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(09/15/09 2:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The concepts of a show at the IU Auditorium may seem simple to an audience member, but a complex process goes into creating an upcoming season. Doug Booher, director of the IU Auditorium, said the work begins a year before, and programming interns assemble all the performance materials received from different booking agencies. Booher said the auditorium surveys the public to find out what attractions they want to see. A list is then compiled of all the shows that would make sense coming to Bloomington. It is then narrowed down to 100 shows. Booher said when choosing shows, he tries to meet the critical needs of both IU students and the Bloomington community. “We like to bring things that you know you’d like to see and things that you don’t know about yet,” Booher said. “We like to make sure each of the shows complement each other and are not only entertaining but educational, while providing an opportunity for people to broaden their cultural understanding.” Booher said he then begins to work with booking agents who represent the shows. He negotiates ticket prices, dates and other details that are required in putting on a show. The final step, he said, is to sign a contract with the agency and work on season marketing materials. The full process takes seven or eight months. Booher said the upcoming season at the auditorium has a lot of variety and so far, “Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles,” which will be at the auditorium Oct. 15 and 16, is the number one ticket seller for students. “We’ve got the largest percentage of students in our audiences against all the Big Ten schools,” Booher said. “We take pride in that. We really shape our program in response to student interest and desires.” Stage Manager John DeLong said there are also many details to prepare when a show’s in town.DeLong said he has many responsibilities, including arranging the equipment and the labor schedule, as well as being the mass carpenter for the show. But despite all the manual labor, DeLong said the most challenging part of the job is leading human resources management. He has to make sure all the right people are in the right places. “Logistics are logistics,” DeLong said. “You put down the list and once you start talking personalities and understanding everybody’s side of it, you’re not going to make everybody happy all the time.” Jennifer Maddox, house manager, said she works with several groups at the auditorium, including all the volunteer ushers. “Honestly, it’s the camaraderie – the sense of community – that goes beyond just work,” Maddox said. “It’s fun and a place to meet friends. We try to go above and beyond work. You get skills you can take in to your personal life as well.” Maddox said what led her to taking the job as the house manager was the internship she had at the auditorium.“I really like that the auditorium didn’t cater to just Broadway musicals, but a wide range of shows and events and diversity in the community and being a patron,” Maddox said. “I got to see the culture.”
(09/11/09 4:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The enthusiastic audience at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater had the chance to re-live classic sounds of the Temptations on Thursday night.The all-male group became popular in the 1960s through their catchy, hip-swinging tunes. Current members of the Grammy-winning group are Otis Williams – who is the only remaining original member – along with Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, Joe Herndon and Bruce Williamson. The group was formed in Detroit, Mich. and became a staple name in the Motown era and beyond.The IU Soul Revue opened for the group, singing a variety of songs including “Got To Be Real” by Cheryl Lynn. Soul Revue’s President and senior Terrilyn Dennie said she was “down” before the performance, but once she got on stage, she planned on getting “high.”“I don’t like to get extra excited,” Dennie said. “I try to be mellow so I don’t get nervous.”Sophomore Adam Brown, part of Soul Revue’s band, said it was the chance of a lifetime to able to perform before The Temptations.“I can’t believe this is happening,” Brown said.Although four of the original Temptations have died, the signature soulful singing and dance moves still prevailed during the concert. The members were dressed in matching purple suits and the singers immediately addressed the audience once the group was on stage.“We’re going to sing some old-time favorites for you.”The Temptations sang their hit classics, including the 1969 No. 1 single “I Can’t Get Next To You,” from the “Puzzle People” album, “Papa was a Rolling Stone” from the 1972 “All Directions” album and “I Wish It Would Rain,” from the 1968 album “The Temptations Wish It Would Rain.”The crowd, a mix of all ages, sang with the group during most of the songs, but the singing was most audible during the performance of the group’s hit “Just My Imagination.” After the Temptations performed for about 30 minutes, the group took a minute to slow things down as the band played in the background.“Are you tired yet?” Williamson asked. “No!” the audience shouted. “Good. We’re just getting started,” Williamson said. Fellow Temptation Williams later took the stage, out of breath.“Does anybody have any oxygen?” he asked. He then told the audience he wasn’t actually that tired. “I’ve been doing this for 48 years.”Bloomington resident and audience member Morris Hickman, 67, said when he saw the ad for the Temptations’ show in the paper, he thought to himself, “Well, I get to see some of my time.” He said the Temptations take him “back to the day.”“It’s feel-good music,” Hickman said. “I feel relaxed when I hear it.”
