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(05/17/07 3:46pm)
About 30 people attended an open forum Wednesday afternoon to discuss the upcoming search for the IU provost with the committee charged with that task. \nThe discussion was led by the head of the search committee, IU law school professor Fred Cate. He said the goal of the forum, as well as a major focus of the committee, is to hold “as open a search” as possible given the short time-frame with which that committee is working. He urged that the committee is “anxious to receive any input at any time” regarding the search. \nThe event was held in the Frangipani Room of the Indiana Memorial Union, and featured discussion about issues ranging from diversity to administrative relationships to the very definition of the position of IU provost. \nThe committee has until June 8 to finalize a short list of candidates for submission to Interim Provost and President-elect Michael McRobbie, who will conduct final interviews and make the ultimate decision regarding who will succeed him as provost, according to a deadline calender given to the Indiana Daily Student. That selection will be made the following week, and the provost will be installed into office when McRobbie makes the transition to the IU presidency on July 1. \nAudience members peppered the committee with questions for the full hour of the forum. Topics covered several key issues, including University diversity, the provost’s accessibility to students and the timing and internal nature of the search itself. \nBecause the search committee will only review candidates currently serving at the University, Cate expressed an optimism in their ability to select a top administrator under such a tight deadline. He said the significant experience many committee members have already had working with candidates will enable them to make informed recommendations on a potential provost’s leadership style.\n“You don’t have to ask questions like ‘Do you get along with students?’” Cate said. “If they don’t get along with students we are going to have had years to figure out they don’t get along with them.”\nKevin Brown, director of the Hudson and Holland Minority Scholars Program, raised questions of faculty, staff and student diversity to the committee, and urged them to pick a candidate who would make expanding campus diversity a top priority. \nBrown gave the example that, although outoging-President Adam Herbert’s efforts have improved diversity on IU’s campus, black enrollment at IU is still down from what it was during the Ronald Reagan administration, and he believes some of his colleagues don’t “understand how bad the situation is” with regards to campus diversity. \nAnother major issue the audience seemed concerned about was the relationship between the provost and IU faculty, and the ability of the next provost to relate to other academic leaders on campus. Committee member Peter Kaczmarczyk of the Wells Library and president of the CWA Local 4730 expressed his hope to find someone who would not “lose touch” with the academic community after stepping into an administrative role.\nBrown said he believes the committee should not lose sight of the value of administrative experience when considering candidates. Brown said administration requires “a fundamental set of characteristics” learned from being a faculty member, but that time spent in administration is also invaluable.\n“I would hesitate to make someone a provost who’s not had some significant administrative experience,” Brown said.\nUpon their approval, IU’s next provost will step into a position that has been tough to define since its inception last year. With questions remaining about the provost’s formal responsibilities and a job description the committee’s chair agreed was near-impossible to entirely fulfill, Cate stressed the committee’s need to assess the importance of specific strengths each candidate demonstrated. \n“Every candidate has some weaknesses as well as obvious strengths and it’s going to be balancing all of that out as opposed to looking for the one person who fits everything,” Cate said. \nAnother concern expressed by some of those in attendance was the fact that, since the provost position is relatively new, relationships with other campus leaders like the president are hard to define. \nJohn Applegate, associate dean of the IU law school and an IU Presidential Fellow, termed the relationship between the University provost and the IU president as a “work in progress.” He said the provost needs to represent and push for the best interests of the Bloomington campus, as that institution’s academic leader. \n“(The) provost needs to be that advocate for the campus in some of the ways that chancellors are on other campuses,” Applegate said. \nCate said he hopes the internally-focused search “draws on the exceptional talent on (the IU) campus.” He addressed concerns related to the responsibilities and expectations of the provost position, admitting that the provost is sometimes expected to be “everything to everybody,” and termed the position something of an “impossible” job, given its varied demands. \nMcRobbie served as the University’s first provost following IU’s 2006 administrative restructuring – eliminating the University’s chancellor position and adding McRobbie as interim-provost. With the structural transition now passed, Cate expressed a desire to have the next provost potentially serve for several decades. \n“I think many people have said and I would certainly agree, we are looking for a Herman Wells,” he said. “We’re looking for somebody who can really establish not just the intellectual leadership but a real sense of the soul of the University.”
(05/14/07 4:02pm)
IU needs a new provost, and it wants one soon. \nPresident-elect and current Interim Provost Michael McRobbie formed a committee to find candidates to interview by mid-June to take over McRobbie’s provost position when he takes the presidency in July, said Fred Cate, IU law professor and chairman of the search committee. \nHowever, unlike previous hunts for chancellors and presidents, this search will be entirely internal. Cate said he is glad the search is internal, and that it “has its advantages,” because people within the University will be familiar and comfortable with whomever is chosen. \nCate also said the search should be, to some extent at least, public and open, so that interested people can feel familiar with the process as well as the candidates. There will even be an open discussion of the provost search from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 16 in the Frangipani Room of the Indiana Memorial Union. \nCate said it is up to the search committee to get people involved in the process. \n“I think it’s absolutely critical,” he said. “I think the process has to be as open and inclusive as possible. I think the (search) committee’s going to have to work harder to get the word out.”\nCate also stressed the involvement of students in this search, a presence that was lacking in the search for IU’s next president. That absence of undergraduate and graduate input drew considerable criticism from concerned students that ended with McRobbie’s presidential appointment in March.\nAs a result, junior and IUSA Chief of Staff Matt Jarson was appointed to serve as the student representative on the search committee. \nJarson said he hopes to bring a different perspective to the committee as its only student member, and he recognizes the different relationships the new provost will have with administrators, faculty and students. \nHe also said he hopes to reach out to as many students and student organizations as possible during the search, though he acknowledges the plan will not be easy with so many students gone in the summer. \nJarson said he believed that McRobbie, during his time as interim provost, was “very receptive and open,” and the president-elect’s replacement must be someone of a similar mind-set. \n“(The committee has) a good amount of work to do,” Jarson said. “We want to see someone who is very open to students. I really hope we find someone receptive to undergraduate students.” \nDean of Students Dick McKaig said he believes that the next provost should be open to IU students, but added that he didn’t believe the position of provost is one requiring major visibility. He pointed out that some of McRobbie’s most visible early successes involved finding new deans rather than increasing one-on-one communication with the student body.\n“McRobbie had some opportunity to be visible,” McKaig said. “What of course was more critical was the work he was doing to hire some new deans. If the provost is actively involved in addressing the needs of undergraduate and graduate students ... students will be very, very well served.”\nCate said he agrees that the next provost must be available to students, as well as faculty and staff. He believes the provost’s job is difficult because of the time demands and responsibilities the position entails.\n“These (types of positions) are virtually impossible jobs, because we expect (those who fill) them to be everything to everyone,” Cate said.\nJarson said he believes the fact that the search is internal is a good thing because the committee should be able to find quality candidates in the short time frame given to them.\nThe provost is the head of academic affairs at IU. He or she meets regularly with the Bloomington Faculty Council and receives reports from the deans of every school. \nJarson said the position of provost has a broader scope than some people realize, adding that McRobbie left a lasting impression on the position during his time in office. \nMcKaig said he believes the next provost should not only be someone who has a strong familiarity with the University, but also someone well-respected and enthusiastic about the position.\n“Someone who would be respected as a scholar (would be a good choice),” McKaig said. “Someone who has a kind of vision and an energy about moving forward.”
