influence of Nazism through American swing dance, "Save the Last Dance" tells the story of Sara (Julia Stiles) and Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas) breaking from the constraints of racism and classism through ballet and hip-hop.\nSara is a (literally) lily-white ballet dancer who after simultaneously losing her mother to a car accident and losing a chance to go to Juilliard has her safe Midwestern life packed away along with her guilty conscience and moves to inner city Chicago. There she meets a new group of friends, including Derek, a black overachiever, who encourages her to dance again.\nThe dance sequences are the heart of "Save the Last Dance," and they are both well-choreographed and set to a fabulous hip-hop and R&B-filled soundtrack. Stiles and Thomas look great together, and their chemistry shines brightest when they dance together. Stiles seems a bit uncomfortable spouting Sara's newfound "inner city" lingo, but this (kind of) works to her portrayal's advantage. Thomas, who has the whitest teeth ever seen on film, shows he possesses a lot more talent than evidenced by his throwaway performance as the music teacher in "Cruel Intentions."\nThe emotional baggage the script gives these two lovebirds enhances the obvious roadblocks of this relationship. Sarah's and Derek's friends oppose the relationship realistically, the exception being jealous Nikki (Bianca Lawson) who is nothing more than a cliche wearing a smirk and a tube top. \nLike "Swing Kids," Carter ultimately makes a winner out of "Save the Last Dance" by creating a movie with the perfect blend of social consciousness with a beat you can dance to.
(01/25/01 4:48am)
An autopsy Tuesday failed to determine the cause of death of 21-year old Purdue University junior Laura Marie Williams.\nWilliams, a native of Chesterton, Ind., and student in the university's School of Consumer and Family Sciences, was found dead Monday morning in her off-campus apartment. Williams' roommate, Daniel Goebbert, a junior, said Williams told another roommate she wasn't feeling well Sunday afternoon. She never emerged from her room. \nTippecanoe County Coroner Martin Avolt told the Associated Press he estimates Williams' time of death as being sometime late Sunday night or early Monday morning.\nWilliams spent the Saturday before her death celebrating her 21st birthday by visiting several bars, police say. Tuesday's autopsy was unable to show if alcohol played a role in Williams' death. \nCaptain Mike Francis of the West Lafayette Police Dept. said investigators are waiting on a toxicology report and microscopic studies to determine what killed Williams. The toxicology report will determine the contents of a blood sample and other evidence collected at the scene. Results should be available in about 10 days.\n"We have no indication of any kind of suspicious activity or foul play," Francis said.\nAvolt said "any one of a million things" could have killed the otherwise healthy student.\nAlthough there is no indication of alcohol having played a role in Williams' death, Francis said in cases where it is a factor, the department looks at alcohol poisoning or whether the victim choked on vomit. \nFrancis said investigators are interviewing people who were with Williams Saturday night. \n"We want to see if they can give us some kind of indication as to how she was feeling or acting or if any people other than her roommates saw her on Sunday," Francis said. \nWilliams swam on the junior varsity team during all four years of high school. She was in the National Honor Society member and was a member of the school's Students Against Drunk Driving organization. Williams was listed in the 1996-97 "Who's Who Among American High School Students."\nJim Voss, Chesterson High School assistant swim coach, told Gary's Post-Tribune that Williams was always shy and reserved. \n"She was just an excellent kid, an excellent student," he said. "It's a real shock. To me, she knew where she was going."\nJoe Bennett, vice president of university relations at Purdue, said the university has no additional information at this time.\n"We provide counseling through the dean of students," Bennett said. "We have a variety of different kinds of counseling including grief counseling. I don't know if any of (Williams') friends have taken advantage"
(01/18/01 5:00am)
Imagine standing at the edge of a riverbank in New Orleans and hearing the sounds of a young Louis Armstrong playing his cornet on a riverboat. Imagine being a member of the army band in the only African-American regiment during World War I. Few people alive today can claim to have heard the joyful sounds of jazz drifting through a shadowy swamp or to have basked in the cheers of black and white New Yorkers during a parade to honor the heroics of a ragtime band. Ken Burns' latest marathon-long PBS documentary "Jazz" (9-11 p.m. Jan 8-31, PBS) uses photos, letters and commentary to rebuild the creation of a music genre in front of the random television viewer. \nMost of the elements that made up Burns' past documentaries, "The Civil War" and "Baseball," make reappearances during "Jazz." Photos, documents and the diaries or letters of historical figures pop in and out as the music of each artist plays in the background.\nLike all Burns' documentaries, the most interesting part of "Jazz" is the stories of individuals who contributed to the genre. The documentary moves beyond a mere listing of Armstrong's or Duke Ellington's accomplishments by looking at the things each man went through on the way to becoming a legend. Smaller sections devoted to other artists cover the major contributions to jazz as well as major personal developments and stories. \nPhotos are the best reason to tune in to at least a small part of "Jazz." Many of the photos (and some archival film) are extremely rare for the average American TV watcher. Burns keeps many of the photos on the screen for substantial amounts of time, bringing the face of each person close enough to let viewers look each long-dead musician straight in the eye.\nA documentary called "Jazz" wouldn't be complete without jazz music. While music was just an additional scene-setter in "Baseball" and "The Civil War," here it has to become yet another character in the story. Many of the included songs are familiar to even a rudimentary jazz fan, which makes "Jazz" accessible to most people. Burns has taken ample advantage of this with the "Jazz" boxed set, an around $80 sampler of jazz greats. But the lack of never-before-heard material prevents a hard-core jazz fan from hearing something new while they learn something new.\nThe historical narrative is accompanied by the familiar voices of mostly African-American actors and musicians reading parts of letters, diaries and essays. Although the messages in these documents are very interesting, it's actually a little jarring to hear LeVar Burton ("Reading Rainbow," "Star Trek") speaking as a 20th-century music critic. \nStill, "Jazz" is at least fascinating for the way it ties the music to the development of American society, particularly of African Americans. Although jazz isn't completely responsible for the acceptance of black people into the army or the civil rights movement, Burns shows how the music related to the people making history.