(09/10/09 4:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s African American Arts Institute strives to offer students an opportunity not only to earn school credit, but to obtain a cultural education. The Arts Institute promotes African-American culture and offers three distinct ensembles for students to participate in – IU Soul Revue, African American Dance Company and the African American Choral Ensemble. Dr. Charles Sykes, executive director of the Arts Institute, said it is unique because it the first program to specialize in African-American music and also offers course credit for performance. “You can’t find another one like it as far as I know; it’s the only of its kind,” he said.Sykes said this is appealing to students because they can take part in something that they are interested in, like music or dance, and the credit counts toward graduation. He added that the Arts Institute employs a number of both graduate and undergraduate students to work with the ensembles. “Each one of the ensembles has one or more associate instructors that help with musical arrangements,” Sykes said.Participating students in the African American Arts Institute major in various studies, including music, arts administration, telecommunications and journalism. Sykes said the Arts Institute is a way for an IU student to delve deeper into something he or she is interested in, even just for the joy of performing. “We’re living in a world with the opportunity to interact across racial boundaries,” Sykes said. “For students not planning to become performing artists but want to continue performing in school, they can have this opportunity but don’t have to be concerned with their degree.” While many students go on to finish their degree in an area unrelated to the performing arts, some Arts Institute alumni have become extremely successful musically. African American Dance Ensemble latealumnus Gabriel Paige had a part in movies such as “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” and Soul Revue alumni Isaiah Sanders was a keyboardist for Stevie Wonder. The students in these programs don’t only get a taste of stardom after they graduate – the Soul Revue ensemble opened for James Brown when he came to the IU Auditorium in 2006, and the African American Choral Ensemble opened for Ray Charles. The Soul Revue will also be headlining for Temptations this Thursday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Soul Revue Director Nathanael Fareed Mahluli said the group performs a wide range of black popular music. He said the group performs a lot of Motown, as well as music from artists such as Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Natalie Cole and Ella Fitzgerald. Mahluli said it is important for people to realize that being in this type of ensemble takes a lot of time and dedication. “It takes an amazing amount of discipline to keep up your ability to perform,” Mahluli said. “It’s challenging to try social interaction and keep up the teamwork and entertain a goal.” Mahluli said this kind of work ethic is vital when performing before big names like The Temptations. “The concert will be excellent, and that’s what you have to do to make it excellent,” Mahluli said. Senior Terrilyn Dennie, president of IU Soul Revue, said she likes the “family connection” that comes with being in a close-knit group. “This is what we are the most passionate about,” Dennie said. “You know how there are some days when you just don’t want to go to class? Well, I will never miss this class.” Junior Troy Thomas, vice president of the group, said when he joined the ensemble he gained confidence in his singing voice. “I never trusted it until I joined this group,” Thomas said. “It’s a professional and emotional experience. You get life lessons.”
(09/08/09 4:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“When I say drink, you say beer!” “Drink!” “Beer!” “Drink!” “Beer!” The chants of enthusiastic IU students were not sounding from within a fraternity house or next to the IU’s Memorial Stadium on a Saturday morning, but on the A route of the new Night Owl bus. The new route, which replaced the Midnight Special, runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The earliest route reaches its first stop at about 10 p.m. and its last at about 3:30 a.m. Senior Justin Berkshire, is a public finance major, but on Friday nights, he drives the “drunk bus.”Berkshire, who drives route A of the Night Owl, called his first night on the route “interesting.” The Night Owl was as packed as any regular school day, but people were noticeably friendlier with each other Friday night. Girls leaned on the boys sitting next to them to get a minute of shut-eye, and people swayed back and forth while holding on to the bars attached to the ceiling. Intermittent random shouts, loud laughs and intense bouts of rapping clogged the air. “I’ve had condoms thrown at me,” Berkshire said. “There have been mostly freshmen on here so far, and they never know where they’re going.” Berkshire said the bus tended to be a little louder than a normal night and the atmosphere is slightly different.“All I can smell is beer and perfume,” he said. Ray Vanlanot, chair of the Student Transportation Board, said the Night Owl bus service is a culmination of different institutions and an expansion of past service. Campus Bus’ contract finished last year with the Bloomington Shuttle Service, provider for the Midnight Special, and the Board saw this as an opportunity to make a change within the transportation system. “We wanted to address late-night issues,” Vanlanot said. “It was costing a lot of money to run the Midnight Special, and we found we could cut operating costs by about 50 percent.” Campus Bus service now runs the Night Owl with their own buses, along with the Bloomington Shuttle Service. Corey Inman, student supervisor for the Night Owl, said there was a lot of recruiting for new student drivers. “They needed to be trained different procedures on how to deal with things such as cleaning up vomit,” Inman said. “Late at night some drivers might be tired and may not be used to driving at night. They have to deal with loud people, and they need to have patience.” Inman said the Midnight Special functioned like a taxi service, while the Night Owl has a set schedule and includes stops in the Kirkwood Avenue area. He said the buses are larger in order to fit more people and the routes are overall more reliable. Dan Leathers, fifth-year senior, is also a Night Owl driver and said the biggest difference the bus drivers were preparing for was the number of intoxicated students using the bus. “The biggest selling point for the Night Owl is to make sure people don’t try to drive drunk home or find ways home just as unsafe,” Leathers said. “Walking is also somewhat of a concern and that can be helped by the bus. We want people to know that it’s OK to ride it if you’re drunk. It’s what it’s there for.”
