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(01/20/04 4:45am)
According to a survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, the number of college students who illegally swap files on the Web has dropped by more than half during the past year, and IU statistics obtained from University Information Technology Services seem to be consistent with this trend. \nMerri Beth Lavagnino, deputy IT policy officer for UITS, said IU received 263 copyright infringement notices during the months of August through September 2003, down from 435 during the 2002 fall semester.\nUITS keeps notices it receives from copyright holders concerning alleged infringements and tracks the records of what actions were taken in response to each notice. However, discrepancies may exist if copyright holders are sending fewer notices than last year; thus, a direct causal relationship between legislation levied by such groups as the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America cannot be formed in certainty.\n"We are only counting the number of notices we received from copyright holders," Lavagnino said. "Thus, our figures reflect the effort the copyright holders are taking to identify and then send notices. The numbers are down from last year. Whether that means there is less file sharing or that the copyright holders are just sending fewer notices, I can't say."\nAn earlier Pew study relating to such findings was released in spring 2003, shortly after the recording industry announced it would take legal action against illegal file sharers. A fifth of the 1,358 Internet users sampled in this fall's survey, the results of which were released earlier this month, say they download and swap files less frequently because of such law suits. \nLee Rainie, the Pew project's director, said the survey was spawned in reaction to the interest in how the recording industry's suits were affecting downloading practices. He claims the decrease in illegal downloading is unprecedented.\n"We have never seen an activity drop off like this," Rainie told The Chronicle of Higher Education earlier this month. \nThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that fast-track subpoena provisions of 1998's Digital Millennium Copyright Act did not apply in instances where the copyrighted material is stored on computers beyond the grasp of an Internet service provider. This dealt a potentially crippling blow to communications giants and recording corporations seeking to stem the number of illegal downloaders. \nRecording industry groups had previously relied on premises of the DMCA to gain fast access to the specific names of thousands of suspected illegal file sharers in American universities. Without the fast-track provision, such groups would have to utilize only Internet addresses of users' computers. \nSchool of Journalism professor Amy Reynolds said she believes many students blur the distinction between what is legal and what their personal perceptions are concerning copyright law. \n"It seems like a simple issue, but in actuality it's a very complicated one," Reynolds said. "Because of the structure within the recording industry, it's often unclear if a label such as Sony agrees with the stance of a particular artist in regard to file sharing."\nReynolds said the complicated licensing structure involved in music and video copyrighting may often mislead students. \n"A lot of the reason students don't understand copyright involves the context of this legislation," she said. "It's looking at why we value copyright and the protection of creative property."\nSome universities, most notably Pennsylvania, have begun offering filesharing applications like Napster to its students, subsidized by a blanket technology fee. The Penn State action to subsidize Napster essentially works as a mechanism to prevent students from downloading music for which they have not paid. \nReynolds hesitates to speculate as to whether IU could ever move toward such a service. \n"File sharing isn't illegal when it's done in the appropriate way," she said. "People have just gotten used to doing it for free."\nLavagnino said students should note IU is not targeting them rather, University Technological Services processes notices sent by copyright holders as defined by the DMCA. \nIndividuals who receive infringement notices are directed to follow specific University procedures and must take an online tutorial and quiz. Dean of Students Richard McKaig told the IDS last March IU will "aggressively punish" students who continue to illegally use peer-to-peer programs.
(01/20/04 4:15am)
For 21 years, IU students have been getting it every night. Or at least that's what local fast-food bastion Pizza Express would say, more than 4 million pizzas after Jeff Mease and Jeff Hamlin first opened their doors to the Bloomington community. \nAnd now the Bloomington pizza staple has hit Indianapolis. Located at 923 Indiana Ave., just minutes from the IUPUI campus, the state capital's first Pizza Express promises consistency in flavor, price and brand, said Gabe Connell, co-owner of the Indianapolis location. \nThe original Pizza Express opened in 1982 and offered from its outset such favorites as the Big Ten Special and the Volume Deal, promising to feed hungry college kids on the cheap. \nChief operating officer Hamlin, also a former manager of Nick's English Hut, started the chain with then-IU student Mease, who later served as a part-time delivery driver for the franchise, according to a 1987 IDS article. \nConnell and partners Adam Mears and Jim Siegel, both IU-Bloomington alums, approached One World Enterprise, owner of Pizza Express, as well as several other Bloomington eateries, with the proposal to open an Indianapolis location last year. \n"We went to Jeff Mease and Jeff Hamlin and told them that we loved Pizza Express and the brand and wanted to bring it to Indianapolis," Connell said. "From there, we worked together on growing the Pizza Express brand and opening the first location."\nThe trio encountered very few speed bumps along the way, Connell said.\n"A lot of it was based on gut feelings," he said. "We knew that we were huge fans, and we knew a lot of fans and fellow alumni in the Indy (area) are huge fans of Pizza Express. It's strange to have a pizza shop have such a loyal following, and we felt it was a natural progression to bring it to Indy with so many Bloomington connections here."\nThe Bloomington Pizza Express sells between 6,000 and 6,500 pizzas per month, said Hamlin. The Indianapolis proprietors are determined to replicate its success. Business has been "extremely good" since the Jan. 9 opening, said Mitch Payne, general manager of the Indianapolis store.\n"We've done very limited marketing, pretty much word-of-mouth stuff," Payne said. "There's definitely been a lot of IUPUI students in and ordering."\nThough the store had a soft opening earlier this month, Connell said marketing will be stepped up in the coming months. The ever-present Express Man, a favorite at IU tailgates and campus events, has made his mark at several Indianapolis events and on campus at IUPUI. \n"The brand in Bloomington is really based on aggressive marketing," Connell said. "Everything that's done in Bloomington will be done here as well. Everything will stay consistent, from the taste of the breadstick to the ranch dressing to the image and the brand."\n--Contact senior writer Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
(01/13/04 6:21am)
IU senior Paul Musgrave has had a busy year.\nBetween compiling research on Herman B Wells' contributions to the Indiana banking industry, completing honors theses in history and political science and founding an alternative student online newspaper, the Wells Scholar and Evansville native managed to achieve basic proficiency in three languages and prepare for an upcoming semester in Shanghai, China. \nMusgrave quotes Marcel Proust on his personal Web page and served as a CommUnity educator and diversity coordinator for Read Center. \nAnd most recently, he was named one of 12 national George J. Mitchell Scholars. \nThe fellowship, created in 1998 and sponsored by the U.S.-Ireland Alliance, honors exceptional American scholars who exhibit a dedication to academic pursuits, leadership opportunities and community service. It is named for former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, who engineered the Northern Ireland peace process in the late 1990s.\nFellowship recipients are expected to complete an M.A. thesis over the course of the 2004-05 academic year. Musgrave, who studied political science, history and economics at IU, plans to delve into the similarities and parallels between the agricultural economies of Ireland and those of Midwestern states like Indiana.\n"Ireland is a very economically dynamic country, and it interests me because it is traditionally a very agricultural and conservative state," he said. "Indiana, of course, is much the same way. There are some parallels there, some opportunities that Ireland may have taken that other Midwestern states really haven't taken advantage of. I want to see how the government managed to spark growth there and see if there are any lessons we can take from that."\nAlthough Musgrave said he has little to no background in Irish history, he is himself of Irish heritage. He has been keeping up with Irish and, more broadly, European events over the past few years, tracking affairs on the Continent and, as he says, "hearing only good things coming out of Ireland."\nHe'll be studying at University College Dublin, located in the center of the Irish capital city. Because of his interests in government affairs and politics, and since Mitchell scholars traditionally complete internships with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and media corporations, Musgrave hopes to work for a member of the Irish Parliament. \nMusgrave first considered the fellowship in August, when Charlene Brown, associate director of the Wells Scholars Program and a longtime mentor, suggested applying. Initially, he wasn't sure he'd be a strong candidate -- an opinion not widely shared among those University faculty with whom he's worked. \n"I was very surprised when (Dean of the IU School of Journalism) Trevor (Brown) called to say I was nominated for all three (the Marshall, Rhodes and Mitchell fellowships)," Musgrave said. "I was rejected from the Marshall, the only people whose estimate I agreed with of my own abilities."\nHowever, IU professor James Madison, also director of the Liberal Arts and Management Program, said that modesty belies Musgrave's intellectual and service interests. Madison first met Musgrave three years ago, when the then-freshman approached him with an interest in Indiana politics Madison said he rarely glimpses in IU undergraduates.