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(04/18/06 4:31am)
The School of Informatics announced the appointment of two new members to its Dean's Advisory Council. Chuck Franz of Cook Group Inc. and Skip Walter of Attenex Corp. were named to the Council on March 27 and March 30, respectively.\nThe council consists of 28 members, including high-ranking employees of several notable companies such as Eli Lilly, Google and Microsoft. Former IU and current NCAA President Myles Brand is also a member.\nThe DAC exists to "advise the school on curriculum and program development, public and private sector funding, research support, long-range planning, student guidance, external relations and institutional advancement," according to the School of Informatics' Web site. \nThe Council meets twice a year in either Bloomington or Indianapolis and maintains contact to lend advice on concerns facing the School of Informatics. Each member serves a three-year term on the Council, and committees and task groups within the DAC are appointed by the dean. The chair and vice chair of the Council are also appointed by the dean. \nJon Michael Dunn, dean of the School of Informatics, said both men will make good additions to the DAC. \n"Their contributions will be significant and no doubt help shape the future of the school," Dunn said in an e-mail.\nFranz is Cook's vice president and chief information officer. He has spent more than 20 years at the Bloomington-based company and is in charge of the group's global information technology operations. \nFranz, an IU graduate, said he was excited to be joining the council. \n"I think that this is an area that is constantly changing and expanding, so I think the SOI can be a great magnet to the future of IU," he said. "With technologies like this that are changing so fast, the students and the curriculum have to change as well." \nDunn said Franz will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the dean's council.\n"He will contribute on several levels," Dunn said. "His knowledge of IU, the role of his company in the Indiana economy, and his experience with global information technology operations through Cook will be invaluable to us."\nWalter, Attenex's chief technology officer, has more than three decades of experience in technological growth and expansion. He worked for Digital Equipment Corp. and Aldus Corp. before joining Attenex, a software commercialization company based in Seattle. \nDunn said Walter will provide invaluable assistance to the DAC, serving on a committee designed to advise "on the commercialization of informatics and (computer science) research."\nThe School of Informatics, the first in the country in its field, was founded in 2000. The school has between 1,500 and 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students spread out between Bloomington, South Bend and Indianapolis. Dunn said an undergraduate program will also be starting at New Albany, Ind., next fall.\nDunn said he was encouraged by the progress of the School of Informatics in its short history and said he hopes these additions to the DAC would only help brighten its prospects. \n"Council members often have often remarked to me that it is a very rewarding experience to play a role in advancing our school and its goals," Dunn said. "Someone once said the best way to predict the future is to help create it"
(04/12/06 6:20am)
Badgers and Hoosiers know how to have a good time. The latest Princeton Review rankings place IU and Wisconsin at sixth and first respectively on the list of top party schools. The rankings then beg the question of which school takes top honors for biggest party in the Big Ten. IU has its celebration of Little 500, but Wisconsin has its annual Halloween festivities. \nLittle 500 is a tradition at IU that dates back more than 50 years. The race was the brainchild of former IU Foundation director Howard Wilcox and is currently in its 56th year. The festivities surrounding the race prompted the \nnickname "World's Greatest College Weekend." \nBy comparison, the Halloween party at Wisconsin is relatively new. IU professor and Wisconsin graduate John Lucaites said he did not remember any major event surrounding Halloween on campus or elsewhere while at Madison in the late 1970s. \nMany consider Little 500 to be the climax of the school year at IU. Students use the week as a time to relax, reflect and enjoy themselves at the end of a long year before they have to study for final exams. \nIU Student Association President Alex Shortle recalled his personal favorite Little 500 moment just prior to the men's race last year when he jumped into the Arboretum pond.\n"Superstitiously fearing my week of collecting stench would slow our bike team, I decided a bath was due," Shortle said in an e-mail. "The only tub I could find was our little oasis on the site that previously held Little 500 races, and, at the time, it sounded like a great idea."\nWisconsin student Bridget Connelly had similar stories to share about her experience with Halloween.\n"There really was nothing to compare it to," Connelly said. "I just thought it was just a really fun experience, as long as it was kept under control and no one got hurt."\nBoth events are notorious for causing trouble with the law. However, the attitude of the communities surrounding the two events is very different.\nHalloween party is heavily frowned upon and not sponsored in any way by the University of Wisconsin or the city of Madison, said Ervin Cox, the assistant dean of students at UW-Madison. Cox said the university and the city frown upon the event as a whole.\n"We don't feel there are any 'good' aspects of Halloween," Cox said in an e-mail. "It is basically an underage drunkfest that causes a lot of harm to health and property, not to mention taints the image of UW-Madison and the City of Madison."\nCox pointed out the negative aspects of the weekend, including the possibility of alcohol-related deaths (he recalled two last year) and the $350,000 of damages incurred on the city. He also said sexual assault reports rose on campus and in Madison directly following Halloween party. \nBy contrast, Little 500 Week at IU is viewed in a more positive light. \nIU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger, an IU graduate, said he had fond memories of the event, even as a police officer.\n"I came here as a student in 1969 and worked at IUPD for 34 years," Minger said. "This has always been a festive time for me and all of us at IUPD." \nHalloween party and Little 500 are both popular events at their respective schools. Connelly said she often has friends calling and e-mailing her, asking if they can come in for Halloween. She said the parties thrown over the weekend were legendary, and she remembered one fraternity was kicked off campus for a party that got too out of control and garnered thousands of dollars in fines.