(09/07/09 3:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Columnist and best-selling author Harlan Cohen answered a taboo question for many college students – what do I do if I think my roommate is having sex in the bunk bed above me? Cohen, an IU alumnus, spoke Friday night at the Willkie Quad Auditorium about the challenges and uncomfortable situations college students encounter. The event was sponsored by the Residence Halls Association.“Yeah, I love you,” he said to a half-full auditorium. Then he began playing his guitar. His lyrics cut straight to the chase. He sung about his first encounter with his naked college roommate, Stew. Cohen is a Chicago-area native who was originally rejected from IU. So, he went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He later transferred to IU, where he said some of the same problems that come with being a first-year student awaited him. As a student Cohen worked at the Indiana Daily Student, where he started his advice column, “Help Me, Harlan!” Cohen said it was hard to get people to submit questions at first, so he would make up questions that he thought people would want to know the answers to. Cohen wasn’t immediately successful in college, he said. He was the only one in his group of friends who got rejected from the fraternities, and his long-time girlfriend broke up with him on the phone. College, Cohen said, can be the loneliest place in the world. “Life is 90 percent great and 10 percent BS,” he said. Having Cohen speak to students was a way to spread wisdom and advice, said Katie Lambert, RHA vice president for Programming.“We have one of the largest freshman classes at IU – there are over 6,500 students in residence halls,” Lambert said. “Sometimes problems can arise when you’re packed in with people you don’t know. Dealing with these issues can be very uncomfortable.”Cohen talked about dealing with different roommate situations. He said it is very hard for people to confront their roommates, and it’s best at the beginning of the year to say: “If I do anything that makes you uncomfortable, let me know.” He said this kind of communication is key to making things work in a roommate environment. Cohen got interactive with the crowd by asking different students questions about their relationship statuses and their roommate situations. Cohen touched on hookups. He said there are 16 kinds of hookups, which he listed in his new edition of “The Naked Roommate,” a book with tips for several situations college students encounter. Some of these include “The Weekend Hookup,” “The Convenience Hookup” and “The Repeat Backup Hookup.” Cohen said the most important thing he learned through his experiences was the “Universal Rejection Truth.” “Most of the world is stuck with the idea that we want people to like us,” Cohen said. He said it is easy to ignore and avoid the people that we don’t get along with or don’t like. We try to get the rest of our friends not to like them either, he said. “Give people permission not to like you,” Cohen said. Cohen said this problem could be solved in three simple steps. He said you must wear a tight “thong” of all your insecurities, acknowledge what they are and surround yourself with great people who will encourage you. “You will always have options,” he said. “You need to explore, and take risks. I’m so happy to share all of this with you.” Cohen also opened up for questions and sang another comical song called “Syphilis.” Junior Jared Solow said he found the lecture informative. “He made amazing points, for people both single and in relationships,” Solow said. “There’s always a solution to a problem.”
(09/04/09 12:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU alumni and current bar owner Paul Murzyn decided Indianapolis was the perfect place to create a neighborhood bar with a name familiar to many Bloomington residents – Kilroy’s Bar & Grill. Murzyn is planning for a Nov. 1 opening at the bar’s new location on 201 S. Meridian St., right in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. The new Kilroy’s is moving into the building left vacant by Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill. Murzyn said the expansion of Kilroy’s is a process long overdue since many IU alumni move to Indianapolis after graduation. He said he thinks it would be enjoyable for Indianapolis-based alumni to have a hangout with a familiar name. The new Kilroy’s will feature some characteristics of the Bloomington-based bar, Murzyn said, including a similar laid-back atmosphere, large bar area and plenty of cozy booths. Murzyn said they will also have the bar’s famous stuffed breadsticks, an extensive list of 120 shot varieties, 40 kinds of Long Island Iced Tea, pizzas and sandwiches. “Kilroy’s is going to be a great place to catch a game. We’ll have big-screen TVs,” Murzyn said. “We’re opening with what we think Kilroy’s is in Bloomington, and we’re bringing it to Indy.”When Murzyn decided he wanted to open the new business a year ago, he approached current Kilroy’s Bloomington owners Bill and Linda Prall, who have owned Kilroy’s for 35 years.The couple will be the main investors and partners with Murzyn for the new business. “I told them I wanted to uphold what they built, and it definitely took them a while until they made sure I was running a good business,” Murzyn said.He said they have been instrumental in getting the business going.“They are fantastic, and I lean on them for advice,” Murzyn said. Murzyn said the only difference to Kilroy’s in Indianapolis will be prices. He said the economy is different in the capital city because they will be dealing with people in the workforce and not just college students.Murzyn said he envisions opening a new Kilroy’s every two years, and eventually he wants to expand to Chicago. He said his main priority is to keep the bar’s original concept – simplicity. “What they started, obviously they’re doing something right,” Murzyn said. “Our goal is to continue the good name that they have and give people the same good food, drinks and service and a good time.”
(09/01/09 5:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While Bloomington weather is getting chilly, IU students will get a chance to experience the warm, energizing music of an ensemble that has been named the No. 1 Top World Music Artist by Billboard magazine. Celtic Woman, a musical group composed of five female vocalists and a fiddler, will be at the IU Auditorium on Sunday, Nov. 8, as part of their “Isle of Hope” tour. IU Auditorium Director Doug Booher said the group’s agent contacted the Auditorium because Celtic Woman was going to be touring the Midwest. He said fall is a great time to add in another phenomenal attraction to the performance lineup. “They are incredibly talented performers,” Booher said. “They have sold so many tickets, CDs and DVDs and in the last four years have performed for over 300,000 people.” Booher said Celtic Woman has had a lot of success from being aired on PBS in the past. He said the group will sing a variety of songs, including traditional favorites such as “Danny Boy,” pop songs such as “Fields of Gold” and other contemporary hits. Booher said he encourages anybody who has an interest in Irish culture to attend the show. “The show appeals to everyone,” Booher said. “Such a wide-ranging audience pulls in people from every age group. We expect to see a lot of families, and we hope a lot of students will come and check it out.” IU students and Bloomington locals will be able to watch a program called “Celtic Woman: The Greatest Journey,” airing from 8 to 10 p.m. today with an additional showing at 8 p.m. Sunday, both on WTIU Channel 5. The program will include previously taped footage from several Celtic Woman concerts. Eva Zogorski, membership director for WTIU, said as part of its summer membership campaign, WTIU is giving away prizes to viewers who call the station and pledge a certain donation amount.“One opportunity we have is to offer center orchestra seats for members who pledge at the $200 level,” Zogorski said. She added that members who pledge $365 or more will get the chance to win passes for a backstage meet-and-greet with the members of Celtic Woman at the IU Auditorium concert. “We get a great response from our viewers, and this is our special way of thanking them,” Zogorski said. “We only have 10 prize packages, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.” Constance Cook Glen, coordinator of the Music in General Studies Program, said the Celtic Woman concert will be perfect for a young adult audience because college students have a lot of energy, and that’s what Celtic music is all about. “World music is something from an ethnic background,” Glen said. “Celtic fiddling has lot of really fast notes. It’s dance-inspired, active and upbeat. It’s great to listen to.”