(04/19/07 4:00am)
THE RIDER
(03/02/07 5:00am)
“Enormous warmth.” An intriguing way to describe a man so maligned for the things he did – or did not do. But when asked to reflect on departing IU President Adam Herbert’s greatest strengths, University Chancellor Ken Gros Louis said it was Herbert’s ability to connect with people, whether one-on-one or in a group setting, that set him apart from his predecessors.\n“(His strengths are) his enormous warmth and interest in others,” Gros Louis said. “For whatever reasons, that major strength was not used, and because I’m so fond of him, it saddens me that his greatest strengths were not used.”\nIU law professor Fred Cate said he agreed with Gros Louis. \n“Either because of the way the job was structured or because of the needs of the University at this particular moment in time, the strengths he brought to the job just didn’t translate,” Cate said.\nDean of Students Dick McKaig said he felt Herbert brought an incredible amount of character to his office.\n“He brought a real kind of charisma to the presidency,” McKaig said. “Each person has his own strengths and his own capabilities. I think he did a fine job.”\nHerbert was installed as IU’s 17th president Aug. 1, 2003. He inherited a situation Gros Louis described simply as challenging. \nThe current University chancellor pointed to the dissatisfaction with then-IU Chancellor Sharon Brehm, personnel and budgetary shortcomings in the athletics department and a need to enhance IU’s public relations capabilities as issues Herbert faced immediately after taking office.\n“Not known to many people, when he came, he really had a lot of challenges to face,” Gros Louis said. “I think he did a really good job in a lot of the areas where they asked him to do a good job in.”\nBoth McKaig and Gros Louis said his handling of these problems are examples of Herbert’s leadership ability. They also pointed to successes he found in expanding grants, awards and fundraising for financial aid and research. They talked about Herbert’s commitment to furthering the life sciences at IU, his innovative “mission differentiation” program for IU’s eight campuses and his work to raise admissions standards while easing access, both academically and financially, to IU’s campuses for Indiana residents. \nHowever, both believed Herbert’s personable nature was his greatest and most memorable quality. McKaig spoke of being with Herbert after the April 21, 2006, plane crash that claimed the lives of five IU music students.\n“Sometimes, in very sad occasions, the character of a person shines through,” McKaig said. “I was with the president as we greeted some of the families at the local airport, and obviously it was a very difficult time for everybody involved, and his sincerity and his warmth and his concern in a very private moment, I think, was very important. It ... spoke to the character and concern of the man.”\nCate said he believed Herbert’s strength as a communicator showed during that tragedy.\n“He was absolutely extraordinary in his ability to communicate the loss that the campus felt and to be supportive to the families and the friends,” Cate said. “We saw the remarkable ability of this man to communicate. We saw his warmth and his sympathy. We saw his dignity under great pressure.”\nHowever, Gros Louis added that he believed Herbert wanted to do much more with his time at IU, especially in terms of connecting with students.\n“I know from the time before he entered office, he wanted very much to be more involved with students,” he said. “Because of the demands on his calendar, he really never had a chance to do those kinds of things that he wanted to do and that he’s so good at doing.”\nGros Louis said the “train is on the track” regarding life-sciences initiatives, and he believes it will be the responsibility of the next president to continue them.\nHowever, he said, the University is better for Herbert’s tenure. \n“On a personal level, I’ll miss him a lot,” Gros Louis said. “I think that, given the problems he faced when he came ... I think he leaves IU a much stronger place than when he came.”
(12/06/06 3:46am)
Loren Rullman came to IU more than two years ago after being named director of the Indiana Memorial Union and IU Auditorium. Returning to his alma mater fulfilled a lifelong dream for Rullman, who met his wife in the IMU as a student.\nNow Rullman will again say goodbye to IU as he departs his position after being named the next associate vice president for student affairs at the University of Michigan.\n"Coming to IU was the fulfillment of a life-long dream to serve in a place that's been important to my family," Rullman said. "What I've decided is that my aspirations to make institutional-level contributions can best be fulfilled at Michigan."\nRullman came to IU in 2004 after working at Michigan and Southeast Missouri State University. He took over as director of the IMU, replacing Winston Shindell, who retired after 23 years in the position. \nDean of Students Richard McKaig said Rullman was a good colleague who worked to involve people in IMU administration. He said Rullman was reliable and helpful during his time with the University. \n"He did an excellent job of involving folks in the operations of the Union," he said. "I think he kind of had a sense of vision for the Union. (He was) very easy to work with in the sense that he always got things done that he said he would get done."\nRullman said his time at IU has been satisfying, and he has enjoyed serving the University where he spent his undergraduate years.\n"(IU) has been wonderful," Rullman said. "The time that I've been here has been \nwonderful."\nRullman said he was particularly proud of several things the IMU administration has accomplished during his tenure. \nHe said several renovations throughout the IMU and IU Auditorium, the opening of the IMU Starbucks and expansion of "food service and master planning" all made him proud. He called the changes "important ways that we make the Union a more attractive place to be." \n"I'm really proud of some of the things that we've done together," Rullman said. "We've made, I think, some special investments."\nRullman said he believed more expansion could certainly help the IMU, especially in hospitality areas that bring funds to the Union. \n"I really don't regret much," Rullman said, when asked if there was anything he would have done differently in his time at IU. \nRullman encouraged the University to continue involving students in decision-making processes. \n"That (student involvement) makes IU distinctive historically, and that's important not to lose," he said. "I would say that if I come back in a couple of years, what I would hope to find is really good decision-making involving faculty, staff and the students."\nMcKaig said Rullman has been a leader in supporting student involvement.\n"I think (student involvement) is definitely something he's fostered," McKaig said. "Loren bought into it and did everything he could to try and continue that tradition and even expand that tradition."\nSenior and Union Board President Bradley Allen said Rullman has been very helpful to students during his tenure, and he is sad to see the director leave.\n"Loren's been very beneficial to the students at the Union, and we wish him the best of luck at Michigan," Allen said. "I'm sorry to hear he is gone, but I understand people's lives change and things progress."\nRullman said he was sad to leave IU but is looking forward to taking on his new responsibilities in Ann Arbor.\n"When you're director of a department, you have more frequent, maybe more direct connection to the elements (of a university)," Rullman said. "I'm looking forward to that challenge." \nMcKaig said he would be happy to see Rullman return to his former school someday. \n"I think (Rullman returning someday) would be wonderful," McKaig said. "He's certainly a talented individual, and I think it would be wonderful to have him back here."\nRullman did not rule out returning to IU some time in the future, pointing out that he never imagined he would come back here to begin with.\n"I dreamed of coming back, and I assumed it would never happen (a first time)," Rullman said. "You never say never"
(12/04/06 5:56am)
WIUX, IU's student-run radio station, held a 10-hour pledge drive Friday. \nSenior Zach Pollakoff, the station manager, said he was thrilled with the success of the drive. \n"I'm really proud of the support we've gotten from local businesses," Pollakoff said. "It's great that our station gets that much exposure."\nThe pledge drive was so successful early in the day that WIUX was more than halfway to its $1,000 goal by 3 p.m. In the end, the group surpassed its goal by earning $1,500. Senior and WIUX Public Relations Director Eliza Erxleben said the drive's success was incredibly encouraging to everyone at the station.\n"It's amazing," Erxleben said. "It's something we've never done before. ... It's good to see that people actually do support us. It's always nice to know that."\nJunior Dan Fontaine, WIUX's news director, said he believed support from the Bloomington community was important not only to the pledge drive's success, but for the station in general. \nFontaine said combining support from campus and the community could make WIUX more popular. \n"I think to unite those two factions in the community is an incredible feat," Fontaine said. "When they come together to listen to WIUX and also ... come together to support it, I think it's really helping to build ties between the students and the community."\nPollakoff said he would like to do another pledge drive, perhaps making it a regular event at the station. \nHe said the pledge drive was not linked to the student-run station's current battle to stay on FM. The Federal Communications Commission was set to kick it off for a higher-priority FM signal out of Columbus, Ind., but is now reviewing a petition the station submitted to be allowed to stay on its current frequency. \nErxleben said she felt the public exposure garnered from the pledge drive could add support in that fight.\n"If people find out about our station, if they love it, if they see what we're doing here is good, it will make people want to keep us around," Erxleben said. "If we can show people that what we do here is valuable, then it's more reason to keep us on the air"
