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(02/19/04 5:40am)
Former IU men's basketball coach Bob Knight dropped his lawsuit against the University this week, terminating a legal battle that spanned several years.\nMonroe County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Todd previously struck down the case, which was filed in November 2002. \nTodd ruled IU was allowed to fire Knight either "for-cause" or without cause, as specified by the terms of his contract. Knight's lead attorney, Russell Yates, filed an appeal against that judgment in the Indiana Court of Appeals Jan. 19. \nThe lawsuit claimed IU violated proper firing procedures in terminating Knight last semester.\nKnight voluntarily dismissed that appeal, according to a motion filed in the Monroe County Circuit Court Feb. 12, Copies of the motion were served on David M. Mattingly and Curtis W. McCauley, both attorneys at the Indianapolis-based firm Ice Miller hired to represent the University, as well as James H. Voyle's, Knight's co-counsel in Indianapolis. \nYates was traveling Tuesday and Wednesday and could not be reached for comment from his Denver firm. However, sources at Ice Miller confirmed Wednesday that the appeal had been abandoned. \nIn filing the appeal, Yates maintained the University violated the "for-cause" provision cited in paragraph 11 of Knight's contract, which required a formal IU hearing before the coach could be terminated. Yates said Knight received no such hearing. \n"I feel the court was wrong, the contract was wrong and the way Coach was terminated was wrong," Yates told the Indiana Daily Student in January. "I think that because (then-University President Myles) Brand decided to have a press conference in front of 30 million people to say how bad Coach was, that triggered the for-cause provision to fire him."\nYates also filed a motion to correct an error regarding IU's motion for summary judgment in November. The document said IU breached Knight's employment agreement by "announcing the termination in public before notifying Coach Knight in writing," as well as by not allowing Knight the opportunity to have the reasons he was fired explained to him. Yates also said IU failed to allow a 60-day period to transpire between the initial and final notifications of termination.\nThe motion also alleges the University "bargained" with Knight concerning his job security and each party's reputation. It cites paragraph 4(D) of Knight's contract, which states "in many ways, the reputations of Indiana University Basketball and Coach have become synonymous."\nIce Miller attorney David Mattingly was also traveling and could not be reached for comment at press time. Mattingly told the IDS in September the former coach's contract allowed the University to terminate him for any reason, provided his salary was paid in full until his contract expired.\nIf Knight indeed had been fired "for-cause," as Yates alleged, that payment would have immediately ceased and a hearing would have commenced. \nIU Spokeswoman Jane Jankowski, speaking on behalf of University Counsel Dorothy Frapwell, said the University's position on the case has not changed in light of recent events. \n"We have consistently maintained the position that the University did all that was required pursuant to the terms of the contract between Mr. Knight and the University"
(02/13/04 5:48am)
A bill amending existing Indiana open container legislation that passed the State Senate in late January will move on for consideration in the House Public Policy Committee this month. \nThe proposed legislation, authored by Senator Thomas Wyss, R - Fort Wayne, would prohibit possession of an open container in a motor vehicle operating along the right-of-way on Indiana public highways. Current law specifies that driving with an open container in the passenger compartment is only legally punishable if the driver's blood alcohol level is at or above the legal limit of .08. The driver in question would face a Class B infraction, punishable by fines capped at $1,000.\n"This bill is a step in the right direction for our state," Wyss said in a statement. "Not only will it provide safer roadways for Hoosier families, but also it will supply more federal funding for improvements of our state highways."\nThe IU Police Department does not keep statistics on the number of cases involving open container infractions, but IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said the department "deals with it quite frequently, whether with pedestrians or in vehicles."\nFootball tailgating is a particularly sticky area heavily targeted by both IUPD and Bloomington Police Department officers. The Indiana state code defines a "public highway" as "a street, an alley, a road, a highway or a road in Indiana, including privately owned business parking lot and drive that is used by the public or is open to the public."\nMinger said he thinks the proposed legislation wouldn't apply to parked vehicles, however, since they are parked in grassy areas designated for tailgating activities. \nBPD Sgt. Jeff Canada said the force doesn't have the necessary resources to aggressively enforce open container laws. \n"We don't say, 'Okay, we're going to go out and get people with open containers,' but if officers run across someone blatantly possessing an open container right in front of them, they'll obviously take enforcement," he said.\nDean of Students Richard McKaig said students who violate state open container laws and are charged by IUPD officers are referred to the Office of Student Ethics. The University must be granted access to the police report, which is common in instances witnessed by IUPD but less common with BPD or Indiana State Police. \n"The law has a limited impact on the disciplinary system of the University," McKaig said. "Most likely, all cases would be adjudicated through the local criminal justice system."\nA number of state governments are currently reconsidering or have recently amended open container legislation to bring it more in line with federal compliance policies. Indiana's current law, passed in 1994, does not have the specific statutory language to comply with federal open container standards, and the state is thus fiscally penalized by the government, according to Wyss. \nAlcohol education efforts and costs incurred by similar correction programs and enforcement of drunk-driving laws are therefore siphoned off federal funding offered to the state for road and transportation improvements. Only 90 percent of that money is actually transferred into state coffers, as per federal law limiting how many federal dollars can be moved into separate accounts. \nThat translates to a loss of roughly $1.35 million, according to the fiscal impact statement. \nThis isn't Wyss' first effort at changing Indiana's open container provisions. He's been lobbying for change since early 2001, when he claimed he was "appalled" that late Gov. Frank O'Bannon's administration, as well as the Indiana Department of Transportation, allegedly had not initiated efforts to change the law. \n"I was appalled to learn from the Governor's appointees that INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation) has decided to not even attempt to change the law regarding open alcoholic beverage containers in vehicles," Wyss said in a 2001 statement. "The administration's lack of interest in bringing our law into federal compliance has already cost the state $15 million in highway construction money and will cost us $15 million more next year."\nSimilar legislation authored by Wyss and introduced in the 2002 session also passed the House in 2002 but was not granted a hearing in the House committee, then controlled by a majority of Democrats. \nThe pending legislation could in fact bring in additional revenue to state resources, he says. According to the fiscal impact statement offered by Wyss, between 55 and 70 percent of monies extracted from infraction judgments and court fees would be deposited in the state's General Fund. \nMcKaig said he thinks the legislation will reap positive benefits for the state. \n"I'm not a big believer in having the right to drink to excess or endanger others," McKaig said. "I'd ask students to think about their own friends dying in drunk-driving accidents when they are innocent and the other person was drinking. It's not a question of rights but of what you want the other people in the car coming at you to do. Personally, I wouldn't want them to be drinking."\n-- Contact senior writer Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
(02/12/04 5:00am)
For a sleepy Midwestern town nestled deep in Indiana quarry country, Bloomington certainly stands out in more than just a few respects. It is politically liberal-minded, to be sure, drawing on a rich repository of University-educated intellectuals, corporate types and activists. It's tolerant: take a stroll through the Sample Gates and onto Kirkwood Ave. at any given hour and you're sure to see North Face-clad frat boys, Prada-carrying fashionistas, Little 500 cyclists swathed in spandex and dreadlocked skateboarders perfecting their skills at People's Park. \nSimilarly, the Bloomington vegan scene, notably more expansive than most any other Indiana town, proves a local interest in supplying grub to people of diverse taste -- rather than just the 'meat 'n potatoes' crowd. The vegan lifestyle specifically shuns dairy products such as milk and cheese in addition to all meat and fish. And to serve these tastes, Bloomington provides a handful of eateries specializing in vegan and vegetarian cuisine for the student population and community at large, including the Runcible Spoon, Cafe Django, Laughing Planet and Little Tibet, to name a few. \nA short trek down Kirkwood leads the conscientious diner to a few particular vegan and vegetarian options. Soma Coffee House and Laughing Planet, located at the corner of Kirkwood and Grant, offer everything from vegan maple syrup chocolate chip cookies (baked with whole wheat flour, egg replacer and grain sweetened vegan chocolate chips) to organic steamed vegetables and, of course, the Planet's famous burritos. \nBrad Hawley has worked at Laughing Planet for close to three years and thinks it's one of the healthiest options downtown.\n"We basically cater to all kinds of tastes," Hawley says. "Bodybuilders can come in here and add a lot of chicken to a burrito. Vegans can come in and ask for things without cheese."\nMost Planet grub can be made vegan by removing dairy products and chicken or meat and using such substitutes as soy and tofu, and a short trip down the brightly painted "Hall of Digestion" stairs to Soma allows vegan diners to cap off a hearty Planet meal with a shot of organic espresso or vegan bakery items. \nAnother recent addition to the cornucopia of vegan-friendly eateries is the Jungle Room. \nWhen co-owner Keenan Gill began conceptualizing the Jungle Room, the upstairs addition to Uncle Fester's, he included vegetarian and vegan-friendly options on the menu, since finding places where he (a self-proclaimed omnivore) and his wife Valerie (a vegetarian) could both enjoy several menu options. \n"We couldn't eat out and find foods we both enjoyed," Gill says. "We always felt as if the other person was sacrificing or compromising too much." \nSimilar to Laughing Planet, most vegetarian options on the Jungle Room menu can be made vegan by removing whatever dairy product the item contains and adding soy-based substitutes. \nDespite eateries' best efforts, however, monotony is likely to set in for strict vegans and vegetarians wanting to shake things up a bit. Finding diverse dining options catering to specific dietary needs is a problem for many off-campus vegans, but on-campus residents can retreat to the Collins Living and Learning Center, which has served vegan food since the 1970s under the direction of foods manager Jim Beeson. Last year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) ranked IU one of the 10 most vegetarian-friendly colleges in the U.S. It was based strictly on on-campus offerings, however. \nFor those vegans set adrift, Bloomingfoods offers options for vegan shoppers. Justin Lloyd works in the bakery at the E. Third Street location and says the demand is "very high" for vegan bakery options. \n"People tend to come in because there aren't very many other options in town," he says. \nThe Bloomingfoods deli offers more than a dozen vegetarian sandwiches, as well as vegan bread, tofu, assorted meat substitutes and tempeh. O'Malia's Fine Foods also maintains a stock of vegan-friendly options. \nBloomingfoods kitchen worker Chris Lombardi has been a vegan for more than eight years and made the switch to the strict lifestyle while in college. \n"Originally it was kind of a lifestyle thing," he says. "I thought I wasn't eating very well and was eating this normal diet of cheeseburgers and fries."