(09/01/09 1:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Watch out photographers, fashion designers, music artists and writers – the competition at IU is about to get hot. CultureU, a networking Web site for students with creative works, will be up and running later this fall and will allow students to post their artistic works for cash, prizes and exposure for future employment. Senior lecturer at the Kelley School of Business Richard Schrimper, original founder and investor of the Web site, said his idea for the site came in 2004 when he was observing the opportunities that came with exposure on the Internet. “I realized there was an opportunity to do something cool with the content and hobbies and interests of students,” Schrimper said. He said he wanted to create a Web site where students could post their creations and collaborate on projects. “We could build an online community through these students from around the nation,” he said. Schrimper plans on giving 50 percent of the profits to scholarships for students. “There’s a new interesting phrase called ‘social entrepreneurship,’ which is the idea that capitalism is a good thing, but the question is, ‘What do you do with those profits?’” he said. “We’re not trying to milk all the pennies out.” Schrimper added he envisions the Web site having contests and awards for excellence. “We would have a poetry contest and the poet selected would win, for example, $2,500,” he said. Schrimper said he has talked about the Web site idea with his classes each year, asking for student interest. Since winter 2008, IU students junior Matt De Leon, junior Brian Bollinger and sophomore Russell Conard have been working together to make final decisions for the site. Bollinger said CultureU is unique because it’s made by college students and for college students. “Only college students can upload work and create portfolios,” Bollinger said. “This Web site is initially targeting IU, and if you have an ‘.edu’ e-mail address, you can upload your work for free.” Bollinger said he hopes the site will expand to college campuses across the nation. Conard said he likes the idea of creating a company to help artistic students in the job market. “The goal is to be able to create a Web site which will function not only as a showcase but will actually enable them to be more competitive in the job market post-graduation,” Conard said. Conard said CultureU organizers will be in partnership with other campus organization leaders, but the Web site itself functions as a company and not a student organization. Conard said he wants to keep the company based at IU after he and his coworkers graduate. Schrimper said he wants journalism students to contribute to the site as well. “I would love for journalists to have a platform, a place for students to write letters to the editor, and newspapers to post their best articles,” Schrimper said. “Why let it linger? Why not put it out there? If it’s good, let’s share it with other people.”
(08/31/09 3:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>N.E.R.D’S funky beats not only served as entertainment for IU students Saturday night, but as a way to benefit children in need.All proceeds from the Welcome Week performance at the IU Auditorium were donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Caitlyn Kuhs, Union Board Concerts Director, said. The performance was sponsored by the Union Board and the Residence Halls Association. Before the event, senior DeAnthony Scott said he was not only excited to see the group perform, but to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “It’s for a good cause,” Scott said. “I expect the concert to be a very hype atmosphere, and everybody will have a good time.” RHA’S Vice President for Programming Katie Lambert added that the proceeds will help 10 children in the Bloomington area. Before the groups’s performance, DJ 33 1/3 from Chicago opened for N.E.R.D and used a projector to mix videos and sound. “We like to get everybody pumped up for the year and excited to be reunited with each other,” Kuhs said. Freshman Anna Koker came with friends and did not skip a beat while dancing during DJ 33 1/3. “I’m not going to have a voice tomorrow,” she said, and added that she liked the way the DJ blended both old and new music.When N.E.R.D’s band finally came on the stage, the crowd erupted into chants of “N.E.R.D.” N.E.R.D consists of the two members of the band Neptunes – Pharell Williams and Chad Hugo – along with their childhood friend Shay Haley.The group began with the song “Time for Some Action” from the “Seeing Sounds” album, released in June 2008, and proceeded to play other songs from their newest album, including “Kill Joy.”Williams made it clear to the crowd he enjoyed people knowing the band’s music by heart. “So many of you guys know all of the words to our records,” Williams said. “You don’t know how much that means to us.” He then invited three students on stage. Each had different reactions, including swooning, dancing or singing.During the performance of the band’s first single from the “Seeing Sounds” album called “Everybody Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom),” about 30 girls went on stage to dance. For some students, this was an experience never to be replicated. Freshman Sarah Trubshaw had the chance to go on stage with N.E.R.D and said it was unreal. “It is amazing how wonderful the musicians are and how good the crowd interaction was,” Trubshaw said. “I sang with Pharell.”
(08/25/09 3:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU auditorium added two shows to its 2009-10 season. Singer-songwriter Ben Folds and rock band Umphrey’s McGee will perform this fall. Doug Booher, director of the IU Auditorium, said the auditorium works with different production agencies throughout the year to sign bands looking to play for college crowds.“These bands have had a lot of critical acclaim, and we have a lot of interest for them within our student body,” Booher said. “I think that Ben Folds has had an overwhelming success, and his off-beat but often emotional music has been huge. Seeing him live in concert is a cool opportunity to see somebody who is playful. These are entertaining shows.”Booher added that Umphrey’s McGee, whose members formed the band at the University of Notre Dame, has experienced success as a main act in addition to opening for other bands.“They are headliners and have a great deal of respect from their fan base, so we are excited to have them perform,” he said.Ben Folds is presented by the auditorium in partnership with NiteLite Productions, and the Umphrey’s McGee performance is sponsored by the auditorium and Jam Productions.Booher said the auditorium’s upcoming season is one of its most diverse, and the variety of shows will bring the Bloomington community together.“It’s a place where students can interact with professors, a common ground for our entire community,” Booher said. “These two shows will have a super strong interest from the student body, and that’s why we are doing our best to get them at the beginning of our season.”
