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(01/12/07 8:53pm)
Peace. Justice. Equality. All the words are associated with civil-rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.\nBut when freshman Elia Nikitas thinks of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, she remembers the man, then also that she has a day off from school.\n"It's nice to have no class," she said, "but I don't think of the day unless it is mentioned." \nAround Bloomington, however, Monday is known as "A Day On! Not a Day Off," and Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday will be celebrated around Bloomington through various service projects and activities.\nCraig Brenner, a city employee in the Community and Family Resources Department, said there are about 54 projects in the area to take place Saturday through Monday.\nThe Buskirk-Chumley Theater originally planned a beautification project the week before the Monday holiday as well as on Jan. 15, but Brenner said the project will be rescheduled at a later date.\nThe city, however, is sponsoring many other opportunities for students to volunteer and assist with projects honoring the holiday.\n"We have activities for all age volunteers," Brenner said. "Some projects request families and some adults and some are open to 16 years and above and even senior citizens."\nTo make things simple, there is a nationwide Web site that lists volunteer opportunities for the holiday at www.mlkday.org and a schedule of local events the city is putting on at www.bloomington.in.gov.\nBrenner said he hopes about 1,500 volunteers turn out throughout the day around the county.\nOne of the major events the city is hosting is the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration at 7:30 p.m. Monday. Admission is free.\nThe program will include speakers like Mayor Mark Kruzan and King Commission chair Barbara Fuqua, among others, according to a news release from the city of Bloomington. The celebration features a presentation of the commission's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award, along with the recognition of volunteers who participated in service projects as part of "A Day On! Not a Day Off." \nHighlights at the event include performers from the IU African American Choral Ensemble, along with a community chorus led by Dr. Mellonee Burnim and a dramatic presentation by members of the Bloomington Playwrights Project. \nAlso in downtown Bloomington, the Monroe County Public Library is sponsoring a "A Day On! Not a Day Off," a celebration with a read-out of children's literature that addresses issues of peace, justice and diversity. \n"Every year we have special programs for Martin Luther King Day," said Patty Callison, manger of children's services at the Monroe County library. "It is all part of the city celebration, and the library doesn't just tell the virtues of Martin Luther King, but it is really a celebration of his ideas of peace and social justice and tolerance."\nCallison said some of the books read aloud do not necessarily have to do with King Jr. or race, but more with peace.
(01/12/07 4:57am)
Freshman Caroline Mathis thought she had it all figured out. \nShe knew she wanted to live in a dorm room on the same floor in Read Center that she lives on this year. And she wanted to stay in the performing-arts living community that she is currently a part of.\nWhen she received notification by e-mail from Residential Programs and Services saying she was allowed to complete phase one of the online housing assignments, she was confused.\n"I remember thinking, 'What on Earth is this!'" Mathis said. "The first thing I did was yell at my roommate because I didn't know what it was, and I asked her, and she didn't know either."\nThis year, RPS introduced the online housing program, allowing students to reserve and choose exactly what room and where they want to live next year.\nCurrent students can now set up their on-campus living arrangements for next year without paperwork and phone calls. But, as Mathis said, the unfamiliar online system brings with it a new set of problems.\nThe overall goal of the new housing system is for students to serve themselves, said Sara Ivey Lucas, RPS's assistant director of housing assignments. \nIvey Lucas said selecting a specific room to live in is all done using the Internet.\nThrough this system, a student can take care of business during a time that works for him or her.\nJunior Sarah Romano, who lives in Willkie Quad and plans to live on campus next year, said she likes the online system IU developed for its different programs.\n"I really like how I can go online whenever I want and I have access to it," she said. "I don't have to hike to Maxwell or wherever it may be to do stuff -- instead I can do what I need to do and everything is right there in my own home." \nThe online housing system was unveiled Nov. 27, 2006, when the first phase, during which residents can choose to retain their current spaces, began. \nIvey Lucas guaranteed that RPS will not go into the system and make changes after students make their selections.\nShe warned that this year, some students living in Willkie did not pay attention to the phase assignments and did not reserve their current rooms; as a result, other students reserved the same spaces. \nWhen the now-ousted students wanted their rooms back, they couldn't request their rooms for next year because they had already been taken.\nSo far, Ivey Lucas said the system has been successful: currently, about 1,300 students have reserved a room. She said that with the upcoming phases RPS is aiming for about 2,000 more students to register for spaces to return next year.\nIvey Lucas said RPS started housing registration earlier than in years past, when registration usually started around Jan. 15. For the next school year, it started Nov. 27, 2006.\n"We're still hoping for 1,500 more students, and we think that will happen," Ivey Lucas said. "Anecdotally, we have heard from students that most are waiting for Phase 4, when they can move around between the 11 residence halls on campus." \nIn addition, students know more about where they want to live than RPS does. Now students can choose what they want in a room and where they want their room to be, Ivey Lucas said.\nSince this is the first year the online system is in place, Ivey Lucas said there are changes to be made. One issue in particular is how the system offers double rooms as singles. Some pairs of roommates both requested their current rooms as singles for next year, and the system granted them both the same room but marked it as a single. Ivey Lucas said they fixed the problem by going online and finding new rooms for the students.
