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(07/25/02 8:23pm)
It felt so surreal as I carried my stereo up four flights of stairs, sweat beginning to drip down my neck and intense humidity all around me. This was it. I was finally out of my hometown, and Iiving with someone I didn't know at all. I'd have to wait in line in the mornings to take a shower. I'd have to do my own laundry. I'd be in a class with more than 100 students. I'd have to learn to conquer my shyness and meet new people. \nMeet new people. That phrase stood out in my head as I entered my new room. Meeting new people is very important in college, along with going to class and wearing shower shoes in the bathrooms. It probably isn't as hard for most people as it is for people like me: shy, awkward, low self-esteem, you get the picture. I can't walk up to a group of people and introduce myself. It would take me weeks of preperation to think of things to say that are remotely interesting. As I looked out the window at all the incoming freshmen who don't look like they are as worried about this as I am, I remembered I must wipe the sweat from my forehead, brave the crowds of unfamiliar faces, and help my parents retrieve my clothes. \nAs I carried a big cardboard box awkwardly in my arms, trying to see the steps in front of me, I tried to smile at the people I saw in the stairwell, and not trip. The feelings I had when I was a freshman in high school came back: nervousness, shyness. Except this time, I have no friends to run to for help. Who will I sit with at lunch? Dinner? I suddenly realized that each time I want to eat in the cafeteria, I will need to sit and eat with a group of people. Or I could look like a shy, dorky freshman and sit by myself. \nAs I put my clothes on hangers and hung them in my closet, a girl stopped into my room. \n"Hi," she says. \n"Hi," I say. \n"I was just seeing how you set up your beds," she continued. "My name's Lesley, by the way. I'm next door."\n"I'm Stephanie." \n"I'll see you at that floor meeting tonight."\n"Okay." Well, that wasn't so hard. But she did come to me first. I'm going to have to learn how to initiate a conversation at some point. I wish I could remember how I met my high school friends. \nI was about to go back downstairs and bring up another cardboard box, when a girl came in the room carrying a box, looking for a place to put it down. \nI decided to take the initiative. After all, she looked nice. She was short, skinny, had blonde hair and was smiling even though she was sweating just as much as I was.\n"Hi. You must be Hillary," I said.\n "Yeah, hi. You must be Stephanie," she said, putting the box down next to my empty one on the bed and shaking my hand.\n "It's hot in the stairwell, isn't it?" I asked.\n "I know, it's like a sauna!" she exclaimed.\n We ended up talking a long time, as we moved into our room together. Later I realized that I had initiated that conversation, something that had been worrying me that whole morning. I smiled and thought to myself, I could do that a few more times. Yeah, I think I'll be okay here.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Delta Lambda Phi is "not exactly" a gay fraternity. "It is open to any males who want to be in it," said junior Jeff Alewine, secretary of the new fraternity, set to colonize on Jan. 19. It may not be a gay frat, but is that how it will be perceived? If that is how it is perceived, will that promote or inhibit diversity on campus?\nPublicizing its openness may single it out as the "gay frat." That may encourage gay males to pledge and others not to pledge; it would become the "gay frat." That would not encourage diversity, rather it would encourage polarization. Right now, many fraternities do have homosexual members and they are not treated differently.\nRyan Gill, a senior who came out to his frat brothers told the IDS in Oct. 2001, "a member who happens to be gay is just as valued for diversity. They're still good brothers and sisters. They're just gay." \nNone of IU's chapters has evidence that homosexual members are discriminated against, nor are there policies that discriminate against them. One drawback to this is that it doesn't prepare them for the real world where they will have to interact with straight people everyday.\nWhile Delta Lambda Phi means well, it would not diversify the campus or create as much diversity within existing houses. In time, there may not be any homosexual males in the other houses and diversity will suffer.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Nickelodeon for kid audiences. MTV for teen and young adult audiences. Black Entertainment Television for black audiences. Lifetime for women. Is there an audience missing? Why not a channel for gay audiences?\nMTV and Showtime are looking to create the first channel aimed at gay audiences. "We see this as the next step in what a television network is supposed to be," Betsy Frank, the executive vice president of research for MTV Networks, told The New York Times Jan. 10. Television networks were working toward the idea of a channel directed at gay viewers after the presence of gay characters increased in appearance on television shows, including Showtime's "Queer as Folk" and NBC's "Will and Grace." But the channel itself will be more than just sitcoms with gay characters.\nThe channel, which has not been presented yet to cable systems, would be a pay channel like HBO, except cheaper. The channel would show films, news programs, original series, talk shows and comedy shows. One might wonder what the content of a gay talk show or comedy show would be and if there would be a difference between NBC's Nightly News and the news shows on the proposed gay channel. But if you think about it, this channel will happen sooner or later. With people being more accepting of homosexuality and bisexuality, the channel seems no different than a channel like Nickelodeon, with shows that cater to kids' tastes.\nWith the success of the other channels intended for specific audiences, the proposed gay channel should be successful. Mark Greenberg, the executive vice president for business development at Showtime, anticipates a channel for gay viewers to be a success, according to The New York Times. Not only did he say the gay audience was highly loyal, but "Queer as Folk" has "twice as high a rating as anything else in prime time on Showtime." Gay viewers occupy 6.5 percent of all television households, and since the late '90s, "gays have been a driving force in pop culture," Greenberg said. Gays and lesbians make up a large part of the population, so there is no reason not to have a channel catering to their tastes, just as MTV caters to teen and young adult audiences.