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(06/28/01 1:38am)
Some walk timidly into Jordan Hall, eyes widening at the lecture hall's size. They dart furtive glances at the leaders dancing wildly in the front of the room, at the girl or boy next to them. They're sizing everything up, and they're not sure what they think yet. \nOthers swagger, rolling their eyes at the sounds of Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance" blaring from the sound system. Yet one look into their eyes belies their false confidence. \nThey're incoming freshmen, prepped to begin day one of a rigorous 48-hour immersion program designed to introduce them to their home for the next four years. And most are, simply, terrified.\nYet orientation leader Khlya Barnes smiles, and it's infectious. Slowly, the lips of the timid turn up. The overconfident swagger is immediately forgotten.\n"Hey, welcome to IU!" she exclaims, running a hand absently over her shock of closely-cropped bright blonde hair. "Yeah, where you from? I'm from a little place called the region..."\nThe flow of words is seemingly endless. As student after student packs into the crowded room, Barnes never lets up.\n"It's all about getting them in here and getting them excited about coming to IU," Barnes said. "A lot of them are kind of nervous, and it's my job to make them feel secure about coming here."\nIt's a typical reaction when visiting a campus of IU's size for the first time, according to Orientation Programs Student Coordinator Lucas Calhoun. He says most freshmen feel overwhelmed on the first day of the program. Many are visibly nervous, often making them appear disinterested or even overconfident. However, Calhoun said the enthusiasm of most incoming students is a great source of motivation for orientation leaders.\n"We make it a constant goal to make each freshmen feel connected to their new environment," Calhoun said. "Generally in a student group it does take awhile for the incoming freshmen to open up. This is okay because once that line of awkwardness is crossed great discussions take place."\nAccording to Melanie Payne, associate director of Orientation Programs, about 300 students flood campus per two-day session. Two schedules run concurrently during the sessions to allow greater interaction between students. \nStudents begin each day of the program, armed with a temporary meal card and orientation guide, with breakfast in Wright Quad. A typical schedule includes discussions on careers and placement, placement exams, group and individual advising and open houses at various locations throughout campus, according to the Office of Orientation Programs website. Students are invited to talk to IU students and professors in open forums as well. They also receive their CampusAccess cards and register for classes. \n"It's been a long day," said Stephanie Horstketter, an incoming student from Evansville, Ind. "I really didn't know what to expect -- and still don't -- but it's good to meet people from all over the country. And the leaders are crazy."\nThose leaders were chosen, Calhoun said, through a very selective, three-round process. This year over 200 applications were submitted for 27 available positions. The leaders were selected by a body composed of Office of Admissions staff, residence hall managers, auditorium staff, student services staff and graduate supervisors. \nThe result, Calhoun said, is a staff dedicated to upholding the "groundbreaking" standards established by the format of the program. \n"This year has been amazing," Calhoun said. "Our staff has a tremendous dynamic and it shows in front of our program participants. The professional staff involved in all aspects of our program have been influential as well. So the combination of the student and professional staff members has made programming better than we could have hoped for."\nDuring that programming, the diverse staff provides students with a different blend of perspectives concerning IU and the opportunities it fosters.\n"Incoming freshmen need every aspect of the program to be able to understand Indiana University," Calhoun said. "When a student leaves Bloomington to return home until August, we want them to be knowledgeable and proud of their decision to come to IU"
(06/25/01 2:48am)
He's been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and three Grammy awards.\nHe's a member of the Jazz Education Hall of Fame, and Down Beat magazine recognized him for lifetime achievement. \nAnd now the Indiana Historical Society has bestowed its highest honor, the title of "living legend," upon David Baker, paying homage to one of the finest jazz musicians and instructors to roam the hills of central Indiana. \nYet it doesn't seem to faze Baker, who describes himself as a "teacher first."\nIn fact, every time he climbs the three stairs to the tiny stage in the back room of local pub Bear's Place to perform in their Jazz Fables series, he's not thinking of himself. He's smiling at his wife, flautist and Jazz Fables regular Lida Baker, as she lends a solo line to a Miles Davis standard. He's tapping his foot appreciatively in syncopation with the beat as only trained musicians can. Cello and bow in hand, he's smiling modestly, tweaking with sound equipment and tuning strings.\nIt was no different Thursday evening, when he appeared with an assembly of local musicians to pay tribute to late trombone legend and former teacher and mentor J.J. Johnson. Performing an assortment of classic jazz tunes co-arranged by Johnson and Miles Davis to a standing room-only crowd, Baker joined old friends and mentors "Pookie" Johnson and Jimmie Coe on that old familiar stage. \n"I grew up in Indy around those guys," Baker said. "It's always a joy to play with them; it's always gratifying."\nAn Indianapolis native, Baker began performing in the big bands of Maynard Ferguson, Lionel Hampton, Quincy Jones and Stan Kenton and in the George Russell Seminal Sextet in the 1940s and '50s. He began composing and arranging around that time, studying with such masters as Russell, John Lewis, Gunther Schuller and William Russo and establishing a technique fellow faculty members now describe as "brilliant" and "captivatingly precise."\nHe returned to IU to earn a degree in music education in 1953 and a master's in 1954. Following more than ten years of travel throughout the Midwest filling various teaching positions, he migrated back to Bloomington in the mid-sixties, a more seasoned musician and composer. \nBaker began teaching at the IU School of Music in 1966, at a time when the Indianapolis jazz scene was jumping and frequent jam sessions on the IU fraternity scene were commonplace. But the School itself offered no degree program in jazz studies, though jazz ensembles of which Baker himself was a part repeatedly received high honors in statewide competitions. \nThroughout the 1960s, more and more jazz ensembles began emerging on the Bloomington music beat, and in 1967, Baker was named chair of the fledgling jazz program, with instructions to design a degree-granting program in the study of jazz performance.\nThus the IU Jazz Studies program was born in 1968. At that conjecture, it was one of few jazz preparatory curricula in the country. In the 33 years since, Baker has had the chance to nurture his program, to watch it evolve. Attracting talented students internationally, the Jazz Studies department has established a level of excellence unparalleled in many comparable institutions.\nIt works, Baker claims, because of a clear focus and commitment to keeping with the changing responsibilities of musicians.\n"We're looking toward technology and the marketplace to see what kind of music people will listen to," Baker said. "It's about keeping your ear to the ground."\nThe University and surrounding community offer considerable support vital to the program's success as well, he added. \nBaker has also worked considerably to blur the lines traditionally drawn between classical and jazz performance study. In fact, he was one of the first local musicians to introduce stringed instrument in an acoustically driven jazz and swing playing environment.\nBaker picked up the cello in 1961 after a car accident rendered him unable to continue studying trombone, what he terms his "first love." Though he initially tried his hand at piano following the accident, it didn't take long to realize that wasn't the instrument for him.\nThe cello, he said, stands apart from traditional jazz instruments. Its rich folk history allows tremendous versatility. In addition, it allows him greater teaching opportunities, indeed his greatest passion. \n"Of all the things I do, teaching is the centerpiece of my existence," Baker said. "I enjoy working with people -- especially young people -- and this is so rewarding."\nIn fact, it's largely because of such contributions to the School of Music and the University as a whole that the Historical Society chose to honor Baker this year in its third annual presentation of the award. \nAccording to Eadie Barrie, development officer for the Society, the selection process is "very unique." A committee composed of staff and community leaders decide both a thematic basis for selection and an estimated number of candidates desired. \nThe award's 1998 inception coincided with the grand opening of the Society's headquarters in Indianapolis. That year, candidates were chosen by public ballot, according to media liaison Ellen Gullett. Thirteen Legends were honored that year. Last year, only one Legend was honored -- IU graduate and violin virtuoso Joshua Bell. \nThis year, the committee opted to name between five and seven candidates that have exhibited a dedication to either education or philanthropy or both. To ensure a fair representation statewide, the committee took into consideration geographic location as well, Barrie said. \nBaker's strong commitment to teaching exemplified the sort of criteria the committee was looking for, Gullett said. At the Living Legends Gala July 27, he will stand among such fellow "legends" as cartoonist Jim Davis to accept the honor.\n"It's always an honor to receive these kinds of things," Baker said. "I kind of said jokingly when I heard that I'd much rather be a living legend than another kind. I'm in very distinguished company and feel wonderfully blessed to be included among them."\nThe Indiana Historical Society will honor David Baker at the third annual Living Legends Gala on July 27. Tickets are $250 each and can be ordered by calling (317)-234-1313.