\nHe started out as a vegetarian, but moved to strict veganism a mere month later. It was a radical change, but he says he's never looked back.\n"I started reading about factory farming and the industrialization of food and what we're doing to ourselves and our bodies, and I just decided to go vegan," he says. \nLombardi says the industrialization and subsequent pollution associated with typical omnivorous and even vegetarian diets were a major factor prompting him to consider veganism.\n"So many people can equate an animal dying with meat on their plate, but a lot don't seem to think there's anything wrong with milk," he says. "They think, 'Okay, by-products aren't direct,' so they don't care as much about that as what happened to said cow or said chicken. It's just something that worked for me -- I don't mind being a vegan." \nGill says his wife tried the vegan lifestyle for awhile but found it too demanding, especially when she was a college student. \n"There simply aren't enough hours in the day when you're a student to research and take the time to ensure you have the time to truly follow the vegan way," Gill says. "She just couldn't do it while she was a student."\nLombardi says he doesn't take supplements or amino acids like many vegans do to ensure they're getting the proper nutrients to stay healthy, but he'll pop the occasional vitamin C pill when he's feeling under the weather.\n"There are a lot of arguments you can make about supplements," he says. "One is that a lot of what we eat, whether omnivore or vegetarian, is processed. Milk has a lot of calcium not absorbable by the human body, for example. As long as you eat a variety of foods, and not peanut butter and jelly every single day, you'll be okay. Our bodies have the tendency to take care of themselves as long as you're aware of what you're eating."\nHe admits it's difficult when he returns to his hometown to maintain the vegan lifestyle. He simply plans ahead, stocking up on staples he'll need to eat well at home without disrupting his parents' diet. \n"I've gotta just take care of myself," he says. "My mom's not opposed to cooking anything vegan, but if she goes shopping, I have to go with her. She won't label-read like I do."\nLomardi frequents Fourth Street restaurants like Red Sea and Little Tibet, and claims the combination plate of greens, potatoes and cabbage is "amazing" at the former. \n"Any of the ethnic restaurants are fine for most part, but I'm definitely not hitting up Opie Taylor's or anything like that," he said. "Sure, their burgers are good and that's what they're known for, but that's just not where I am"
(02/12/04 5:00am)
With Valentine's Day fast approaching, we at Weekend want to help make your V-Day as spicy, romantic and fun as possible. To do this, we asked reporter Holly Johnson to sit down with the sexually knowledgeable researchers at the Kinsey Institute's Sexual Information for Student Services, the most comprehensive source for sexual tidbits, suggestions and advice in the area. \nWhat follows is a provocative question and answer session where KISISS answers all our burning questions. \nWEEKEND: A romantic night in is a surefire (and cheap) way to impress a date on Valentine's Day; what do you suggest doing to set the mood (aside from the traditional candles and rose petals, of course)?\nKISISS: Often the most romantic thing you can do for a person is something that's very personal. Some people do like candles and rose petals, whereas others want more imagination, creativity or signs that their partner has done something specifically focused on making them happy. A person's ideal evening could be a marathon of "Friends" reruns, ordering a favorite dessert to go and eating it at home, taking a long walk, having a snowball fight, taking a bath together or cuddling in bed. Showing your partner that you've paid enough attention to know what they like can be incredibly sexy.\nWEEKEND: Tell us a little about aphrodisiacs. What foods are considered aphrodisiacs, and how does the biology behind that work?\nKISISS: The research just doesn't support the common "food myths" about aphrodisiacs. The brain is often described as our "biggest sex organ" because our thoughts and emotional reactions can affect how we feel sexually. So if eating a certain food makes you feel sexy, then go for it.\nWEEKEND: What are some creative and interesting ways to use food during sexual play?\nKISISS: If you're using condoms, be careful. We know that oil-based products can easily cause latex condoms to tear. As for other kinds of foods or food products, latex condoms aren't necessarily tested to be used with caramel or hot fudge, and protection of yourself and your partner should be key. You also want to be careful about using food products in the genital area, since men's and women's genital skin can be sensitive. You definitely don't want to spoil the romance of the day by developing a rash or an allergic reaction! \nSo the safest way to incorporate food into your sexual play is to use it on non-genital parts (e.g. belly button, chest, breasts), or to just have a really great meal before or after being sexual with each other. \nWEEKEND: What if you've only been dating for a short while? How can you feel out sexual boundaries, especially on a holiday like Valentine's Day when there's a lot of pressure?\nKISISS: There doesn't have to be a lot of pressure. Valentine's Day is, in the end, just another day. If you've been dating for a short while and you don't want to deal with the pressure of Valentine's Day, then hang out with your friends or your family. The process of feeling out sexual boundaries (your own and your partner's) shouldn't be any different just because it's Valentine's Day. Talk to each other about what you like and what you do (or don't) want to do with that person. Be careful with your use of drugs and alcohol, both of which can contribute to poor decisions surrounding sexuality.\nWEEKEND: How might a slightly timid person go about suggesting a new V-day (and X-rated) position to their partner? Which ones are sure to satisfy both partners?\nKISISS: If you're not comfortable talking about sexuality with your partner, I'd challenge you to consider whether you should be having sex with that person in the first place. After all, conversations about having an unplanned pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection are much more difficult and painful than conversations about sexual positions. \nEven so, in a culture that often leaves out healthy conversations about sexuality, even the most comfortable couples can find it difficult to talk about certain sexual topics. A lot of people are afraid that their partner will reject them or that they'll think poorly of them for expressing certain sexual interests.\nIf you want to suggest new aspects to your sexual life together, start the conversation when you're not in a sexual situation at the time, and when you're unlikely to have other distractions. Tell your partner what you already like about him or her (and your sexual experiences with them), and then talk about whatever it is you want to try and why you'd like that. \nThere are no positions that are sure to satisfy anyone -- either one partner or both. It's often a case of trying different positions to see what one or both partners like. Some positions allow women more control (woman on top) or for deeper thrusting (missionary). Keep in mind there's a full range of sexual expression such as oral sex, anal stimulation, genital touching, kissing, back massages, cuddling, sharing fantasies, looking at erotic images and masturbation. All of these are valid means of sexual expression. So rather than focusing on "positions," it's helpful to think of the infinite ways you can be sexual together.\nWEEKEND: Let's say you're in a committed relationship and looking to spice up your V-Day by using a new "toy." What's out there? \nKISISS: There's a wide range of sex toys and other products available for sale -- just to name a few, there are dildos, vibrators, anal beads, butt plugs, board games, blindfolds, flavored lubricants and so on. Even within these categories there is enormous variation. For example, there are vibrators of all shapes and sizes and targeted toward different kinds of stimulation (e.g. clitoral, vaginal, G-spot). \nSex toys can be used during sex with oneself (e.g. masturbation) or during sexual activity with a partner. \nWEEKEND: Which would you suggest for couples seeking to add a bit of spice to their normal routine and how would you recommend incorporating them into a healthy sex life?\nKISISS: There are no specific toys that we'd recommend for particular couples; people vary considerably on what they like about kissing, touching and frequency of sex -- so why would sex toys be any different? \nIf you're interested in using a sex toy with your partner, communication is key. Talk about what kinds of toys you're interested and how you'd like to use them. You might visit online stores together or visit local adult bookstores to browse their selection. It's important to talk ahead of time about toys or other enhancement items you want to include, rather than springing them unexpectedly on a partner. \nMore information on KISISS, check out the Web site at www.indiana.edu/~kisiss/.
(02/12/04 5:00am)
It's been a year since Harry Connick Jr. released Other Hours: Connick on Piano, Vol. 1 on the Marsalis Music label, and on his latest offering, Only You, the supper-club crooner sticks to what he does best: covering the great standards of bygone days without really offering any original material. It's not that Connick couldn't one day emerge as a creative songwriter; he just knows what he's good at, and that happens to be wrapping his rich contrabass around the good stuff Sinatra and Noble wrote decades ago. \nOnly You features ditties much along the lines of what Connick's done in his latest three albums, only this time they're somehow more fresh, more intricate. His lazy stroll through Ray Noble's "The Very Thought of You" particularly shines, featuring a dexterous string section and Connick's sustained, deliberate vocals. \n"Save the Last Dance for Me," the album's sixth track is all the better with Connick's lightly stylized vocals and the addition of strings and congo beats, which update the Doc Pomus standard. Connick appears to have a considerably free hand in arranging classic songs, and this is especially apparent on "For Once in My Life" and other tracks that feature extensive piano solos and breakaway sections featuring Connick's horn section.\nThe record tends toward the overly-sentimental at times, and the extravagantly-arranged "More" that opens the album perhaps sets the listener up for more flamboyant, up-tempo tracks that never follow. Yet the latest Connick offering is sure to vamp up your Valentine's Day, at least: chicks (at least this one) dig sultry-voiced saps setting the mood.
(02/11/04 9:51pm)
It's been a year since Harry Connick Jr. released Other Hours: Connick on Piano, Vol. 1 on the Marsalis Music label, and on his latest offering, Only You, the supper-club crooner sticks to what he does best: covering the great standards of bygone days without really offering any original material. It's not that Connick couldn't one day emerge as a creative songwriter; he just knows what he's good at, and that happens to be wrapping his rich contrabass around the good stuff Sinatra and Noble wrote decades ago. \nOnly You features ditties much along the lines of what Connick's done in his latest three albums, only this time they're somehow more fresh, more intricate. His lazy stroll through Ray Noble's "The Very Thought of You" particularly shines, featuring a dexterous string section and Connick's sustained, deliberate vocals. \n"Save the Last Dance for Me," the album's sixth track is all the better with Connick's lightly stylized vocals and the addition of strings and congo beats, which update the Doc Pomus standard. Connick appears to have a considerably free hand in arranging classic songs, and this is especially apparent on "For Once in My Life" and other tracks that feature extensive piano solos and breakaway sections featuring Connick's horn section.\nThe record tends toward the overly-sentimental at times, and the extravagantly-arranged "More" that opens the album perhaps sets the listener up for more flamboyant, up-tempo tracks that never follow. Yet the latest Connick offering is sure to vamp up your Valentine's Day, at least: chicks (at least this one) dig sultry-voiced saps setting the mood.