\nBack in the '80s, when MTV was born, advertising was done specifically for the new channel. Teenagers all over America were glad to have a channel made especially for them, with shows they wanted to watch. Although adults may argue that what is airing on MTV is not appropriate for younger kids and there could always be a case when the child accidentally switches the channel to MTV when mom's not around, this would not necessarily happen with the proposed channel. It would be a pay channel, and "no one who doesn't want this will ever see this channel," Gene Falk, senior vice president for the MTV digital media group, said.\nThe new television channel could be on the air as early as next year. \nThis will be another milestone in the history of television: MTV, Nickelodeon and possibly very soon, a gay channel.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The controversy surrounding John Walker has me quite perplexed.\nHere's an American citizen who, at the age of 16, decided to convert from Roman Catholicism to Islam and to join a terrorist training camp in an effort to plot attacks against the U.S. Now, when I first heard the story that Walker would be charged with plotting against the U.S., I have to admit I didn't think that was fair. We live in a country where we have freedoms that are valued greatly, such as the freedom of speech, religion and press, which allow us to express our opinions freely. Teachers in classrooms all across America have taught us to respect others' opinions. When I first heard that Walker may get life in prison, I couldn't believe people were forgetting that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, including Walker. So he ended up hating the fact that he was from the U.S. So he pretended he was Irish so that people would not think he was actually American. Big deal, I thought. People hate broccoli, the Jerry Springer show, and some even prefer cats to dogs. That's their opinion.\nThat's also why I wondered why the U.S. was going to extremes to get Walker in the states for a trial. The U.S. should know that everyone's entitled to their own opinion. Why couldn't they just accept the fact that Walker hated the American way of life?\nHowever, there are two sides to every story. I had momentarily erased from my mind the fact that Sept. 11 was an indescribable day, filled with anxiety, tears, hatred, sadness, confusion, depression and anger. No one knew who had committed the act of bombing the World Trade Center and the Pentagon yet. And no one knew why. All people wanted to do for days after was help one another get through the trying times, and get the justice the victims deserve. For total justice to be done, we must arrest every member and leader of the terrorist groups who are responsible. But is Walker responsible? \nNow, wait. I want justice to be done. I want our country to be able to say that we beat terrorism. But is Walker the right target? Walker didn't find out about the Sept.11 bombings until after they occurred. He didn't actually do anything. He didn't commit any violent acts against the U.S., meaning he did not kill any U.S. citizen. He just converted to Islam (nothing wrong with that -- religious freedom) and went to Afghanistan to show his support for Islam. Although he did train at a terrorist camp, Americans knew terrorist camps existed and didn't do anything about them -- until Sept.11. Was he really a dangerous person plotting to harm Americans or a young impressionable kid caught up in emotion and influenced by people like bin Laden? We can't let our emotions overcome our reason.\nIs this going to be a repeat of McCarthyism, when communists were jailed or blacklisted because of their beliefs? It already seems so, with everyone looking for people who fit "anti-American" profiles. Walker may be anti-American, but he's entitled to his own view. I think we're wasting our time with Walker and should really be spending more time looking for Osama bin Laden. But hey, that's just my opinion.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
My mother called me a while ago to see how I was doing with my new classes and such. I realize that mothers are supposed to care, but my mother is on the verge of caring too much.\n"Are you using the pepper spray I got you?" she asked.\n"No Mom, I haven't had a reason to use it yet."\n"Do you bring it with you when you walk home from the library at night?"\n"No, it's a well-lit area."\n"Stephanie…" I could hear the worry in her voice and a lecture coming on.\n"Mom, there are other people around when I walk home from the library," I said in my defense.\n"So you don't think anything could happen to you?"\n"Well, I don't want to say no now, I might jinx myself."\n"Don't you remember Jill Behrman?" my mother asked. "Don't you remember that she was kidnapped around nine o'clock in the morning, in broad daylight?"\nHer comment made me stop and think. Yes, I remember Jill Behrman. In the back of all our minds, I'm sure something is there lurking around which reminds those of us in Bloomington of Jill. Something stays with us that lets us know Bloomington may not be as safe as we all assumed it was.\n"I just don't want that to happen to you," my mother said. "You don't know who you can trust."\nYou don't know who you can trust. That phrase stuck out in my head because it is becoming more and more true. My roommate and I might trust the girls who live on the floor too much because we leave our door unlocked when neither of us is in the room. That may not be the smartest thing, but we feel that we can trust the girls on the floor. And if someone happens to lose a meal card, that person probably hopes that someone will do the right thing and turn it in, not use it for himself. \nAfter Sept. 11, many people had a hard time trusting anyone who looked suspicious, or anyone who was of Middle-Eastern ethnicity. Anyone could be a terrorist. And could we trust other countries not to do something similar to our country again, or another country? Would something similar strike again?\nJill Behrman had been riding her bike on the same bike route in the mornings for a long time. She probably didn't even think that anyone would attempt to kidnap anyone in broad daylight. She, like others in the community, probably assumed that since she was in a town where kidnappings and assaults were not daily problems, she was safe. Is that an assumption that everyone should have? That we should be safe, even in daylight? That if we do carry pepper spray, we should have it with us at all times, just to be safe?\nI guess what I'm trying to figure out is how cautious we should be these days. Should we think twice about things we normally wouldn't, like walking home in the evening, or leaving the door unlocked while talking to someone down the hall? I guess we should all be careful who to trust and hope people don't break our trust.