(05/20/09 11:38pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Office of the Provost decided IU’s Web site, www.iub.edu, needed a change after seven years with the same design. The new Web site, launched May 18, aims to play a more functional role and will give people a sense of beauty and opportunity, said Michael Nelson, publications and graphics director for Office of the Provost. Nelson said research for the Web site had been going on for the past couple of years. The Office of the Provost was able to come up with items people would be interested in looking at on the Web site, Nelson said. “We wanted to come out with a site that served all of the audiences for a college Web site: prospective and current students, faculty, staff,” Nelson said. “We want people to know what it’s like to be in Bloomington.” Nelson said the project began in December, and the Office of the Provost partnered with the IU Public Affairs and Government Relations and its creative services divisions. Nelson said the site’s new design was originally based on IU-Purdue University Indianapolis’ site design, and the IUPUI Communications and Marketing Web team helped out with site management practices and designs. Co-director of IU’s Office of Creative Services Rebecca Salerno said a Web advisory committee helped get a feel for what Web designs people like the best. “We wanted to emphasize the beauty of the campus,” Salerno said. “There are several features displaying photographs of the campus. We created a page about IU traditions on campus, like the Little 500, IUDM and some important people, like Herman B Wells.” Salerno said a main goal was to show the campus’ personality through multimedia such as videos and slideshows. “We want this to be a site in which people can navigate more smoothly,” Salerno said. Web site visitors can submit questions and feedback about the new design, Salerno said. Salerno said the process isn’t complete: The Office of Creative Services will research the popularity of certain pages on the site. “We will be fine tuning and also looking at statistics (of) which pages are most popular and preferences to which videos people are watching the most,” she said.
(04/30/09 4:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The field of journalism has been changing in recent years. Popular newspapers are going out of business and some are only publishing online.Some journalism schools are changing their curricula and adding courses to accommodate the evolving field.Enrollment in the IU School of Journalism has increased and has not changed the required courses, said IU Director of Advising Services and Analysis Lauren Kinzer. Some courses are being added to cover multimedia and online journalism, she said. Most student interest at the school tends to be in public relations or magazines.Ball State University’s journalism curriculum will change in the fall for new journalism students.The faculty spent a year and a half analyzing the media landscape and how the school should prepare the students to adapt, said Marilyn Weaver, chairperson of the Department of Journalism for the school.“We will be starting a new curriculum of journalism that will focus more on the integration of technology,” Weaver said. The new classes will be introduced to freshmen for the first year, and in the next year some classes will be available online so that other journalism students will have the option to switch over to the new program, Weaver said. She said the focus will continue to be on the foundations of journalism – good writing, good reporting and good investigation.Medill School at Northwestern University began its new strategy for preparing journalism students for modern media in 2006.Owen Youngman, Knight Professor of Digital Media Strategy at Northwestern, said Dean John Lavine presented “Medill 2020,” a way of laying out different principles that 21st-century journalists need to be trained in. Youngman said this strategy to approaching journalism targets audiences.“It’s not so much about adding new classes that teach new skills to new media and multimedia, it’s as much about looking how the message can get to the audience,” Youngman said. IU professors are taking their own spin on a new focus of journalism.Michael Evans, associate professor for the IU School of Journalism, said he is trying to focus more on international relations.“It is apparent that journalists these days need to operate on a global state,” Evans said. Lecturer and High School Journalism Institute Director Teresa White said because there is new media available to journalists, they are being forced to be more divergent in preparations.“Consumers are used to having what they want,” White said. “You can customize your phone, your e-mail, your Facebook, everything.”White said she tried to introduce students to multi-platform work this past year. Her students worked with Twitter to learn how to make news media visually appealing.White said she thinks it’s a bad idea to completely forgo the current curriculum, since technology is constantly changing. IU freshman journalism student Hanna Kim said although newspapers are going downhill, students need to be more flexible.“I think naturally I am worried because the size of the world of journalism is becoming smaller, so it is going to increase the competition,” Kim said. “Journalism schools need to make sure their journalism students know every aspect of journalism – blogging, knowing their way around the Internet – and are more well-rounded.”
