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(02/20/02 6:10pm)
NASCAR Thunder 2002\nRating: E for Everyone\nFor: Playstation 2, XBOX, Playstation \nBy: EA Sports\nIf you're a person who likes to shop in the NASCAR store at the mall, then "NASCAR Thunder 2002" was made for you. EA Sports has created not only a vivid portrayal of the racing environment, but has also captured the attitude of stock car racing.\nThe game opens with its title song, "Sweet Home Alabama" and also pays homage to the late Dale Earnhardt with his number "3" displayed on a black screen. While jammin' to the down-south twang of Lynyrd Skynyrd, you can decide whether you want to race for a season, race head-to-head (up to four players can race at a time) or pick your favorite race to run.\nYou can create new drivers and cars and start a racing career against the rest of the stock car racing world. Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart will dominate the races at first -- but as your career progresses and you achieve more fame, you get more sponsors and better equipment. Jeff Gordon is still a tough one to beat even when you're a seasoned veteran -- maybe he cheats in the video game world, too.\nDriving on any of the 23 included NASCAR tracks, you'll see what the driver sees and even hear your crew boss advising you over the radio. Weather options give the environment a real feel: If you're driving in a long race, you'll notice the sun set and the lights come on. But watch out when the sun is going down -- if you're heading west you'll be driving blind. Other conditions can factor into your race, too. If the track is wet and you take a turn too fast, you'll end up in a wall.\nOther aspects of the game are realistic, too. The stock cars run just like the real ones: if you want to win the race, learn to draft the lead car and save fuel. If you bump the wall, you'll take damage and have to pull into the pit. Stops are crucial because one at the wrong moment can drop you back to the end of the pack.\nRaces are a constant battle for position, and are usually exciting from beginning to end. But, as with any racing game that doesn't begin with "Mario" and end with "Kart," the racing will get repetitive. A five-day rental of this game would satisfy the average person -- but if you're a NASCAR fan, then this game is for you.\n
(02/20/02 5:00am)
NASCAR Thunder 2002\nRating: E for Everyone\nFor: Playstation 2, XBOX, Playstation \nBy: EA Sports\nIf you're a person who likes to shop in the NASCAR store at the mall, then "NASCAR Thunder 2002" was made for you. EA Sports has created not only a vivid portrayal of the racing environment, but has also captured the attitude of stock car racing.\nThe game opens with its title song, "Sweet Home Alabama" and also pays homage to the late Dale Earnhardt with his number "3" displayed on a black screen. While jammin' to the down-south twang of Lynyrd Skynyrd, you can decide whether you want to race for a season, race head-to-head (up to four players can race at a time) or pick your favorite race to run.\nYou can create new drivers and cars and start a racing career against the rest of the stock car racing world. Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart will dominate the races at first -- but as your career progresses and you achieve more fame, you get more sponsors and better equipment. Jeff Gordon is still a tough one to beat even when you're a seasoned veteran -- maybe he cheats in the video game world, too.\nDriving on any of the 23 included NASCAR tracks, you'll see what the driver sees and even hear your crew boss advising you over the radio. Weather options give the environment a real feel: If you're driving in a long race, you'll notice the sun set and the lights come on. But watch out when the sun is going down -- if you're heading west you'll be driving blind. Other conditions can factor into your race, too. If the track is wet and you take a turn too fast, you'll end up in a wall.\nOther aspects of the game are realistic, too. The stock cars run just like the real ones: if you want to win the race, learn to draft the lead car and save fuel. If you bump the wall, you'll take damage and have to pull into the pit. Stops are crucial because one at the wrong moment can drop you back to the end of the pack.\nRaces are a constant battle for position, and are usually exciting from beginning to end. But, as with any racing game that doesn't begin with "Mario" and end with "Kart," the racing will get repetitive. A five-day rental of this game would satisfy the average person -- but if you're a NASCAR fan, then this game is for you.\n
(01/09/02 5:00am)
The Fellowship of the Ring - PG-13\nStarring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan\nDirected by: Peter Jackson\nShowing: Showplace East 11\nIf you haven't read the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, you'll be furious when you see the movie. Not because you're confused, as many who haven't read the books worry -- but because the movie leaves you in such suspense you're left wondering how you can wait another year for the next movie.\nLong-time Tolkien fans and rookies alike will love Peter Jackson's intense thriller "The Fellowship of the Ring." Jackson, whose directing experience has included mostly grisly horror movies, does a splendid job of not only remaining true to the book, but also simplifying the story enough for those unfamiliar with it to understand. \nThe movie is a mammoth three hours long, but don't worry, it's not "Pearl-Harbor-can't-wait-until-it's-over" long. It's clear that Jackson has a particularly good eye for detail and shows it by including many tidbits that only those who have read the book will notice.\nThe movie tells the tale of the hobbit Frodo Baggins, who sets out with eight companions to destroy the evil One Ring. The company is pursued by evil on their journey, meeting black ringwraiths, orcs, demons and other perils along their way. But don't think the movie is just about fight scenes -- it's also about drama, and is helped by inspired acting.\nElijah Wood gives the performance of his career as Frodo and is truly believable in his portrayal of Frodo's emotions. But Wood isn't the only actor to shine -- Ian McKellen is the perfect fit to play the Wizard Gandalf. The biggest surprise in the movie is how well real-life punk rocker Orlando Bloom plays Legolas the fair elf. Yet it's not Bloom's acting that makes him the possible fan-favorite of the movie, but his incredible role in the fight scenes. \nThe cast is also strengthened by the presence of Liv Tyler and Cate Blanchett, who both play elves in the movie. You'll also recognize the familiar face of Sean Astin, who put on considerable weight since playing the Notre Dame football walk-on in "Rudy," and Hugo Weaving, who played Agent Smith in "The Matrix." \nThe three hours will fly by when you see this film -- and after that, you'll want to spend another $7 and three hours seeing it again. Its combination of action and drama has few rivals in film history and will keep you on the edge of your seat -- all the way until next December when the second installment of the trilogy is released.