\n"Stephanie, if Jill Behrman can get kidnapped in the daytime, I don't want to know what can happen at night. I bought you that pepper spray for a reason."\nI guess Mom's right after all. It wouldn't hurt to be cautious.\n"Okay. I'll carry it with me." I guess now I'll have to learn how to use it.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Have you ever wondered how hard it would be to be in charge of IU? Have you wondered how much pressure administrators are under in dealing with many of the issues on campus? Maybe you have wondered how it feels to have a powerful position among IU administrators. Maybe you have had a few ideas about what could be changed or made better about IU. Maybe you just want an excuse not to go to class.\nLike something based on MTV's "Flipped," a show where two different people switch roles for a day, the IU Student Foundation, IU Student Association and the IU Student Alumni Association are co-sponsoring the President for a Day contest. The contest picks a winner to switch places with Myles Brand and see what life is really like for the president of IU, while Brand takes the student's place. \nNow, if you are interested in making big decisions for IU while Brand takes notes for you about economics, don't get your hopes up. The big decisions will be left up to Brand, but the contest winner can voice complaints and concerns in meetings with administrators. Not only that, but the winner gets to have Brand fill his or her place in classes and extra-curricular activities, where Brand will be able to gain a little more insight on student life. \nThis contest is an excellent idea because it's one of the chances for students to express themselves directly to the administration. Whoever wins this contest has the chance to question administrators on pertinent campus issues. Such as: Can the hours at the all-you-can-eat food courts be adjusted, why do we have class on Labor Day, why IU doesn't have a fall break and why do students lose credit hours and money if they want to switch their major to one in a different school of study. Sure, students can gripe and complain about this stuff to each other and their professors, but they don't have the power to do anything or change anything. Writing letters to the opinion page in the newspaper might even make an impression on administrators, but a letter or a guest column might not be enough to persuade them to change a rule. Whoever wins this contest has the power to be the voice of the students of IU and address concerns that students may have for one day.\nWhile the contest winner is busy taking the president's place, Brand will be in classes, living the life of a student for a day. He'll get the opportunity to talk to students and see how some of his decisions have affected them. He'll experience first hand how hard it is to stay awake during a 9:30 a.m. lecture. He may be sweating over what the student in his place is doing while trying not to get hit by bikers on a crowded sidewalk.\nBut when the day is over for the contest winner, and when they have finished expressing the complaints they have and possible solutions, which role would they rather take on: President of IU or student? Is going to class and dealing with the pressures of grades and housing applications better than dealing with issues and decisions that affect the entire faculty and student body of IU? Only the contest winner can find out which position really is better.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Will three states change their laws about gay parents adopting children because of pressure from the public? \nRosie O'Donnell's interview with Diane Sawyer last Thursday was done to publicize a case in Florida where parents were under the threat of having one of their five foster children taken from them. The parents, Steve Lofton and Roger Croteau, cannot adopt children under Florida law because they are homosexual. O'Donnell is set on changing this rule so that gay parents can adopt. And with all the publicity, we get into the touchy territory of how people feel about homosexuals in general.\nHomosexuality is defined in the Bible as "morally wrong," but that hasn't stopped many from coming out of the closet. And if homosexual couples in Florida, Utah and Mississippi want to become parents, they can't, because under the law it is "morally wrong." There is also the belief that homosexual parents could influence their kids to become homosexual. But there's no evidence in any study that that is true. And if you think about it, a majority of homosexual people have heterosexual parents. If their parents are heterosexual, wouldn't they have influenced heterosexuality? Why did their child turn out to be homosexual? \n"What makes good parents?" was a question asked by Diane Sawyer to Florida legislator Randy Ball. Ball's answer was that they have to "love each other and put the kids first," and keep their children out of harm's way. Homosexual people, if ready to be parents, are capable of those things. Any couple who is truly ready to take on the responsibility of raising children can show those things. \nResponsibility and capability aren't the only things you need to be a parent. There is the absence of seeing how a father treats the mother, and vice-versa, which influences children. And there's also the absence of a bond with either a mother or father, whichever is missing in the case of homosexual parents. But those are absent in the case of most single parent households, aren't they? If one spouse is deceased or a "deadbeat" who doesn't care about the kids, the kids miss out on that bond and the experience of seeing how one parent treats the other. Utah, Florida, and Mississippi don't prohibit adoption by single parents.\nWill any of the three states amend their laws and allow homosexual parents to adopt kids? Hey, for just a minute, forget about everything you just read, forget about studies and research, and forget about what people have said about the issue. Now think of the millions of kids waiting to be adopted. These kids vary in age, and typically have experienced some sort of neglect or abuse. These kids just want a place to call home and a family. They want and need to be loved. \nThese kids don't specify that they want heterosexual parents or homosexual parents. They are placed with whoever will take them into their homes. And whether or not the parents are heterosexual or homosexual, it doesn't make a huge difference in the child's life. It makes a huge difference if they don't love the child. But the sexuality of the parents just isn't a huge deal. \nHomosexuality is as normal as talking on the phone in today's society. Homosexuals should have the same rights as anyone else, including a right to adopt a child. I'm sure the children hoping for a family would appreciate it.