(04/27/09 2:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana counties with high unemployment rates might be able to apply for grants to help economic development.A bill signed by Gov. Mitch Daniels on Wednesday will give grants to economic development corporations in Indiana counties where the unemployment rate exceeds the state unemployment rate by 2 percent. The state unemployment rate hit 10 percent in March, and 32 out of 92 counties in the state will be eligible for the grant, said State Representative Nancy Michael, D-Greencastle, who helped introduce the bill.Eighty-five counties in Indiana have an unemployment rate that is more than 8 percent, Michael said. Monroe County has an unemployment rate of 6.3 percent, and this is the second-lowest rate in the state, she said. “The goal was to recognize that there are counties with an unusually high unemployment rate,” Michael said. “There are situations when the corporations are close to closing a deal with a company that is looking to relocate and construct or bring their business to Indiana, and a lot of times, because of the lack of money in their budgets, they don’t have the finances to actually close the deal.” Michael said the bill specifies that the grant funds are to be used in recruitment areas of the budget, such as sending people to meet with company officials face-to-face, and not for general operating costs. She said economic development organizations that serve one county will be eligible and can apply for a $50,000 grant, and organizations that serve at least two counties will be eligible to apply for a $75,000 grant. Indiana authorities will appropriate the money, and the money does not need to be paid back. Michael said she wants to target the highly distressed areas in Indiana. She added that the economic organizations work to recruit a variety of companies. “They work with manufacturing, technology parks, medical corporations – it’s about research and development, data centers, nanotechnology centers,” Michael said. “It’s all about bringing in investments and being able to recruit businesses that will provide ones.” Michael said Elkhart, Ind., has an unemployment rate of 18.8 percent and will be eligible for a grant. Brian Gildea, economic development manager for the city of Elkhart, said the City is looking to diversify the economy and will not only look at the types of companies that want to expand in the city, but the pay scale as well. Gildea said a type of financial aid like the bill proposes would be beneficial to Elkhart. “The tools we really have are geared to help businesses that are getting financing with an expansion,” Gildea said. “With credit, the challenge is financing period. Alternative financing would be helpful.”
(04/24/09 4:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ludacris fans were screaming when the Grammy Award-winning rap star walked on stage in the Alpha Tau Omega and Acacia parking lots Thursday night. The gates opened at 6 p.m., and several opening acts – including Off-Beat, Hip Hop ConnXion and Hoosier Dance Team, all dance acts – performed before Ludacris took the stage. Singer Joby Wright, a senior, and Indianapolis rapper Yung Tone also performed.The crowd went wild when Ludacris finally took the stage at 8:45. The audience was divided by a fence into two sections: One side was open for the general public, and the other side was open to the media and some members of fraternities and sororities. Ludacris incorporated this division of the crowd into his program.He told the people on his side of the stage to flip off the audience members on the other side.Ludacris didn’t perform alone. With him were Players Circle and Shawnna, who originally sang with Ludacris for the hit track “What’s Your Fantasy.”Audience member and junior Jack Lubeznik said he liked the fact that Ludacris performed with other entertainers.“It’s sick,” Lubenzik said. “He brought a lot of people with him.”Michael Shanker, part of the Vibe productions company that helped bring Ludacris to Bloomington, said part of the proceeds will go to benefit IU Dance Marathon.Wright, one of the local performing acts, said he was not nervous to perform before Ludacris because he has been performing for a while and has opened for other famous names such as Jim Jones and DMX.Another local act, Hip Hip ConnXion, found out it was going to perform 24 hours before the show, said co-director and senior Natalie Wenzler. She said her dance team was excited to perform.Yung Tone said he is a personal fan of Ludacris.“He is one of my favorites,” Tone said. “I have all of his CDs.”Throughout the show, Ludacris continued to incorporate the crowd into the concert, asking at one point all the smokers to lift their lighters up in the air. He said no one should go to school Friday because IU is a party school. He also commented repeatedly on the “fine” girls at IU, which was pleasing to hear for some crowd members.Audience member and junior Taylor Wynne said she liked Ludacris’ attitude.“He likes Indiana girls,” Wynne said. “He relates to a lot of people, especially at IU, and what he says before songs made an impact.”
(04/22/09 4:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore Jake Udell, also known as JQ, is determined to be famous. The Kelley School of Business direct-admit will serve as an opening act for Soulja Boy Tell ’Em’s Little 500 concert Friday.Udell said he will perform tracks from his upcoming mix tape and album “One Man Show.” The mix tape will be available online for free download April 24 and the album will be available later this year.Udell grew up in Northbrook, Ill., and began his career as an entrepreneur during his freshman year in high school, when he started the sports memorabilia business ONtheCOURTSports. He said his journey to the music industry began when he was watching the Grammy Awards in February 2008. “I watched the performances, and I thought, ‘This does not look difficult,’” Udell said. “I plan on being at the Grammys next year. I will do whatever I have to do to be there.” Udell began writing raps and made plans to go to New York to jump-start his career, but before he left, his uncle put him in touch with his current producer, Vince Lawrence of Slang Music Group. He records with Lawrence and travels to Chicago every weekend to record, all while being a Zeta Beta Tau fraternity member and business student.Udell described his music as a mix of pop, hip hop and rap. He said his music has a distinct sound, and he is not afraid to talk about sex in his lyrics.“I don’t like songs that are about nothing,” he said. “I don’t mind being a symbol of all the different things I represent.”Freshman Jon Stein, a co-leader of Udell’s street team at IU, Burbetto, said the group works together to promote Udell and his music through publicity and Internet marketing. “It’s definitely a privilege and opportunity to work with Jake because he’s already had a lot of successes in life,” Stein said.Stein, also a business student, said he met Udell through a friend and has gained skills that deal with effectively marketing campaigns. The term “Burbetto” comes from the suburban and ghetto culture, Stein said.IU Business Communication Lecturer Tatiana Kolovou, a former professor of Udell’s, described Jake as curious, intense and creative. Kolovou said she thinks Udell’s experience as a business student has helped him with his music career.“He has to be very concise and persuasive and speak with conviction and be organized in his thinking,” Kolovou said. “I haven’t known many students that have been very interested in creating their own business at such a young age.”Kolovou said in order to be successful as a business leader, one shouldn’t be afraid to work hard, be professional at all times and sacrifice some fun to reach a goal.“Jake drives to Chicago every weekend, and I know he spends some time in the recording studio,” she said. “And that’s what it takes.”Chris Trapani, Udell’s manager, said Udell is on top of his game.“I see him moving forward at light-speed,” he said. “I can’t foresee him giving up on anything until he is at where we wants to be.”Udell said he agrees with Trapani. Udell said he would not settle for anything less than being as famous as artists such as U2, Coldplay and Kanye West.“If there’s not going to be that level of success,” Udell said, “then I’m not interested.”