(01/18/01 5:00am)
At 6:30 p.m., 90 minutes to showtime, they file into the Auditorium. Already dressed in costume, they prepare for the impending show. They gather props and feverishly work to perfect the last pieces of the puzzle that will be their performance. As the clock counts down, the directors call the players together to give a pep talk and last-minute directions. \nThe group moves into the theater. Performers walk to their marks. Finally, the announcement is made: this is zero hour, showtime. Everyone is tense with excitement.\nAt about 7:30 p.m., the Auditorium doors open, and patrons file inside. Although the performance of Les Miserables doesn't begin for another half hour, the IU Auditorium ushers have taken the stage. Although the performers will receive the applause at the end of the night, the volunteer ushers also have completed another evening of performing. They're the stars when it come to directing and interacting with patrons to ensure the night at the theater is a good one. \n"(The ushers) do much more than show people to their seats," says Melissa McReynolds, house manager at the Auditorium. "They ensure that people have the enjoyable experience they have expected since the moment they bought a ticket."\nMy decision to become an usher is directly related to my inabilities as a singer and actress. My last successful theatrical performance was as a witch in the second grade. Although I was personally quite proud of myself, my third grade teacher destroyed by bravado by relegating me to cutting the window holes out of the fake house for our yearly play. In high school, I wished for the courage to try out for the part of Yente in "Fiddler on the Roof." Unfortunately that courage never surfaced. Despite all of this, I love going to the theater as an audience member. \nDuring Les Miserables' weeklong run in November at the Auditorium, many of the more than 300 students who are volunteer ushers found themselves working two, three or even four shows. Each night, I and the other ushers reported early, greeted guests and escorted them to the correct seats. After the show starts, ushers must locate patrons arriving late and delay them until they can inconspicuously enter the dark theater without interrupting the performance. Then we climb long flights of cement stairs up to the balcony doors. Finally, I can sit back and enjoy the show. \n"What we do on this side of the stage is just as important as what happens on the other side," McReynolds says. "That is why we require all ushers to attend training sessions and then, because every show is unique, to arrive 90 minutes early to be briefed on the particular aspects of each show."\nDespite missing the beginning, watching the shows for free is the main reason many ushers donate their time. Occasionally, the ushers also get a sneak preview. \nWhile the ticket-holders for the opening night of Les Miserables were still at home preparing, the ushers were already gathered in the orchestra section. We sat in the handicapped accessible row in the back of the theater watching the cast warm up. Still dressed in sweats or jeans, the actors and actresses were rewarded with applause from the group. By stretching forward in my chair, I could also hear the director give his pep talk to the actors.\n"It's the cheap way to be a theater buff," says freshman Stephanie Ulrich as she stuffed inserts into piles of programs before the opening night performance.\nAt another table, sophomore Nina Onesti and freshman Beth Ehrsam agree an usher's work pays off.\n"It's nice to hear them warm up. You kind of feel like you get a sneak peek," Onesti says. "You get to see the cast without their costumes or makeup."\n"It gives you a look at the personal side of the actors," Ehrsam says. "You get let onto their personalities. You see them without the mask."\nEnjoying a variety of personalities off-stage is another plus for the ushers. As sophomore Victor Neff sits in the foyer stacking programs, he said meeting interesting people was the reason he got involved.\n"You get to hang out with other IU students, and I enjoy that," Neff says. "When we all meet here for the briefing, I get to see friends and meet new people."\nEhrsam says being an usher lets the students play a small part of theater experience.\n"I seat people for 20 minutes, and then I see the show for free," Ehrsam says. "I should be paying them."\nMy sentiments exactly.