(04/10/06 2:01pm)
The IU Alumni Association validated seven candidates for the trustee position up for election this year, including incumbent Cora Smith Breckenridge. The seven candidates turned in nomination packets including 100 signatures from IU alumni supporting their recommendations, in accordance with state law. \nBreckenridge said her experience as the longest-tenured member of the board of trustees is one of her biggest assets coming into the summer elections. She said that her commitment makes her a strong member of the board.\n"I think a trustee must be willing to give time and commitment ... It's a very time-consuming position," Breckenridge said. "I think (my commitment is) very evident." \nOne position opens on the board each year, with members of the IU Alumni Association voting on the candidates. After the April 1 deadline, resumes of each candidate are produced, coupled with photographs and sent to IUAA members with a ballot. \nThe ballots are sent out after graduation and collected by June 30, when they are counted in public at the Herman B Wells Library. Candidate Chris Sautter said he believed voter turnout was far too low in trustee elections, and that he tried to reach out to as many alumni as he could to try and get them to participate. \nThe IU board of trustees consists of nine members, including one current IU student. The governor appoints six of the trustee positions, including the student position. The other three positions are filled through elections, with winning candidates serving three-year terms.\nBreckenridge was first elected to the board in 1997, and has served in her current term since 2003. Running against her in the summer will be Sautter, Trina Miller, Philip Eskew, Steve Sanders, Carolyn Louise Jordan and Steven Lloyd Kellam.\nBreckenridge said having at times served as the only minority, woman or former educator on the board of trustees gave her a "particularly sensitive perspective that many of (her) colleagues did not have." \nShe said the position a trustee holds within the IU system is one of great importance, because the trustees must be able to make policy without becoming too involved in administration. Breckenridge said she believes that such qualities have always been her strength.\n"Serving on the board of trustees is definitely a position of giving back to the institution," she said. "I need to be very careful, and have always been very careful to listen (to the alumni)." \nSautter, whose daughter is an IU student, said he thought having the perspective of a parent would make him a valuable member of the board. He said he believed having someone like that serve as a trustee might alleviate some of the concerns regarding tuition increases, a hot-button issue with the board. \n"If elected, I would be the only trustee who is the parent of a current IU student," Sautter said. "Some of the trustees are a little bit out of touch with the needs of ordinary working families who are putting their kids through college, and I know how those parents feel, because I feel it every time I get a tuition bill."\nSautter continued to pound away at the issue of tuition costs, saying that he thought raising tuition hurt more people than just students and their families. He said IU students are forced to choose alternate careers after graduation simply to pay off the debt incurred by paying for college.\n"As an institution, Indiana University has to confront this, and figure out a way to make college more affordable," Sautter said. "I would bring a perspective and a sensitivity, as a parent, that no one else have on the IU board of trustees"
(04/10/06 5:56am)
Twenty-five years ago today, then-IU graduate student Glenn Gass sat in front of his television when a friend called and told him to switch to ABC. The friend, who was watching Monday Night Football, heard from Howard Cosell in mid-broadcast that rock 'n' roll icon John Lennon was shot.\n"There was so much confusion and shock," said Gass, adding that news reports were conflicted as to whether Lennon was dead. "My friends and I were such big (Beatles) fans that it really hit us hard. It's hard to imagine the death of a pop star seeming so much like the death of a family member, but that was how closely we related to John and his music."\nJohn Winston Lennon, who was shot and killed by a deranged fan outside his New York City apartment on the night of Dec. 8, 1980, was noted for his singing and songwriting, both as a member of the Beatles and as a solo artist.\nBack in Bloomington, Gass and other Lennon fans congregated in Dunn Meadow to honor the wishes of Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, who requested 10 minutes of silence in remembrance of her dead husband. Gass said he and friends considered Lennon's death a "fourth assassination," after '60s icons Martin Luther King, Jr., and John and Robert Kennedy.\nThe next class day, Gass attended class with a black band wrapped around his arm as a tribute to a man who had had a profound effect on his life. When members of his classical music course laughed at his show of grief, Gass said he was amazed that musicians would treat Lennon's death so lightly.\n"I was really angry that these grad students in the School of Music grew up with the Beatles and yet either couldn't or wouldn't appreciate them," he said. "And these were people who were about to become professional musicians and composers."\nA quarter century after his tragic death, Lennon continues to have a tremendous impact on the music world. Now an IU Music professor, Gass, who teaches Z401, "The Music of the Beatles" in the Jacobs School of Music, believes that Lennon continues to influence musicians and devotees of his work to this day. \n"The Beatles have really stood the test of time as one of the great bands of their era," Gass said. "I would not hesitate to compare them to the likes of Beethoven, because you didn't need to experience them in person to love their music." \nFreshman Whitney Wyckoff, who is in Gass' "History of Rock and Roll in the 1970s and 1980s" class, agrees. \n"Lennon's lyrics are just so personal and so powerful," she said. "He wrote from his life and from his soul, and it's so easy to understand and relate to him as a musician and a person." \nLennon often wrote from his personal experience, authoring songs like "Cold Turkey," which the former Beatle reportedly wrote about his addiction to heroin.\nBorn Oct. 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England, Lennon reached his greatest fame with the Beatles in the 1960s and 1970s, when the band took the rock music scene by storm. Lennon, along with his friend Paul McCartney, was a key member of the band as both a guitarist and lead singer. He was also instrumental in the band's success due to his talented songwriting. He and McCartney co-wrote several popular songs, including "I Am the Walrus" and "Getting Better." \nLennon met Ono in 1966 and the two wed in 1969, a year after Lennon's divorce from first wife, Cynthia, according to www.lennon.net. Soon after recording "Abbey Road," the band separated, and Lennon immersed himself in a solo career. Lennon penned numerous hits, including "Imagine," the title track to his most successful solo album, and "Give Peace A Chance," a song he and Ono cut together before the Beatles split. Lennon was a major voice against the Vietnam War, and also involved himself in feminist and racial equality and acceptance movements, according to the Web site.\nSenior Zack Bubness said the generational divide between current college students and those who remember the day Lennon died does not hamper student's respect for Lennon's work.\n"The majority of us in the class weren't alive when Lennon was shot, and it's difficult for us to understand how traumatic his death was at the time," Bubness said. "The Beatles class has given me a different perspective on Lennon. I had respect for him before, but after the class it has increased tremendously."\nLennon's greatest accomplishment, Gass said, is his ability to outlast his death. He said losing Lennon was tantamount to losing a rock legend and a man who had stood for peace and equality his entire life.\n"Losing John meant we lost any hope of the Beatles reuniting, but it also meant that in a way we lost our innocence," Gass said. "We lost the '60s. We lost everything John Lennon represented."\n-- Arts editor Kacie Foster contributed to this report.
