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(04/07/14 3:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Hoosiers for Israel played host to Israelpalooza during the weekend, a festival geared toward celebrating and bringing cultural awareness to Israel as a culture and a land, said Executive Vice President for Israel Programming Zach Plesent. “It’s just a festival to celebrate and bring community together,” Plesent said. “We have food, games and mock Kotel.” This year was the first time in three years Israelpalooza didn’t have problems with rain. “Israelpalooza has been synonymous with rain the past three years,” Plesant said. “Two years ago it poured all night and it was too muddy and so we rescheduled, but it rained again.” Another problem Hoosiers for Israel run into when planning the event is balancing having fun and still staying true to the culture it is celebrating. “The biggest challenge is wanting to Israelize it, but still wanting to bring fun,” Plesent said. “If I had more time and resources I’d make it more Israel, but I don’t really know what that means, so even that is hard.” IU Hillel supported the event by setting up booths and providing funds. “Israelpalooza is a great way for students to learn about Israel and what a great place it is,” Rabbi Sue Silberberg said. “The fact that it’s all planned by students who care about Israel and who feel a special bond to Israel is really cool.”Israel is important to IU Jewish students and Hillel because it is seen as the homeland for Jews, Silberberg said.“We were in the land for thousands of years until the temple was destroyed,” Silberberg said. “It’s central to our worship and prayer ever since. We still face Jerusalem when we pray.”It’s also the only place they haven’t been discriminated against, she said.“Everywhere that we’ve been, we’ve faced anti-Semitism,” Silberberg said. “It’s the only place we can call home, where we know we won’t face anti-Semitism. Outside Israel everywhere we’ve been, we do and we have.” During the event, Hooshir, IU’s Jewish acapella singing group, performed. Dance lessons were given and people played games and ate a feast. Freshman Arielle Beuzieron said she attended the event to connect back to Hillel and IU’s Jewish community.“I love Israel and enjoy when I can get involved with Hillel,” Beuzieron said. “The food and the people are really the best part. My friends are here, and it’s hard to get good food on campus as a freshman.” Even though Jewish groups put on the Israelpalooza, Plesent said he hopes many students outside the community get involved and learn more. Beuzieron said she thinks it’s important for all students to come. “It’s important for students to get together and celebrate what makes us different and unique,” Beuzieron said. “It’s great that IU celebrates that and we can have events like this.” Follow reporter Suzanne Grossman on Twitter @suzannepaige6.
(04/07/14 3:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>First Nations Educational and Cultural Center organized its Second Annual Native American Health and Wellness Community Dance Saturday afternoon to promote healthy living and raise awareness for HIV/AIDS, psychological health and nutrition. The gathering served as an educational experience and community dance. Booths filled Union Street Center, where information about health issues as well as free health screenings were available. “It’s important to Native Americans to get health screenings because a lot of them don’t have insurance locally or there are no medical facilities nearby,” said Tony Castroeno, American Indian Center of Indiana volunteer. “They have to drive to Michigan or further west to find places.” Castroeno said Native Americans often have high blood pressure and diabetes. Since it’s difficult for Native Americans to find affordable health care, he said, the American Indian Center of Indiana provides free glucose testing and blood pressure readings at most community events. “Indiana is a place where people don’t have access to Indian Health Services,” FNECC Programs Coordinator Nicky Belle said. “Part of our role as a culture center is not just to IU, but also to the local, regional community by providing access to health care and education.” Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs James Wimbush said he attended the event to show his support for FNECC. “I have often said one of our main purposes is to enhance the climate of Bloomington’s campus by providing spaces for all to feel welcome and appreciated and to embrace culture on campus,” Wimbush said. “All culture centers engage in these types of activities, and I want to show support with resources but also with being present.” This year, high school students from Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota visited IU to see what opportunities college can bring and the accommodations IU brings reservation students. “It’s amazing,” Austin Big Crow said. “It’s like, such an epic school. So many things to do. I don’t think I could ever get bored here. Just walking around campus and seeing everything there is to see, it’s amazing for a college to have everything like this.” Even though Big Crow didn’t meet many Native Americans at IU, he said he appreciated how he wasn’t treated differently for being one. “I haven’t really met any Natives from a reservation,” Big Crow said. “They don’t treat you like you’re foreign. They treat you just like a normal person, and not a minority that needs special attention.”Apart from being a health event and a chance for students to see campus, the dance also was for many a time to see friends from far away. Native Americans in Indiana are often dispersed throughout the state with no prominently Native-populated area, Belle said. She said the dance this year brought people from all over Indiana and surrounding states.“For Native communities, it’s important to have events where people can come together and see friends and relatives,” Belle said. “We sing, we dance and be Indian. This is enacting your culture and building community. The more we do this, the more fun we have and the better relationships are going to be. And it’s all about building relationships.”Follow reporter Suzanne Grossman on Twitter @suzannepaige6.
(04/03/14 4:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As an Orthodox Jew, it took Rabbi Steve Greenberg two decades to come out as a gay man, but only minutes to recap his experiences Wednesday night. Greenberg recounted his story of coming to terms with being gay in the Orthodox Jewish tradition Wednesday at an IU Hillel-sponsored event.He is commonly known as the first openly gay Jewish Orthodox rabbi, event organizer and junior Avi Sonnenschein said. After realizing his attraction to men at the age of 20, Greenberg went to a right-wing Orthodox rabbi and told him he was attracted to both men and women, and that he needed advice. “The rabbi said to me, ‘My dear one, my friend, you have twice the power to love. Use it carefully,’” Greenberg said. “I ran from there excited thinking I had twice the love and would be a great rabbi and marry a woman. Only later did I realize I only had attractions to men.” Typically, Orthodox Judaism strictly does not allow openly gay rabbis. Rabbis are not to perform commitment ceremonies for any gay people, despite the fact that Orthodox Jews are a diverse group of people with a diverse set of beliefs, Greenberg said. He said gay sex is portrayed as shameful in Jewish scripture because it is an issue of power.If a man were to penetrate another man, it would put the penetrated at the level of a woman — which, historically has meant to have less value, voice and power, Greenberg said. “At the bottom of homophobia is misogyny,” Greenberg said. “Homosexuality threatens masculinity because it mimics internalized femininity that’s possible for men. We see this in places where there is a great divide between what is masculine and what is feminine. Gay people are killed in those places.” He argued the Hebrew Bible says nothing about mutually loving and respectful relationships between men. Hillel invited Greenberg because of the efforts of Sonnenschein, who previously heard him speak and thought it would a good idea to have him speak at IU.“I felt like having this viewpoint would be beneficial to a lot of people,” Sonnenschein said. “Especially in Judaism, with Reformed and Conservatives open to homosexuality. But Orthodox — they definitely don’t accept it as common practice. It’s definitely a different viewpoint from an Orthodox perspective.” Sonnenschein said he hopes Greenberg and speakers like him will help build better tolerance towards Jews on campus.“If we ever want to have any sort of peace within our communities, you have to be tolerant of other communities, and to be tolerant, you have to know where they’re coming from,” Sonnenschein said. “People say education isn’t the answer. “But I feel like if there are a lot of people here from different backgrounds, they can take what they hear to their communities and spread tolerance.” Tziporah Ladin-Gross said she was excited to come to the event to hear how Greenberg balanced being an Orthodox rabbi and a gay man.“I know he is a gay Orthodox rabbi, and people tell me it’s impossible for me to be a lesbian Orthodox woman all the time,” Ladin-Gross said. Though she comes from a Reformed Jewish family, she said she identifies with and adheres to Orthodox traditions. “I believe in the importance of Jewish law,” Ladin-Gross said. “I love learning laws and keeping kosher and Sabbath. I’m not going to take that out of my life because I’m with a woman.” Ladin-Gross said she hopes Greenberg’s talk will help other Orthodox Jews feel more open. “I hope other Orthodox people, whether gay or trans, realize there are important laws and rules to follow, but its OK to try and find a relationship,” Ladin-Gross said. “They need to find a way to be happy and be themselves, but they shouldn’t walk away because they can’t have the traditional Jewish lifestyle.” To end his speech, Greenberg spoke about the importance of humility in dealing with scriptures and religious issues. “At the bottom of plurality in Judaism is humility. I don’t have all the truth,” Greenberg said. “No matter how deeply committed you are, you don’t have all the truth and can’t.” Greenberg’s final goal for the Orthodox community is to make a more empathetic environment for LGBT people, he said.He said he hopes to accomplish this through his group Eshel for gay Orthodox Jews and by speaking and encouraging others to make the changes they can.“It is the people in this room who stand up to bigotry in this area and others that will make the difference,” Greenberg said. “I am moved by your presence here. There are young people who need to be stood up for.“It is you and how you behave and act in the Jewish and non-Jewish communities you build that will actually change the world.”