(01/18/01 5:00am)
While watching the competition at the 1988 Olympics, senior Heather Lawless saw what she wanted to do with part of her future: ice skate. After seeing athletes like gold medal-winner Katerina Witt, Lawless convinced her parents to enroll her in skating lessons. Soon, the sport became a way of life.\n"I got up in the morning and went skating, went to school and then went skating," Lawless says. "It gives you so much freedom of expression. Flowing and gliding along the ice is like dancing, but you get to move so much faster."\nIce skating not only gives Lawless freedom of expression but a freedom to perform.\n"The jumps you can do are so incredible," she says. "I can't begin to do them if I'm on the ground. I really feel free."\nAs a Brown County resident, Lawless was familiar with Bloomington's only ice arena, the Frank Southern Center, when she came to the city as a freshman. Through the Individualized Major Program, Lawless became an ice skating major. She planned her classes in part by following a program offered through the University of Delaware. The major Lawless created combines a dance artistic component with more scientific elements, such as biomechanics and kinesiology. Although her ultimate goal was to become director of a skating program, she now has interest in putting together a competitive figure skating program or pursuing further education in sports management.\nAs director of the IU Learn to Skate classes (offered through the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation) and of the Learn to Skate program by Bloomington Parks and Recreation, Lawless teaches others about the sport she loves. Although she doesn't know if beginning skaters feel the way she does when on ice skates, Lawless does see her lessons make an impression.\n"What I do know is the greatest thing for me is when a student finally understands and finally does a skill," she says. "They're so overjoyed if they've managed to do a spiral, so excited because they learned a new skill. What's neat is the littlest things can make someone so excited."\nAlthough Lawless rarely goes to public skating sessions ("I'm coaching during the freestyle times."), she believes ice skating is an untapped source of entertainment for students and community members.\n"Definitely. Once you get over your initial fear, it's a lot of fun," Lawless says. "Especially if you go with friends. You may fall down, but at least you're trying something new." \nThe RINK\nBoth the IU-sponsored and community-sponsored classes are taught at the Frank Southern Center. Since the center opened in 1967, the rink has been through a few changes and several ups and downs in support.\nOriginally an outdoor covered rink, the Frank Southern Center was gradually enclosed, becoming completely indoors in 1988. About four years ago, the city of Bloomington began to notice the rink's equipment was near the end of its life span, says John Turnbull, division director of sports for Bloomington Parks and Recreation.\n"It's just like driving an old car," he says. "We'd run it just about as far as it could go."\nThe rink was also losing money, and the city was faced with a decision about closing it. To keep this from happening, a group of supporters formed the Ice Rink Task Force. Jillian Kinzie, treasurer of the Task Force and a graduate student, said the task force is made of representatives from user groups, such as hockey leagues, the IU hockey team, the Bloomington Figure Skating Club and other enthusiasts.\n"It's one place for kids and adults to exercise, and we decided we needed to figure out how to make it a viable business," Kinzie says. "Now the rink is actually making money. The task force rethought how decisions were being made, how the ice was used and served in an advisory capacity."\nThe task force, Parks and Recreation and other supporters developed three goals: build a new ice arena, increase participation and business at the current rink and raise enough money to help stretch the rink's life span.\nFinancially, the arena has broken even over the past few seasons. Turnbull says attracting a private developer to build a new arena is difficult, despite a 30 percent increase in revenue during the past three years.\n"In the private market, people want to make money," Turnbull says. "Making money is a risky proposition in the ice business. No private developer has seen the payoffs or rewards, and the biggest player in town, IU, does not have an interest in building an ice arena right now. By process of elimination, we have decided we're really going to renovate (Frank Southern)." \nTo fund the renovation, money has been secured in the form of $50,000 from the Lilly Foundation, $100,000 from a state-funded Build Indiana grant and $150,000 from the city of Bloomington.\n"We're hopeful a private donor will provide some other funds," Turnbull says. "(The amount of money raised) will determine how much work we could do."\nIn a best-case scenario, Turnbull says renovations would include replacing the closed-circuit cooler, upgrading the corroded and under-capacity electrical service, replacing lighting fixtures and applying reflective paint to "brighten the place up." Other desired improvements would be to dehumidify and ventilate the whole facility and add a birthday or party room to the lobby.\nThe People\nLate on a Sunday afternoon, Frank Southern is crowded with ice skaters. Groups of parents, children and teenagers sit on the benches in the lobby, tying on skates and buying food from the snack bar in the corner. It's a rainy day outside, which makes the lights in the rink and lobby seem dimmer. The pungent smell of sweat socks fills the air.