(02/11/04 8:57pm)
For a sleepy Midwestern town nestled deep in Indiana quarry country, Bloomington certainly stands out in more than just a few respects. It is politically liberal-minded, to be sure, drawing on a rich repository of University-educated intellectuals, corporate types and activists. It's tolerant: take a stroll through the Sample Gates and onto Kirkwood Ave. at any given hour and you're sure to see North Face-clad frat boys, Prada-carrying fashionistas, Little 500 cyclists swathed in spandex and dreadlocked skateboarders perfecting their skills at People's Park. \nSimilarly, the Bloomington vegan scene, notably more expansive than most any other Indiana town, proves a local interest in supplying grub to people of diverse taste -- rather than just the 'meat 'n potatoes' crowd. The vegan lifestyle specifically shuns dairy products such as milk and cheese in addition to all meat and fish. And to serve these tastes, Bloomington provides a handful of eateries specializing in vegan and vegetarian cuisine for the student population and community at large, including the Runcible Spoon, Cafe Django, Laughing Planet and Little Tibet, to name a few. \nA short trek down Kirkwood leads the conscientious diner to a few particular vegan and vegetarian options. Soma Coffee House and Laughing Planet, located at the corner of Kirkwood and Grant, offer everything from vegan maple syrup chocolate chip cookies (baked with whole wheat flour, egg replacer and grain sweetened vegan chocolate chips) to organic steamed vegetables and, of course, the Planet's famous burritos. \nBrad Hawley has worked at Laughing Planet for close to three years and thinks it's one of the healthiest options downtown.\n"We basically cater to all kinds of tastes," Hawley says. "Bodybuilders can come in here and add a lot of chicken to a burrito. Vegans can come in and ask for things without cheese."\nMost Planet grub can be made vegan by removing dairy products and chicken or meat and using such substitutes as soy and tofu, and a short trip down the brightly painted "Hall of Digestion" stairs to Soma allows vegan diners to cap off a hearty Planet meal with a shot of organic espresso or vegan bakery items. \nAnother recent addition to the cornucopia of vegan-friendly eateries is the Jungle Room. \nWhen co-owner Keenan Gill began conceptualizing the Jungle Room, the upstairs addition to Uncle Fester's, he included vegetarian and vegan-friendly options on the menu, since finding places where he (a self-proclaimed omnivore) and his wife Valerie (a vegetarian) could both enjoy several menu options. \n"We couldn't eat out and find foods we both enjoyed," Gill says. "We always felt as if the other person was sacrificing or compromising too much." \nSimilar to Laughing Planet, most vegetarian options on the Jungle Room menu can be made vegan by removing whatever dairy product the item contains and adding soy-based substitutes. \nDespite eateries' best efforts, however, monotony is likely to set in for strict vegans and vegetarians wanting to shake things up a bit. Finding diverse dining options catering to specific dietary needs is a problem for many off-campus vegans, but on-campus residents can retreat to the Collins Living and Learning Center, which has served vegan food since the 1970s under the direction of foods manager Jim Beeson. Last year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) ranked IU one of the 10 most vegetarian-friendly colleges in the U.S. It was based strictly on on-campus offerings, however. \nFor those vegans set adrift, Bloomingfoods offers options for vegan shoppers. Justin Lloyd works in the bakery at the E. Third Street location and says the demand is "very high" for vegan bakery options. \n"People tend to come in because there aren't very many other options in town," he says. \nThe Bloomingfoods deli offers more than a dozen vegetarian sandwiches, as well as vegan bread, tofu, assorted meat substitutes and tempeh. O'Malia's Fine Foods also maintains a stock of vegan-friendly options. \nBloomingfoods kitchen worker Chris Lombardi has been a vegan for more than eight years and made the switch to the strict lifestyle while in college. \n"Originally it was kind of a lifestyle thing," he says. "I thought I wasn't eating very well and was eating this normal diet of cheeseburgers and fries."\nHe started out as a vegetarian, but moved to strict veganism a mere month later. It was a radical change, but he says he's never looked back.\n"I started reading about factory farming and the industrialization of food and what we're doing to ourselves and our bodies, and I just decided to go vegan," he says. \nLombardi says the industrialization and subsequent pollution associated with typical omnivorous and even vegetarian diets were a major factor prompting him to consider veganism.\n"So many people can equate an animal dying with meat on their plate, but a lot don't seem to think there's anything wrong with milk," he says. "They think, 'Okay, by-products aren't direct,' so they don't care as much about that as what happened to said cow or said chicken. It's just something that worked for me -- I don't mind being a vegan." \nGill says his wife tried the vegan lifestyle for awhile but found it too demanding, especially when she was a college student. \n"There simply aren't enough hours in the day when you're a student to research and take the time to ensure you have the time to truly follow the vegan way," Gill says. "She just couldn't do it while she was a student."\nLombardi says he doesn't take supplements or amino acids like many vegans do to ensure they're getting the proper nutrients to stay healthy, but he'll pop the occasional vitamin C pill when he's feeling under the weather.\n"There are a lot of arguments you can make about supplements," he says. "One is that a lot of what we eat, whether omnivore or vegetarian, is processed. Milk has a lot of calcium not absorbable by the human body, for example. As long as you eat a variety of foods, and not peanut butter and jelly every single day, you'll be okay. Our bodies have the tendency to take care of themselves as long as you're aware of what you're eating."\nHe admits it's difficult when he returns to his hometown to maintain the vegan lifestyle. He simply plans ahead, stocking up on staples he'll need to eat well at home without disrupting his parents' diet. \n"I've gotta just take care of myself," he says. "My mom's not opposed to cooking anything vegan, but if she goes shopping, I have to go with her. She won't label-read like I do."\nLomardi frequents Fourth Street restaurants like Red Sea and Little Tibet, and claims the combination plate of greens, potatoes and cabbage is "amazing" at the former. \n"Any of the ethnic restaurants are fine for most part, but I'm definitely not hitting up Opie Taylor's or anything like that," he said. "Sure, their burgers are good and that's what they're known for, but that's just not where I am"
(02/11/04 8:56pm)
With Valentine's Day fast approaching, we at Weekend want to help make your V-Day as spicy, romantic and fun as possible. To do this, we asked reporter Holly Johnson to sit down with the sexually knowledgeable researchers at the Kinsey Institute's Sexual Information for Student Services, the most comprehensive source for sexual tidbits, suggestions and advice in the area. \nWhat follows is a provocative question and answer session where KISISS answers all our burning questions. \nWEEKEND: A romantic night in is a surefire (and cheap) way to impress a date on Valentine's Day; what do you suggest doing to set the mood (aside from the traditional candles and rose petals, of course)?\nKISISS: Often the most romantic thing you can do for a person is something that's very personal. Some people do like candles and rose petals, whereas others want more imagination, creativity or signs that their partner has done something specifically focused on making them happy. A person's ideal evening could be a marathon of "Friends" reruns, ordering a favorite dessert to go and eating it at home, taking a long walk, having a snowball fight, taking a bath together or cuddling in bed. Showing your partner that you've paid enough attention to know what they like can be incredibly sexy.\nWEEKEND: Tell us a little about aphrodisiacs. What foods are considered aphrodisiacs, and how does the biology behind that work?\nKISISS: The research just doesn't support the common "food myths" about aphrodisiacs. The brain is often described as our "biggest sex organ" because our thoughts and emotional reactions can affect how we feel sexually. So if eating a certain food makes you feel sexy, then go for it.\nWEEKEND: What are some creative and interesting ways to use food during sexual play?\nKISISS: If you're using condoms, be careful. We know that oil-based products can easily cause latex condoms to tear. As for other kinds of foods or food products, latex condoms aren't necessarily tested to be used with caramel or hot fudge, and protection of yourself and your partner should be key. You also want to be careful about using food products in the genital area, since men's and women's genital skin can be sensitive. You definitely don't want to spoil the romance of the day by developing a rash or an allergic reaction! \nSo the safest way to incorporate food into your sexual play is to use it on non-genital parts (e.g. belly button, chest, breasts), or to just have a really great meal before or after being sexual with each other. \nWEEKEND: What if you've only been dating for a short while? How can you feel out sexual boundaries, especially on a holiday like Valentine's Day when there's a lot of pressure?\nKISISS: There doesn't have to be a lot of pressure. Valentine's Day is, in the end, just another day. If you've been dating for a short while and you don't want to deal with the pressure of Valentine's Day, then hang out with your friends or your family. The process of feeling out sexual boundaries (your own and your partner's) shouldn't be any different just because it's Valentine's Day. Talk to each other about what you like and what you do (or don't) want to do with that person. Be careful with your use of drugs and alcohol, both of which can contribute to poor decisions surrounding sexuality.\nWEEKEND: How might a slightly timid person go about suggesting a new V-day (and X-rated) position to their partner? Which ones are sure to satisfy both partners?\nKISISS: If you're not comfortable talking about sexuality with your partner, I'd challenge you to consider whether you should be having sex with that person in the first place. After all, conversations about having an unplanned pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection are much more difficult and painful than conversations about sexual positions. \nEven so, in a culture that often leaves out healthy conversations about sexuality, even the most comfortable couples can find it difficult to talk about certain sexual topics. A lot of people are afraid that their partner will reject them or that they'll think poorly of them for expressing certain sexual interests.\nIf you want to suggest new aspects to your sexual life together, start the conversation when you're not in a sexual situation at the time, and when you're unlikely to have other distractions. Tell your partner what you already like about him or her (and your sexual experiences with them), and then talk about whatever it is you want to try and why you'd like that. \nThere are no positions that are sure to satisfy anyone -- either one partner or both. It's often a case of trying different positions to see what one or both partners like. Some positions allow women more control (woman on top) or for deeper thrusting (missionary). Keep in mind there's a full range of sexual expression such as oral sex, anal stimulation, genital touching, kissing, back massages, cuddling, sharing fantasies, looking at erotic images and masturbation. All of these are valid means of sexual expression. So rather than focusing on "positions," it's helpful to think of the infinite ways you can be sexual together.\nWEEKEND: Let's say you're in a committed relationship and looking to spice up your V-Day by using a new "toy." What's out there? \nKISISS: There's a wide range of sex toys and other products available for sale -- just to name a few, there are dildos, vibrators, anal beads, butt plugs, board games, blindfolds, flavored lubricants and so on. Even within these categories there is enormous variation. For example, there are vibrators of all shapes and sizes and targeted toward different kinds of stimulation (e.g. clitoral, vaginal, G-spot). \nSex toys can be used during sex with oneself (e.g. masturbation) or during sexual activity with a partner. \nWEEKEND: Which would you suggest for couples seeking to add a bit of spice to their normal routine and how would you recommend incorporating them into a healthy sex life?\nKISISS: There are no specific toys that we'd recommend for particular couples; people vary considerably on what they like about kissing, touching and frequency of sex -- so why would sex toys be any different? \nIf you're interested in using a sex toy with your partner, communication is key. Talk about what kinds of toys you're interested and how you'd like to use them. You might visit online stores together or visit local adult bookstores to browse their selection. It's important to talk ahead of time about toys or other enhancement items you want to include, rather than springing them unexpectedly on a partner. \nMore information on KISISS, check out the Web site at www.indiana.edu/~kisiss/.
