Longform

Great election coverage

Congratulations on the tremendous coverage of the 2008 election. In particular I was impressed with the front page design. As a former IDS designer and editor, I am sure the night was both fun and stressful, but not all rise so high in such an atmosphere. Pulling off such a piece should not go unnoticed, and I hope the paper wins awards for it. I browsed Newseum’s compendium of front pages in search of an iconic image to remember the historic night by and found the IDS outperformed the world Nov. 5. So again, well done. Sam Nissen IU alumnus

Breaking the race barrier

On Tuesday, Barack Obama’s election victory sent a potent message about breaking the race barrier in the United States of America. However, as much as Obama is a symbol of progressiveness, the reality is that much still has to be done to improve race relations in the country.   Coming from the ultra-modern, slumless, multicultural city-state known as Singapore and being in the racial majority, I had never experienced being stereotyped and discriminated based on my skin color. While in Singapore, I am perceived positively due to my understanding of the proper social mannerisms and my English fluency; in the United States, I am seen through the lens of minority ethnic and racial stereotypes.

Daylight Savings (all the) Time

It is the time of year when I have to throw away the makeup I bought during the summer to better blend with my tan because I am now, once again, back to being as pale as a whale’s underbelly. In other words, winter is upon us. The days are shorter, the air is crisper and the lonely nights just got a little lonelier.   The only thing worse than winter itself is having to wave goodbye to Daylight Savings Time, as though it is a lover insisting upon a 6-month restraining order (a feeling I know all too well). The excitement of having that extra hour at 2 a.m. in which to do whatever I please always wears off so quickly, leaving only the reality of sunlight slipping away every evening at 5 p.m. as I walk home, making me more susceptible than ever to rapists and other violent figures who lurk behind shaded alleyways and shrubbery. (But at least for the next two weeks I can continue to justify every wasted hour by the remembrance of that extra hour gained.) 

Not fit to be a doctor?

Two years ago, a California state district court ruling mandated the Association of American Medical Colleges permit individuals with learning disabilities – under the definition provided by the state of California – to receive extended time on their Medical College Admission Test.   Four students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities successfully had sued the AAMC, claiming they were denied an education in medicine because they were not permitted extended time on their test. Sadly, this last week, a higher court of appeals overturned this ruling.The court ruled that despite the fact that California law was more expansive in its definition of disability, extended time should be allowed only for individuals who are considered disabled under the more narrow definition provided by federal law. Preparedness for medical school should not be determined by how quickly an individual can fill in the circles on a Scantron. Surely students applying to medical schools have displayed talent and intelligence by receiving undergraduate degrees. Provided the opportunity to go to medical school, students with disabilities would have plenty of opportunities to have their mettle tested before they become doctors. To those who suggest that their use of extended time is a reflection on their inability to perform well in the emergency room, where split-second decisions are required, a more enlightened understanding of disabilities is required.  Their lack of expeditiousness on a test does not translate into their lack of ability in the field. Furthermore, only a small percentage of doctors work in such conditions. The medical world does not soley consist of “ER” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”What about the family practitioner or the pediatrician? Doctors often deliberate, and shouldn’t we appreciate them for it? Isn’t their value in taking time and being careful in your diagnosis?  

Not a stickier situation

On Election Day, I stuck out like a sore thumb. While many students walked around campus with their fashionable, multicolored and face-of-change Obama shirts, I donned John McCain’s simple logo on a plain white t-shirt. Others had on “I voted for change” stickers. I wasn’t offered one. Others spent class time talking to each other about “stupid old McCain” instead of listening to their professors. I spent class time talking to God – also not listening to my professors. Others didn’t notice how graffiti-ed our campus became with Obama paraphernalia. I did.

Politics, art draw perception parallels

Tuesday night, the world watched, Bloomington had an impromptu parade, and I sat in my living room staring transfixed as state by state ushered in the reality of President-elect Barack Obama.

Obama victory sparks cheers around the globe

PARIS – Barack Obama’s election as America’s first black president unleashed a renewed love for the United States after years of dwindling goodwill, and many said Wednesday that U.S. voters had blazed a trail that minorities elsewhere could follow.

Coaching the night away

In honor of the election, I decided it was time for a change for Straight Bidness. It was time for a democracy. So, I devised a plan. I polled all my loyal readers who have sent me feedback (be it good or bad) in the past to see which of my two column ideas they would rather read. I know what you’re thinking. You’re probably sneering, “Congrats Mike. You talked to all five of your readers.” I don’t blame you for thinking that either. But you will be shocked to know that I spoke with 26 people, 23 of whom read my column on a consistent basis.

Edwards’ gamble tightens Chase battle

Jimmie Johnson, owner of the last two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship trophies and the presumed owner of the 2008 edition, suffered his worst finish of Chase for the Sprint Cup competition Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. Fortunately for Carl Edwards – Johnson’s nearest rival – that poor finish coincided with a second-straight Edwards victory. Unfortunately for Edwards though, Johnson’s poor 15th-place finish would have been a respectable finish for most competitors.