\nSenior Marsha Puterbaugh and junior Mark Swanson sit side by side on a bench tying on skates. Although they have been skating before, Puterbaugh says this will be their first trip around Frank Southern's ice. Swanson says they decided to come skating today to try something new.\n"It's something different to do," Swanson says. "Other than sit home and watch TV."\nInside the rink, skaters glide across the ice, occasionally grabbing at the walls for support. Although the temperature isn't cold, the air has a bite to it -- it feels cold. Bloomington resident Karen Guildford looks out at the skaters going around the ice. Unlike Puterbaugh and Swanson, Guildford is a frequent flier on the arena's ice. She comes about two or three times a week.\n"The kids are the best part," Guildford says. "You watch the kids have a blast. You watch kids fall down. You watch everybody fall down."\nAll skaters are cleared off the ice, and the Zamboni machine starts making laps around the rink. Bloomington residents Becky Walls and Cindi Valentine watch as their collective group of four children inch up under the netting to look through the plastic divider at the Zamboni.\nBoth parents put their kids through skating lessons at Frank Southern. Walls says she tries to bring her kids about three times a month. \n"I think (the kids') favorite part is eating the pretzels after skating," Walls jokes of the treats she buys from the rink's snack bar.\nHer daughter, Kylie Walls, 6, disagrees. She likes to skate really fast, while her friend Morgan Valentine, 7, can't wait to slide on the newly slippery ice created by the Zamboni.\nWalls and Valentine both agree they are spoiled by having an indoor rink, particularly Walls who remembers skating on bumpy outdoor ice when she was growing up in Gary. As they converse, Zachary Walls, 5, takes one more look at the Zamboni.\n"I'm going to drive that when I grow up," he says.
(01/18/01 4:36am)
While watching the competition at the 1988 Olympics, senior Heather Lawless saw what she wanted to do with part of her future: ice skate. After seeing athletes like gold medal-winner Katerina Witt, Lawless convinced her parents to enroll her in skating lessons. Soon, the sport became a way of life.\n"I got up in the morning and went skating, went to school and then went skating," Lawless says. "It gives you so much freedom of expression. Flowing and gliding along the ice is like dancing, but you get to move so much faster."\nIce skating not only gives Lawless freedom of expression but a freedom to perform.\n"The jumps you can do are so incredible," she says. "I can't begin to do them if I'm on the ground. I really feel free."\nAs a Brown County resident, Lawless was familiar with Bloomington's only ice arena, the Frank Southern Center, when she came to the city as a freshman. Through the Individualized Major Program, Lawless became an ice skating major. She planned her classes in part by following a program offered through the University of Delaware. The major Lawless created combines a dance artistic component with more scientific elements, such as biomechanics and kinesiology. Although her ultimate goal was to become director of a skating program, she now has interest in putting together a competitive figure skating program or pursuing further education in sports management.\nAs director of the IU Learn to Skate classes (offered through the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation) and of the Learn to Skate program by Bloomington Parks and Recreation, Lawless teaches others about the sport she loves. Although she doesn't know if beginning skaters feel the way she does when on ice skates, Lawless does see her lessons make an impression.\n"What I do know is the greatest thing for me is when a student finally understands and finally does a skill," she says. "They're so overjoyed if they've managed to do a spiral, so excited because they learned a new skill. What's neat is the littlest things can make someone so excited."\nAlthough Lawless rarely goes to public skating sessions ("I'm coaching during the freestyle times."), she believes ice skating is an untapped source of entertainment for students and community members.\n"Definitely. Once you get over your initial fear, it's a lot of fun," Lawless says. "Especially if you go with friends. You may fall down, but at least you're trying something new." \nThe RINK\nBoth the IU-sponsored and community-sponsored classes are taught at the Frank Southern Center. Since the center opened in 1967, the rink has been through a few changes and several ups and downs in support.\nOriginally an outdoor covered rink, the Frank Southern Center was gradually enclosed, becoming completely indoors in 1988. About four years ago, the city of Bloomington began to notice the rink's equipment was near the end of its life span, says John Turnbull, division director of sports for Bloomington Parks and Recreation.\n"It's just like driving an old car," he says. "We'd run it just about as far as it could go."\nThe rink was also losing money, and the city was faced with a decision about closing it. To keep this from happening, a group of supporters formed the Ice Rink Task Force. Jillian Kinzie, treasurer of the Task Force and a graduate student, said the task force is made of representatives from user groups, such as hockey leagues, the IU hockey team, the Bloomington Figure Skating Club and other enthusiasts.\n"It's one place for kids and adults to exercise, and we decided we needed to figure out how to make it a viable business," Kinzie says. "Now the rink is actually making money. The task force rethought how decisions were being made, how the ice was used and served in an advisory capacity."