(12/01/06 3:49am)
Students in special education programs are being put at a disadvantage by the No Child Left Behind Act, claims a recent IU study conducted by Center for Evaluation and Education Policy and the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community. The Nov. 15 report states that "the act's narrow assessment criteria creates pressure for schools to reverse inclusion efforts," which may negatively affect special education dropout rates.\nSandi Cole, director of IIDC's Center on Education and Lifelong Learning, said the No Child Left Behind Act's standards are too stringent for some special education programs.\n"Every student is tested every year, and they have to meet a certain standard or a certain score," Cole said. "If they don't make that, they're considered a failure. The problem with this act is that there are many students with disabilities that have been negatively affected."\nIssues arise because the act includes special education programs in school progress reports, said Lowell Rose, executive director emeritus of Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation in Bloomington. However, if special education students are held to the same standards as other students, such programs will be set up to fail.\nRose said schools then try to cut special education programs so they have a better chance of meeting progress reports and avoiding sanctions imposed by the act.\nRose said Indiana had about 950 schools miss their Adequate Yearly Progress marks last year. Of those schools, 32 percent failed because of the shortcomings of special education programs. Those programs were at least partially responsible for 62 percent of Adequate Yearly Progress failures as well.\nCole, who wrote the report based on the study, said the report itself was not intended to be purely negative. She said she believed including special education students in school curriculum was good, but holding special education programs to normal standards just isn't practical.\n"What the article tries to do is say that it's a good thing that students with disabilities are being included nationally," Cole said. "But there are some things that need to be changed."\nCole said she didn't think the law needed to be struck down, but said she thinks the report showed changes are necessary.\n"Right now, the details in the law are not working for kids," she said. "There are some pieces in the law that need some serious revision."\nRose said he believed the answer could be found in the use of Individual Education Programs, which evaluate a student's abilities on an individual level. The standards each student must meet are based off these evaluations.\n"What I would like to see, and what I think they have to do to make the legislation work, is have special education students operate under federal law, under the IEP," Rose said. "It seems very clear to me that what the standard ought to be, then, for these students, is whatever the IEP specifies as an appropriate program."\nBoth Lowell and Cole said they hoped the report might influence policy makers when the act comes up for revision, which Lowell said will occur in 2007. Cole said she believed the act needed revision based not just on the report, but also on the opinions of teachers who have spoken out against the act.\n"I think that administrators and teachers are speaking strongly about what needs to be changed," Cole said. "The optimistic side of me hopes that the revisions in 2007 will be a better accountability nationally for students"
(12/01/06 3:46am)
In order to raise needed funds, WIUX, IU's student-run radio station, will hold an in-studio, open-house pledge drive from noon to 10 p.m. Friday. During the 10-hour period, interviews will include local recording artists, IU professors and IU women's soccer coach Mick Lyon. Students and anyone else interested in pledging support to the embattled station are welcome to stop by WIUX's station house at Eighth Street and Woodlawn Avenue or the station's remote broadcast outside Ballantine Hall. \nWIUX Public Relations Director Eliza Erxleben said the idea for the pledge drive was not directly related to the station's recent petition to stay on the FM frequency they have occupied since January. Instead, the drive is meant to provide more general support to the station, especially in restoring equipment. \n"The pledge drive has two main goals," Erxleben said in an e-mail. "First (is) to provide a day of great programming for our listening audience. The second goal is to raise some money for the station. The money we raise will be going towards upgrading equipment or fixing or replacing items that are broken around the station."\nSenior Zach Pollakoff, the WIUX Station Manager, said his only major concern about the pledge drive was that the station had never undertaken such a project before.\n"It turned out pretty well, I think," Pollakoff said. "It's just something we've never done before, so we weren't really sure what kind of support we'd get."\nErxleben said the station will accept cash and check donations. The minimum donation amount is five dollars, but the station hopes to raise $1,000. \nTo aid the pledge drive, several local businesses agreed to play WIUX's broadcast Friday. Mother Bears Pizza, The Runcible Spoon and Mixed Greens are among several Bloomington establishments who will be pledging their speakers to the cause. \nPollakoff said the businesses agreed to play WIUX throughout the day in exchange for having their names mentioned on the air. \nPollakoff said Erxleben and a small committee brought the pledge drive together for the most part. He said they went "door-to-door" to find businesses that would support the pledge drive. \nErxleben said she believes the pledge drive is important because WIUX wants to show Bloomington it is an active part of the town, not just IU. \n"Because our presence in the community as an FM radio station is still relatively new -- we've been on FM for less than a year -- we hope to show Bloomington that we are an important part of the community," she said. "Even if we fall short of our monetary goals, we will be able to give people a glimpse into what we do and how we help our town."\nPollakoff said he hoped the pledge drive would convey a message to the Bloomington and IU communities that transcends monetary donations.\n"It would seem obvious that I would say the $1,000 (is the ultimate goal)," Pollakoff said. "But really I think more important is that we sort of send out a message of community support from the radio station and hopefully receive that. I think that it's a way for us to reach out to the community and a way for the community to respond."\nWIUX has been embroiled in recent battles to keep its 100.3 FM frequency. WYGB, "Korn Country," out of Columbus, Ind., is trying to expand its broadcast range on that frequency, and WIUX will be forced off the frequency if the country station is successful. \nPollakoff said the station has been told unofficially that the Federal Communications Commission will take around six months to review WIUX's petition to stay on FM, giving the student station some breathing room. \n"Above and beyond everything I hope to increase exposure about the station and WIUX," Pollakoff said. "We have a symbiotic relationship with the Bloomington community and the IU community. I definitely would like to raise awareness ... of the radio station ... I think that there is power in numbers"
(11/20/06 5:44am)