Hoosiers look to sweep Wright State again

The IU club ice hockey team looks to snap its four-game losing streak this weekend with two home games against Wright State. After starting out 6-0, the Hoosiers have been swept by Davenport and Michigan in the past two weekends, respectively. Fortunately for the team, two of its six wins this year came when it swept Wright State last month. Despite their two victories against the Raiders, they know not to come into any game unprepared. “You can’t take anyone lightly. We’re going to be working hard in practice this week,” said junior Joe Fornari. “We’re going to give them our best look. We’re not underestimating anyone.”

IU volleyball team swept by No. 1 Penn State

The IU volleyball team battled hard against the top-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions on the road Wednesday but ultimately came up short. Penn State has not lost a game or a set this year, and for the first two sets, that streak appeared to be in little danger, as the visitors won 25-13 and 25-14. However, after a halftime pep talk from coach Sherry Dunbar, IU came out a different team. “We talked about playing aggressive in the locker room,” Dunbar said. “We brought the energy (in the third set), and we weren’t intimidated by them.” In the third set, the Hoosiers kept the Nittany Lions on their heels and led 22-21 before ultimately losing the final four points. The overall loss was the Hoosiers’ first in their last in five matches and drops their record to 6-7 in the Big Ten and 14-11 overall. IU senior middle blocker Erica Short said she was pleased with the Hoosiers’ play in the third set and thought they could have come out on top in it. “We obviously could have won the third set, but I was proud of how of our team played,” Short said. “We also stayed aggressive and didn’t care that they were the No. 1 team in the nation.”

IU voters increase by 287 percent

Typically a forgotten demographic, youth voters created a big splash Tuesday night. The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement reported between 21.6 million and 23.9 million 18- to 29-year-olds participated in Tuesday’s election, at least a 2 million voter increase from 2004. On campus, Indiana Public Interest Research Group reported at least a 287 percent increase from 2004 among IU students.

IU’s only glassblower creates instruments, artwork for classes

Deep in the recesses of the chemistry building, Don Garvin is equipped with ovens, lathes and other tools to make glass objects for researchers in the classrooms above. Garvin is one of only three university glassblowers in the state and the only one for the IU system. Notre Dame and Purdue have staff glassblowers as well. Garvin serves the chemistry, biology, psychology, physics, geology and other departments on all eight IU campuses.

First Nations embraces culture

On Wednesday night a reception to celebrate National American Indian Heritage Month brought food, music and people to City Hall to recognize this minority at IU. The evening was a joint project between the First Nations Educational and Cultural Center and the Safe and Civil City office, said FNECC interim director Lillian Casillas. Safe and Civil City director Beverly Calender-Anderson said as a cultural group, the heritage of American Indians is under-celebrated.

HPER uses video contest to promote purpose of school

The untold story of the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation is waiting to be captured on film. Between now and the end of November, undergraduates and graduates of the IU-Bloomington campus are eligible to submit videos on the “Real HPER.” The videos, which must be submitted by 5 p.m. Nov. 25, can be no longer than three minutes.

Back to blue

For the first time in 44 years, Indiana has gone blue in a presidential election. President-elect Barack Obama claimed the state’s popular vote Tuesday with 50 percent versus McCain’s 49 percent, according to CNN.com, giving Obama a lead by only 26,163 votes. The official call was not made until about 2 a.m.

IU to ‘can’paign for 24 hours

A columnist's audacity

I was both stunned and outraged after reading the opinion article called “Praise for anti-Zionism.”  As an optimist, I believed that the time of bigotry toward race and religion has been long extinguished in this country. After reading this article, however, I have received a rude awakening, realizing that there are still some people who believe in outdated principles. On one hand, it takes a certain amount of serious audacity by this columnist to write an article based on this material. It is ridiculous to even suggest that America stop aiding Israel, an ally that has been plagued with war and terrorism since its origination in 1948. America has made it a moral point to always assist in international matters if they are asked or called upon.

Education for anti-Zionists

I don’t know where Yahya Chaudhry received his education before IU, but it certainly did not include any unbiased history of the Middle East, nor basic good manners. Zionism is basically the national liberation movement of the Jews, who have lived in Palestine for millennia, well before the Arabs arrived and converted many of the inhabitants to Islam by force. Jews do not question the Arabs’ rights to 22 nations, nor to their right to define Islam as their national religion. Israel is a Jewish state, as England is an Anglican Christian state. But in both Israel and England, Muslims live as minorities enjoying the political and civil rights of citizens. Can Chaudhry say the same about Jews or Christians in Iran, Saudi Arabia or Pakistan?

Debating Israel not anti-Semitic

First of all, I commend the IDS editorial staff’s commitment to represent different viewpoints. However, I’m dismayed that the editors have allowed Zionist extremists such as Dershowitz to slander an IU student by calling him a “bigot” and an “anti-Semite” simply because he acknowledged the suffering Palestinians endure under Israeli occupation and questioned the unconditional military aid that the U.S. provides Israel. Apparently, Dershowitz has so much spare time that he has nothing better to do than scan college newspapers for articles critical of Israel and then run a smear campaign against students. As an American citizen, I believe it is productive to question the policies of governments, such as Israel, that receive large amounts of U.S. military aid (especially when they receive aid without precondition). Moreover, most Americans would be wary of any permanent alliance, especially one that has all too often proven to be a liability rather than a strategic asset.