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The excitement of the Little 500 race has arrived. The crowd will see the sweat glisten on the foreheads of riders who have trained for hours on end, every day, pushing themselves harder and harder. They'll sense the tension and nervousness among the riders, asking themselves if they have what it takes, after all those practices, to ride their best. They may even see some riders collide and be sent toppling over on the track, with others whizzing by, with a slight attitude change for either the better or the worse.\nMost of the teams in Rows 9 and 10 had different expectations for a qualifying time. But they still have time to surprise themselves, and the crowd on race day.\nRow 9\nNO. 25 Sigma Delta Tau (3:20.83)\n"Last year we were all rookies, this year two of us are experienced," sophomore Sigma Delta Tau captain, Laurel Wood, said about senior Megan Herman's and her own experience on last year's team. The two rookies on the team, sophomore Lisa Axelrod and freshman Jill Layton, started training before this semester in order to better prepare themselves for the race. This year the team has a "more competitive" drive, despite the fact they don't have a coach; veteran riders are helping the team out.\n"Right now it would be more helpful if we had a coach…we're having a lot of trouble with the start," Wood said. \nBut even with that in their way, the team's athletic abilities and its intent on building stronger strategies for racing gives them reason to keep their positive attitude.\nno. 26 Army ROTC (3:21.972)\nThe attitude for Army ROTC's team has changed since last year. The team is made up of the same women as last year: seniors Adrienne Barker, Emily Birck, Rosemarie Hirata and Christina Sandoval. \n"We wanted to have a more gung-ho attitude this year," Barker, the team captain, said. That attitude is opposed to last year's, when the team just wanted to see what capabilities were needed to succeed in the Little 500. They discovered racing was a "whole team effort," and everyone needed to train hard and polish her strategies. \n"We knew each other's strengths and weaknesses pretty well since we've worked together in ROTC and rode together last year," Barker said. "We've been trying to do the best we can in training." \nBy focusing on improving strengths even further, Barker said they feel more ready for the race this year.\nno. 27 Delta Sigma Pi (3:26.502)\nSenior Erin Mahoney is working with three rookies in this year's race: senior Mitzi Wilson and juniors Sarah Vohden and Lindsay Jenda. Despite higher expectations and a disappointing qualifying time, Mahoney doesn't speak negatively about the team. \n"(Wilson, Vohden, and Jenda) have an athletic mentality that helped a bit," said Mahoney, who is helping coach the team.\nIn hopes of doing better in the race, Wilson and Vohden are focusing on increasing their speed, while Jenda is hoping to further improve her endurance. The team is also focusing on "holding lines" and perfecting changes. The team's optimistic take on an unexpected qualifying time has just made them work harder, especially since, for three riders, this is their first time in the race. This hard work will continue right up until the race, when the team hopes the hard work will pay off and expectations will be met. \n"There's only so much you can perfect in a week," said Mahoney. \nRow 10\nno. 28 Alpha Omicron Pi (3:27.374)\nAlpha Omicron Pi's team this year is all rookies. Since the riders, senior Rebecca Huffman, sophomore Erica Hursh and juniors Lindsay Ruggiero and Meredith Fitzpatrick, have never been in a race, or even trained for one, is this a big problem? \n"Our motto is 'make every obstacle an opportunity,'" Huffman said. "The more we put into this, the more we can get out of this." \nThey began training later than most of the other teams. Huffman admits it was hard for them to adjust to their intense training schedule, which only gave the team Sundays to rest from their hard work all through the week. Every practice is something new and a "learning experience." \nThe team also switched coaches to help their chances in the race. Huffman feels the team's strength is its positive outlook on its qualifying time and how they will finish in the race. Since this year's race will be a first experience for all the riders, they don't have their expectations set too high. \n"We're eager to ride and show everyone that even though we're a team of rookies. We can still do this."\nno. 29 Alpha Epsilon Phi (3:35.833)\n"Being (qualified at) 29th has not affected our attitude," senior Julie Robbins, the captain of Alpha Epsilon Phi, said. Though Robbins is a rookie, she was chosen as captain because of her seniority and her dedication. Despite the team placing 29th in the qualifications, Robbins said the Little 500 experience will still be "incredible." \nAlso on the team are riders Tracy Wertheimer, Erielle Reshef, Sara Csillag and Cassie Feldman, another newcomer. Unfortunately, the team has endured some hardships. Their coach left the state, so now they are on their own. \n"It's hard because our team doesn't have very vigorous training," Robbins said. \nInstead of worrying, the team looks to the better teams as their role models. Their friendship with Kappa Kappa Gamma, who qualified on the pole, has helped them have fun while focusing on strategies for the race.\nLast year's team also qualified 29th, but did not finish the race. But last year's results aren't discouraging to this year's team. Besides keeping an optimistic attitude and having fun, Robbins said a very important goal is to "finish the race with no injuries."\nno. 30 Delta Zeta (3:08.791)\nLast year, Delta Zeta qualified second and placed 12th in the race. This year, its place in the qualifier proved to be a disappointment.\n"We were hoping to qualify a lot higher," sophomore Katie Brownell, a veteran rider and the team's captain, said. With the exception of one other veteran rider, senior Keri Schindler, the rest of the team -- Renee Luzadder, Rachel Christoff and Erin Bedwell -- are rookies. During the team's practices, they have been focusing on strength, speed and toning. They even practiced during the fall. \n"Since we didn't expect this qualifying time, we have to start playing catch-up," Brownell said.\nThe rookies have been "catching up" well to the two veteran riders of the team. Brownell says Luzadder, Christoff and Bedwell are "just as skilled" as experienced riders, they just haven't ridden in a race.\nThe team hasn't taken a pessimistic attitude as a result of their qualifying time. Instead, it has given them more reason to be more competitive. \n"With our place, we can only do better, and we intend to," Brownell said.