(03/31/14 3:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Students from SPEA gathered all day last Friday to share their research and learn about world issues they may not have been aware of otherwise. More than 20 graduate students participated in panel discussions and presented their research to fellow students and professors at the seventh Annual International Public Affairs Association Spring Conference.Topics ranged from health policy to environmental policy. Keynote speaker Mark Lagon, the global politics and security chair at Georgetown University, spoke about human trafficking and the importance of partnerships. “The biggest difference this year is we opened it up to be a more SPEA-wide conference,” Co-President of IPAA Shaeda Mitchell said. “In the past, we’ve narrowly focused on international topics. This year, we had international and domestic topics.” During his speech about human trafficking, Lagon discussed both international and domestic forms of trafficking, as well as the policies made and laws enforced on the national and global scale. “Both the U.N. treaty and U.S. law incorporate three P’s to combat trafficking — prosecution, protection and prevention,” Lagon said. Recently, Hillary Clinton added a fourth P — “partnerships.” Lagon spoke about these policies and how effective or ineffective they are in practice. In 2011, 7,200 human traffickers were prosecuted and 4,300 convicted, Lagon said. Because this statistic has been relatively constant from 2004 to 2011, Lagon said he questions if the policies work.“Conservatives estimate there are 20.9 million human trafficking victims globally,” Lagon said. “We’ve found 41,000. That’s a low percentage of the conservative estimate. We haven’t been doing that well.”Certain partnerships can help in the three P’s, he said, and stressed the importance of protection more than the others. “What’s really important is long-term economic viability,” Lagon said. “You’re failing the victims if you give immediate care but then don’t help them find a way to stand on their own two feet.” Lagon talked about how businesses can play a major role in fighting human trafficking, not only in donating money and time, but also employing survivors.He also stressed how protection and recovery of survivors is crucial. The more recovered survivors are mentally and physically, the more likely they are to testify against their abusers, Lagon said. Lagon said he believes this will lead to more convictions. Finally, he said if human trafficking is punished more severely, it will be less likely to happen. Jessica Fischbach, a second-year graduate student in SPEA, also conducts research about human trafficking and served as a panelist at the conference. “I’ve been doing research on this for two years, so for me this conference was a good opportunity to showcase what I’ve been working on,” Fischbach said. “I think it’s a topic not a lot of people know about, and I think that it’s something at the very core to being human and to treat humans justly.” Even though the keynote focused on Fischbach’s area of research, Fischbach said she thought it was relevant to anyone.“They did an amazing job bringing in a speaker on a really relevant topic,” Fischbach said. “(Lagon’s) presentation was relevant to partnerships in any sector. It doesn’t matter what department at IU, it’s important to understand how to work together across sectors.” Though the conference had its highest attendance ever this year, Mitchell said she hopes for even better attendance next time. “I’d like to see more people come and engage and have conversations about their research,” Mitchell said. “I feel like I benefit more from hearing classmates sometimes than I do an entire semester in some classes.” Follow reporter Suzanne Grossman on Twitter @suzannepaige6.
(03/28/14 3:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Maxine Margolis, professor emerita of Anthropology and Latin American Studies at the University of Florida, spoke to a full room Thursday about what it means to be Brazilian in America. She discussed anthropological research from her book “Goodbye Brazil,” which is about how Brazilian immigrants identify themselves. Margolis said Brazilians are often invisible in the U.S. because Americans tend to categorize them as Hispanic or Latino.“There is a non-recognition of Brazilian as a distinct ethnic group,” Margolis said. “This occurs in common discourse when Brazilians are assumed to be under existing cultural categories such as Hispanic, but Brazilians are far more likely to identify with their nationality rather than racial or ethnic categories.”The Brazil Studies Association will soon award Margolis with its Lifetime Contribution Award.“We’re always looking for distinguished speakers to talk about important topics related to Brazil,” Brazil Studies Project coordinator Luis Gonzalez said. “Professor Margolis is the foremost expert in the U.S. on the topic of Brazilian immigration in the U.S.” Margolis described how Brazilians strive to differentiate themselves from other Latin American immigrants in America. Many Brazilians distinguish themselves from Hispanics by speaking Portuguese and associating themselves with other Portuguese-speaking people, she said.Margolis provided two possible future options for Brazilians in the U.S. “One, Brazilians will continue to reject pan-ethnic Latino and Hispanic labels,” Margolis said. “This will diminish their ability to join in other immigrant groups, but they might eventually become ‘white’ such as other immigrants before.”Or they might succumb to the American ethnic labeling, and as time goes on, find the Latino label less problematic, Margolis said. Several Brazilian students and professors who focus in Brazilian studies attended the talk. First year graduate student at Maurer Law School Vitor Dias said he went because he is Brazilian and likes to connect to his roots.“I’m Brazilian and a social researcher, so it was good to hear an academic perspective,” Dias said. “Integration is important. We have a small Brazilian community here ... This gives us opportunities to hang out and for others to hear others’ experiences.”His experiences differ from what Margolis found in her research. He said he identifies as Hispanic and doesn’t understand why more Brazilians don’t do the same. “I feel Hispanic,” Dias said. “I am in the U.S. and Americans consider me that, so I am.” Shane Greene, director for the Center of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, was pleased with the turn out of the event. He said he believes the importance and interest of Brazil academia comes from its growth as a nation. “Brazil has emerged as a global topic as it grows to a global power,” Greene said. “Why are the Olympics there? What does it mean? The World Cup is there and people are asking, ‘What does this mean?’ Brazil is gaining high-level interest here at IU and in the U.S.” Follow reporter Suzanne Grossman on Twitter @suzannepaige6.
