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(08/23/07 8:02am)
Cathy and Dennis Blair bid their daughter Paige farewell for a second time Wednesday, as move-in day came to a close.\nThree weeks earlier, the Blairs experienced their “first” move in day, as their daughter arrived to nearly empty residence halls for an Intensive Freshmen Seminar, a three-week course for students who want to get an early start to their first year. \nAfter nearly 7,000 freshmen moved into the residence halls today, the only traces that remain are the overflowing Dumpsters with cardboard boxes. Missing are the parents – some armed with tissue – and the abundance of cars and traffic backups.\nDespite the heat, most parents interviewed said they were happy with how move-in went. Aside from traffic, parents said the move-in could not have gone smoother for their sons or daughters.\n“As long as I don’t have a ticket on my car,” Dennis Blair said with a laugh, adding that he felt it was easy to carry belongings into the dorms.\nWhile the Blairs’ situation may have been different, as they moved in early, IU Police Department Capt. Jerry Minger said one of the biggest factors that allowed for a smooth move-in day was the number of students who moved in before Wednesday.\nThe Blairs said they recommend others to move in early. Because their daughter, Paige, was already on campus, they said they felt it was easier to move her from Foster Quad to Teter Quad. \nMinger said he learned from Residential Programs and Services personnel that the majority of the 7,950 students expected in the residence halls moved in early, easing the traffic flow and congestion of people. \nMinger said one person was struck by a car, but because of slow traffic, there was no serious injury. In addition, Minger said a wallet was stolen out of a purse, and while cash was missing upon return, police recovered it quickly. \nBob and Vicki Staed moved their son, Jim, into Teter Quad. It was their first college move-in day, and they described it in one word: smooth.\nJim Staed suggested having maps available to let incoming students know how exactly to get to their rooms, as some of the staircases he tried going up didn’t lead to his room.\n“Overall, though, it wasn’t too bad,” he said. \nWhile the Staeds moved in using staircases, the Stephens family moved their son Zach to Read Center using elevators.\nLinda Stephens said she couldn’t imagine not having the elevators to move her son in. She said the whole family tried to avoid Read and the crowds on Wednesday in fear of not being able to travel anywhere. \nThe Stephens moved Zach in a day early, on Tuesday. Linda Stephens said what was nice about moving in early was the easy access to elevators and hallways.\n“The $25 fee to move-in early paid itself 10 times over today,” Zach’s father, Mark Stephens said. “It was well worth it.”\nLinda Stephens said she just wished it wasn’t so hot, especially since Read does not have air-conditioned rooms.\n“I really think they should make air conditioning mandatory,” she said.\nDespite the heat, Minger said the weather held and there were no medical incidents police needed to respond to.\n“We are extremely happy,” Minger said. “We think (Wednesday) worked really well.”\nAs parents left campus on Wednesday with smiles and tears, most seemed confident that their son or daughter would be fine away from home.\nWhile Linda Stephens said she is sad to see her son go, she knows he’s ready for IU and the college life many freshmen look forward to.\n“Yes,” Zach Stephens said with a nod, “I’m ready.”
(08/23/07 4:00am)
Most people over the age of 18 have their own coming-of-age story. For some, it's world travels; others, a long drive to college; and for some, a love affair that taught them how to live. For the protagonists of "Superbad," it's a drunken bender of a party and the all-encompassing goal of hooking up with hot chicks. Sound familiar? Like many other high-school graduation comedies, "Superbad" is about booze, broads and bros.\nBest friends Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) are nearing the end of their senior years and are faced with the first extended period apart in their lives. What better way to spend it than finding booze and trying to hook up with their long-pursued crushes? With their third wheel Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), the boys set out to have the night of their lives and separately they end up experiencing all they had hoped and more.\n"Superbad" certainly is nowhere close to super good. It's predictable, repetitive and similar to other movies that fans have viewed in the same genre, such as "Dazed and Confused" and "Can't Hardly Wait." Luckily, a few well-timed and hilarious jokes keep the film from bombing and keep viewers interested. By far the best part of the film is the performance of Cera, who flawlessly plays the meek, clean-cut mama's boy. Partnered with the rude antics that come from his counterpart Hill, the pair steal the show, covering up a worn-out plotline ... The appearance of Seth Rogen as Officer Michaels is a great addition, and his talent is proved further when considering that he co-wrote the script.\n"Superbad" is worth seeing for a few cheap laughs, foul language and the emergence of some very young and talented actors. However, if you're a fan of the classic films that tell the same story, anticipate interpreting the movie as a rip-off. And by all means, avoid seeing it with your mother.