The thermometer read 34 degrees Friday morning, but that wasn't enough to stop about 30 riders representing IU and Purdue from gathering at the Memorial Stadium parking lot and setting off on a two-day, 122-mile bike trip from Bloomington to West Lafayette.\nThe inaugural Bucket 100 Bike Tour benefited Habitat for Humanity both at IU and West Lafayette. All entry fees and donations went to Habitat for Humanity, with each organization responsible for its own publicity and fundraising.\nDavid Doyle, president of IU's chapter of Habitat for Humanity, said he thinks IU raised more than $1,000 for its cause but said the group won't know the final figure until after Thanksgiving.\nIU's Dean of Students Richard McKaig gave the group words of encouragement before the riders left Bloomington. He said he was honored to be invited to speak at the event because of the importance of its benefit.\n"The students were kind enough to invite me to come out," McKaig said. "Habitat for Humanity, I think, is a great cause, and the two schools getting together to work for Habitat for Humanity is an even greater idea, so I was happy to be here to send them off."\nThe idea originated with Doug Taylor, director of the Lafayette Habitat for Humanity, who contacted Doyle and began planning in September, said senior Jennifer Talbott, a student volunteer.\n"It was a lot (of planning) since this is our first year that we've ever done this," Talbott said. "It was a lot of coordination, especially with Purdue."\nTalbott said the two groups held weekly conference calls during their planning and held several meetings independently and with Purdue as everything came together. \nIU volunteers said they were happy to put in the time, especially after getting high first-year involvement. Megan Ischay, the IU chapter's event publicity director, said she was "very enthusiastic" about the turnout.\n"Since it was our first year, (the turnout) was pretty good because it was not a known event, really," Ischay said.\nDoyle said he was pleased with the turnout, especially with the walk-in pre-registration the night before. He said IU had 10 people sign up Thursday night for the Friday ride.\nHe said both Purdue and IU signed up between 15 and 17 people each, which exceeded his expectations.\n"I'm actually pretty pleased," Doyle said. "An event that I assumed was going to be maybe six or seven people has turned into about 25 or 30 people, so I couldn't be happier."\nMcKaig said he thought it was important for both IU and Purdue to work together because of their overall significance to the state.\n"We are the major universities in the state of Indiana," McKaig said. "I think it's a great partnership ... It makes for a great combination to serve the citizens of Indiana."\nDoyle said he was happy with the fundraising effort.\n"The donation fees were a lot higher than we thought they were going to be," Doyle said. "For a first-year event, anything raised is, in my mind, a successful fundraiser."\nMcKaig said he thought the Bucket 100 could become a popular campus event.\n"It could be a neat tradition," McKaig said. "The challenge between the two schools in sports is a great history, and maybe this can be a way to say 'We certainly challenge each other, but we also support great causes.'"\nDoyle said involvement and fundraising accomplishments hardened his resolve to hold the Bucket 100 again next year, with the goal of making it an annual event.\n"I'm adamant and determined that we're going to have it next year," Doyle said. "... With the Little 500 and the IU Cycling Team and Purdue's cycling club, I think this could probably turn into a huge fundraiser in the next two or three years"
(11/19/06 4:37am)
Constructing a house is no easy task. \nBut Habitat for Humanity wants to make building a house as simple as riding a bike.\nWith that in mind, the IU and West Lafayette chapters of Habitat for Humanity have organized the inaugural Bucket 100 Bike Tour to raise money for their respective organizations. The two-day bicycle ride starts at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington Friday morning and ends at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette Saturday. \nThe ride ties into the Old Oaken Bucket game, for which the IU football team travels to Purdue. Adding to the rivalry, the respective chapters are holding a competition to see which group can raise the most money. Doug Taylor, executive director of West Lafayette Habitat for Humanity, said the winner will receive "the drywall mud bucket."\n"I think it'll be a lot of fun," Taylor said. "IU students and Purdue students riding together, trash-talking and publicizing the need for affordable public housing in the state of Indiana."\nTaylor, who helped develop the idea and then approached counterparts at IU, said he hopes the event will become a popular charity event.\n"We just wanted to get a feel for if it works," Taylor said. "I think it has potential to be something big."\nGraduate student David Doyle, director of the IU chapter of the organization, said he believes the ride has to become more of a tradition before it becomes more accepted. However, he shared Taylor's belief that the Bucket 100 could become an annual happening. \n"Since it's a first-year fundraiser, not a lot of people are gung-ho about it," Doyle said. "We have to get some credibility for it. This year was set up as a test run almost."\nDoyle said IU's chapter took the fundraiser and marketed it heavily because of its desire to make the fundraiser competition a staple of the IU-Purdue rivalry.\n"We kind of took it on like it was our own little baby because we're always looking for new ways to fundraise," he said.\nBoth Doyle and Taylor cited large cycling communities in Bloomington and West Lafayette as a reason for strong early support for the event.\nTaylor said he'd been brainstorming such an event for some time after successfully establishing the Cover Indiana Bicycle Tour while directing the state Habitat for Humanity office. \nSophomore Emily Clarke, who rides for the Alpha Phi Little 500 team, said she believed the event could thrive off of Bloomington's cycling community and said next year she thought the turnout could be much higher.\n"It's hard to have an idea what to expect the first year," Clarke said. "Next year maybe we can hope for 100 (riders). With Bloomington's huge cycling community ... I think it could become a well-known tradition."\nThe two-day ride, which will stop overnight at the First Baptist Church in Crawfordsville, Ind., has about 25 riders pre-registered, Taylor said. Each school is raising money for its own Habitat for Humanity chapter, though neither will know exactly how much money it raised until after the ride is over. \nOn-site Bloomington registration for the event will begin at 7 a.m. at the Genesis Church across the 45/46 Bypass near Memorial Stadium, according to the IU Habitat for Humanity Web site. Registration includes a minimum donation of $50, and all proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity. \nRiders are expected to bring their own clothing, but organizers will have support cars for carrying luggage. Medical personnel will also accompany the riders. \nAnyone who cannot make the send-off at 10 a.m. Friday but would still like to participate Saturday can join the group in Crawfordsville Friday night and ride the remaining route to Purdue at a reduced minimum donation of $30, organizers said. Those joining Saturday must provide their own transportation to Crawfordsville. \nClarke said she is looking forward to the ride. She said this will help her with Little 500. "It's good training, but it's also a good way to go out and meet new people and get a lot of miles under my belt," Clarke said. "I think it's important that you do raise money; that way you understand what Habitat for Humanity is"
(11/17/06 5:29am)
Constructing a house is no easy task. \nBut Habitat for Humanity wants to make building a house as simple as riding a bike.\nWith that in mind, the IU and West Lafayette chapters of Habitat for Humanity have organized the inaugural Bucket 100 Bike Tour to raise money for their respective organizations. The two-day bicycle ride starts at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington Friday morning and ends at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette Saturday. \nThe ride ties into the Old Oaken Bucket game, for which the IU football team travels to Purdue. Adding to the rivalry, the respective chapters are holding a competition to see which group can raise the most money. Doug Taylor, executive director of West Lafayette Habitat for Humanity, said the winner will receive "the drywall mud bucket."\n"I think it'll be a lot of fun," Taylor said. "IU students and Purdue students riding together, trash-talking and publicizing the need for affordable public housing in the state of Indiana."\nTaylor, who helped develop the idea and then approached counterparts at IU, said he hopes the event will become a popular charity event.\n"We just wanted to get a feel for if it works," Taylor said. "I think it has potential to be something big."\nGraduate student David Doyle, director of the IU chapter of the organization, said he believes the ride has to become more of a tradition before it becomes more accepted. However, he shared Taylor's belief that the Bucket 100 could become an annual happening. \n"Since it's a first-year fundraiser, not a lot of people are gung-ho about it," Doyle said. "We have to get some credibility for it. This year was set up as a test run almost."\nDoyle said IU's chapter took the fundraiser and marketed it heavily because of its desire to make the fundraiser competition a staple of the IU-Purdue rivalry.\n"We kind of took it on like it was our own little baby because we're always looking for new ways to fundraise," he said.\nBoth Doyle and Taylor cited large cycling communities in Bloomington and West Lafayette as a reason for strong early support for the event.\nTaylor said he'd been brainstorming such an event for some time after successfully establishing the Cover Indiana Bicycle Tour while directing the state Habitat for Humanity office. \nSophomore Emily Clarke, who rides for the Alpha Phi Little 500 team, said she believed the event could thrive off of Bloomington's cycling community and said next year she thought the turnout could be much higher.