(03/25/14 3:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Norma Rodriguez remembers when she was young her mother telling her they didn’t have anywhere to stay. She and her mother were homeless and had to depend on friends for a place to sleep. This week, in partnership with La Casa, Rodriguez is leading a clothing and toiletries drive to benefit Shalom Community Center. “I want to help people,” Rodriguez said. “I thought there is no better way of helping other people than the homeless.” The drive is running all week and donations can be dropped off at La Casa.Executive Director at Shalom Forrest Gilmore said their biggest needs are jackets, sweatshirts and sweaters. Backpacks, tents and tarps are also really important, he said. “These drives provide for basic essentials for daily lives that most of us take for granted,” Gilmore said. Each March, La Casa themes its programming around activism and advocacy in honor of Latino activist, Cesar Chavez’s birthday, La Casa Director Lillian Caillas-Origel said. “It’s a reminder that we advocate,” Caillas-Origel said. “If you’re empowered, you should do something, and it can be something as simple as donating some items.” Earlier in the year, La Casa staged programming focused on Hispanic Heritage Month. Caillas-Origel said celebrating activism in March helps La Casa end the year on a strong note before students check out in April. “Chavez was a low-income migrant worker with not much education, but look what he did,” Caillas-Origel said. “He led a massive movement, so we do programming to honor him and Latino activists.” Rodriguez said she loves helping people who experience homelessness, especially after seeing Shalom’s high need.“I was researching and what touched me the most is how many women and children were involved at Shalom,” Rodriguez said. “I always thought of homelessness as men, but there were women and children and that touched me since I was once homeless when young.” She said she hopes, with the changing of seasons and people starting their spring cleaning, the drive will collect a large stock of donations. The drives after winter are a relief for Shalom, Gilmore said.“Homelessness never takes a holiday,” he said. “Winter is the most dangerous time for homelessness, but people are homeless all year round and their needs come all year round.” Rodriguez said her goal is not for the drive to collect the most of any drive, but to get as many people involved as possible.And even though students may not have the financial power to help, Gilmore said they make up for it in social power.“Students often have large social networks, which can be very helpful,” Gilmore said. “The way they can work and connect with others is great and helps make a big difference.” Caillas-Origel said she hopes the same and urges students to believe they can make a difference. “No matter how horrible our condition is, we can all do something,” Caillas-Origel said. “Students will say, ‘I don’t have money’, but we all have something to give. We live in this world. We have to be a part of it and contribute to it.”
(03/24/14 3:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After a long winter in the greenhouses, Campus Garden workdays are moving outdoors this Friday. The Garden Corps welcomes new volunteers as it implements its new permaculture designs for the garden, Campus Garden coordinator Audrey Brinkers said. “It’s exciting because it’s going to make the garden process more efficient, and it’s a new learning opportunity for volunteers to be exposed to a new type of gardening,” Garden Corps member Alicia Richhart said.From 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, the group will implement the design. The group has scheduled a work session from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.Both days are open to new volunteers.Sophomore and Garden Corps member Ellie Symes said she’s excited for the event after all the hard work the group has put into planning it.“I’ll be proud to see the garden built from the ground up,” Symes said. “It’s going to be a good time with food and music.” The garden redesign is based on the individual projects each Garden Corps member plans and executes throughout the year. Symes plans on introducing bees to the garden, and Richhart is working on a recipe book of meals grown there.“I hope we can grow out and organize the Garden Corps program, which just started last semester,” Richhart said. “A lot of the individual projects is what brings these new innovations to the garden and helps us improve our leadership skills. I really think it’s the right direction to go.” The Garden Corps is a group of dedicated volunteers at the campus garden who not only volunteer several hours each week, but also come up with individual projects to constantly improve the garden.The corps manage two gardens, the Hilltop Garden and the Bryan House Garden. The Bryan House garden started first, in 2011, with 900 square feet. The Hilltop Garden was built in 2012 and spans 8,500 square feet. Because of construction, the Bryan House garden isn’t in bloom this season, Brinkers said. Brinkers said a campus community garden can teach valuable lessons.“The purpose is to demonstrate to students how they can live more sustainably by growing and eating their own food,” Brinkers said. “Lots of college students want to know where their food comes from, and this is an important place to make that connection.” Food from the gardens goes to campus dining halls to use as soon as it’s harvested. Volunteers are also allowed to bring home whatever food they would like after a day’s work, Brinkers said. “I call it the best free food club on campus,” Symes said. “You get to come and put in whatever work amount you can and take home free fresh vegetables. That’s honestly the incentive that got me into it.” Symes also plans to have free yoga classes at the garden in order to offer more incentive for community members and students to come out. She said her favorite part of the garden is how it brings people she wouldn’t normally interact with together.“Sometimes you get isolated in your major and the things you are really interested in,” she said. “But it’s so exciting to talk to other people about what they’re doing. We get new people here every Friday, from all majors and walks of life.” Brinkers said breaking away from the books and spending time in the soil is most rewarding. “I think the best part is we get so many students who wouldn’t be growing food before,” Brinkers said. “Because we partner with clubs and classes, we get people who otherwise would not be getting their hands in the dirt.” Follow reporter Suzanne Grossman on Twitter @suzannepaige6.
(03/14/14 3:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This month marks Bloomington’s first “Nutrition Month” as declared by Mayor Mark Kruzan, and IU is wasting no time cleaning up its plate. To encourage a healthier spring for students and faculty, Residential Programs and Dining Services, IU Health and the Student Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at IU are running programs and initiatives during March. “This year’s theme is ‘Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right,’” RPS Registered Dietician Rachel Noirot said. Noirot said she hopes faculty and staff try on-campus dining options to see what they’re missing.“We have healthy options in our dining halls, especially the new Woodlands location with things like Romaine for salads and a fresh juicer,” Noirot said. “They are so close, but yet there’s not a lot of faculty or staff that know about these options.” RPS has made an online calendar of scheduled, healthy menus for anyone to review before making the trip to the food courts, Noirot said.“For all of March, we’ve highlighted healthy options that people can find,” she said. The calendar, as well as general menus for each day, can be found on RPS’s website. Above all, Noirot said she wants students to be aware of their access to registered dieticians on campus.“All students pay a health fee and can see a dietician at IU Health for free,” Noirot said. “They just call and make an appointment. They don’t have to have any issues and can come just talk about their diet, or if they’re investigating being vegetarian they can do that.” If students are curious about nutrition at individual IU dining halls, there is a chef on staff at each one who can tell them about special dietary needs and exactly how their food is prepared, Noirot said. IU Health has also worked with IU Athletics this month for their seventh annual food drive for Hoosier Hills Food Bank.“The goal is to get all people to have access to healthy food options and to really decrease food insecurity,” IU Health Registered Dietician Samantha Schaefer said. “I really do believe no matter what their level of income, every person should be entitled to a healthy lifestyle.” So far, the food drive has collected record-breaking amounts, Schaefer said. After just four hours at Kroger March 1, IU Health and several IU athletes collected 808 pounds of food and $243, amounting to a total of 3,481 pounds of food, Schaefer said. IU Health in Paoli, Bedford and Morgan Hospital in Martinsville are also sponsoring food drives, making this a regional drive. IU Health and Southern Indiana physicians are also collecting food with bins set up in several primary care offices, Schaefer said. Finally, the Student Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at IU is working to help students learn to prepare healthy dishes. “In the past we’ve done cooking demos in the dorms, but this year seemed like a good opportunity to expose our club and nutrition month to new groups, to help broaden ourselves culturally,” SAND President Elizabeth Kehoe, said. “It’s a good chance to show other cultures how to eat healthier with their food rather than always with American food.”SAND members will be having a cooking demo March 26 at La Casa. All students are welcome, and they will be making tostadas, Kehoe said. If students ever want to look into a healthier college lifestyle, Noirot said she would be willing to meet with them. “We just want to reemphasize that nutrition really is important especially on campus,” Noirot said. “Students and faculty get really busy and tend to overlook healthy options, but in the long run building these good habits can go a long way.”