\n"It was very clear talking to Paul about politics that he is exceedingly knowledgeable -- a political junkie, actually -- and that he reads widely and deeply, not just at national and global levels but at the state level as well. It's unusual to see someone on Paul's level with that interest and knowledge."\nMadison said Musgrave was always exceedingly modest and never aggressive or arrogant. \n"He's very modest, even a bit on the shy side," Madison said. "He never told me he was a Wells Scholar, for example. Though he does have very deeply held opinions and ideas, he was never anything but modest about them."\nThe Rhodes and Mitchell committees both offered Musgrave an interview. However, the scheduled times conflicted, and he was forced to choose. After careful consultation with Brown, who was part of the IU selection committee that nominated Musgrave, he decided to pursue the Mitchell.\n"It was a better fit for me," Musgrave said. "It's more engaged with the country and politically active. It's a very exciting opportunity, and I'm most proud of the fact that I've been able to help IU's image, which is very important to me. I'm profoundly grateful to the professors who helped me, people who helped me and pushed me into doing this. If not for them, I would not be in this situation at all. I cannot even begin to stress how those individuals helped me. This was not an individual effort, and like any individual or team sport, where there's one guy competing or one team on the court, there's always a support staff, and that's incredibly important."\nMusgrave flew to Washington the week before Thanksgiving to interview in both group and individual settings with the selection committee. He was notified the Monday following his interview that he had been selected. He'll head to Ireland in late September, following a stint with a think tank or policy institute in the District this summer -- but the professors with whom he's worked say they won't soon forget the impact he had on the IU community. \n"I can count on the fingers on one hand students I thought were as good or outstanding as Paul Musgrave," Madison said. "I've had hundreds of really good, excellent students, and I'm talking about a very select few who are beyond exceptional. Paul is one of those students."\nIU professor Jim Capshew, whom Musgrave worked with on a biography of late IU president and chancellor Herman B Wells, agrees. \n"Paul is probably the most outstanding undergrad I've encountered here," he said. "...He's very dedicated academically, but also very interested in helping people out. He's a superb academic scholar but also a good citizen."\nCapshew said that while Musgrave discovered valuable mentors at IU, one of his most important mentors is Herman Wells.\n"Paul discovered in historical study a way of connecting to the best things at the University," Capshew said. "He's a very idealistic person but has a realistic sense of his talents and his drive."\nMusgrave is also an Indiana Daily Student columnist. --Contact senior writer Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
(10/30/03 5:17am)
Students will be faced with a myriad of opportunities to donate funds to the charities of their choice when logging on to register for classes in the next few weeks. \nUtilizing an innovative check-off system, area philanthropies may solicit student donations during the registration process.\nOne such cause is the IU Student Association rape crisis fund, in which $3 is contributed to Middle Way House, a domestic violence shelter and rape crisis line serving the greater Bloomington area. All donations go into one Student Activities Office account, from which a check is cut. \nThe fund contributed an estimated $27,800 in donations gleaned from student fees to Middle Way last year, according to IUSA estimates.\nThe money doesn't necessarily have to go to the shelter, however. Student Congress must vote on what to do with student donations, but typically, such funding is contributed to the shelter, IUSA Vice President for Congress Grant McFann said. \nMiddle Way economic development coordinator Charlotte Zietlow said the donations are a "hefty amount" and extremely important in maintaining operating expenses for Middle Way's services. Donations are used to finance upkeep of the 24-hour crisis line and phones, case management and to pay staff. \n"It's very hands-on use," Zietlow said. \nThe crisis line originated in the 1980s, at a time when sexual assault and campus safety was particularly prevalent. Middle Way boasts one of the few crisis lines of its kind in Indiana in which a human is always present to answer calls. \n"There was real interest from the University, of course, and there was the decision to implement the rape crisis line at Middle Way," Zietlow said. "There's a lot of concern -- there always has been -- with sexual assault and safety on campus, and apparently that was when the check-off started."\nApplying for check-off status is time-consuming, however, and most groups don't have the time to apply.\nIU Habitat for Humanity is one such group. Mustering the required signatures and social security numbers necessary to propel a group through the initial application stage proved too difficult on numerous occasions for this organization. \n"Getting the signatures requires pretty much going out to classes and making announcements," Habitat for Humanity supervisor Laura Coenig said. "A lot of professors are willing to do it, but it does take time from classes. You have to contact profs beforehand and find people to go to all the classes, and with students, that's just not possible sometimes."\nSecuring check-off funding would optimally allow nearly $90,000 to be allocated for Habitat building activities, if each student donated $3, Coenig said. That figure would facilitate the construction of two houses. \nHabitat does not plan to apply for check-off status this semester, but may consider the possibility in the spring, Coenig said. \nThe check-off system isn't the only avenue of access to student donations, however. The Indiana Public Interest Research Group utilizes a decidedly unique system to receive student funding. \nSince 1997, INPIRG has been directly soliciting voluntary donations from students through face-to-face contact on campus and in the community. Students are asked to charge $5 per semester to their Bursar bill by signing a one-time pledge. \n"Basically the idea is that when you sign the pledge, 10 percent of the student body has to pledge along with you for us to stay here and keep doing public student advocacy," said Megan Foster, INPIRG organizer. "Unless there's a collective decision to have this group here, then we won't be here."\nUtilizing the Bursar pledge system has produced "ideal" fiscal results for the group, Foster claims. \n"To get that many signatures just to have a check-off seems like what we'd not want to do," Foster said.\n-- Contact Weekend Editor in chief Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
(09/18/03 6:01am)
Hurricane Isabel's threat might be more than 750 miles from IU, but the effects will reach close to home today.\nJunior Lauren Brand is from Virginia Beach, Va. -- one of the cities in the direct path of the hurricane along the eastern seaboard.\n"My whole family is there," Brand said. "My grandparents literally live right on the ocean, and my aunts and uncles are in Virginia Beach -- literally, everyone is there."\nTo the almost 40 miles of coast lining Virginia Beach, a burg whose frequent brushes with hurricanes and tropical storms have led to a certain indifference among locals, the storm's diminishing fury could lead to potentially disastrous results. \nBrand's parents recently moved to a new house directly on the waterfront. Now, mere months after unpacking, the Brands are again gathering their valuables and sentimental possessions -- only this time, they're jamming into inland hotel rooms and suites. Windows are boarded in the Brand home as oil lamps and candles line coffee tables and mantlepieces. Brand's mother has stocked up on flashlights and batteries for her husband and daughter.\nThankfully, Brand says, the offices for her family's furniture business aren't situated on the beachfront.\n"It's a brand new house, so we're hoping everything will stay put," Brand said. "I'm okay; I just don't want them to know I'm nervous, because I'm not there and it's difficult."\nBrand said she expects her entire extended family to stay in hotels farther inland in Virginia until the storm blows through. \n"My mom went down to the beach and said it was really bizarre and eerie," Brand said. "The surf was incredibly high and the winds were just out of control."\nBrand also said her sister's school has been canceled, and her father's furniture stores have closed their doors. \nDespite the threat of Isabel, Brand says she's trying to stay positive.\n"I think they're going to be fine," she said. "I have all of their numbers for their hotel rooms, and hopefully their cell phones will be working. We're trying to call every couple of hours, so I'm pretty optimistic." \nVirginia Beach hasn't suffered the effects of a hurricane on par with Isabel since 1944, according to the National Weather Service. However, hurricanes do approach the resort city at proximities close enough to produce gale-force winds three times every 20 years. \nStill, "it's been a really long time since we had to worry about something," Brand said. "It's usually North Carolina or something, so now we're kind of nervous."\nThe threat is unquestionably greatest at North Carolina's Outer Banks, where Isabel was expected to hit early this morning, according to the NWS Web site. Peaking earlier this week at Category 5 status with winds reaching upwards of 150 miles per hour, Isabel has since downgraded to a Category 2 system. Meteorologists with the NWS expect the storm to achieve landfall near Wilmington in southern North Carolina; from there, Isabel will likely cross middle Virginia, including the greater Washington, D.C. area, and continue into western Pennsylvania.\nSenior Aaron Aft hails from Springfield, Va., a Washington, D.C. suburb, and he said the situation has escalated in the D.C. metro area as Isabel approaches. Rising flood waters and oversaturated soil have forced the dumping of excess water from Baltimore reservoirs into the nearby Hudson River.\n"There is definitely significant concern," Aft said. "It's more on the Maryland side, but there's a concern for the flood waters closer to the Baltimore area."\nMetrorail and Metrobus services in D.C. will shut down at 11 a.m. today, and Washington-area schools and universities have announced closings for Thursday and Friday.\nSenior Phil Mervis, also from the D.C. area, said his family "isn't freaking out" -- yet. \n"We're just going to get wind and rain gusts," Mervis said. "We're not really worried."\n-- Contact staff writer Holly Johnson at hljohnso@indiana.edu.