(10/25/01 6:10am)
Aging gracefully has never been easy in the rock and roll industry, but 20 years after bursting onto the music scene with little ditties like "Jack and Diane," John Mellencamp's music is as creative as ever. \nCuttin' Heads, Mellencamp's 15th studio release, comes in the same month as his 50th birthday -- and if the crisp sound of the album is any indication, he's not having a midlife crisis.\nThe Hoosier icon couldn't have known how well the CD -- which was recorded in October 2000 and June 2001 -- would strike a chord in the post-Sept. 11 political environment. The flag-adorned album resolutely attacks racism and promotes the power of love, all with a healthy dose of homebred patriotism.\nOn the album's title track, a narrative about an interracial romance, Mellencamp teams up with Public Enemy's Chuck D to attack rappers' use of racial slurs. Chuck D's authoritative rap proclaims: "I connect the word with pain/ now some smile when they scream the name?/ Die, n-word, die. I want to live." Mellencamp also uses the word himself -- making him vulnerable to criticism, but, in doing so, at least proves he's willing to tackle the issue head on.\nMellencamp continues to showcase his knack for surrounding himself with musical talent on Cuttin' Heads' second track, "Peaceful World." Soul sensation India.Arie's vocals stand out amid a smooth layering of violin, mandolin and percussion that defies categorization. The song also attacks racism but in a less aggressive manner. \nLove ballad "Deep Blue Heart" and heartland-feeler "Crazy Island" round out the album's first four tracks, which alone make the CD worth buying. The former is an exceptional example of Mellencamp's ability to sing about the heart, while the latter is a patriotic jingle that promises to get stuck in your head (think "Pink Houses"). "Island" combines catchy banjo playing with acoustic and electric sounds to create what could easily be the hit of the album.\nThe latter half of the album is filled with Mellencamp's typical songs about love: "Women Seem," "Worn Out Nervous Condition" and "The Same Way I Do" all fall in line.\nThroughout the 40-minute CD, Mellencamp and company groove in styles from folk to rock to rap -- and Mellencamp might not have known what to expect from his 15th album. He should certainly be pleased.\nRating: 9
(10/25/01 4:00am)
Aging gracefully has never been easy in the rock and roll industry, but 20 years after bursting onto the music scene with little ditties like "Jack and Diane," John Mellencamp's music is as creative as ever. \nCuttin' Heads, Mellencamp's 15th studio release, comes in the same month as his 50th birthday -- and if the crisp sound of the album is any indication, he's not having a midlife crisis.\nThe Hoosier icon couldn't have known how well the CD -- which was recorded in October 2000 and June 2001 -- would strike a chord in the post-Sept. 11 political environment. The flag-adorned album resolutely attacks racism and promotes the power of love, all with a healthy dose of homebred patriotism.\nOn the album's title track, a narrative about an interracial romance, Mellencamp teams up with Public Enemy's Chuck D to attack rappers' use of racial slurs. Chuck D's authoritative rap proclaims: "I connect the word with pain/ now some smile when they scream the name?/ Die, n-word, die. I want to live." Mellencamp also uses the word himself -- making him vulnerable to criticism, but, in doing so, at least proves he's willing to tackle the issue head on.\nMellencamp continues to showcase his knack for surrounding himself with musical talent on Cuttin' Heads' second track, "Peaceful World." Soul sensation India.Arie's vocals stand out amid a smooth layering of violin, mandolin and percussion that defies categorization. The song also attacks racism but in a less aggressive manner. \nLove ballad "Deep Blue Heart" and heartland-feeler "Crazy Island" round out the album's first four tracks, which alone make the CD worth buying. The former is an exceptional example of Mellencamp's ability to sing about the heart, while the latter is a patriotic jingle that promises to get stuck in your head (think "Pink Houses"). "Island" combines catchy banjo playing with acoustic and electric sounds to create what could easily be the hit of the album.\nThe latter half of the album is filled with Mellencamp's typical songs about love: "Women Seem," "Worn Out Nervous Condition" and "The Same Way I Do" all fall in line.\nThroughout the 40-minute CD, Mellencamp and company groove in styles from folk to rock to rap -- and Mellencamp might not have known what to expect from his 15th album. He should certainly be pleased.\nRating: 9
(03/01/01 6:28am)
In a move to end the "secret gifts, unrealistic promises and other misleading tactics" used by athlete agents, the state Senate passed a bill Tuesday authored by Vi Simpson, D- Ellettsville.\nSimpson said she believes these are the problems that face student athletes, their agents and universities today.\n"This bill provides benefits and protections for agents, athletes and schools alike," Simpson said.\nFor many of IU's student athletes seeking professional sports careers, Simpson said the bill could make a large difference in how they deal with their agents.\n"This bill is good for student athletes if they're moving into the professional athletic circuit. Often it's their first experience with agents, and if they don't have a lawyer right there it may be hard not to be taken advantage of," said Sara Bradbury, Democratic Caucus aide.\nThe bill, which would take effect July 1 if passed, gives universities protection from student athletes or athletic agents who perform illegal acts or enter into illegal contracts. It provides protection for student athletes, permitting them to cancel an agent's contract up to 14 days after signing it. It also outlines civil and criminal penalties for those not complying with the regulations.\nThere is no schedule for when the bill will be brought before the House for voting. Rep. Mark Kruzan, D-Bloomington, has already put his support behind the bill. \nBradbury said she believes the bill has a good chance of passing in the House but passing unanimously in the Senate is not an automatic green light in the House. \nThe NCAA and the National Conference of the Commissioners of Uniform State Laws have put their support behind the bill from its conception.\n"The bill is to protect student athletes with college and scholarship eligibility, as well as universities," said Michael Kerr, interim chief administrative officer of the conference. "There have been a number of instances where a student or athlete has violated NCAA rules and caused the schools to be penalized -- such as losing TV revenue or postseason play."\nThe conference, which has been working on drafting the bill for a number of years, has presented the bill in a uniform act to all 50 states.\nKatie Robinson, the communications officer for the conference, said 15 states have introduced the legislation. A conference member, Simpson has introduced uniform act legislation before, Robinson said.\nThe bill not only provides protection for athletes and universities, it also simplifies the process of being an athlete agent, Robinson said.\nAthlete agents now face more than 28 different state laws and registration fees ranging up to $1,500, said Daniel Nestel, the senior assistant director of federal relations for the NCAA. Nestel said he hopes that would change if more states pass the legislation.\n"The hope is that this will be a minimum two-year effort, and then we'll have something uniform in every state," he said. "When an agent goes out, there won't be any ambiguity or confusion over to what state laws require in terms of agent conduct."\nIf a student enters into a contract with an agent without notifying his or her university, the student stands a chance to lose their eligibility to play at the college level. The new legislation requires that the agent notify the school the student has signed an agency contract with, Kerr said.