(03/12/14 3:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jakobi Williams said he educates to end misconceptions of the Black Panther Party at IU. At a round table discussion Tuesday at the Poynter Center at IU, Williams, a history professor at IU, discussed racial coalitions and his new book, “From the Bullet to the Ballot,” which delves into the history of the Black Panther Party in Chicago. His message related to the stereotype that the BPP is the Klu Klux Klan for black people. “It’s important to recognize that the Panthers didn’t hate white people, and their legacies live on today,” Williams said. “Aside from the election of the first black president, they helped establish the Child Nutrition Act, and free liberation schools and awareness of sickle cell.” Williams gave examples of how the Rainbow Coalition, a group composed of BPP members, worked with all races by bringing people together with common socioeconomic backgrounds. That included photos of Black Panthers working with Young Patriots, a group of white southerners who often wore the confederate flag. He also dispelled the idea of the BPP being violent for reasons beyond self-defense by explaining the idea of black power.“Black power is not that the BPP hate white people or think blacks are supreme,” Williams said. “It’s about economic and political control of your own community. It gets confused when it’s juxtaposed with the idea of white power.” Williams went into detail about how the Rainbow Coalition became involved in Chicago politics and contributed to the eventual rise of Barack Obama as President of the United States. “I didn’t know the history at all and how it related to Barack Obama’s election,” said Emma Young, the Poynter Center’s administrative office coordinator. “It was really interesting to hear those connections.” Williams said he thinks studying the BPP is important, given the state the U.S. economy is in today.“Honestly, with our economic conditions today, I think we need these kinds of coalition efforts that you see with the Rainbow Coalition,” Williams said. “However, there’s a new BPP today and I tell people to stay the hell away from it. They have internalized the propaganda and stereotypes about the BPP and are hating white people.” The Poynter Center played host to the event in concordance with their mission to talk about ethical issues across all disciplines, Young said. The BPP’s grassroots tactics were what interested her most from William’s talk, she said.“I was really impressed to learn more about BPP methods,” Young said. “It’s something I’d want to use here in community organizing.”Williams gave several examples of this community organizing, such as setting up free health clinics without government help.The event drew a smaller crowd than usual, Glenda Murray, the program coordinator said. “I had really high hopes,” Murray said. “In the future I’d love to have more people here, but I guess the nice weather kept them outside.” Usually the round table discussions at the Poynter Center bring in a dozen or so people Murray said, but this event brought in six. Despite the small crowd, Williams said he still plans to bring in members from the Rainbow Coalition, including two BPP members to IU March 28. He said he believes the message of racial coalitions for a common cause is needed today and hopes bringing in BPP members will help encourage it. “America is more polarized than it’s ever been in history,” he said. “In my opinion, these political trends demonstrate how we have a lot more in common than we think we do. If Appalachian Whites and Panthers can come together, than we can too.”
(03/10/14 2:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ayesha Siddiqi is sick of news stories about so-called “suffering” Muslim women.Writer and editor for Buzzfeed and the New Inquiry, Siddiqi urged IU students Friday to rethink how the media frames the dialogue around Islam’s relationship with women.The event’s goal was to give women, particularly Muslim women, a place to speak on campus and to raise awareness, Muslim Student Union President Romaze Akram said.“First, we feel like women in Islam is a very misunderstood topic,” Akram said. “Another thing is, I feel like women in general don’t get a lot of exposure on our campus, so I wanted something centered around women.” Siddiqi addressed how most news media frame stories of Muslim women around their clothing. She typed “Muslim women” into a Google search. The most common Google searches were clothing, rights and rules. She also showed a survey that asked opinions about the appropriateness of Muslim women’s dress. “There is no survey about what Christian people should wear,” Siddiqi said. “It’s not something we consider. We make it more about this piece of cloth than the women who remain nameless, faceless and abstract.” Siddiqi said the narrative of Muslim women’s oppression and needing saved from their religion is a Western construct. The media often speak about Muslim women accomplishing basic tasks despite being Muslim, she said. Headlines about Muslim women often read like, “Muslim woman goes to the store by herself despite being Muslim” or “Muslim women laughing despite being Muslim, who would’ve thought,” she joked. She said that way, the media is perpetuating a misconception that’s hard to overcome.“By saying this, it’s saying being Muslim has to be reconciled with feminism or Westernism or whatever,” Siddiqi said. “I don’t need to reconcile feminism and Islam, when I first encountered feminism within Islam.” She said she believes the story of Muslim women is static and constrained and urged the crowd not to defend claims that disprove Islam’s oppression of women, but instead to ask who is framing the conversations in that light. Siddiqi argued the idea of oppressed Muslim women was an excuse for war after 9/11 and not actually to protect Muslim women. She accused western leaders of hypocrisy by justifying war to save women from Islamic oppression when the same leaders were neglecting the women in their own country. “If I told you every eight seconds a woman is raped and that their death is likely to be brought by a spouse, where would you think that country is? Because we’re living in it,” Sidiiqi said.She also said the media focuses on only a small portion of Muslim women. Their stories spoken about in America aren’t the experiences of all Muslim women, she said.“We all know Malala’s name, but what about the girl in Iraq raped and set on fire by a U.S. soldier?” Siddiqi said. Siddiqi concluded her talk with advice on how to talk about Muslim women.“If you want to talk about Muslim women, all you have to do is talk to them,” Siddiqi said. “Most women are not just Muslim, and they are not just women. The idea that everything has to be answerable to these two traits is unfair.”After a question-and-answer session, people were able to talk with Siddiqi personally. Freshman Sabrena Nayer said she was interested in learning why society only talks about Muslim women in a negative way.“The best thing I got out of it was concentrating on the media and how they word this topic,” she said. “It’s so crucial to breaking down these barriers and realizing that, whatever your assumptions are, that’s the true veil that’s keeping you from understanding Muslim women.”Though Nayer said she sees how the dialogue surrounding Muslim women is harmful to them, she said she thinks it’s also harmful to those who don’t try to look past the stereotypes.“By telling yourself that any person is so-called ‘foreign’ to you and somehow not appropriate, is restricting yourself,” Nayer said. “It keeps you from developing and growing.”
