104 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(03/27/11 7:08pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’ve taken two semesters of 100-level astronomy. I spent a semester suffering through statistics and two semesters stumbling my way through 8 a.m. Spanish. I know more about Mill than I need to thanks to a political science course.I don’t know nearly as much as I need to about filing my taxes.I understand the theory behind University Division requirements at IU: requiring students to take classes in multiple areas gives them a little bit of background in subjects that don’t have any relation to their majors and makes them more well-rounded people.The problem is that it’s a complete waste of time and money.Of course, some might say that my Art History minor is a complete waste of time and money, but it is my chosen course of study. I’m paying to take those classes because I want to; they’re not required for my degree. And if I combine it with one of my majors, I could get a job at an arts magazine or a museum.Those two semesters of astronomy, while interesting, aren’t going to get me very far in my chosen field.University Division classes are, quite frankly, redundant.Students coming into college have a small background in every subject already, thanks to high school. Biology and chemistry are both state public school requirements. Students are generally forced to take three years each of history and math, and there’s always some sort of foreign language requirement for that high school diploma. If students have passed high school and reached college, they already have the basics in multiple subjects.What do the UD classes add? They’re generally inconsequential. Students take the lowest-level classes they can find, study enough to pass, and forget most of what they learned as soon as the semester is finished. They would rather spend their time and energy focusing on the classes that matter: the ones that relate to their fields.That’s not a ridiculous thing to do.If IU wants students to be well-rounded individuals, they should have mandatory classes about surviving the real world.How many college students can do their own taxes (even if it’s just taking their info to H&R Block)? How many can change a tire? How many can swim? How many can perform CPR? Those are all pretty important things to know. Speaking for myself, I can only do the latter two. If I get stuck on the road in the middle of nowhere, I’ll be calling AAA and my dad. That’s not horrible, but it would be safer if I could change a tire myself.They’re just examples of practical skills we could all use to survive the real world — things IU would be better off teaching if it wants us to be as amazing as possible when we graduate. Things that would help us better than a class that isn’t in our field.Granted, none of that should really be IU’s responsibility. Actually, I think most or all of that should be taught in high school (I still think chemistry did absolutely nothing for me and should be replaced). But if IU is insisting on developing our skills, time and money could be better spent on practical skills than on extraneous classes.It is good — necessary, even — to take classes outside of the one subject, but there are better ways around it. For instance, the Journalism school requires students to have a second concentration, which is somewhere between a minor and a major. That second concentration, especially if it’s just bumped to a double major (as many are), is a great way of making sure students have a background in another subject. And since it’s more than a couple classes, students are walking away with something. A couple classes are easy to forget, but passing eight requires actually learning the material.I’m all for IU making sure that after students toss their caps and head off into adulthood, they have the knowledge and background to succeed. I just think there are better ways to ensure that, whether it be classes aimed at practical life or mandatory extra minors.Few can really be a jack of all trades, and it’s a waste of the students’ time and money as well as the school’s to force them to try. Leave that to the high schools (which do it anyway) and let students take classes that are going to benefit whatever careers they choose.— hanns@indiana.edu
(03/21/11 12:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I am not a health nut.But after a week of eating (somewhat) healthy food out of my parents’ fridge, the prospect of returning to our basically health-free campus is making my stomach unhappy.Don’t get me wrong — I like Pizza X, Chick-fil-A and Fortune Cookie and much as the next person (possibly even more than the next person). But they’re all a far cry from healthy. Fried and soaked in soy sauce tastes delicious, but there’s only so much I can take before I’m dying for some fresh fruit.It’s hard to be healthy on campus. Throughout the last couple years, Residential Programs and Services has made a slight effort to provide healthier alternatives to fried chicken, but it’s not enough. A salad bar and sandwiches are nice, but they get kind of boring after a while. And there aren’t many other options. Fried chicken. Greasy Chinese. Sbarro (which is NOT healthy pizza — and have you ever gotten the potatoes and let them sit for a few minutes? They congeal). Granted, there are places other than Wright Food Court to eat, but most dining halls have similar options. The C-Stores are a bit better, but even though they’ve started offering fruit dippers and salads, the boxed dinners have a sodium content through the roof.Even the on-campus restaurants are largely lacking. They’re absolutely delicious, but not exactly healthy.What’s a somewhat health-conscious person to do?I load up on deli meat and fresh fruit at the grocery store, but for some, that’s not an option. Freshmen, who are required to live on campus and often leave their cars at home, don’t have very many choices. They can trek down to Marsh or Target and get as much as they can carry. And then they have to make sure that what they buy can fit into their small, shared fridge.All in all, it’s easier to stay on campus and eat the junk.They call it the freshman 15 because students leave home and are suddenly free to eat whatever they want. But really, how much of it is the students’ fault for reveling in freedom and making bad food choices and how much of it is the school’s fault for not providing healthy, easily accessible options?And the problem has only gotten worse. When my mom went to school, it was the freshman 10. And when we were checking out colleges, she was dismayed at the dining options, which often consist of fast food courts.Healthy food is more expensive than mass-produced junk (and goodness knows the RPS bill is outrageous as it is). But it should be the school’s (and RPS’) responsibility to provide decent food for the students. Whether it be through RPS, allowing a farmer’s market in Dunn Meadow (as one IUSA ticket proposed) or building a grocery store on or near campus (believe me, that Marsh is not close enough for people who have to walk), IU should do something.During my freshman year (when I was car-less and stuck buying disgusting RPS food), one of the best parts of coming home was the abundance of fresh fruit my parents always keep around. I imagine a lot of freshmen have a similar experience.By bowing to the whims of our suppliers, IU is doing wrong by its students. Even if it’s unreasonably expensive (even more so than the currently ridiculous RPS prices), at least allow a farmers’ market or a small grocery store to set up shop and provide us with some alternatives.With all the studies about obesity leading to health problems and the White House initiative to get people to eat better, someone should take a look at IU’s dining halls and do more than shake their heads in horror at what we’re eating. Someone should do something about it — and yes, President McRobbie, I’m looking at you.Although I’m a big fan of many of our current campus restaurants (though I haven’t quite figured out why the Union and the library both need a Pizza Hut), when that’s all there is, day after day, I would love a nice piece of fruit.— hanns@indiana.edu