(06/21/01 3:02am)
Moss hails technology, affordability for students\nAttorney Jerry Moss comes to the Board of Trustees race well equipped with years of experience on various community and campus boards and foundations. \nThe 1958 graduate of the Kelley School of Business, who later moved on to receive his degree from the IU School of Law, currently serves as managing partner for the Indianapolis-based firm Bingham, Summers, Welsh and Spillman. \nHe has served on the IU Foundation board and the board of visitors at the IU School of Law. He has also served as president of both the IU Alumni Association and IU Varsity Club. The School of Law awarded him with its Distinguished Service Award as well.\nHis efforts have served the Indianapolis area as well; Moss has been president of the Washington Township School Foundation and served on the boards of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Indianapolis Bar Foundation.\nHe feels three major issues facing the university are fiscal responsibility, affordability and retention and technological advancements. \nTo achieve the first goal, Moss said it's necessary to educate voters on the need for significant funding allocations toward higher education.\n"We must focus on fiscal responsibility to assure maximum return for available monies... to stimulate greater legislative awareness and action," Moss said. \nRetention is also a key fixture of Moss\' platform, a goal he intends to realize through maintain "the highest level of technology at all campuses as well as the highest quality staff." By building a learning environment in which teachers are rewarded for their research and instruction efforts, both faculty and students are encouraged to keep learning.\nHe feels trustees factor into the equation by forming close working relationships with the "total university community," consisting of students, faculty, alumni and staff, and recognizing inherent problems and providing possible solutions. \nTrustees also provide vision, Moss said. By establishing goals and standards, trustees can assist in providing the best possible education with the least financial burden. \n"My total IU experience as a student and an alumnus provide me with an understanding and appreciation for our tradition of excellence," Moss said. "We are not, however, without our concerns. I am deeply devoted to IU, and am prepared to work diligently to move our school forward."\nRichardson cites freshman retention as key issue\nIncumbent candidate Ray Richardson is prepared to defend his position on the Board of Trustees in the upcoming 2001-2002 election. Richardson has served on the Board for nearly ten years, and believes the results of his efforts have established him as a premier candidate for this year's race.\n"It\'s easy to become frustrated when trying to make changes, because before trustees implement changes, they are customarily submitted to the unwieldy faculty governance system for approval," Richardson said. "I\'ve learned to work with this system and get significant results — to solve problems that others just talk about."\nA 1962 IU graduate, Richardson has served on the University Policies Committee, Finance Committee, Strategic Directions Steering Committee, Bloomington Student Senate and on the board of the IU Alumni Association. He has also served the Indiana House of Representatives from 1966 to 1990 and was formerly the volunteer division chairman for fund drives by the American Heart Association. He also participates in American Cancer Society and United Way activities and is co-founder of a homeless shelter.\nA highlight of Richardson's career includes the creation of the Trustees Teaching Award, which recognizes IU's most outstanding faculty with monetary awards and grants. Most awards are based on excellence in research, Richardson said.\nHe also focused attention on monitoring faculty course loads, allowing all professors and assistant instructors to teach a fair proportion of classes. Additionally, a post-tenure review system has been implemented on the Bloomington campus designed to examine and assist faculty who fail to meet research and teaching expectations, Richardson said.\nRichardson said he plans to expand on programs already instated during his tenure on the Board and developed in cooperation with the Bloomington Faculty Council. Such initiatives include easier facilitation of transferring credits between IU campuses and establishing a training program enabling associate instructors to better teach undergraduate courses. \nHe believes a key plank of his platform includes the establishment of freshman retention programs on IU campuses with low graduation rates. Though Richardson acknowledges the Bloomington campus has an "excellent" graduation rate, these programs, which consist of supplemental instruction, tutors, academic communities, mentor programs and more in-depth academic advising, allow campuses with poor graduation rates to better retain underclassmen. \n"On all IU campuses outside of Bloomington the graduation rate is so low that we owe it to the students to help more of them get degrees," Richardson claimed. \nRichardson also believes faculty retention is a key to the well-being of all campuses. \n"While my efforts have gone primarily towards improving undergraduate teaching, the reputation of the Bloomington campus depends primarily on the research efforts of the faculty," he said. "The faculty, like students, must be retained, and since money is one of the important ingredients in doing that, it is important to make sure that funding is sufficient."\nShumate says faculty important for success\nAttorney and 1967 IU graduate Michael J. Shumate has come out of his retirement in Aspen, Colo. to assume his place in the board of trustees race. Stressing the importance of faculty, partnerships and diversity, Shumate feels he can devote his full attention to implementing successful programs to enrich those areas if elected.\nShumate was involved in the Sigma Chi fraternity while at IU and was president of his senior class. After graduation, Shumate attended the University of Virginia Law School, earning his J.D. in 1970. Still, he continued to serve the University on the board at the Kinsey Institute and the IU accounting department in the Kelley School of Business. He is now involved in the Indianapolis IU Alumni Club and has taught at IUPUI as well.\nShumate's legal career includes serving as administrative partner and on the management committee in the New York and Los Angeles offices of Jones Day Reavis and Pogue. He was also formerly the chairperson of the Indianapolis Human Rights Commission and belongs to the Indiana CPA Society and the Indiana, California and New York bar associations.\nShumate believes faculty are "the most important component of the university." The implications of that statement, he contends, means IU must attract and retain first-rate faculty by offering adequate financial compensation. He lauds open communication between faculty and administrators as crucial components as well.\nPartnerships are of additional importance, Shumate continued. \n"IU should develop more partnerships with outside entities such as the Indiana Genomics Initiative," he said. "Such partnerships assist IU to raise important funding; adapt its research to private-sector needs; stay abreast of new technologies and marketplace demands; and attract top faculty."\nAttracting and retaining students is also one of Shumate's primary goals. \n"Retention of students, especially in the crucial freshman year, is essential to ensure a broad base of diverse students," he said. \nIf elected, Shumate would work to develop inclusive programs designed to facilitate diversity on all IU campuses. Success in such programs has "unlimited benefits," he claimed. \n"Trustees have important fiduciary responsibilities to a number of constituencies, all of whom strive to enhance It's global reputation," Shumate said on the IU Alumni Association's Web site. "Trustees must provide the vision and leadership in this quest in an open, fair manner and remain accessible to their various constituencies"
(06/21/01 2:55am)