(03/07/14 5:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This year, the Muslim Student Union at IU declared this week as Islamic Awareness Week because, even though hate crimes in Bloomington have calmed down and the word Islamaphobia appears less often in newspapers, misconceptions and fear of Muslims is still a reality for IU students.Three Muslim students shared their experiences — good and bad — of life in the United States and at IU.***Haseeb Mohidden has always been a helper.His ultimate religion is helping people, he said. His friends know him as the one who will always answer their calls for help, even if it’s 3 a.m. and they need him to go to Wells for help on a paper, he said.Mohidden volunteers and tutors at Midway House and on campus, and dreams of joining Doctors Without Borders to help refugees and underprivileged people receive medical care. Even though he’s not Arab, he helped form the Arab Student Association at IU.As a Muslim student at IU, Mohidden said he has never faced any discrimination, but still believes there is confusion about his beliefs.Every day at dawn, in the afternoon, the evening, after sunset and at night, Mohidden prays. During the day, Mohidden tries to find less trafficked areas to pray, because he can’t always make it home. He often picks the stacks at Wells, he said. “I’ve never felt any type of prejudice, but sometimes I feel that people don’t understand why I’m doing something,” Mohidden said. “Like, I have to pray five times a day. Sometimes it’s in the library, and I don’t think people understand.” The prayers require different positions, and attract stares, which he said makes him uncomfortable.But aside from this, IU has been a safe place for him, he said.In his hometown of Valparaiso, Ind., Mohidden did experience more hostility after Sept. 11. “In middle school I was called a terrorist every now and then,” Mohidden said. “One student was beat up for being Muslim, too. He was in the 8th grade when I was a 6th grader.” Mohidden said he hopes the events from Islamic Awareness Week will educate the campus about diversity and result in less confusion and fear. “It wasn’t fear for me, it was more anger,” Mohidden said. “I told myself that if it was me I would fight back, but now I know it’s best to fight it with education and in a more peaceful way.” ***Dana Khabbaz is one of the only women currently active in the Muslim Student Union at IU, group President Romaze Akram said. Khabbaz said she studies political science and hopes to become a lawyer, but not the kind most people talk badly about.“I’ve always wanted to pursue the type of law that’s not viewed in a negative way,” Khabbaz said. “I want to be in the type that helps people.” She is a member of Oxfam, Oxford Committee for Famine Relief, at IU. She said she believes in its methods of long-term fixes for problems of global issues, rather than temporary aid. Being a Muslim and holding feminist beliefs is sometimes hard for Khabbaz, not because she thinks they are contradictory, she said, but because others do. “People who may not know Muslims often have the perspective of it being oppressive and forcing women behind curtains,” Khabbaz said. “If you look historically, women are not oppressed and there have been lots of prominent Muslim women in leadership.”People also don’t always understand why she doesn’t wear a head scarf. Even though she is technically of age to wear a hijab, she doesn’t.“It’s a public statement and I’d like to grow stronger in areas of myself before I’m ready to wear it,” Khabbaz said. “I don’t want to wear it until I’m the best I can possibly be so I can represent my religion well.” The stereotypes and stigmas that come with being Muslim are less about people being close-minded, and more about people simply not knowing any Muslims, Khabbaz said. And preceding the issue of discrimination, Khabbaz also has family to worry about. Her parents are immigrants from Syria. Much of her extended family still lives there, and are in danger because of Syria’s civil war. Khabbaz hasn’t returned to Syria since the war started. She said she feels helpless when thinking about her family and saddened by what has happened despite her political stance on the war.“At the end of the day there are men, women and children who are innocent civilians dying who aren’t involved on either side,” Khabbaz said. “I’m so used to hearing about war and stuff in other countries and it’s awful. It’s another thing when it’s the place you consider your second home.” ***Almost every day, Romaze Akram dresses up with a tie, even if he’s just going to class.“All my friends know I like to dress up,” Akram said. “A lot of people wear button downs and nice clothing at IU. It’s tough to stand out on such a large campus and this is one way I try to do so.”He also likes to dress in basketball gear and hit the court, he said. He and a team of his friends just lost in the semi-finals of IU’s rec league. He can be hired as a dancer, he said. He has been dancing for about eight years, mostly hip-hop and break dancing, and has been paid to dance at weddings. When he came to IU, he said he was culture shocked. He said his expectations were completely wrong.He didn’t think he’d fit in, he said. “I really like the people here,” Akram said. “What I thought the people were going to be like and what they are like is so different. I remember thinking all these people were going to think, ‘He’s brown. I’m not going to like him,’ or, ‘He’s brown. He must be weird.’ But they’re not.” In fact, he said it’s hard for him to remember a time when he’s been discriminated against here. The discrimination he has faced has been what he calls “undercover” racism. One day, for a religious holiday in Islam, Akram was more dressed up than usual. Not just a tie, but an entire suit. While looking at new ties to buy at a mall in his hometown of Evansville, a clerk asked Akram if he needed any help. After saying no, Akram said he noticed the clerk proceeded to follow him all around the store.“If he expects me to steal something when I’m wearing a suit, what would he do if I wasn’t dressed as nice? Throw me out of the store?” Akram said.Luckily, even in Evansville, this isn’t what Akram usually experiences, he said. It’s a rare occurrence. Though Akram said he hasn’t faced discrimination at IU, he still thinks IU could do a better job of understanding and accommodating Islamic students.“Not many people know why we fast or pray, but that isn’t just on IU,” he said. “The Muslim Student Union and Muslims can do a better job of spreading awareness.”
(03/07/14 3:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After months of advising contestants on song selection and evaluating which outfit looks best on stage, Amanda Hammerman will finally see the results of her efforts.IU Hillel’s 10th Campus Superstar competition will hold its semi-finals at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The event is free and open to the public to watch the remaining 30 contestants compete in the finals for a chance to win $5,000. Hammerman, an IU student and executive director of Campus Superstar, said she believes this year’s competition is a step up from years past.“From last year to this year, the talent has been even better,” Hammerman said. “The way we did the audition marketing this year was really targeted on the music buildings, Neal-Marshall and we also told the Singing Hoosiers.”Any college student in Indiana is able to participate in Campus Superstar. The only requirements are singing in a cappella and making a $5 donation to IUHillel. On Sunday, semi-finalists will sing 90 seconds of a song of their choice.Competitors had to submit background music two weeks ago.The event serves as the largest fundraiser for IU Hillel, bringing in more than $50,000 in revenue. After the production costs of about $20,000, IU Hillel will end up with a net profit of about $30,000 from the event, Campus Superstar representative Phillip Silberberg said. The money is an addition to IU Hillel’s $600,000 annual budget.“Hillel provides a home away from home for many students,” Silberberg said. “We provide free Shabbat meals and assist around 20 different clubs with diverse programming.” The show is organized by IU Hillel students to help them gain experience planning a major event, Silberberg said. “The student organizers do really do the show,” Hammerman said. “They work auditions, take photos, write scripts — they just do everything.” Previous winners include students aspiring for full-time music careers. The first winner of the competition, Stephani Parker, went on to win Chicago Idol.Her prize was a recording session with Kanye West. The show will feature college students from across Indiana, from which only 10 will advance to the final round April 13 in Indianapolis.Three judges will choose nine of the finalists, and the audience will vote for the 10th finalist. Junior Tess Angermeier will compete this Sunday with the song “Animal” by Neon Trees. She said she feels a mix of nerves and excitement as the weekend approaches. “It’s a good kind of nervousness and excitement,” Angermeier said. “I’m excited because my friends and family are coming, and because I get to listen and hear the other 24 contestants who I’m sure are awesome.” Angermeier said she hopes to someday work in the music industry, and that this will give her experience and help her get her name out. “As a performer, it’s always good experience to get on stage and get your name out there,” Angermeier said. “Whether I move on or not, it’ll be a good experience for me and I won’t have any regrets.” If she advances and eventually wins the competition, Angermeier said she hopes to use the money to promote herself even more.She said she wants to play more shows in Bloomington in addition to the performances she’s already given at Starbucks, Buffa Louie’s and Dunnkirk. She encouraged students to attend and enjoy listening to the talented performers.“Students should really come because a lot of people tried out and there’s going to be so much talent,” Angermeier said. “I’m still very confident, but the caliber of vocal quality is going to be really amazing. It’s a great chance to check out all the contestants for free.”