(08/28/03 6:24am)
This week, I packed up my shoebox others deem a car and made the meandering trip back to Bloomington from my hometown of (prepare yourselves) Evansville, Ind., after more than a year away. \nI spent my junior year -- yes, the entire year -- abroad in Canterbury, England, followed by internships in Evansville and New York. Into those 365-plus days I crammed enough travel (and racked up enough credit card debt) to satisfy my wayward yearnings for at least a few decades. By the time I touched down in Indianapolis in May, I'd grown accustomed to living off the grossly-inflated British pound and wondering why Kylie Minogue's ass was so damn popular among Anglophiles. And during the course of my whirlwind summer, I prepared myself to take the helm of inarguably the best college magazine in the country. \nYes, that's right -- for those of you making your first-year foray into life as a Bloomingtonian (which, trust me, you'll become after inhabiting those dreadful dorms for a few weeks), you'll soon realize we are the premier source for entertainment in Bloomington and beyond. We'll be where you turn to find out what movies bombed in true Gigli-esque fashion, which CDs drop next week and what band's headlining your favorite Kirkwood venue; ours will be the pages you thumb while suffering through Thursday lectures. Since a redesign a few years back, led by a truly dynamic and visionary staff, Weekend has truly found it's niche among local publications. And we're damn proud of that. \nIt's my plan to keep it that way. But I can't do it alone, which is why I hired a fantastic staff to assist in making your Weekend the best it can possibly be (without securing a name in the daily blotter -- we'll leave you to your own devices on that one). Meghan Dwyer, fresh from a stint at CNN Inside Politics this summer, will take over the features department, while graduate student Val Tsoutsoris will man the busily-diversifying reviews desk. Photo editor Adam Yale and design chief Jeremy Cook will team up to provide the visuals that are distinctly Weekend, creating a package that's at once eye-pleasing and informative. It's our aim to make the magazine fresh, appealing, and decidedly more editorially diverse without losing the entertainment news and events listings so vital to all segments of the IU student population. \nThat's why we're distributing student interest surveys in residence halls, Greek houses, apartment complexes and some academic buildings. Weekend shouldn't be about the esoteric interests of some left-wing editor-in-chief (hey, I won't get political yet), so we're not going to subject you to (much of) my rambling ruminations. We want to get to the heart of issues that matter to you, and that requires a bit of effort on both ends. (For the chronically lazy, fret not -- we'll offer an online poll as well.)\nSo let us know what matters to you. We want to hear your gripes and groans (and hey, a few accolades never hurt anyone). Email me personally at hljohnso@indiana.edu, or send a mass mailing to the Weekend team at weekend@indiana.edu. Stop by Ernie Pyle Hall and get a glimpse of what goes into making your Weekend fabulous. Apply to write a column, review or feature on subjects that may have flown over our radar. \nIt's your magazine. Make it.
(08/28/03 4:00am)
This week, I packed up my shoebox others deem a car and made the meandering trip back to Bloomington from my hometown of (prepare yourselves) Evansville, Ind., after more than a year away. \nI spent my junior year -- yes, the entire year -- abroad in Canterbury, England, followed by internships in Evansville and New York. Into those 365-plus days I crammed enough travel (and racked up enough credit card debt) to satisfy my wayward yearnings for at least a few decades. By the time I touched down in Indianapolis in May, I'd grown accustomed to living off the grossly-inflated British pound and wondering why Kylie Minogue's ass was so damn popular among Anglophiles. And during the course of my whirlwind summer, I prepared myself to take the helm of inarguably the best college magazine in the country. \nYes, that's right -- for those of you making your first-year foray into life as a Bloomingtonian (which, trust me, you'll become after inhabiting those dreadful dorms for a few weeks), you'll soon realize we are the premier source for entertainment in Bloomington and beyond. We'll be where you turn to find out what movies bombed in true Gigli-esque fashion, which CDs drop next week and what band's headlining your favorite Kirkwood venue; ours will be the pages you thumb while suffering through Thursday lectures. Since a redesign a few years back, led by a truly dynamic and visionary staff, Weekend has truly found it's niche among local publications. And we're damn proud of that. \nIt's my plan to keep it that way. But I can't do it alone, which is why I hired a fantastic staff to assist in making your Weekend the best it can possibly be (without securing a name in the daily blotter -- we'll leave you to your own devices on that one). Meghan Dwyer, fresh from a stint at CNN Inside Politics this summer, will take over the features department, while graduate student Val Tsoutsoris will man the busily-diversifying reviews desk. Photo editor Adam Yale and design chief Jeremy Cook will team up to provide the visuals that are distinctly Weekend, creating a package that's at once eye-pleasing and informative. It's our aim to make the magazine fresh, appealing, and decidedly more editorially diverse without losing the entertainment news and events listings so vital to all segments of the IU student population. \nThat's why we're distributing student interest surveys in residence halls, Greek houses, apartment complexes and some academic buildings. Weekend shouldn't be about the esoteric interests of some left-wing editor-in-chief (hey, I won't get political yet), so we're not going to subject you to (much of) my rambling ruminations. We want to get to the heart of issues that matter to you, and that requires a bit of effort on both ends. (For the chronically lazy, fret not -- we'll offer an online poll as well.)\nSo let us know what matters to you. We want to hear your gripes and groans (and hey, a few accolades never hurt anyone). Email me personally at hljohnso@indiana.edu, or send a mass mailing to the Weekend team at weekend@indiana.edu. Stop by Ernie Pyle Hall and get a glimpse of what goes into making your Weekend fabulous. Apply to write a column, review or feature on subjects that may have flown over our radar. \nIt's your magazine. Make it.
(09/11/02 6:13am)
The flags fluttering at half staff today will be the first indication that something has changed, followed by the four peals of bells at midmorning: 8:45 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 9:40 a.m. And finally, nearly one year and two hours after network newsreels showed a disbelieving public the sort of nightmarish destruction extremist terrorist networks are capable of, the Metz carillon will send out one last lonely call at 10:37 a.m. With each tone, the campus community will be reminded of that which it can never forget -- the four attacks on American soil composing the events of Sept. 11.\nTo commemorate the attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, IU will host a myriad of campuswide events -- the capstone of which is a remembrance ceremony at 4 p.m. at Showalter Fountain. Three students will be awarded Sept. 11 memorial scholarships made possible by the IU Student Foundation. \nFaculty and student representatives will provide readings and reflections to the tune of musical offerings from the School of Music and the African American Arts Institute. President Myles Brand and Chancellor Sharon Brehm will provide remarks as well.\n"It is important for us to come together as a campus and a community to share our thoughts about these tragic, life-changing events," Brand said in a statement. "Our students, faculty and staff joined in a shared sense of humanity and purpose in the days and weeks following Sept. 11. We intend to renew that spirit on this anniversary."\nThe IU Art Museum will open a special public tour at 5:30 p.m. entitled "One World Many Views," in which objects from various religious faiths will be on display. Dr. Guy Edward Maxedon, Art Museum Lucienne M. Glaubinger curator for education, said the museum wanted to plan a program appropriate to Sept. 11 that would showcase what the art museum does best -- "to look at examples of art in the original from the museum's collection, in this case which reflects the various religious ideals that comprise American society."\nObjects in the exhibit range from Renaissance panel paintings to Islamic plates to Buddhist statues.\n"This artwork, (which) one might first identify as religious in nature, reflects the ideas and ideals that have built and sustained civilizations over the millennia and are found in the fabric of American society today," Maxedon said. "We are, indeed, one nation with many views."\nThe School of Education will sponsor a Web broadcast of a previously recorded panel discussion entitled "Implications of Sept. 11 for Education." Described by School of Education Dean and panel moderator Gerardo Gonzalez as a "free flowing conversation on personal perspectives dealing with the effects of Sept. 11 on education," the panel will consist of professors, teachers and graduate students with personal and professional stakes in the events of Sept. 11.\nProfessor of Counseling and Educational Psychology Tom Sexton will discuss the psychological ramifications of Sept. 11 during the discussion. Sexton, a licensed psychologist specializing in families and at-risk adolescents, also served as director of the Center for Human Growth in the School of Education.\nAmy Seely Flint, assistant professor of Language Education, will talk about the role of writing plays in curriculum. Her research focuses upon the role of teachers in inviting students to "inquire, examine, interrogate and reflect upon the commonplace text and experience," Gonzalez said.\nPanelist Margaret Sutton, an assistant professor in educational leadership and policy studies, has worked extensively with educational systems in Asia and Africa and will discuss her research and findings gleaned from her international experience. Bloomington South High School social studies teacher Matt Hoagland rounds out the panel. Hoagland teaches world history with a unit on Islam at South; prior to his teaching career, he served as a platoon lieutenant in the Desert Storm deployment.\nAs racial profiling becomes more prevalent in U.S. society, Gonzalez said the "danger that bias and prejudice will raise their ugly heads in the current climate." A Cuban immigrant strapped with educational roadblocks from an early age, he once told IU Home Pages interviewers he "learned to keep his mouth shut" when faced with prejudice at school. Yet since Sept. 11, he said he's seen an outpouring of support -- not the hate he encountered as a child.\n"I saw a lot more expressions of concern and offers of assistance immediately following the events of Sept. 11 than expressions of hate," Gonzalez said. "Of course, the post-Sept. 11 policy changes and security processes being implemented may restrict educational access for some students, particularly international students."\nHe said he remains hopeful that no eligible student will be denied educational access based on demographic characteristics.\n"America offers the best system of higher education anywhere in the world, and our freedom, peace and democracy in a global community depends on having educated citizens," he said. \nGonzalez fingered college students in particular as among those with a particular duty to remember the events of Sept. 11.\n"The events of Sept. 11 have transformed our world. The way we in America think about politics, religion, international affairs and life itself, among others, have changed," Gonzalez said. "Education is a process by which not only subject area knowledge but also culture is transmitted … college students today are the leaders of tomorrow. They have a special responsibility to remember, reflect, and to the extent possible help create a world that will not repeat the horrific events of Sept. 11."\nEvening events include an interfaith service of remembrance at 8 p.m. in Dunn Meadow as well as a candlelight vigil at 7:30 p.m. on the front lawn of the Delta Delta Delta sorority house, 818 E. Third Street. \nSenior Julie Doi, vice president of public relations at Tri-Delt, said both a capella groups Ladies First and Straight No Chaser will be performing. The event is open to the entire campus.\nThe IU Student Association, the largest student organization on campus, also has a commemoration event planned for tonight.\nAt 7:30 p.m., there will be an open discussion held at the Neal-Marshall Black Cultural Center featuring student leaders from various cultural groups, including the Black Student Union and the Asian American Association, on campus focusing on the concept of being an American after Sept. 11.\nFollowing the discussion, a debate between the College Democrats and Republicans will cover topics such as homeland security and the war on terrorism.\nFollowing those events, a vigil will be held at Showalter Fountain, where a unity statement will be made.\n"The discussion and debate will be pretty emotionally charged," said Marshawn Wolley, a senior and chief of staff at IUSA. "For our generation, this is probably one of the most impacting events of our lives, and it's important for all students to attend these events together."\nIDS Reporter Maura Halpern contributed to this report.