(02/02/01 4:54am)
The opera "Faust" contains beautiful melodies, grandiose sets, sword fights and a pitched battle between good and evil.\nAnd that's all in the first two minutes, said Mark Clark, production and stage director of IU Opera Theatre.\nIn a symposium Wednesday, Clark, guest stage director Dale Girard and professor emeritus Peter Boerner discussed the legend and history of "Faust," which has been rewritten dozens of times since the 1500s.\nCharles Gounod's version is IU Opera's most recent production, which opens at 8 p.m. today at the Musical Arts Center. The opera will also be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday, and Feb. 9 and 10. \nIn IU Opera's production of "Faust," graduate student Johan Weigel plays Faust, graduate student Stephanie Dawn Johnson plays Margarita and graduate student Harold Wilson plays Mephistopheles. The three performed the ending trio to the opera, "Dawn is Coming," at the end of the lecture Wednesday.\nThe story of Faust centers on a pact made with the devil, Mephistopheles, and the woman Faust longs for, Margarita. Faust makes a pact with the devil, selling his soul to win Margarita's heart. In the end, the story becomes a struggle of good versus evil, of the holy versus the unholy. \n"The different versions of 'Faust' reflect the time and culture of their particular forums," Clark said. "By looking at all these versions important to the story ... we can perhaps discover why (Gounod's version) has been so much more popularized than the other conceptions of the story."\nGounod's version is one of the few of "Faust" that is entirely musical. It also is more modernized for a popular audience, Girard said.\n"This version of 'Faust' is what Hollywood would do to a book today," Girard said.\nAnother popular conception of the story was Johann Wolfe Goethe's interpretation. Goethe, who lived from 1749-1832, first picked up on Faust when he was 23 years old and finished his second book on Faust a year before his death.\nBoerner is the former curator of the Goethe Museum in Dusseldorf, Germany. \nBoerner said almost all treatments of Faust relate back to one man, possibly named Johannes Faust, who lived in Germany's Black Forest in the 15th century.\n"He was an astrologer, a traveler, a quack and above all, a big mouth," he said. "After his death, the stories about him grew and grew"
(11/30/00 4:45am)
For 30 years, lab attendants Tom Hacker and Michael Jackson have worked behind the scenes together in the Chemistry Building, preparing and cleaning the lab rooms and "doing the things that have to be done for the labs to actually go on," Hacker said.\nYesterday, Hacker and Jackson were the two winners in the service staff category of IU's 21st Annual Staff Merit Awards. Other winners were from the library, the continuing studies department, the theater department and the school of education.\nRoberta Partenheimer, administrative coordinator of curriculum and instruction for the school of education, was one of the winners. She said she has learned a lot working at IU.\n"When I first started here, I thought that I knew everything I needed to know," she said. "After all these years, my learning still goes on."\nThe award is designed to recognize a few of "the inspired and inspiring staff," said Bloomington Chancellor Kenneth Gros Louis.\n"Without the work that these people do, it is unlikely that IU would be able to compete with other institutions," he said. "(They create) a friendly and collegial atmosphere here that inspires more effort in each of us."\nSeventy-four staff members were originally nominated for the award, after which a committee chose finalists, interviewed them and came up with the six winners, two from each category.\nContinuing their work in the Chemistry Building, Hacker and Jackson are just happy to be recognized.\n"It's just a really good feeling to be recognized from somewhere," Hacker said. "Sometimes we just don't realize how complicated our jobs have really become."\nThe winners in the professional staff category were Yolanda Cooper-Birdine, human resources officer for IU libraries, and Sally Jones, program developer/coordinator for continuing studies. The winners in the support staff category were Vicky Crowe, department secretary and script librarian for the department of theater and drama, and Roberta Partenheimer, administrative coordinator of curriculum and instruction for the school of education.