(03/03/14 4:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Future Latino leaders discussed culture and education this weekend on campus.Friday and Saturday, the 15th annual Indiana Latino Leadership Conference invited high school and college students from across Indiana to immerse themselves in Latino culture. The conference included campus tours, student panels, a resource fair, workshops and, for the first time, high school students stayed on campus for the night. “The purpose is really to get other Latinos connected with each other,” said Carley Cruz, chair of the Indiana Latino Leadership Conference. “That, and learning about their culture, is really the purpose of this conference.”The conference was also open to those who just wanted to learn more about Latino culture.“The goal is to share knowledge about the culture, and it’s an update for us Latinos as well,” senior Juan Cano said. “As the world changes, the big issues for Latino culture change. It used to be immigration, but now I believe it’s education.” The overnight portion this year was intended to give the high school students a taste of what college is like, he said. “I think the most important reason this conference happens is that we are becoming one of the largest minorities in the U.S., and for some reason our education rates are still low,” Cruz said. “We want to promote continuous learning to get more education so we can have more high school graduates who go on to college.” Zeysha Fuentes, a Bloomington High School North junior, said the conference changed her opinion about college.“At first I always planned on going to college, but then I looked at my grades and I didn’t see college as a big option,” Fuentes said. “Now that I went to the conference, I can see that no matter what situation, I can still make it and still do it.” Fuentes said she heard about the conference when conference representatives visited BHSN. “The conference was a great way for us to know we can go to school and make a difference,” Fuentes said. “Just because we’re Latino doesn’t mean we can’t. There are people that made it.” Fuentes said the conference workshops provided resources and advice about how to find scholarships and support programs to get her into higher education.Previously, the conference took place at a different Indiana college campus each year. This might not be the case anymore, Cano said.“We’ve proven we can do this and plan all the details,” he said. “Because of success this year and how we showed what we can accomplish, I think we’ll be here for a while.” Cruz said she hopes this conference shows the power the Latino community, as well as other minority groups, can have on IU’s campus. “Any type of cultural event is important for campus,” Cruz said. “Because we don’t have a lot of minorities, these events make us able to prove that were not just a number or invisible. Look how successful it is. Look what we can do.”
(03/02/14 11:10pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A new campus group is trying to alleviate the difficulty international students might experience when coming out because of cultural boundaries. The LGBT International Group at IU is just getting started, and does not have an official name yet. “It’s important to create a space for international students of any concern to enhance the variety of things the international services already provide,” said Doug Bauder, director of IU Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Student Support Services. “LGBT issues in other cultures is getting more publicity today, and we need a safe space to discuss some of these problematic issues.” Isolation is the reason for the group’s formation, Bauder said.He said several international students visiting GLBT SSS felt alienated because they feel they can’t be open about their sexuality in other groups at IU.Saul Blanco, co-leader of the group, said problems still arise even though the United States is a much safer place for students to be open and explore their sexuality.“International students who identify with LGBT issues may come from places where it’s not as nice and open as the U.S. might be,” Blanco said. “When they come here, even though the U.S. is more friendly, they still are struggling with the issues because they were raised in a place where it’s not.” As of right now, the group doesn’t know if it will be a social group, support group or something else. Blanco said the group will focus on what students say they want and need. Tao Liu, another co-leader of the group, said she wants to see the group form into a community. “I want to create a safe, supportive community for international students who identify as LGBTQ or are allies, so we can have a safe environment without being judged,” she said. She said the group hopes to make students more understanding and accepting of each other.“I hope this group makes the campus diverse in terms of not just different groups of people being here, but facilitating interaction between different groups of people,” Liu said. “I want everyone to feel comfortable to be who they are and feel safe here, but especially LGBT international students.”The group will meet 5 to 7 p.m. March 28. The location of the meeting is yet to be announced.All students, international or not, are welcome to attend. Blanco said confidentiality is a high priority. Liu said she hopes people aren’t afraid to attend the group, but realizes it’s not always easy to cross culture boundaries.“In a lot of cultures, there’s a strong orientation of homophobia,” Liu said. “A lot of times that’s due to unfamiliarity with LGBT. I want people to have an open mind and get to know these people. Don’t be afraid.”
(02/28/14 4:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the spirit of sustainability, students dined with glass plates and goblets and composted their leftovers at the Second Annual Student Sustainability Summit. The event took place Thursday night at Union Street Auditorium and was sponsored by the IU Office of Sustainability and the Student Sustainability Council.“The event is to, one, bring students together who are working on sustainability issues in different realms on campus,” said Sarah Baulac, education and research intern at the Office of Sustainability and first year graduate student. “And, second, we want to show our faculty and staff counterparts how much support there is from students for sustainability initiatives.” Baulac said these are issues she said she deeply cares about. “I think sustainability is anchored in what people do and how we treat each other,” Baulac said. “I think it’s in everyone’s best interest and for our future to talk about sustainability.” Compared to past summits, this one was considered especially pressing because of the Provost’s new Campus Strategic Plan, Baulac said. “As we’re moving into a new year with a new Strategic Plan this is our time to show how important sustainability is,” Baulac said. “This is our chance to shape the future of campus as it relates to sustainability.” The event included guest speakers Jeff White, professor of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs; Michael Hamburger, the co-chair of the campus sustainability advisory board; and Bill Brown, the director of sustainability. White announced a new degree in environmental and sustainability studies that was just approved by the Commission of Higher Education Wednesday. This degree will allow for middle ground between the two degrees in environmental affairs that already exist, a B.S. in environmental science and a B.S. in environmental affairs, he said. The first is more science based, while the second is more management based. The new degree will focus more on the combination of arts, humanities and science of sustainability, White said. After the speakers, students broke out into small roundtable discussions to discuss sustainability issues of all sorts with those on campus currently who are working on them. The break out topics included energy and the environment, computing sustainability, environmental quality and land use, food, resource use and recycling and transportation. Groups discussed work in progress and what students wanted done in the future.“It’s such a wonderful event because students learn about campus and we learn about what students care about,” Brown said. With the Office of Sustainability’s five-year anniversary coming up this Saturday, Baulac said she has big hopes for the future. “I’d like to see sustainability happen in more degree programs,” Baulac said. “I think its important students incorporate sustainability into their education and it would be great for it to be as common as English or writing.”