(09/10/02 10:30pm)
Three days ago, as the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks loomed before a jaded nation, the men and women of the Bloomington Township Fire Department took a moment of silence to honor two of their own. They assembled quietly, standing around a limestone marker flanked by an undulating American flag, lost in their own thoughts and memories.\nIn an era of innocence lost, as a country turns its attention to the machines and mechanisms of a war against terror, these quiet heroes took a moment to remember their fallen brothers -- and reflect upon the level of courage their service commands.\n"People ask me all the time, 'Faron, with your years of experience, would you have gone inside that tower?'" Chief Faron Livingston said. "And I say yes -- of course -- absolutely. When you make a commitment to this life, you have to know you're going to see death and destruction. You just have to go in and do it."\nLivingston removes his hat as he approaches the site where the memorial, crafted of Indiana limestone and towering at six-foot-one, will stand. It's not yet been completed; the designer, himself a former BTFD fireman and IU graduate, isn't done yet. But small commemorative stones rise from the carefully manicured lawn.\nLivingston is a friendly man whose easygoing demeanor belies the disposition required of a firefighter in charge of nearly 50 volunteers and six full-time employees. His office is adorned with certificates proclaiming completion of well control training, participation in national fire training academies and bombs and explosive devices expertise. Yet he becomes soft-spoken, matter-of-fact, when talking about the soul of his force -- those men and women who've stuck with the job despite the emotional toll the work often demands.\n"You know, you either joke about it (firefighting), or you go nuts," Livingston said. "Sometimes you've got to cry, to get it off your chest. It's a natural reaction. It's okay."\n"Look at all that crazy sky"\nThe morning of Sept. 11, Livingston got to work a little late, so he took the back door. He entered the recreation room adjacent to the kitchen and came upon his men huddled around a television set.\nFirefighter and IU student Matt Baranko tore his eyes from the screen and looked up at his boss.\n"Holy shit," he said. "A plane's hit the World Trade Center."\nThat's when the adrenaline started pumping. E-mails began pouring in from all over the city and county from concerned residents asking for confirmation, pleading that this could not, should not, be true. A discord of screeching tones danced across the central dispatch system frequencies. Orders came in requesting fire chiefs to close and lock all station doors. Disbelievingly, the men and women of BTFD listened to live accounts of reporters and onlookers impersonating New York City fire personnel in attempts to get closer to Ground Zero. \n"How could you hit that?" assistant chief Joel Bomgardner recalls saying. "Look at all that crazy sky."\nThe firefighters remained together for about half an hour longer, some still glued to CNN reports, others offering somber exchanges. Then, in a near mass exodus from the Old State Road 37 station, they went home to their families. Three days later, they were watching M-16 fighter planes escort a small passenger plane from the skies over Monroe County Airport. \n"It bothered the hell out of me," Livingston said, recalling five of his own brethren from his days at the National Fire Academy who lost their lives racing into the blazing towers. "But it's funny how it affected people -- they just started telling us out loud that they appreciated what we do."\nTwo weeks after the attacks, Bomgardner walked by the station pool table, bathed in light by two floor-to-ceiling windows. Atop it sat a basket with an unsigned card:\n"Thank you for everything you do. We have always appreciated it."\nWrapped around the basket was a knit American flag afghan. Exactly one year later, it's still there, a persistent symbol of community spirit, a glimmer of hope in a time of mourning.\nThe first to respond\nAs anthrax scares fueled near-hysteria nationwide, the department's Hazmat -- short for hazardous materials -- team was placed on standby status. If the deadly spores were detected in Monroe or surrounding counties, they'd be the first in, reporting to the epicenter of the hot zone. Livingston recalls 42 such responses this year, with approximately six termed "credible threats" -- situations where "interest is perked."\nAn example of such an incident occurred in mid-October, when the Bloomington chapter of Planned Parenthood received one of 82 allegedly anthrax-laden letters from an unknown location in Ohio. Though Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez warned city officials not to "let fear and uncertainty turn into panic," reports of possible anthrax detection poured into city and township police and fire units. The BTFD was among the first to respond.\nThe department even graced the pages of Time last October as reports of anthrax in Forest Quad mobilized both full-time and volunteer members of the Hazmat team into action. \nLivingston's expertise in working with hazardous chemicals has earned him the moniker "Hazmat One" around the stationhouse. Each year at the National Firemen's Caucus in Washington, D.C., he makes the trek to Capitol Hill to visit Indiana Senator Richard Lugar in his Constitution Avenue offices.\nJust one of the guys\nBomgardner said the attacks prompted a spike in volunteer signups. Some recruits could take it; others dropped out of sight shortly after they appeared -- a testament to the "try it for a few days or make it your life" mentality pervading the fire service, he said.\nLivingston has a file cabinet full of turned-over personnel. But for every fireman lost, he said, he's got five of the "other breed" -- those dedicated to the task of saving lives.\nBomgardner estimates 75-to-80 percent of post-Sept. 11 volunteers have stuck with the job. Some are IU students, many of whom, like Baranko, plan to complete their academic pursuits but return to the service. Many of them are locals, longtime Bloomington residents who have grown to love the community that nurtured them from childhood.\nLivingston, a former truck driver, crisscrossed the country on nationwide hauls and said he's "been to town and seen the circus," and Bloomington's just where he wants to be.\nIU costume shop employee Eleanor Modin once considered herself just that -- a sort of silent supporter. But since Sept. 11 and at the prompting of friends involved in the fire service, she began considering ways she could contribute to the fight against terrorism. An avid philanthropist, she turned to the BTFD as an alternative way to give back to the immediate community.\nHailing from Switzerland, Modin came to the U.S. to study music at IU. On the morning of Sept. 11, she was at work in the Musical Arts Center -- without a TV. A friend called to inform the staff of the attacks, and they waited until National Public Radio picked up the reports. A television was later installed on the MAC's main stage to allow those working in the facility to follow developments. \nSomething stirred within Modin. She had done rescue work in the Swiss Alps and was no stranger to physical challenges. A friend, the chief of Indian Creek Township's department, encouraged her to talk to the BTFD. So she signed up, and three months later began work as a part-time volunteer. \n"I weighed it carefully," Modin said. "I wanted to make a solid commitment. Christmastime gave me some downtime" -- Modin had to complete 24 hours of mandatory training -- "so I chose December to do it."\nNine months later, she's still an active member and a trained Hazmat technician. Though she's a woman in a service once considered to be dominated by gruff, burly males, she said she never feels inferior.\n"I can't carry someone down the big ladder, obviously," she said. "But I feel comfortable. You get more detached to things like that, and you just go in and do your job."\nLivingston agreed.\n"She's one of the guys," he said. "When women come in, they're accepted immediately into the brotherhood of the department. We've got guys from Greece, women from Switzerland, IU students. They're all part of the department, and they're all equals. We get the other, special breeds, and we like it that way"
(09/10/02 10:26pm)
WASHINGTON -- Three thousand victims -- and 3 million questions unanswered.\nSuch was the cry of the hundreds flooding the U.S. Capitol in June voicing support for an independent investigation into the Sept. 11 attacks.\nIt haunted me then, as I watched, a spectator and Senate intern, from the back of the crowd, feeling naked without my tape recorder or piece of media apparatus.\nAnd it haunts me yet.\nI scarcely paid attention to the countless demonstrations that lured hundreds to the grassy knolls stretched before the Capitol. They supported or rallied against myriad causes; each, it seemed, demanded the undivided consideration of every senator and representative who'd listen. \nIt wasn't that I couldn't relate to the plight -- I had simply become jaded, my eyes glossed over with the humdrum tasks required of the typical Senate intern. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, I went to committee hearings, opened mail and answered constituent letters. Those causes and rallies were fluff, they were simple, they didn't get things done. None piqued my interest -- that is, until those families and friends of Sept. 11 victims flocked to the Hill. \nIt was an otherwise quiet June morning in Washington, bright and humid without a cloud in the sky, so I ducked out of work early and trekked outside past Constitution Avenue. What I saw astounded me.\nThe lawn was filled with media and common folk alike. While children played absently under shaded trees, a crowd of more than 100 listened to senators, representatives and survivors pledge their support to the independent investigation.\nKatie Soulis lost Tim, her husband of 12 years, in the WTC attacks when she was three months pregnant. Shielding her newborn son's face from the blinding sun, she spoke to the crowd frankly, her rich contralto breaking ever so slightly as she recounted the night of Sept. 10. She and Tim had taken their four sons and daughter -- children the couple "shared and loved and cherished together" -- for a bike ride and to buy popcorn.\nThen there was David Ehnar's mother, who lost her only son on the 100th floor of the Trade Center. Dwarfed by the podium, she pleaded, raspy-voiced, for more questions, for more answers.\nToni Esposito, a mother of two from Princeton, NJ, lost her brother-in-law, an employee working on the 89th floor, in the attacks on New York. He was one of the unlucky, she said, who thought to get out, he must go up.\n"He climbed the stairs -- what was left of them -- because that's how they thought they'd get out," Esposito explained. "He called my sister to tell her…but he couldn't get out. The doors were locked."\nThe family grieved, Esposito said, and they grieve yet today. Her sister's family's main source of income stopped, and her sister, Pat Ryan, began looking for other widows and widowers with whom she could sort out her pain, her anger, her agony.\nThus Pat, with the aid of son Colin, 15, formed a New Jersey area Web-based support network. \nFor her part, Ryan was "astounded" that more Americans wouldn't rise in support of independent investigations into the events surrounding and leading up to the Sept. 11 attacks. Hers are all valid questions -- What of the media and their role in expounding upon (or exploiting) the attacks? What don't we know? How can we find out more? \nI've never felt so out of place and yet uniquely part of a common mass. I could watch replay upon replay of the horrible crashes, of the unearthly aftermath, of the dusty fallout, for hours, days, months. Yet I still didn't completely understand. \nAnd I still don't purport to. But the aura pervading Capitol Hill -- and indeed, all of Washington -- that June morning won't likely leave me for a good while. It was a feeling of mutual support, of compassion. It was reality, spoken from the lips of children and grandmothers alike, all asking the same questions and demanding some sort of, any sort of, answer. These demonstrators weren't fluff. They weren't simple. And they were ready to get things done -- by whatever means possible.