(11/27/00 7:06am)
Every day, about 86 Americans commit suicide and another 1,500 make an attempt, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Tuesday night, one of those 86 suicides occurred on campus with the death of sophomore Jason Schwab.\nThe suicide, which occurred at the beginning of Thanksgiving break, raises questions surrounding the issues of why it happened and how to prevent other suicides. \nCounseling for students is available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at the Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) office, located on the fourth floor of the Health Center. \nStudents enrolled in at least three credit hours of classes automatically pay a service fee, which makes them eligible to visit the Health Center free of charge. \nGlenn Anderson, the director of training for CaPS, said it is important for someone considering suicide to get counseling.\n"If a person's feeling seriously suicidal then they should go immediately to a place like CaPS, where they can be seen by a counselor," he said. "Or go to the Bloomington Hospital ER where people can make sure they will be safe."\nThe CaPS center also counsels the friends of suicide victims.\n"It's difficult to lose a friend through suicide," said Carolyn Lee, a counselor for CaPS. "Often there is something called 'survivor guilt,' where individuals that were close will feel bad for not noticing the person was depressed or suicidal. They may feel, inappropriately, that somehow they were responsible for the suicide."\nShe said a person might think that it is "all their fault" that their friend committed suicide, but generally suicides happen because of a collection of things.\nAnderson agreed that there is not usually a singular cause for people to commit suicide.\n"There are a number of factors that come into play when someone becomes seriously suicidal," he said. "There's often a feeling of hopelessness, which is also a symptom of depression. But then there may be other events that have happened in someone's life that lead them to suicide."\nAlthough depression is often linked with winter months, Professor Emeritus of Psychology Kenneth Heller said suicide rates are not necessarily higher in winter months.\nAccording to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, many college-aged people are more likely to commit suicide than younger age groups.\n"There was a very old study of college student suicide which looked at where and among what groups you are likely to find higher suicide rates," Heller said. "A factor that came out in that study was people who are away from home, who lacked their traditional support networks feel overwhelmed."\nLee stressed the importance of friends and family taking an interest in people who are potentially suicidal.\n"Any talk about suicide should be taken seriously, and people hopefully in the midst of their own busy schedules can spend some time talking to that person," she said.
(11/17/00 4:08am)
When the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student Support Services was first established in 1994, it was met with strong resistance from campus organizations and members of state legislation. Now, the GLBT is in its sixth year of existence. Thursday night, members held a reception and awards ceremony to celebrate the occasion.\n"We have sort of gone on with our work the past six years helping students," said GLBT coordinator Doug Bauder. "We've had lots of support from the campus and the community as we have been here."\nOne of the fears that first arose surrounding the GLBT support center was that it would "just be a place for gay students to hang out," Bauder said.\n"We are much more than that now," he said. "We provide many services to gay and straight students."\nThe GLBT office, located on Jordan Avenue in front of Read Residence Hall, hosted the reception where Kathryn Brown, health educator at the IU Health Center and Duncan Mitchel, one of the coordinators for the GLBT and an IDS columnist, received the GLBT Spirit Award. The award was established in 1999 to honor groups and individuals that "embody the strength, character and spirit of the GLBT."\nBoth Brown and Mitchel, who have been involved with gay rights for 15 and 21 years, respectively, work extensively through the Speakers Bureau to host panels on gay issues. About 50 volunteers devote their time to the panels, which are groups of students and non-students that hold discussions on campus regarding gay issues, Mitchel said.\n"It's always fun and interesting because the mix of people varies from panel to panel," Mitchel said. "The stories they have to tell are often quite wonderful."\nLast year, the panels played host to 55 discussions which reached about 3,800 students, said Anne Reese, the director of the Health and Wellness Education Center.\n"A lot of people think wellness is just working out or eating right," she said. "I think that sexual issues are an integral part of a person's life and their wellness, that they need to feel good and happy and confident and safe about their sexual orientation and their ability to be social."\nPanels are usually held two to three times a week in locations ranging from residence halls to organizations to greek houses.\n"We'll basically go anywhere that is open to us," Brown said. "We are reaching a lot of people, and we know that we're not changing everyone's mind, but we're hoping that it will make a little bit of a difference."\nBrown also said one of the benefits of the GLBT office is having a place for people to get information about getting involved with panels.\n"Before, if we had somebody on campus like a professor or instructor who wanted to do this type of education, they didn't know where to go," she said.\nAt the awards ceremony, Bauder received a surprise honorary membership into the Golden Key National Honor Society from Dietrich Willke, the IU vice president for Golden Key.\n"This is just a great way to celebrate the six years this office has seen, even though it started in such controversy," he said.
(11/15/00 4:55am)
Hundreds of Web developers from universities across the nation are at IU this week as part of WebDevShare, a conference that began in 1996 as a way for developers to share Internet ideas and resources.\nThe red, white and black signs scattered throughout the Indiana Memorial Union were hard to miss as WebDevShare took over many of the Union's rooms for its presentations, guest speakers, workshops, exhibits and discussion sections. Most aspects of the conference wrapped up yesterday, but workshops continue through Thursday.\nJohn Snowden, program committee chairman, has been involved with the conference for all five years of its existence.\n"The big task is already over, this is just kind of the grand finale to things," he said. "We started planning last January for the conference here this November."\nThe purpose of the conference is to share what universities are doing for their students and faculty on the Web, and how they are providing Web services, Snowden said.\nRichard Koshel, a Web developer for Mississippi State University, traveled hundreds of miles to attend the conference.\n"It allows me to integrate some new concepts into the systems we're developing," he said. "The general overall purpose is that you learn some new things that other people are doing and integrate them into your system."\n This year's conference drew more than 400 participants, along with a large volunteer support staff and representatives from various computer and Internet vendors.\n The vendors, including Apple, Dell and others, were open to the attendees as well as the general public.\n "They (the vendors) were here to exhibit their products to the IU community and WebDevShare participants," said David Taylor, UITS administrative assistant and the exhibit hall host. "They mostly wanted to showcase their products, so that in the future, many of the participants might choose them."\nThe conference was originally a collaborative effort of IU, the University of Minnesota and the University of Delaware. The conference was held here because of IU's "environment and intimate setting," Snowden said. Participants mostly unanimously vote to keep the conference at IU year after year, he added.