(01/10/07 6:12am)
Residential Programs and Services spent $35,000 over winter break to replace 20 percent of the locks in McNutt Quad after a resident assistant on duty misplaced a master key to one of the McNutt buildings. \n"As soon as we became aware that the master key was missing, we immediately recored (changed the locks in) that building," said Bob Weith, director of residential operations. "We worked most of the night doing this."\nWeith said the misplacement of one key led to lock changes for 154 rooms out of the 718 in McNutt Quad. The locks were replaced Dec. 18 and 19.\n"Access to all of our keys throughout our system is always a safety concern," Weith said.\nMcNutt Residence Manager John Summerlot said the staff is working to put together a group of students and staff to examine the issue, but no changes have been made yet to any policy.\nAs for the consequence to the RA who lost the master key, Summerlot said he "is not at liberty to discuss staff records."\nSummerlot said dorm RAs are chosen based on their "maturity, reasonability and reliability."\n"If they do not maintain these traits, they do not maintain their positions," he said in an e-mail interview. "If we didn't trust student staff with some level of access to keys, then we would have to charge lock-out and lost-key fees similar to other living options, which could mean upwards of $75 a lock-out like some places charge."\nSummerlot said "several administrative changes have been made concerning how the keys are handled and by whom."\n"RAs have to go through several more steps to handle lock-outs than previously," he said. "This means longer waiting periods for students who are locked out."\nWeith said the reason for replacing the locks was to make the building as secure as possible. Only three professional staff members in the building along and five nightly RAs on duty have access to the keys for McNutt.\nMcNutt had more than 1,535 "lockouts" last semester. A lockout, Weith said, is when residents have misplaced their room key and asked for a spare key from the center desk or asked that a staff member let them into their rooms.\nWeith explained this is also a concern for the staff who try to teach responsible behaviors.\n"If students misplace their keys 1,535 times in one semester, that means we don't know where those keys may have been," he said. "Of our 11 residences centers, McNutt misplaces keys far more than any other."\nJohn Haky, the offices services assistant at McNutt, said last year there were 300 lock changes and last semester alone there were 150.\n"We determined it would be wise to completely change the locks in the entire center," Weith said.\nFreshman Katie Gear, a resident of McNutt, said she feels this is a "good change" if the master key was recently lost.\nSome also expressed that even though it was an inconvenience, their security was more important. \n"It was kind of annoying, and it took about five minutes, but I'd rather have that than someone random having the key," said Ally Mann, a resident of McNutt, had to receive a new key when she came back after break. "I felt safer"
(01/08/07 5:40am)
IU staff discovered and removed potentially hazardous asbestos in 39 dorm rooms during inspections over winter break, according to Residential Programs and Services.\nMaintenance workers found the recorded areas of concern in more than 1,800 rooms and 200 apartments that were inspected, said RPS Executive Director Pat Connor.\nAsbestos currently is found in four residential halls on campus: Tulip Tree Apartments and Forest, Briscoe and McNutt quads.\n"It is a visual inspection of the ceiling to determine if there are areas of concern," Connor said. "Maintenance staff record the information and write work orders for work to be done."\nAsbestos was used for insulation in most buildings built before 1980. Intact asbestos poses no health risks, but inhaling the damaged fibers can harm the lungs many years after exposure. It has been recognized as a carcinogen and is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency.\nFreshman Jake Spalding, a student living in Forest Quad, said he attended a high school with an asbestos problem in the cafeteria. \n"One part of the ceiling had renovations and the other had asbestos," he said. "(Asbestos) doesn't bother me. I think with air conditioning and other renovations it will help."\nConnor said all asbestos reports are being handled in a timely manner.\n"Repairs are in the process, and the areas of concern were corrected by maintenance staff in 30 minutes per work order, due to the small work area," Connor said.\nRachel Klein, a freshman who lives in McNutt, said she finds asbestos to be a health risk. But she also said that as long as RPS is working toward changes, it will help with the conditions.\nThe asbestos inspections occurred annually for many years, Connor said, but based on discussion with IU's Office of Environmental Health and Safety about 12 to 15 months ago, it was decided these inspections should be conducted twice a year. This was done because of changes that may occur during the period the rooms are occupied by students.\n"It is worthwhile to monitor the condition of the rooms, correct any damage that may have occurred intentionally or unintentionally by students during the fall term, and stay on top of the issue," Connor said.\nIn regard to having more asbestos inspections, Connor said it is highly unlikely that conditions will rapidly deteriorate through normal occupancy, due to the nature of the ceiling material. \nConnor said he believes that two inspections a year will allow RPS to sufficiently monitor the rooms' conditions.
(12/08/06 5:28am)
Melissa Block's Friday night will be filled with plenty of Christmas tunes. The IU freshman and 12 other women, known collectively as the a cappella singing group Ladies First, will sing in a holiday concert 8 p.m. Friday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.\nBlock said the show will be made up of songs from Ladies First's regular repertoire, along with Christmas music.\nStraight No Chaser, an all-male campus a cappella group, will be also singing holiday tunes along with other music, said senior Corey Frye.\nThe group will perform 8 p.m. Saturday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave.\nLadies First's concert tickets cost $8, and the group will also be releasing its first live CD at the concert. Tickets to Straight No Chaser's show cost $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Tickets are available now at the Sunrise Box Office.\nIn her first semester with Ladies First, Block said she decided to audition for a singing group after attending an a cappella workshop during high school.\n"There is something about music with no accompaniment that is just special to me," she said. "It sounds cool."\nWith three seniors -- Liz Buchanan, Brittany Grableman and Amanda Mae Magadia -- leaving Ladies First this year, Block said the concert is "kind of a dedication to them."\nOne of the songs featured, "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)," was arranged by senior director Amanda Magadia.\n"That's a new song, so that will be a highlight," Block said.\nOther songs that are not a part of the holiday set list include popular tunes from the Beatles that Block said will be easy to identify.\nBlock, a voice major, said she encourages people to come to Buskirk-Chumley and see the concert.\n"It is really fun," Block said. "... We've been working all semester on this music, so it's going to be good and get everyone in the Christmas cheer"