Barbara Richards remembers distinctly the instant she learned of Jill Behrman's disappearance. \nIt was the middle of the night, and Richards, wife of School of Music dean Gwyn Richards, recalls being jarred by a radio report detailing the disappearance of a young bicyclist. \nShe remembers thinking how horrible it would be, how tragic, for a parent to face such uncertainty, such irreparable heartache. \nYet it was only when the announcer disclosed the victim's name -- a name now recognizable to virtually any Bloomington resident -- that Richards realized the gravity of the situation.\nThat name was Jill Behrman. Daughter of Eric and Marilyn Behrman, sister of Brian and member of Megan Richards's confirmation class at First United Methodist Church, Jill was many things to many people. To the Richards family, she was one of their "stair-step kids," part of the foursome comprising the Richards and Behrman families' flock. \n"I remember thinking, 'Oh no, not Jill--not our Jill,'" Richards said. \nA COMMUNITY'S SUPPORT\nYet Barbera Richards remembers more the events immediately surrounding May 31, 2000.\nShe reflects on the kindness and enthusiasm of a community, of a city she said "joined hands" to orchestrate search efforts.\nShe remembers the yards and yards of yellow ribbon used initially to link her house to the Behrman\'s, inches and feet of ribbon later used to symbolize Bloomington's commitment to bringing a young woman home. \nShe thinks of the balloon launch orchestrated by her daughter Megan, in which hundreds of balloons with Jill's flier attached were released into the Bloomington skies. \nRichards wanted to do more, however. When presented with an oil pastel painting created by croatian/canadian artist Rajka Kupesic, she was intrigued by the use of color and motion, by the Old World passion with which Kupesic created images. She simply had to meet her, she said.\nKupesic, whose son Boris attends the School of Music under Dean Richards, traveled to the States the following summer, in the midst of the search for Jill. Richards recalls sitting around the kitchen table with Kupesic and detailing the events surrounding Behrman's mysterious disappearance. \nThe story spoke to Kupesic as painter and parent alike, and suddenly Richards knew how she could contribute to what Eric Behrman terms a "celebration of her spirit."\n"I asked what the process would be to commission a painting," Richards said. "She told me, but she made sure to say she only painted happy scenes. That's when I knew I wanted to commission a work that would reflect the support of the community that loved her, not the community that took her away."\nThe result, completed in January 2001 and unveiled yesterday at a wine and cheese reception at the IU Foundation, is a celebration of the things and people comprising the Bloomington community. The Behrman's church stands in the background, accompanied by scenes of Farmer's Market and the Sample Gates, a symbol of the university. Families and children play in the foreground along with musicians and characters attired in academic garb. Throughout the painting fly yellow balloons, though Kupesic knew nothing of the balloon launch prior to completing the work.\nAnd in the center stands Jill with her bicycle, the only recognizable character in the image. She faces the viewer whereas the others turn slightly away, and she's smiling. She's a portrait of vigor, of a zest for life and enthusiasm for well-being. \nAnd to Richards, there are no accidents in life.\n"Reika was the right one," she said. "She made the melody of youth transcend our pain."\nPAYING HOMAGE\nShortly before spring break this year, Eric Behrman was called to meet IU Foundation director Curt Simic at the Foundation. He had no idea why.\nWhen he arrived at Showalter House, he was shown a copy of the commissioned work, and was, simply, "overwhelmed." He loved the use of color and the style with which the painting was created. \nMost of all, he loved the way Kupesic depicted his daughter, a woman he said loved working out and was dedicated to her job at the Student Recreational Sports Center--even if she was cleaning the floor mats. \n"Jill saw things she thought others should see," he said. "She was never afraid of hard work."\nShe proved that through her dedication to cycling. The summer before her freshman year, Jill rode from Bloomington to Atlantic City with local cycling group DeCycles, and she wanted to train for the Little 500 race her sophomore year. \n"When she rode, she wasn't just out there for a leisurely ride. She rode fast," Behrman said. \nAnd though he'll never truly achieve closure, he says he's seeking resolution, at least -- the knowledge that some answers are out there to the seemingly endless stream of questions he and his wife face. \n"Obviously, our big concern is finding her," he said. "But also as a parent, if these kinds of things go unresolved, it could happen again -- and I'd hate to see that."\nYet he, too, retains hope.\n"I'd like to see her walk through the door someday and say, "Hey, Dad,'" he says softly, dropping his eyes. "She was a fun-loving girl."\nProceeds from sales of the painting will be added to the growing Jill Behrman Emerging Leader Scholarship to be offered through the Division of Recreational Sports. \n"Jill loved sports, and she enjoyed giving her best," Behrman said. "This scholarship embodies that spirit."\nA MOTHER'S GRIEF\nDuring the opening reception preceding the painting's disclosure, Marilyn Behrman appeared composed. \nShe drifted through the standing room-only crowd smiling assuredly, stopping to greet an old friend here, a longtime colleague there. Everyone, it seemed, knew this mother of two and sympathized with her plight, a struggle she's endured for over a year now.\nYet when Marilyn Behrman assumed a position behind the podium to add her concluding remarks and offer thanks, her demeanor quieted noticeably. Voice rich in emotion, she admitted she must work every day to accept what may have happened to her daughter. She said she knows it's all right to be sad, yet she considers herself "blessed with support."\nShe encouraged the audience to take time to cultivate relationships, because somewhere, somehow, she's able to find hope in the past year's struggles. Since Jill's disappearance, she said, she's noticed changes in the ways people prioritize their lives, evidenced through gifts of love, kindness, concern and prayers offered by members of the Bloomington community and throughout the country. \nThe painting, she said, was an especially touching gesture.\n"It reminds us that there is innocence in youth, despite the uncertainties life brings us," Behrman claimed. "That richness in life brings hope."\nLooking steadily at the faces of friends, of coworkers, of devoted searchers, her voice clear and strong, Behrman thanked them with words combining at once the complex multitude of emotions only a mother in her situation might utter.\n"I am overwhelmed by your presence, but no longer surprised," she concluded. "Jill is a very special person, and I'll always hold her in my heart, if not in my arms"
(06/18/01 2:16am)
In the fight for humane treatment of animals now being waged in the food industry by left-wing animal rights organizations, children are becoming prime targets. \nThey grow up with Ronald McDonald and his Playplace, with chocolate Frosty and the Filet-o-Fish, with the signature Burger King cardboard crown.\nNow PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has capitalized upon those simple souvenirs of childhood. \nThe Norfolk, Va.-based animal rights organization has begun distributing blood-drenched crowns to children frequenting Burger Kings throughout the U.S. and Canada. The spikes on the mock crowns impale pigs and chickens in a dramatic attempt to increase awareness of cruel animal treatment by the major franchise, which directs more than $400 million to advertising geared toward children, according to PETA media liaison and Vegan Campaign coordinator Bruce Friedrich.\n"Fatty 'Big Kids' meals are turning kids into whoppers,\" said Friedrich. "The average American child eats five hamburgers a week, but most kids would probably lose their lunch if they knew about the animal suffering that goes into making Burger King\'s meals." \nPETA has garnered celebrity support as well in efforts to incite similar protests against the fast-food chain. Famed actors and longtime PETA supporters Richard Pryor and Alec Baldwin have joined the campaign, sending letters to franchise owners requesting they comply with minimum animal welfare standards in preparing their food items. \nIn doing so, Burger King would also agree to follow the lead of the McDonald's chain, which refused last year to purchase animal products from suppliers which skin and dismember live animals. Such suppliers have also faced accusations including chopping the beaks off hens and starving birds for weeks at a time to incite another laying cycle.\n"PETA wants Burger King to commit to at least the minimal animal welfare standards recently adopted by its chief competitor, McDonald\'s," Friedrich said. "Burger King is sticking by the pathetic 'industry standards,' which don\'t consider animal welfare at all."