(08/22/07 4:47am)
IU is considering putting locks on classroom doors, among other measures, to increase safety on campus.\nSince the Virginia Tech shootings April 16, universities have been rethinking emergency notification systems to protect students. \nIU Police Department Capt. Jerry Minger said though locks on classroom doors provide safety, they raise other issues. \n“While the administration and University realize that a locked door could protect students if in an active shooter situation, it also will inhibit emergency systems from getting to someone in need of help,” Minger said.\nMinger said to actually lock down an entire University “would be tantamount to locking down a small city.” \nThe Virginia Tech shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, locked the doors to keep the police out, Minger said, which created an obstacle. \n“For that reason it is not a clear cut solution,” Minger said. “We’re evaluating it very seriously.”\nIn addition, IU is looking to enhance the emergency notification system. Minger said a voice message system will be used to notify students, faculty, and staff of emergencies. Every month, he said, the voice system is tested. This campus-wide system will help keep students who are outdoors alert to potentially dangerous situations. \nMinger said IU is also considering text messaging to alert students as well.
(08/21/07 10:01pm)
As 6,000 freshman arrive in Bloomington today, 75 IU Police Department officers will be on campus to ensure a smooth and safe move-in day.\nIUPD Capt. Jerry Minger said police staff will be on guard the rest of the week expecting the unexpected. \nMinger said today’s primary concern is making sure officers keep traffic moving so there is no gridlock. He said if there is traffic back-up, emergency vehicles won’t be able to travel if necessary.\nIn addition, as police station themselves along Woodlawn Avenue, Fee Lane and Sunrise Drive, to insure vehicles move in and out with quickly. \nMinger said one thing officers are not as concerned with is move-in day theft. While clothing and furniture is shuffled among thousands of people, Minger said the hassle of moving in, coupled with so many watchful eyes and police officers, is unappealing to thieves. \nLast year, 14 students were found vomiting or unconscious between move-in day on Wednesday and first day of classes on Monday. Minger hopes this year the statistics will decline.\nWhile safety of students is a priority, Minger said that being social is a good thing, as long as responsibility is exercised.\nThe key to not attract suspicion of police officers, Minger said, is to not stumble, vomit or act inappropriately in public. Minger said one of the ways officers can know if a student is intoxicated is if they call extra attention to themselves. Unless there is illegal activity taking place in the dorms, Minger said then there is no reason for the police to be there. The same adheres for fraternity parties.\n“If we were to get a call or find out that there are underage students staggering outside of a frat house ... we will take action accordingly,” Minger said. “We’re hoping for a smooth upcoming weekend.”
(08/16/07 1:50am)
He wasn’t always a Hoosier. \nGrowing up in Afghanistan, Ashraf Haidari survived on the hope that one day he would be able to receive the U.S. education he always wanted.\nNow, the current counselor for political, security and development affairs at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C., can confidently say that his journey from the streets of Kabul to the Capitol building is everything he could have imagined.\nWhen he was in Afghanistan, his goal was to get out of the country for an education. Haidari said receiving an education and gaining opportunities outside the war-torn nation would only allow him a greater chance to give back to his people in Afghanistan and help them because of the unmanageable conditions.\n“The goal was to get an education, become empowered and get into a position of significant service to my nation and the people of Afghanistan,” Haidari said. “The current position I have has given me that.”\nWhile in Afghanistan, Haidari received a job with the United Nations as a radio operator. He began to teach himself English, as well as other subjects. His goal, even as he ran for his life through the streets with rockets screaming over his head, was to go abroad. He wanted to receive a higher education and eventually be able to return to Afghanistan, where he could rebuild the home country he remembered for its beautiful streets and scenes.\nHaidari applied to various colleges in the United States, one of them being Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind. After his acceptance, Haidari said he decided on the small liberal arts college because of its opportunities for international students and its quality of education.
(07/19/07 12:31am)
An e-mail sent last week from a student’s hijacked IU computing account threatened many IU students, faculty and staff.\nChief Information Technology Security Officer Tom Davis said the hacker accessed the e-mail account from outside the U.S., most likely through an also-hijacked computer, making it difficult to determine the hacker’s identity.\n“This hijacking could have occurred through a variety of methods, perhaps because the student downloaded a virus, fell for a phishing attack or used the user name and password from a compromised machine in a coffee shop kiosk,” Davis said.\nThe e-mail opened with the statement, “This is the only way I could contact you for now, I want you to be very careful about this and keep this secret with you for now. You have no need of knowing who I am or where I am from.”\nThe e-mail claimed to originate from a person who was hired to murder the recipient, and said the murder could be avoided if the recipient paid $8,000. Throughout the e-mail, the recipient was told not to contact the police. \nAfter the IT Security Office learned of the break-in, it terminated the IU account that sent the message. \nDavis explained that, in these circumstances, University-wide Webmail accounts are not the issue. The student’s user name and password were hijacked and used by the individual who actually sent the e-mail, Davis said.\nIn the future, Davis warned that it is important for students to take adequate measures to protect their personal data by installing and keeping antivirus software up to date as well as configuring computers to automatically update against security threats. \nSome other preventive techniques include turning on the computer’s firewall, not falling for “phising” attempts and being careful not to provide sensitive information such as passwords and credit card numbers to unknown recipients.
