Community Arts

Mock-up alien skull on display

By Gavin Lesnick · Tuesday, Sept. 20,2005 12:35 a.m.

Passers-by on the ground floor of the Student Building might notice a strange inclusion in its display case of animal bones. Nestled beside the posed skeleton of a squirrel monkey sits an alien skull with giant eye sockets, oversized head and small nose typical of a science fiction movie. So is the Student Building the Area 51 of IU? Not exactly.

IUPD officer fires at 2 attcking pit bulls

Tuesday, Sept. 20,2005 12:30 a.m.

An IU Police Department officer fired at a vicious dog that had attacked one person Sunday morning at People's Park. At about 10 a.m., Officer David Winburn arrived at People's Park, located at Fifth Street and Indiana Avenue, where the victim of a dog attack flagged him down. The man had a significant wound on his hand, said IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger. He indicated an 80-pound brown pit bull as the aggressor.

Company offers lecture podcasting

By Kate FitzGerald · Tuesday, Sept. 20,2005 12:29 a.m.

Professors of large lecture courses at two Texas universities are trying out a system that would allow them to collect money from students who want the option of missing class without worry. Like some Purdue students this semester and some distance-learning students at IU, students at Texas A&M and the University of Texas at Austin are testing out a service in four classes that allows them to download audio recordings of large lecture courses as MP3s, according to a Sept. 14 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Rock Hall sees changes 10 years later

By Alyson Brodsy and M.R. Kropko · Tuesday, Sept. 20,2005 12:29 a.m.

CLEVELAND -- Some aging rockers -- yes, the Rolling Stones are on another tour -- just keep on rockin'. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 10 years old this month, still rocks, too, but in a much quieter way.

Polanski film begins series

Tuesday, Sept. 20,2005 12:28 a.m.

A skinny Polish peasant plays the fiddle and rocks a fat old man to sleep. The fat man slouches in a rocking chair, he has a single medal pinned to his torn and tattered suit. He orders the peasant about, and the peasant cheerfully complies, until he is chained to a goat. "The Fat and the Lean" was among a collection of films by Roman Polanski, Academy Award-winning director of "The Pianist," shown by the Underground Film Series.

Artist says work inspired

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Sept. 20,2005 12:28 a.m.

FORT WAYNE -- With a stark light illuminating the darkness of her living room, Mary Hilger kneels before a black canvas. As a medley of Christian songs plays in the background, her left hand feverishly scrawls white chalk across the board, seeming to form an outline of a skull.

IU has history of blood donation

By Allie Townsend · Tuesday, Sept. 20,2005 12:27 a.m.

Spelling out a message of "we need you," the Red Cross Blood Drive advertisement stood as a solitary SOS, describing the demand for donors Monday in front of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center at 730 E. Third St. The need for blood is daily, and IU has become a regular stop for the Red Cross. College campuses are among the highest contributors to blood donation programs across the nation, said Bonnie Newson, a licensed nurse practitioner with the Monroe County Red Cross.

Born into Brothels opens eyes, ears

By Lisa Braverman · Tuesday, Sept. 20,2005 12:27 a.m.

Union Board gave patrons a chance during the weekend to step into a completely different environment -- the brothels of Calcutta, India. For the Academy Award-winning film "Born Into Brothels," Zana Briski -- the director, narrator and one of the film's main characters -- journeyed to Calcutta in order to live with the women of the city's red light district. Once there, she found herself bombarded with children.

IU science center celebrates 5 years of research

By Jay Paslay · Tuesday, Sept. 20,2005 12:12 a.m.

IU's Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics celebrated five years of research, including projects aimed to eventually shed light on the evolutionary process and pinpoint causes of contamination in freshwater sources in the United States, with an inaugural symposium Friday afternoon in Jordan Hall. The CGB began as a research center designed to study genomics, the study of genomes (complete gene sets for a particular species) and bioinformatics, the intersection of microbiology and computer science. It has grown through cross-disciplinary collaboration and support from the biology department and School of Informatics to include 30 programmers and full-time scientists in addition to an administrative staff of three.

10th Amendment blues

By Megan Robb · Tuesday, Sept. 20,2005 12:04 a.m.

The premise behind the implementation of Constitution Day is a true one: The majority of Americans are ignorant of the rights and responsibilities set down by the Constitution. No doubt Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., by attaching a few Constitution Day clauses into a big-budget bill, was attempting to eliminate the epidemic of ignorance. The amendment mandated that all schools receiving federal money teach Constitution-related material Friday. But Constitution Day, in its short time span and with interventionist attitude, is ineffective and potentially dangerous to the rights our Constitution stands to protect.

O'Connor weeps

By Alyson Brodsy and Levi Harris · Tuesday, Sept. 20,2005 12:02 a.m.

I guess Chief Justice William Rehnquist's recent funeral was largely unremarkable from a news standpoint, littered as it was with a litany of the usual suspects. But at the end of the day, one poignant image stood out among the rest: a close-up of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor gazing through tears at Rehnquist's casket. The caption simply read, "O'Connor weeps."