(02/11/04 6:03am)
When sophomore Elliott Robinson moved into Eigenmann Hall last year, he was thrilled to find a campus convenience store located in his building's foyer. He was startled, however, when he perused the receipt from his first foray into C-store shopping. \nThat bag of beef jerky he'd been coveting? \nEight dollars.\nHad Robinson sauntered across the street to the Village Pantry at the corner of Tenth and Union streets, he would have found the same product for two dollars less. In fact, he likely would have found a number of products -- ranging from batteries to Pringles to maple syrup -- for at least a fraction less than the C-store. The only drawback is not being able to use his campus access card and meal plan to buy the goods.\nRobinson's concern is one widely shared by many undergraduates living in on-campus housing, and it's not a new issue. Debate over products sold at campus outlets is ongoing and has been for several years. Sandra Fowler is used to student dissent over seemingly sky-high prices in campus convenience stores.\nAs director of dining services for Residential Programs and Services, she's dealt with public concern over C-store prices, which at times is double those of local chains, such as the Village Pantry and Kroger, for years. She meets routinely with the campus Meal Plan Committee, consisting of the six presidents of IU residence centers, six dining administrators and one student at large -- a task she says she "truly enjoys." \nFowler said the reason University prices are often substantially higher than those of other convenience stores and chains like Wal-Mart and Kroger boils down to buying power: the University -- which caters to thousands of local consumers as opposed to the millions served by nationwide chains -- can't buy items in bulk to the same capacity as their "competitors."\n"When the VPs and the Wal-Marts buy products, they're buying for the entire Midwest region," Residence Halls Association Vice President of Student Affairs Jonathon Greene said. "Vendors charge a higher price because we're not buying in a volume comparable to that of Wal-Mart or Marsh."\nTo help students and parents grasp the cost breakdown of where each penny of their food dollars goes, RPS issued a brochure last year breaking the total cost into percentages on a "pie" chart.\nAccording to the brochure, 39 percent of total revenue goes toward purchasing food wholesale. Thirty-three percent covers labor costs, while 13 percent contributes to "administrative overhead." Repair and maintenance accounts for 6 percent of the total budget, and 5 percent is shelved away in a reserve fund for future repairs and renovations. The remaining 4 percent accounts for paper and cleaning supplies and miscellaneous needs. \n"We have to include in the cost of every item enough to cover all of these other costs," Fowler said. "Many retail establishments don't have to cover all these other costs. We're not for profit -- we're for break even."\nRPS currently operates on an approximately $20 million budget, the bulk of which is garnered specifically from the 9,000 to 10,000 students typically living in the dorms each year. \nGreene stressed that RPS is a non-profit organization, which means the budget must balance at the beginning and end of each fiscal year. Greene, who also chairs the RPS/RHA Meal Plan Committee, said while there may be ways to tweak the pricing structure, the resulting changes would likely cause just as many concerns as current meal plans. \n"There are two ways RPS makes money -- from students paying for their rooms and from the meal plans," Greene said. "There are a lot of costs behind the scenes that students don't realize."\nThose costs include paying janitorial staff, residential assistants, residence hall managers and C-store employees.\nFowler agreed.\n"The only money we have is what students pay to live here," she said.\nGreene said he understands the student position. He's had experience on the Meal Plan Committee since his freshman year, when he sat in as a proxy. As a sophomore, he served as president of Wright Quad and said roughly 10 percent of his residents complained about C-store prices.\n"They'd say RPS had freshmen living in the dorms as a captive audience and thus could charge outrageous prices," he said. "But after working with the Meal Plan Committee, I realized the prices are set by who we get the food from."\nRunning out of meal points is a problem students often encounter as a result of high prices. Sophomore Lizzie Oldberg lived in McNutt Center last year and said she ran out of meal points before the end of the spring semester, forcing her father to add points to her Campus Access card every few weeks.\n"I tried to eat well during my freshman year, but all of the healthy foods -- the vegetables, the fruit, the sandwiches -- were high-priced," Oldberg said. "Before the year was over, I was out of meal points. It's like you're sacrificing health for meal points."\nFowler claims RPS tries to keep "staple" items like milk and bread stabilized at comparatively lower costs than other C-store items. Because these are products many students buy on a regular basis, IU is able to buy them in bulk.\nGreene said the prices of many such staples aren't increased at all, but he could not speak as to which, saying he "didn't get to look at the price sheet too often."\nOldberg feels this wasn't true, however.\n"I feel like any food or drink students were eating every day were of a higher price than they should have been," she said.\nA cost comparison of IU to other Big Ten universities revealed that RPS prices are the third lowest in the system, however. Furthermore, the IU structure features food court-style dining in addition to the traditional option favored at most Big Ten institutions.\nIU made the move to expanded dining options in 1996, and convenience stores hit in 1999, making IU the only Big Ten university offering C-store plans. The new options allowed students to use meal points at places like McDonald's, Chester Fried Chicken and Sbarro.\nThe University maintains a contract with all franchises contained in residence hall food courts. McDonald's, for example, receives all funds garnered from meal point purchases and then pays a commission percentage of those proceeds back to RPS. Taco John's and Sbarro maintain a licensing agreement with RPS, which ends up being more profitable for the University on average. Under this agreement, RPS trains the franchises to operate according to RPS standards, and all money goes directly to RPS. The department then pays a commission to the franchise.\nFowler stressed that the meal plan prices themselves have not increased over the past five years. When IU operated a strictly traditional dining structure in which students had the option of eating a certain number of meals per week and any money left unused was discarded, meal participation by students was 55 percent. Approximately 99 percent of all meal points are spent with the current extended options plan, she said.\nHowever, "we'll be the first to acknowledge that many products are expensive" at C-stores, Fowler said.\n"We realize, frankly, that there are items in the C-stores that students could get cheaper elsewhere," she said. "Items that aren't marked up as much mean we could get a better cost on them, and that depends on the manufacturers."\nRobinson said he definitely would have considered living in the dorms another year if prices were lowered in C-stores and food courts. Robinson currently rents a house off-campus and buys most of his groceries at Kroger.\n"I liked dorm life, but in college, money is so important," Robinson said. "If you have no money, you have no weekend. I think they know that because we have meal plans, they can rip us off a little bit."\n-- Contact senior writer Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
(02/06/04 5:27am)
As litigation proliferates across the country concerning affirmative action in college admissions, University officials say IU will maintain its commitment to recruiting and retaining a diverse student body. \nIU Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services Don Hossler said while the Bloomington campus does not have a specific policy mandating affirmative action-based admissions, administrators and officials within the Office of Admissions feel much can be gained by attracting a diverse cross-section of students. \nIU filed an amicus brief in February 2003 supporting Grutter v. Bollinger, the Michigan case concerning affirmative action policy. In Grutter, U of M said it believes considerations of race in admissions foster a diverse campus. \nIU supported Regents of the University of California v. Bakke and Grutter because the University believes diversity in legal education is a vital component of comprehensive higher education. In a statement last year, then- Interim IU President Gerald Bepko spoke to that commitment.\n"Faculty at the IU School of Law have determined that a diverse student body in the school is an important part of the school's efforts to provide the highest quality education possible to all its students," Bepko said in a statement. \nHossler said that while a number of institutions of higher education filed similar briefs in the Supreme Court, he was unaware of any filed in support of the case's plaintiffs against the use of affirmative action policy. \n"I believe that society and institutions and students are served by having a wide range of folks from a wide variety of backgrounds, whether ethnically, socioeconomically or geographically," Hossler said. "We work hard at getting students from all over the country and world, and we're a richer place for having done that."\nThe 1964 Civil Rights Act stipulated the use of separate procedures pertaining to race were legally applicable in recruitment and admission of a diverse collegiate demographic. However, recent incidents at the University of Michigan, the University of Georgia and the University of Washington law schools have sparked scrutiny into the application of Title VI, as well as the contemporary role of a 1978 Supreme Court decision stating universities could consider race when screening applicants.\nUsing affirmative action policies becomes particularly sticky for more selective institutions, many of which draw on a relatively homogenous pool of students based on standardized testing and GPA considerations. Removing the element of race from admissions across the board may facilitate a "resegregation" of sorts in which students of relatively lower socioeconomic status are be forced into two-year or community colleges, Hossler said. \nIn Texas, mounting pressures surrounding a controversial initiative to admit all in-state students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their public high schools have led lawmakers to reconsider the measure. Since its inception in 1997, HB 588 has allowed state universities and flagship schools in the state to appease opponents of the state's previous affirmative action-based admissions policy overturned by the case Hopwood v. Texas. \nProponents of the Texas' plan cite racial and socioeconomic diversity in freshman classes as key advantages of HB 588. However, their adversaries -- namely parents of students falling just below the 10 percent line or alumni of Texas public colleges -- claim the "10 percent" admits are flooding Texas campuses and limiting opportunities for other, perhaps equally promising, students. \nA recent survey compiled by the Chronicle for Higher Education stated nearly 80 percent of outgoing high school seniors reported a major Texas flagship school, such as the Austin or College Station campuses, as their first choice. The study also claimed 88 percent of the top 10 percent graduates who preferred either Austin or College Station enrolled there. \nThough this data may point to the "flooding" impact of top-10 percent admissions policies, students ranging from the top 10 to 20 percent of their graduating classes also had good chances of admission on major Texas campuses. Nearly 75 percent of those students enrolled at their top-choice flagship campus.\nIU trustee Patrick Shoulders said he feels the Texas 10 percent plan will not be sufficient to ensure a diverse student body. Shoulders said IU's support of the Grutter case exemplifies the University's commitment to diversity. \n"I am proud that IU filed an amicus brief in support of the University of Michigan's position in the Supreme Court last year," Shoulders said. "I believe that action demonstrates the IU trustees' support for the proper consideration of race as one of many factors which should be considered in the admissions process."\nTrustee and Indiana attorney Stephen Backer agreed. \n"I'm not sure the Texas plan would work in Indiana," Backer said. "It wouldn't work as well as trying to come up with some method to ensure diversity. IU was one of the first universities to embrace international students, back when Herman B Wells was president. He was truly a pioneer in those days." \nHowever, Hossler said he believes considerable obstacles remain in leveling the playing field for students of under-represented sectors to gain admission to competitive universities. \n"I personally believe there are still inequalities in society that are not perfectly correlated with race," Hossler said. "There's still high correlation between parental education, family income and ethnicity. We haven't completely wiped that out yet."\n-- Contact senior writer Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