(12/07/06 3:52am)
Going once, going twice -- halt?\nOn Nov. 8, despite a favorable verdict from U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, Christie's auction house in London stopped the auction of the Picasso painting, "Portrait de Angel Fernandez de Soto," that was expected to sell for $40 million to $60 million. \nIn a news release, the judge said he needed to decide whether the Nazis forced the painting's former Jewish owner to sell it during World War II. Though he found no evidence to support the claim, the case caused much controversy and the sale was halted.\nThis issue of ownership affects almost every facet of the art world, and the topic is being explored on campus at the IU Art Museum with its "provenance project." \nJenny McComas, curator of pre-1800 Western art at the museum, said provenance refers to the ownership history of the work of art. Staff at the IU Art Museum and several graduate students have been working for the past 2 1/2 years to trace the origins of select pieces from their collection. They find and document the ownership records from each artwork's creation to its current home.\nMcComas said besides the Nazis, American and British soldiers also looted paintings in the chaos of war. This is how some paintings ended up in the United States.\nIn doing this research, the museum hopes to fill any gaps in the artwork's provenance to ensure that a work of art has not been stolen and that any and all transactions between the owners of each artwork were legal.\n"We are not thinking that anything was stolen, but we are looking at what may have been during the Europe era," McComas said. "We are looking at European art -- paintings highly valued by the Nazis."\nMcComas said the Nazis typically did not care about fine-arts prints such as etching or wood cuts. Many Nazis, including Adolf Hitler and other leaders, had personal art collections and were interested in collecting works by old masters, from the Italian Renaissance to the 17th century. Nazis went through private collections in Europe, looting and forcing Jewish gallery owners to sell works to various members of the Nazi party for low prices.\n"People who were trying to flee Europe sold art they owned to raise money and sold things for a very low value," McComas said.\nMcComas, who is in charge of research, said the process is very time consuming. It begins with looking at the physical object and the labels and any inscriptions on the back of the piece. After photographing and recording all information, researchers look through all the various files at the museum to find information about when and where the piece was purchased for the museum and any exhibition notes. \nAfter making sense of all the gathered information and exhausting all the museum's resources, researchers turn to the library to examine different catalogs and archives.\nMcComas said the museum has looked through various papers of Herman B Wells because of the many art pieces Wells donated from his personal collection.\n"We find in papers, the sales receipts and records, where and when Herman B Wells purchased the artwork," McComas said.\nHis papers and those of many other IU professors and administrators are preserved at the IU Archives. \nThe researchers have been working to display their findings on a Web site, which is linked to the IU Art Museum home page. \nMcComas said the Web site receives good feedback. People around the world use it, she said.\n"The international networking tool has been very useful," McComas said.\nThe Web site also strives to make provenance available to the public. Any family can use the Internet to search for paintings that may belong to them but have not yet been returned. McComas said a lot of artwork is still illegally floating around and there is a big push to fix the situation.\n"We have a much better grasp of the history of the paintings in our collection," McComas said. "We've filled in a lot of gaps and we made a large stride."\nMcComas said that "Travelers in a Landscape," depicting a 17th-century Dutch landscape, by artists Jan Hackaert and Adriaen Van De Velde, is a piece in the collection that had very little known information regarding its history when the research begain. \nThrough research in the past year, McComas said the museum now knows where the painting was every minute from 1800 until 1924.\n"There is nothing that we suspect that was taken by the Nazis. However, there are so many gaps in our knowledge at this point," McComas said. "What we do is rectify the past and illegalities for anybody to have in their possession a work of art that was previously stolen or illegally transferred," McComas said. "I am really pleased that work is going on and there are so many restitutions"
(11/29/06 4:39am)
Mary Ramsay loves to write, but when it comes time to share her work with others, she's more prone to fold up her poem, stuff it in the shirt pocket of the reader and run away in the opposite direction. \n"The things you write in poetry are very exposing. Even if it is not about yourself, it came out of your heart, and it is still a piece of you, and it's hard to do that," she said. "It is so much easier to read other people's poetry out loud."\nAt 47, Ramsay describes herself as a person who is not done growing as an individual or as a writer, and her work and efforts so far have proven she's just begun. \nRamsay, a part-time student at IU and an employee at the IU Foundation, is also an amateur poet, though her writing career didn't fully and officially begin until she won three writing awards in September, she said.\nRamsay forgot that she had even submitted her work. So she was understandably shocked when she received a letter from the Kentucky State Poetry Society informing her that she had won first place for her poem "Woodstove" and a first honorable mention for "Meeting Steele's Boatman on Exhibit," a poem about a T.S. Steele painting on exhibit at the art museum.\n"I saw this one piece and was so struck by it, and I ended up writing this poem," Ramsay said. \nBut the good news didn't end there. A week later, she received an e-mail from the Utmost Christian Writers Foundation, a Canadian organization, saying that she had won an honorable mention for a poem titled "The Blessing."\n"I kept thinking that I just got to get over this fear of rejection because it comes with the territory (of writing)," she said. "I had already submitted to a contest, but I decided to look around and find another place." \nRamsay was inspired by the excitement she said she felt when she won the first three awards.\n"It all came in the lump," Ramsay said. "And I could hardly just stop jumping up and down and squealing. I couldn't stop thinking that I had won, and it was, oh my, very exciting." \nRamsay traveled to Kentucky to accept her award and read her poem in front of other poets who had entered the contest. \n"I've been amazed, and I'm still surprised," Ramsay said. "The world is full of wonderful writers, and I am a long way away from being of that caliber."\nAlthough Ramsay said she has been writing for years, she was never formally educated in writing. \n"I went digging in my dresser drawer and I had this poem I wrote when I was 8 years old, and I found it at my mother's home," Ramsay said with a smile. Laughing, she said: "I wrote it while we were playing school, and my play teacher gave it an A+."