(11/03/00 9:42am)
Many students struggle to stay awake during class, let alone trying to stay awake for 36 hours of dancing.\nBut that's exactly what 700 dancers in the 10th annual Dance Marathon will be trying to do this weekend. The Marathon begins at 8 p.m. tonight in the Health, Physical, Education and Recreation gymnasium.\nDance Marathon benefits Riley Hospital for Children, the largest intensive care children's hospital in the country. This year's theme, "Decade of Dance, Lifetime of Hope," celebrates the past 10 years of the event, during which more than $1 million has been raised for the hospital.\n"We help kids directly," said senior Jeff Penzenik, a vice president for the event. "We have results from the things we do for the kids, and it's especially great to have the kids from Riley there during the event playing and dancing with you."\nThe children will join the dancers on the floor, who will be assisted by more than 200 "mass members." The mass members will help throughout the dance with various jobs to support the dancers. About 130 students also served on this year's Dance Marathon Council, bringing the number of students involved to more than 1,000.\nAlpha Omicron Pi is entering Dance Marathon for its first year, sponsoring 22 dancers and seven mass members. Beth Phillips, a sophomore, is the sorority's co-chair for the event and will also be dancing.\n"This is really exciting for us because it's our first year in Dance Marathon," she said. "We went into this not knowing what to expect, and we have been really happy with it so far."\nAlpha Omicron Pi set a goal for themselves to raise $5,000 for the event, but the marathon as a whole does not have any specific goals.\n"Whatever we raise is whatever we raise, and we know we've put 100 percent into it," Penzenik said. "The kids at Riley aren't worried about numbers, they're happy to come out and have a good time."\nMany dancers are also supported by friends and family.\nJunior Jill Hibshman is the co-chair of the event for Sigma Delta Tau, which is sponsoring 34 students. Hibshman said she has been conserving sleep for the event but is also concerned about her sorority's participants.\n"We're putting up signs for our dancers to let them know that we support them," she said. "We're sending them encouraging notes, and also having members of the house come out and visit them during the marathon and bring them treats."\nDancers are also encouraged by the live music of 15 bands. The Almighty Remainders open the dance at 8:40 p.m. Friday evening, Mike and Joe will close the dance at 5:40 a.m. Sunday morning. Throughout the weekend, Bloomington groups Straight No Chaser and Danagas will be performing, along with other bands including X-Ray Roger Jimmy, Three Minute Mile and Ladies First.\nThere are no more spots available to dance this year, and Penzenik is unsure if next year's dance will be larger. He said it's difficult to find a building big enough to support more dancers.\n"We're more worried about improving the quality of the dance, enforcing fund-raising limits and really making it an honor to dance at the dance marathon," he said.\nStudents can visit the dance any time during the evening for free to stop and hear bands or visit friends who are dancing, Penzenik said.
(11/02/00 5:02am)
Despite Napster's agreement with the popular music company BMG Tuesday, IU has no immediate plans of relaxing its ban on the MP3-sharing program. Napster announced its settlement and a strategic alliance with Bertelsmann, owner of BMG, but University officials are unsure what ramifications the agreement will have on Napster as a company and of the possible lift of the ban on the program.\n"If they change their entire business scenario, then obviously we have to take a look at what they became and how it relates to our policies," said Mark Bruhn, information technology policy officer for the University.\nVice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations Christopher Simpson said he needed to talk with Bruhn before any decisions regarding Napster could be made.\nThe main issue under consideration is whether or not Napster will become a sole distributor of BMG's music, Bruhn said. If that happens, Napster is likely to charge a fee for service.\n"I don't think that's what they're about," he said. "I think that if that happens, it would be a dramatic and certainly significant change in their philosophy."\nMany Napster users, including students, are discouraged at the possibility of having to pay for service.\n"I wouldn't pay for service, because most of the songs I download off of Napster, I wouldn't buy the CD for anyway," sophomore David Rupert said.\nNapster was originally banned in February because of network capacity problems, and was further complicated by the legal issues that arose shortly thereafter, Bruhn said.\nAlthough Bruhn said the network capacity problem has been mostly solved, the legal issues remain undecided. Napster is still awaiting a federal appeals court decision on whether or not it can continue operation.\n"Today, the indication is that record companies are sticking with their guns and going on with the lawsuit," Bruhn said. "But tomorrow, another record company might strike a deal, and the next day another. It might be a growing trend."\nBrian Voss, associate vice president for telecommunications of University Information Technology services, said he does not believe the decision will have a major impact on the University.\n"It's just another piece of the puzzle," he said. "I don't think there's anything really earth-shattering about this"
(10/31/00 5:42am)
Child-care employees, parents, students and concerned community members gathered Monday at the Sample Gates to rally for higher wages and benefits for IU's child-care employees. The event, organized by an ad hoc committee of parents and teachers, wanted to draw attention to the low pay at the child-care centers.\nEight of the 25 lowest-paid full-time employees on the Bloomington campus work for one of the campus child-care centers, including the three lowest-paid employees, according to data from the Office of Financial Management Services.\n"We pay the people who mow our lawns more than we pay our day care teachers," said C.J. Hawking, a United Methodist pastor who has had a child in University childcare for two years. "I find it deplorable that my child's teacher, who works full-time and is a single parent herself, does not receive any health care benefits."\nAccording to the IU Child Care Survey conducted in October 1999, the average salary for lead teachers at IU's three child-care sites, Hoosier Courts, Campus View and Campus Children's, is $18,200. The lowest yearly salary for an assistant teacher is $13,728.