(03/07/11 11:16pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As long as there have been Jews, there has been anti-Semitism.From the Biblical enslavement in Egypt to the Holocaust, from the attacks at IU last semester to the recent spate of celebrity remarks, Jews have been the focus of anger and hate.And for no other reason than because we are different.What makes us different? Thousands of years ago, it was monotheism in an age and place where the dominant religions were polytheistic. Now it is, perhaps, that Jews are too monotheistic — that we don’t accept the Trinity or the Prophet.Or perhaps it’s because a hatred of Jews is so ingrained that some people don’t stop to wonder why they hate Jews — they just hate.In this day and age, in this country, I don’t understand why such virulent anti-Semitism still abounds.I don’t understand why it is such a public trend.Hollywood’s biggest “winner” Charlie Sheen recently attacked his “Two and a Half Men” producer, Chuck Lorre, referring to him as “Chaim Levine.” Dior designer John Galliano was fired after he was caught on camera spewing anti-Semitism. Glenn Beck compared Reform Jews to Islamic terrorists.Why?Sheen, who is very publicly battling CBS and Lorre, was definitely hitting below the belt. Galliano was a friend of Oscar-winning Israeli-born actress Natalie Portman until his video hit. Beck is a schmuck.History is rife with stories about the abuses against Jews. Historian Lester Little believes that much of the hate stems from the rise of commerce and many Jews’ roles as moneylenders. More believe that the hate is because of the belief that Jews killed Jesus.And yet, the pope just exonerated Jews. For those who hate — because of Jesus, because of Israel, because of that guy down the street who drives you nuts — stop and think for a moment. Even if a group of Jews were responsible for Jesus’s death, those Jews lived and died millennia ago. Not all Jews support every move Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu makes. Just because your neighbor annoys you doesn’t mean all Jews are evil.It’s wrong to condemn a whole group of people just because you don’t like the actions of a few in that group. Mussolini has been called a Christian. Mussolini committed heinous war crimes in Africa and allowed the deportation and killing of thousands of Italian Jews during the Holocaust. Those two things have absolutely nothing to do with each other.People of all races, religions and sexual orientations do bad things. That doesn’t make every person bad. So why should all this anger be taken out on the Jews?We’re not alone. In the decade since Sept. 11, Muslims have been subjected to unreasonable hatred. A century and a half ago, blacks were kept as slaves in much of the country. Homosexuals have been condemned and killed for thousands of years.But that doesn’t make it right.Hitler and his fellows believed that Judaism was more than a religion, more than a culture. It was a race, and it was ingrained in people’s blood, no matter their actions or beliefs. But it’s not.Today in the United States, there are some people whose Ashkenazi looks just scream “Jew.” There are some people who you can look at or talk with and instantly think, “That person is Jewish.” But the Jewdar isn’t always correct. The man with the dark hair and long nose has ancestors from Eastern Europe, but none of them were Jewish. The girl who acts and talks a certain way has Catholic parents who live in New York.The redhead eating a cheeseburger on a Friday night is a Jew.You can’t tell what people believe just by looking at them. Even in a group of people, specific values differ.And even if they didn’t — even if they all talked and acted and prayed the same way — why does that give you reason to hate them?Christian Tsar Nicholas II approved pogroms against the Jews in Russia that left countless dead, but everyone doesn’t hate the Christians.Some Jews have done things to be ashamed of, but no one should hate every Jew for the actions of a few.E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu
(02/27/11 10:18pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Laptops in class can be really annoying.Let’s face it: No matter how hard you’re trying to pay attention to the professor, if the person in front of you is on Facebook or Popeater or Tetris, your attention is going to be drawn to whatever he or she is doing.Quite frankly, it’s rude. If you’re not interested in paying attention during class, don’t come. You’re a distraction for the rest of us, and you’re probably annoying the professor.During the last few years, professors across campus have taken steps to control this problem by banning laptops in class altogether.That’s not the right way to go about it.Those of us who don’t use computers in class anyway might breathe a sigh of relief because that particular distraction will be taken away, but for some, it screws up their studying style.I’ve always been faster at scribbling notes by hand, but many people prefer — and are better at — typing notes instead. Some people have the lecture up on their laptops as well, so when the professor goes too fast, they can still have time to get everything down and spell strange names reasonably well. Some have copies of the reading pulled up, so they don’t have to print out a hundred pages every week just to have it handy in class.There are completely valid, non-Internet reasons to have laptops in class.A couple of my professors who have banned laptops have explicitly stated that they don’t want people on Facebook, but if anyone has a way to prevent this but still allow computers, they would be open to it.The University of Chicago Law School has the solution: Switch off the Internet during class time.In 2008, Dean Saul Levmore ordered that the Internet be switched off during class time after several professors banned laptops from class to prevent students from goofing off. It was an unpopular decision with some students, but those who were constantly distracted by their neighbors’ visits to Perez applauded the decision.I think IU should take this up.Obviously, it’s not a good idea for all classes — some professors actively make use of the Internet as part of the lesson throughout class. And it won’t stop the goofing off entirely — you don’t need Internet access to play solitaire.IU should at least look into taking this measure. Talk to professors; talk to UITS. How much would it cost? Can it be done at the individual classroom level so each professor can choose whether to have it or not? Would it really benefit the overall classroom experience?I believe the answer to the last question is yes. Is it the biggest deal in the world to drag your attention away from the guy in front of you on Facebook? No, but as more and more professors are banning laptops in class because of the distractions to other students, it’s worth looking into. This is the technology age, and students should be allowed to use their computers in class to facilitate the learning experience.I sympathize with the professors who decide they have no choice but to ban computers completely, but there has got to be a better way. Students should be able to use their computers in class. Not for Facebook, not for Tetris, but for learning.Of course, the problem would be solved entirely if people could tear themselves away from Internet surfing for 75 minutes. Some people can check their e-mail in class and get good grades. Some who are not so talented are going to have trouble during midterms. With more and more professors making attendance an important part of the grade, it is unlikely that students who are bored in lectures are going to just stay home.It’s even less likely that the majority of people surfing the web during class will decide to stop.If there is to be a solution, it has to come from the top. At least looking into the situation could benefit classrooms immensely.E-mail: hanns@indaina.edu
(02/20/11 10:58pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As elections for IUSA are coming up and campaigns are getting underway, it’s a good time to reflect on some things that previous administrations have done. Or not done. Or not done quickly enough.By this, of course, I mean fall break.The current administration got it pushed through for fall 2012. About time, but it’s too late for juniors or seniors. And that’s a shame.Spring semester, for all its faults (and by that I mean the weather), has one thing fall semester does not: a week-long break somewhere mid-semester. And it’s awesome.I’ve never been to Daytona Beach. In fact, I usually go home for spring break so I can lay around on the couch all day and eat my parents’ food and sometimes, for a change, go to other peoples’ houses to lay around on their couches and eat their food. Lame? Yes, but after midterms, it’s a nice, relaxing week.That’s what fall semester needs: a nice, relaxing break right after midterms so we can recover and be in a fresh(er) state of mind heading into exams.You might say, “But what about Thanksgiving?”To which I respond, “You must not have eight cousins.” (Which is a shame, because having eight cousins rocks. But, I digress.)I have eight cousins. They are eight of the craziest, most awesome people ever. Spending Thanksgiving with them (and my parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents and other miscellaneous relatives) is a blast.But it means no time to rest.It also means no time to work. Not that I want to spend my break working. But with two weeks to go before exams (and usually about five days to go before groups projects are due), Thanksgiving is just at an awkward time. So even if I didn’t have all those relatives, I’d be up to my ears in term papers and studying, just like everyone else.So Thanksgiving might be a period of time when we don’t have class, but it’s not exactly stress-free. We could use a few days — or better yet, a week — in the middle of October to lay around and do nothing.However, that cuts into the semester. The solution? Start classes a week earlier.We do have about a week shy of four months for summer break. We don’t need that long. Cut it short by a week, and we’ll still have plenty of time. Besides, IU’s already the odd man