\nAs a child, Ramsay said she didn't write regularly and often wrote "little ditties, like nursery rhymes."\nAs time went on, the subject matter of Ramsay's writing changed.\n"I wanted to write more serious ideas that were in my head," she said. "I just got more and more into it, and then it became a habit to put the thoughts and ideas I had to express into a poem."\nInspired by her recent success in poetry contests, Ramsay said she hopes to submit to publications in the future.\nThough she is optimistic, Ramsay does know that rejection is also a part of the submission process. \n"I know someone will send me a letter that says, 'Thanks but no thanks' because it comes with the territory. But it's worth the risk," Ramsay said. "Not that it makes my stomach any calmer when I do it because it still just turns right over."\nRamsay said she still finds herself expressing similar emotions as she did in her early career when she began writing and sharing her work with others.\n"Once those writing submissions are in the mail, I just want to crawl under the chair," she said.\nRamsay's poem for the Utmost Christian Society is posted on its Web site, www.utmostchristianwriters.com. She said she has already received positive feedback.\n"Someone came to me and told me that it made her cry," she said.\nRamsay said she has received similar responses from groups that have heard her poetry.\n"I have been told by a person in the group, 'I like the things you write, Mary, because you make me think,' and I like that someone would stop and pause and mull over what is in there," she said. "I hope they mull it over and chew on what was in there and feel and taste and hear whatever is there"
(11/29/06 3:49am)
Bet Savich, director of the Bloomington Volunteer Network, hopes that before the bags are packed, the plane tickets are bought and carpools home are arranged, students will remember the volunteer opportunities that are needed before and during the winter holiday season.\nThe Bloomington Volunteer Network has a variety of chances to engage in volunteer opportunities during the holiday season. \nThe most important necessity this winter are the hunger-relief projects, Savich said.\n"Their volunteer situation is usually OK on the holidays themselves, but they need people desperately before and after," Savich said. "They particularly need volunteers during IU's break."\nCaroline Daly, an intern at the Community Kitchen, said 10 volunteers can help each day, Monday through Saturday, for two volunteer shifts. Meal preparation is the first shift, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The main service, providing free and nutritious meals, is from 4 to 6 p.m., but the kitchen needs help preparing after-school snacks as well. \nFrom 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., volunteers can serve food at the Rogers Street location, Daly said.\nDuring the IU's winter break when students are out of town, Daly said, the community needs volunteers to help fill the shifts, so she said if students are staying in town and don't mind volunteering, it would be helpful.\nFor more information about volunteer opportunities, contact the Community Kitchen at 332-0999 or kitchen@bloomington.in.us. The Shalom Community Center can be reached at 334-5728 or by e-mail at pkshalom@ix.netcom.com.\nThe Big Brothers and Big Sisters program is sponsoring a program called Adopt A Family for Christmas. The tagline for the program is to "help fill the stockings of the boys and girls enrolled in the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program."\nThose interested in being matched with a family can contact Andrea Smith at 334-2828 or e-mail at amsmith@bigsindiana.org.\nThe Monroe County United Ministries offers the opportunities for sponsoring a family for Christmas breaks, donating a turkey or ham or restocking the childcare toy box. United Ministries is a non-profit organization providing human services to Monroe County. The organization serves working families and those in distress by assisting in emergency need and subsidized childcare.\nContact Meri Reinhold of the United Ministries at 339-3429 or e-mail mcum@bloomington.in.us. \nContinuing the adoption programs this season, The Salvation Army is offering an "adopt a low-income family" program to buy gifts for an entire family (parents and kids) and the "Angel Tree" to sponsor a child age 12 and under by choosing the child's name from a tag on a tree at various locations around town.\nFor more information about The Salvation Army adoption program, contact Monica Clemons at 336-4310 ext. 10 or e-mail at Monica_Clemons@usc.salvationarmy.org.\nMartha's House, a nonprofit organization, serves the needs of the homeless in Bloomington, and single men and women and up to four families will be available after Friday for holiday gift adoption. For more information, contact Meredith Short at 332-1444 or at meredithls@juno.com.
(11/20/06 4:05am)
On Thursday, the Monroe County History Center hosted the event "Remember the Penguin," tracing the roots of the Chocolate Moose, an ice cream shop formerly known as the Penguin, at 401 S. Walnut St., back to the original May's Café of 1933. \nVideographer Maryellen May presented a video she made showing the journey of the historical ice cream shop, and a discussion followed the presentation, allowing audience members to share memories and speculations -- such as the origin behind the shop's first name.\n"Some people don't call it the Penguin anymore," one man said Thursday night.\nMay smiled and said, "Some do." \nAs people began to enter the room, some commented on the image of what the old Penguin building looked like, although only a few changes, such as the evolution of the building's roof from a flat roof to a triangular shape, have occurred since the transition to the Chocolate Moose.\nAt the beginning of her presentation, May said she hoped the story "warms your heart." \nThe video presented Thursday featured interviews voiced over old photographs with music playing throughout. The story started in 1920, the year John E. May began his entrepreneurial journey. The job loss resulting from the Great Depression caused him to develop May's Café, which later turned into the Penguin. The shop stayed in the May family for at least one generation but has since changed hands. \nMay did not mention having any family connection.\nAs the video progressed, music of the 1930s era played, opening with Danny and the Juniors' song, "At the Hop." An audience member danced to the upbeat music, clearly enjoying the start of the presentation. When the video ended, the memories didn't stop.\nA discussion among about 20 members in attendance focused on how the Penguin had ice cream specialties before the chains began to rise, like Blizzards before Dairy Queen.\nThe sentiments among the audience members in relation to the now-Chocolate Moose was clear as one man, who was born and raised in Bloomington but now lives out of town, said: "I'm in terror of showing up and it being gone"
(11/20/06 3:58am)