\n"I could go to a kindergarten elsewhere and make $27,000 a year, but I like preschool and want to teach preschool," said child-care assistant teacher Sarah Sparks, who makes $18,115.\nBloomington Chancellor Kenneth Gros Louis said he was not aware the wages were so low until it was brought to his attention in September.\n"I was handed a petition at the Sept. 17 rededication of Hoosier Courts by a number of parents expressing concern," he said. "We obviously want to get them wages comparable to other Big Ten schools."\nResults from the Child Care Survey show that IU's subsidies per child ranks ninth among the Big Ten schools. \n"We are asking for an increase of $125,000 a year," said Andrea Wohl, a parent of two children in University child care and one of the leaders of the ad hoc committee. "We also want to get benefits for those workers who aren't receiving any."\nFour of the 20 employees receive no benefits, including health insurance, paid vacation, sick days, paid holidays and pension.\nTamara Hibel, who has been an assistant teacher at Campus View for two and a half years, is one of the four without benefits.\n"I'm 30 years old, and I have no health insurance, and I do as much as the lead teachers there and the assistant teachers at the other centers," she said. "The Campus View center is the only one where the assistants don't receive any benefits."\nHibel worked elsewhere during the summer, but returned to IU on the promise that benefits and wages would increase.\nSo far, wages have not increased and benefits have not appeared, but Division of Labor Studies Assistant Professor Steven Ashby, who has a 3-year-old in child care, said the parents and teachers committee is pleased so far by the response they have had from the University.\n"We are out here because we want to educate the entire community to the problem," he said. "We are asking the University to increase the amount of subsidy they give the child-care centers."\nAshby also said raising fees for students to be enrolled is not the answer to the problem. \n"People cannot afford to pay any higher," he said. "They are already paying 3 to 4 percent more every year to enroll their children."\nGros Louis said the major problem with increasing the subsidies to the program is determining where the money will come from, and sources for the money are being researched.\nCarrie Vrabel, a sophomore who attended the rally, said she also thought the source of money was an issue.\n"It's important to know that this issue doesn't only affect the people who have children in child care," she said. "We're students, we're part of the University, and part of the money comes from us."\nBoth Gros Louis and concerned committee members stressed that the gathering today was a rally, not a protest.\n"Some of the parents did not think things were happening fast enough," Gros Louis said. "Today was a rally to raise public concern."\nMembers of the committee will meet with Gros Louis and Associate Vice Chancellor Bruce Jacobs Wednesday to discuss the issue further.
(10/26/00 5:07am)
A new Web-based e-mail system the University is testing could move students out of the 1980s and into the new millennium, providing a more convenient way to check e-mail.\nThe program would eventually replace PINE, the program most students now use. University Information Technology Services surveys have shown students are unhappy with PINE, particularly its clunky handling of attachments.\nThe new e-mail system, which can be accessed anywhere in the world via the Web, might be fully functional by spring.\nPINE was originally created by the University of Washington as an easy-to-use mail program. Eleven years later, computers have become more sophisticated and e-mail has become part of daily life for nearly all students.\nRick Jackson, manager of messaging for UITS, said the major complaints about e-mail received during the UITS annual user survey involved the lack of a graphical user interface and the difficulty people have in handling attachments.\n"I don't like PINE because I have to forward any attachments I get to another account," said sophomore Rachel Sprecher. "If you could get attachments on it, it wouldn't be that bad."\nIn addition, many students complain about the inability to use a mouse with the program and the lack of editing capabilities, such as copying and pasting text.\n"PINE was good at one time, but with the available software on the market, we shouldn't be relying on this ancient system," said senior George Bookwalter.\nUITS data telecommunications director Terry Usrey said using PINE does have benefits.\n"There are distinct advantages to using PINE," Usrey said. "PINE is fast, it is very efficient and it is relatively inexpensive to run and operate. In creating the new system, we're weighing the advantages and the disadvantages."\nThe new Web-based e-mail client, called Webmail, has been in planning for more than a year and is now available to a limited number of students for testing. \n"We're excited about the new opportunity with Webmail," said Garland Elmore, associate vice president for teaching and learning information technologies. "Our students are so mobile that we wanted them to be able to access their e-mail from anywhere."\nSince PINE requires a program to access e-mail, students cannot access their mail on computers that do not have the program installed. UITS looked at implementing a new system that also ran off a program, but decided on a Web-based e-mail system because it could be accessed from any computer with the Internet, Usrey said.\n"Web-based solutions (to e-mail) are just now becoming really well engineered and available to us," he said. "The technology we're incorporating into Webmail is relatively new, but has been proven."\nThe new system could be fully available to students and faculty during the spring semester, Jackson said. The University plans to offer PINE even after the new system is implemented.\nWebmail is not intended to be a replacement for PINE, because in certain situations PINE or other e-mail servers might work better, Jackson said.\nUsrey also said the new system will not be any less secure than PINE and has the potential to be even more secure on public workstations.\nThe only problems he anticipates will come in the support department, when students have difficulties with tasks such as importing address books into Webmail.\nWith the new system, students will be able to copy and paste text, use the mouse, search through saved messages by subject lines or other information, have a graphical interface and handle attachments easily. \n"From the technical point of view, this is just another front door to the e-mail infrastructure that is already in place," Usrey said.\n The Webmail pilot is still open to a limited number of students at webmail.indiana.edu.