(04/06/06 4:27am)
IU will soon be home to the country's fastest university-owned supercomputer and disk-based storage facility, making IU one of the most well-equipped colleges in terms of research and technology in the world. The computer, made by IBM, will be one of the world's 20 fastest. \nAccording to a press release, the new computer will connect IU researchers to vast networks of information and give them vast amounts of storage disk storage space. \nBrad Wheeler, IU's Chief Information Officer and the Dean of Information Technology at IUB, said that the extra space would be crucial for researchers, and the new computer would help IU to further its research and life science initiatives.\n"Our researchers will have some of the very best tools for engaging grand challenges," Wheeler said. "They are an essential IT foundation for the new IU Life Sciences Strategic plan."\nWheeler also said the computer would benefit the University by attracting top notch faculty. He also said the extra data storage space would be welcome since the old system was nearly full.\n"This investment provides much needed capacity," Wheeler said. "These tools help IU recruit and retain some of the very best faculty."\nAssistant Professor Sean Mooney of the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics said he was thrilled when he first heard that IU had acquired the supercomputer. He said he believed the new computer had the power to enhance both educational and research opportunities at IU, and its acquisition showed that the University was committed to staying at the forefront of technological and scientific innovation. \n"More advanced supercomputing hardware enables more researchers to ask more sophisticated scientific questions," Mooney said. "Additionally, having high performance computing (HPC) on campus can be an excellent educational tool, exposing future researchers to the basics of supercomputing applications."\nMooney said the computer would help move the University into a new "era of quantitative biology," where new and different concepts develop each day. New technologies like the supercomputer are needed to further such advancement. He said he hopes researchers take full advantage of this technology. \n"My hope would be that researchers would use facilities such as these to their advantage by improving the innovation and quality of their research," Mooney said. "Research is always needed to help design the computational experiments of the future."\nWheeler said that while the supercomputer would enhance IU's position as a leading research university, the overall impact of the new technology was not exclusive to the University.\n"Ultimately the greatest good will be its uses by our researchers to solve problems of disease and improve the quality of life," Wheeler said. "Scientific and scholarly advances that help us understand our world, forces of nature, and preserve our digital heritage are all real positives from this investment."v
(04/05/06 5:21pm)
The latest U.S. News and World Report graduate school rankings placed several IU graduate schools among the best in the country. Programs in library and information science, business and education all received impressive marks from the report.\nThe School of Library and Information Science tied for seventh in the country, receiving special attention for its specialty programs. IU was fourth in law librarianship and eighth in digital librarianship, information systems and school library media. \nSLIS Dean Blaise Cronin said such accolades were nothing new for the school.\n"The School (of Library and Information Science) has been around for a long time, (and) has a well-deserved national and international reputation and has always been ranked among the premier programs," Cronin said. "(We have) a highly energetic, research-active faculty drawn from a variety of disciplines ... plus an administrative and support staff that is second to none."\nCronin said he believed his school could have even been ranked higher, but is pleased with the rankings. \nHe said the school's record of landing large grants and other sources of money isn't considered by the U.S. News and World Report. "We should have been ranked a little higher," he said. "We punch above our weight." \nGerardo Gonzalez, dean of the School of Education, was equally pleased with his school's ranking and performance. The School of Education moved up three spots from 27th to 24th in the nation, with four top-10 specialty programs. \nGonzalez said he was especially happy with his school's performance considering the budget cuts the School of Education has been dealt recently. He praised his faculty for their resiliency and hard work, which were the source of the rankings, he said.\n"It is good to see that when compared to high-quality peer institutions on objective performance criteria and reputation, the School of Education ranks among the very best education programs in the country," Gonzalez said. "I believe this is testimony to the excellence of our faculty and students."\nThe Kelley School of Business rose to 23rd, tied with Michigan and Minnesota. One of its specialties, production and operations, remained ninth in the country. \nSignificant improvements were also seen in fields like chemistry and biology. Graduate chemistry programs rose from 27th to 24th, and several doctoral programs in biology were ranked in and around the top 30 in their field. \nBoth Gonzalez and Cronin said that their graduate programs fed off of being part of the larger University system. Both men said they believe their schools fit well into the IU system and the Bloomington campus, accrediting some of their success to that as well. \n"Being part of a major university has allowed the school to develop," Cronin said. "In short, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts."\nGonzalez said he believed graduate studies to be incredibly important, both to IU and the rest of the population. He said that graduate students in education would be future leaders in their field, and that their preparation was vital to society.\n"Graduate students become the scholars and highly trained stewards of the education profession," Gonzalez said. "(This training) ultimately makes possible the preparation of professionals for all fields of human endeavor"
(03/28/06 5:08am)
Parents, campers and counselors gathered at the Monroe County YMCA for the Camp Kesem Spring Reunion on Sunday afternoon for a chance to relive the experiences of a typical day at camp. For almost four hours, last year's 21 campers were able to reunite with counselors and other campers while their parents looked on. \n"The reunion is a great chance for everybody to reconnect during the year since we're not at camp and we don't have the time we did," Project Coordinator and junior Sigall Rave said. "It's good to just get together for a few hours to see everybody."\nThe reunion marked the first time campers and counselors were together since last summer's camp, an annual week-long event for children who have or have had a parent with cancer. Both groups fell into their old rhythm quickly, playing games and filling the room with laughter. \nCamper Rachel Goldberg said that bond is what made Camp Kesem so special for her.\nShe said her favorite parts of Camp Kesem were "playing around with all the counselors and the kids, having everyone who can understand how life is like with all your parents going through the same thing, and just being able to go to a place where you're totally comfortable with everyone around you." \nThe program began with lunch, after which everyone joined in renditions of several camp songs. The party was then split into groups, with parents staying in one room to make cards for their children to receive at this summer's camp. The campers went off to begin their day, participating in arts and crafts, sports and drama games.\nThe program also provided a chance for new counselors to meet campers they will be working with this summer. New staffer Megan Armington said she thinks there are advantages to having college students run Camp Kesem.\n"I think that having (college) kids run the camp makes it easier for the kids to relate to (counselors)," she said. "We're close in age. I think it makes it more fun, rather than having adults run the camp."\nVeteran counselor Ben Petty agreed and said he was eager to move the camp to its new site at Waycross Camp in Morgantown, Ind. \n"I feel like we can give a little bit more of a fun aspect to (camp) ... We add that extra touch to it," he said. "I'm looking forward to the new site this summer ... We're going to have a bunch of more room."\n Parent Michelle Combs said she believed that "everything" about Camp Kesem was good. \n"When you're the one that's sick, it's amazing how the concern really shifts to your kids and there's not a lot of resources out there for kids," Combs said. "For them to have some place they can go where everyone can relate to them and be this huge support network for them, it's priceless"