The IU Student Media Board announced the spring 2007 Indiana Daily Student editor in chief Friday. Senior Kacie Foster, one of the current managing editors, was chosen for the position.\n"The board felt that Kacie's recent management experience proved she is great at managing things (like) controversies (and) can come to sensible solutions," Director of Student Media David Adams said.\nEarlier this year, Foster ran for summer editor in chief but lost the race to senior Eamonn Brennan. Adams said that the board "saw so much growth in Kacie between summer and now, and she did a great job."\nFoster competed for the position against senior Chris Freiberg, who is currently a senior writer for the IDS.\n"We were impressed with Chris as well," Adams said. "He submitted an impressive and thoughtful application."\nThe board chosen to select the new editor in chief consisted of 11 individuals, including representatives from the IDS, Arbutus, IU Student Association, the Bloomington Faculty Council and professional media outlets.\nDuring the interview, Foster said she wants to cultivate journalists as editor in chief. Foster, who did not begin working at the IDS until the second semester of her sophomore year, said she thinks she had a late start and hasn't given enough to the paper.\nAmong the questions asked, most focused on recruiting new writers, developing the IDS Web site, covering the IU presidential search and debating IUSA's Student Newspaper Readership Program.\nEven though the editor in chief is in command of the newspaper, Foster said she doesn't see herself as a "boss."\n"I know I am in charge and responsible for everything the Indiana Daily Student publishes, but I work for you," she said. "Without the writers, editors and everyone else, I wouldn't have a job."\nIUSA Vice President Andrew Lauck asked Foster for her thoughts on the IUSA-implemented Student Newspaper Readership Program, which enables students to get free copies of newspapers like the New York Times and USA Today with their student IDs. \nFoster said she does not support the program, and Adams said he hoped agreements regarding the program will be made in the future.\nBrennan, who was on the board, said the decision was tough and that it was nice to have two solid candidates to choose from.\n"I think Kacie is a very thoughtful woman and has a bright disposition and will take this newsroom very far next semester," he said.\nFoster, who joked that she felt the blood leave her legs and thought she would fall over during the interview, said she was relieved to finally know the panel's decision.\n"It's been on the back of my mind for a long time," she said. "It never occurred to me that I'd be editor in chief. It is such an honor"
(11/16/06 4:53am)
Because it is set in the Caribbean, the musical "Once On This Island" was originally created for an all-black cast, but the Union Board's production of the show this weekend will feature different races in its cast.\nHowever, the race of the actors and actresses is secondary to the main theme of the play, said freshman Jonathan Lerner, who portrays protagonist Daniel Beauxhomme.\n"A lot of times when people hear of a show that was written for a certain type of race or ethnicity being performed by people who do not fit the descriptions, they immediately think that the show will not be as good or will be less meaningful and/or less powerful," Lerner said. "I will admit to have made similar assumptions before myself, but the thing about 'Once On This Island' is that it's a very, very universal story and one that is incredibly pertinent to our world today."\nThe musical follows the archetypical romantic plot: boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, get married and happiness ensues. \nTi Moune, a peasant girl, rescues, nurses and falls in love with Daniel, a French boy from a wealthy family. Daniel is forced to return to France, and when he does, the gods who rule the Island guide Ti on a journey to test her love against prejudice, hatred and death.\nLerner said the tremendous power of love is the true theme of the play.\n"(Love) can withstand even the most difficult and horrible of times," Lerner said. "As long as one has true love in their heart, things will always turn out all right in the end."\nLerner said he feels most of the emotions and experiences of the characters in the musical are common to most people, making the musical accessible to almost anyone. \nEven though the musical deals with somber ideas such as prejudice, hatred and death, Lerner said the music in the show keeps things fun and upbeat.\n"Singing and dancing to (the musical numbers) leaves us smiling and having an awesome time," he said.\nDirector Cara Berg said auditions were held in September and the cast has been working since March. The cast has practiced for three hours Monday through Thursday until the last few weeks, Berg said.\nThe show will run at 8 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Avenue. Tickets are $10 for IUB students with a valid ID and children 12 and under, and $15 for adults. Tickets can be purchased at the Sunrise Box Office or at www.bloomingtonarts.info.\n"Not only does it contain phenomenal music, but it tells an incredibly beautiful story while still being an upbeat, fun, high energy show," Lerner said. "What more could you possibly want"
(11/15/06 4:29am)
A little girl stood on the ice, ready to skate across the arena and perform in front of the audience. What this little girl was showing off, besides her talent in the rink, was her outfit. \nWhen she was young, fifth-year senior Lauren Feldman designed her own skating outfits.\n"I used to just play with fabrics and do it for fun," she said. "But then I got compliments and people began asking me to design their outfits."\nAs she became more competitive in the sport of ice skating, she began to design outfits for her synchronized skating team and for herself.\n"The more compliments I received the more I thought, 'Hey, maybe I can do this,'" Feldman said. \nNow, as a fashion design student, she showcases her designs for her final project this Sunday at the Tutto Bene Café.\nThough many fashion design majors present their work in runway modeling shows, Feldman drew upon her interest in magazine photography. She will be exhibiting her work in this unique format.\nFrom noon until 3 p.m., Feldman's work will be on display for free. The photographs of her designs are courtesy of Jason Gaskins. She will have three models who will also be wearing some of her clothing so attendees can experience the textures of the materials.\nOn Saturday, Feldman pulled out sketches she has been working on that displayed a wide array of her different designs, colors and placements.\nFeldman's favorite design is a classy beige suit. \n"It's an ensemble that you can wear to work, but there is also the blouse that's a bit see-through," she said. "So you can wear it with a jacket. The outfit cinches at the waist, (which) provides an hourglass-like figure."\nFeldman describes her work as catering to the high-fashion, advertising-career type in her 20s, 30s, 40s.\n"It's a contradiction between masculine and feminine and being in control of life," Feldman said about her clothing. "A lot of the clothes are sexier than what men wear to work. Women should be able to be able to dress when and how they want to."\nShe is interested in designing men's clothing as well, and she works at Sullivan's Fashions for Men in Bloomington.\nFeldman said she gets her inspiration from Katherine Hepburn and silhouettes from the actress' time period. She is also influenced by her study-abroad experience last year in Italy.\n"I learned a lot more drawing skills and explored different ways of looking at fashion," she said.\nFeldman said she drafts the patterns of all of her clothing herself and funds her own projects, though her father, who lives in California, sometimes offers a helping hand.\n"My dad works for a clothing company, so I was very fortunate. Because when he took a trip to China, he brought back a lot of wool that I could use," she said. "I wouldn't be able to do it without that resource." \nYears from now, Feldman hopes her work stands out in the crowded fashion industry. \n"I always knew I needed a career in doing something every day that's different," Feldman said.\nFeldman said she hopes people will come to her unveiling and experience fashion in a different way.\n"Everything comes from inspiration," Feldman said of her fashion. "For me, when I was little it was through skating. It's a process of doing research and seeing what works on the human form"