\nIn an April 2 news release, however, Burger King expressed its endorsement for guidelines for the humane treatment of animals, including those of the American Meat Institute (AMI) Good Management Practices for Animal Handling and Stunning for cattle and swine; the United Egg Producers (UEP) Animal Husbandry Guidelines for U.S. Egg Laying Flocks; and the National Chicken Council (NCC) Animal Welfare Guidelines for broiler chickens.\nIn addition, the company formed the Animal Well-Being Advisory Council, comprised of experts in the fields of agricultural and veterinary medicine and designed to assist in endorsing those guidelines.\n"Endorsing these guidelines forms the foundation for our Animal Well-Being program as we move forward," said Tulin Tuzel, senior vice president, research and development and Chief Technology Officer of Burger King Corporation. \"The next step, working in concert with our Advisory Council, will be to identify specific provisions within these guidelines which should be enhanced or qualified and to adopt procedures for implementation and verification.\"\nPETA's rebuttal claimed the corporation's claims were "duplicitous," saying Burger King must physically react to violations of industry guidelines.
(06/07/01 1:59am)
One of IU's oldest Greek organizations suffered a legal blow last week when an Indianapolis man filed suit against the fraternity and several of its members. \nBeta Theta Pi faces a lawsuit stemming from a January 2000 incident in which five fraternity members allegedly chased a party-goer to a campus residence hall and beat him. \nColumbia University student Michael Kirk, 20, alleges fraternity members chased him from a party at the house, located at 919 E. 10th Street, to McNutt Quad, the location of the reported assault. IU Police Department arrived at the scene at 1:30 am Jan. 16 to find Kirk unconscious. He suffered injuries to his face and head, according to a police report. \nCiting the report, IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said Kirk appeared to have been struck in the face. His left eye swollen shut and head bleeding, he was unconscious but breathing, Minger said. Because he had an irregular heartbeat the paramedics wanted to take him to the hospital for further observation.\nSeveral fraternity members told police they chased Kirk after he threw a rock through a fraternity window. \nThe lawsuit, filed in Monroe Circuit Court, primarily named Dustin D. Harrington and Carl R. Conodera as defendants. The suit also targets Beta Theta Pi's national foundation, the Pi chapter at IU and three other fraternity members accused in the assault. \nBrandon M. Kitkowski, a third defendant cited, was arrested and later charged with Class C felony battery, according to IUPD records. Harrington and Kitkowski were arrested the night of the altercation, and Condera was arrested in early February, also charged with class C battery. \nStephen Becker, administrative secretary for Beta's National Foundation in Oxford, Ohio, said the case is under review by the organization's legal advisers. The foundation's insurance agents have been working with Kirk's family throughout the case's progression, and the Pi chapter was placed on probation following the national organization's review of the event. \nBecker declined to comment further concerning the status of the case but placed his support behind the IU chapter. \n"The Pi chapter at IU has a long-standing history of tradition, with many prominent alumni going on to do great things," Becker said. "Like any fraternity at a large campus, it's challenged with the same issues that challenge all Greek organizations of its kind." \nDean of Students Richard McKaig said Beta was placed on campus probation as well as social restrictions for the 2000-2001 academic year and, consequently, was not permitted to participate in homecoming or IU Sing. They could also not be the host of parties or participate in sponsored social events.\nBut upon review prior to spring break by the Greek judicial board, administrators decided to allow the fraternity to participate in Little 500. \nMcKaig cited the use of alcohol as a primary factor in Beta's punishment, an issue familiar to all IU's men's fraternities. He cited a similar alcohol-related incident at Theta Chi fraternity in February, where freshman Seth Korona died, as an example.\n"It's an issue we've all had to deal with," McKaig said. "When alcohol is served at a party, it's a problem waiting to happen, and we've certainly had problems. I know fraternities are taking steps to address these issues, but I think we all would like to see quicker progress"
(06/04/01 2:15am)
While most students his age were spending the waning May afternoons lounging in the sun, junior Kunal Desai was boarding a plane to Jambo, Kenya, preparing to spend a summer in which he'd forget himself to better help others. \nWhile his contemporaries face the world around 11 a.m., Desai wakes daily at 7 a.m. to begin teaching at a tiny Kenyan preschool. For three hours a day, his patience is tested, his spirit tried. Yet for Desai, it's all worth it as his students serenade him with traditional Swahili songs.\nDesai is part of Outreach Kenya Development Volunteers, an assembly of students and faculty dedicated to assisting Inter-Community Development Involvement, a grassroots Kenyan non-governmental organization. Volunteers arrive in Africa in mid-May and work closely with residents of the Western Province of Kenya to implement community development projects throughout the summer.\nThe group is the brainchild of IU alum Hank Selke, who realized the need to organize a group that could work closely with a non-governmental organization in Kenya after spending a summer there as part of an HIV/AIDS education program. But the road to creating such a group proved rocky indeed: due to limited funds, interested students were unable to afford the expensive start-up fees associated with existing as an independent nonprofit organization. \nWith the help of fellow IU student Philip Roesselar, Selke's dreams finally achieved fruition in late 1999 when Outreach Kenya was founded as an IU student organization.\nBut that status places restrictions on the sort of work Outreach Kenya is able to perform. Operating with it what directors Beth Messersmith and Martine Miller termed a "shoe-string budget" renders Outreach Kenya incapable of raising funds necessary to implement new programs. But financial setbacks have not deterred OKDV's diligent volunteer efforts, which begin annually in September with fundraising and member education sessions and conclude with the actual field experience the following summer.\nThrough firsthand experiences in Kenya, group volunteers witness the "corruption and greed that can inhibit progress," according to the group's Web site. Because of these circumstances, OKDV assumes a markedly different stance: working not from the top, but working with and educating the "common people," -- those not usually reached.\nThat's where Desai's interest was piqued. A biochemistry major with his sights on medical school, Desai claims he's had a longtime interest in AIDS education. He found his niche within OKDV in the HIV/AIDS education program.\nMale-dominated politics and a struggling health care system characterize the Western Province, which remains largely uneducated concerning sexually transmitted diseases and the AIDS epidemic. Desai, who is currently in Kenya and communicates to family and friends via satellite computer, said the general population believes AIDS can be transmitted through mosquitoes and that an infected individual can rid himself of the virus by passing it to as many people as possible. Additionally, he said, doctors in Kenyan hospitals do not identify the virus as HIV or AIDS; instead, the disease is attributed to witchcraft or sorcery.\nOKDV and ICODEI teams aim to eradicate such ignorance by presenting educational programs in schools, churches, community centers, bars, night clubs, and women's groups. Volunteers also lead discussions on STDs and AIDS, including its origin, transmission and prevention, and offer question and answer sessions.\nThe group also sponsors programs designed to introduce modern agricultural practices and overturn the use of chemicals in food preparation. The group is now building a library in the Western Province and also sponsors a nursery school. \nAdditional programs include trash clean-up days and micro-enterprise development efforts to encourage economic independence for women. Money-management courses are also offered.\nThe group's efforts extend far beyond the African continent, as well. Outreach Kenya has, and continues to, impact students and administrators alike on the IU campus. \n"I have found the activities of the Outreach Kenya Development Volunteers to be quite extraordinary," said outgoing Chancellor Kenneth Gros Louis. "The two leaders of the volunteer group are deeply committed to helping the people of Western Kenya and have demonstrated that by spending summers there, collecting books for Kenyans, and sending materials as they have collected them from a variety of organizations in the community."\nThe group so deeply impacted Gros Louis, that he alluded to its achievements in his 1999 Commencement address. He also obtained a laptop computer for them to use in Kenya. \n"In brief, anyone who speaks to the leaders of this organization could not help but be positively moved by what it is they are attempting to do," he said.