out. Not EVERY university starts in August, but it’s actually unusual in these parts to start as late as we do. Purdue and DePauw both start several days to a week before IU. It’s not like we would be dragging ourselves back to school while everyone else was still at home.This seems very simple. So simple an undergrad can figure it out without putting in any extra effort. So why in the world can’t the administration, full of presumably smart people who usually have several fancy-sounding degrees, work it out?Maybe I’m just bummed because I, like generations of Hoosiers before me, will be missing out on the fun that is fall break. Maybe I’m irritated because it’s not nearly as hard to arrange a week off as people make it out to be (and seriously, what’s the big deal about one-day-a-week labs missing out for some sections and not others? Just give us a full week off. The people at DePauw seemed to have figured it out). Maybe because it seems every other school gets at least a couple days off (which isn’t awesome but is better than nothing), and we don’t.Or, at least, not yet.I applaud the folks on IUSA who (finally) got this fall break business pushed through. (It’s only been on the winning parties’ campaign promises list for the last decade.) And, despite the sarcasm, I really do think this is a great step and will greatly benefit future (and some current) IU students. Finally, IU is getting with the program and offering something that will not only benefit its students, but also its professors.E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu
(02/15/11 11:26pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The proposed resolution to amend the Indiana Constitution and ban same-sex marriages is a horrible idea.Let’s start with the fact that what people do with their lives, assuming they are not harming others or themselves, is none of anyone else’s business. How is it bad for you if people of the same sex want to get married? If you don’t like it, don’t be friends with them. Plain and simple. Not everyone follows the same religion, and people shouldn’t be held to others’ beliefs.And let’s not fool ourselves — this is a religion thing.Which brings us to point two: separation of church and state.Again, let’s not kid ourselves — the two aren’t as separate as some of us would like, even at the state level. Anyone who’s ever wanted to buy alcohol on a Sunday in Indiana can tell you that. But that doesn’t make it right.Freedom of religion is one of the foundations of this country. Forcing people to follow the dictates of one major belief system by legally hemming them in so they can’t make their own decisions about things like marriage goes directly against that tenant. Amending the state constitution to specifically ban a civil liberty is a frightening thing. One group of people doesn’t like what another is doing — does that mean the second group’s actions, which are not harming anyone, should be banned? Absolutely not.First, homosexual couples won’t be allowed to marry. Then what? A majority group doesn’t like hijabs or Stars of David, so they create a constitutional amendment that makes crosses the only allowed religious symbol? Then they don’t like women working outside the home or people of minority races holding certain positions. And suddenly we’re in a Margaret Atwood novel. And it’s been done so slowly that no one tries to stop it until it’s too late.The U.S. Constitution is supposed to protect all of us — white, black, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, men, women, gay or straight. It is a majority rule, but minorities are supposed to be protected from having rights and liberties stripped away.One ideology should not rule us all. It’s shameful that Americans, brought up to respect freedom and personal choice (after all, isn’t that what we laud over the theocracies? We can choose?), should seek to impose regulations upon others that interfere with their choices. And if this is allowed to pass, what will be next?The people trying to impose their beliefs upon others should be ashamed of their actions. The fact that they’re trying legal procedures to enforce their will is scary; the fact that they might be allowed to succeed goes against everything this country stands for — freedom.Passing this legislation makes us no better than the Middle Eastern theocracies that inhibit women’s freedom. This is denying a group of people something they deserve — equality — based on a religion’s beliefs about them.That is wrong.E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu
(02/13/11 9:09pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I like fresh air and exercise as much as the next person. Walking 20-plus minutes to class every day might not be the easiest thing in the world, but it’s certainly healthy.But there are days it’s even healthier to take the bus.When the temperature dropped to single digits last week, I dreaded the thought of getting out of my nice, cozy bed and stepping out into the cold. I looked longingly at the bus stop as I trudged to Ballantine. What stopped me from joining the multitudes and huddling under the meager shelter, awaiting the D bus?The D bus made me late to my first class of the semester.The Union Street/Eigenmann bus stop is pretty far from classes, and that particular day, it was snowy and wet and messy. It made sense to stay put and hop on the bus instead of trudging to class. My friends and I had looked up the bus time, and we were out there in time to catch it.Only, it never came.We never learned what happened to the bus that was supposed to be there, but the one that showed up was 20 minutes late — and by the time we realized our bus wasn’t coming, it was too late to walk to class. I was late anyway, but by then, I had no choice.Then there was the humiliating walking-into-class-after-it-started conga, during which I had to walk from the door to the only seat available, at the front of the class, with everyone staring — and the professor was trying to learn everyone’s names, so by the time I sat down, she knew who I was. At least she was nice about it (thanks, Professor Shopkow).I stopped taking the bus after that.For years, I’ve felt the resentment of those on the D/E route. Every bus that rolls by, it seems, is an A bus, with a few Bs interspersed. In fact, based on that handy online bus follower on the IU Campus Bus website, there are more A buses than B, D and E combined. By the way they fill up quickly, I gather they’re needed (hey, I wouldn’t want to walk up that hill in nasty weather). But with the new Union Street apartments in addition to all the other Central and South-East dorms, there are more people than ever. The E bus comes from the Everman apartments and is already full when it hits Eigenmann, and it doesn’t even run to Willkie Quad anymore. We need more D and E buses. I’m not suggesting we take some away from the A route — like I said, it’s clear they need all those buses — but we should add a couple extra ones, especially during the day, when tens of thousands of people are trying to get to classes. Yes, there are city buses we can (sometimes) take. But that can be more trouble than it’s worth. Everyone knows (or learns quickly) where the 6 and 9 buses go (not to Wilkie), but the other routes are largely unfamiliar.And just because it says “campus bus” doesn’t mean it actually goes to much of campus. Besides, the city buses shouldn’t be concerned about ferrying students across campus; that’s not their job. IU needs to man up and do its job: Provide adequate transportation for students.And if the school is so insistent about students making use of Bloomington Transit, provide some info. Don’t just drop it on us that routes are changing. Advertise. Make students more aware of what Bloomington buses they should take — and which buses will just take them in a big circle and then deposit them right back at the same stop they got on at.IU students are IU’s responsibility. We have a large bus system. Let’s make use of it — and make sure all students, no matter where they are on campus, have adequate access.E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu
(02/08/11 3:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Everyone loves a day of canceled classes.During the snow day two years ago, no school was a cause of great celebration (so much celebration that after enough texts and phone calls, I gave up and got out of bed). Everyone loved that we didn’t have to go to our classes.The next day wasn’t as much fun, since IU did a terrible job of plowing the sidewalks — they were okay enough for one person to walk on, but if you met someone going the other way, one of you was stepping off into a snow bank.That’s the reason, after all, that classes get canceled — not because we desperately need a day off, but because it’s too difficult — or too dangerous — to get to class.This year, we didn’t exactly get hit by the “snowpocalypse.” In fact, we barely got any snow. Mostly, it was just ice.And that was worse.I was one of those people on Facebook last Monday changing statuses to “I hope we get a snow day!” And I was really disappointed to find out the next morning that classes were still on and none of my professors had canceled individually.But that was nothing to how mad I was when I stepped outside.The sidewalks were completely covered with ice, especially in the residential area. I ended up walking in the grass as much as I could because the combination of natural clumsiness and knee problems was bound to lead to a wipeout.On the walk to class, I started getting really pissed off. Fine, we didn’t have a bunch of snow, or even as much ice as Indianapolis, but we had a pretty solid layer. And a solid layer of ice covering the sidewalks, with either no salt or ineffective salt, is just broken bones waiting to happen.I managed to make it to and from classes without serious mishap and was glad when my last two classes were canceled, first by the professors and then by IU. Finally! An evening free (well, free besides the massive amount of reading I had to do) and recognition from the school that conditions were getting dicey.Of course, classes were back on little more than 24 hours later, and the sidewalks were no less icey.I was even more pissed off as I walked to my evening class. Yes, the storm had stopped, but conditions were still dangerous. IU should have stayed closed the rest of the day and taken that time to clear the sidewalks to make it safe. Because by that time, the little bit of snow we’d gotten on the grass had frozen over, so there was no safe path.Yeah, part of it was that I didn’t want to go to an evening class in the dark and the cold. But a large part of it was that I didn’t feel like twisting my knee or breaking my wrist or face-planting on ice. I did end up going (and there were no serious mishaps), but out of a 20-person class, only 12 people showed.I’m not saying that we necessarily needed three days off, like Indy (but next time we get a storm like that, I’m unfriending all the Indy people and not answering my sisters’ texts, because I was pretty jealous). But we did need all of Tuesday and Wednesday off, not just because we’d rather not go to class, but because it was too dangerous.If you’re going to have classes, make sure that students don’t have to get there via the ER.I could talk about friends I have who ended up skipping classes on their own because they thought it was too dangerous to walk there. I could talk about how IU-Notify didn’t get calls and texts out to a lot of people until after they were already at their 2:30 classes — or sometimes not even until hours after classes were canceled. I could talk about the rumors (whether they’re true or not, I don’t know) that a lot of administrative people didn’t come in, and yet the school expected students to show up.But everyone already knows this (except, maybe, the people who are in charge of canceling classes).So IU, next time we get hit by ice, do everyone a favor and either cancel classes for longer periods of time until you get the ice cleared and the sidewalks safe or do a better job of clearing the sidewalks.E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu
(01/30/11 9:19pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>My plan this semester was to write about campus and student issues, but this tragedy is near to my heart and deserves recognition.Last week, 29-year-old Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer David Moore was fatally shot in the line of duty during a traffic stop.After being shot four times, Officer Moore was placed in critical condition, and an MRI revealed that he was brain dead. His family made the decision to let him go. In his death, he will save the lives of nine other people who will receive his donated organs, including his heart.The Moore family has a long history of service to the city of Indianapolis. Moore’s father, retired Lt. Spencer Moore, served in the IMPD, and his mother, Sgt. Jo Moore, is in her 26th year on the police force.Indianapolis is honoring its fallen hero. Police Chief Paul Ciesielski conducted the press announcement, and Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, a longtime IMPD supporter, was with him during the announcement and later spoke at a prayer vigil. Flags are at half-staff across the city.IMPD is mourning in its own way. Police officers have black bands over their badges, and their cars have small black flags on the antennas. Officers will stand vigil over Moore’s body until the funeral.Moore was on the police force for six years and in 2005 was named rookie of the year. His car is currently on display at north district headquarters, and his photo has been added to the City Council memorial with the photos of the 58 officers who have been killed in the line of duty.Officer Moore’s funeral will be Tuesday at Conseco Fieldhouse. Following the funeral, a procession will travel past North District Roll Call, where Moore worked, on the way to Crown Hill Cemetery. Fraternal Order of Police President Bill Owensby said there will be a 21-gun salute at the cemetery.Officers from around the country are expected to attend the funeral. Some are contributing by taking shifts around the city, freeing up IMPD officers to attend the funeral. Going out of state to attend the funeral services of other officers is a long-held tradition. When four police officers were fatally shot in a coffee house in Washington state, almost a thousand Canadian police officers crossed the border to honor their fallen comrade, a brotherhood of police service that extends beyond country lines.In the wake of this tragedy, we should all take a minute to stop and think for a moment about the tremendous lengths police officers go to protect the lives of citizens every day. They put their lives on the line so others don’t get hurt and sometimes end up paying the ultimate price.Police officers are a good force in this country. For every bad cop like David Bisard (an IMPD officer accused of driving under the influence and killing a man), there are thousands of good men and women who are only trying to make the world a safer place. We should all respect and honor the sacrifices of officers both living and passed and appreciate what they do for us daily.The last Indianapolis police officer killed in the line of duty was Timothy “Jake” Laird in 2004, the first IPD officer killed in 16 years. Indianapolis is lucky to have such tragedies occur few and far between, but even those few are too many. In this month alone, 10 other police officers around the country have been fatally shot.The upswing in violence toward police is incredibly disturbing, and I hope it subsides quickly. The police, as well as firefighters, soldiers and all who put their lives on the line in defense of this country’s citizens deserve honor and respect, not a premature death.What’s reassuring in this horrible situation is the amount of support IMPD and the Moores are being given by the citizens of Indianapolis. It gives me hope that things can change and that the population supports and honors those who fight and die to protect them.My thoughts go out to Officer Moore and his parents in the wake of this tragedy and to all who served with and knew him.E-mail: sahann@indiana.edu
(01/23/11 10:59pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As a general rule, I go to class.I’m not saying I never miss a lecture, but if I do, it takes a holiday or being really sick (like when I got the flu). As much as I don’t like dragging myself out of bed for 8 a.m. classes, missing class is even worse — the lecture is sure to cover material that will show up on the midterm, or the professor will give a pop quiz. And taking a look at other peoples’ notes and going to office hours just doesn’t cut it.But there are some times when I can’t help missing class. Everyone gets sick. It’s not always something as serious as the flu; sometimes it’s just a migraine. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s enough to miss a class or two.Stuff happens. That’s life. Students can’t attend every class, and professors know this, which is why they factor in “free pass” days.What I don’t understand is why attendance is an issue at all.Yeah, it’s disheartening to lecture to a room that’s only half-full of students — the students that aren’t there are missing out on important material.And, sure, sometimes the reason is just because students don’t want to get out of bed in the morning or don’t want to walk through the snow. But sometimes a student just feels too sick to get out of bed.Then we have to prove that we’re sick, which means going down to the IU Health Center and getting a note. But that note doesn’t really mean anything. In my experience, students can get an “I was here” note without seeing a doctor; they talk to the nurse practitioner on staff, who can write that they showed up. What good does that do?And sometimes, people aren’t sick in a way that they need the health center. Sometimes, it’s just a migraine, which calls for some Imitrex and staying in bed.But in some classes, one unexcused absence means a grade deduction. So someone with a history of periodic migraines who knows how to deal with them is in too much pain to walk to the health center and will be fine tomorrow (without a doctor’s treatment) is screwed.I can understand needing an excused absence if there’s a midterm that day. But for a regular class? That just ends up hurting the student. I realize that it’s meant to stop people from just skipping, but the way professors go about it isn’t good.We’re all adults now (supposedly). If we choose to skip class just for kicks, then so be it — our grades will suffer, and we’ll pay for missing those lectures by not learning material that shows up on a test.But for the poor sick kids whose grades are going to suffer because of missed material, don’t add extra punishments. Stop taking attendance. Stop with the “You can have two absences and then your grade suffers.”At the very least, don’t require a health center note. It’s better to give the benefit of the doubt.After all, isn’t college supposed to prepare us for the real world? In the real world, people don’t need a note from the health center. If you’re sick, you call or send an e-mail saying you’re sick, and you take a couple days off. Besides, the boss doesn’t want you infecting anyone. Better to stay home and not get everyone else sick.So give us the benefit of the doubt. If we really are just sick, we’ll be back next week. If we’re goofing off — well, the punishment of missing lecture material should be on our own heads.E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu
(01/10/11 11:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>2010 was a big year for gay marriage and not just because Prop 8 was overturned in a federal court. While that was an important step toward marriage equality, it was just one of many on the list.Gay marriage was legalized in Washington, D.C., which joined five states in allowing same-sex couples to marry.Politicians running on pro-gay marriage platforms were elected across the country.Illinois legalized civil unions and, with the backing of Chicago mayor Richard Daley, could be on the way to legalizing gay marriage.It certainly isn’t the outright national legalization, but the United States is still at the baby steps stage, and every victory counts.Despite the triumph of many conservative Republicans in the last election, the fight for gay marriage will keep going strong — and will continue to win victories.New York, Rhode Island, Minnesota and Maryland all elected pro-marriage governors in 2010, and the organization Freedom to Marry plans to push for legalized gay marriage in all four states in 2011. It doesn’t look like the gay marriage momentum has slowed — if anything, the 2010 victories have led to an increase in determination and fervor. According to an Associated Press poll, more than half of Americans support “legal recognition of same-sex couples’ marriages.” And the Freedom to Marry press releases are stuffed with gleeful stories of governors and attorneys general who are openly in support of passing legislation, and of candidates who made anti-gay marriage comments and lost.Does this mean that 2011 will be the year we’ll see an end to the discrimination and be the 13th country to legalize gay marriage? No. Chances are, any sort of national legislation (or even all of the states passing individual legislation) won’t happen this year. Rarely-goes-blue Indiana probably won’t pass anything; it and many other states will likely only recognize same-sex marriage when the Federal government passes a bill.But that doesn’t mean seeing even four states legalize gay marriage won’t be a huge step in the fight for equality. Adding New York, Rhode Island, Maryland and Minnesota to the list will almost double the number and be a rapid increase in comparison to previous years. After all, Massachusetts, the first state to legalize gay marriage, passed the law in 2004, and in the last six years, only four other states have followed. As times change and societal norms shift to allow more and more personal freedoms, states will have a better chance of equalizing marriage, and the growth will likely continue exponentially for a time — especially since Prop 8, which overturned the gay marriage legalization in California, was struck down as being unconstitutional.Each small step is a large victory on the road for marriage equality for people — both across the country and across the globe. As civil unions, and then same-sex marriages, spread like wildfire, more people will find the equality they deserve and hopefully in a more tolerant and accepting world.E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu
(12/10/10 12:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’ve never really felt the effects of anti-Semitism. That says a lot about how far people have come, even in the last hundred years. My hometown of Indianapolis was once the headquarters of the Klan; now it’s a safe environment for raising children of a different race or religion.Which isn’t to say racism is gone, but it’s nice to live in a community that not only tolerates different people but also embraces them and stands up for them.It’s heartening to see all the support IU and the Bloomington community have given to the Jewish community after the attacks of recent weeks.The first I heard of the incidents was in an e-mail from the provost (Facebook, you failed me), but I was instantly disturbed. The IU student body is about 10 percent Jewish (which, for Indiana, is pretty high), not to mention all the other minorities IU embraces. In this day and age, who would want to hurt people like that? This isn’t the first time something like this has happened this semester.The only good that has come of this and other incidents is the support the attacked groups have been shown. It’s encouraging to see IU and Bloomington rally around the victims to show their commitment to making this a safe, welcoming community for all.Someone threw a rock through the Hillel Center’s window. Whoever it was, he or she was not followed by a mob that broke into shops owned by Jews. Nothing was burned down. No one was killed. This was not a Kristallnacht. Not every violent act is a prelude to a reign of terror and death. But the Holocaust was only 70 years ago — within memory for many people, including survivors. No attack can be taken lightly.After the Holocaust, the Jewish people said, “Never again.” And it seems that others support that resolution, not just for Jews, but for any group.I’ve seen the comments in IDS articles that support the Jewish community. I’ve seen the Facebook event encouraging people of every religion to wear blue this past Monday in support of the Jewish community. And as I scrolled down through the comments, I saw people who, like me, are abroad for the semester but wore blue in support.It’s amazing the way people band together to help each other out in times of need. I cannot express how grateful I, as an IU Jew, am for everyone who has shown their support and condemned these violent, hateful acts. I’m so grateful to belong to such an accepting, supportive community. It’s made me feel safe. Yes, this person could throw a rock that hits someone and hurts that person. But this is one person. It isn’t an army of people. The army of people is those who condemn these acts of hatred.I encourage everyone to stand up against this and every other attack — against Jews, Muslims, Christians and anyone of any religion, race and sexuality. And I wish that others who have been attacked could have this feeling of support and solidarity that IU’s Jews are receiving.The attacks of students of a different ethnicity earlier in the semester and the horrible things that continue to happen to gay students across the country should be a wake-up call. We have to stand by those in trouble and give them a helping hand. Together, we can stop the spread of hatred and make the world a better place.It’s easy to stand by and do nothing. It’s much harder to stand up for someone else. It may not seem like much to wear a specific color for a day, but I think it’s everything. By showing support for each other, we showed that we stand united against hateful attacks. It was an active way of letting everyone know that support was there. Across campus, across Bloomington, across the world, we stand united.And that’s something more powerful than a rock.E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu
(12/10/10 12:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’ve never really felt the effects of anti-Semitism. That says a lot about how far people have come, even in the last hundred years. My hometown of Indianapolis was once the headquarters of the Klan; now it’s a safe environment for raising children of a different race or religion. Which isn’t to say racism is gone, but it’s nice to live in a community that not only tolerates different people but also embraces them and stands up for them.It’s heartening to see all the support IU and the Bloomington community have given to the Jewish community after the attacks of recent weeks.The first I heard of the incidents was in an e-mail from the provost (Facebook, you failed me), but I was instantly disturbed. The IU student body is about 10 percent Jewish (which, for Indiana, is pretty high), not to mention all the other minorities IU embraces. In this day and age, who would want to hurt people like that? This isn’t the first time something like this has happened this semester.The only good that has come of this and other incidents is the support the attacked groups have been shown. It’s encouraging to see IU and Bloomington rally around the victims to show their commitment to making this a safe, welcoming community for all.Someone threw a rock through the Hillel Center’s window. Whoever it was, he or she was not followed by a mob that broke into shops owned by Jews. Nothing was burned down. No one was killed. This was not a Kristallnacht. Not every violent act is a prelude to a reign of terror and death. But the Holocaust was only 70 years ago — within memory for many people, including survivors. No attack can be taken lightly.After the Holocaust, the Jewish people said, “Never again.” And it seems that others support that resolution, not just for Jews, but for any group.I’ve seen the comments in IDS articles that support the Jewish community. I’ve seen the Facebook event encouraging people of every religion to wear blue this past Monday in support of the Jewish community. And as I scrolled down through the comments, I saw people who, like me, are abroad for the semester but wore blue in support.It’s amazing the way people band together to help each other out in times of need. I cannot express how grateful I, as an IU Jew, am for everyone who has shown their support and condemned these violent, hateful acts. I’m so grateful to belong to such an accepting, supportive community. It’s made me feel safe. Yes, this person could throw a rock that hits someone and hurts that person. But this is one person. It isn’t an army of people. The army of people is those who condemn these acts of hatred.I encourage everyone to stand up against this and every other attack — against Jews, Muslims, Christians and anyone of any religion, race and sexuality. And I wish that others who have been attacked could have this feeling of support and solidarity that IU’s Jews are receiving.The attacks of students of a different ethnicity earlier in the semester and the horrible things that continue to happen to gay students across the country should be a wake-up call. We have to stand by those in trouble and give them a helping hand. Together, we can stop the spread of hatred and make the world a better place.It’s easy to stand by and do nothing. It’s much harder to stand up for someone else. It may not seem like much to wear a specific color for a day, but I think it’s everything. By showing support for each other, we showed that we stand united against hateful attacks. It was an active way of letting everyone know that support was there. Across campus, across Bloomington, across the world, we stand united.And that’s something more powerful than a rock.E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu
(12/10/10 12:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’ve never really felt the effects of anti-Semitism. That says a lot about how far people have come, even in the last hundred years. My hometown of Indianapolis was once the headquarters of the Klan; now it’s a safe environment for raising children of a different race or religion.Which isn’t to say racism is gone, but it’s nice to live in a community that not only tolerates different people but also embraces them and stands up for them.It’s heartening to see all the support IU and the Bloomington community have given to the Jewish community after the attacks of recent weeks.The first I heard of the incidents was in an e-mail from the provost (Facebook, you failed me), but I was instantly disturbed. The IU student body is about 10 percent Jewish (which, for Indiana, is pretty high), not to mention all the other minorities IU embraces. In this day and age, who would want to hurt people like that? This isn’t the first time something like this has happened this semester.The only good that has come of this and other incidents is the support the attacked groups have been shown. It’s encouraging to see IU and Bloomington rally around the victims to show their commitment to making this a safe, welcoming community for all.Someone threw a rock through the Hillel Center’s window. Whoever it was, he or she was not followed by a mob that broke into shops owned by Jews. Nothing was burned down. No one was killed. This was not a Kristallnacht. Not every violent act is a prelude to a reign of terror and death. But the Holocaust was only 70 years ago — within memory for many people, including survivors. No attack can be taken lightly.After the Holocaust, the Jewish people said, “Never again.” And it seems that others support that resolution, not just for Jews, but for any group.I’ve seen the comments in IDS articles that support the Jewish community. I’ve seen the Facebook event encouraging people of every religion to wear blue this past Monday in support of the Jewish community. And as I scrolled down through the comments, I saw people who, like me, are abroad for the semester but wore blue in support.It’s amazing the way people band together to help each other out in times of need. I cannot express how grateful I, as an IU Jew, am for everyone who has shown their support and condemned these violent, hateful acts. I’m so grateful to belong to such an accepting, supportive community. It’s made me feel safe. Yes, this person could throw a rock that hits someone and hurts that person. But this is one person. It isn’t an army of people. The army of people is those who condemn these acts of hatred.I encourage everyone to stand up against this and every other attack — against Jews, Muslims, Christians and anyone of any religion, race and sexuality. And I wish that others who have been attacked could have this feeling of support and solidarity that IU’s Jews are receiving.The attacks of students of a different ethnicity earlier in the semester and the horrible things that continue to happen to gay students across the country should be a wake-up call. We have to stand by those in trouble and give them a helping hand. Together, we can stop the spread of hatred and make the world a better place.It’s easy to stand by and do nothing. It’s much harder to stand up for someone else. It may not seem like much to wear a specific color for a day, but I think it’s everything. By showing support for each other, we showed that we stand united against hateful attacks. It was an active way of letting everyone know that support was there. Across campus, across Bloomington, across the world, we stand united.And that’s something more powerful than a rock.E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu
(12/10/10 12:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’ve never really felt the effects of anti-Semitism. That says a lot about how far people have come, even in the last hundred years. My hometown of Indianapolis was once the headquarters of the Klan; now it’s a safe environment for raising children of a different race or religion.Which isn’t to say racism is gone, but it’s nice to live in a community that not only tolerates different people but also embraces them and stands up for them.It’s heartening to see all the support IU and the Bloomington community have given to the Jewish community after the attacks of recent weeks.The first I heard of the incidents was in an e-mail from the provost (Facebook, you failed me), but I was instantly disturbed. The IU student body is about 10 percent Jewish (which, for Indiana, is pretty high), not to mention all the other minorities IU embraces. In this day and age, who would want to hurt people like that? This isn’t the first time something like this has happened this semester.The only good that has come of this and other incidents is the support the attacked groups have been shown. It’s encouraging to see IU and Bloomington rally around the victims to show their commitment to making this a safe, welcoming community for all.Someone threw a rock through the Hillel Center’s window. Whoever it was, he or she was not followed by a mob that broke into shops owned by Jews. Nothing was burned down. No one was killed. This was not a Kristallnacht. Not every violent act is a prelude to a reign of terror and death. But the Holocaust was only 70 years ago — within memory for many people, including survivors. No attack can be taken lightly.After the Holocaust, the Jewish people said, “Never again.” And it seems that others support that resolution, not just for Jews, but for any group.I’ve seen the comments in IDS articles that support the Jewish community. I’ve seen the Facebook event encouraging people of every religion to wear blue this past Monday in support of the Jewish community. And as I scrolled down through the comments, I saw people who, like me, are abroad for the semester but wore blue in support.It’s amazing the way people band together to help each other out in times of need. I cannot express how grateful I, as an IU Jew, am for everyone who has shown their support and condemned these violent, hateful acts. I’m so grateful to belong to such an accepting, supportive community. It’s made me feel safe. Yes, this person could throw a rock that hits someone and hurts that person. But this is one person. It isn’t an army of people. The army of people is those who condemn these acts of hatred.I encourage everyone to stand up against this and every other attack — against Jews, Muslims, Christians and anyone of any religion, race and sexuality. And I wish that others who have been attacked could have this feeling of support and solidarity that IU’s Jews are receiving.The attacks of students of a different ethnicity earlier in the semester and the horrible things that continue to happen to gay students across the country should be a wake-up call. We have to stand by those in trouble and give them a helping hand. Together, we can stop the spread of hatred and make the world a better place.It’s easy to stand by and do nothing. It’s much harder to stand up for someone else. It may not seem like much to wear a specific color for a day, but I think it’s everything. By showing support for each other, we showed that we stand united against hateful attacks. It was an active way of letting everyone know that support was there. Across campus, across Bloomington, across the world, we stand united.And that’s something more powerful than a rock.E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu
(12/10/10 12:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’ve never really felt the effects of anti-Semitism. That says a lot about how far people have come, even in the last hundred years. My hometown of Indianapolis was once the headquarters of the Klan; now it’s a safe environment for raising children of a different race or religion.Which isn’t to say racism is gone, but it’s nice to live in a community that not only tolerates different people but also embraces them and stands up for them.It’s heartening to see all the support IU and the Bloomington community have given to the Jewish community after the attacks of recent weeks.The first I heard of the incidents was in an e-mail from the provost (Facebook, you failed me), but I was instantly disturbed. The IU student body is about 10 percent Jewish (which, for Indiana, is pretty high), not to mention all the other minorities IU embraces. In this day and age, who would want to hurt people like that? This isn’t the first time something like this has happened this semester.The only good that has come of this and other incidents is the support the attacked groups have been shown. It’s encouraging to see IU and Bloomington rally around the victims to show their commitment to making this a safe, welcoming community for all.Someone threw a rock through the Hillel Center’s window. Whoever it was, he or she was not followed by a mob that broke into shops owned by Jews. Nothing was burned down. No one was killed. This was not a Kristallnacht. Not every violent act is a prelude to a reign of terror and death. But the Holocaust was only 70 years ago — within memory for many people, including survivors. No attack can be taken lightly.After the Holocaust, the Jewish people said, “Never again.” And it seems that others support that resolution, not just for Jews, but for any group.I’ve seen the comments in IDS articles that support the Jewish community. I’ve seen the Facebook event encouraging people of every religion to wear blue this past Monday in support of the Jewish community. And as I scrolled down through the comments, I saw people who, like me, are abroad for the semester but wore blue in support.It’s amazing the way people band together to help each other out in times of need. I cannot express how grateful I, as an IU Jew, am for everyone who has shown their support and condemned these violent, hateful acts. I’m so grateful to belong to such an accepting, supportive community. It’s made me feel safe. Yes, this person could throw a rock that hits someone and hurts that person. But this is one person. It isn’t an army of people. The army of people is those who condemn these acts of hatred.I encourage everyone to stand up against this and every other attack — against Jews, Muslims, Christians and anyone of any religion, race and sexuality. And I wish that others who have been attacked could have this feeling of support and solidarity that IU’s Jews are receiving.The attacks of students of a different ethnicity earlier in the semester and the horrible things that continue to happen to gay students across the country should be a wake-up call. We have to stand by those in trouble and give them a helping hand. Together, we can stop the spread of hatred and make the world a better place.It’s easy to stand by and do nothing. It’s much harder to stand up for someone else. It may not seem like much to wear a specific color for a day, but I think it’s everything. By showing support for each other, we showed that we stand united against hateful attacks. It was an active way of letting everyone know that support was there. Across campus, across Bloomington, across the world, we stand united.And that’s something more powerful than a rock.E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu
(11/10/10 10:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I was recently complaining to my parents about how stressed out I was over a huge term paper I have to write as part of my study abroad program. As I was going on about how it was twice as long as the longest paper I’d ever written, my mom made fun of me for complaining about my workload. Her papers had been MUCH longer, she’d written them on a typewriter, and she spent three hours every day in marching band practice, so what was I complaining about?My dad skipped the papers and exams and went straight to the U.S. Army, where he proceeded to top us by mentioning his 6 a.m. roll call (it’s well-known in my family that I don’t do mornings).Joining the army is tough stuff. Actually, it isn’t so much the joining as what comes after. And since my father, grandfather and two of my siblings have been in the army, I have a great respect for those who sign up.And in this time of open warfare on two fronts, the government is pretty pleased when people join, too. So pleased, in fact, that the federal government is working on repealing “Don’t ask, Don’t tell.”I understand that people have a problem with gays. Actually, I don’t really understand it, but I realize that for some reason, people take offense. The fact that gay marriage hasn’t been legalized in all 50 states is evidence of that. The fact that several gay students across the country recently committed suicide after being verbally abused by peers is even more sobering evidence.However, there seems to be no rational explanation for barring gays and lesbians from the army, especially in this day and age.After so many years of unpopular war, it seems that the army should be grateful that people keep volunteering for tours of duty. If I ran the army, I’d be happy to take any qualified person I could get, regardless of sexual orientation. The more the merrier, right?And yet, Gen. James Amos, the new commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, is speaking out against allowing gays in the military as long as the military is fighting in Afghanistan. “There’s risk involved,” he said, according to Politics Daily. “I’m trying to measure that risk. This is not a social thing. This is combat effectiveness.”It gets better.“There is nothing more intimate than young men and young women — and when you talk of infantry, we’re talking young men — laying out, sleeping alongside of one another and sharing death, fear and loss of brothers,” Amos said. “I don’t know what the effect of that will be on cohesion. I mean, that’s what we’re looking at. It’s unit cohesion, it’s combat effectiveness.”Unit cohesion? Combat effectiveness? What does that have to do with a person’s sexual orientation? Sure, the Marine Corps puts two people in a room, but just because someone’s gay doesn’t mean he or she is going to want to get with the roomie. If a straight soldier has a problem with rooming with a gay person, that’s the former’s problem, not the latter’s.Anyone who wants to serve his or her country should be allowed to do so and not have to keep sexual orientation a secret. Doing otherwise is to allow discrimination to continue. The armed forces fight to protect this country — and this country includes homosexual as well as heterosexual people.It’s dismaying to see that such a high-ranking officer is “assessing the risks” rather than being open to accepting all people, regardless of who they are. I’m glad that a repeal of “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” is currently working its way through the courts and through Congress. Hopefully it’ll be repealed soon, one way or another.Because, no matter how much you sugarcoat it, barring people from serving their country on the basis of sexual orientation is discrimination, plain and simple. A few wars ago, African Americans were forced to serve in separate units from their white counterparts, and today we consider that absurd. This is no different. It’s a shame that people — people with rank, people with position, who presumably have a great deal of intelligence to have reached that position (in the military, that is; I don’t have much hope for the politicians) — can’t see that this is wrong.I just hope that in 50 or a hundred years — or even sooner would be nice — the majority of people will be looking back and teaching their children about “Don’t ask, Don’t tell,” and they’ll say that it was wrong.