(07/19/07 12:28am)
On June 29, more than 900 colleges and universities, including IU, received a letter from the U.S. Department of Education that cautioned against violating student loan regulations. The letter said IU students must be able to choose their lenders for government-backed student loans.\n“Here at IU ... we are reviewing all of our procedures so we are fully in compliance,” Director of IU Media Relations Larry MacIntyre said. “We believe we are, but we’re double checking to make sure.”\nSallie Mae currently serves as IU’s loan processing agent. In May, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a student-loan reform bill. During that time, colleges and universities were being investigated regarding their treatment of lenders.\nMacIntyre said IU was not involved in illegal activity with Sallie Mae or any other lenders, and that IU received “no money under the table” or “kickbacks.” \nHe said IU chose Sallie Mae because the University determined that Sallie Mae offered the best deal options for student loan opportunities. \nIn May, MacIntyre explained that students are free to go to any lender, and IU will accept that lender. If students were to approach IU to apply for a loan, they would be referred to Sallie Mae only because IU needs a loan agency with which to do business. \nThe legislation passed by the House in May contained an act that would require colleges and universities to develop codes of conduct for student-loan practices. It also barred agreements in which universities receive revenue from student loans, and it authorized the U.S. Department of Education to regulate the loan industry. In addition, it disallows university officials from sitting on loan company advisory boards and bans gifts from lenders to financial-aid officials and their family members. \nMacIntyre said that, despite the “cautioning” from the U.S. Department of Education, IU will continue to make sure their loan practice aids students in the fairest and most facilitative way possible.
(07/12/07 4:00am)
A minute ago I was laughing, but now I'm panting. Scared.\nMy palms are a sweaty mess, and all I can think about is falling. Just like one of those dreams -- falling into a black pit, never knowing when I'll smack the ground with a dusty thud. \nBut that can't happen. For some strange reason, I begin feeling more invincible as I prepare for my ascent. First the ladder, then the totem pole, then the platform nearly 30 feet in the air. Not so hard. So I take my first step off the ground and instantly clutch the rattling ladder for dear life. Not so invincible anymore. \nFor a person afraid of heights, each step upward brings more fear than the last. The mission of the Adventure Center at Belmont, however, isn't gawking in fear at height: It's challenging yourself to overcome it. \nBeginning to climb, I stubbornly refuse to look down -- a task more difficult than it seems. My face: a sweaty mess. My brain: a puddle of nerves. My hands: clinging for dear life. My breathing: unsteady at best. It hurts to swallow, and every muscle is working overtime. My fear tricks my mind into thinking every movement will be my last. \nI need stability. \nI look up at the trees, at the sky, as I slowly but methodically move one foot, one hand, another foot, another hand. Over and over along the rungs lining the tall, wooden pole. Reaching the platform, words of encouragement rain down from above and greet me with reassurance. "OK, maybe I can do this," I think, as I gasp for breath and collapse my arms around the pole -- clinging to safety, 30 feet above the ground.
(07/12/07 4:00am)
Standing in the front row of the balcony, I knew I was in for a big night. Having arrived early enough to obtain these seats, I was able to soak in my surroundings. The theme of the weekend was the Big Top, and the stage was set accordingly. Camera rigs and cranes were visible on the sides of the venue and on the stage. Wheels were already in motion for what was set to be Umphrey's McGee's second music DVD.\nThe music DVD is a unique aspect of the music world. It has the ability to do several things. It takes a step up from the live album, enabling the listener to also view the band and perhaps see an incredible stage presence that would have been lost with the CD. For a while it was impossible to hear the name Coldplay and not think about Paul Rudd making fun of Seth Rogan in "The 40 Year Old Virgin." But their live concert DVD is so high-energy, it truly shows the talent of the band, furthering them from the movie's punch line. \nNowadays, monster HDTVs and sound systems have allowed the music DVD to become a way for people to experience bands that they might never have even had the chance to see. It also gives concertgoers the chance to relive some of their favorite shows, the memories of which might be a little hazy. With the volume cranked up loud enough, it's the same as having the best seat in the venue. Some people would prefer avoiding the nosebleed seats and instead would rather pop in a DVD to get a chance to watch BB King caress Lucille. The music DVD affords today's generation of music lovers the chance to see Jimi Hendrix light his guitar on fire at the Monterey Pop Festival as well as see the others who left us too early, such as Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain.\nThere are basically two types of music DVDs. There's the concert DVD, which generally portrays a band's live act. This format has captured Jimmy Buffet in the first concert ever at Wrigley Field and Led Zeppelin in the midst of all their blues-rock and raw energy. Then there is the documentary. This not only contains performances but also serves to give the events a context. Its style often heightens the experience with added touches of culture and history, which serve as a quick ride in the DeLorean to the time and place of the concert. This style has transported viewers to places all the way from the world of Woodstock to the psychedelic train of Festival Express. \nA truly special experience is being at a concert that is being filmed for a music DVD. These gigs usually see the band well-practiced and at the top of their game. It also means that the lights and sound will be near perfection. In addition, the band is sure to play their biggest hits and crowd-pleasers, as well as some fun covers. The icing on the cake for all of this is finding yourself on the DVD once it is released.\nFlash forward to a very drunk dial from a friend informing me I am on on the DVD, rocking out to "Prowler." Soon, a copy of the DVD has been delivered to my door. I pop it in, and there I am captured for a brief moment, but there forever.