(10/25/00 5:04am)
Journalist Tom Wicker, former bureau chief and columnist for the New York Times, spoke to students and faculty Monday about ethics and privacy in journalism. Wicker, who wrote the "In the Nation" column for 25 years before his retirement in 1991, addressed a crowd of about 200 in his talk, "Privacy in the Media Age."\n"The function of journalism is to give readers information that has been tested for accuracy, reliability and credibility," said journalism dean Trevor Brown. "Society needs to have confidence in its journalists."\nWicker's audience was mostly journalism students and professors. He shared his experiences as a Washington, D.C., bureau chief in the 1960s, during which he dealt with numerous stories, including former President Richard Nixon's resignation.\nHe also addressed the question of how far a reporter should continue to pursue a story, citing the 1988 downfall of Democratic presidential nominee Gary Hart. Hart was leading the polls by more than 20 points when his political career was toppled by a well-publicized sex expose, and Michael Dukakis became the Democratic nominee.\nPublic officials make a sacrifice of their private lives when they agree to take a public position, Wicker said. He added that journalists shouldn't demean themselves as public watchdogs by reporting sexual activity.\n"People have certain privacy rights, and they have certain privacy claims," he said. "Journalists should treat each person's claims as rights."\nWicker's lecture was only one part of the Roy W. Howard Public Affairs Reporting Seminar, sponsored by the School of Journalism and the Scripps Howard Foundation. Howard was a distinguished reporter for much of his life, and eventually became chairman of the board of the Scripps Howard Foundation, which bears his name.\nThe seminar was designed to honor the winners of the 2000 Roy W. Howard National Reporting Competition. In addition to being recognized, the winners, three of which were IU students, had a chance to meet with three judges to discuss their winning articles. Scholarships totaling $24,000 were awarded to the 12 winners.\nAline Mendelsohn, a senior majoring in journalism and IDS writing coach, received a first place award in the contest. Gina Czark, IDS General Assignments editor, and Christina Jewett, IDS Weekend features editor, both junior journalism majors, were runners-up in the competition. \nPam Howard, Roy W. Howard's granddaughter, was also on hand for the event.\n"The reason we have the seminar here is because my grandfather came to Indiana at the end of his life," she said. "He never finished college, but he received an honorary degree here at IU."
(10/17/00 6:00am)
James P. Holland and Homer A. Neal first crossed paths in the late 1950s when they were both IU students from the same small area of Kentucky. \nHolland was in graduate school; Neal was a freshman. Both faced the issues with which African-American students across the country were dealing: fear and hatred.\nDuring their years at IU, they shared rides back and forth to their homes in Kentucky.\n"Most of our interaction took place in that car," Neal said. "Together in the confines of the car, driving through a possibly hostile racial environment, we engaged in many deep discussions. Those trips prepared the groundwork for our many interactions."\nIn time, graduation day came for both men -- Holland graduated with a doctorate in endocrinology in 1961. The same year, Neal graduated with his bachelor's degree in physics. Neal continued his academic career at the University of Michigan, receiving a doctorate in physics.\nBoth returned to IU as faculty in the late 1960s, but Neal eventually took up a position at the University of Michigan. Holland served IU in many roles -- biology professor, recruiter and interim dean of the Graduate School. He taught more than 11,000 students in his career, which ended when he died of cancer in March of 1998.\n"Jim was to so many students an inspiration to aspire to greater heights," said Bloomington Chancellor Kenneth Gros Louis.\nNeal had his share of fame at the University of Michigan. A Michigan president emeritus, Neal now spends his time conducting research in high-energy physics at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics in Geneva.\nHe returned to IU Monday to present the inaugural lecture of the James P. Holland Memorial Lecture Series. About 300 people gathered to hear the lecture, sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Student Development and Diversity, the office of Multicultural Affairs and the biology department. The series will feature a speaker each year. \nNeal spoke about his memories of Holland, and on his topic, "Science in the New Millennium." \n"Jim would be more than pleased by the way his legacy is being commemorated at IU," said Constance Holland, his widow.\nConstance Holland was on hand to receive the Chancellor's Medallion from Gros Louis for her late husband. The award was given at a dinner in 1998, but at the time the actual medal had not been struck.\n"Jim was the first recipient to ever receive the Chancellor's medallion...," Gros Louis said. "I'm pleased to give Connie the medallion in memory of Jim."\nConstance Holland also had surprises on hand for several charities her husband had contributed to. She paid the remaining amount on her husband's $5,000 pledge to the Neal Marshall Fund, an endowment for the sciences. She also finished her husband's pledge to the Biology Enrichment Fund and donated to the James P. Holland Fellowship.\nThe fellowship, created in 1998 by the biology department, gives money to a first-year graduate student of the sciences whose ethnicity is underrepresented in the field of life sciences. The endowment provides stipend, tuition and health insurance during the first year of graduate training.\n"We in biology couldn't imagine a better way to remember Jim Holland than establishing a graduate fellowship in his name," said Jeff Palmer, chairman of the biology department.\nMore than 40 years after meeting, Neal was able to honor his friend's legacy and accomplishments and also encourage students to pursue a career in science.\n"Never think life as a scientist need be dull," he said.