(05/31/01 1:46am)
When Chris Mandeville was 24, he made a confession.\nFollowing his college graduation, the LaPorte, Ind., native found "home" at a church in Chicago. \nShortly thereafter, he divulged the secret of his homosexual feelings to a Christian counselor.\nThat counselor referred him to Overcomers, an "ex-gay ministry" designed to assist individuals in resolving homosexual tendencies. \nThough cynical at the outset, Mandeville regularly attended weekly meetings of the group. Encouraging participants to develop "normal" relationships with men and establish support groups to hinder them from "acting out," or engaging in homosexual relationships, Overcomer's leaders lauded the ability of prayer, fellowship and the Holy Spirit to modify homosexual behavior. \n"I went hoping it would help me resolve these feeling once and for all so I could move on with my life," he said.\nBut six months later, something changed. Realizing he didn't really conform to the group's teachings, Mandeville left.\n"I just realized after several months and then talking to people who were OK with being gay that this group really didn\'t make sense," he recalls. "It was really a relief to leave." \nChris' story is not unique. Each year, thousands of gays and lesbians turn to such forms of "conversion therapy" to help "overcome" homosexual tendencies.\nNow, a controversial study claiming homosexuals can choose to turn straight has sparked a heated national debate between right-wing religious groups and gay rights activists. Conducted by Columbia University professor Dr. Robert Spitzer and presented at last week's American Psychiactric Association meeting, the study traced more than 200 men and women's sexual behavior during a 12 to 14-year period. \nSpitzer reported at the study's conclusion that 66 percent of men and 44 percent of women achieved "heterosexual functioning," through "prayer, therapy and mentoring relationships."\n"Heterosexual functioning" is characterized by being in a sustained, loving heterosexual relationship within the past year, getting enough satisfaction from the emotional relationship with their partner to rate at least seven on a 10-point scale, having satisfying heterosexual sex at least monthly and never or rarely thinking of somebody of the same sex while having heterosexual sex. \nHomosexual advocacy groups such as the Human Rights Campaign have taken a firm position against the study's findings, deeming them "unscientific" and "profoundly biased." The HRC and other groups like it have condemned Spitzer's personal views on homosexuality and his alleged ties to right-wing political organizations as detrimental to the study's credibility. \n"The so-called study is snake oil packaged as science," Tim McFeeler, political director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, told the Human Rights Campaign Tuesday. \nThe HRC also decries the study for being based in the "Christian right."\n"The Christian right has claimed for years that sexual orientation is a mutable characteristic -- but only when it comes to homosexuality," the HRC stated in a 1999 dissertation entitled "Mission Impossible: Why Reparative Therapy and Ex-Hate Ministries Fail."\nGay rights groups have also derided the study as statistically inaccurate, claiming the subjects were "hand-selected." According to the HRC, only 17 percent on the men and 55 percent of women tested said they were "entirely heterosexual" following five years of treatment. The HRC also warns against the psychological aspects associated with conversion therapy.\nAccording to clinical studies conducted by the American Psychiatric Association, individuals seeking conversion therapy can do so as a result of homophobic social biases. The report suggests that gay men and lesbians who are able to accept their orientation positively are better adjusted than those who attempt to "change" their sexuality. \nThe APA publicly condemned the practice in 1998, stating conversion therapy fails to recognize alternative approaches to dealing with social stigmas against homosexuals.\nThe HRC study went on to claim religious political organizations utilize the issue of homosexuality to attract benefactors. It cited the use of political advertisements featuring "converted heterosexuals" subsidized by religious groups as an example.\nIn one such advertisement, Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott compares homosexuals to alcoholics, kleptomaniacs and sex addicts. \nThe HRC further attacked Spitzer's study, claiming 43 percent of the subjects were recommended by ex-gay ministries.\nManipulation lies at the root of such organizations, said Doug Bauder, coordinator of student services in IU's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Office.\n"We all want what's best for our kids, but it's a misunderstanding, a control thing," Bauder said. "That often stems from a family's conservative religious background, and those family and religious ties run very deep."\nIt's an experience to which Bauder himself can relate.\n"With prayer, reading and conversation with others I began to hear God's voice telling me, 'Doug, I'm not expecting you to change, I'm just expecting you to live your life honestly, authentically and responsibly.'" \nFor Bauder, living within those parameters means maintaining healthy relationships and behaviors. He believes sexual orientation exists separate of the freedom to modify those behaviors, and to change that integral part of a person's composition would prove destructive and dangerous.\nBut for others such as Mandeville, positive benefits can surface from involvement in such groups.\n"It helped me learn about myself and decide what I really believe," he said. "I don't think it was the most safe, productive way to do this, but it worked for me. I still had a hard time coming to terms with it even after I left, but I knew that an ex-gay ministry wasn\'t for me. "\nBauder maintains other, healthier alternatives exist to conversion therapy, however. \n"If people are unhappy with their lives, there can be ways to assist in that," Bauder said. "But this is about an attempt to change a person's nature."\nMandeville agrees. "Like a lot of other people I\'ve talked to, I think you can change behavior, but not who you are," he said. "The mind is very powerful and we can convince ourselves of almost anything we want to. If a person really believes they have changed and they are happy, then fine. But I believe we are whole and perfect as we are. There\'s nothing to fix."\nCourage International, a Roman Catholic ministry aimed at assisting individuals in overcoming homosexual tendencies, discourages labels such as "gay" and "lesbian," claiming such generalizations lead people to believe they are locked into a specific sexual preference. The group claims some people, especially young adults, are "able to further their psychosexual development with spiritual and psychological aid," according to the group's Web site.\nThe group further defines such labels as "reductionist" methods of referring to individuals. Courage claims all people are "first and foremost children of God," and referring to them as gay or lesbian implies an unchaste lifestyle.\nThe National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality adheres to such perceptions, stating social and psychological factors may influence sexually curious young adults by encouraging labeling. \nThe keys to change, NARTH asserts, are "desire, persistence, and a willingness to investigate the conscious and unconscious conflicts from which the condition originated." While NARTH acknowledges change might come slowly, they claim clients gradually "grow into" their heterosexual potential.