(01/30/04 6:04am)
After twenty years of active military duty, a seasoned Army veteran is giving up his decades-long tenure with the armed forces to enter public service. \nRepublican Dennis Hardy filed candidacy for Congress in Indiana's fourth district, which includes Monroe County, last Wednesday. Hardy, who most recently served in the Army Operations Center in the Pentagon, seeks to unseat incumbent Representative Steve Buyer. \nHardy has identified three key issues -- integrity, constituent services and homeland security -- around which he has centered his campaign. And for him, the fight is personal. Hardy claims Rep. Steve Buyer compromised both his personal integrity and a responsibility to Indiana voters by sending a letter to House speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, in March stating he had been called for active duty to serve in Iraq and requesting to be relieved of his congressional duties. \nIn a March 2003 press release, Laura Zuckerman, Buyer's communications director, stated Buyer had been "called to active duty in service of his country" and would act as an Operational Law Judge Advocate in the Iraqi theater. \nThat's a claim Hardy refutes vehemently. He maintains that no orders commanding Buyer, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, to serve were ever carried out and the ensuing investigation "sent shock waves" through the Pentagon. According to Joe Hanley, chief of public affairs for the Army Reserve, "there were never any orders out on Congressman Buyer."\nBuyer's actions prompted him to contest the incumbent's seat, Hardy said. \n"I perceived his actions as purely political; he's using this stunt to catapult his political career and run for a higher office," Hardy said. "I perceived his 'mobilization' as purely political."\nBuyer responded by denouncing Hardy's charges as "false" and "vicious." Lobbyist and Army veteran Paul C. Bergson, who worked with Buyer in the Reserves, sent an open letter to republican leaders deeming Hardy's charge as "one of the most ridiculous and mean-spirited allegations I have seen in my 37 years in the Army Reserve."\nBergson said there was no record of Buyer's call to active duty because he was never mobilized nor deployed. Furthermore, Bergson alleged Hardy violated the Privacy Act and other Department of Defense directives by searching soldiers' databases for "personal use."\nHardy, for his part, lets Bergson's allegations roll off. \n"He can't attack the message, so he's attacking the messenger as an alternative," Hardy said. "It's a question of integrity. Without integrity as a public servant, you stand for nothing. If people can't trust you, what good are you?"\nIf elected, he would move Buyer's district offices to more central locations. Specifically, he would open a large office in Tippecanoe County, the heart of the district's northern portion. He would also open headquarters in the central and southern regions, as well as several "temporary offices" in more rural reaches. The offices would be open later than usual business hours to accommodate constituents with 9 to 5 jobs. \n"I'm bringing government back to the people," he said. "We're going to work very hard to get people involved."\nHardy's seasoned military career led him to identify homeland security issues as another pillar of his campaign. Specifically, he believes the National Guard should be called to back up the border patrol and officers with the Immigration and Naturalization Service -- a measure he believes won't incur much additional expense. \nCampaign manager David Lohr said Hardy has been making numerous and varied appearances throughout the state since his campaign began in September.\n"We're looking at people who just aren't having a say in how they're represented, and that's why Denny's going out and getting his message heard," Lohr said. "He's at the Wingate Corn Festival. He's at the dinners and parades and festivals that could fit in one corner of a room."\nLohr said the Hardy team plans to utilize the grassroots to mobilize voter turnover. He realized early in the game that a congressional hopeful with no previous terms of service couldn't expect to match the incumbent with endorsements. That's why Hardy's going straight to the voters. \n"We have to match the incumbent just enough to be competitive, but the grassroots has to carry us over," Lohr said. \n- Contact senior writer Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
(01/29/04 5:42am)
A week after asking the Indiana Court of Appeals to review his lawsuit against the University, former IU Basketball Coach Bob Knight and his legal counsel are taking a closer look at their chances of overturning a judge's decision to dismiss the case. \nKnight's attorney, Russell Yates, said he will use the next 10 days to reconsider Knight's chances of winning the appeal. In October, Monroe County Circuit Judge Kenneth Todd dismissed the suit Knight levied in November 2002 against the University, which claimed IU violated the terms of his contract by not following proper firing procedures.\n"I feel the court was wrong, the contract was wrong and the way Coach was terminated was wrong," Yates said. "I think that because (then-University President Myles) Brand decided to have a press conference in front of 30 million people to say how bad Coach was, that triggered the for-cause provision to fire him."\nThere are two types of clauses in Knight's contract. The provision in question specifies a "for-cause firing," which required a formal hearing by the University before termination, a hearing Yates said Knight never received. His contract also included a "no-cause" clause. \nKnight has 30 days from the date of the appeal to file a brief to the state appellate court. Yates said the process could take up to two years from that point. \nIndianapolis attorney David Mattingly, who was hired in 2002 to represent IU's interests in the case, was traveling and could not be reached for comment at press time. However, Mattingly told the IDS in September that Knight's contract allowed IU to terminate him for any reason, provided the University continued paying his salary until the end of his contract. If Knight indeed had been fired "for cause," as Yates alleged, that payment would have immediately ceased and a hearing would have commenced. \nIU released a statement following Knight's Sept. 10, 2000, firing in which it claimed the University could fire Knight under paragraph nine of his contract. The excerpt specifies "if the University at any time desires, Coach shall cease to serve as head basketball coach when so advised in writing." A hearing would then purportedly be held to discuss the option to fire the coach. \nKnight's contract also specified that a quorum of members of the Board of Trustees could fire Knight through a majority vote. An alumni lawsuit filed in 2001 challenged several meetings held throughout September 2000 in which the trustees met with Brand to discuss possibly terminating Knight, claiming the meetings violated Indiana's Open Door Laws. \nIU released a statement in November 2002 shortly following Knight's initial filing stating its disagreement with Knight's allegations. \n"The University has fulfilled all of its obligations under the contract it had with Mr. Knight," the statement said. \nUniversity counsel Dorothy Frapwell said IU's position on the issue has not changed. \nYates also specifically targeted Knight's "poorly wrtten" contract, which he maintains is wrought with ambiguity. \nYates, a longtime personal friend of Knight, first approached the coach with an offer to lend legal assistance in 2000. At that time, Knight was under a "zero tolerance" policy by the University.\nYates said he hasn't talked with Knight recently concerning the developments of the case. Knight is currently consumed with the Texas Tech basketball season. \n"I am disappointed that Coach Knight's representation at that time would allow such a poorly drafted contract," he said. "Coach did what most people would do -- he relied on his lawyer to make sure the contract was drafted in such a way that he would be protected. Well, it wasn't."\nYates said while he hasn't made the final decision to move forward with the appeal, he probably will indeed follow through with his original intent. However, he acknowledged the difficulty inherent in such action.\n"It's very difficult to overturn a trial court's decision," Yates said. "We're taking a closer look"
(01/29/04 5:28am)
A bill requiring landlords to give tenants at least one day's notice before entering rental units cleared a legislative hurdle this week. Sponsored by State Rep. Matt Pierce D-Bloomington, the bill passed the Judiciary Committee with a vote of 10 to 3. \nAccording to the Pierce Tenant Privacy Act (HB 1096), a landlord may enter a unit without a day's notice only "in case of an emergency that threatens the safety of the occupants or the landlord's property." The landlord may enter only at "reasonable times" and has no other right of access unless as specified under court order or if the tenant has abandoned the unit. \nThe bill also states that tenants may not deny access to landlords if proper notice has been given. Landlords may inspect the unit, make repairs or improvements, supply similar agreed services and show the dwelling to prospective buyers, tenants or contractors. \n"Most people are surprised to learn current law allows landlords to enter a rental property as they please without notice," Pierce said. "We shouldn't make some people second-class citizens just because they pay rent each month instead of a mortgage." \nThe Tenant Privacy Act also expands the definition of "tenant" to include any former occupant of a dwelling unit. The bill was presented Jan. 15 and passed by the judiciary committee Monday. \nThis is not Pierce's first foray into landlord-tenant legislation. Pierce introduced a bill in the 2002 legislative session that, among other things, would have required landlords to create trust accounts to hold tenants' security deposits. \nSenior Mackenzie Robinson said she thinks the pending legislation would work to the benefit of student tenants. Robinson, who co-leases a five-bedroom house just off First Street, said her landlord often drops by unannounced.\n"They (the landlords) will drop by after 'trying to get ahold' of us to show the house to people," Robinson said. "Once I was getting out of the shower in my robe and there were four huge guys and my landlord standing there...They always say they try to get ahold of us, but it doesn't seem like they try very hard."\nRob Friedman, property manager for Bloomington-based Omega Properties, said his company always provides a 24-hour notice to residents before entering units.\nHe said the legislation may pose problems to property owners if the day-notice clause applies to maintenance issues as well.\n"When there are problems, we tend to get to them very quickly," Friedman said. "We want to make sure everyone's well taken care of, and if we can't get in, if there's a water leak or something, it could pose a very large problem."\nFriedman said Omega tenants tend to comply well when given 24-hour notice that management may be entering a unit. \nSenior Paul Le Vasseur believes the bill, if enacted, would serve to the advantage of both landlords and leasers. Le Vasseur has rented units owned by Deer Park Management and currently lives in the Omega Manor on Walnut Street. \n"I think it's an excellent idea," he said. "A tenant should be given fair warning if a landlord is going to be visiting their property."\nRobinson agrees with the tenant responsibilities as outlined by HB 1096 as well. \n"It's not really our place, so I don't see how we could deny access anyway," she said. "But I like the idea of them having to give us fair warning and not just saying, 'Oh, we tried to call."