Keep an open mind

By Alyson Brodsy and Precious Sanders · Monday, Sept. 19,2005 11:59 p.m.

Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, atheism, Judaism, deism. The beauty of the First Amendment is its provision for all forms of expression, including freedom of religion -- or, in some cases, freedom from religion. Here at IU, students have been presented with the opportunity to experience the richness of American religious toleration and denominationalism, and maybe even allow it to change our own perceptions about the world and the people in it. But when evangelism comes into play, it takes away from the cultural opportunities this campus presents to us.

Former Tyco chiefs sent to jail for up to 25 years

By Alyson Brodsy and Samuel Maull · Monday, Sept. 19,2005 11:59 p.m.

NEW YORK -- L. Dennis Kozlowski, the former CEO of Tyco International Ltd., and former Tyco finance chief Mark Swartz were sentenced Monday to up to 25 years in prison for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from the company in a case that outraged the public with its tales of executive greed and excess. The men, who were immediately ordered into custody, will be eligible for parole after serving eight years and four months.

N. Korea pledges to dismantle nuclear programs for energy aid

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Sept. 19,2005 11:59 p.m.

BEIJING -- North Korea agreed Monday to dismantle nuclear weapons and its atomic facilities in exchange for energy aid, economic cooperation and security assurances, a breakthrough marking the first step toward disarmament after two years of six-nation talks.

No instrument left behind

By Brittany Hite · Monday, Sept. 19,2005 11:58 p.m.

Forty-five years of experience is quite a life for a saxophone, especially when it is passed between owners — most of them just-turned teenagers, spitting and blowing into the instrument as they learn to play — year after year after year. But if the instrument still works, it can't justifiably be replaced, especially not with state funds. The 45-year-old sax is only one example of aging instruments and worn materials local music instructors have to work with, said Bob Austin, a music teacher and band instructor at Jackson Creek Middle School. Austin's students used the 45-year-old instrument when he taught at a different Monroe County Community School Corporation school, and he said he guarantees the school is still using it.

Taking hate crime laws in the right direction

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Sept. 19,2005 11:57 p.m.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a monumental resolution Wednesday to include sexual orientation, gender and gender identity in the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, which was formerly and is still colloquially known as the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Hate crime legislation can be a touchy subject. Some argue it violates free speech rights, while others claim it is needed to differentiate between everyday crimes and those enacted to intimidate certain groups. Although this law only provides federal funding to local law enforcement officials investigating hate crimes -- and not explicit penalties or prevention measures -- we still believe it is a positive step in securing equality for all Americans.

en • tre • pre • neur än´tre pre nur´) n. a risk-taker who has the skills and initiative to establish a business

By Michael Savitt · Monday, Sept. 19,2005 11:51 p.m.

One day after class last semester, friends of Ryan Alovis, now an IU graduate, sat on a couch in his living room playing a fast-paced game of Madden Football on Sony PlayStation. However, Alovis was nowhere near the excitement. Instead, he chose to juggle the responsibilities of attending daily classes and running his own business. For many business-minded IU students like Alovis, creating a business venture and watching it grow is a top priority. Because they were not part of a final classroom project, these businesses forced the creators to work simultaneously on their schoolwork and their companies in order to achieve success.

4 ways to set your new business apart

By Alyson Brodsy and David Weisburd · Monday, Sept. 19,2005 11:48 p.m.

Editor's Note: Welcome to the first of a six-column series offering advice for beginning entrepreneurs. IU sophomore David Weisburd is the co-founder of Indy Tickets Express LLC, a ticket broker network that connects ticket brokers throughout the United States and Canada. Since the company's reconstruction in May 2005, Indy Tickets Express LLC has grossed more than $190,000 in revenue. He has started multiple companies in the last seven years, including companies in the travel, jewelry and gaming industries. Visit www.davidweisburd.com for more information about Weisburd and his company.

New Orleans mayor postpones the opening of the city due to risk of flood

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Sept. 19,2005 11:45 p.m.

NEW ORLEANS -- Under pressure from President Bush and other top federal officials, the mayor of New Orleans suspended the reopening of large portions of the city Monday and instead ordered nearly everyone out because of the risk of a new round of flooding from a tropical storm on the way. "If we are off, I'd rather err on the side of conservatism to make sure we have everyone out," Mayor Ray Nagin said.

Orthopedic plant to open in Fort Wayne

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Sept. 19,2005 11:43 p.m.

FORT WAYNE -- A company that makes surgical instruments and orthopedic products plans to open a plant in Fort Wayne that could create up to 160 jobs in five years. Officials for Nemcomed said the city's work force and transportation infrastructure helped convince them it was the best place to build its $10 million, 34,000-square-foot plant. The plant will open in fall 2006 and employ 20 to 40 people by the end of next year. Its seven-acre location in a business park next to Interstate 69 will provide space for expansion, and Nemcomed plans to add 20,000 square feet in 2009.