\nThe task force, Parks and Recreation and other supporters developed three goals: build a new ice arena, increase participation and business at the current rink and raise enough money to help stretch the rink's life span.\nFinancially, the arena has broken even over the past few seasons. Turnbull says attracting a private developer to build a new arena is difficult, despite a 30 percent increase in revenue during the past three years.\n"In the private market, people want to make money," Turnbull says. "Making money is a risky proposition in the ice business. No private developer has seen the payoffs or rewards, and the biggest player in town, IU, does not have an interest in building an ice arena right now. By process of elimination, we have decided we're really going to renovate (Frank Southern)." \nTo fund the renovation, money has been secured in the form of $50,000 from the Lilly Foundation, $100,000 from a state-funded Build Indiana grant and $150,000 from the city of Bloomington.\n"We're hopeful a private donor will provide some other funds," Turnbull says. "(The amount of money raised) will determine how much work we could do."\nIn a best-case scenario, Turnbull says renovations would include replacing the closed-circuit cooler, upgrading the corroded and under-capacity electrical service, replacing lighting fixtures and applying reflective paint to "brighten the place up." Other desired improvements would be to dehumidify and ventilate the whole facility and add a birthday or party room to the lobby.\nThe People\nLate on a Sunday afternoon, Frank Southern is crowded with ice skaters. Groups of parents, children and teenagers sit on the benches in the lobby, tying on skates and buying food from the snack bar in the corner. It's a rainy day outside, which makes the lights in the rink and lobby seem dimmer. The pungent smell of sweat socks fills the air.\nSenior Marsha Puterbaugh and junior Mark Swanson sit side by side on a bench tying on skates. Although they have been skating before, Puterbaugh says this will be their first trip around Frank Southern's ice. Swanson says they decided to come skating today to try something new.\n"It's something different to do," Swanson says. "Other than sit home and watch TV."\nInside the rink, skaters glide across the ice, occasionally grabbing at the walls for support. Although the temperature isn't cold, the air has a bite to it -- it feels cold. Bloomington resident Karen Guildford looks out at the skaters going around the ice. Unlike Puterbaugh and Swanson, Guildford is a frequent flier on the arena's ice. She comes about two or three times a week.\n"The kids are the best part," Guildford says. "You watch the kids have a blast. You watch kids fall down. You watch everybody fall down."\nAll skaters are cleared off the ice, and the Zamboni machine starts making laps around the rink. Bloomington residents Becky Walls and Cindi Valentine watch as their collective group of four children inch up under the netting to look through the plastic divider at the Zamboni.\nBoth parents put their kids through skating lessons at Frank Southern. Walls says she tries to bring her kids about three times a month. \n"I think (the kids') favorite part is eating the pretzels after skating," Walls jokes of the treats she buys from the rink's snack bar.\nHer daughter, Kylie Walls, 6, disagrees. She likes to skate really fast, while her friend Morgan Valentine, 7, can't wait to slide on the newly slippery ice created by the Zamboni.\nWalls and Valentine both agree they are spoiled by having an indoor rink, particularly Walls who remembers skating on bumpy outdoor ice when she was growing up in Gary. As they converse, Zachary Walls, 5, takes one more look at the Zamboni.\n"I'm going to drive that when I grow up," he says.
(01/18/01 4:34am)
At 6:30 p.m., 90 minutes to showtime, they file into the Auditorium. Already dressed in costume, they prepare for the impending show. They gather props and feverishly work to perfect the last pieces of the puzzle that will be their performance. As the clock counts down, the directors call the players together to give a pep talk and last-minute directions. \nThe group moves into the theater. Performers walk to their marks. Finally, the announcement is made: this is zero hour, showtime. Everyone is tense with excitement.\nAt about 7:30 p.m., the Auditorium doors open, and patrons file inside. Although the performance of Les Miserables doesn't begin for another half hour, the IU Auditorium ushers have taken the stage. Although the performers will receive the applause at the end of the night, the volunteer ushers also have completed another evening of performing. They're the stars when it come to directing and interacting with patrons to ensure the night at the theater is a good one. \n"(The ushers) do much more than show people to their seats," says Melissa McReynolds, house manager at the Auditorium. "They ensure that people have the enjoyable experience they have expected since the moment they bought a ticket."