(01/29/04 5:00am)
Aaron Zeis was perusing old 45s in Kingston, Jamaica, when he came across David Isaacs of the Grammy-nominated Jamaican band the Itals. Zeis, a Ft. Wayne native, had recently formed Bloomington-based One People Productions in response to a palpable need for live reggae shows in central Indiana and was intrigued by the "genuine kindness" of Isaacs and his bandmates. \nBut it wasn't his first chance encounter with Jamaican music legends and lore; on the same trip, he'd hung out in the island's premier studio, The Mixing Lab, listening to Culture lay down a few tracks. The Itals were different, however; in a "crazy place" like Kingston, where Zeis claims "everyone's pulling at you, trying to get something out of you," they seemed sincerely interested in Zeis and his work. \nA few years later, they hit Bloomington for the first time, headlining the Saturday night lineup at the Kneadmore Reggae Festival. Zeis spearheaded planning for the event, and found in the Itals the sort of nationally-renowned act he needed to bring the show together. \n"They were genuinely so interested and nice," Zeis recalled of his weekend with the band. "They were so thankful for everything we provided for them, for the food and everything, and they dealt with all kinds of weather. They were just happy to be there."\nRevered stateside and in their native Jamaica, the Itals will hit Uncle Fester's tonight as part of Zeis' Reggae Thursday series, which in recent months has featured such reggae greats as The Ark Band and Jah Kings. In Rastafarian patois, "ital" means natural, unprocessed and pure. It's also a way of life for the island trio, comprised of lead singer and original member Keith Porter, harmony vocalist David Isaacs and Porter's daughter, Suan. When they're not touring, they shore up in Jamaica's rural Westmoreland Parish, where they claim the living's easier and unaffected. \nPorter, speaking from his tour bus (which he often commandeers himself) en route to a show in St. Louis, says he's ready to hit Bloomington again. \n"I liked the vibe I saw there; it's a positive thing," he says. "We had a great time (at Kneadmore) and I'm looking forward to my next time here... I've been through Bloomington several times and that makes it even more interesting -- you meet people and want to go back."\nThe original band, spawned in 1976 when Porter teamed up with Ronnie Davis to re-voice Davis hit single "Won't You Come Home" (later re-released as "Ina Disa Time"), first achieved critical success with a series of recordings for the SpiderMan label. Joined by harmony singer Lloyd Ricketts, the group completed several 45 releases in both New York and Jamaica and were finalists in the 1981 and 1982 Jamaica Festival Song Competition. \nIn 1981, the band began collaborating with Nighthawk Records. A year later, the label released its first Itals recording, "Brutal Out Deh," hailed as a "stunner" by New York Times music critic Robert Palmer. In 1983, the group began its first U.S. and Canadian tour, backed by jam band The Vitals.\n"They're really known for their intricate vocal harmonies," Zeis said. \nPersonnel changes have wracked the group, but the transitions haven't hurt the Itals' balance. Ricketts was sent to prison shortly after the release of "Rasta Philosophy" in 1987 and was replaced by Isaacs, and Davis left to pursue solo interests. \n"Time changes everything, you know," Porter says. "As people change, so times change, and people move on. I'm the original creator, and I'll never lose it; the foundation is always there and never goes away. The message and the movement is as important to the people as ever, and so is the positive direction that it's going."\nThat's why Porter and crew consistently create music people can relate to. \n"People get the positive vibes, and they want music that makes sense," he says. "Music is like a tree of life to a lot of people."\nTheir current tour is part of an effort to both revive American interest in the one-time Grammy nominees, as well tap into the Midwest market. \n"They were very big back in the day, and it's sort of been up and down since the '80s," Zeis says. "They're trying to play a lot more shows and build things up, especially here in the Midwest."\nThey're heading "all over" in a concerted effort to "let people get the vibes," Porter says. He claims he doesn't have a favorite place to play, though Jamaica will always be home. \n"I've been a lot of different places, and I'm really a world citizen," he says. "Music comes from all different corners, and I am sent to deliver our message. My philosophy is truth and rights, and that always stands. The only way to get the message across is to deliver it to all corners"
(01/28/04 11:35pm)
Aaron Zeis was perusing old 45s in Kingston, Jamaica, when he came across David Isaacs of the Grammy-nominated Jamaican band the Itals. Zeis, a Ft. Wayne native, had recently formed Bloomington-based One People Productions in response to a palpable need for live reggae shows in central Indiana and was intrigued by the "genuine kindness" of Isaacs and his bandmates. \nBut it wasn't his first chance encounter with Jamaican music legends and lore; on the same trip, he'd hung out in the island's premier studio, The Mixing Lab, listening to Culture lay down a few tracks. The Itals were different, however; in a "crazy place" like Kingston, where Zeis claims "everyone's pulling at you, trying to get something out of you," they seemed sincerely interested in Zeis and his work. \nA few years later, they hit Bloomington for the first time, headlining the Saturday night lineup at the Kneadmore Reggae Festival. Zeis spearheaded planning for the event, and found in the Itals the sort of nationally-renowned act he needed to bring the show together. \n"They were genuinely so interested and nice," Zeis recalled of his weekend with the band. "They were so thankful for everything we provided for them, for the food and everything, and they dealt with all kinds of weather. They were just happy to be there."\nRevered stateside and in their native Jamaica, the Itals will hit Uncle Fester's tonight as part of Zeis' Reggae Thursday series, which in recent months has featured such reggae greats as The Ark Band and Jah Kings. In Rastafarian patois, "ital" means natural, unprocessed and pure. It's also a way of life for the island trio, comprised of lead singer and original member Keith Porter, harmony vocalist David Isaacs and Porter's daughter, Suan. When they're not touring, they shore up in Jamaica's rural Westmoreland Parish, where they claim the living's easier and unaffected. \nPorter, speaking from his tour bus (which he often commandeers himself) en route to a show in St. Louis, says he's ready to hit Bloomington again. \n"I liked the vibe I saw there; it's a positive thing," he says. "We had a great time (at Kneadmore) and I'm looking forward to my next time here... I've been through Bloomington several times and that makes it even more interesting -- you meet people and want to go back."\nThe original band, spawned in 1976 when Porter teamed up with Ronnie Davis to re-voice Davis hit single "Won't You Come Home" (later re-released as "Ina Disa Time"), first achieved critical success with a series of recordings for the SpiderMan label. Joined by harmony singer Lloyd Ricketts, the group completed several 45 releases in both New York and Jamaica and were finalists in the 1981 and 1982 Jamaica Festival Song Competition. \nIn 1981, the band began collaborating with Nighthawk Records. A year later, the label released its first Itals recording, "Brutal Out Deh," hailed as a "stunner" by New York Times music critic Robert Palmer. In 1983, the group began its first U.S. and Canadian tour, backed by jam band The Vitals.\n"They're really known for their intricate vocal harmonies," Zeis said. \nPersonnel changes have wracked the group, but the transitions haven't hurt the Itals' balance. Ricketts was sent to prison shortly after the release of "Rasta Philosophy" in 1987 and was replaced by Isaacs, and Davis left to pursue solo interests. \n"Time changes everything, you know," Porter says. "As people change, so times change, and people move on. I'm the original creator, and I'll never lose it; the foundation is always there and never goes away. The message and the movement is as important to the people as ever, and so is the positive direction that it's going."\nThat's why Porter and crew consistently create music people can relate to. \n"People get the positive vibes, and they want music that makes sense," he says. "Music is like a tree of life to a lot of people."\nTheir current tour is part of an effort to both revive American interest in the one-time Grammy nominees, as well tap into the Midwest market. \n"They were very big back in the day, and it's sort of been up and down since the '80s," Zeis says. "They're trying to play a lot more shows and build things up, especially here in the Midwest."\nThey're heading "all over" in a concerted effort to "let people get the vibes," Porter says. He claims he doesn't have a favorite place to play, though Jamaica will always be home. \n"I've been a lot of different places, and I'm really a world citizen," he says. "Music comes from all different corners, and I am sent to deliver our message. My philosophy is truth and rights, and that always stands. The only way to get the message across is to deliver it to all corners"
(01/23/04 6:04am)