(11/14/06 4:25am)
Sunday marked the groundbreaking ceremony for Jill's House, a temporary housing facility that will provide shelter for patients and families undergoing outpatient therapy at the IU Cyclotron Facility.\nThe house is being built in honor of IU student Jill Behrman who disappeared May 31, 2000, and whose remains were found three years later in Morgan County. John R. Myers II of Ellettsville was convicted of her murder in late October.\n"When you go through grief, you have a choice," said Peg Howard, president of Jill's House board of directors, "You can let it destroy you and have a pity party, or you can move forward and make something wonderful for other people, and that is what we have chosen to do."\nMore than 300 people attended Sunday's ceremony, she said. \n"That is rather significant, and we have had tremendous support from the Bloomington community, and it has been a very positive effect," Peg Howard said. \nTreatment takes six to eight weeks for patients at the IU Cyclotron Facility. Usually, the expense of paying for housing, transportation and many other things, along with medical costs, becomes overwhelming, she said.\n"During treatment, if you don't have a place to stay and you can't afford a place to stay, the child can't be treated, which is why Jill's House is urgently needed," Peg Howard said.\nJill's House's groundbreaking came after half of the needed $2.8 million had been donated, government regulations had been passed and the city council approved of the project. Also, Meadowood Retirement Community donated three acres in the process. \n"All that came together, and we thought it was a good time for groundbreaking for Jill's House because the trial had just ended, and we wanted something very positive for the family to look at," Peg Howard said. \nAll the money came through donations, she said, and the majority of it came from people around the community. Once construction begins, it should take 10 to 12 months before Jill's House is up and functioning. Contractors are ready to start building this spring, she said. \nThe 30,000-square-foot facility will have a great room and fireplace, chapel, kitchens, a large dining room, an outdoor dining area, a playground and underground parking. \n"It's a home away from home," Howard said. "There are no televisions; we want people out of their room and mixing with others. That's the biggest value. People will be going through the same thing, and comfort and friendships evolve. There are no barriers. It does not matter religion or skin color; if you have cancer and are being treated, you are all together."\nPeg and her husband Bud Howard, who lost their 18-year-old son to cancer, approached Eric and Marilyn Behrman about naming the house after their daughter, Jill. With their approval, Jill's House began. \n"We hope that (our son) Steve and Jill ... somehow they found each other wherever they are, and they are looking down feeling very pleased"
(11/10/06 4:33am)
Many people have a stake in the significance of this Saturday.\nThere is the great-great-grandfather who fought in World War II, the grandfather who served in Vietnam, the 30-year-old mother of two who is leaving for Afghanistan, the 20-year-old cadet, the 18-year-old who is enlisting out of high school -- and there's the younger generation that looks up to them all.\nThese people are just a small portion of the multitude of others affected by Veterans Day. Saturday marks the 88th Veterans Day, bringing with it many events for veterans of the Bloomington community and their families.\n"You can reflect on this great country and the life we live in your own way thanks to those who have fought the numerous battles," Jenny Tracy, customer relations manager at the Monroe County Fair Board, said. "(Veterans Day) is a day when we are all just the same proud Americans."\nThe Monroe County Fair Board plans to have a day of celebration and honor to recognize the U.S. military and veterans and their families for their service Saturday, naming the day Operation Military Appreciation Day. \nVeterans Day will have a pronounced impact on the Bloomington community, as there are many soldiers from the area deployed, Tracy said. \n"On a regular basis our military is helping support our right to freedom," Tracy said. "Whether it be helping with Katrina relief projects, homeland defense at the nearby chemical plant, training Iraqi police or training up for the next deployment or directing traffic ... (soldiers) play an important role in our American way of life."\nThe public is invited for the day's opening ceremony, which begins at 10 a.m. at the Monroe County Courthouse in downtown Bloomington. Wreaths will adorn a memorial, and a reading of the names of those veterans who have died in the past year will take place, along with the ringing of the bell of honor, an honor guard gun salute, taps and a closing prayer.\nThe opening ceremony will be followed by lunch at various veterans' clubs and a carnival at Monroe County Fairgrounds on West Airport Raod with bike decorating, registration for a one-mile Warriors Walk and other festivities. These activities will lead up to a closing memorial ceremony at the fairgrounds Saturday night.\n"There are many times families get together to celebrate holidays or special occasions," Tracy said. "This one is slightly different: There is no big meal, there are no cake and gifts, there is no anticipation of a visit from a special character."\nInstead, the event creates awareness and reverence of those who served, and continue to serve, the country. \n"I would expect that anyone who has a yellow ribbon or 'Support Our Troops' magnet would be there," Tracy said. "Their support matters. I have heard that 100 times from our soldiers -- it makes a difference to know Bloomington cares"
(11/06/06 8:06am)