(11/04/10 9:38pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Reality TV has fascinated Americans for a decade or more (emphasis on the “more” — how long has The Real World been running?). Some of those shows were big enough deals that everyone who was anyone knew what was going on. Even if people didn’t watch those shows, they recognized names. Even if you weren’t turning on the TV every week for “American Idol,” you knew who Simon Cowell was.Some shows are so small no one has ever heard of them, and no one in their right mind would watch them. Over the summer, I seriously sat through an entire episode of something about people making sculptures out of fruit and trying to build the tallest bread tower in the world. My standards have sunk pretty low; I’ll watch nearly anything these days.But nothing in my reality TV experience, not “American Idol”, not “Say Yes to the Dress”, not even that season of “Bachelorette” that Marco and Monica on Indy’s 99.5 talked about near every damned day on my way to work over the summer, could prepare me for “X Factor.”I knew Simon was leaving “American Idol” to concentrate on what seemed to be pretty much the same thing, but in Britain. I figured he was possibly jumping a sinking ship (let’s be honest, Idol seems to be going down similar to the Titanic), or perhaps just trying to get the same popularity at home that he had here.Apparently, he already has that popularity. And so does “X Factor.”It’s a bit different than “American Idol.” The four judges (Simon; Cheryl Cole, who sings with Girls Aloud and just divorced big-name footballer Ashley Cole; Dannii Minogue, Kylie’s sister; and some guy name Louis whose background in the music business I’m not familiar with, but he’s Irish) each take a group with four singing acts (Groups, Girls, Boys, and 28+, respectively, this season), coaches them, pick their songs and then critique them.And people here are nuts for it.I’ve had not one but three conversations about it in the last couple weeks at work, and I work with adults, not people my age (youngish adults, but still adults). One of my journalism professors, who was recommending that the study abroad students take time each week to check out the BBC and the Guardian, among other news sources, added “X Factor” to the list. The contestants are plastered all over the magazines. (Over here, “Cher” isn’t like “Sonny and,” it’s the name of a contestant and if I say her name, everyone around me knows exactly who I’m talking about.)It absolutely blows my mind. I’ve seen the figure of 15 million viewers an episode, which might or might not be a lot compared to the States, but it’s twice the number of people living in London. This reality singing competition, rather than being just the most famous of several, is the it show around here. (And by “here” I don’t just mean London. I spent a rainy, headache-y night is Wales last weekend watching multiple hours of reruns. And Wales is most definitely different than London.)I cannot get over how much this TV show has swept the nation. Cheryl and Dannii are the hottest things around. When was Paula ever splashed across every tabloid? Former winners are still big deals and still performing. Katy Perry was a guest performer a couple weeks ago. (I’m not sure if that’s really about her fame or the show’s, but she’s a big name and she was doing it, so that must count for something.)I cannot think of a single show in the US that holds attention such as this.And despite my squeamishness with a reality singing competition taking such a center stage (haha) in national attention (I might have a mild—or possibly not-so-mild—reality TV addiction, but I’m not sure I encourage this in others), it kind of pleases me, too. It’s something fun and upbeat (well, unless your favorite just got voted off). It’s something that brings people together.Sure, national attention might be better spent on the important things, but there’s only so much depression that anyone can take before they need a break. “X Factor” is that break. Or at least it’s something to talk about at the water cooler.Well, I haven’t actually seen a water cooler yet. People here bring each other tea. But that’s another story.E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu
(10/27/10 12:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I don’t know much about trains. My only experience riding them is from when my aunt took me downtown on the state fair train — when I was four. The only other time I’ve come close to trains is during the last two years living in Eigenmann Hall and being woken up by the train that goes through campus blowing its stupid horn after 11 p.m. every night. Yes, I realize I’m a lame college student for being on bed by 11. But I get up at 6 or 7 a.m. every morning for class, and I’m not one of those people who can stay awake for a 75-minute lecture on five hours of sleep. I’ve tried.But in England, trains are useful for my sightseeing tours. Some places are too close to take a plane, but would come attached with a VERY heavy taxi fee (such as Canterbury and Stonehenge). Others are close enough that it’s worth it to spend extra time travelling to avoid dealing with airports (Wales).And you know what? It’s a pretty cool way to travel. A good look at the landscape (when it’s not being obscured by trees), a relaxing time, plenty of room ... and a very decent price.When I think of trains, I think of the choo-choo trains in toy sets, but England’s are more modeled on Japan’s bullet trains. Sleek, efficient and don’t give off trails of smoke.Trains should become more widely used in the U.S. It seems most people don’t use them anymore (when was the last time you were on a train?), and that’s a shame. Other than being a good way to travel, modern trains are fuel-efficient and faster than cars, plus they reduce congestion. It’s not always the best way to travel (especially if you’re taking a long trip and have plenty of luggage), but an increase in public transportation is always good. Public transportation within cities isn’t always possible. Depending on the size of the city, the population and the budget, most cities should shy away from trying to create their own subway system. It just won’t work if there aren’t enough people, and if a city is small enough, it’s not worth the cost.But public transportation between cities can always be improved, and an increase in mass transit is good for the environment and peoples’ wallets. I learned it’s a lot cheaper to take Bloomington Transit to the Indianapolis airport than to have my dad drive all the way down, pick me up and drive all the way back.And everyone who lives on campus should already know the benefits of the bus system — parking on campus is horrible, and it takes forever to drive through traffic (particularly, I’ve noticed, at Seventh and Jordan streets), but taking a bus is a quick, easy way to get to class, especially when the other choice is slogging through snow and ice for 25 minutes each way.I’m not an expert of the environment or fuel ratios, but I do know that getting around using mass transit is easier, cheaper and better for the environment than using a car. Trains, buses and underground are all good uses of public transportation that save time and money. It will take the U.S. time to get better transit systems in place. Current mentions come with tags of “2020” or “2030,” and that’s at the minimum — knowing how quickly the government gets things done, it’ll probably take much longer than that to get anything done on a local or national level.But when the government finally wakes up to the fact that public transportation is a great way to get around, the results will (hopefully) be amazing.I’m not saying I’m ready to give up my car. I do like driving, and there are plenty of times when using it will still be faster than taking a bus or a train, particularly in a city. But when I spent a good seven to 10 minutes every day crawling down one street just to sit on a highway ramp for another seven to 10 minutes on the way home from work, I would have appreciated if there had been a better option.And I’d like to think that within my lifetime, there will be.Especially if it’s an option that doesn’t come with a loud horn after 11 p.m. every night.E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu
(10/17/10 7:26pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A few weeks ago, I wrote a column about the importance of tipping your waiter, and it still holds true. It’s rude to not tip, especially since waiters only make a couple bucks an hour, with the idea that they MIGHT get to minimum wage if customers are decent tippers.One of the many things that stunned me when I got to the UK was that tipping isn’t as ingrained into the culture here.I didn’t have to discover that on my own. They told us on the first day of orientation that we weren’t expected to tip.As I explored the restaurants around town, I realized this was true.Oftentimes, menus say that a 10 percent gratuity will be added to parties of large number her. Many restaurants in the States do that too, but that’s where it ends.It’s still polite to give something, but it’s not expected, and customers shouldn’t usually give more than 10 percent. The reason, I learned, is that waiters here actually get decent salaries. Not high salaries by any means, but they’re making more than a couple bucks an hour. The result is that they aren’t reliant on tips.The other result is that they’re not trying to turn tables like mad, so they’ll let you sit there as long as you want. It’s actually kind of weird that they don’t care how long you’re there.I spent the weekend in Edinburgh, England, and I grabbed a meal at a place called Garfunkles. Granted, I was there during that weird time where the lunch crowd has long since left, and it’s way too early for dinner. Even reading a book and taking more bites of each fry than was strictly warranted, I was done with my meal in half an hour, and they cleared away my plate. I contemplated ordering a cup of tea, just to sit there and read/people-watch a bit longer, but they didn’t seem to care.In fact, a full hour after I’d finished, I decided it was way past time to go and caught a waiter’s eye so he could bring me the check. In the time between when he’d cleared away my plate and the time he handed me the bill, not a single person had come over to see if I wanted a drink or dessert or the check. It was nice. I spent far longer there than I’d planned, but it was nice.And it was a big change from home. I went to lunch with a friend one day during the summer, and the waiter kept asking us if we’d like the bill or if we needed anything else about every five minutes since we’d started slowing down. The place wasn’t crowded, and it was just annoying, so we just asked for a to-go box and left.With that experience in mind as I sat in this place, I couldn’t help but think it was an excellent change.It’s not so great, sometimes — the cheap chain places I tend to go to for lunch fill up quickly, and no one has any incentive to leave when new customers come in looking for a seat.However, I think it’s better for the employees and better for the customers. It builds a better relationship when no one is trying to rush you out. And I definitely support an atmosphere where waiters are treated like valuable employees by the owners instead of relying on the generosity of customers because let’s face it, too often, the customers aren’t that generous.E-mail: hanns@indiana.eduSarah Hann is currently studying abroad in London.