(05/31/01 1:44am)
Emerging as a testament to a recent six-year endowment campaign, IU has claimed a place among the top 2 percent of colleges and universities in the nation in terms of private and philanthropic support. According to a national study conducted by the Council for Aid to Education, IU's endowment now ranks in the top 15 among public universities.\nThe honor also places IU in a position to better lure both students and faculty away from smaller private universities, who often have larger privately-funded endowments said IU spokesperson Sue Dillman.\n"Any time the university is able to increase the amount of private support, it creates more buying power for us," Dillman added. "Thus we are able to attract and keep top-notch faculty."\nDillman also noted that since incoming students often base college decisions on the reputation and quality of specific programs, the professional faculty and staff must be of the highest caliber. A high private endowment reflects that quality, she said.\nBut because IU is a public university, it faces difficulty in competing with private colleges. IU, as a state university, depends largely on the state government's budget. Additionally, when public universities lose top faculty members to the lure of private institutions, finding a suitable replacement isn't easy. "Long-term damage" to the university's reputation can often result. \n"Public colleges are essentially being raided (by private colleges)," Dillman said. "We not only want to protect what we have here, but enhance our assets as well. We want to go out and be competitive."\nA large private endowment facilitates such competition, a fact recognized and heeded in July 1994 by the IU Foundation when it kicked off a six-year fundraising campaign. The efforts, which concluded in December 2000, "raised the quality of the campus across the board," said out-going IU Chancellor Ken Gros Louis.\nThe campaign exceeded its goal of $350 million by 44 percent, according to IU President Myles Brand. It included gifts and pledges for endowment, annual support for current spending, and non-governmental grants.\nEndowments "enhance, rather than replace" state funding, Brand said. \n"Since endowments are invested, they create an ongoing, permanent source of funding for faculty and student support," Brand said.\nNow IU leads the Big Ten public universities in the number of endowed faculty positions, with 333 chairs, professorships, and curatorships. It ranks eighth among Big Ten universities and 14th among all public universities in terms of endowment market value. IU ranked 19th among all universities, 7th among private universities and 4th in the Big Ten in terms of total voluntary support.\n"Alumni loyalty is indeed part of (the voluntary giving)," Dillman said. "But one cannot diminish in any way the contributions made by faculty and staff at IU. This is an expression of faith and support for the institution for which they work."\nBruce Jaffee, associate dean of academics for the Kelley School of Business, said the advantages of private giving are two fold. Private giving provides more money for scholarships and fellowships, hence allowing the university to compete for the nation's best students, as well as attracting the best faculty possible.\nJaffee also indicated private giving allows a public university to rely less on state support. Because IU's share of the state budget has been declining, Jaffee says the university must compete with private institutions either through tuition increases or private giving. \nHe cited other Big Ten schools such as the University of Michigan as examples of public institutions that have strayed from the ideal of "broad accessibility," which promotes a broad student body. \n"What can really change a college or university or maintain its quality is the student body," Jaffee said. "The endowment allows us to select the best and brightest students, and that can counteract almost anything else"
(05/24/01 1:28am)
I'll admit it. I'm not your typical race fan. \nI don't own stock in Old Milwaukee, and I'm horribly inept with a beer bong.\nI wear Kenneth Cole heels with jeans and I'm more likely to sport a sundress on race day than the requisite airbrushed Earnhardt commemorative tee.\nBut here it is, kids. I am absolutely, positively and inconceivably enamored of racing. I've watched the Brickyard 400, the Daytona 500 and the infamous Indy races since I was old enough to send my tiny Matchbox #3 racecar flying across the living room.\nIn fact, I'm 50 percent deaf in my right ear, thanks to the countless Saturday nights spent as an impressionable young tomboy in the stands of the Haubstadt, Ind. Motor Speedway drag races. \nTake one look at me and you'd never believe it. But I'm proud to be a Southern girl, and in claiming that honor I admit my obsession.\nI will be on the infield of the Indianapolis 500 Sunday afternoon, partying with the best of them. I'll be there when Steven Tyler croons the national anthem and as the gentlemen start their engines. I'll mingle in the midst of the deliciously inebriated revelers, paying homage to an Indiana legacy and tradition no self-respecting Hoosier should deny. \nIt's been the pride of Indianapolis since 1911, when Ray Harroun won the first running at an average speed of 74.602 miles per hour. Since then, the stakes have changed; the cars have gotten bigger, faster, more aerodynamic and the speeds have reached dizzying heights. In 1990, Arie Luyendyk swept the finish line at an average speed of 185.981 mph. I get carsick driving 90 in my Toyota. Imagine trying to maintain control of a car at a speed of twice that. Qualifying speeds often exceed 225 mph. \nThe drivers have changed as well. This year, standout Sarah Fisher will start the race in the number 15 position in her run for the Borg-Warner Trophy, attributing to the ever-increasing presence of women in the sport of racing. \nYes, sport. Racing is a sport. Sure, these guys might not be considered "athletes" in the traditional sense of the word. Their bodies might not be in peak condition. But every day, they stare death in the face. Facing the mental monotony of staying alert lap after lap, they depend on a twist of machinery and metal to propel them across the finish line safely. They rely on razor-sharp instincts and reflexes to react to the slightest perceptible shift in wind direction.\nThese men and women are finely-tuned racing machines, programmed to compete, to win. Racing is at once their profession and passion. Every corner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is different, and drivers have to learn to compensate for those tiny idiosyncrasies. \nThey must maintain a constant focus on the track, on its surface, on their surroundings. They have to monitor their fuel and temperature levels; they must pay particularly close attention to traction, to tire performance. The slightest misstep or overcompensation could cost a victory -- and their lives. \nWhen the checkered flag flashes Sunday in the waning Indianapolis light, only one driver will claim the winning title. With that win, he or she will assume a coveted position in sports history and emerge a role model for countless young Indy hopefuls.\nAnd while I won't be among those starstruck few, I'll be standing on the infield in my heels and jeans, enjoying the debauchery, imbibery and celebration that defines the Indianapolis 500.