A vote for a cookie? Junior Kaitlin DeCero, co-coordinator of the Indiana Public Interest Research Group New Voters Project, said the group will be handing out cookies around campus Tuesday to those who have voted or plan to vote as "a little incentive."\n"I anticipate a greater turnout for students (and) feel like there should be because we are not the only people trying to get people to go out to the polls," DeCero said.\nWith Tuesday's election approaching, student groups such as the IU College Republicans and IU College Democrats have been around campus encouraging and informing students about candidates and how to vote. \nThe most talked-about race in the state of Indiana is the 9th District congressional race between incumbent Republican Mike Sodrel and Democrat Baron Hill, said political science professor Russell Hanson. Sodrel and Hill and running against each other for the third time. \n"At this point, it is very impossible to predict," Hanson said about the 9th District race. "Hill currently has a 2 percent lead, and both are going to work very hard to continue their campaign up until Election Day."\nHanson said he feels this is a race independents will decide. Usually, he said, independents tend to vote Democrat, but this year, it could go either way.\nSophomore Brian Clampitt, communications director for the IU College Democrats, said he feels students who consider themselves to be independent usually vote for a Democrat or an incumbent in off-year elections. In this case, the incumbent would be Sodrel, a Republican.\n"Our main goal is trying to get college kids to vote," Clampitt said. "We think the race is going in our favor ... We've been having speakers come in to meetings, and everyone we have talked to is really into the race and excited to help and volunteer."\nClampitt explained that over the past few months, the IU College Democrats were at the Indiana Memorial Union encouraging people to register to and vote.\nNicole Mossey, press secretary for the IU College Republicans, said she agrees that a lot of students will vote because of the hype of this election. \n"A big thing, most important, is getting the voters in touch with the candidates," Mossey said. "Whether college or middle age ... If you do not know who is running, then you're probably not going to vote for them."\nThe IU College Republicans have also been encouraging people to vote and register the past few months, along with making phone calls and knocking on doors.\nClampitt said the IU College Democrats have been encouraging students to vote early, which anyone can do through Monday. INPIRG has also been on campus each day letting people know where and how they can vote to make things easier, DeCero said.\n"(There is) no excuse not to do it," DeCero said. "If you don't have time, you can vote early. Students should have opinions about these issues."\nToday and Tuesday, INPIRG will be stationed at the literature desk in the Memorial Union with a laptop, and students will be able to come and type in their address to find their polling location. \n"We want to make sure everyone has the resources available," DeCero said. "A lot of students didn't know where the polling locations were."\nDeCero also added that a lot of students don't register in this county but instead fill out an absentee ballot for their hometown. She said students live here nine months out of the year and are more affected by who is elected here than who is elected back home.\n"That is my encouragement to get students to register and vote down here and have a say," DeCero said. "One vote can make a difference"
(11/02/06 5:49am)
Mark Stoops has a history in Monroe County, and now he's vying to have a say in the county's politics as the Democratic candidate for Monroe County Council, District 3. \n"My family has been from Monroe County for many generations, and I've always been very concerned about the direction Monroe County is going," Stoops said. "I appreciate what we have here."\nHe is running against Republican incumbent Martha Hawk.\nStoops said some of the main priorities for the council seat are social services, roads, streets and jails. Stoops' passion lies in environmental and social concerns, he said, and he hopes if elected, Monroe County can continue to improve in these areas. \nStoops said he was led to politics so he could actively make a difference.\n"You can talk blue in the face in a government body, but (it's) not going to get you anywhere unless you are active," Stoops said.\nAnother priority for Stoops is investment in nonprofits. \n"(Nonprofit) social services provide a lot of services and needs to operate, and by funding social services, we can make more efficient use of our resources," Stoops said.\nStoops said he believes focusing on local small businesses and entrepreneurs to improve the local economy is important, along with protecting environmentally sensitive areas.\nBut it's his long-time involvement in the community that qualify him for the job most, he said.\n"I've been really active locally in different environmental and social groups and a lot of activities and social groups that reach out to the community in different ways, and that collaboration needs to continue," Stoops said.
(11/02/06 5:48am)
Incumbent County Councilwoman Martha "Marty" Hawk says maintaining a connection to IU students is essential to the county.\nHawk, a Republican, has served on the Monroe County Council since 1988, starting out at-large and later representing District 3.\nThe County Council appropriates all funds for county use, adopts the county budget, fixes county tax rates and has the exclusive power to borrow money for the county.\nWith IU being a large part of the community, Hawk said she feels a connection is important.\n"(The students) come here for four years or longer depending on schooling, and they want to stay after (they graduate). They really make a connection," she said. "An emotional connection to this community is important."\nIt is also important, she said, that elected officials support job growth so students who wish to remain here and make Monroe County their home have jobs.\n"We've had a tremendous loss of students living in the community because job openings are not available to meet (the skills) they have," Hawk said.\nTrying to get better paying, higher quality jobs that all students would be interested in having is important after these students graduate, she said.\n"I really think that the more important thing is working hard on a county level to grow our job base so if (students) choose to stay in the community, they can," Hawk said.\nHawk said she is working on creating more job opportunities for Morgan County residents.\nHaving served in county government for more than a decade, Hawk said she is happiest about a program she brought to Bloomington a few years ago.\n"I brought to Monroe County a very successful grant training program," Hawk said. "And people from all over the state came ... anybody who wanted to learn how to apply for grants."\nHawk said the training session was especially helpful for nonprofit organizations, which often struggle to raise enough money to operate.\nWhile Hawk said it is difficult to see what the next important issue will be, she said security will always be important.\n"People have a right to feel safe in their homes, and I still want to stress safety and law enforcement so people can feel safe in their homes," Hawk said.\nHawk, who grew up in Monroe County, doesn't want "the reason we want to be here" to be lost, she said.\n"We love our community and the wonderful lifestyle here," she said. "We don't want to lose the charm, but at the same time we want to create good paying jobs"
(10/26/06 2:21am)