(02/27/14 4:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With every birthday, men who plan to be fathers put their unborn child at a higher risk of serious psychiatric and developmental disorders.In a new study, IU researchers discovered babies born to older fathers are more prone to psychiatric and academic problems than previously thought. “We were predicting very serious problems like autism, ADHD, suicide and schizophrenia with these better research designs,” said Brian D’Onofrio, lead author of the study and professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at IU. “The findings were much higher than we expected.” The sample set of data was large, coming from every one of the 2.6 million people born in Sweden from 1973 until 2001.That’s the largest to date for this area of study, D’Onofrio said. From this sample, researchers saw that when a child born to a 24-year-old father was compared to a child born to a 45-year-old father, the latter turned out 3.5 times more likely to have autism, 13 times more likely to have ADHD, two times more likely to have a psychotic disorder, 25 times more likely to have bipolar disorder and 2.5 times more likely to have suicidal behavior or a substance abuse problem.Scandinavian countries such as Sweden don’t have as many policies regarding privacy when it comes to health records as the U.S., the Department Chair of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Bill Hetrick, said. This enabled so many people to be included in the sample, which never would have been allowed with U.S. health privacy policy, Hetrick said.“It demonstrates what can be done with linked electronic medical and health records with educational documents,” Hetrick said. “Scandinavian records prove important to answer these questions. The methodology they use to make records available to analyze is of tremendous value to society.”This study is the most comprehensive study to date on the effects of paternal aging on childbearing, according to an IU Newsroom press release. Unlike any other study regarding paternal aging on childbirth, this is the first one to compare siblings and cousins, D’Onofrio said.This allowed researchers to focus on the biological concerns more than environmental concerns of childbearing age.“We know men who have children at a very early age are different than men who have children later on,” D’Onofrio said. “Our ability to compare siblings and cousins whose fathers were different ages gave us a better handle of what are the real concerns of childbearing age.” Studying cousins also helps examine the effects birth order and sibling influence may have had on the study’s results, D’Onofrio said.The researchers also controlled factors such as parent income and education to see if household stability had any effects. But the results were the same despite income and education levels. D’Onofrio said he believes the high rates of psychiatric problems in children born to older parents occur because when sperm replicate, there is a chance for a DNA mutation. Also, as men age, they are exposed to more environmental toxins, which can cause mutations in sperm, he said.“There are more genetic mutations in sperm of older men,” D’Onofrio said.When it comes to the effects of parental age on childbirth, paternal aging is a new hot topic for researchers D’Onofrio said. He said he equates this to trends of waiting to have children.“Historically there has been an increase in the average age of men and women having children,” D’Onofrio said. “In fact, in most recent recession, more people waited to have children.”Research like this shines light on the negative consequences of waiting to have children, and D’Onofrio said he hopes it helps people make more informed choices. “This research should help inform couples and society at large to consider both the pros and cons of delaying childbearing,” he said.D’Onofrio said he admits the study needs to be replicated and needs more advanced research designs to better estimate paternal age factors in child bearing. More genetic research and research on possible environmental associations need to be looked into as well, D’Onofrio said. D’Onofrio said he finds many people interested in the issue because the wide scope of people it affects. “Mental health problems affect all of us,” D’Onofrio said. “Whether ourselves, our family, or close friends it’s an important topic for the general public to know about.”Finally, though paternal aging does pose risks for children developing psychiatric problems, D’Onofrio said he doesn’t want people thinking this happens every time men of older age have children.“It’s an important public health questions, but I must stress not all children born to older men have psychiatric problems,” D’Onofrio said.
(02/26/14 5:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Time is running out for students wanting to sign up for Talgit-Birthright Israel: Hillel Trip. Registration is expected to close in a matter of days, and a record-breaking number of students have already signed up.This makes IU Hillel the top recruiter for Talgit-Birthright Israel in the nation so far, trip organizer Ally Turkheimer said.“I’ve never had so many applicants before,” Turkheimer said. “It’s beautiful and amazing and brings me so much happiness.”So far this session, 127 applicants have applied for the trips either this summer or later. The summer trip will take place at the end of May, but the official dates haven’t been released. Turkheimer said she believes a possible reason for the spike in interest is due to the change in eligibility made by Talgit-Birthright Israel. Previously, the trip was open only to those who had never been to Israel before. Talgit-Birthright Israel changed this in January.Now the trips are open to Jewish students who haven’t been to Israel since their 18th birthday. Students who have ever visited Israel for more than three months since age 12 are still not eligible. “From what I understand, the reason they open up the trips is to allow students to experience Israel again as adults and connect back to their Judaism,” Turkheimer said. Turkheimer said IU Hillel probably won’t know when registration will end until 24 hours before, if they’re lucky.“It closes because you can’t have people keep applying,” Turkheimer said. “We need time to readjust the market and rebrand. There are always going to be people who are interested in signing up.” IU Hillel is the only provider on campus that allows students to schedule their trip anytime within the next two years, Turkheimer said. Rabbi Sue Shifron of Hillel said she believes it will be the best experience of their lives.She said the record numbers signing up for the trips are a testament to the religion’s presence at the University.“It shows what a strong Jewish community we have here on campus,” Shifron said. Shifron also said she hopes students will sign up even if they aren’t connected to IU Hillel. “Even if you don’t know anybody, it’s a great opportunity to make friends from this school that you can come back with,” Shifron said. Freshman Jackie Gallagher signed up for the trip last semester and said she’s hoping she gets into this May’s trip to Israel. “Even though it’s only a 10-day trip, we really will get to see all the important things,” Gallagher said. “The fact I get to go with a bunch of friends and people from school makes it great, too.” Not only is it a chance to travel for free and be with friends, but it also has deeper meaning for students, she said. “I think it’s important for Jews to visit Israel because it’s the homeland where so much culture and history is,” Gallagher said. “As you get older, you may start away from what your parents taught you and what you did religiously at home. This helps you get reconnected and stay on the Judaism path.” To learn more about the trips and registration, Turkheimer said she encourages students to either call or visit Hillel. Students wanting to sign up for the Talgit-Birthright Israel: Hillel-Indiana University trip should visit freeisraeltrip.org.“It’s going to be an amazing experience,” Gallagher said. “Everyone should try to do it if they can.” Follow reporter Suzanne Grossman on Twitter @suzannepaige6.