(03/24/06 4:30am)
From 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Friday, graduate students in the Kelley School of Business will be able to practice case interviewing skills in the 2006 "March Madness" Mini-Case Competition. The event, which the Consulting Club of the Kelley school planned, will take place on the graduate side of the business school. Gayatree Jain, a junior MBA candidate, directed the competition.\nFirst-year MBA students will be participating in head-to-head cases given by faculty and second-year MBA students will serve as judges. The cases will pit two students against one another to try to find the best solution to the cases they are given. Any first-year student can participate, not just members of the Consulting Club. \nStudents participating will have 15 to 20 minutes to come up with their best solutions, and the panel of judges will then review the proposals and select the winner. Contestants will compete head-to-head, one case at a time. \nThe program is sponsored by Simdesk Corporation, an on-demand computing service. Simdesk provided prizes winning participants will receive. First place in the competition yields an iPod and $2,000; second place wins an iPod Shuffle and $1,000; and third place gets $500. In addition, all participants will get a free account with Simdesk's Web site, where they can store information like phone numbers, calendars and e-mails. \nMangesh Ingle, a participant in the competition, said one of the major advantages of such a competition is that it gives students hands-on experience in handling case interviews. Such experience can prove invaluable when preparing for interviews and being recruited for jobs coming out of college.\n"The essential thing is that this format ... is used by management and consulting companies to hire students," Ingle said. "A lot of other companies are also using case interviews to recruit students."\nThe competition is viewed not only as a way to prepare for interviews, but also to simulate the kind of climate students might deal with when they enter the job market, Ingle said. Overall, the program is meant to better prepare students for business life after college.\n"This is something which brings everything together," Ingle said. "It is not only useful in recruiting, but in real life as well"
(03/21/06 5:50am)
The IU Division of Labor Studies has come under fire after the release of an audit which revealed that the division might have violated IU payroll procedures. The audit, conducted in August 2005, suggested that then-Labor Studies Director Charles Davis might have employed and paid two state legislators for work that wasn't done. \nIU Audit Service conducted the audit after it received a complaint from a faculty member regarding the paid service of two state legislators. The complaint stemmed from remarks Davis made regarding the reasons for their employment in a September 2004 DLS faculty and staff meeting.\nBoth legislators were employed to secure grants from the Incumbent Workers Training Board. Neither politician was interviewed or mentioned by name in the audit. Their employment was terminated Nov. 30, 2004, after it became clear that IU would not be receiving any more worker training grants.\nThe audit did not specifically find that the legislators were employed "solely because of the position as state legislators." Davis' description of the legislators' employment was too ambiguous to determine exactly what their jobs entailed, and therefore how much accountability they should have had and how much they should have been paid, according to the audit.\nHowever, comments Davis made at the staff meeting that were revealed in the audit implied that he hoped paying both legislators would help avoid losing $358,000 a year in state funds appropriated for the DLS. According to the audit, Davis made several comments about keeping the funds at that meeting that were recorded on tape and mentioned in the report. Since the legislators are not named in the report, their identities are replaced in quotes with "Legislator name." \n"It benefits us to have people who are close to us and friends of ours in the legislature ... We may have lost 60-some thousand, but that is better than losing a $358,000 in a line item," Davis said. "(Legislator name) sits on the Ways and Means Committee." \nThe audit found several instances of excessive or unnecessary payment to the legislators. The audit noted that reimbursement, especially for cell phone and travel costs, seemed disproportionate.\nDavis criticized the report in his rebuttal, calling it "an exercise in overzealousness." He refuted claims that he had mismanaged the employment of the two public officials, or that their employment was meant to influence the $358,000 line appropriation. \n"Neither I nor anyone in the Division (of Labor Services) ever discussed the special appropriation with the legislators whom we hired," Davis said in his rebuttal, included in the report. "As there was never any discussion of the special appropriation with either legislator, there is simply no basis for inferring that they were hired to influence the special appropriation." \nDavis went on to say that he ended both legislators' employment when it became clear they would not be able to get any more grants.\n"The decision to terminate the legislators, like the decision to hire them, was based on their ability to obtain (worker training) grants and not on their ability to assure the special appropriation," Davis said. "When it became apparent that they no longer had the ability to obtain the grants, I terminated them without regard to what might happen with respect to the special appropriation."\nDavis accepted responsibility for some mishandling of the employment of both politicians. However, he criticized the auditor for what he perceived as a bias against him in the tone of the report.\n"I accept the conclusion that my lack of oversight permitted violations of University policy," Davis said. "My concern is that the auditor's report goes far beyond these conclusions ... and threatens my reputation by making it appear that I was involved in willful impropriety." \nThe audit made several recommendations regarding changes in University policy, both in the employment of anyone in public office and in the management of funds in paying such employees. It also suggested that IU might owe $26,188 to the state of Indiana because the money was taken from training grants and used to pay one of the legislators.\nThese allegations are not the only problem facing the Division of Labor Studies. The DLS has until June 30 to find an academic home within a college in the IU system, or it will be closed, according to a March 7 Indiana Daily Student article. \nDLS students and faculty have been fighting the closure, pleading their case to University officials. \nThe Division of Labor Studies is based in Indianapolis at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis. The program "educates workers and future workers to strengthen the labor movement and provide a richer understanding of its functions in society," according to the DLS Web site. \nThe program offers both bachelor's and associate's degrees, as well as certificates and minors. DLS courses are offered at every IU campus except Columbus.