\n"It's hard to have an idea what to expect the first year," Clarke said. "Next year maybe we can hope for 100 (riders). With Bloomington's huge cycling community ... I think it could become a well-known tradition."\nThe two-day ride, which will stop overnight at the First Baptist Church in Crawfordsville, Ind., has about 25 riders pre-registered, Taylor said. Each school is raising money for its own Habitat for Humanity chapter, though neither will know exactly how much money it raised until after the ride is over. \nOn-site Bloomington registration for the event will begin at 7 a.m. at the Genesis Church across the 45/46 Bypass near Memorial Stadium, according to the IU Habitat for Humanity Web site. Registration includes a minimum donation of $50, and all proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity. \nRiders are expected to bring their own clothing, but organizers will have support cars for carrying luggage. Medical personnel will also accompany the riders. \nAnyone who cannot make the send-off at 10 a.m. Friday but would still like to participate Saturday can join the group in Crawfordsville Friday night and ride the remaining route to Purdue at a reduced minimum donation of $30, organizers said. Those joining Saturday must provide their own transportation to Crawfordsville. \nClarke said she is looking forward to the ride. She said this will help her with Little 500. "It's good training, but it's also a good way to go out and meet new people and get a lot of miles under my belt," Clarke said. "I think it's important that you do raise money; that way you understand what Habitat for Humanity is"
(11/10/06 5:19am)
The IU Research and Technology Corporation recently agreed to a licensing arrangement with a Carmel, Ind. biotechnology company to develop pharmaceuticals. \nMarcadia Biotech agreed to develop medical drugs created by the IU-Bloomington Chemistry Department Chair Richard DiMarchi.\nDiMarchi, a founding member of the biotechnology company, employs biochemical and proteomics techniques to more rapidly discover protein drugs that can treat metabolic diseases, according to the IU news release. \nThe premise of the agreement is for Marcadia to develop drugs DiMarchi made for widespread use. Among the new drugs is a quick and effective way of treating diabetic shock through the use of a drug administered by an injector pen. \nMarcadia CEO Fritz French said the company will be working with DiMarchi's research in areas specifically related to obesity and diabetes. \n"The compounds have been or will be discovered (by DiMarchi)," French said. "And then we take the compounds and develop them into products."\nMarcadia will sponsor research DiMarchi does in the aforementioned areas in exchange for patent rights to the products of that work. Research and Technology Corporation CEO Mark Long said he felt it was important for the agreement to include the possibility of further development so the door could stay open for future work.\nDiMarchi said the whole process, including the research, the company's formation and the agreements, took place over the course of the last year. DiMarchi said he was cautiously optimistic about his most recent drug making it to the market, but he was nonetheless excited. \n"It is premature to assume that the current inventions will become registered drugs, but I remain very optimistic, as it would fill an unmet medical need for a significant number of patients with diabetes," DiMarchi said in an e-mail. \nFrench said DiMarchi's expertise in the field of diabetic medicine made him the central player in the whole enterprise.\n"In the area we're working in ... he's one of the best in the world," French said. "He's brilliant, a great guy. He's got incredible strategic skills."\nFrench said DiMarchi's involvement in the entire project was crucial to its success, and his work will be what drives the project forward. \n"If it weren't for him, I don't think there would be the technology," French said. "We expect him to be the key scientific driver for additional inventions."\nLong said he believed the agreements could have an effect that reaches beyond DiMarchi's laboratory. \n"I think that the formation of a strong company dedicated to a part of the life sciences market like diabetes shows that IU is progressive in the life sciences, has a lot of depth and research in the life sciences, and we can expect more companies to come out of this (partnership)," Long said. "I think it's a big win for the life sciences and also a big win for Indiana University"
(11/10/06 5:17am)
The biggest change to the Law School Admissions Test in more than a decade could significantly impact the way students prepare for the exam. The change will take effect in June. The adjustment, which will add a comparative reading section to the test, could have a notable effect on a student's score, said Ben Baron, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions' vice president of graduate programs. \n"This is actually the largest change the LSAT has undergone in the last 15 years, which means this is a test that does not change very often," Baron said. "It is enough questions that could influence a student's score by three to six points, which for the LSAT could be significant." \nBaron said the test currently has four reading passages with questions regarding those passages. One of those passages would be replaced with a set of questions that asks students to compare two shorter readings at once. \nHowever, Baron said the amount of reading a student does during the test will not change.\n"Each passage will be shorter, but it will add up to about the same amount of reading," he said. \nGraduate student Isaac Kinsey, who has already taken the LSAT, said his first reaction to the change was one of surprise.\n"My initial question would be 'why?'" Kinsey said. "Do they see the portion they're changing as less effective than what they're doing? Is it going to make (the LSAT) more effective? Is it going to make the test harder?" \nThe Law School Admissions Council, the organization that puts out the LSAT each year, was unavailable for comment. However, Baron said the council is constantly playing with ways to make the test more efficient. \n"(The admissions council) continually does research about what questions will allow (the council) to create a test that will be most predictive of a student's law school success," Baron said. "They're constantly experimenting with different types of questions and doing research on that." \nBaron said the most important thing about the LSAT is that a student's score can weigh more heavily in the admissions process than normal standardized test scores.\n"The LSAT, above the other (tests), can represent as much as half of the admissions decision," he said. "That's why when we talk about a change that could affect three to six points on the test, that's meaningful." \nGraduate student Jason Autry said he was not sure if he would be taking the LSAT but said he didn't think the new section would change his preparation for the test. He said he believed anyone who wanted to go to law school should be competent enough to handle the new reading section and said it wasn't a big enough percent of the overall score for him to worry about more than anything else on the test.\nKinsey said it made sense to test a student's ability to compare two different readings if they would have to compare case law later in their careers. \n"One of the biggest things with law is precedence," Kinsey said. "That's pretty much what precedence is: you read something, and you take something else that's like it and you compare it ... if that's the kind of thinking that they're trying to measure with (the change), then I can understand why they would want to input something like that into the law school exam." \nAdam Green, a sophomore majoring in business and law, agreed, adding that he believed a comparative reading section makes perfect sense for a law school exam.\n"I think it completely applies ... simply because you're taking two cases, possibly, in a law setting," he said. "You're going to have to see how they apply to one another ... it's very necessary, and I'm surprised it wasn't there beforehand." \nBaron said Kaplan would make sure it has preparatory materials to get students ready for the new exam.\n"For us at Kaplan, our primary obligation is always to our students," Baron said. "We are constantly pushing an organization like the admissions council to release materials because it is in the best interest of our students -- of all students -- to have the material available to them as quickly as possible"
(11/09/06 4:34am)