(10/16/00 4:02am)
For 30 years, James P. Holland served IU as a biology professor and recruiting and interim dean of the Graduate School.\nKnown as Jim to his friends, faculty and the over 11,000 students he taught, his career with IU ended March 24, 1998, when he died of cancer.\nA series of lectures dedicated in his honor will begin today at 4 p.m. in the Whittenberger Auditorium of the Indiana Memorial Union. The lecture is free and open to the public.\n"Jim Holland was about teaching and learning, that was the heart of who he was," said Charlie Nelms, vice president for student development and diversity. "Jim Holland always had time for students ... he didn't see them as being an inconvenience. They gave him his real charge."\nNelms' office, along with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Multicultural Affairs and the Department of Biology, are sponsoring the lecture series.\n"The fact that the lecture is sponsored by three departments depicts the influence of James Holland," said Associate Vice Chancellor for Multicultural Affairs Gloria Gibson. "He touched many, many departments and many, many lives."\nThe inaugural lecture will be presented by Homer A. Neal, interim president emeritus and vice president emeritus for research at the University of Michigan and a former IU professor. He is currently researching experimental high-energy physics at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, while maintaining a research position at Michigan. He will speak on "Science in the New Millennium."\n"Neal is probably one of the most distinguished scientists that the campus has had, and is very influential in national scientific circles," said Chancellor and Vice President for Academic Affairs Kenneth Gros Louis.\nAt the lecture, Gros Louis will present the Chancellor's Medallion to Holland's widow, Connie, a Bloomington High School South teacher. Holland officially received the award in 1997, but at the time the actual medal had not yet been struck.\nGros Louis said the medal is cast out of silver, with a depiction of Showalter Fountain on the front and an image of the Student Building clock tower and an open book on the back.\n "It will be my pleasure to present the medal to Connie. She has been one of the best teachers at Bloomington South," Gros Louis said. "Both of the Hollands have spent lives of significant commitment to young people."\n The Department of Biology has also created a graduate fellowship in Holland's honor, which provides a first-year doctoral student stipend, tuition and health insurance during their first year of training.\n Al Ruesink, a biology professor and friend of Holland, said a lecture series, rather than a physical object, was the right way to commemorate Holland.\n "Jim was a person who always wanted people to learn, and you don't learn on a continuing basis from a fountain or a tree," Ruesink said. "It also provides a chance for those of us who were his friends to get together and remember him"
(10/06/00 6:17am)
Tuesday, IU announced plans to extend a licensing agreement with software conglomerate Microsoft, which provides students and staff with the company's most popular software, operating systems and other applications. The extension is valid through June 30, 2003.\nThe original deal was a $6 million, four-year deal signed in 1998, and made IU the first university in the country to provide Microsoft software. The extension comes at a cost of $1.5 million, which is distributed among IU's campuses. \nSince 1998, over 250,000 copies of Microsoft software have been distributed at IU at an estimated retail value of $40 million.\n"We have a good partnership with Microsoft, which has revealed itself through the first agreement," said Associate Vice President for Teaching and Learning Garland Elmore.\nThe agreement is being extended for only one year because IU was the first university to have an agreement with Microsoft, and thus is also the first university to have it expire, Elmore said. He also said since other universities' contracts expire in 2003, Microsoft is looking to have a universal turnover of contracts at that time. \nAlso, the technology market changes quickly, and it is hard to see farther into the future, said Sue Workman of the office of the vice president for information technology, who negotiated the one-year extension.\n"The previous contract was wildly successful," she said. "We've already had a return on investment of 645 percent ... and we still have over two and a half years left on the contract."\nIU's agreement is an enterprise contract, which means students actually own the software they receive through the University, said Brian Voss, associate vice president for telecommunications, who negotiated the first deal with Microsoft. No more than 10 other universities in the United States have enterprise contracts.\n"After a student graduates from IU, they own the software," he said. \nBesides the enterprise license agreement, IU has two other agreements with Microsoft. One is the provision that Microsoft will provide bulk price software for special fields and departments. Microsoft also agreed to provide any of its software not included in the software license agreement to students below market price.\nBut most major Microsoft programs are provided by the extended agreement. Popular software such as Microsoft Office 2000 and Windows, including the newly released Windows ME, are free to students. Any new releases of these programs are included in the contract and will automatically be made available.\n"The agreement is a great thing because it makes the software more accessible to students," said senior Alison Temkin.\nBesides providing software, the agreement also provides a uniform platform for all University computers, and makes technical support easier, Elmore said.\n"We look at the deal as purchasing a product at tremendous savings -- nearly $34 million from normal purchase price," Elmore said.\nMicrosoft's contract with IU is non-exclusive. Other companies, such as Corel and Symantec, also have contracts which make software available to faculty and students.\nCompact discs with all of the available software are distributed to new students during orientation. Software is also available from all IU bookstores and online for download from www.iuware.indiana.edu.
(10/06/00 3:42am)
Chickens will be flying, rolling and sliding throughout Dunn Meadow from 2-5 p.m. Saturday. The rubber chickens, along with food, music by local group Danagas and door prizes, are all part of the Golden Key National Honor Society's second annual Turkey Bowl.\nThe first Turkey Bowl took place four years ago, and was brought back this year by Golden Key President Carrie Friedrich, a senior. Frozen turkeys were used in the first Turkey Bowl, but when complaints were received, event planners switched to rubber chickens. \n"There just seemed to be too many environmental complaints about rolling real frozen turkeys down a meadow," said third year law student and Golden Key graduate adviser Bob Lattas.\nSenior and Golden Key member Michelle Dube, who has worked on planning the event, clarified the process. "Actually you don't really roll the chickens. You slide them down a Slip 'n Slide."\nAdmission to the event is free, but rubber chicken bowling costs $5 per person or $20 for a team of four. All of the proceeds made from the event are being donated to the Bloomington Housing Authority, which provides subsidized housing for local low-income families.\n"The Turkey Bowl is a great idea because it combines two very important factors: charity and fun," said Courtney Sullivan, a master's student and graduate adviser for Golden Key.\n"Our goal is to have people stop by, have fun and raise money for charity," Friedrich said.