(09/06/02 6:25am)
While its Purdue and Ball State University counterparts dozed in the sun or shook off hangovers Monday, over 30,000 IU students returned to classes, and they had the Bloomington Faculty Council to thank.\nWhen it came time at the council's final meeting last year to consider changing the official academic calendar, the nearly 50 members found themselves divided yet again on the age-old issue of whether to hold classes on Labor Day. \nDeliberations trickled on long into the meeting, with valuable points offered by both sides of the issue. But in the end, the motion to give students Labor Day off and extend Thanksgiving break by one week was tabled, postponed for additional consideration this year.\nBut, BFC President and Agenda Committee Chair Robert Eno is quick to point out, the current calendar has been in place for decades.\n"This faculty didn't set this calendar," Eno said. "But it's an example of an issue where you encounter a lot of concern both by faculty and students for varieties of reasons. Any solution is going to be opposed by some and supported by others -- you're not going to find a calendar to suit everyone."\nNor is setting the academic calendar the only concern of the BFC; an elected body acting on behalf of the campus faculty. It sets all academic policies for the Bloomington campus and works in tandem with similar councils from IU's regional campuses. Its jurisdiction encompasses all personnel issues, such as tenure promotion, fringe benefits and long-range planning.\nThe council consists of faculty members from each specialized school, as well as some from subdisciplines within departments. Juniors Bill Gray and Judd Arnold, IU Student Association president and vice president, respectively, round out the council as the undergraduate members; similarly, graduate students and associate instructors are represented on the council as well. Chancellor Sharon Brehm has an administrative voice on the board, as do Dean of Faculties Moya Andrews, Dean of Budgetary Administration Neil Theobold and Graduate School Dean George Walker.\nWhile the council acts as a representative body for the entire campus, it may defer some decisions -- such as setting the calendar -- to the system council, which is composed of faculty and administrators from Bloomington, IU regional campuses and IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis. \nArnold said the IUSA executive board has not yet met with the entire BFC body, but Gray is slated to meet today with Eno to discuss student issues. \nEno said the council welcomes suggestions from student representatives.\n"We feel it's our obligation to make extra effort to hear students out if they're willing to offer a view from a different perspective," Eno said. "We're coming at this from the standpoint of faculty, and we like to explore what the other side looks like."\nHe raised last year's issue of imposing taxes on textbooks as one example -- an issue the council wouldn't have otherwise examined. \nAnother galvanizing issue among students arose last spring, when the BFC passed a resolution endorsing nationwide academic principles for intercollegiate athletics. IU students and Big Ten athletes alike attacked the proposal, voicing myriad complaints, yet then-IUSA president Jake Oakman and mens' basketball coach Mike Davis voiced their support for the measure. \nFearing immediate changes to athletic programs, the students reacted unfavorably to the council's efforts -- and justifiably so, Eno said.\n"We were in effect endorsing nationwide principles developed by the faculty senate leaders of all Big Ten institutions," Eno said. "The students, however, felt what we were doing was passing policy to affect the conduct of intercollegiate athletics instead of considering a resolution pushing for the direction of general reform."\nEno said that while the student voice did not prevail on that particular issue, the undergraduate presence did affect the voting outcome, including the his own vote.\nEno said true change is often initiated at the standing committee level. The council's 17 committees range in jurisdiction from student affairs to affirmative action and educational policies, according to the BFC Web site.\nThis year, the council plans to take up the issue of course transfers between the regional and Bloomington campuses. Currently, intercampus transfer students must petition the Course Transfer Appeal Board for approval of credit transfer, according to the IU Course Transfer and Appeals Policy.\nIn the past, Eno said, it's been "highly unpredictable" how those credits will transfer. The BFC will attempt to ease the transition for transfer students by ensuring similar courses carry over on the Bloomington campus.\nThe council in its entirety will conduct its first meeting of the year at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, in the State Room East of the Indiana Memorial Union.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
At the age of 7, Maya Angelou lost her voice.\nFour days after her disclosure that her mother's boyfriend had raped her, two policemen entered the parlor of her grandmother's house in St. Louis. Their very presence jarred her. But it was what they said that shocked her into mute silence -- the rapist, released after one night in prison, had been found dead, apparently kicked to death.\nAngelou, shaken, simply stopped speaking. Afraid that "the very opening of (my) mouth would issue death," she retreated from all personal contact, eventually finding herself shipped back to live with her maternal grandmother in tiny Stamps, Ark.\nFive and a half years later, she found that lost voice again, in "a rainbow in the clouds."\nStriding confidently onstage at the IU Auditorium Wednesday night, the award-winning essayist, poet, musician and playwright captivated the audience with that voice. In a rich contralto, she sang "When it looks like the sun/wasn't going to shine anymore/God put a rainbow/in the clouds."\nAngelou dedicated her speech to helping the crowd find their own "rainbows," beacons of light symbolizing hope even in one's darkest hours. She also urged them to look closer into the people and institutions surrounding them, citing IU as "rainbow" itself. \n"I think this University is a rainbow in the clouds," Angelou said. "People might not have a dream or hope of going to a university, but they found that possible path at this university. That tells me this place is a rainbow in the clouds."\nShe also deemed poetry, particularly that of the black tradition, a source of strength in personally ascertaining life's meaning. During her five-year silence, Angelou said she memorized poetry, so that even after she left the racially divided "condition of Stamps, Ark., I found myself pulling on what I'd read. I knew that those words were meant for me."\nThat lesson, Angelou said, surfaces as a universal truth for all people, regardless of color or socioeconomic background. \n"When you are able to pull words from your mind, it helps you think, 'I'm not the only one ignored, mistreated (or) lonely. People have been abused before me. Yet someone has survived -- has thrived -- with passion, compassion, humor and style," she said. "Whatever your race, you need something to say you are right for yourself."\nThat message spoke volumes to freshman Terrell Cooper. Citing Angelou as a "real inspiration," Cooper said, "so often, we take for granted what we can do and what we possess. It's up to us to do what's inside."\nIn addition to the internalization of poetry, Angelou lauded the role of personal relationships in shaping individuals. For Angelou, her grandmother, "Mama," personified that rainbow. In encouraging her granddaughter to cherish the works of such celebrated black poets as Langston Hughes and Paul Lawrence Dunbar, this noble matriarch inspired hope in the young Angelou. \n"The direct relationship to the heroes and she-roes, in accordance with institutions formed to challenge and provoke, become rainbows in the clouds," Angelou said. "When you learn, teach; when you get, give … and today I teach all over the world because someone didn't mind being that rainbow in the clouds."\nFor freshman Erica Petty, who attended the lecture, Angelou herself is that "she-roe," that rainbow offering hope in otherwise bleak times.\n"When she walked onstage, she took my breath away," Petty said. "Everything she said spoke to me. She is, to me, that 'rainbow in the clouds."