(07/12/07 4:00am)
Only a handful of things in life are better than being at a great concert. But even if you were at a show, you probably never experienced it from the angles where a professional film crew had access. Getting a deluxe-packaged DVD is as close as you can get to wading through the mud at Woodstock, riding a drug-fueled train with The Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin in "Festival Express" and seeing David Byrne dance with a lamp in "Stop Making Sense."\nSince this was the weakest week for DVD releases since the week after "The Matrix" came free with your DVD player because it seemed to be the only DVD coming out, we decided to dedicate as much space as we could to our favorite concerts captured on film. We set our reviewers loose to send in their reviews of what they consider to be the most memorable concert DVDs, and we were overwhelmed by the response. We got everything from a collection of the best artists around in "The Complete Monterey Pop Festival" and "The Last Waltz" to DVDs that highlight one band in their prime (The White Stripes, Radiohead, My Morning Jacket) and a bunch more we had to cram onto the Last Word page. As with any list, there were several we had to leave off (We didn't include any footage of The Beatles), but these are the most complete packages we could find in our collections. \nThe DVDs are all solid A's, so we didn't bother with grades. Turn up the surround sound and wish you were here.
(07/12/07 12:27am)
A man reported an indecent exposure incident close to noon Monday at Wright Quad. In the center building of the men’s restroom, the man reported another man exposing himself in a “sexually suggestive manner,” said IU Police Department captain Jerry Minger, reading from a police report.\nThe complainant said the man was acting suspicious while standing at the urinal, talking to himself.\nWhen the complainant looked to see what the man was talking about, the man turned to the complainant and walked toward him with his pants down. \nThe complainant notified personnel at the Wright Quad center desk, who went to check out the incident in the bathroom, Minger said. The suspected male is described as being white, in his late teens to early 20s, 6 feet tall with a slim build. He was described as having short, dark hair, freckles, a tan, a red T-shirt with some type of logo on it and brown cut-off shorts. The man’s boxer shorts were reported to be dark plaid, Minger said.\nMinger said that anyone with more information should contact the IU Police Department.
(06/28/07 4:00am)
I couldn't tell you what the first action movie was or when it was made. I couldn't begin to explain the fascination we humans have watching something big (say, an oil tanker full of bad guys) blown to smithereens from the safety of our couch. What I can do is tell you is the story of little B. Hett and how action movies shaped his life.\nB. Hett got his first taste of fantastic violence watching Roadrunner and Coyote cartoons. That coyote is not very wiley, Roadrunner would think to himself as Wile E. plummeted off the side of a cliff and transformed into a poof of smoke. B. Hett laughed with glee when Coyote blew himself up, caught on fire or got stuck in the deathtrap meant for Roadrunner. \nB. Hett didn't root for Roadrunner or Coyote. He rooted for the comic violence.\nThus, the formative years of B. Hett's life went by in a blur of cartoon violence -- everything from Foghorn Leghorn beating his dog friend with a 2x4 to a certain group of turtles fighting crime from a sewer. It seemed all this cartoon violence was wearing on B. Hett's parents, especially his father. Could his father have been so prudish and hateful that he wanted to rid his boy's life of all the violence-glorifying garbage his son was watching? No one knows for sure. What's known is, on a weekend night near B. Hett's eighth birthday at a video store near his suburban dwelling, this conversation took place:\n"Hurry up, B. Hett, I want to get out of here."\n"I just can't decide if I want to watch '3 Ninjas' for the 14th time or if I want something else."\n(Sigh.)\n"This is taking too long, son. We're leaving. I have a movie at home we can watch, anyway."\nB. Hett and his father got back to the house and B. Hett began his favorite movie-night tradition of popping the microwave popcorn while his Dad cued up the movie in the living room. The movie, B. Hett would later find out, was titled "Speed."\n"Speed" was like nothing B. Hett had experienced. In cartoons, when characters died, they were alive again in the next sequence. As it turned out, cartoon violence was not rooted in reality. In this movie "Speed," when a guy shoved a screwdriver through someone's eyeball, that guy stayed dead the rest of the movie. The explosions in "Speed" were also better in than they were in cartoons. Nothing gets an 8-year-old's adrenaline pumping like a big, explosive ball of fire.\nSo "Speed" was B. Hett's first glimpse into this new world -- a world his dad tersely termed "action movie."\nThe floodgates had been opened. B. Hett needed more. Action movies were the only thing he could think about in school, on the playground, even in church.\nB. Hett's father saw his son was in pain and did the only reasonable thing that could be done: He went out and rented "Die Hard."