(04/21/09 12:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Indiana Economic Development Corporation named Stephen M. Hourigan executive director of the 21st Century Research and Technology Fund and entrepreneurship on April 6. The former entrepreneur will be responsible for diversifying the state’s economy. Some of Bloomington’s small businesses and companies will continue to benefit from finance counseling and grants of the 21st Century Research and Technology Fund, which is a division of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. “As executive director of the 21st Century Fund and entrepreneurship, I look forward to providing support to Indiana companies as they meet the challenges of commerce during difficult global economic conditions,” Hourigan said in a statement. Hourigan will replace Bruce Kidd, who resigned in December. The corporation’s Director of Media Relations Blair West said Hourigan has worked with finance and technology, which will be beneficiary to companies in today’s economy. “At a high level, he will be responsible for leading our entrepreneurship initiative,” West said. “He will oversee our small business development centers, research and technology program, and small businesses.” West said the Development Corporation provides more funding opportunities to continue research and commercialize products in Indiana, which is especially important in today’s economy. She said small business innovation research has increased awards 35 percent for grants from 2005 to the present, and counseling and coaching for businesses has also increased. “One tactic that we are changing is the initiative that we will be counseling these businesses,” West said. “Good finance is so hard to come by in the economy.” Hourigan will work with companies of all kinds – in life sciences, manufacturing, technology and universities, including IU. Many of the businesses that receive grants from the 21st Century Research and Technology Fund are right here in Bloomington. Vice President of Business Development and CFO for Information in Place, Inc. John Schalliol said his company, which develops performance support through research and technology, received a grant from the fund. He said federal grants are collected in phases, depending on the number of items that the company is trying to pursue. “My feeling is that it has been unbelievable what the IEDC has been able to do in this field, progressing high above the other states despite the economy,” Schalliol said. “We’re seeing a technology impact in Bloomington, which impacts our ability to employ graduates and interns.” Jeremy Sowders, vice president for business development at the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, whose goal is to increase and create new jobs in the area, said it is even more important in a bad economy for businesses to receive funding. “If you look back in history, this is when the most important inventions come out,” Sowders said. “We’re fortunate that the University is here in Bloomington. We also have Cook, a medical device company – the life sciences industry gets better as the economy environment gets worse. There are smaller companies that are taking a hit, and we’re fortunate.”
(04/09/09 4:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The economy is down, students are poor and the Office of Admissions is behind on enrollment deposits. IU is trying to combat this problem by attracting students with scholarships and more financial aid funding.Roger Thompson, vice provost of enrollment management, said in terms of institutional dollars, the money IU puts in for scholarships and merit and need-based aid has increased, although the state has cut back on financial aid and grants. The money for need-based financial assistance comes from the Matching the Promise fundraising campaign and tuition-generated revenue.“One of our four recruitment goals is to be diverse in terms of ethnicity and socioeconomic status,” Thompson said. “We are not interested in how much a family’s income is. I think in private universities, they are examining a person’s financial need, which makes sense because private universities are entirely tuition-driven.”Thompson said for the fall of 2009, the numbers at IU are up in applications and admitted students, but behind in deposits. He said about one-third of students in the fall of 2008 received a merit-based scholarship. Sarah Booher, director for the Office of Scholarships at IU, said a new scholarship program was enacted for the fall of 2008 in order to make a bigger impact and give more money to high-achieving students.“With the rising costs of higher education in general, and that was one of the reasons we re-structured the scholarship program,” Booher said. “We’ve seen an increase in people with challenging financial circumstances asking for scholarships and they are looking for every possibility they can find.”The program offers several automatic merit-based scholarships to in- and out-of-state students based on SAT or ACT scores and GPA. Two of these scholarships, IU Excellence and IU Distinction, increased from $8,000 to $9,000 per year over a four-year period for students who enroll in the fall of 2009. Mary Ellen Anderson, IU director of admissions, said students and their families under pressure because of the economy and tighter money situations will deal with the college admissions process differently. “I think students are going to look much more carefully at the decisions they make,” Anderson said. “Because IU is a public university, there could be more students who decide to come here, even for out-of-state students. There could be more students from Indiana who stay in state.”