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Charges have not yet been filed in the death of Berkley Branson, a freshman killed a little more than a week ago. \nBranson, 19, died a few hours after she attempted to exit the 1995 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Matthew Willett of Evansville. The Vanderburgh County Coroner's report issued late last week attributed her death to a lacerated liver. Branson was in Evansville for the Easter holiday, her parents said.\nSheriff's reports say Branson might have attempted to exit the moving vehicle because of an argument with Willett. Branson's blood-alcohol content was 0.26, nearly three times the legal limit.\nThe sheriff's report cited Willett's blood-alcohol content as 0.08 percent, under the legal Indiana driving limit of 0.10. \nSheriff Brad Ellsworth said the department is "taking its time" to conclude the investigation, hoping to obtain a complete account of the night's events from Willett. \nLt. Stephen Bequette said the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Department is concluding its investigation. Once the sheriff's files have been completed, the case will be turned over to Prosecutor Stan Levco.\nWhile no allegations have been brought against Willett, Bequette said he believes Levco will file charges. But Levco said he doesn't intend to do so.\n"I'm not anticipating filing charges at this time," Levco said. "However, I do want to read the case file carefully before reaching a final decision"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
They'll walk through the Sample Gates and descend upon Kirkwood one last time.\nThey'll stroll into Nick's English Hut for a celebratory drink with their parents, embraced this time as alumni.\nThey'll take a final splash through Showalter Fountain, fleetingly remembering those fragile first nights in Bloomington, when four years seemed a lifetime away.\nBut tomorrow they'll realize that time is elusive. Those years passed more quickly than they could have imagined.\nOne by one, the 6,064 graduating IU seniors will file into Memorial Stadium to pay homage to IU and the small town which embraced them as its own for four years. One by one, they'll listen to Chancellor Kenneth Gros Louis's commencement address, ruminating memories past and those to come.\nRelief may wash over some. Others may be overcome with joy, with unrelenting emotion. Disbelief and fear for the future might occupy still others' thoughts. Yet the promise of these graduating seniors far overshadows the doubt lingering in their minds.\nMusical theatre major and senior Angel Cabral recognizes that potential and lauds IU for the breadth of experiences it harbors. Cabral, who will head to New York to pursue theatre after graduation, entered IU as a Wells Scholar four years ago.\nCabral's interests in both theater and French proved difficult in meeting degree requirements, but the Wells Program helped her to be "fully committed to both," she said.\nLifting her voice in the Singing Hoosiers and Broadway Cabaret proved good practice for Cabral, who went on to become one of the founding members of IU's women's a capella group Ladies First.\n"I absolutely love this group," Cabral said. "They are incredible girls, and to make music with just your voices is so liberating."\nThe friendships established there, she said, helped shape her years at IU. She'll miss those women, who blended their voices with hers to coup the first-place title at the national women's a cappella semifinals. They're the same girls with whom Cabral shared a cone at Jiffy Treet while strolling the streets of downtown Bloomington. They're the same women who cheered Cabral on in her original senior thesis production, "Moving On," a musical revue in which she starred.\nBut Cabral isn't the only one moving on. Chancellor Ken Gros Louis, slated for retirement upon completion of this academic year, joins this year's graduating class as he steps away from thirty eight years of advocacy and dedication to the Bloomington campus, twenty-two of those spent as chancellor. One last time, he will play to the emotions of a captivated audience at Memorial Stadium, bidding a personal farewell in what will be his final valedictory speech as chancellor.\nAfter 38 years of mentoring, appointing administrators, and championing public higher education, Gros Louis will step down, leaving behind him a legacy that has been compared with that of the late Herman B Wells.\nGros Louis' modestly acknowledges the comparison to Wells, claiming Wells was a far more "visionary person" than he.\n"What I think I learned from him that I have tried to continue is the importance of every person in a university community to its success, the need to try to make a large place such as Bloomington seem smaller, and a notion of what a public university really is," Gros Louis said. "That is, a university that is accessible, open, and that expands the horizons of all students who come here."\nGros Louis noted his most significant experiences on campus as those "one-on-one" encounters with students, faculty and administrators. He lauded the Wells Scholars Program, the creation of the Arboretum, and the expansion of programs for minority students as initiatives of which he was most proud.\nLeaving campus will certainly be a difficult task, he admits. He is, he said, "graduating" as well. Yet he maintains hope that his commencement address is "of interest and sharply focused enough to be remembered," a message that will doubtlessly resound in the ears of eager graduates, equipped with the support their families and friends and the promise of a successful future.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Last Friday, Helen Walker drove 20 miles from her hometown of Sugar Land, Texas, to Houston to spend the evening reminiscing with friends and watching movies.\nThe IU senior had been home for a week. Fresh from a successful stint as stage manager for the Bloomington community production of "A Chorus Line," Walker was doubtlessly ready for a little relaxation. \nShortly after 1 a.m., she got back in her Ford Explorer and prepared to make the half-hour trek back to Sugar Land.\nShe never made it home.\nA few blocks from her friend's apartment, she was struck by a drunk driver exceeding speeds of 100 mph while proceeding through a green light, her mother said.\nThe autopsy report indicated Walker was killed instantly, though paramedics attempted to resuscitate her. The official time of death was reported at 1:30 a.m., 20 minutes after emergency vehicles arrived on the scene.\nJohn Leggio, spokesperson for media relations for the Houston Police Department, said Helen had the right of way when an unidentified male driving a Dodge pickup ran a red light and struck her vehicle on the driver's side. The DWI task force administered an on-scene field sobriety test, which the driver failed. He was then transported to a local hospital for mandatory blood tests. The results of those tests have not yet been released.\nTheresa Walker said she will testify in the driver's trial on behalf of her daughter if needed, as will her husband and son, Aaron. Charges of driving under the influence, assault with a deadly weapon and vehicular manslaughter are pending. The trial is expected to convene in about three months, according to the Houston District Attorney's office.\nHer death has left a void in the hearts of her friends and family. Remembered by her parents as a dedicated student and hard worker, Helen's work ethic proved particularly influential to those associated with her in various IU productions. \nSenior Josh Huff worked with Walker in theatre productions of "Pippin" and "A Chorus Line" and spoke of her "amazing work ethic." Huff said he always thought he'd work with her again in the upcoming season.\n"She really loved what she did," Huff said. "Stage manager is such a thankless job, but she never even cared about being thanked. She was just so selfless."\nWalker's mother said her daughter began acting in community theatre when she was 8 years old. She continued performing onstage until her senior year of high school, when she found what Walker termed "her true love" in theatre's technical aspects.\nShe dreamed of working in professional theatre and was working toward degrees in computer science and technical theater. She was also minoring in American Sign Language.\n"She had a passion to learn things where she could communicate, especially humorously, with all sorts of people," her mother said.\nHelen was offered an opening position as assistant stage manager with the William H. Hobby Theatre in Houston, her mother said. She was planning on moving to Houston upon graduating in May 2002 to begin work there.\nHuff also remembers Walker as a "funny, fun-loving" individual who always treated everyone fairly and said he firmly believes she would have made a tremendous impact in the realm of professional theatre.\n"She was the kind of individual that never let an opportunity for fun or mischief pass," her mother said. "She never let anyone perform an injustice in front of her. If there was an underdog in a particular situation, she would stand up to anyone to ensure that person was treated in a just and right manner."\nHelen is survived by her parents, Michael and Theresa Walker; brother, Aaron Walker; paternal grandfather, Lewis Walker of Sugar Land; maternal grandparents, Francis and Maria Elena Flood of El Paso, Texas; great aunts, Sister Mary Kathleen Flood and Isabel Flood of El Paso, Texas; and numerous other relatives.\nIn lieu of flowers, donations in Helen's name can be made to Indiana University, c/o Dept. of Theatre and Drama, 1211 E. 7th St., Room 200, Bloomington, IN 47405-1111. The cast of "A Chorus Line" is also naming a star in her honor.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