(04/23/02 5:22am)
I recently interviewed for an internship. The editor-in-chief had to choose between me, a freshman at IU who writes opinion columns, and a junior at the University of Missouri, who reported stories, fact-checked and even had experience in publishing. Guess who got the internship?\nIf my life were a movie and I was the heroine, then my persistence would have paid off, and I would have received the internship instead of the guy with more experience. But that's just not realistic. Frankly, I was surprised the editor-in-chief kept me in the running that long for the internship. I took this to mean that I had relatively good writing skills and seemed qualified but I just couldn't compare to someone else who has lived a little longer than I have, therefore giving him more time to get more experience.\nI believe that everyone would agree that experience is an important thing for a person to have, and not just job training experience. For example, experience in relationships is very important. How is a person supposed to know what qualities to look for in a spouse if she doesn't look around, date around, and find out what qualities she is attracted to the most? She's got to spend time with different characters to find out. And bad experiences in relationships can be constructive, too. Partners who cheat, lie, mistreat you, have no time for you, don't support you, or act indifferent towards you give you experience in being disrespected or mistreated. And you can let that experience affect you in many ways. You can get depressed because someone broke your heart. You can get mad because someone led you on and then rejected you. You can realize that even though your partner hurt you, you can do better, because you don't deserve to be treated with no respect. You can become stronger and more accepting that all relationships are not perfect after some have failed. Every bad experience is needed to appreciate all the good in life. And of course there's the opposite; if you took someone for granted, or even just grew apart from someone, whatever the outcome of that relationship, by having that experience, you can prevent what went wrong next time. Or figure out better ways to use someone for a longer period of time. \nRelationships are only one of the many different experiences students have in college. And college is an experience all its own. College promises many things that many kids can't experience when living at home. Independence. The freedom to eat whenever you want, study whenever you feel the need, stay out until you want to, and maybe sometimes you won't come home. You learn how to deal with people who are different than you are. You can see what being a business major entails, versus being a SPEA major. You find out what exactly you want to do for the rest of your life. \nYou take what you get from whatever you experience and keep that in your head. Experience gets us through life, because all life is is experiences. So whether it be for a job interview or for deciding what you'd like to major in, get as much experience as you can. It'll help you in the long run.
(04/16/02 4:31am)
Rachel Levy was in the wrong place at the wrong time.\nOn Friday, March 29, Levy wanted to buy groceries for a Passover dinner. Instead of going to the local convenience store, she opted to go to the grocery store, where she would unknowingly walk through the door and brush against a female suicide bomber. \nLevy didn't think too much about the bombs that could go off at any place or any time in her home of Jerusalem. According to Newsweek magazine April 15, she "remained apolitical," and "pretended Israel was a normal country." The Newsweek article, a feature by Joshua Hammer, went on to say that Levy lived the life of a normal 17-year-old girl; her shelves held bottles of perfume and lotion, she had a never-ending diet of salad with a pickle, a lollipop and a Diet Pepsi. She lived her life as if suicide bombers didn't scatter Israel or Palestine, and as if there was no political conflict torturing political leaders.\nThe suicide bomber who killed Levy and a guard in the doorway of the grocery store was 18-year-old Ayat Al-Akhras, a "fiercely opinionated," very smart, ambitious girl. Before she made the decision to join Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and become a suicide bomber, she had her own plans for the future. She was to be married in July. She wanted to pursue a journalism degree at Bethlehem University. But she decided that the need to alert Palestinian leaders that they are not doing their job was more important. \nIt blows my mind that someone like Al-Akhras would give up her future and her life, and become another suicide bomber, just to further drive the Middle East conflict to extremely unsafe levels. Why throw away what could have been a successful future? Al-Akhras could have graduated Bethlehem University with a degree in journalism. She could have written front-page stories about political issues, or, being as opinionated as she was, she could have had her own opinion column discussing how the Arab leaders should straighten up their act. \nShe could have.\nBecause if she didn't become a suicide bomber, if she talked herself out of it somehow, Levy would be alive today. Levy could go on living her normal teenage life in what she pretended was a "normal" country. Both families wouldn't be grieving over their dead daughters. Everything could be normal again.\nUnfortunately, 80 percent of Palestinians support suicide bombings and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade frequently recruits those interested in becoming a suicide bomber. The growing number of Palestinian suicide bombers has reached 66 as of now. The number of innocent Israelis they have killed is 170, but that number is sure to grow, too.\n With the recruitment of female suicide bombers finally being allowed, and especially young females like Al-Akhras, more suicide bombers are sure to cause damage, and it almost seems as if the conflict in the Middle East will have no ending, no conclusion. The number of people killed by bombs in Israel or Palestine will never stop growing. Those people's lives will be cut short by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.\nI guess I just don't understand why anyone would want to cut their life short, and purposely kill another in the process. I guess I just can't comprehend how a smart, ambitious girl with a bright future would throw it away. But to her, she wasn't throwing anything away. And that's a shame.