(04/06/09 4:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Ph.D. student dropout Christian Lander explained to an audience how a blog could turn into a best-selling book in five months.Lander, a Toronto native and author of The New York Times bestseller “Stuff White People Like,” spoke to an audience Sunday night at the Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union about his journey to fame with his blog and now book.Lander’s book contains blurbs about different things in which white people think they alone have interest, such as coffee, veganism, marijuana and Lander’s personal favorite, bicycles.Lander, who is white, said the idea came to him for a blog during an instant messaging conversation with his friend Myles Valentin, a Filipino.Lander said he and Valentin were talking about their love for the TV show “The Wire,” and Valentin said he didn’t trust any white person who did not watch the show.So what were all these people doing instead?On Jan. 18, 2008, with no intention of gaining fame, Lander created a blog to address that question.“It never crossed the back of my mind that it would ever happen,” Lander said.He kept blogging, and when he came to a realization that his idea was actually funny, he sent his blog to 25 of his friends. The blog quickly became more popular, and by the third week, Lander said, the blog had 1,000 hits per day.The hit numbers kept rising for the blog, and only a month after the original blog was created, Lander got calls from literary agents in New York asking for a book contract. Lander said the book deal with Random House was in place by March, and the book was published in July.It became a New York Times best seller within weeks.“Ferris Bueller’s right,” Lander said. “Life moves pretty fast.”Lander talked about his experience on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. He recalled being shocked to be in the same room as Jerry O’Connell. O’Connell thought everything that Lander said on the show was hilarious, and, to Lander’s delight, introduced him to his parents and asked him out to a future dinner.Lander said he receives hate mail every day and that many people do not find his blog funny, but he said he is not fazed.“The fact that people felt strongly meant that I was doing something right,” Lander said. “I really believed in this. I had a lot to say about white people.”Lander said the blog is popular because it creates conversation and brings to light the idea that white people think they’re unique individuals when they are actually their own class of people. “I can pidgeonhole them into this narrow set of taste,” Lander said.Lander then read three of his blurbs: international travel, indie music and bicycles. Lander said some of his inspiration in Bloomington came from The Runcible Spoon and dive bars.Audience member and graduate student Isaac Kinsey said he thought Lander was hilarious.“It strikes up good conversation,” he said.Junior Renee Szostak, a communication and culture major, said Lander was inspirational because Lander studied communication and culture at IU and that Lander’s success gave her hope as a student.“I have this recurring nightmare that I will wake up as a copywriter,” Szostak said. “But maybe it won’t happen now. It’s inspirational to see somebody like me become successful.”Lander’s advice for future bloggers: Keep the concept simple.“Do it because you really love it,” he said.Lander is proud of his work and said he plans to return to a desk job one day when all the hype dies down – he even has an offer for a potential TV series – but for now, he is enjoying the limelight.“All my dreams came true,” Lander said. “I’ve always wanted to write a book.”
(04/03/09 3:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU-Purdue University Indianapolis student Emily Munson was recently crowned People on Wheels’ Ms. Wheelchair Indiana 2009 and is pursuing her master’s degree in bioethics and law. Munson, who has spinal muscular atrophy, will travel around the state this year promoting her platform about emergency preparedness for the disabled. Munson said she wants to spread awareness about people with disabilities so legislators will think more about the disabled population when making emergency regulations. Munson said her interest in the pageant was sparked by her friend Katrina Gossett’s winning title as an independent delegate in 2007. Munson said the pageant, which is sponsored by People on Wheels, a news and information Web site focusing on Americans who use wheelchairs, provided her a with a great opportunity. “I will be able to get my foot in the door and have more opportunities to spread news about disabilities rights and awareness,” she said. “From being in the pageant, I gained connections with women who I competed against – each was very accomplished.” People on Wheels President Nancy Cotterill said there was not a pageant for a number of years and she wanted to bring it back. Cotterill said there were five contestants this year, each from different walks of life. The contestants were each interviewed privately by three judges, made a speech about their platform idea and were then asked a final question. “The women were judged on the ability to passionately communicate their platform, ability to easily move within a group of people who are more or less strangers, judged on poise and background as far as what (they) have done for the disability community,” Cotterill said. Cotterill said the title will give Munson a chance to network and spread an important message. Cotterill said she also wants people to see disabled people as just regular people. “I have no doubt that it will give her a wonderful speaking experience, and she will make lots of friends across the state,” Cotterill said. “More than that, it will benefit the entire disabled community, because what we really need to see in this country is an elevated perception of disabled people.” Katrina Gossett, who has known Munson since they were young, said she is excited for Emily Munson’s travels. “I encourage the work that she has already started,” Gossett said. “She’s been a strong advocate for people, and I think I have no worries that she’ll be an excellent Indiana representative and she can show the public about what disability means.” Munson said the pageant gave her a chance to improve personal skills.“It was a great opportunity to hone our interviewing and public speaking skills,” Munson said. “Just knowing advocacy for disabled community gets recognized is very special thing.”
(03/30/09 4:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Soulja Boy already has Bloomington on his calendar, and Ludacris has now joined him. Ludacris will give a concert at 8:30 p.m. April 23 behind Alpha Tau Omega and Acacia fraternities during Little 500 week. The concert proceeds will benefit IU Dance Marathon, which supports the Ryan White Infectious Disease Center at Riley Children’s Hospital, said Chris Myers, junior and director of fundraising for IUDM.“The dance marathon would like to get as much monetary support as possible,” Myers said. “ATO and Acacia are looking forward to supporting IUDM.”ATO representative Clay Gordon, sophomore, who is also part of the Vibe promotions company that signed the contract with Ludacris, said tickets will be sold throughout campus, but the places and dates of ticket sales are tentative.“IUDM will sell tickets, and tickets will probably be sold at Gresham, Ballantine (and) the Union,” he said. “People in big lecture halls will probably get up and sell them.”President of Acacia and junior Pat Rodgers said it has been a good experience working with IUDM and ATO.“The biggest thing is that both houses have a lot of marathon participants,” he said. “It’s clear that IUDM is one of the biggest supporters for Riley, and we always want to help out as much as we can.”Rogers said it was fairly easy to contact Ludacris.“We had a few other offers, but we found out we could get Ludacris, and we had a set contract with him that wouldn’t change,” he said. “Ludacris was definitely our first choice.”He said he was glad to collaborate with Acacia on the project as well.“We’ve done a bunch of concerts in the past, and last year there were a few things that didn’t work out between the two houses,” Rogers said. “There’s something that’s becoming a tradition of Little 500, which is bringing big people to the IU campus.”