\nMy decision to become an usher is directly related to my inabilities as a singer and actress. My last successful theatrical performance was as a witch in the second grade. Although I was personally quite proud of myself, my third grade teacher destroyed by bravado by relegating me to cutting the window holes out of the fake house for our yearly play. In high school, I wished for the courage to try out for the part of Yente in "Fiddler on the Roof." Unfortunately that courage never surfaced. Despite all of this, I love going to the theater as an audience member. \nDuring Les Miserables' weeklong run in November at the Auditorium, many of the more than 300 students who are volunteer ushers found themselves working two, three or even four shows. Each night, I and the other ushers reported early, greeted guests and escorted them to the correct seats. After the show starts, ushers must locate patrons arriving late and delay them until they can inconspicuously enter the dark theater without interrupting the performance. Then we climb long flights of cement stairs up to the balcony doors. Finally, I can sit back and enjoy the show. \n"What we do on this side of the stage is just as important as what happens on the other side," McReynolds says. "That is why we require all ushers to attend training sessions and then, because every show is unique, to arrive 90 minutes early to be briefed on the particular aspects of each show."\nDespite missing the beginning, watching the shows for free is the main reason many ushers donate their time. Occasionally, the ushers also get a sneak preview. \nWhile the ticket-holders for the opening night of Les Miserables were still at home preparing, the ushers were already gathered in the orchestra section. We sat in the handicapped accessible row in the back of the theater watching the cast warm up. Still dressed in sweats or jeans, the actors and actresses were rewarded with applause from the group. By stretching forward in my chair, I could also hear the director give his pep talk to the actors.\n"It's the cheap way to be a theater buff," says freshman Stephanie Ulrich as she stuffed inserts into piles of programs before the opening night performance.\nAt another table, sophomore Nina Onesti and freshman Beth Ehrsam agree an usher's work pays off.\n"It's nice to hear them warm up. You kind of feel like you get a sneak peek," Onesti says. "You get to see the cast without their costumes or makeup."\n"It gives you a look at the personal side of the actors," Ehrsam says. "You get let onto their personalities. You see them without the mask."\nEnjoying a variety of personalities off-stage is another plus for the ushers. As sophomore Victor Neff sits in the foyer stacking programs, he said meeting interesting people was the reason he got involved.\n"You get to hang out with other IU students, and I enjoy that," Neff says. "When we all meet here for the briefing, I get to see friends and meet new people."\nEhrsam says being an usher lets the students play a small part of theater experience.\n"I seat people for 20 minutes, and then I see the show for free," Ehrsam says. "I should be paying them."\nMy sentiments exactly.
(01/18/01 4:03am)
Imagine standing at the edge of a riverbank in New Orleans and hearing the sounds of a young Louis Armstrong playing his cornet on a riverboat. Imagine being a member of the army band in the only African-American regiment during World War I. Few people alive today can claim to have heard the joyful sounds of jazz drifting through a shadowy swamp or to have basked in the cheers of black and white New Yorkers during a parade to honor the heroics of a ragtime band. Ken Burns' latest marathon-long PBS documentary "Jazz" (9-11 p.m. Jan 8-31, PBS) uses photos, letters and commentary to rebuild the creation of a music genre in front of the random television viewer. \nMost of the elements that made up Burns' past documentaries, "The Civil War" and "Baseball," make reappearances during "Jazz." Photos, documents and the diaries or letters of historical figures pop in and out as the music of each artist plays in the background.\nLike all Burns' documentaries, the most interesting part of "Jazz" is the stories of individuals who contributed to the genre. The documentary moves beyond a mere listing of Armstrong's or Duke Ellington's accomplishments by looking at the things each man went through on the way to becoming a legend. Smaller sections devoted to other artists cover the major contributions to jazz as well as major personal developments and stories. \nPhotos are the best reason to tune in to at least a small part of "Jazz." Many of the photos (and some archival film) are extremely rare for the average American TV watcher. Burns keeps many of the photos on the screen for substantial amounts of time, bringing the face of each person close enough to let viewers look each long-dead musician straight in the eye.\nA documentary called "Jazz" wouldn't be complete without jazz music. While music was just an additional scene-setter in "Baseball" and "The Civil War," here it has to become yet another character in the story. Many of the included songs are familiar to even a rudimentary jazz fan, which makes "Jazz" accessible to most people. Burns has taken ample advantage of this with the "Jazz" boxed set, an around $80 sampler of jazz greats. But the lack of never-before-heard material prevents a hard-core jazz fan from hearing something new while they learn something new.\nThe historical narrative is accompanied by the familiar voices of mostly African-American actors and musicians reading parts of letters, diaries and essays. Although the messages in these documents are very interesting, it's actually a little jarring to hear LeVar Burton ("Reading Rainbow," "Star Trek") speaking as a 20th-century music critic. \nStill, "Jazz" is at least fascinating for the way it ties the music to the development of American society, particularly of African Americans. Although jazz isn't completely responsible for the acceptance of black people into the army or the civil rights movement, Burns shows how the music related to the people making history.