(02/22/06 5:10pm)
The voice was unmistakable, the confidence and strength unparalleled. When James Earl Jones spoke at the IU Auditorium Tuesday night, people listened. And he spoke about the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and King's love of literature. \nPeople of all ages packed the main level of the venue to listen to the man whose famed acting career has spanned four decades and countless roles, from Darth Vader to Othello. Jones came to speak at IU as part of the University's celebration of Black History Month. \nJones said King loved to read books, both classical and contemporary, and that he often drew inspiration from this devotion to literature. \nHe said in his speech that King's work during the civil rights movement was not only for blacks, but for everyone.\n"(King) was not fighting for the rights of black people only, but for the rights of all people," Jones said in his speech. "His legacy has affected multitudes, but he has also touched individual lives."\nDirector of Diversity Education Eric Love said he enjoyed the message Jones conveyed with his speech.\n"I think he gave us a perspective on King that most of us haven't thought of -- what King thought about the arts, what King read and his personal life," Love said.\nThe program began with remarks by Union Board Lectures Director Amanda Prager, who introduced Jones. The award-winning actor then took the stage for a 35-minute speech, followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience. \nPeople of all ages were allowed to question Jones on everything from politics to the various roles throughout his career. He then moved to the lobby, where he signed copies of his new book, "Voices and Silences."\nSophomore Brandon Govindarajoo said he thought the program was important because of the wisdom and knowledge contained in Jones' speech. He said he only wished Jones had spoken longer, but that the actor's message was still important. \n"Overall, I still think it was good, a lot of people showed up," Govindarajoo said. "It was a good experience."\nVice President for Institutional Development and Student Affairs Charlie Nelms echoed those sentiments. \n"I thought it was a message of experience, great wisdom, great sense of humor, great composure," Nelms said. "(It was) just reflective of a man 75 years old with a dynamic career."\nNelms went on to say he was pleased with Jones's willingness to answer questions honestly, and said he thought Jones was an excellent choice to speak at IU as a part of Black History Month.\n"I think it's fantastic, for young people especially, to see someone who is 75 years of age, and still has that much ... intellectual vigor," Nelms said "He's very much his own person and I was impressed with that." Jones spoke to what he believed to be a pressing issue in America today: What has the country and society done with Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy? Jones questioned the idea that society has moved passed stereotypes, just that these old stereotypes have been replaced with new ones.\n"Let us be honest, let us be frank," Jones said in his speech. "We all know the problems of prejudice, and we all know the answers."\nJones offered a simple solution to the problems of race that face society today: awareness.\n"Awareness is the place to start, be aware of the problem and you can solve the problem," Jones said in his speech. "We still haven't done enough"
(02/21/06 6:08am)
It's not every day people get to hear the voice that launches every CNN broadcast, narrates Verizon Wireless commercials and beckons Luke Skywalker to follow its lead. IU students will get that chance Tuesday night when James Earl Jones speaks at the IU Auditorium. The award-winning screen and stage actor will speak at 7 p.m.\nJones is speaking as part of IU's celebration of Black History Month. He will be speaking for about one hour and then will take questions from the audience before signing copies of his new autobiography, "Voices and Silences." \nJones said he hopes to field as many questions from the audience as possible. \n"I think students have better questions than grown-ups do," Jones said. "You're coming at the issues less spoiled."\nJones is noted for his acting both on stage and on screen. He has won several Tony and Obie Awards for his performances. On screen, Jones has lent his talents to famous characters like Darth Vader, Terence Mann and "Roots" author Alex Haley. Jones has also acted in several plays, including the absurdist drama "The Blacks," his first major role. Jones also wrote a book about Othello, a character he played several times.\nThe Union Board planned for several months to bring Jones to speak at IU, said Lecture Committee Director Amanda Prager. The Board schedules lectures every year for Black History Month and wanted to bring in a person with great fame and impact this year.\n"James Earl Jones is such a great speaker that he will get a lot of students out to hear what he has to say," Prager said. "We thought that he would be an educational speaker."\nThe Union Board began brainstorming possible speakers for Black History Month in the early fall. It settled on Jones and contacted the Greater Talent Network, a bureau they work with to recruit speakers for events. Together, the two organizations worked to bring the renowned actor to IU.\nJones said he plans to speak about the impact of Martin Luther King Jr., in particular King's love of reading and his legacy. He said he hopes to pose questions about what society has done with that legacy and whether it has truly continued the work King started. \n"We haven't begun to understand what the problem was, what racism was about," Jones said. "I think that's what (King) was about, dealing with it and healing it."\nJones said he also hopes to speak about labels he believes remain prevalent in today's society. He said he believes too many people try to characterize race according to pop culture; to Jones, such definitions cannot truly be identified.\n"There is no way to define what a black person is, but we keep doing it," Jones said. "You cannot define a people"
(02/16/06 5:23am)
Finding a job out of college is a daunting task for graduate students. Compiling portfolios and preparing for interviews are tasks that can require time, effort and, in some cases, a little help. \nThe Preparing Future Faculty Conference seeks to help students conquer these tasks so they stand out as they enter the job market.\nThe PFF Conference, now in its 11th year, was established to aid graduate students in preparation for their entry into the professional world. Speakers, including noted members of the IU-Bloomington faculty, give thoughts and advice to graduate students on how to enhance employment opportunities coming out of school. The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday in the Georgia Room of the Indiana Memorial Union. Free lunch will be served, and the event is open to the public.\nKeynote speakers this year include Eugene Kintgen, associate dean of the University Graduate School, and departing College of Arts and Sciences Dean Kumble Subbaswamy. Kintgen will give opening remarks and Subbaswamy will be the featured speaker. \nPlanning committee member Spring Duvall said having someone of Subbaswamy's experience and stature makes this year's program special.\n"I think that he actually brings an incredible amount of experience," she said. "It will be nice to have him speaking to what the future holds."\nSubbaswamy said he was "flattered" to be invited to speak at the program because he said it provides an invaluable service for graduate students about to leave school. \nThe COAS Dean said he believes the experience students will garner from the conference is invaluable.\n"It is an opportunity for graduate students from various disciplines to come together and learn from each other and others about what to expect as future faculty members," Subbaswamy said. \nThe conference is sponsored by faculty members from several departments and planned almost entirely by graduate students. Duvall stressed the importance of involving both of these parties in planning the details. She said the benefits of such a program make involvement important.\n"When you're in grad school, being a professor seems very daunting and very strange," she said. "(The conference) really is about making this seem less mysterious and more accessible."\nThe conference focuses on cultivating an impressive resume in several ways. The first panel of speakers will talk about how to best advertise research skills, followed by a similar talk concerning teaching by the second panel. \nThen, following Subbaswamy's remarks, a third panel will talk about how to find a job that best fits what a particular student wants to do upon leaving graduate school. A fourth panel will conclude the conference with discussion about bringing all of these aspects together to find employment. \nDuvall said a major feature of the conference this year was that the planning committee was able to involve more departments than in previous years. Subbaswamy headlines a slate of speakers that cover a broad range of human and life sciences. \nDean Subbaswamy said he hopes to impress upon students that being successful in education is about more than knowledge. \n"Always remember that as faculty members, you are role models for your students," Subbaswamy said. "Commitment to excellence, personal integrity, ethical behavior and compassion are the hallmarks of a successful professor"