For three days in May, three dozen transgendered individuals took to Capitol Hill to tell their stories. They were stories of heartache, of disappointment and disillusionment, of confusion and stigma. \nThey were stories of rejection, of constant inner struggles waged daily. \nYet they were stories that deserved to be recounted, and that was precisely the aim of the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition in its first public organized lobbying event. Deeming the transgender phenomenon as "little-known" and "widely misunderstood." NTAC leaders hoped to familiarize Congress with the plight of the intersexed, individuals born with both male and female genitalia. \nThe group was met with resounding support from members of Congress, many of whom were shocked to hear the lobbyists' tales. According to event organizer Vanessa Edwards Foster, over 474 educational packets were distributed. Every office in the Senate was covered, and more than 2/3 of the representatives' offices received information as well.\nFoster herself experienced positive feedback upon visiting Rep. Jan Schakowsky's office (D-IL), along with first-time lobbyist Janis Stone. Legislative Aide Reva Gupta invited the women in for to talk.\n"This is an issue I will be covering in this office, and I really had limited information on it," Gupta said. She thanked the lobbyists for stopping by, deeming their visit "just what (I) needed."\nIn fact, numerous Congressional representatives and Senators invited lobbyists into their personal offices to hear their testimonies and were moved by what they heard.\n"There's certainly a need for education within Congress on these issues, and in fact that's just what's being done," said Scott Dunaway, Office Manager for Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX).\nNTAC Secretary Anne Casebeer said the information gathered by the effort will be immediately utilized by lobbyists as they continue the fight to raise awareness of transgender issues. \nFoster noted that while lobbyist turnout was not as high as expected, the "productivity and (our) impact surpassed expectations."\nNTAC Board Chairman Yosenio Lewis said many congressional staffers attested to the group's diverse makeup and lauded the accurate representation of the transgender population. \n"NTAC distinguished itself by presenting lobbyists from all socio-economic, racial, age and physical ability strata on all levels of transgender and transsexual experience," Lewis said. He said the group will be increasing its visibility through additional lobbying efforts in coming months.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The recital halls will resonate with the stylings of Handel, Bach, and the great masters of classical music.\nLilting soprano melodies and the harmonies of barbershop quartets will reverberate in the University's great performance venues.\nThere will be "trouble" in mid-July as performers take the stage at the Musical Arts Center to enact Meredith Wilson's 1957 classic "The Music Man."\nThat same stage will come alive later in August with four performances of Puccini's dramatic opera "Madame Butterfly," depicting the struggle wrought between a Japanese geisha and her American suitor.\nIn fact, it seems all of Bloomington will pulse with sound this summer as the School of Music kicks off its annual Summer Music Festival, sponsored by WFIU and the Bloomington Independent.\nA highlight of the festival, said Laura Baich, media liaison for the School, is the chamber music series, "If Music Be the Food of Love." The concerts feature faculty and guest performers in the intimate setting of Auer Hall, a small on-campus performance venue.\nFeatured artists include the Beaux Arts Trio, an internationally-renowned and award-winning group featuring piano, violin and cello, and the Penderecki Quartet, now serving as Quartet-in-Residence at Canada's Wilfrid Laurier University.\nAll chamber concerts are free and open to the public excepting the Penderecki and Beaux Arts performances, which are $10 general admission and $5 for students, said Maria Talbert, director of Marketing and Publicity for the School. Tickets are available through the MAC Box Office and at all Ticket Master locations. Online order forms are also available at the School of Music Web site, www.music.indiana.edu. \nThe IU Opera Theater's summer season premieres July 7 at 8 p.m. with the first performance of "The Music Man," conducted by Dr. Michael Schwartzkopf and directed by Vincent Liotta. The story, said Liotta, illustrates the events surrounding the arrival of con man and salesman Professor Harold Hill in a sleepy Iowa town.\nA Sunday matinee will follow on July 8 at 3 p.m. The show will also run July 13 and 14 at 8 p.m. \n"Madama Butterfly" rounds out the Opera Theater's season with performances on July 28 and 29 and Aug. 3 and 4. Tickets are available through the MAC as well.\nAdditionally, the IU Festival Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra will perform in the MAC, featuring such guest conductors as Luis Biava, Leif Segerstam and Carl St. Clair. Tickets for the Festival Orchestra's three concerts are $12 for general admission and $6 for students. Series tickets might be purchased for $32 general admission and $16 for students. The Symphony Orchestra's concert is free and open to the public.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
After 88 days atop a redwood in protest, engulfed in media attention, Tracy "Dolphin" McNeely was ready to come down.\nAlthough she'd pledged to remain in her treetop perch until forcibly removed, she climbed down and returned to her normal routine -- a routine that includes hanging out with friends in Peoples Park. \nWhen approached by Herald-Times photographer Jeremy Hogan Tuesday, she denied she was Dolphin. She said she didn't want to be photographed. She claimed she was a private individual and of no public interest.\nHogan said he asked Dolphin if he could take her picture, a request always honored in the past. McNeely allegedly then began shouting she was no longer a public figure and should not be photographed. A crowd quickly gathered. \n"It really was a mob mentality," Hogan said. "I don't think it would have continued as it did had she not threatened to break my camera."\nAs the crowd expanded, few people came forward to protect Hogan. Hogan was then approached, he said, by a man he identified as Jeffrey Einstein of Bloomington. Bloomington Police officials denied comment on the suspect's identity because Hogan has not yet decided to press charges.\nEinstein could not be reached for comment Wednesday.\nEinstein allegedly asked him to leave the park, Hogan said. When Hogan did not, Einstein began threatening physical assault. Hogan then took a picture of Einstein, provoking Einstein to attack.\nHogan said he silently shouldered the attack, attempting only to protect his camera, until police arrived on the scene. He was transported to PromptCare West, where he was placed under 24-hour surveillance for possible head injuries and concussion.\nHogan stated while many individuals perceive McNeely as a "counter-cultural hero," he finds it odd that someone who professes to engage in nonviolent behavior would behave as she allegedly did.\n"I certainly don't think she's a hero after she snuck out of the park as I was being beaten," Hogan said. "At one point I was on my knees asking if they were going to beat me as Ghandi was beaten -- just to make a point. It's my way of showing the absurdity of the situation."\nHe said he doesn't think the incident reflects on what he deems the "Bloomington environmental community" as a whole.\n"It doesn't reflect at all on everyone -- just a 19-year old girl that I would say is a charlatan," he maintained.\nBloomington Police Department officials said no formal charges have been filed at this time, although Herald-Times editor Robert Zaltsberg said the paper pledges its full support behind Hogan, should he choose to press charges. \n"He certainly had a right to be there shooting photos of anyone," Zaltsberg said. "The fact that he was shooting for a news story takes it into a different area. It's not just a pretty picture to be used at our discretion -- it was a photo of someone who is arguably a public figure." \nIU School of Journalism professor Paul Voakes said Hogan had the right to photograph McNeely. \n"I think that McNeely was probably concerned about invasion of her privacy because it seems she is wanting to move to a more private status than she's had over the last several months," Voakes said. "However, the law clearly states that if a person is in a public place or in a place where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy, then it's very difficult to claim that right."\nVoakes also noted that McNeely's declaration of herself as a private figure has no legal basis. \n"Individuals don't have the right to declare themselves public or private citizens," he said. "That determination is made by court in a much larger social context and I think that in this context she's going to be public for awhile"
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For the past nine days, rain or shine, Sharon Brehm has walked the half-mile from her home to her office, moved by the almost "spiritual" effect she claims IU's beauty affords. \nShe's strolled through the Arboretum, pausing to reflect on the aesthetics of the place she now calls home. She's stepped along the footpaths in the Old Crescent area of campus, down Indiana Avenue and past the Sample Gates, into her quiet room in Bryan Hall. \nAlong the way, she doubtlessly calculates the gravity of the responsibilities the coming months and years will bring as she steps in to fill the shoes of retired Chancellor Kenneth Gros Louis. She surely anticipates the commencement of the upcoming semester as she assumes her position in a long line of leaders with legacies. \nAnd every day when she steps into her office, she's faced with an increasingly lengthy to-do list. She tackles stacks of papers and forms and university business. Yet the woman IU President Myles Brand terms a "doer" has a plan. She has a focus. And she can't wait to get started.\n"I'm the sort that never believes you rest on your laurels," she laughed. "When I first came to campus, I identified three areas of concern; academic excellence, diversity and partnerships."\nAcademic excellence, Brehm said, is the "heart and soul of IU," a legacy imparted largely by her predecessors Herman B Wells and Gros Louis. At the University's core, she said, lies a firm commitment to teaching and learning. But ways must be sought to sustain and increase the success of those fields of study.\nDiversity also lies at the center of the University experience, Brehm said. It's an area Gros Louis has identified as crucial for development, and Brehm plans to nurture the delicate multicultural climate on campus.\n"We learn from our differences," she said. "This is a obviously a multicultural world, and we need to learn to interact with individuals of different races and experiences."\nThough a seemingly diverse campus, only 9.4 percent of IU's student body consists of minorities, according to the Office of Academic Support and Diversity Web site. And while Brehm said she has "no specific methods" this early in her tenure, she hopes to work closely with Vice President for Student Development and Diversity Charlie Nelms, as well as deans and faculty at a multi-campus level, to increase the numbers of multicultural students attending IU.\n"We need a significant critical mass," Brehm said. "It's easier than to become full partners, to encourage real conversations and dialogue."\nBrehm's third major goal includes developing both on- and off-campus partnerships, encouraging collaboration between departments, campuses and individuals.\nIncluded in that premise is the conscious effort to garner support for university research, which Brehm feels leads to the creation of useful products in the business and industrial realms. \nBrehm comes to IU well-equipped. An administrator "by accident," she was teaching at the University of Kansas in 1987 and writing on the side when she answered an advertisement seeking a director of the university honors program in the student newspaper. \nShe applied and got the job. \nBrehm, who describes herself as "restless," soon began to look at other administrative possibilities. She most recently served as provost at Ohio University, where her achievements included bolstering scholarships by 266 percent and hiring dual spouse faculty. But Brehm claims she never planned on becoming an administrator.\n"Students sometimes come to me and say, 'How do I prepare to become a dean?'" she said. "There's no magic formula for success -- you have to start with a love and passion for a discipline and become a professor. Then a few odd fish like myself actually become administrators."\nDirector of Media Relations Susan Dillman met Brehm when she came to IU last spring for a press conference and said she was "very impressed" with Brehm's "optimistic outlook, her energy, her dedication and warmth."\nIt's precisely that warmth Brehm wants to communicate to students. She wants them to know her doors remain open for the most timid freshman or the confident senior seeking his first job. \n"One of the most touching things students have told me about Ken Gros Louis that they always felt welcome in his office," Brehm said. "It's not good when everyone's in their own little cubbyhole. I want lots of interaction"