(05/21/01 2:44am)
Mark Pitman's home is warm and inviting. Modestly decorated, it's not in the most wealthy section of town. Yet Pitman is proud of his home and what it's built upon. His tone is affectionate as he describes the principles governing life in his quiet house on the south side of town: love, respect and humility. \nPitman pauses by the upright piano. His eyes graze across the framed photographs covering the top shelf as he speaks softly of a family history steeped in abusive behavior, addiction and compulsion. His breath catches and his words stop momentarily as he picks up a picture of his mother, Barbera Allen, and sister, Donnetta Adams. The women are simply posed; his sister stands confidently, smiling frankly, eyes focused on the camera's lens. His mother is seated next to her daughter, her face lined with a lifetime's joys and trials. \nThe image, captured two years ago in early 1999, belies the turmoil facing both women in their struggle with domestic violence. For Adams, it was simultaneously a fight against her abuser and an inner struggle to create distance from a man she both loved and feared. For Allen, it was a desperate attempt to protect her child. Both would struggle in vain. \nOn September 18, 1999, despite a court order forbidding him to contact Adams, James Hoard killed both women, including Adams's unborn child. He then turned the trigger on himself, closing the final chapter in a life of criminal behavior, of obsession and regret.\nIt's been a long road for Pitman. He admits he's had to grieve, to heal. He's sought therapy, he's read countless books on grieving and loss. It's been two years, yet he's beginning to move on, committing himself to advocacy of domestic violence education and legislation. This year, he's emerged as a principal resource for Bloomington's Middle Way House, drawing on personal experiences in speaking at various community events and engaging in marches and rallies. \nWhile Pitman acknowledges bureaucratic headaches often hinder women from taking the measures necessary to protect themselves from batterers, he lauds education as a primary goal in the fight to end domestic violence. Only when women are educated and encouraged to take action, without fear of redress or harm, may they begin to recover their autonomy, and in effect, themselves.\nHe lauds new legislation, recently signed by Governer Frank O'Bannon, as an example of such measures. Senate Bill 518, authored by Sen. Murray Clark, R-Indianapolis, will eliminate filing fees -- which vary from county to county and can often exceed $100 -- for victims wishing to obtain protective orders against abusers. The bill will also allow companies to file on behalf of their employees, thus alleviating at once financial burden and allowing women to feel protected while in the workplace.\nHe said such legislation would have provided women like his sister with additional options. Although Adams was personally able to pay filing fees, she repeatedly rescinded those protective orders. \nMiddle Way House Director Amy Woods worked with Adams during her stay at the women's shelter and said Adams knew that other women had filed ineffective protective orders against Hoard. Coupled with her "terrifying love" for Hoard, the ineffectiveness of those measures left Adams feeling helpless, Woods said.\nWoods cited such instances as a result of "ongoing failures of the system." If woman has even just one bad response from police in enforcing protective orders, the idea of reporting a violation seems fruitless, she said. While enforcement can in fact be performed very well, it often depends entirely on the enforcement team. \nAdams' plight is one shared by countless victims of domestic abuse. Torn between dependence and fear, these women oscillate between love and hate. They obtain protective orders repeatedly, only to rescind them as a result of violent threats. Pitman said only education will allow women to break the bonds of dependency and free themselves of abusive relationships. \n"It's easy to use the system as a scapegoat for your own weakness... when you rely on someone else for your significance and security, when that's your sole reason for living, you become a victim," Pitman said. "Donnetta didn't know she was that victim; she was just trying to survive."\nPitman and Woods aren't alone in celebrating the legislation. The overwhelming statewide consensus among shelters and crisis center is one of support.\n"It's a great program that's going to say a lot to the victims, as well as to batterers," said Kim Denton of the North Central Indiana Rural Crisis Center in Rensselear. "Someone is finally standing up for women, saying we're not going to tolerate (abuse) anymore."\nWoods said the legislation will be a powerful tool in breaking down barriers preventing women from seeking protective orders. Often, she said, women feel "twice victimized" because they must essentially pay for protection. Clark's legislation will eliminate the possibilities for determent facing victims of abuse, she said.\nCandice Perry, legal advocate at the Albion Fellows Bacon Center in Evansville, often deals with women in need of protective orders and assists with filing procedures. Although the orders are difficult to enforce, she said they are the "best first step" in getting protection. And Perry lauded the clause allowing employers to file on behalf of employees as particularly important. That option, she said, shows concern for the safety for both the victim and the work environment. \nWoods agreed, noting that often women feel a "false security" in the workplace when in fact they are often most at risk there. Clark's legislation will eliminate those myths, she said.\n"When you're in the fog, taking one step seems scary -- let alone walking through whole woods," she said. "Any barriers we can eliminate for women will allow women to better utilize the option of a protective order."\nBut Denton said the road ahead will be rough.\n"Protective orders aren't always completely effective because it is just a piece of paper," she continued, noting that her crisis center serves primarily rural couties. \nIf a man physically violates a protective order, she said the time elapsing between a 911 call and an officer's on-scene arrival is too great to prevent violent action. \nPitman agreed. \n"When an abuser is bent on contacting his mate, despite a protective order, nothing between hell and high water will keep him from doing that," he said. "A protective order will simply not work. \n"That's where education comes in; women have to stop making themselves victims."\nJennifer Ulrich, legal services advocate for Middle Way House, said while Clark's legislation is a positive step, an overwhelming need exists for additional legislation focusing on increasing penalties for violation of protective orders. Punishment standards now include up to one year in jail and minimal fines, Ulrich said. She advocates increasing the crime's categorization from a misdemeanor to a felony.\nSenator Clark said one shouldn't regard his legislation as solely concerned with facilitating access to court processes. The bill also deals with the effectiveness and enforcement of issues related to violations, he said.\n"We create generational problems in families when we don't nip this problem," Clark said. "This is one of the most significant problems in the criminal justice system, and we need to attack it."\nClark also said proposals could surface during the next legislative session doing away with all types of protective orders excepting those involving personal relationships and potential violence. In narrowing the scope for obtaining protective orders, Clark said he hopes to increase visibility on issues of domestic violence.