The biggest change to the Law School Admissions Test in more than a decade could significantly impact the way students prepare for the exam. The change will take effect in June. The adjustment, which will add a comparative reading section to the test, could have an notable effect on a student's score, said Ben Baron, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions' vice president of graduate programs. \n"This is actually the largest change the LSAT has undergone in the last 15 years, which means this is a test that does not change very often," Baron said. "It is enough questions that could influence a student's score by three to six points, which for the LSAT could be significant." \nBaron said the test currently has four reading passages with questions regarding those passages. One of those passages would be replaced with a set of questions that asks students to compare two shorter readings at once. \nHowever, Baron said the amount of reading a student does during the test will not change.\n"Each passage will be shorter, but it will add up to about the same amount of reading," he said. \nGraduate student Isaac Kinsey, who has already taken the LSAT, said his first reaction to the change was one of surprise.\n"My initial question would be 'why?'" Kinsey said. "Do they see the portion they're changing as less effective than what they're doing? Is it going to make (the LSAT) more effective? Is it going to make the test harder?" \nThe Law School Admissions Council, the organization that puts out the LSAT each year, was unavailable for comment. However, Baron said the council is constantly playing with ways to make the test more efficient. \n"(The admissions council) continually does research about what questions will allow (the council) to create a test that will be most predictive of a student's law school success," Baron said. "They're constantly experimenting with different types of questions and doing research on that." \nBaron said the most important thing about the LSAT is that a student's score can weigh more heavily in the admissions process than normal standardized test scores.\n"The LSAT, above the other (tests), can represent as much as half of the admissions decision," he said. "That's why when we talk about a change that could affect three to six points on the test, that's meaningful." \nGraduate student Jason Autry said he was not sure if he would be taking the LSAT but said he didn't think the new section would change his preparation for the test. He said he believed anyone who wanted to go to law school should be competent enough to handle the new reading section and said it wasn't a big enough percent of the overall score for him to worry about more than anything else on the test.\nKinsey said it made sense to test a student's ability to compare two different readings if they would have to compare case law later in their careers. \n"One of the biggest things with law is precedence," Kinsey said. "That's pretty much what precedence is: you read something, and you take something else that's like it and you compare it ... if that's the kind of thinking that they're trying to measure with (the change), then I can understand why they would want to input something like that into the law school exam." \nAdam Green, a sophomore majoring in business and law, agreed, adding that he believed a comparative reading section makes perfect sense for a law school exam.\n"I think it completely applies ... simply because you're taking two cases, possibly, in a law setting," he said. "You're going to have to see how they apply to one another ... it's very necessary, and I'm surprised it wasn't there beforehand." \nBaron said Kaplan would make sure it has preparatory materials to get students ready for the new exam.\n"For us at Kaplan, our primary obligation is always to our students," Baron said. "We are constantly pushing an organization like the admissions council to release materials because it is in the best interest of our students -- of all students -- to have the material available to them as quickly as possible"
(11/07/06 5:27am)
Indiana Sens. Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar added their voices to the fight to keep WIUX on FM radio. On Friday, the two submitted a joint letter to the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission supporting IU's petition to keep WIUX on its current frequency, 100.3 FM.\nLast week, WIUX announced that WYGB, a country station broadcast out of Columbus, Ind., will be taking over the frequency it moved to in January. When contacted last week, WYGB station manager Mike King said he was unaware the station would be kicking WIUX off its FM frequency but said the company that owns the station was trying to double WYGB's broadcast range.\nThe letter to FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin stated that the station is a golden example of the success of Low Power FM radio stations, which were set up to give noncommercial radio outlets room on the airwaves. The document used the fact that the station was entirely student-run as evidence.\n"We commend the Federal Communications Commission for its ongoing efforts to encourage the creation of Low Power FM stations like WIUX-LP, and ask that the merits of Indiana University's petition be given full and fair consideration," the letter stated.\nBayh said he hoped the FCC would take into account WIUX's history and value to the IU campus, as well as Bloomington.\n"Stations like WIUX play a vital role in ensuring that a diverse array of music and programs remain available to enhance the knowledge and inspire the imagination of Hoosiers across Indiana," Bayh said in an e-mail statement to the Indiana Daily Student. "WIUX has played an important role in the University's history, and I have urged the commissioners to \nremember the benefits WIUX-LP provides to the Indiana University community as they consider this important matter."\nWIUX Station Manager Zach Pollakoff said he was thrilled when he heard Lugar and Bayh had sent the letter.\n"We really appreciate that it's gotten support from such ... a high level," Pollakoff said. "I think it will require that sort of congressional push to effect a change, really, in the situation."\nWIUX Business Operations Manager Dan Goshorn said Secretly Canadian Records, an independent label in Bloomington, contacted the senators.\nGoshorn said it was good to see the senators getting involved in the issue because he believes public support will likely be WIUX's biggest weapon.\n"I think it's great that they're taking notice and trying to help us out," Goshorn said. "We don't have much of a legal argument."\nGoshorn added that the station wanted this case to set a precedent protecting Low Power stations in the future. He said WIUX had an advantage in its large support base but said he believes other stations who do not enjoy that support could struggle against the rule, which he said he believes is unconstitutional.\n"I think it's definitely just as much about setting precedent," Goshorn said. "There has to be a limit to when the FCC can just restrict speech. ... I really feel strongly that this is unconstitutional. It'll turn a lot more heads I think, if we can get that message out."\nPollakoff said the support from the community was greatly appreciated. He said the station has been working with several different people and organizations, including the Office of the Provost and IU Student Association, and a Facebook group has been created in support of the petition.\nHowever, Pollakoff said he believes an organized response will be needed to swing the FCC's decision in WIUX's favor.\n"We have a lot of verbal support," Pollakoff said. "We need something more than just a letter to send, I think, for the community to respond"
(11/02/06 6:03am)
A new broadcast signal from a country radio station will likely push WIUX off FM radio. The student-run radio station spent years working to upgrade its broadcast strength but might lose its biggest gain after less than a year on its current frequency.\nWYGB, which is licensed in Edinburgh, Ind., but broadcast out of Columbus, Ind., can take WIUX's frequency, 100.3 FM, because its Federal Communications Commission license gives it higher broadcasting priority.\nWIUX Station Manager Zach Pollakoff said because WIUX is a Low Power FM station and WYGB is a commercial station, IU's signal can be forced off the airwaves.\n"The rules governing Low Power FM are either nonexistent or still in the making because it's a fairly new type of license," Pollakoff said. \nWIUX has been on the air for 40 years but only began broadcasting on FM radio Jan. 30, Pollakoff said. The station had previously broadcast on an AM frequency with a radius of one mile. Moving to FM gave the station a radius of 15 miles.\nPollakoff said he wasn't sure if the station could return to AM radio. The AM frequency wasn't as efficient as its FM counterpart because it can only reach a small audience, he said.\nWhen students at the station learned of the takeover last month, they wrote a petition that the University filed with the FCC asking the organization to continue allowing WIUX to broadcast on 100.3 FM.\nDean of Students Richard McKaig, who signed the petition as an IU administrative official, said the setback to WIUX is frustrating. The station had been trying to gain access to a more powerful frequency since he came to campus in 1971, he said.\n"We've spent from '71 to 2005 to try and get the station an FM (frequency)," McKaig said. "It'd be a shame to pull the rug out from under them now."\nWIUX Music Director Craig Shank said he was surprised that the hard work of so many people could be undermined so quickly.\n"My reaction was really just one of shock because I was unaware that we could be put in a situation like this so soon after switching to FM," Shank said. "A lot of people over the years have put a lot into the switch, and hearing the news was just really disappointing."\nThe FCC ruled that Low Power stations can be removed from the airwaves if construction of a new station would cause "signal interference," according to a letter Pollakoff sent to WIUX disc jockeys.