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Composed and collected, Maria Luisa Rayan climbed the stairs at the Musical Arts Center Sunday evening before a crowd of hundreds. Swathed in burgundy velvet, the striking Argentinian smiled graciously at the audience, shook the judges' hands and accepted her second-place award in the fifth triannual USA International Harp Competition. It was her third time entering the contest -- and her second emergence as runner-up.\nTwo tries, and two second-place finishes.\nFor some, such outcomes may signal defeat. Others may retreat from the instrument.\nBut for Rayan, the harp is practically an appendage. It's evident in her caress of the strings, in her soft, transported expression as her hands graze the instrument.\n"The evening was one of challenges and rewards," Rayan said. "I am excited about the opportunity to perform as part of my prize."\nAnd as Rayan stepped away from the awards table and took her seat among the six other prizewinners, the grand prize winner was coronated. Amid thunderous applause, 27-year-old Dan Yu of the China modestly assumed her place at center stage.\nIt's a place the diminutive graduate student will get used to over the next few years. After facing 10 days of grueling emotional and physical stress and exhausting practice and performance, Yu won both the gold and the opportunity to enter professional music circles. The first-place award includes a debut CD recording; debut recitals in London, Paris, New York, Tokyo and Fukai, Japan; cash prizes and a commemorative 24-karat gold-gilded concert harp.\nCarved from bubinga wood, the coveted instrument is a gift of the Victor Salvi Foundation and is valued at $55,000. It was constructed by Lyon and Healy Concert Harps of Chicago and "serves as an unparalleled artistic tribute to the excellence achieved by the competition's gold-medal winner," said Susan Lyon, director of public relations for the competition. \nHARP MECCA \nThe competition is the realization of many years of intense study and determination for founder Susann McDonald, distinguished professor of music in IU's Harp Department.\nShe first strummed the harpstrings at age five, a mere child in Rock Island, Ill. \nBy the age of 20, longing for her family back home yet fueled by an intense love of the instrument, she was living in Paris boarding houses and studying with premier harp pedagogue Henriette Renit. That same year, she won the first prize in the Paris Conservatory competition. \nAt 23, she made an unprecedented three-concert debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City. \nAnd in 1989, she founded the USA International Harp Competition to allow talented young harpists the opportunity to launch a professional career.\nShe chose to host the competition at IU because of the many performance venues and practice facilities available to students. IU also boasts a summer orchestra, a necessary precursor to performing concert works. \n"This is a dream come true," said McDonald, beaming, as she gazed into the packed auditorium Sunday evening. "I am moved greatly by what I see here -- the support of the community of Bloomington for our program and the performers."\nThe community's support has been overwhelming, McDonald said -- and rightfully so. Dubbed in music circles as the "Harp Mecca of the World," IU boasts the world's largest harp department. Consequently, said Lyon, Bloomington is home to more harps than in many small nations. \nMcDonald compares the IU faculty to that of Juilliard, where she formerly served as chair of the harp department. The decision to leave Juilliard proved difficult, yet McDonald was prepared for the drastic contrast between the bustling city and a sleepy Midwestern town.\n"I hoped that the finest harpists would come to work with me at IU," she said. "The faculty there was similar to here, all working and travelling a lot."\nShe attributes the IU harp department's immense success to its students. As graduates go on to pursue professional careers, winning international acclaim, the department's reputation of excellence is furthered. \n"I think we will continue to try to train and prepare our students for the profession, as soloists, orchestral players, and teachers," McDonald said. "I try to reinforce each player's natural abilities, and encourage them to attain a higher level of performance ability. I want them to believe they can indeed have such a career if they pursue it with all their hearts."\nIt certainly worked for McDonald. In the years spanning her professional career, she's founded the World Harp Congress, established the most prestigious harp competition in the world and served as teacher, friend and mentor to students who have gone on to attain unparalleled success in recording and solo careers. Yet she lauds teaching as her true passion. And while she continues to perform, she no longer tours. Rather, she aims to be her students' greatest resource. \n"I truly love teaching," she said. "The essential, I believe, is to play for one's students." \nTHE PROCESS\nThe competition kicked off July 4 with ceremonies in the lobby of the Musical Arts Center. \nThe first stage of competition spanned July 5 - 7. The 37 competitors played a piece of their choice, Bach's Etude #2 or The King's Hunt, and Tailleferre's Sonata or Glanville-Hicks's Sonata. No competition took place July 8. Rather, competitors enjoyed a solo concert by 14-year-old harp prodigy Jane Yoon, winner of the Nippon Harp Competition in Soka, Japan. \n25 contestants played four pieces for the second stage on July 9-10. They were treated to a jazz harp concert the evening of July 10 by musician Park Stickney at the Fourwinds Resort and Marina on Lake Monroe. \nThe third stage spanned July 11-12 and concluded with a solo concert on a historical Chinese folk harp by Cui Jun Zhi. After the third stage, three finalists were named. Dan Yu of China, Julie Smith of the United States and Maria Luisa Rayan of Argentina were chosen to compete in the grand finale concert Sunday evening, performing Ginastera's "Concerto for Harp and Orchestra."\nTo be chosen, potential competitors must be nominated by three teachers, according to McDonald. The contest is open to all harpists between the ages of 16 and 32. \nSunday's audience played a particularly important role in the musical process, said associate dean of instruction at the School of Music Eugene O' Brien. \nA jury of seven, judiciously chosen by McDonald and her committee, deliberated for over half an hour Sunday before announcing the top eight winners. The results were "as objective as could be," said Charles Webb, president of the jury and dean emeritus at the School of Music.\nAll rounds were taken into account when ascertaining the overall winner, Webb said. The first two stages of competition accounted for 15 percent of the overall score. The third stage accounted for 35 percent, while the final stage composed 50 percent of the final tally. \nVICTORY AT LAST\nThe competition was fierce, with each harpist bringing their own measure of creativity to the required piece.\n"It's difficult -- you have to be precise," Rayan noted. "You can't step too much outside the stylistic boundaries, but you can also bring your own personality into your playing."\nAnd though the concert spanned nearly three hours, the audience was visibly moved by each competitor's performance.\nIn the end, Dan Yu of China walked away triumphantly with the first-place title -- and the first harp she's ever owned.\nEvidently the crowd favorite, Yu seemed almost transported while performing. Face reflecting utmost concentration, she soared through the piece's complicated cadenzas.\n"The sound she managed to pull from the instrument was huge," commented senior Michael Henry, a music education student in the School of Music. "It was just the best."\nThe 27-year old IU graduate student, born in Shenyang, China, received the gold-gilded harp modestly, bowing slightly to the crowd and jury. \n"I never expected to win," said Ms. Yu after the awards ceremony. "A year or so ago, I was not certain which path I should take, teaching or performing. My teaching left little time for performing. Entering this competition challenged me to concentrate on my playing."\nYu additionally received $5,000 in cash prizes, a CD recording, and debut recitals around the globe. \nMaria Luisa Rayan of Argentina placed second, earning her two debut concerts in the Pacific Northwest, two more debut concerts or one concert and a CD recording deal and $2,500 in cash prizes.\nMcDonald praised Rayan as "one of the most talented and artistic performers that I have been blessed to work with." She said the 28-year-old doctoral student labors over every detail of her work, maintaining tireless dedication to her studies.\n"She will have a great career, of that I am sure," McDonald said. "Life is not a contest and she is superbly equipped to do whatever she wants in the music field."\n22-year-old Julie Smith of the United States garnered the third prize of $5,000 in cash. The Nebraska native will complete her senior year at the Cleveland Institute of Music in Ohio this fall. \nAnd though only one walked away the grand-prize champion, the competition's founders' sincerest hope, said the competition's Executive Board President Peter Rollo, is that each leaves Bloomington positively affected by the experience. \n"This is one of the most grueling international competitions," Webb said. "It represents some of the best harp performances by any young people"