\nNow, after watching "Speed" (and even the violent cartoons), B. Hett was pretty much desensitized to violence. That's what makes "Die Hard" so brilliant in B. Hett's eyes. Come for the blood-splattering violence. Stay for the vile vocabulary, motherfucker.\nThis movie marked a turning point in B. Hett's life. He understood, even at that young age, that a situation where he would be walking over broken glass (barefoot, mind you) after an awesome, rackin'-up-the-body-count gunfight would never present itself. But if something like that did happen to occur in his life at any point in the future, B. Hett was now aware of the proper expletives to use.\nNext up for B. Hett was "True Lies," starring his favorite "Kindergarten Cop," Arnold Schwarzenegegger. B. Hett loved this movie but became confused when his Dad began to use the fast-forward button.\n"What are you doing, motherfucker?" B. Hett inquired. "This violence does not even compare to 'Die Hard.'"\n"I know," B. Hett's father replied. "But there are some things you aren't ready to see."\nOn the glowing screen in front of him, B. Hett saw, in fast forward, what he would later learn was called a "strip tease." And that was the lesson B. Hett took from "True Lies": Gratuitous violence is OK for young children, but a middle-aged woman performing a striptease is only permissible in fast motion. B. Hett realized the world isn't really so complicated after all.\nSo thank you, action movies, on behalf of kids like B. Hett all over America. The way you shamelessly off bad guys, keep coming up with bigger and better things to blow up (let's blow up the moon next!) and always let the good guys win is the reason you are number one in our hearts. We love you, we really do.
(06/28/07 4:00am)
Murder and mayhem are the tell-tale signs of a good thriller. Throw in a few creepy kids and maybe a monster or two and you have one of Stephen King's masterpieces. "1408" fits King's horror profile and will have movie-goers on the edge or their seats -- for about an hour. Eventually, the events in room 1408 become too far-fetched, and fans will simply be waiting for the torture of the poor protagonist to end.\nMike Enslin (John Cusack) is a writer who researches places that claim to have paranormal activity, yet he has never found traces of a ghost. But when Enslin insists on entering room 1408 at The Dolphin hotel -- against strong warnings from manager Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson) -- Enslin comes face-to-face with evil incarnate. Witness to 56 deaths, 1408 soon becomes his personal Hell, showing him tortured memories of the past and playing on his innermost fears. \nThe film's fear factor is quite heavy, especially as skeptic Enslin slowly realizes the reality of his own situation. On more than one occasion, the audience will lose its breath as phantoms jump out from behind walls, inexplicable events occur and eerie phone calls push Enslin to the brink of suicide. And the special effects help create a prevailing sense of dread that almost envelopes viewers. \nHowever, as the terror escalates and the script begs for a conclusion, the plot takes leaps that seem to be out of a cheesy straight-to-video horror flick, making the film about thirty minutes too long. When the conclusion finally does arrive, it is both anti-climatic and, ironically, inconclusive (another trademark that, sadly, accompanies films based on King's work). \nIf you're looking for a cheep thrill or a way to get your date to hold onto you for about an hour, "1408" should be on the list of must-see date films. If you're looking for cinematic excellence, skip it.
(06/26/07 7:36am)
Karen and Ken Goff stood in the aisle at First United Methodist Church Saturday evening with their disposable camera in hand.\nThey faced a cross positioned on the left wall of the church, taking a picture of it to add another memory to their already over-flowing ones of Zachary Novak, one of the five victims from the IU Jacobs School of Music, who was killed in a plane crash last year.\nThe Goffs were attending a remembrance service at the church to honor the lives of the five students who lost their lives. Novak, Chris Carducci, Garth Eppley, Georgina Joshi, and Robert Samels were all lost in the crash.\nDuring the service, Mary Beth Morgan, the congregation’s director of adult and family ministries, told stories to remember the victims. Through words, she told the large crowd that the lives of these musicians weren’t lived only by themselves.\n“There are some memories that are very strong,” Morgan said. “One is being in this room one year ago tonight as we gathered here in this room after finding out the news.”\nMorgan recalled each of the five victims. Whether it was a story about Chris’s charisma and welcoming spirit, Garth’s love of the outdoors, Zachary’s adventurous spirit and spring-like personality, Robert’s talent and fun or Georgina’s kindness and beautiful smile, each of the victims left touching memories.\nKaren Goff recalled a duet she sang with Joshi.\n“She was just so lovely,” Goff said. “We hugged and said goodbye. … We developed a real strong bond. She was a really lovely human being.”