(04/02/02 8:17am)
Imagine if we had lost the game to Duke. None of the students would be at Showalter Fountain, in a group so large that police eventually let them do what they wanted, like climb lamposts and parked buses. I wouldn't have gotten a chance to witness the unity among students. Even amid the crowd surfing, the shouting and screaming, everyone was gathered together for a reason: IU had beaten Duke by one point. We were on our way to the Elite Eight.\nWhat I noticed the day after was that everyone was talking about it. Naturally. I mean, this is the first time in eight years the Hoosiers had gotten to the Elite Eight. Although I wasn't raised in Indiana with love for the Hoosiers already flowing through my veins, I knew it was huge. During the game, people cheered in front of their TVs, jumping up and down in front of it if they felt the need, getting on their knees and sitting real close, because that helps the players and all. I know there were some students who did not watch the whole game, but they could still have IU pride in knowing that we won. The student unity that was felt at Showalter Fountain, on Kirkwood, in the dorms and in apartment complexes was a great, intense feeling.\nBut the Duke game is old news. And the Final Four is in the past, too. We all knew that whether IU won Saturday night, things would be happening on the streets. Things would be broken or torn down on Kirkwood and Hoosier fans would still express either joy or pain and empathize with the team. Everyone would unite somewhere, be it Kirkwood or outside the dorms and react to the game, as we've been doing through the NCAA tournament. \nWhen the Hoosiers made it to the final game, everyone became a basketball fan. To be honest, I never really paid attention to NCAA basketball. But now that all across campus sounds of honking cars and shouts can be heard expressing IU's victories, I'm a basketball fan. Everyone is a basketball fan when his team is in the NCAA tournament. Granted that I do know what a foul is, where the three-point line is and that there are two halves, not quarters, in a basketball game, I'm just generally not really interested in basketball. But when watching the games, I was one of those Hoosier fans, yelling at the referees and sitting closer and closer to the TV screen. I don't really know how it started, that aching inside to win, to show everyone that IU could go further than everyone thought we could go. Part of it could have been because this snobby neighbor of mine goes to Duke. Part of it could have been because some guy next to me was obnoxiously cheering for Kent State. Part of it could have been because my friend was convinced IU would lose to Oklahoma because she had a dream that IU lost the game by eight points. What was it that made me cross my fingers when the other team took a shot, or made me keep my eyes glued to the screen and lean forward when IU had the ball? What was it that made me feel like everyone on Kirkwood was totally unified in our purpose of creating madness and mayhem to show how much IU basketball means to us? Whatever it was, it sounds a lot like Hoosier pride. And I'm proud to have it.
(03/26/02 6:41am)
America is defined by symbols such as apple pie, baseball and certain ideas like freedom of choice and religion. Even some movies are considered all-American. If an American hasn't seen the Indiana Jones movies, the Star Wars trilogy or E.T., then he or she is not an official American. Although these movies don\'t really define American culture, they were breakthrough movies in special effects and storylines. Every American should have watched these movies at some point in their lives. \nE.T., for example, was a hit and is considered a classic today. There was a new digitally-altered version created to mark its anniversary two decades later. This new version of the movie made sure to improve some aspects of the film. For example, E.T.'s facial expressions originally came about through use of mechanical levers and cables. While those were special effects in the 1980's, the audience could often tell how the facial expressions were caused. E.T.'s new computer-generated expressions are more modern, and audiences will be able to see more expression in the alien's face. \nAlthough all improvements meant well, there was one controversial change made to the movie. In the original, Elliott's older brother Mike dresses up as a terrorist for Halloween. But Spielberg changed this in the new version of the movie so that Mike dresses up as a hippie. \nObviously, the word \"terrorist" sparks a sensitive topic. The release date of the movie "Big Trouble," starring Tim Allen, was delayed from starting in September because it contained a scene with a bomb on a plane. Because of recent events, the choice to postpone its release was a good one. But to alter the classic movie E.T. is a little extreme. After all, there are other movies that include terrorists. Take "The Rock." Actual terrorists were in that one, not just kids dressing up as terrorists. They take over Alcatraz and demand that the government pay them millions of dollars, or they'll shoot chemical warheads at San Francisco. Or what about "Air Force One?" Terrorists take the president hostage in order to free one of their leaders. That's got to hit close to home. \nI know the new version of E.T. wasn't redone digitally for the sole purpose of altering the Halloween scene. But by altering that scene, it implies that other films shouldn't include terrorists, just because it could remind Americans of the tragedy terrorists inflicted on us. But that's a part of history. It's being written in the books. And since Sept. 11 is history, America should move on. We shouldn't have to avoid the subject of terrorists just because of a tragedy. \nAfter JFK's assassination, there was no objection to the usage of hitmen in movies. Even though those movies hit close to home immediately after the assassination, there have been plenty of movies made afterward with hit men. No one seems to offended by this. It's part of America's history, and we'll never forget it, but we've moved on. Can we please try to move on from Sept. 11? Can we not worry about offending people if films are made that have terrorists in them in some way, shape or form? After all, E.T. was a classic American movie…which has now been altered to keep from offending anyone. People shouldn't be upset from seeing terrorists in movies. They should be upset that we haven't captured Osama bin Laden. Something like that seems more important.
(03/05/02 5:09am)
Mass e-mails sent by the Kirkwood ticket at 12 o'clock last Tuesday morning have caused a controversy among the tickets in the IUSA election. The University Information Technology Services guidelines say the misuse of e-mail for campaigning purposes is a violation and can result in serious consequences. The Synergy and Steel tickets filed complaints last week, though not jointly, which could take the Kirkwood ticket out of the election for use of mass e-mail. All tickets filed complaints against another for things that could ban the tickets from the election, although only two were for misuse of e-mails. Kirkwood has filed four against Synergy, Synergy has filed two against Kirkwood, and Steel has filed one against Kirkwood.\nAlthough the guidelines about sending mass e-mails are vague, it was an unreasonable thing for the Kirkwood ticket to do. Their excuse is that the e-mails they sent were to students of the same major and each major received a different e-mail. However, they were still mass e-mails urging students to vote for Kirkwood. The Synergy and Steel tickets have been sending e-mails to students also, but to people they had personally been in contact with. Even though Kirkwood's actions were not fair, the representatives of the ticket justify their actions by saying everyone has access to students' e-mail addresses. That is true, but the Synergy and Steel tickets obeyed the UITS guidelines. Since they played fair, they want the Kirkwood ticket to play fair, too.\nSo, what should be done? All three tickets campaigned over the e-mail system. Although all e-mails read differently, only Kirkwood sent unsolicited mass e-mails. Bill Gray, the Kirkwood ticket candidate for student body president, was quoted in the Feb. 27 edition of the IDS saying, "The rules don't explicitly say it's legal, but they don't explicitly say it's illegal." The Elections Commissioner, Joe Walterman, was quoted in the same article; "As far as I'm concerned, the mass e-mail list is totally unreasonable."\nAfter thinking about this, I think e-mails reminding students to vote in the election shouldn't be prohibited. It may be hard to believe that some students don't read the paper, don't drive by greek houses with huge banners and posters out front that say to vote for a ticket, or just don't pay attention to their surroundings. But there were some students who didn't know an election was going on. The e-mails they received reminded them to vote. But the e-mails should not urge students to vote for one ticket or another. There is enough campaigning done on campus, including newspaper articles and signs posted. \nIt is also against the UITS guidelines. It's my understanding that, although the guidelines are vague, it was known to others, including the Synergy and Steel tickets, that mass unsolicited e-mails were against the rules. Why didn't Gray pick up on this? He risked the chance that the Kirkwood ticket could be dismissed from the election altogether. After all his hard work campaigning, the ticket could just disappear, and students who voted for the ticket will not get to see Kirkwood's campaign promises happen. And for what? For some e-mails to be sent to random students, grouped by major, urging them to vote for the Kirkwood ticket. It probably didn't seem like a big deal at the time, but now, with what the Kirkwood ticket faces, was it really worth it?\nThe Kirkwood ticket should be punished in some way for its actions, whether it be a fine or a ban from the election. They want to "work hard, play hard," but it would be nice if they would also play fair.