(01/11/01 5:00am)
"Bounce" is the perfect soundtrack to cause longing for a summer day. Light and breezy as the pastel-filled sunny California environment of the movie, "Bounce" transports listeners into the more carefree world of spring and summer even as snow and ice cover the outside world.\n The soundtrack also works as the milder twin sister of last year's soundtrack to the movie "The Next Best Thing." The albums share a few artists in common (Beth Orton, Morcheeba) and the same multifaceted synthesized environments. But while "The Next Best Thing" relied heavily on thumping dance beats and ruined continuity by including the star power of Madonna and Christina Aguilera on a few unrelated, throwaway tracks, "Bounce" is quieter and more meaningful, letting a handful of unknown artists share top billing with bigger commercial acts such as Carly Simon and Sarah McLachlan.\n Although many people will see "Bounce" as an excuse to own the song "Here with me" (theme from the TV series "Roswell") by Dido, the rest of the album deserves similar playing time.\n Many of the soundtrack's highlights are songs spotlighted heavily in the movie. "Here with me," which Dido instills with a sense of passion and longing, is a great example, as is "Central Reservation (the 'then again' version) by Orton. That particular song is used in the movie at a point\nwhere Gwyneth Paltrow's character is in the process of a dramatic life change, and the song fits the situation perfectly, making it a great confidence builder for anyone facing a big challenge. \n The quality dips a little on two consecutive songs by Sophie B. Hawkins and Nick Garrisi respectively. The songs aren't terrible, but they lack the less overt aesthetics of the rest of the album. All the other songs leave the desired emotional effect up to the listener; these two do a little more persuading and end up shoving the meaning down a listener's throat.\n Overall, it's a fun album and the perfect sampler of some quality artists, the majority of whom are basically unknown to the mainstream public. The album should cause listeners to go out and buy a complete album by Orton or any of the others. The "Bounce" soundtrack is the perfect album for anyone longing for the movie itself, its stars and, especially, the carefree days of warm weather.
(01/11/01 5:00am)
When a red-caped Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) and her daughter wander into a stereotypically repressed little French town at the beginning of "Chocolat," their intention is clear: to bring Technicolor to the community's otherwise gray and sterile world.\n It's the beginning of the Lenten season, and the ardently churchgoing townspeople practice what is preached to an alarming degree. Lead by the mustache-twirling Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), the village doesn't simply refuse meat on Fridays. Instead, they look away from color, joy and creativity, anything that differs from the norm prescribed by Reynaud.\n So it's pretty safe to assume that Vianne's opening of a chocolate shop selling wares that mysteriously cause abandonment and passion doesn't meet with initial delight.\n Like Vianne's confections, "Chocolat" is sweet and uncomplicated, the perfect fairy tale. The movie doesn't exist to serve as a main course of debate and conversation about life or principles. It's the rich, sugary dessert saved for the end of the meal -- not life altering but ultimately satisfying to everyone.\n It's obvious that certain plot points from the novel, written by Joanne Harris, were hastily tied up or left behind in a sea of rewrites. For example, despite providing a welcome infusion of charm and mystery, Johnny Depp's character, Roux, the leader of a band of Irish gypsies, comes and goes with little explanation.\n Its actors, who seem to have a wonderful time portraying characters searching for true happiness, save "Chocolat." Oscar-winner Binoche interacts with just about every character in the movie and achieves great chemistry with all, particularly Victoire Thivisol who portrays Vianne's daughter, Anouk. Molina manages to infuse some life into a character written as the typical cartoon villain.\n Just like poor, miserable Reynaud, you will find "Chocolat" an extremely miserable experience by attending on an empty stomach. Cinematographer Roger Pratt pauses for many long close-ups of chocolate being cooked, displayed and eaten. Don't torture yourself. Go out for a great dinner (with dessert) and spend the rest of the evening hovering over the guilty pleasure that is "Chocolat"
(01/11/01 5:00am)
Welcome to IDS Weekend! Whether you are a regular reader or a first-time novice of the Indiana Daily Student's weekly entertainment magazine, get ready for a semester's worth of reviews, exciting and informational features and creative presentation.\n This semester IDS Weekend will continue to be the source of the movie, television and music reviews readers have come to expect. Fun additions to this formula will be expanded coverage of weekly highlights in TV and music. Book and video game reviews might find a place within IDS Weekend's pages.\n The magazine will also take on narrowed focus. In keeping with the name IDS Weekend, our feature section will take a peek at the people and places making weekends worthwhile in the Bloomington area. Various columnists will share the hidden treasures of the Bloomington music scene and some unique date-night suggestions.\n IDS Weekend design will become more creative and accessible both in print and on the Web. Expect the print edition design to be more visually interesting, more like a newsstand magazine. The Web site will soon contain information that complements the stories, such as helpful Web links and more visuals.\n Many of these changes will gradually work their way into the finished product. All the changes come in the interest of building on the tremendous successes of last semester in making IDS Weekend as cohesive an entertaining source of information and fun.