\nAs members of the Bach Chorale Singers, a small group of singers organized in Lafayette and West Lafayette, both Karen and Ken remembered being with the five victims the Thursday night before their plane crashed. The five students had been practicing that evening with the Bach Chorale group in preparation for a Saturday performance.\n“I can say the year has done me good,” Karen said, as she sat in a pew after the service. “I remember after the crash I would hear the birds sing and think, ‘How can you sing, birds?’” \nBut now Karen says she can hear the birds sing again and remember the music students who lost their lives. \nKaren recalled developing a strong relationship with Novak, as he was the first to become involved in the chorale group prior to the Thursday before the crash. Novak worked as the worship coordinator and director of the Wesley choir and children’s choirs at First United Methodist Church.\nBut she said she knew the five victims and shook their hands that evening before they boarded their plane for home.\nPastor George Purnell mentioned Novak’s deep ties to the church.\n“Zack Novak was a dear friend of my wife and me,” Purnell said. “We tear up easily and often. He was such a beautiful man. So gifted. So filled with joy … just so Zack. We are grateful for his life as long as we live.” \nThe cross the Goff’s took a picture of was sketched out by Novak and then later constructed, as Morgan told those in the crowd.\nKaren said she and her husband wanted to come not only to remember Novak and the others who lost their lives, but to see the cross and the church in which Novak worked.\nThe previous evening, the Goff’s attended another remembrance service. \n“We met the parents at the reception and they didn’t want to stop talking,” Karen said. “They kept saying, ‘Tell us what you remember.’” \nAs those in the church gathered on Saturday to reminisce, the suffering stretched from the voices of the singers to the speeches. \n“We are tremendously sad,” Purnell said. “The unrealized promise felt by their premature death. A loss for the world, their lives left unfinished, their instruments and voices silenced forever.\n“None of us will leave the earth with all our i’s dotted and t’s crossed, but we can leave a legacy of hope for those of us who follow just as those five who we are gathered here today for did. \n“In awe of the five short lives that enriched and touched every one here. …We are better for knowing them.”\nLike the Goff’s, continuing to remember the five victims with photographs and memories, Morgan said the recollection of the five victims will continue.\n“They brought light into our lives,” Morgan said. “And we are invited to help these lights continue to shine.”
(06/25/07 1:51pm)
With IU looking to sell its properties near the downtown Bloomington area, the city could be looking to develop its technology park.\nAt the board of trustees meeting last Thursday at IU Northwest in Gary, IU made the first step toward selling the buildings by announcing the properties downtown as surplus.\nThere are three buildings downtown specifically targeted to be sold and relocated to the IU campus. These buildings include the press, publications and food service buildings. The IU properties stretch from vacant property west of Rogers Street to parts of the old Showers Brothers furniture factory used for inventory and storage. The IU Research Park in the renovated Showers complex could be included among the properties. \nIU will begin sending out requests for proposals to allow purchase of the property in addition to appraisals for the minimum cost IU can accept for the properties.\nFor the city, the chance to buy the property IU sells will allow the technology park to flourish.\n“We view it as a real opportunity to have the surrounding (area) develop as a technology business as well as supporting retail and residential services to people who might work in the technology park,” Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan said. \nKruzan said this is a long-term plan that will allow IU to move their support service facilities and locate them on campus so newer buildings can be built in place.\n“This ends up being a benefit to the University and the community,” Kruzan said.\nWhat is special is that the University properties are home to 11 acres in the “heart” of the 66-acre technology park, Kruzan said. The technology park allows for businesses that locate there to have their property, income and sales tax “captured,” and then reinvested in the technology.\n“It is an economic development tool to improve both business and infrastructure in the downtown,” Kruzan said.\nWhen IU sells its properties downtown, it will open up 11 acres to contribute to the technology park. \nRon Walker, president of the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, said it has been expected for some time that IU will sell these properties. When the city applied for certification of the technology park designation, IU eventually selling the properties was taken into consideration, he said.\nWhen the property is sold, the city will work with private developers and the state government to create employment in the area to assist the city and the businesses in downtown Bloomington, Walker said.\n“It’s a great opportunity to create new jobs downtown, and we think that (the technology park) is an attractive place for entrepreneurship,” Walker said.