Zhiyuan Cong stands with his eyebrows arched and his hand raised with a brush angled, ready to dive into the paper. After a slight hesitation, he sweeps his brush across the page, forming black lines that look like a waterfall. After adding a mixture of blues, greens and grays, the picture is complete.\nCong, an art professor at William Paterson University, holds up his finished Chinese ink painting with calligraphy.\nThe painting depicts a red flower emerging from a dark background. Jaws drop as members of the audience marvel at the creation. \nOn Saturday, Cong conducted a lecture and demonstration on Chinese ink painting and calligraphy at the Thomas T. Solley Atrium in the IU Art Museum. \nCong's lecture was one of many special programs organized by the IU Art Museum as part of the exhibition "Conspiring With Tradition: Contemporary Painting from the Guilin Chinese Painting Academy." Since the special exhibit opened Sept. 29, the museum has presented ink painting demonstrations, teacher workshops and family days -- all related to the art of Chinese painting. A special Chinese language lecture will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday in the IU Art Museum's Special Exhibition Gallery.\nSaturday's special program was conducted by Cong, who graduated from IU with a master's of fine arts in printmaking in 1994. Throughout his career, he has practiced and studied Chinese ink painting and calligraphy -- types of art, he explained during the lecture, that are not very easy to master.\nMore than 60 people attended the session.\nFreshman Melissa Dittmann, one of the few IU students in the crowd, said she attended the session hoping to learn more about a culture she has been interested in for a long time.\n"My interest in Asia and the arts in Asia brought me here," she said. \nDittmann, who plans to study abroad in China during her junior year, said she was excited to hear about the ongoing "Conspiring with Tradition" exhibit and decided to check out the event.\nCong began his lecture behind a table with all his brushes, paper and inks in front of him. He had an easel behind him, and during his lecture, he drew pictures or symbols to enhance the meaning of what he was explaining. \nSymbolism is very prominent in the art form, with Cong using the example of bamboo to illustrate this point. He said that when bamboo is used in calligraphy, the long leaves mean long life and long friendship.\nCong drew two ink paintings, one without color and one with color, noting that color must be used very carefully because it can sometimes ruin a painting.\nEach artist has a preconception of what he or she wants the painting to transform into beginning the drawing, Cong explained. \nMembers of the audience hovered around Cong for the second part of his demonstration, some standing on chairs or in the stairway. \n"It was interesting to hear a background about this art form and then see it in practice," Dittmann said, "and to also watch the techniques and contrast with Western traditional art."\nDittman said she thought the most interesting part of the lecture was watching Cong's vibrant figures emerge from a blank piece of paper.\n"At first, it seemed to be random lines, but the painting progressed, and, in completion, everything emerged to form an image that would pop out at you," she said. "It was cool to watch that"
(10/25/06 3:43am)
Fifty years ago, protestors convened for a peaceful demonstration in Budapest, Hungary. Suddenly, the police attacked the group, as many of the group had to fight with their bare hands against the firearms of the police.\nIn commemoration of that day, the IU Hungarian Cultural Association and the Department of Central Eurasian Studies sponsored an event Monday to celebrate the country's independence, which was achieved after the attack inspired a nation-wide revolution against the government. \n"What we celebrate is how the Hungarians used their bare hands to defeat the (pro-Soviet communists)," said Agnes Fulemile, Hungarian chair in the Central Eurasian studies department.\nThe event, recalling the day known as the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, was also cosponsored by the IU Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center and the IU Russian and East European Institute.\nThe celebration opened with a speech by Fulemile describing the history and the causes of the revolution.\nFulemile is a native Hungarian, who grew up at a time when speaking of the revolution was forbidden, she said, because "they wanted to black paint the memory."\nThe commemoration brought Hungarian-born participants from around the state, to engage in a reception.\nAmong the attendees were older adults invited due to their Hungarian heritage and ties. The formal reception held afterward in the Indiana Memorial Union University Club President's Room hosted a variety of Hungarian dishes.\nFumile said the revolution proved that a nation could stand up and fight for freedom.\n"I hope that among the many historic events, those who attended understand (the) personal and emotional burden (of those) who lived through it," Fulemile said. "And also to discover and reveal what is believed in and how those who went through it, how they might have lived (during the time)"
(10/24/06 2:42am)
In the midst of the Jacobs School of Music choir group Pro Arte's practice, conductor John Poole sprinted off stage while the choir finished a song.\nDuring another song, in which four students sang, Poole sat in the audience, patiently watching and listening.\n"I like to encourage them to listen and to watch each other, so they can breathe and sing together if necessary without a conductor," Poole said.\nPro Arte -- one of the more advanced choirs on campus, Poole said -- will perform songs by Henry Purcell from the mid to late 17th century at 8 p.m. Tuesday. in Auer Hall.\nThe choir, comprising about 28 singers, emphasizes performing music from earlier periods but sings contemporary music as well.\nThe chief aim of the group, Poole said, is to make music and have a good time while doing it.\nMost of the students are vocal performance majors, like sophomore Arwen Myers, but students with musical talent and interest are welcome to join even if their major is not music.\nAs a first-year student in Pro Arte, Myers said she loves how everybody in the group "really wants to be here" and said the group is fun.\nMyers said she considers Pro Arte one of the higher-caliber choirs on campus, which excites her.\n"There are a lot of postives with small ensembles," she said. "I'm able to get solo exposure that most undergraduates don't get a lot of." \nJunior voice major Matthew Wells, who has been a member for about one semester, said of all the ensembles he could chose to join, Pro Arte appealed to him the most.\n"I really like the type of music, and I love working with Mr. Poole," he said. "It gives me a lot of opportunities to work on music I don't normally sing in lessons."\nWells said his favorite song is Purcell's "Hear My Prayer."\n"There are some very cool moments," he said, describing how the song features eight different parts sung at the same time, coming together for an aesthetically pleasing sound.\nThe group performs roughly twice a semester, with the next concert in November, Myers said.\nPoole said a graduate associate conductor always conducts one of the two concerts.\nThe commitment, sensitivity and musicality are the elements Poole said he loves most about conducting this group. \n"They love what they are doing," Poole said. "There is no other choir group that sounds just like them"