Citing a possible conflict of interest, Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter on Saturday announced the need for a split between Conner Prairie and Earlham College.\nEarlham currently manages the public charitable trust for the living history museum, which was founded in 1964 and opened ten years later in Fishers, Ind. Founded by renowned philanthropist Eli Lilly, its current operating budget is $9.6 million. Earlham oversees a trust which has grown to $150 million and has historically distributed interest earned equally between the college and Conner Prairie. \nThe attorney general's office began investigating how the college handles the trust last June. The museum's management fell under scrutiny after Earlham's President Douglas C. Bennett fired 28 board members, citing rising budget deficits. Among those fired were museum president John A. Herbst and Board Chairman Berkley W. Duck. Twenty-three of the fired board members formed the non-profit organization "Save the Prairie," which is aimed at regaining control of the museum. \nIn a petition filed in the Hamilton County Superior Court, Carter asked to "direct the trustee of a trust for a benevolent purpose to file a verified written statement of accounts." Indiana state law prior to the year 2000 required trustees of charitable trusts of any size to file certification of accounting or fiscal records. According to Carter's petition, Earlham has never filed a verified written statement of accounts as a beneficiary of the Connor Prairie trust. \nCarter has also proposed the creation of the Conner Prairie Management Corp., which would oversee the general operation and property ownership of the museum as well as management of funds. \nBennett was traveling yesterday and could not be reached for direct comment, according to Earlham Public Information Director Richard Holden. In a statement offered on his behalf by the Indianapolis-based public relations firm Sease Gerig, Bennett maintained the University has "faithfully and honorably" fulfilled the trust set forth by Eli Lilly and has responded to the attorney general's requests for information.\n"We cooperated fully with the attorney general, responding to dozens of requests that were posed to us over the course of the fall, some of them concerning financial transactions more than 30 years old," Bennett said in the statement. "We provided thousands of pages of information, including audited financial statements. We believe we have fully complied with the law and will continue to be guided by Mr. Lilly's expressed intentions."\nA deed of gift delineating the terms under which Earlham was to administer 40,000 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock was signed by Lilly on Jan. 24, 1969, according to Carter's petition. It established the museum as a public charitable trust and specifically noted that the principal amount could be used for capital improvements on facilities. The remaining funds and income were to be set aside to create an endowment fund managed by the board of trustees. \nLilly went on to donate additional shares in 1973 and provided for 10 percent of his estate's value to be donated to the college upon his death in 1977. \nFormer Earlham president Landrum Bolling, who helped negotiate the transfer of land and trust from 1958 to 1973, refused comment to the Indiana Daily Student. However, Bolling was quoted in the Jan. 19 Indianapolis Star as saying he feels the change "has been needed for a long time."\nYet in a letter obtained by the IDS and published in the Star after Monday's story, Bolling said he did not "and could never see this dispute as a conflict of interest between Earlham College and the Conner Prairie Museum."\nBolling went on to say since the museum was the creation of Earlham College, Conner Prairie should not be independent. \nRegarding his attendance at Carter's Sunday press conference, Bolling said he merely appreciated the manner in which the attorney general handled the dispute and his interest in a resolution that would best suit both parties. \nEarlham's ownership and trusteeship has been more openly challenged recently because the advisory committee created by the college to oversee the trust transformed into a board of directors in 1992, Bolling said. \n"That challenge makes it clear that there is a problem of governance that needs to be resolved," Bolling said. "I said in the press conference that there has to be a change in the unwieldy system of governance that has failed to work. The need for change is what we all agree on."\n-- Contact senior writer Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
(01/22/04 5:00am)
Six years ago, Josh Thurston was a 21-year-old repo man working for American Rental in rural Washington, Ind. His father, an employee at the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center near Bloomington, was a seasoned rock climber with nowhere nearby to hone his skills scaling rocks. \nHis vision? To open an indoor gym where climbers of all ages and abilities could receive instruction, feedback and time on walls of varying difficulty. He found his go-to guy in Josh, who moved to Bloomington the day before construction commenced on the facility at 5100 S. Rogers St. For four months, Josh lived out of a suitcase at an extended-stay hotel while his father commuted from Washington to oversee the process. In May 1998, one month after the junior Thurston had competed in his first bouldering competition, the indoor rock-climbing gym, Hoosier Heights, officially opened to the public.\nThe first year was tough, Thurston says, and the second summer was the "worst ever," as the mass exodus of IU students returning home for the break virtually drained Bloomington. He worked seven days a week for 10 to 12 hours at a time, and though summer camps and year-long memberships offered some sort of guaranteed cash flow, the going was tough for the first few seasons. \nYet word of mouth travels quickly, and soon Hoosier Heights was offering discounts to college groups, fraternities and sororities and youth groups in the Bloomington area. Thurston himself teaches R100 in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, and IU Outdoor Adventures tends to direct business his way in preparation for annual trips to Red River Gorge in Kentucky. \nIndeed, the facility bustles, especially during the winter months, when inclimate weather forces many climbers and athletes away from outdoor sports. And while "insurance is indeed an issue," as general manager Dave Adkins attests, all climbers must sign a waiver and those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.\nOn this particular day, however, the climbers range from very small (imagine four-year-old tykes toddling precariously across the foam-covered flooring, running promptly into the grip-covered walls and begging parents to belay them up one more time) to college-age (scores of Indiana T-shirts, Hoosier basketball sweatpants and the occasional Greek letter), as well as seasoned older climbers, their weathered faces and custom climbing shoes indicative of their passion for the sport.\nFor Belinda Meyers, this is only her second foray into indoor climbing. The dark-haired IU junior participated in IUOA's trip to Red River Gorge last year, somehow overcoming a self-professed fear of heights and "constant fear of dying" to scale the rocks in the Kentucky backcountry. She was lured to Hoosier Heights by her boyfriend, himself an experienced climber both indoors and out.\n"Once you realize you're fine, you're not scared," she says. "(My boyfriend) loves it, so me and my roommate thought we'd try it, too."\nShe's been twice in the last week, acknowledging that it's definitely a different sort of workout -- "you use muscles you didn't know you had," she says.\nThurston concedes. Climbing burns approximately 600 calories per hour, more than biking, stair climbing, or swimming, and it "barely feels like a workout" at the time, he says.\n"If I really wanted to market this place, all I'd need to do is say what a great workout it is," he says. "You don't have to think or focus on what muscle you're working like you would in the weight room. With climbing, you have no choice when you're on the wall. You're using everything and using energy, but it doesn't feel like it."\nThe logistics of climbing are relatively easy, even to this newcomer. First-time visitors must go through the facility's introductory climbing module, which familiarizes them with all equipment and gear and teaches fundamentals of top rope climbing, a method in which the climber is clipped to a rope held by a belayer (partner) by a locking carabiner and belay device attached to the climber's harness. The belayer controls the top rope for the climber, thus ensuring the climber's safety should he lose footing or grip on the wall. \nThe harnesses climbers wear meet all standard certifications for climbing accessories, and Thurston says the belay loop alone, which attaches the climber to the top rope, can hold 9,000 pounds. The human body alone can only withstand 2,300 pounds, thus attesting to the precise engineering of the product. \nLead rope climbers are usually the more experienced lot and are able to climb without a partner. In lead rope climbing, individuals trail the lead rope as they ascend the wall, clipping quick draws to certain checkpoints along the wall. If the climber fell, he would only descend past his last piece of protection.\nThurston says he never considered running his own business, but considered the venture a "great opportunity that I basically had handed to me, so I ran with it." In fact, he met his wife, general manager Adkins's first cousin, at the facility. She came in with Adkins when the business was still in its infancy -- "we literally had a cigar box as the register," Thurston says -- and Thurston erroneously believed the pair to be a couple. Within two years, however, he married Erin, and the two continue to coddle their mutual passion for climbing. \nEighteen thousand customers later, Hoosier Heights is still growing. A second gym is currently in the works at the Old Woolery Mill off Tapp Road in Bloomington, and the one-on-one instruction offered by Thurston and his team keeps climbers coming back. \n"Everyone here has the same relationship with one another," Thurston says, his fellow climbers and employees nodding in agreement. "We all cut jokes... it doesn't feel like a weight room, where you're intimidated by the mirrors and the big guy lifting the barbell behind you."\nHoosier Heights features climbing walls in excess of 30 feet tall, and seven lead climbing walls that overhang at 10, 20, 29, 33 and 38 degrees. A rappelling platform and leadable ceilings allow experienced climbers to polish technique. First time climbers must pay a $20 fee, which includes gear and climbing class, and day passes range from $11 to $17. Membership packages and monthly passes are also available at a discounted rate. IU students can obtain a semester membership for $110, which essentially pays for itself in eight visits.