\nWYGB Station Manager Mike King said the station was simply trying to expand its broadcast radius and said he didn't know the expansion would force WIUX off FM. He said the station, which is also known as "Korn Country," secured the frequency because it would soon be boosting its signal.\n"What we are doing is we have secured this 100.3 frequency, and we are moving one of our existing stations to that frequency because we can get more wattage," King said. \nPollakoff asked students to support WIUX by sending complaints to the FCC.\n"We're in the process of \nputting up a form online that would be a chance for our DJs, our listeners, students and really anybody to send an e-mail to the FCC," he said. \nWIUX's move in January to FM radio was sponsored largely by donations from alumni. Pollakoff said he was unsure if the station would be able to recuperate money spent on the FM upgrade.\nPollakoff said he believed the most disappointing aspect of the situation was that so much hard work done to move to FM could possibly go to waste. \n"It's a disappointment for me and everybody at the station," Pollakoff said. "We've been a station in Bloomington for 40 years, and it's just difficult for us."\nShank said he believed WIUX being pushed off of FM could hurt Bloomington as well as IU. Not only does the station provide training for students, but WIUX also provides support for local bands and businesses. \n"I think we're a really important student organization because we're a place where students can go to learn about the radio business first hand," Shank said. "This could really not only serve as sort of a blow to WIUX but possibly Bloomington as a whole."\nJunior Jenn Luechauer said she believed WIUX and stations like it should be encouraged, not hindered. \n"I think that it's bad (for the station to leave the air) because it's an IU station, and we need to keep student-run organizations in Bloomington," Luechauer said.\nMcKaig agreed with Pollakoff, saying he believed the station worked too hard for its recent success to lose its license to a commercial station.\n"It really has been an opportunity for the station to gain more credibility," McKaig said. "It's been in the last 18 months that we've really had what we've been trying to get for so long. ... We're on the air, (and) it would be a shame to lose it"
(11/01/06 3:10am)
He is Batman. \nWell, not literally. But IU alumnus Michael Uslan is the driving force behind the entire Batman movie series. Tuesday afternoon, Uslan came to the Godfrey Graduate and Executive Education Center in the Kelley School of Business to speak as a distinguished entrepreneur-in-residence to more than 50 students, faculty and staff about "The Business of Hollywood." \nUslan graduated from IU with three degrees, including a bachelor's degree in history, a master's degree in education and a doctorate from the School of Law. He said his time on campus inspired and enabled him to have the career he has today, which he considers his dream job.\n"This place empowered me again to do what I do today," Uslan said to an eager audience. "I have the only job (where) I get to be 16 years old for the rest of my life." \nUslan said IU's willingness to help "one individual student" succeed in a unique path of study helped him find success. The University sponsored his idea for a class about comic books in America, the first of its kind at any university.\nProfessor of entrepreneurship Donald F. Kuratko said he believed the theme of empowerment in Uslan's speech was a great one for students to hear.\n"I thought that was really important," Kuratko said. "He was able to utilize those degrees to empower himself to carry on, as he kept saying, and accomplish his dreams."\nUslan spoke about his experiences trying to break into Hollywood and convince movie studios to take projects based off comic books. Uslan encouraged students in the audience to stay focused and determined to achieve their goals and not let anyone get in their way.\n"Doors will slam in your face; I guarantee it," Uslan said to the crowd. "At the end of the day ... if you don't believe in yourself ... you're doomed."\nUslan used his personal example of struggling to find backers for a Batman movie that would portray the action hero as a darker, more brooding person than 1960s television shows once did. Uslan said every studio in Hollywood rejected him, and it took him years to finally make his dream a reality.\n"My career, and the struggle to bring Batman to the screen for so many years, was a long, difficult journey," Uslan said. "When I come back here and have a chance to share the experience with a lot of people ... it helps me validate my life's experience and the difficulties I had to endure (and it enables me) to pass along, hopefully, some good information to think about."\nKuratko, who introduced Uslan, said he was thankful that Uslan shared his experiences and ordeals with the audience.\n"I was appreciative that he shared with us the kind of tenacity it took, you know, to work through some of those down times," Kuratko said. "It's a great lesson for all of the students to understand."\nKuratko said he believe it is important to bring successful IU graduates back to campus because he said they serve as "role models" for current IU students. Uslan's speech is part of a program that brings distinguished entrepreneurs-in-residence to campus through the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which Kuratko heads. \n"I think for our students to see some of our own that have gone out there and accomplished these great things is certainly (instilling) a sense of pride," Kuratko said. \nUslan said he enjoyed returning to Bloomington because it reminded him of where he came from and what he had been through.\n"I love coming back to IU," Uslan said. "It's like coming home for me."\nUslan said he believed the most important parts of success are determination and a willingness to keep trying despite rejection.\n"Be passionate about your work," Uslan said. "... If you don't love what you do, you are condemning yourself to a very, very difficult life. Number two is have a high level of frustration. ... The people that persevere, the people who are willing to knock on doors until their knuckles bleed, are the ones that tend to cross the finish line"
(10/27/06 4:42am)
More than 75 people gathered in the Indiana Memorial Union's State Room East Thursday night to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Republic Day of Kazakhstan, when the country declared its sovereignty within the Soviet Union in 1990. The event featured traditional and modern Kazakh music, trivia and history of the country, dinner and a presentation about Kazakhstan's past.\nThe holiday was particularly relevant given the upcoming theatrical release of "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" featuring comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's portrayal of a Kazakh man, which many see as offensive to the Kazakh culture. Kazakh language professor Zaure Batayeva did not want to make the film the topic of the event, but instead hoped those who attended left with a true sense of what their culture actually is. \n"I think these kinds of celebrations are very helpful, especially about this kind of country like Kazakhstan," Batayeva said. "We were part of the Soviet Union, and people knew us as part of the Soviet Union, but now we are an independent country ... I think it's always helpful ... that we share our culture, we share our history, we show who we are." \nThe Kazakh Student Association organized the event, which was planned entirely by the students. The group's president, graduate student Gaziz Shakhanov, said students began planning for the event about two months ago. \n"We started two months ago, but since a lot of people were busy with midterm exams ... it was extremely hard to get (everything) together," Shakhanov said. "But, since our people are characterized with high responsibility, they did a lot of things by themselves, and it was very effective to just meet and coordinate everything."\nShakhanov said he was pleased with the turnout of the presentation and the reaction of the audience, much of which was made up of Kazakh students.\n"People were very engaged, and it seemed that they wanted to learn more about Kazakhstan, Kazakh people and its history," Shakhanov said. "From the reaction of the audience I am sure now that people got a lot of knowledge about our country."\nSponsors for the program included the IU Student Association, the Foster International Living-Learning Center, the Central Eurasian studies department and the Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center.\nFoster International Director John Galuska said the center sponsored the event because student leaders within the organization felt it was an important cultural event to bring to the IU campus. \n"Student leaders in Foster International support a number of different events," Galuska said. "This was just one of \nthe events that the student leaders in Foster International wanted to support, especially because of the large number of Kazakh students living in the community."