(02/24/14 4:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Vickie Casanova drove from Chicago, as she does almost every year, to dance with her former professor and learn from prolific African diaspora dance masters.“Here in Bloomington there is such a rich experience provided through the academia,” Casanova, an IU alumna, said. “... It’s a pleasure to be at my alma mater.” Casanova was one of about 70 people who attended IU’s African American Dance Company’s 16th Annual Dance Workshop Friday and Saturday. The annual workshop takes place in the Neal-Marshall Black Cultural Center and consists of 12 dance workshops taught by master artists. A dance showcase caps the event.Casanova said she believes actually doing the traditional dances and learning from artists in the field is much more beneficial than just studying the history of the art form.“My personal experience is that when you’re studying anything to learn about it that’s one thing, but its another thing to do it,” Casanova said. Iris Rosa, IU professor of African American and African Diaspora studies, created the workshops 16 years ago and still directs the events today. “I wanted to expose the students in the dance company at IU and surrounding communities to dance from the African diaspora,” Rosa said. “I wanted to expose them to a broader range of dance traditions and to know there are other black artists who can teach dance traditions.” The importance of preservation arose as a theme from this weekend’s dance workshops and panel discussion, Rosa and Casanova both said.Rosa said she remembers a student asking the panelists if it’s the dancers’ responsibility to preserve the traditions of African diaspora dance forms, and how to do so.“I think it’s important to keep exposing students to this type of tradition, because preservation is very important,” Rosa said. “And how do you preserve a tradition if you don’t know the tradition, even from your own heritage?”This year, the workshop brought in master artists from Virginia, Jamaica and Cuba to teach dance traditions such as Gaga, the Cuban Rumba and West Indian, as well as other forms. The master artists have worked in professional dance for several years, and all have had director positions within their chosen styles. Most have also performed and taught internationally and earned doctoral in their fields, according to the African American Arts Institute’s website. “It’s important for students to see somebody like themselves teach and talk their language, and white students need to see someone not like themselves to get a broader type of experience,” Rosa said. In upcoming years, Rosa said she plans to make the workshops into more of a conference event. She said she would like to bring in more artists and to get more participation to improve exposure of African American and African diaspora dance. “People think there’s no technique in learning African diaspora dance forms, but there is technique in all of it, and it has meaning,” Rosa said. “It’s more than just movement. It’s very important to validate these African diasporic forms just like we validate Euro-centric dance forms.” A fourth-year graduate student in sociology, Shandu Foster started dancing with the company last spring. “It’s a great opportunity to learn from the artists,” Foster said. “It’s very encouraging, and the artists are very up front about what they do and why they do it.”Foster said he appreciated the openness of the artists and the chance to talk with them in a casual setting, not just as instructor to student. “For just as much moving as we do, there were equal parts talking and learning,” Foster said.Foster said he appreciated talking about how the movements they learned had social and political meaning in the society from which they came. “For young people who just like to dance, thinking about preserving tradition forces us to keep in our minds that dancing is more than just movement,” Foster said. The weekend concluded with a showcase of the dances participants learned in the workshops.Foster said he felt exhilarated and surprised because the house was completely full. Rosa also said the event was a highlight of the workshop, because she loves seeing students engage in a dance form they’ve never experienced. “It’s my responsibility to expose students and the larger community to dance so the differences can be appreciated, recognized and validated,” Rosa said. “It makes for a better, well-rounded dancer, but it also makes for a better, well-rounded citizen.”The African American Dance Company’s 40th Spring Concert Celebration will be held at 8 p.m., April 12, at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Tickets will be $20 for adults and $10 for students and children. Follow reporter Suzanne Grossman on Twitter @suzannepaige6.
(02/19/14 5:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Peace Corps ranked IU in its Top 25 Colleges list for volunteers with 35 alumni volunteers from 2013, putting IU in 25th place. The last time IU appeared on the list was during the 2011-12 year. Since the Peace Corps agency was created in 1961, 1,603 IU graduates have served. “I hope IU can grow more and larger,” Damon Smith, President of the IU Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Group, said. “It’s great we’re back in the Top 25, but being 25th is not where IU wants to be.” Jessica Mayle, public affairs coordinator for the Midwest Peace Corps, said they create the list to recognize schools who foster a belief in community service. “We hope the list encourages more students to apply,” Mayle said. “It creates a culture of service on campus and helps students identify with alumni who have served.” The new IU recruiter, Laura Fonseca, is one of the reasons IU has reached the top 25 again, Mayle said.“It’s been great to return to my alma mater and reach out to students that I relate to in many ways,” Fonseca said. “Seeing IU back on the top 25 schools is a great representation of the Hoosier commitment to international outreach.” IU brings the Peace Corps great volunteers, Mayle said.“What we see at IU is an international global perspective,” Mayle said. “It’s a value the school tries to instill as well as to making a difference. That commitment to service and a global perspective makes great Peace Corps applicants.” IU also has special programs to benefit Peace Corps volunteers. The School of Public and Environmental Affairs offers returned Peace Corps volunteers financial aid and academic benefits for their service.One of the programs SPEA offers is called the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program, which offers financial assistance to those who want to continue their community service back at school.SPEA, as well as the School of Education, also offer the Master’s International program, which allows students to earn graduate school credit while volunteering in-country. “All of these programs are fantastic academic opportunities and draw in individuals who have or will serve in the Peace Corps,” Fonseca said. Fonseca is planning a recruitment event on campus for 5 p.m. March 26 at the Career Development Center for any student who is interested in hearing from past volunteers. Smith said he believes the time he spent in Ukraine with the Peace Corps was one of the most valuable things he has ever done and said he still thinks about it every day. Not only did the experience make him more competitive for graduate schools by giving him international experience and skills in language, he said, but it also helped him personally develop. “Most would say they got much more out of their service than they can ever provide to the people they are serving in their country,” Smith said. “It was a big part of my life and the best thing I could have done after college.”
(02/18/14 4:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>More than 40 members of the greek system once showed up to Hallie Baumann’s henna workshop to get henna designs of KOK.“Kilroy’s does this thing where if you get KOK tattooed on you, you get free cover charge,” Baumann said. “So they all came and wrote KOK on them with henna. I never heard back if it worked or not, but that was amusing.” Though Baumann said she didn’t want to condone the activity by helping out, one man was doing such a horrible job doing the design that she stepped in to help. “Some came back and attended other sessions,” Baumann said. “That was nice so it got some people actually interested.” Baumann has taught the workshop for the past three years and does henna professionally. Monday’s sleet and rain caused the six to ten RSVP’ed guests to not show up, but Baumann went on with only one student in attendance. The event was hosted at the Asian Cultural Center.“The ACC does this just to get students in here and members of the community, because anyone can come,” Baumann said. “It gets people talking, and it’s always free.” Henna doesn’t just bring people at IU together, but also people in India, Baumann said.“It’s not directly related to a religious practice,” Bauman said. “So it really is a communal thing. It’s used for weddings when the bridesmaids and family do henna on the bride. It’s just to bring people together.” And Baumann welcomes anyone at any skill level to come. She said the more you do Henna, the better you get at working with the medium. By welcoming all skill levels, Baumann has seen many students develop their skills. “There was a group of ten that used to come every week together,” Baumann said.“Only one was actually artsy, but it was great seeing them grow and appreciate the art.” Baumann said she loves puns and used to call the group her henna-prentices, but she said they graduated.“Now I even work with some of those students at outside events,” Baumann said.From this group, Baumann had one student who would only design old ladies with cats.“That’s all she would design,” Baumann said. “But she got really good.”On days when people at her workshop are feeling ambitious, Baumann said she has seen full arm designs and once helped design a full back tattoo of the Pokemon Articuno. Hailey Gibson first came to the workshop in October with her floor from Collins Living-Learning Center.After seeing the how fun henna could be and the benefits of impermanent tattoos, Gibson said she decided to keep coming back. “You see so many students with dumbass tattoos that they won’t want in 30 years,” Gibson said. “With henna you can get something different every week.” Since attending the workshops, Gibson has started to do henna on her own, but still attends to hang out with Baumann and take advantage of the free henna.“This is really nice stuff, and Hallie knows how to make cool designs,” Gibson said. “If you’re trying to start on your own, the designs on Google are either really horrible or really, really complicated.” Sometimes Gibson gets to take home the extra henna, because if it’s not used in a couple of days, it goes bad. “Henna has a very short shelf-life,” Baumann said. “Which is why you know the stuff in stores has added preservatives, which can be dangerous.”The henna used at the workshop is all-natural to ensure safety. Using henna with preservatives can cause rashes or cause someone to develop an allergy to henna. Gibson said she plans to keep doing henna because she said it’s a great social experience, and it’s very relaxing. “It’s easy to pick up and share with people,” Baumann said. “Especially when you live with a bunch of hippies in Collins.” The ACC generally has had trouble getting non-Asian Americans to attend their events, but this hasn’t been so with the henna workshop, Baumann said. “Because it’s often seen at the beach or at festivals it’s not exclusively Indian,” Baumann said. “Henna reaches out so we have lots of different people come.”