(02/10/06 4:55am)
Students, faculty and interested observers gathered in the School of Education Auditorium to hear legal and educational expert Dr. Elias Blake speak on issues facing public universities and diversity to a crowd of several dozen people.\nIntroduced by friend and visiting IU professor Alvin Chambliss, Blake received a warm welcome from his audience. His message was greeted with similar attitudes. \n"I brought him here ... because at the end of the day, I think it helps Indiana University," Chambliss said. \nBlake launched into a lecture about the alarming discrepancies between white and black students across the country, especially at the secondary and postsecondary educational level. He presented information that illustrated the gap between white and black graduates with bachelor's, graduate and professional school degrees during the past 60 years. In addition, he provided state-by-state comparisons of Michigan, Indiana and Mississippi. \nChambliss said he believed Blake's presence at IU served more than just a ceremonial purpose. He said Blake was willing to talk about issues others have tried to avoid.\n"He is going to put the numbers out there today," he said. "And once people see the numbers ... they will respond." \nBoth men were adamant in clarifying that the problem of educational access affects more people than just minorities.\n"This issue of access to Indiana University is not just (one for) blacks and minorities," Chambliss said. "Once (people) see what's going on, I think we can win this struggle."\nBlake earned a doctorate from the University of Illinois and has spent much of his career involved in academia. He served as president of Clark Atlanta University and spent time as chairman of the National Advisory Committee on Black Higher Education.\nHe also worked in an advisory role with the NAACP and headed the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, according to an IU press release. \nBlake said he is not unsupportive of legislation like the No Child Left Behind Act, widely criticized as ineffective. However, he said he believes it needs to alter its scope.\n"If the No Child Left Behind Act had focused on the gaps (between white and minority test scores and graduation rates) rather than just meeting a minimum standard, that would have been a powerful, churning device," Blake said. \nBlake received feedback from students and faculty after the lecture. He said he was pleased by what he heard, though he was quick to point out change requires more than just talk. \n"I think that they recognized that something is going to have to be done differently. I think that's the thing which pleases me the most," Blake said. "But it's very hard to think about how you begin to tackle in a cooperative way ... the problem of low and poor preparation of minority and low-income students and the differential way in which the public schools deal with that." \nBlake said he walked away from the evening with a positive outlook on the future. He said he believes the kind of reaction he saw could foster change, provided the commitment he saw translated into action. \n"If (the University) is truly committed to seeing some long-term change in these patterns ... and that they don't give up, then I think there can be real change," he said.
(02/09/06 6:46am)
IU juniors and seniors will soon begin interviewing for one of 30 intern positions in Washington, D.C. The School of Public and Environmental Affairs Washington Leadership Program will send selected students to the nation's capital for the fall semester. \nWorking as unpaid interns, selected students will spend four days of each week working on different assignments during their internships, said associate program director Ray Clere. Students also spend two days working in a classroom environment. They will take classes taught by SPEA faculty in D.C. and attend talks given by leading officials in different local organizations. The class work is meant to supplement the internships, and bring everything together. \n"The classes are very much applied learning ... meant to compliment what they do in their internships," Clere said. \nJunior Victoria Henry, who interned with the Army Public Affairs Department at the \nPentagon, said a major advantage of the program was the connections students could make with employers in their fields of interest. \n"It helped you make connections," she said. "There were endless opportunities there. SPEA did a great job of connecting you."\nSenior Bridget McKeon, a public health major who interned with a non-profit organization called Advocacy for Youth, agreed with Henry. \n"The SPEA program has so many connections in so many different fields, that no matter what you are interested in they can help you find an internship to perfectly fit you, and provide you with an experience that will help further your education," McKeon said.\nInternships range over a variety of fields, and each is tailored to the student involved. Past placements include positions in all branches of the military, the State Department, the National Parks Service and other non-governmental, non-profit organizations. Henry advised students to go into the program with an open mind, and do lots of research on their internship choices to find a good fit.\nStudents participating in the program receive 12 credit-hours for the semester they spend in D.C. They pay regular tuition and housing fees. Meals, clothes and other fees are not provided. The program is open to juniors and seniors in good academic standing. Applications are due by Feb. 15, and interviews will start later in the month.\nParticipants do not need to be in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs to participate in the program. In fact, Clere says, SPEA hopes more students from outside the school will apply for the program. He believes that majors do not matter so much as the effect the students have on the reputation of the program and the University. \n"They're great ambassadors for IU, both in Washington and back on campus," he said. \nMcKeon believes that the benefits of participating in the Washington Leadership Program outweigh spending a semester away from a traditional college environment.\n"Anyone who thinks that they might want to spend a semester in Washington, D.C. working at an internship should definitely apply," she said. "Living and working in D.C. for a semester is something completely different than anything that you will experience spending four years in Bloomington"
(02/03/06 4:47am)
The sound of drums echoed across the IU campus Thursday night, calling people of all ages to the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center. The Center kicked off its celebration of Black History Month with the fourth annual Sound the Drum and Family Feast, which ran for two hours and included speakers, soul food and the sounding of the drum ceremony. \nThe sounding of the drum is an African tradition meant to call people together for community events in the name of peace and friendship. \n"It is called sound the drum because in African traditional systems ... the drum is not only an instrument for dance music, but the drum is also a means of communication," Master of Ceremonies Austin Okigbo said. "We announce the beginning of a major event, a major festival, by playing the drum."\nThe celebration was the first of several programs the center has planned for the month. Its schedule culminates with the daylong Africana Festival on Feb. 23.\nThe Feast opened with remarks from Okigbo, who then turned the microphone over to Center Director Oyibo Afoaku, who spoke briefly before the sounding of the drum began. One by one, members of the audience proceeded up on stage. \nPeople on stage then played a beat of their choosing on two drums and offered words of insight and prayer. Most of those in attendance joined in sounding the drum and following the African tradition of awaking ancestral spirits to help guide the living. \n"You feel motivated to get up and sound the drum and offer some words of wisdom," Afoaku said. "This program gets people to reflect on the historical significance of this month." \nPeople of all ages were involved in the program. Okigbo even gave an impromptu lesson on playing the drums to several children in attendance during dinner. \n"It was very nice to see the spontaneous response on the part of the audience," said Charlie Nelms, IU vice president for student development and diversity. "It was just a relaxing, enjoyable moment of reflection." \nThe event was not meant simply to begin the center's schedule, but to bring broader significance to Black History Month as well, Nelms said. \n"I think it's a good start, a good event, because it introduces the members of the Indiana University community to aspects of African heritage," he said. "We tend to take Black History Month as though it starts from America, and this event takes us back and helps us to appreciate African tradition."\nClosing thoughts from Okigbo marked the end of the service. However, Okigbo said, this is hardly the end. \n"This event does not have a closing ... because it's only the opening of a long event that closes with the Africana Festival."\nWith Black History Month programs now underway across campus, Nelms said he hopes people will take away more than just knowledge from their experiences. \n"I hope, most importantly, that people will end up learning more about African-American history and the richness of that history in helping to make America what it is," he said.