(01/11/01 2:42am)
Welcome to IDS Weekend! Whether you are a regular reader or a first-time novice of the Indiana Daily Student's weekly entertainment magazine, get ready for a semester's worth of reviews, exciting and informational features and creative presentation.\n This semester IDS Weekend will continue to be the source of the movie, television and music reviews readers have come to expect. Fun additions to this formula will be expanded coverage of weekly highlights in TV and music. Book and video game reviews might find a place within IDS Weekend's pages.\n The magazine will also take on narrowed focus. In keeping with the name IDS Weekend, our feature section will take a peek at the people and places making weekends worthwhile in the Bloomington area. Various columnists will share the hidden treasures of the Bloomington music scene and some unique date-night suggestions.\n IDS Weekend design will become more creative and accessible both in print and on the Web. Expect the print edition design to be more visually interesting, more like a newsstand magazine. The Web site will soon contain information that complements the stories, such as helpful Web links and more visuals.\n Many of these changes will gradually work their way into the finished product. All the changes come in the interest of building on the tremendous successes of last semester in making IDS Weekend as cohesive an entertaining source of information and fun.
(01/11/01 1:34am)
When a red-caped Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) and her daughter wander into a stereotypically repressed little French town at the beginning of "Chocolat," their intention is clear: to bring Technicolor to the community's otherwise gray and sterile world.\n It's the beginning of the Lenten season, and the ardently churchgoing townspeople practice what is preached to an alarming degree. Lead by the mustache-twirling Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), the village doesn't simply refuse meat on Fridays. Instead, they look away from color, joy and creativity, anything that differs from the norm prescribed by Reynaud.\n So it's pretty safe to assume that Vianne's opening of a chocolate shop selling wares that mysteriously cause abandonment and passion doesn't meet with initial delight.\n Like Vianne's confections, "Chocolat" is sweet and uncomplicated, the perfect fairy tale. The movie doesn't exist to serve as a main course of debate and conversation about life or principles. It's the rich, sugary dessert saved for the end of the meal -- not life altering but ultimately satisfying to everyone.\n It's obvious that certain plot points from the novel, written by Joanne Harris, were hastily tied up or left behind in a sea of rewrites. For example, despite providing a welcome infusion of charm and mystery, Johnny Depp's character, Roux, the leader of a band of Irish gypsies, comes and goes with little explanation.\n Its actors, who seem to have a wonderful time portraying characters searching for true happiness, save "Chocolat." Oscar-winner Binoche interacts with just about every character in the movie and achieves great chemistry with all, particularly Victoire Thivisol who portrays Vianne's daughter, Anouk. Molina manages to infuse some life into a character written as the typical cartoon villain.\n Just like poor, miserable Reynaud, you will find "Chocolat" an extremely miserable experience by attending on an empty stomach. Cinematographer Roger Pratt pauses for many long close-ups of chocolate being cooked, displayed and eaten. Don't torture yourself. Go out for a great dinner (with dessert) and spend the rest of the evening hovering over the guilty pleasure that is "Chocolat"
(01/11/01 12:57am)
"Bounce" is the perfect soundtrack to cause longing for a summer day. Light and breezy as the pastel-filled sunny California environment of the movie, "Bounce" transports listeners into the more carefree world of spring and summer even as snow and ice cover the outside world.\n The soundtrack also works as the milder twin sister of last year's soundtrack to the movie "The Next Best Thing." The albums share a few artists in common (Beth Orton, Morcheeba) and the same multifaceted synthesized environments. But while "The Next Best Thing" relied heavily on thumping dance beats and ruined continuity by including the star power of Madonna and Christina Aguilera on a few unrelated, throwaway tracks, "Bounce" is quieter and more meaningful, letting a handful of unknown artists share top billing with bigger commercial acts such as Carly Simon and Sarah McLachlan.\n Although many people will see "Bounce" as an excuse to own the song "Here with me" (theme from the TV series "Roswell") by Dido, the rest of the album deserves similar playing time.\n Many of the soundtrack's highlights are songs spotlighted heavily in the movie. "Here with me," which Dido instills with a sense of passion and longing, is a great example, as is "Central Reservation (the 'then again' version) by Orton. That particular song is used in the movie at a point\nwhere Gwyneth Paltrow's character is in the process of a dramatic life change, and the song fits the situation perfectly, making it a great confidence builder for anyone facing a big challenge. \n The quality dips a little on two consecutive songs by Sophie B. Hawkins and Nick Garrisi respectively. The songs aren't terrible, but they lack the less overt aesthetics of the rest of the album. All the other songs leave the desired emotional effect up to the listener; these two do a little more persuading and end up shoving the meaning down a listener's throat.\n Overall, it's a fun album and the perfect sampler of some quality artists, the majority of whom are basically unknown to the mainstream public. The album should cause listeners to go out and buy a complete album by Orton or any of the others. The "Bounce" soundtrack is the perfect album for anyone longing for the movie itself, its stars and, especially, the carefree days of warm weather.