(02/26/02 4:47am)
Last week, I ran into a car. It wasn't really a car accident though, because I was on foot. Now, before anyone makes judgements about my eye sight, coordination skills, blood alcohol or intelligence levels, let me explain.\nI was approaching a crosswalk with a friend of mine. The sign had read "walk" for quite a while and still read "walk" by the time we reached it. I stepped onto the road, fully intending to cross, when a silver Jetta cut in front of me. It happened so fast, I couldn't stop, and before I knew it I had walked into the Jetta. \nYes, you read that right. I walked into a car. But that's not it. After I backed away from the Jetta, stunned, my friend pointing and laughing at me from the curb, it paused briefly, and made a right turn. \nAll the Jetta wanted to do was make a right turn. Couldn't it have waited until two girls crossed the road? He did have a red light and the sign read "walk." Or couldn't he have been more cautious since pedestrians are at nearly every crosswalk on campus during the day? Even if the driver was in a hurry or late for something, had I been walking faster and had he not stopped in time, he would have been even more late, because he would have to stop his vehicle so I could slowly roll off the car hood. I do realize that pedestrians don't always have the right of way, but in this situation, I did because not only was I within the crosswalk, the sign read "walk." \nIt has always been dangerous to cross roads; collisions involving pedestrians didn't just come up this year. Drivers are not always at fault; the pedestrian right of way is a tricky concept. A pedestrian cannot cross the road just anywhere with the excuse of the right of way. \nTitle 7 of the Indiana Code (traffic) has many chapters, including "right of way in crosswalks," which explain in detail when the pedestrian has the right of way. Section 7.73.02 of this code states "the vehicle shall yield to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is on the half of the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling." But not everyone crosses the road within the crosswalk, or even at a traffic light. Because there are so many different circumstances where blame can be put on either the vehicle or pedestrian, it is difficult to keep track of when each party has the right of way. \nBut even when pedestrians have the right of way, they still should be cautious, because they can still be injured. Keep in mind that although you may have the right of way in a certain situation crossing the street, cars and buses are bigger than you in size, speed and strength. Especially in traffic, drivers don't always want to wait for people to cross the road if they just need to make a right turn, the traffic light is going to change soon, etc. There were 43 bicycle/pedestrian accidents in Monroe County in 1999.\nThis just proves that everyone should be careful where he crosses, when he crosses, how fast he drives and everyone should keep an eye out for a biker darting in front of a car, or a bus turning the corner where you're crossing the street. And to that silver Jetta: Hope I didn't damage your car.
(02/12/02 5:55am)
They're still there in Dunn Meadow. The tents are still up, the pamphlets about women in Afghanistan and radioactive weapons are still on a table held down by rocks, the sleeping bags and camping chairs can still be seen inside the tents along with the campers who call those tents home, for now. The Dunn Meadow peace campers are similar to ghosts haunting a house; it seems as if they're just not going to leave. But how long will they actually stay out there?\nThey are protesting the U.S. military action and the bombings in Afghanistan that occurred in retaliation to Sept. 11. In late September and early November, the peace campers handed out peace ribbons and passed out pamphlets about demonstrations being held with speeches speaking out against the U.S. decision to bomb certain areas of Afghanistan. But now, in early February, it seems as though they may have worn out their welcome.\nThey have a right to be there, to protest there, to do what they want (within reason) to make whatever point they want to make. But as of now, all they are doing is taking up space. The peace campers' display of a peace sign is the only thing that portrays some idea of why they are camped out in Dunn Meadow, in case anyone on campus still doesn't know. The peace campers have been camped out for nearly five months, embarrassing some students and faculty with their scruffy appearances and scattered belongings. Haven't they made their point? I know that their point of camping out in Dunn Meadow is to stay there until the violence against Afghanistan has stopped, but for the most part, it has. Do these peace campers still need to protest?\nBecause I walk by Dunn Meadow every Friday, I've often glanced inside some of the many tents which litter the area. There are camping stoves, several sleeping bags, camping chairs, and a bookshelf. A bookshelf. Because it is essential to protest bombings in Afghanistan with an actual bookshelf stacked with books like "The People's History of the U.S." and "Impact of Mass Media." That has to make people think; if someone brings a bookshelf, completely stacked with thick books, along for a camping trip to Dunn Meadow, they obviously intend to stay a while.\nI also have to wonder what the peace campers were thinking when they set up camp in Dunn Meadow. Did they really think that something would result from their action? I can't help but think that, unless IU is in charge of military activities in Afghanistan aimed at getting bin Laden, who's opinion are these peace campers trying to change? They really should be occupying some field in Washington, D.C., where the people who have more control of the issue reside, not here at IU. Showing students and faculty their displays of pleas for peace between the U.S. and the Taliban will not do much for the actual "war on terrorism." In fact, it probably won't do anything at all. \nSo did they accomplish what they intended to? They handed out peace ribbons, pamphlets and kept up their displays of peace. They got their message across. With very few bombings now, there isn't much else the peace campers can do in Dunn Meadow except hang out, enjoy the weather and finish all their books.