(02/02/06 5:20am)
The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center will hold the Annual Sound the Drum and Family Feast in its Grand Hall tonight. The two-hour event helps mark the beginning of the Center's celebration of Black History Month.\nNeal-Marshall Center Director Oyibo Afoaku said this fourth installment of the Sound the Drum and Family Feast is a perfect beginning to the month-long celebration. \n"This significance of (the program) is that it's about bringing the community together and encouraging people to think about what BHM means to them individually and \ncollectively," Afoaku said.\nThe program involves using the drum, a symbol of gathering and unity, to draw together people from all over campus. One by one, people will sound the drum. They will then give remarks and reflections and offer prayers. \n"It is a time to reflect on a number of things, as well as a time to meet with friends and make new friends," Afoaku said. "It's a celebration of community, a celebration of friendship."\nPlanners of the event have been working for many months. Students and Center employees worked together to brainstorm and make the necessary arrangements for the program. They handled advertising through flyers and posters around campus, hoping to draw student interest for the event, as well as the schedule of events for the entire month. \nThe event centers on the drum, as well as a recommitment to the seven principles of Kwanzaa. These principles include unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. \nEvent coordinators hope the Sound the Drum and Family Feast will be not only the starting point but the focal point for the month's activities celebrating Black History Month. \nOrganizers at the Neal-Marshall Center hope the schedule of programs planned for Black History Month does more than just bring awareness to the meaning of the whole program. They hope the entire program has far-reaching effects, both short- and long-term, on the IUB campus. \n"The short-term effect is that (those in attendance) feel energized, feel encouraged to work together as a community," Afoaku said. "The long-term effect is that a program like this helps to build bridges on this campus"
(01/31/06 5:12am)
For junior Sigall Rave, the value and experience of Camp Kesem extends beyond the traditional function of children's summer camp. It is a place where campers can deal with the pain and shock of cancer in a parent. The healing service of the program, Rave said, makes sacrificing a week of summer vacation more than worthwhile. \n"I participate in Camp Kesem because I think camp truly helps give these children a chance to just have fun and act like kids, rather than having to worry about their parents' illness or death," Rave said. "I hope the children get just that, a week of fun and craziness, and hopefully they also leave with new friends who are going through similar hardships, so that they know they aren't alone during such a difficult time."\nCamp Kesem is a weeklong, student-run camp for children dealing with the cancer of a parent. Rave, one of two camp project coordinators, said she believes the value of Camp Kesem extends beyond just having fun. \n"The sadness and pain that the children and these families are feeling is hard for them to describe at such a young age and often goes unnoticed," Rave said. "Camp comes in to provide them an outlet, a place to just have fun, be kids and make friends who also have parents with cancer."\nThe camp will be held from August 6-11 this year, though the location has yet to be decided. \nSince the summer of 2000, students across the country have been taking time out of their break to organize and hold a camp for children who have a parent with or have lost a parent to cancer. Camp Kesem is one week during the summer, and is planned, organized, coordinated and staffed by students. Each camp is run almost exclusively and independently by volunteer students from each university. \nThe first Camp Kesem was started through the Stanford University Hillel Center in 2000. Several universities across the country run similar projects with the support of what has turned into a national organization. Campers at the summer program pay no fees, and Camp Kesem itself is a nonprofit organization that runs entirely off donations. \nThe camp is meant to be a healing experience for children who attend. The counselors are focused on helping their campers deal with the emotions they are feeling in a safe, trusting and relaxed environment. \n"I feel like camp is the best form of therapy for these children," said Liz Gray, Kesem's other project coordinator. "Camp is definitely the best way to get these kids to come out of their shells and heal." \nCamp Kesem is entering its second year in Indiana, and is for children between the ages of 6 and 13. IU students began the camp for children in the Bloomington/Indianapolis area only a year ago. Student organizers hope to have around 40 campers to participate in the program this summer. Rave said the camp had 21 campers last summer.\nStudents involved with the camp say that the best part of Camp Kesem is the bond it creates between the campers, staff and families. \n"The families come together, they meet each other. So they're connected not only with us but with each other," junior staffer Rachel Ellison said.\nThe camp is staffed by volunteer counselors and a medical staff who all undergo extensive training prior to working at the camp. Camp directors and committee members hope to find around 20 counselors for the coming summer, and they held call-out meetings earlier this month for all interested in volunteering their time to the program. \nStaffers participating in Camp Kesem share in the experiences of their campers. But students recognize the importance of such connections in the lives of the children. \n"I do camp because Camp Kesem is a very unique experience like no other," said Reena Vanjani, a student committee coordinator. "We target kids whose parents have cancer, and not many organizations do that."\nStudents volunteering their time with Camp Kesem can assist camper care, student support, fundraising, and administration and programming. Those who were unable to attend call-out meetings earlier this semester can still help out by contacting directors at Indiana@campkesemnational.org. Rave said anyone still interested in helping with the camp welcome to apply for a position.\nThe value of Camp Kesem extends beyond a simple week of fun. Touching the lives of these children and their families is of the utmost importance to the staff. \n"It really is such an unbelievable experience for these kids. It's something no one else can really offer them," Committee Coordinator and student Leslie Abrams said. "It boosts their self esteem, it helps them grieve. It's just an amazing program for these kids"
(01/23/06 5:18am)