(06/25/07 1:19pm)
Senior Nadina Kodba stood at the west side of Assembly Hall waiting for head football coach Terry Hoeppner’s last “Walk.”\n“I didn’t know him, but I felt like I did,” she said.\nFriend and senior Alex Levine stood beside her and recalled how it wasn’t until Coach Hep came to IU that students like them began attending Hoosier football games.\n“He inspired everyone,” Levine said. \nHoeppner’s presence extended throughout the stands of Assembly Hall on Saturday as alumni, students and others who wanted to remember Hoeppner attended his Celebration of Life ceremony. \nHoeppner passed away Tuesday, June 19. But the legacy of IU’s 26th head football coach will live on. \nIt’s in the Walk, the Rock and resounds through the cheers and spirits of IU football fans like Kodba and Levine. \nWhen outgoing IU President Adam Herbert spoke, he \nremembered a card Hoeppner gave him one day in his office. On one side it read “Play 13” with a rose superimposed on the card. On the back it said, “If you think you can, or you think you can’t, then you’re right.”\nThe card not only exemplified Hoeppner’s dreams for the football team to make it to a bowl game and eventually the Rose Bowl but also his spirit.\nIt was those days in the office talking with Hoeppner that Herbert said he will always remember. Sometimes, Herbert said, people would tell him he got “Hepped” because the meetings would go so long, but Herbert and others who recalled such lengthy meetings don’t remember getting “Hepped” as being a bad thing, but rather as a fond memory. \nHoeppner’s spirit extended beyond the stands at Memorial Stadium and even the IU campus. \nDuring Saturday’s memorial service, Jane Hoeppner talked about being in an aisle at Target with her husband when a girl came running up to them exclaiming that she would be right back if they would just stay there. Jane said she remembered her husband thinking it was the coolest thing.\nAnother fan touched by Hoeppner’s vibrant attitude was junior Andrew Southwood. \nA year and a half ago, Southwood had the opportunity to meet Hoeppner.\nAt a photo shoot for the yearbook, Southwood and his friends painted, as they did during the football games, “Hep’s crew” across their chests and posed for a few photos.\nAfter the photos, Hoeppner wouldn’t let the fans leave without the opportunity to throw them each a touchdown pass. Hoeppner then escorted “Hep’s crew” through a tour of the athletics facility.\n“He took the time out of his day to spend with us and get to know us instead of just taking pictures with us and leaving,” Southwood said. \nAs a fan who attended even away games at Ball State University, Southwood said that if there was one thing Hoeppner was capable of, it was making football games fun for the students. \n“He challenged students to come out to the games,” Southwood said. “He was so outgoing. He made it a point to involve the students.” \nAnd even though Kobda never met Hoeppner, she said Hoeppner had an impact on her involvement as an IU student. \n“He made football seem fun,” Kobda said. “He’s someone I wish I would’ve met.”
(06/21/07 4:08pm)
By Shannon McEnerney\nshmcener@indiana.edu
(06/21/07 4:00am)
If I were a 10-year-old, this movie would have made teen sleuth Nancy Drew my hero. I would have purchased copies of BOP magazine, plastered her face all over my room and started looking for mysteries. However, I am not 10.\nThough tween audiences will love this Hollywood take on the book series, adults might have trouble swallowing the inexplicable anachronism of Nancy, a teenager perpetually stuck in the '50s even though it's clearly 2007. When Nancy moves to L.A. with her dad, I was hoping she would put on modern clothes and make friends. But when she enters her new high school full of Ugg-wearing, text messaging Valley Girls, director Andrew Fleming tries to make them into the joke. However, as Nancy sits in the cafeteria alone, homemade goodies from a tin lunchbox on top of the table and penny loafers below, one has to wonder who the joke really is on.\nShe does find a friend and sidekick in 12-year-old Corky -- played by Andy Milonakis look-alike Josh Flitter -- who tags along as she solves the case of Dehlia Draycott, an actress who was murdered in Nancy's house. Flitter gets most of the laughs and outshines actress Emma Roberts as the more likeable, precocious character.\nThere are plenty of elements to make this movie tolerable to adults -- a Bruce Willis cameo and '50s references the kids won't get -- but the movie drags and you'll have the mystery solved before innocent ditz Nancy ever stumbles onto it.\nKids 12 and under will love the movie because they can suspend disbelief long enough to imagine that people can be perfect and the movie ends happily. Take a little sister or cousin to this movie if you must. Better yet, hand her a Nancy Drew book.
(06/20/07 10:32pm)
Forty years later, the inspiration of a mentor still carries on with the IU class of 1967. The inspiration, in fact, carries on as much as $1 million.\nThis past weekend, on the 40th anniversary of the class of 1967, a check for $1 million was presented to allow for the endowment of an academic chair at the University. The class of 1967 is the first to officially raise $1 million. \nThe academic chair is in honor of Robert Shaffer, dean of students from 1955 to 1969, who inspired the class through his role as a mentor. The title of the chair is the Class of 1967-Robert Shaffer Chair and will be used by the College of Arts and Sciences to solicit and retain faculty for the college, said Michael Arnolt, the co-chair of the 1967 class campaign who now lives in Indianapolis. \n“We’ve been working on this for 18 years and this was the outgrowth of our initial project to fund a professorship in the College of Arts and Sciences,” Arnolt said. “We went from $300,000 to a million to endow a chair.” \nThe fundraising efforts have been ongoing since the class’s 25-year reunion, when they presented a check for $300,000 to endow a professorship.\nBut the class of 1967 didn’t stop at their $300,000 contribution. The class campaign decided to keep raising funds until they had a total of $1 million to endow a chair.\n Their dedication paid off, and the goal was met after the committee promised to come up with $80,000 if someone would come up with the remaining $23,562. Shumate made the contribution with a $25,000 check that put the fundraising over the top. \nBut while the class of 1967 dedicated themselves to achieving their class goal, the inspiration for their motivation would not have been possible without Shaffer.\nMike Shumate of West Hollywood, Calif., was a member of the campaign committee and president of the class of 1967. Shumate describes Shaffer as “a very special person.”\n“We thought (of) him as a mentor,” Shumate said. “The reason for that is because he had such close contact with us as students.”\n“Dean Shaffer encouraged our opinions and he sought them,” Shumate said. “He advocated freedom of expression and diversity way before it was fashionable to do so.”\nIn the 1960s, Shumate said concerns centered on the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. \nShumate said Shaffer cared to hear what the students had to say. \n“He was so impressionable and made a mark on all of us,” Shumate said. “We wanted to come together and endow the chair to further the University’s standard of academic excellence. The committee was really dedicated.”\nShumate explained that each class is responsible for staying on top of its respective fundraising objectives, and he certainly hopes his class’s efforts encourage other classes to continue their own fundraising efforts. \n“All classes are free to designate their own,” Shumate said. “We wanted to do a chair so we could name it in honor of Dean Shaffer. It would be wonderful to think we spurred such thinking on other class’s campaigns. We are so thrilled we were able to do this for the University.”