(02/05/02 6:09am)
Someone asked me recently how often I talk to my parents.\n"Once a day, right?"\n"No."\n"Every other day?"\n"Um, no, not exactly."\n"Well, how often do you talk to them?"\n"Once or twice a week."\nThe person I was talking to was taken aback a bit. I guess he assumed that everyone's family was as close-knit as his. \nThat conversation made me feel guilty about my relationship with my family. I had heard others say how their mothers and fathers were their best friends, they shared everything with their sister, did everything with their brother. I had never said anything like that. I know I love my parents, but I just don't feel the need to confide in them. I know my sister and I love and respect each other, but we just don't show it or talk to one another all that much. That's just the way it's always been; the relationship my family and I have is like racial tension in a public high school. We know it exists. We just don't acknowledge it that often.\nWhen I went off to college, my parents and sister didn't cry and neither did I. Granted, freshmen entering college are usually excited to be away from the rules their parents held over their heads in high school -- tedious things such as curfews and chores. \n There is usually a small feeling of sadness for freshmen who were close to their families because they will not get to see them as often while in college. It's a terrible thing to admit, but that feeling didn't really exist for me. What's even worse to admit is that I am about four and a half hours away from my family; my roommate is forty minutes away from hers, and she talks to her family more than I do.\n But is this really a bad thing? When in college, adjustments are necessary, and one of the major changes is being away from one's hometown, family and friends. Some people have a very hard time making the adjustment of being away from loved ones. \n Take one freshman girl who used to live on my floor. She went home almost every weekend, and at the end of the semester, transferred schools so that she could see her family and friends more often. She didn't feel she could handle the adjustment.\nA friend of mine told me it was a good thing that I hadn't gone home for a weekend for reasons other than Thanksgiving or winter break. "It shows you can handle being without them," he said. "You're adjusting well to college." My parents understand this also. My parents don't mind that my phone calls home are minimal because they want me to have a sense of what it's like when they're not there telling me what to eat and what I can and can't wear. \nThey want me to get used to a life where I will be more independent. They don't want me to call home as often as my roommate does because if I did I wouldn't be showing them that after college I won't need them around to make sure I keep making the right decisions for myself. \nIt isn't a bad thing that my parents and I only call each another twice a week. They are allowing me to grow and be my own person. By not calling them, my parents know I can fend for myself.
(01/08/02 5:35am)
Oh good God. I'm huge.\n As I looked at the bloated image of myself in the mirror, my love handles a bit more fleshy and easier to grab and my outer thigh area expanded to fit the full capacity of my jeans, I realized that I was creeping up on a stage. A stage I had feared from the moment I got to college. A stage which is just as likely to happen to all college freshmen at any given time. I am referring to the "freshman fifteen."\nI felt disgusted with myself. Even though I only had the freshman eight (I subtracted two pounds for my shoes, clothes and watch), it made a difference. I had a sudden urge to kick myself. I thought of all those times I was going to work out, but opted to sleep; all those days I binged on s'mores, pop tarts and garlic rolls at the food court, telling myself that I would eat healthier tomorrow -- definitely tomorrow. \nAnd how on earth could I ignore the Christmas pie at Christmas? Somehow, I found myself binging on foods that went directly to my butt as cellulite. I told myself I had a fast metabolism and that walking to class was enough exercise. But, as I stared at my repulsive image in the mirror, its pear shape a direct result of my poor diet and weak excuses for not working out, I realized I was wrong.\nAs does everyone with a weight problem, I wished there were an easy way out. How could I drop the eight pounds without actually breaking a sweat? Was it possible? Starvation was just not an option. How could I possibly go on like that when I live right next to a food court? \nPlus, I hear that's not healthy. I kept getting more and more depressed when I read magazines and looked at all the pictures of such thin women, their bodies images a perfection that I would never achieve. Seriously, I have had inner thigh fat for as long as I can remember, so how come every swimsuit model doesn't have any?\nBut after discarding my magazines in frustration, I realized society's image of perfection had gotten ahold of me. I was obsessing over my thighs, but in reality, would others like me better if I had thinner thighs? Should I really try to be perfect, or just try to be healthy? Would I be better off striving to look like a model in a magazine, or being happy that I am the person I am?\nUltimately, I think I would be happier eating healthier than going to extremes to look like someone else.\nWell, since it's a new year, I'm going to make a resolution to become more active and start better eating habits, in an effort to lose my "freshman eight."\n I WILL go the gym every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday -- maybe even Saturday.\n I WILL cut back on foods that are not healthy and WILL stop snacking between meals. But not unhealthy beverages served at parties. I can't get too ahead of myself. \nI WILL drink eight to ten glasses of water a day. I can do it. I can beat this "freshman fifteen." If others have done it, I can, too.\nOh, I'll do it. I'm going to.\nBut of course, I'm going to have to get rid of all this food in my room first…