\nGaluska said he enjoyed the presentation and particularly enjoyed the musical aspect of the program since he said music was one of his passions. \n"I'm just impressed with the students," Galuska said. "I enjoyed the fact that they're musical. I just think that it's wonderful that they're here to learn, but they're also sharing some of their traditions from home ... I'm impressed with them on all levels." \nMusical interludes spattered throughout the program featured a mix of traditional and modern music and instrumentation. Performers played different pieces on guitars, pianos and a traditional Kazakh instrument similar to the guitar known as the dombra. \nA group primarily comprised of IU graduate students concentrating in Central Eurasian studies competed in a game of trivia, with questions written by Kazakh students. The "Intellectual Crew," as the team was called, answered every question correctly. \nThe Kazakh Student Association was formed this spring and serves a community of nearly 50 Kazakh students currently enrolled at IU. Many of those students came to IU by way of a Kazakh government initiative that seeks to send Kazakh students to leading universities all over the world, as part of the Bolashak Presidential Fellowship Program, Shakhanov said. The project seeks to place more than 3,000 Kazakh students in universities abroad. \nRepublic Day of Kazakhstan is celebrated every Oct. 25th, Batayeva said. She added the celebration enhanced the cultural significance of the evening. \n"This celebration is a very important celebration in Kazakhstan," Batayeva said. "We would celebrate this day, Republic Day (together), but now we are sharing with other people ... our point is just to share information about our country"
(10/20/06 4:05am)
The seventh annual Jill Behrman Run for the End Zone, held in memory of former IU student Jill Behrman, takes place Saturday. The event features a five-kilometer run and walk and a one-mile "fun walk." All proceeds will assist the Jill Behrman Emerging Leader Scholarship and Jill's House, which will be a temporary home for families of patients receiving care at the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute in Bloomington.\nRace Director Joanne Orrange said event organizers hope to involve the Bloomington community more this year.\n"I think we're just looking to expand our race a little bit, and the community is an area that in the past we have always invited and looked to get the word out," Orrange said. \nA safety and wellness fair, which will teach people about living safe and healthy lives, will also be a part of the event. The Wellness Fair is a joint project between the IU Division of Recreational Sports and the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. \nWellness Fair Director Chris Arvin said he is most excited about a new project this year that offers free pedometers to the first 500 IU faculty and staff members who come to the fair. The offer is part of an effort to encourage health among faculty and staff.\n"We know the adult population is not nearly active enough," Arvin said. "We know that of all the things most likely to do ... they're most likely to walk because it isn't as time-consuming as other physical activities."\nBut Arvin said the main goal of the event is to raise money for the charities involved.\n"I think the most meaningful connection is the connection with the cause," Arvin said.\nThe Jill Behrman Emerging Leader Scholarship "recognizes exceptional IU students on the basis of three principles: leadership, character and ethical values," according to a press release. The scholarship was established by Behrman's family in 2001 following their daughter's disappearance in 2000.\nArvin said he believes the scholarship, offered to undergraduate students by the Division of Recreational Sports, is a good way to remember Behrman.\n"Every year in April, when those (scholarships) are awarded, that's a really cool thing to see those kids kind of shine through and to see that scholarship awarded in Jill's memory," Arvin said.\nLaura Wee, creative manager for IU Recreational Sports, who's in charge of marketing and advertisement for the event, agreed with Arvin and added that the Run for the End Zone is a good way to give back to the IU community.\n"I think that this is a really great opportunity for the campus to show its support for the Behrman family because the race proceeds benefit a really amazing project," Wee said. \nOrrange and her committee began putting this year's event together in May. Students, faculty, staff and Bloomington citizens worked through the summer coordinating all aspects of the event.\nOrrange said she believed the benefits for both Jill's House and the scholarship fund make all of their hard work worthwhile.\n"Doing this I really feel like it's one of those things that makes you feel like you're really making a difference," Orrange said.
(10/19/06 3:17pm)
Despite recent complaints from students about overcrowding caused by the new B bus schedule, IU Campus Bus Service Operations Manager Perry Maull said little can be done to alleviate the inconvenience. Maull said the best way for students to deal with crowded buses is to give themselves extra time to get to class and try to ride the bus at off-hours of the day. \n"We have only a limited number of buses," Maull said. "You know, if everybody tries to go at exactly the same time, it is just not going to work."\nStudent complaints have arisen from long waits at bus stops, particularly on North Jordan Avenue and at busy stops like the Indiana Memorial Union and the Herman B Wells Library. \nThe concerns come following a change in the B route schedule that took effect Oct. 1, which stopped the buses at Fishers Court, the last turnoff on the North Jordan Avenue extension. The route previously ran past Fishers Court to the Memorial Stadium parking lot. The bus service made the change to cut down the number of buses running on the route, according to a Sept. 21 Indiana Daily Student article. \nSophomore Abby Siegel, who waits with her sorority sisters at the stop at the top of the North Jordan extension, said she has actually been late to class even when she's been outside the Sigma Delta Tau house half an hour before class. \n"A bunch of us have been late because it passes us, and we're pretty early on the bus stop, which shouldn't happen. It shouldn't fill up that fast," Siegel said.\nSiegel wrote an e-mail to the bus service after she said she was passed three times one morning. The bus service responded to Siegel's complaint and concerns from other students by speeding up the B route schedule beginning Oct. 9, which added 18 new trips each day. \nHowever, wait times and overcrowding were not eliminated by the change. Tuesday afternoon, it took a B bus traveling up the North Jordan extension only three stops to fill to capacity. The bus passed every succeeding stop on North Jordan, many of which had at least five to 10 people waiting.\nSophomore Shelly Lewis, who said she complained to the bus service after being passed on the extension more than once the same day, waits at the same stop as Siegel. She said her complaints arose from the fact that she felt nothing was being done about wait times. She also said she believed the bus service wasn't adequately serving the student population on North Jordan Avenue.\n"Honestly, we watch the buses pass us on the way down to (Alpha Delta Pi) and come back, but there's no change in the time they take," Lewis said. "They don't help us at all. They don't do anything. They make it worse."\nLewis said she missed a quiz one day, though she was at her bus stop 30 minutes before her class started. \nStudents said wait times have not changed since the scheduling adjustment. \nSophomore Allison Cully said she often waited between 20 and 45 minutes outside the Psychology Building on Seventh Street for a bus. She said she didn't see how the original scheduling change -- ending the route at the end of North Jordan instead of at the stadium parking lot -- had made things faster.\n"You know I don't see a difference, since they took away buses they had to make the route shorter," Cully said. "It still takes a good amount of time for them to turn around."\nCully also said she felt safety on the buses had become an issue, with too many students standing past the yellow line at the front of the bus. \nMaull said no one should be allowed to stand in front of the yellow line but suggested students wait for the next bus instead. He said crowding on the bus is unsafe and can cause delays. \nMaull said adding a bus to any of the routes was not a short-term option because buying a bus takes time and the bus service is understaffed with drivers. He said he received complaints about all of the bus routes, not just the B route. \n"I'm almost amazed we've had as few problems as we have," Maull said. "We have only a limited number of buses. As I've advised people, take an earlier bus, and allow yourself more time."\nLewis said she believed people relied less on the bus service because it is so unpredictable. \n"Honestly, I do think that there was some change (since they altered they schedule)," Lewis said. "It was because people really started getting the idea that they can't rely on the bus service."\nMaull encouraged students to apply to become bus drivers and help alleviate the bus service's staffing problem. He said in the meantime, the best way to beat the crowds was to avoid them as much as possible. \n"We only have so many cards in the deck," Maull said. "There are things that you can do to sort of work the system and not make it an aggravation for yourself"