(01/22/04 4:48am)
As major universities nationwide debate the validity of legacy admissions, IU's policy of merit-based admission will remain intact. \nThe University currently operates on a system in which out-of-state applicants must meet slightly higher requirements than their in-state counterparts. Whether an applicant has blood ties to IU alums does not ultimately affect the Office of Admissions' decision. \n"We encourage and welcome students to apply for admission who have family ties, but those students still need to meet the same admissions standards as all other applicants," Associate Director of Admissions Terry Knaus said. "No real preference is given."\nHowever, Knaus said IU's admissions policy allows out-of-state students with a parent who is an IU alum to meet the same standards as an Indiana resident. Currently, out-of-state students must complete a minimum of 32 semesters of college prep courses, including courses deemed "Basic Academic Preparation" by the Office of Admissions. Those students must also complete 12 semesters in a combination of foreign language and math, lab science or social science classes, according to the Office of Admissions Web site. \nIndiana residents must complete the state's Core 40 preparatory program, as well as a minimum of 28 semesters of college prep courses and a minimum of 8 semesters in Basic Academic Preparation. \nIU admissions policies are generally decided by University administrators in collaboration with the Board of Trustees. Knaus said the Office of Admissions could not project whether IU would one day incorporate legacy admissions.\nNationally, the issue of legacy admissions reached a pinnacle of sorts earlier this month when Texas A&M University at College Station decided to no longer extend special preference to applicants with alumni ties. According to a Jan. 4 article in the Houston Chronicle, legacy admissions account for the admission of more than 300 white students annually, approximately equal to the number of blacks admitted each year. \nTexas A&M President Robert M. Gates said in a written statement that after consulting with the Texas A&M Board of Regents, the University would, "effective immediately ... no longer award points for legacy in the admissions review process."\n"Public perceptions of the fairness and equity of our process clearly are important and require prompt action to deal with an obvious inconsistency in an admissions strategy based on individual merit," Gates went on to say. \nIn Washington, Sen. Edward Kennedy D-Mass. filed a bill calling for universities to disclose the ethnic and economic status of incoming students with alumni family ties, arguing that legacy admissions often tilt the balance in favor of affluent white students. \nIU trustee Pat Shoulders said the issue of legacy-based admissions has not come before the Board of Trustees since he became a member in January of 2002. He is unaware of any official IU policy advocating legacy admissions. \n"It seems to me that since we accept any Indiana student who graduates in the top 50 percent of that student's high school class, we do not need to weigh 'legacy,' also," Shoulders said. "Our mission as a state school is to provide, first and foremost, a quality education for the sons and daughters of all Indiana residents whose children have proven in high school that they can succeed at the college level, and not to prefer or give special consideration to those whose high school career calls into question their chances for success -- despite the fact that their parents might have gone to IU."\n-- Contact senior writer Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
(01/21/04 10:52pm)
Six years ago, Josh Thurston was a 21-year-old repo man working for American Rental in rural Washington, Ind. His father, an employee at the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center near Bloomington, was a seasoned rock climber with nowhere nearby to hone his skills scaling rocks. \nHis vision? To open an indoor gym where climbers of all ages and abilities could receive instruction, feedback and time on walls of varying difficulty. He found his go-to guy in Josh, who moved to Bloomington the day before construction commenced on the facility at 5100 S. Rogers St. For four months, Josh lived out of a suitcase at an extended-stay hotel while his father commuted from Washington to oversee the process. In May 1998, one month after the junior Thurston had competed in his first bouldering competition, the indoor rock-climbing gym, Hoosier Heights, officially opened to the public.\nThe first year was tough, Thurston says, and the second summer was the "worst ever," as the mass exodus of IU students returning home for the break virtually drained Bloomington. He worked seven days a week for 10 to 12 hours at a time, and though summer camps and year-long memberships offered some sort of guaranteed cash flow, the going was tough for the first few seasons. \nYet word of mouth travels quickly, and soon Hoosier Heights was offering discounts to college groups, fraternities and sororities and youth groups in the Bloomington area. Thurston himself teaches R100 in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, and IU Outdoor Adventures tends to direct business his way in preparation for annual trips to Red River Gorge in Kentucky. \nIndeed, the facility bustles, especially during the winter months, when inclimate weather forces many climbers and athletes away from outdoor sports. And while "insurance is indeed an issue," as general manager Dave Adkins attests, all climbers must sign a waiver and those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.\nOn this particular day, however, the climbers range from very small (imagine four-year-old tykes toddling precariously across the foam-covered flooring, running promptly into the grip-covered walls and begging parents to belay them up one more time) to college-age (scores of Indiana T-shirts, Hoosier basketball sweatpants and the occasional Greek letter), as well as seasoned older climbers, their weathered faces and custom climbing shoes indicative of their passion for the sport.\nFor Belinda Meyers, this is only her second foray into indoor climbing. The dark-haired IU junior participated in IUOA's trip to Red River Gorge last year, somehow overcoming a self-professed fear of heights and "constant fear of dying" to scale the rocks in the Kentucky backcountry. She was lured to Hoosier Heights by her boyfriend, himself an experienced climber both indoors and out.\n"Once you realize you're fine, you're not scared," she says. "(My boyfriend) loves it, so me and my roommate thought we'd try it, too."\nShe's been twice in the last week, acknowledging that it's definitely a different sort of workout -- "you use muscles you didn't know you had," she says.\nThurston concedes. Climbing burns approximately 600 calories per hour, more than biking, stair climbing, or swimming, and it "barely feels like a workout" at the time, he says.\n"If I really wanted to market this place, all I'd need to do is say what a great workout it is," he says. "You don't have to think or focus on what muscle you're working like you would in the weight room. With climbing, you have no choice when you're on the wall. You're using everything and using energy, but it doesn't feel like it."\nThe logistics of climbing are relatively easy, even to this newcomer. First-time visitors must go through the facility's introductory climbing module, which familiarizes them with all equipment and gear and teaches fundamentals of top rope climbing, a method in which the climber is clipped to a rope held by a belayer (partner) by a locking carabiner and belay device attached to the climber's harness. The belayer controls the top rope for the climber, thus ensuring the climber's safety should he lose footing or grip on the wall. \nThe harnesses climbers wear meet all standard certifications for climbing accessories, and Thurston says the belay loop alone, which attaches the climber to the top rope, can hold 9,000 pounds. The human body alone can only withstand 2,300 pounds, thus attesting to the precise engineering of the product. \nLead rope climbers are usually the more experienced lot and are able to climb without a partner. In lead rope climbing, individuals trail the lead rope as they ascend the wall, clipping quick draws to certain checkpoints along the wall. If the climber fell, he would only descend past his last piece of protection.\nThurston says he never considered running his own business, but considered the venture a "great opportunity that I basically had handed to me, so I ran with it." In fact, he met his wife, general manager Adkins's first cousin, at the facility. She came in with Adkins when the business was still in its infancy -- "we literally had a cigar box as the register," Thurston says -- and Thurston erroneously believed the pair to be a couple. Within two years, however, he married Erin, and the two continue to coddle their mutual passion for climbing. \nEighteen thousand customers later, Hoosier Heights is still growing. A second gym is currently in the works at the Old Woolery Mill off Tapp Road in Bloomington, and the one-on-one instruction offered by Thurston and his team keeps climbers coming back. \n"Everyone here has the same relationship with one another," Thurston says, his fellow climbers and employees nodding in agreement. "We all cut jokes... it doesn't feel like a weight room, where you're intimidated by the mirrors and the big guy lifting the barbell behind you."\nHoosier Heights features climbing walls in excess of 30 feet tall, and seven lead climbing walls that overhang at 10, 20, 29, 33 and 38 degrees. A rappelling platform and leadable ceilings allow experienced climbers to polish technique. First time climbers must pay a $20 fee, which includes gear and climbing class, and day passes range from $11 to $17. Membership packages and monthly passes are also available at a discounted rate. IU students can obtain a semester membership for $110, which essentially pays for itself in eight visits.
(01/20/04 5:18am)
The anticipation was breathtaking at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Monday night, as a packed hall rustled, whispered and shook with song in preparation for a keynote address not soon to be forgotten. Children from University Elementary School lined the walls, members of the IU African American Choral Ensemble filled the space backstage and an audience exemplifying Bloomington's racial and cultural diversity jammed into whatever vacant house seats it could find. \nAmong the others sitting in the theater, Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan was there. IU president Adam Herbert sat with his wife, Karen, on stage right. Ivy Tech Chancellor John Whikehart offered opening remarks. Members of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners dotted the Buskirk's front rows. \nThe keynote speaker they were waiting for was Dr. Michael V.W. Gordon, a septuagenarian whose return to "sweet Bloomington" two years after his retirement from the IU School of Music faculty and as Dean of Students was heralded by a standing-room only crowd hanging on his every word -- spoken or sung. His remarks formed the crux of the community's capstone celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and legacy, following a day of service in the greater Bloomington area. \nHe spoke of themes common to every man, regardless of color, race or gender, and expounded upon the dual fates of "two little black boys" born in 1920s America, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X. \nThough each sprung from decidedly different origins -- Martin to a upper-middle class family of relative privilege, with formal education at several prestigious institutions and schools of divinity, and Malcolm to a Nebraskan family entangled in domestic violence and wrought with the wrath of the Ku Klux Klan -- the pair nevertheless found a common ground in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. \nKing, born Michael, and the son of a Georgia Baptist minister, adopted the name the world would come to know after reading treatises authored by Martin Luther, who spearheaded the Reformation of the Catholic Church. Malcolm, influenced largely by his experiences with the Nation of Islam in Detroit, similarly adopted the moniker 'X', abandoning his last name of Little. \nBoth were icons of contemporary African-American culture, Gordon asserted. Martin became a "pivotal figure in the civil rights movement" and was arrested 30 times for his involvement in civil rights activism. Malcolm X, though initially opposed to the idea whites could possess any sort of moral conscious and who once believed only revolution could lead to the correct placement of blacks in society, eventually recognized civil rights as synonymous with human rights. \n"Because I grew up in the segregated South...I, like so many, admired both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King for the way the preached," Gordon said. "Both promoted self-knowledge and responsibility for cultural history as the basis for unity."\nGordon, Professor Emeritus of the School of Music, retired after serving IU for 26 years. He received a B.S. from Virginia State University, a Master of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and obtained Masters and Doctorate of Education from the Columbia University Graduate School of Education, Teachers College. He served IU as both professor and administrator, as Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students from 1981 to 1991. \nHe established such programs as the IU chapters of Boost Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students and Students Against Drunk Driving, the Alcohol-Drug Information Center, the Foster International Living-Learning Center and the Student Advocates Office. He was honored with the Herman Wells Image Award in 2000. \nElizabeth Mitchell, a member of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission who helped plan the event, said she hopes members of the community will respond to yesterday's festivities -- as well as the very man who inspired them -- because of the lessons King's example held up to American society.\n"If people don't care about Dr. King, they should, because of the person he is," Mitchell said. "He made changes -- he showed Americans that what they were doing was wrong and that they could not continue down that same path...He shows us that it only takes one person to get the ball rolling."\nDarrell Ann Stone of the IU Student Activities Office echoed Mitchell's sentiments. \n"We visit the portals of the past over, and over to feel inspirational words (to) feed out heart and soul," Stone said. "On this day, we are not silent. We are alive with sound, and centered on all that matters."\n-- Contact senior writer Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