(06/17/07 11:40pm)
The traffic surrounding the courthouse and the occasional cell phone ringtone seemed to be the only differences between 1907 and 2007 on Saturday at the Monroe County Courthouse. At least, that is what Stephen Volan, common councilman member for District 6, said about the square's environment during the re-enactment and rededication ceremony that took place in honor of the courthouse's 100th anniversary. \nThe event welcomed between 50 and 100 community members who attended Saturday to rededicate the cornerstone established in May 1907. \nIn addition, the Monroe County Historical Society announced the official time capsule – a gold-adorned vault filled to the brim with modern 2007 mementos of what today's age is like, in addition to containing some items – such as a light bulb – that may not be around 100 years from now in 2107, when the 2007 time capsule will be unveiled.\nThe rededication ceremony kicked off a yearlong celebration of the courthouse construction leading up to next summer.\nThe ceremony consisted of several speeches and prayers from Masonic leaders, astutely standing in original uniforms that reflected the 1907 era.\nThe Masons used a level, a plumb and a square to double-check the cornerstone's quality as it was rededicated.\nWhile the ceremony focused on the preservation of the 100-year-old courthouse – whose condition still stands – it also served as a community reminder to those in attendance.\n“Symbolically, we are not forgetting where we started,” said Duane Vaught, current grand master of Indiana and one of the leaders of the ceremony. “We are rededicating the principles.”\nThese principles, he said, were the ones that have allowed the community to prosper throughout daily life for the past 100 years.\n“The ceremony is an opportunity to look back and to see that we have a nice building that is 100 years old,” Vaught said. “We are fortunate to have the building.”\nHe compared the Lake County Courthouse, which he said was left to abandonment, to the Monroe County Courthouse saying, “I walk past the building every day and live and work in its shadow,” he said.\nThe 1907 time capsule is currently buried within the courthouse’s cornerstone but has yet to be retrieved because officials have yet to determine whether performing construction to the building would cause instability, and the chance and cost of risking the chance without that knowledge is not worth the trouble.\nThe 2007 time capsule may be placed in the basement of the courthouse directly beneath the cornerstone plaque, said Rachel McCarty, the Monroe County Historian in charge of the time capsule project.\nVaught said the northeast corner is a traditional place for time capsules to be placed and found.\n“We were lucky to include almost everything,” McCarty said of the 2007 time capsule. All items were placed in acid-free tissue and other protective materials to help preserve the quality of the objects so 100 years from now they can still be recognizable.\nA few of the items in the capsule include: an iPod, a cell phone, a parking ticket, a phone card, an incandescent light bulb, newspapers and magazines and a photo of the cornerstone.\n“I like the list of all the restaurants,” McCarty said of another 2007 time capsule item. “It will be interesting to see what restaurants are and are not still around 100 years from now.”\nAlthough the 1907 time capsule hasn't been recovered, a list of items that were included in the capsule is available, as the information was recorded and filed away. Some of the contents included 100 years ago were: Wood Wiles post cards, history and list of members of the Masons, biographies of various figures, a white leather apron and newspapers and magazines of 1907, among other items.\nIn the 2007 capsule, McCarty said photos of each of the courthouse’s sides were included as reminders of scenery.\n“History is happening all the time, and you don’t think of something until it is gone,” she said. “It is great to look back and maybe see the cars driving by that were included in the photo when it was taken.”\nChristopher Kimmel, a worshipful master from Vincennes Lodge who was in attendance at the ceremony said he was impressed with the large group of people from all over the state that helped kick off the anniversary and cornerstone celebration.\n“The ceremony attracted people to the courthouse, and hopefully it will allow them to appreciate the beautiful splendor of it,” Kimmel said. “(The ceremony) allowed attention to move back to community and allow residents to not take for granted the beautiful building.”