Today's youth are asked to enter society not only as educated college graduates, but as informed contributors to a democratic society. The Indiana Public Interest Research Group, which seeks to help students accomplish such goals, will be holding a call-out meeting Tuesday to recruit members and discuss this semester's campaign focuses. \nINPIRG is a student organization dedicated to teaching members how to function as more active constituents within a democratic society, according to the group's Web site. Currently, INPIRG is running three separate public interest campaigns concerning the environment, higher education and fighting poverty. \nSophomore campaign leader Brendon Liner said he believes the breadth of issues addressed makes INPIRG strong. \n"INPIRG, with its campaigns on higher education, hunger and homelessness, and clean energy is one of the most active special interest groups on campus," Liner said.\nLiner leads the Higher Education Affordability campaign, which works to alleviate student debt from loans. The campaign intends to lower interest rates and book prices for students.\n"The issues facing higher education at this time are extremely urgent. Almost half of all undergrad seniors graduate with more than $19,000 in student loan debt," Liner said. "INPIRG is the only organization on campus actively attempting to reform student loans and help reduce college debt."\nThe Clean Energy campaign, guided by sophomore Lucy Frick, strives to convince IU officials to better manage energy resources at the University. \n"We want to show the \nUniversity how much more efficient our energy use could be," Frick said in an e-mail. "I can't think how many classrooms I've sat in that have been entirely too cold or too hot -- windows stay open in the winter because it's so hot, and they remain open in the summer because buildings get so cold." \nThe Clean Energy campaign also focuses on finding safe, clean sources of energy. According to an INPIRG press release, "The campaign is using (Public Interest Research Group) audit forms to find out what sources of clean energy IU is eligible for and various resources to raise a voice and awareness for clean energy." \nThe Hunger and Homelessness campaign, which focuses on bringing relief and hope to needy Monroe County residents, raises money and awareness for the impoverished in the Bloomington community. The press release states that the campaign is focused on helping Bloomington's more than 4,000 homeless. Fundraising proceeds go to soup kitchens and purchasing bus passes for people who would not otherwise have a way of getting to work.\nStudents participating in INPIRG campaigns work as interns or volunteers within a campaign. Interns can earn between three and six credits working on a particular campaign. Frick said volunteers are allowed to work according to their own schedule, and are not bound to work a certain amount of time per semester. \n"If you're interested in joining INPIRG, come on out," Frick said. "We welcome everyone. We've got people of all shades of the political and religious spectrum." \nThe call-out meeting will be held at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Ballantine Hall 144.
(01/20/06 4:54am)
The IU Alumni Association has created a Web site dedicated to helping its members find employment in their field. \nThe Web site, www.IUalumnicareers.com, is meant to provide IU alumni access to career guidance and counseling and can notify registered users of any new listings that have been posted in their fields. \nJoan Hall, director of membership services for the IUAA, said the organization designed the Web site after several recent graduates suggested the value of such a service. \n"We started the service to meet the needs of our alumni," she said. "We've received a lot of feedback from graduates, especially new graduates, that they want and need career and mentoring services."\nThe Web site's services are available to all members of the IUAA who register with the site. Alumni, job mentors and prospective employers can all register. Mentors can provide career advice and direction to alumni searching for employment through the Web site. According to the press release, IU alums can both serve as mentors or use the site to search for a job. Mentors and would-be employers began registering with the site at the beginning of November 2005. Using the IUAA as a system to support this new service is paying big dividends, Hall said. \n"With 475,000 living IU graduates around the world, the Alumni Association is a powerful network," Hall said. \nThe service is free to all who use it, and only members of the Alumni Association can use the Web site. Each mentor volunteers his or her time and can leave the program at any time. Employers posting job listings pay no cost for their advertisement. \n"Any employer may register to post job openings," Hall said. "And all alumni may register to be career mentors."\nHall said using the IUAA to make contacts with prospective employers and employees makes the system work well. \n"With this new service, the IUAA hopes to assist our alumni and help them succeed by providing a way for them to connect with other alumni for career mentoring," she said.
(01/19/06 5:59am)
The IU College of Arts and Sciences will offer upper-level courses in biotechnology starting in the fall of 2006. Students have been able to declare the major since the fall of 2004, but advanced courses will be phased into the curriculum for the first time next semester. \nThe program, spearheaded by Biology professor Malcolm Winkler, is a joint effort between the Biology and Chemistry departments. It combines several aspects of life sciences with other disciplines, particularly subjects that graduates should be familiar with in order to obtain jobs in the biotechnology field. For example, students will focus on areas like law and writing as they pertain to biotechnology.\nSenior and biology major Mike Behrns said he believes the degree would be suitable for pre-med students. \n"I think it's a good thing," Behrns said. "It's something to fall back on in case things don't work out quite like you want them. It's a very practical major."\nAnother significant aspect of the program is internship placement. \nThe program also benefits a greater effort to help expand the biotechnology industry in the state of Indiana. "Indiana is making a transition from older style heavy industry into different areas," Winkler said. "One of the areas it's particularly strong in is biotechnology." \nWinkler also said preparing students to enter this budding industry is a "two-way street," where they will be ready to contribute and find success immediately, while also supporting a thriving young industry in the state. \nSeveral biotechnology companies, including Eli Lilly, Cook Pharmica and Pfizer have a significant presence in Indiana. Dan Peterson, a spokesperson for Cook, which is headquartered in Bloomington, said he believes this new major will be beneficial to both the companies and IU. \n"I think that there is no question that IU can be a tremendous leader in (biotechnology education)," he said.\nProgram directors have kept in close contact with biotech companies in the state and around the country in an effort to stay up to date on what these companies are looking for in new employees, Winkler said. This way, biotech majors will be better prepared to enter the workforce upon graduation. \nThe program offers most of its higher level courses in the junior year. In their senior years, students will take electives that more directly relate to their intended career paths in biotechnology. It is then that intended majors must decide where they want to work in the biotechnology field. \nPeterson said he believes having such a specialized yet interdisciplinary degree can make IU a principal player in the biotechnology field for years to come. \n"The idea of having a biotech degree combined with the exposure to other disciplines would be tremendous, as would the combination of biotech and business background," Peterson said. "In the future, we're going to have the opportunities to keep IU students in Indiana, so that they won't have to go elsewhere"