(05/21/01 1:24am)
The group crowding the Lincoln Room of the Lilly Library wasn't typical, to say the least. \nThe class was small, perhaps 10 people at the most, and the atmosphere relaxed and informal. Some students scrawled furiously on legal pads, while others jotted random notes and phrases on tattered napkins. A few peered at the lecturer over half-rimmed bifocals, while others still toted folding canes -- not exactly the sort of fare you'd expect to find in an IU lecture hall. \nYet they all focused their gaze upon the woman standing before them, faces fixed at rapt attention. For two hours on a lazy Saturday afternoon, they abandoned responsibilities of work, of children, of commitment, to gather at the Lilly Library to share a mutual interest of Civil War history.\nTaught by public historian Cinda May, Saturday's lecture, entitled "Never Shall I Forget the Scenes I Witnessed There: Echoes of Civil War History," is one of a series of short-term non-credit courses periodically offered by the School of Continuing Studies. Open to all adults, regardless of educational background, the courses are informally structured and allow interested adults access to renowned historians, professors and experts for a nominal fee. Subject matter spans from early Victorian literature to "Singing for Amateurs," and various trips to historic sites are offered as well. \nAccording to Ron White, director of the Bloomington Division of Continuing Studies, the program will be implementing many new noncredit courses during the fall semester. Stemming from a desire to better serve community interest, such courses will often coincide with various community events. Examples include a course on world music conducted in conjunction with the Lotus Music Festival and a course on the art collections of Herman B Wells. \nCourses in e-commerce, management skills, computer science and the architectural history of Bloomington have also been proposed for the fall semester. The sessions will be held at various locations throughout the community to be announced later in the summer. Interested individuals may direct questions concerning courses, fees and registration to the School of Continuing Studies at 855-5108.\nSaturday's course allowed participants to explore the Civil War in a local context. May, formerly Assistant Head of Public Services at the Lilly Library, focuses her research on the anti-slavery movement in Indiana and Ohio and utilized the writings of soldiers, physicians and ranking officials in various volunteer regiments throughout Indiana to present a multi-faceted view of camp life, warfare, politics and popular culture. Saturday's class was the second Continuing Studies course she has taught on the subject of Civil War history. \n"One of my favorite things has always been using artifacts to engage people in history and learning," May claimed. "I think history is much more real if people can actually see a piece and not just read or hear about it."\nAmong the artifacts presented to achieve that end were the lifemask and sculpted hands of Abraham Lincoln, created during his presidential campaign in 1860. Cast in a rich bronze, the pieces accentuated May's discussion of the struggle at Antietam. They accompanied the presentation of a list of prisoners accused of desertion at that battle, as well as programs from the dedication ceremony at Gettysburg. \nThe class also featured items from the Lilly Library's collections, including Robert E. Lee's General Order No. 9, which ordered the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, the diaries and letters of Indiana soldiers, maps, photographs, music and prints. \nParticipant Carol Banach has taken Continuing Studies courses in the past and deemed Saturday's presentation "particularly interesting." A self-proclaimed Civil War buff, Banach lauded the ability of the Continuing Studies program to present in-depth examination on a variety of subjects and noted she plans on taking similar courses in the future. \nMay said she was pleased with Saturday's turnout, noting smaller classes offer opportunities for more careful study of artifacts and documents. \n"Small groups are great," May said. "They're less formal and we can see things more closely. In a larger class, it's more difficult to actually present what the Lilly has to offer"
(05/21/01 1:21am)
Following a year of concerts, benefits and "late nights" at the Indiana Memorial Union, Union Board is winding down for the summer. The group, IU's largest student programming board, will take a decidedly more laid-back approach to summer programming.\nThe group will continue to sponsor periodic film screenings in the IMU, said Frank Klensch, last year's assistant director for "Live From Bloomington" and a member of this summer's programming board. UB will sponsor a sneak preview of an upcoming comedy, "Sidewalks in New York," May 24 in Whittenberger Auditorium. The free screening begins at 7 pm. \nTom Wailand, an academic-year Union Board director assisting on the summer board, is in charge of the annual Dunn Meadow Concert Series. The Thursday evening concerts will probably feature predominantly local acts, Wailand said. Klensch added that acts particularly featured in last year's "Live From Bloomington" benefits are under primary consideration to perform.\nDirector Andy Proctor, a senior, also indicated plans for a "Destinations" trip are in the works, though no definite dates have been set. \n"We're pretty relaxed right now," Klensch noted. "We're just trying to keep things moving, and toward the end of the summer we'll get together and start brainstorming ideas for next year's activities." \nKlensch said he predicts plans will begin to take shape for next semester's activities beginning in late July. No committees are meeting regularly because of the summer recess. But students interested in next year's activities are encouraged to voice opinions and ideas for summer programming. Additionally, call-out meetings for the various committees and duties will be conducted in late August and early September.\n"If you want to get involved, there's always the opportunity to do that on the programming level," Proctor said. Though Union Board is conducting summer board meetings with voting members only, interested individuals can become involved in summer planning by dropping by the Union Board office in the Student Activities Tower.
(05/04/01 4:21am)
The National Academy of Sciences chose to honor two IU professors at its annual meeting Tuesday with an offer for membership in the prestigious organization. Dr. Lawrence Einhorn, distinguished professor in the School of Medicine, and Elinor Ostrom, Arthur F. Bentley professor of political science, were among the 75 new members elected. \nThe Academy, a private, non-profit confederation of scientists established in 1836, is the federal government's official adviser in matters pertaining to science and technology. It is governed by a 12-member Council and consists of about 1,900 members, according to President Bruce Alberts. \n"This is one of the highest honors that any scientist can receive," said Jenny Wenger, media relations associate for NAS, said. "This the culmination of a very distinguished career."\nTen IU faculty have been recognized as members by the NAS. Einhorn and Olstrom are the only members from IU selected this year, according to George Vlahakis, manager of media relations for IU.\nOstrom, co-director of the IU Center for the Study of Institutions, came to IU in 1966 after receiving her Ph.D. in political science from the University of California at Los Angeles. She has held positions as chair of the department of Political Science and co-director of the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, and has a part-time faculty appointment to the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.\nShe has also served as president of the American Political Science Association, the Public Choice Society, the Midwest Political Science Association and the International Association for the Study of Common Property. Ostrom also served on the editorial boards for numerous political publications and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1991. In 1999, she was awarded the John Skytte Prize of Sweden's Uppsala University, the first woman to do so.\nEinhorn, a medical oncologist, focuses his research on developing a chemotherapy treatment for disseminated testes cancer. His work in thwarting this strain, the most common in young men, has led to a distinct increase in cure rate, according to the IU School of Medicine.\nA distinguished IU professor since 1987, Einhorn also specializes in other types of urologic cancer, as well as lung cancer and other tumors.\nHe came to the IU School of Medicine in 1973 after receiving a bachelor's degree from IU and an M.D. from the University of Iowa. Upon completion of his residency at the IU School of Medicine, Einhorn performed hematology and oncology fellowships at the IU School of Medicine and the M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute in Houston, Texas.\nFor his research efforts, Einhorn has been awarded the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award for Cancer Research, the 1983 American Cancer Society Medal of Honor, the 1990 Karnofsky Lectureship of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the 1992 Kettering Prize for Cancer Research, subsidized through the General Motors Foundation.\nDr. Stephen D. Williams, professor of medicine at the School of Medicine and director of the IU Cancer Center, has worked with Einhorn extensively and said he believes his expertise goes far beyond research and laboratory work.\n"He, more than any other single individual, is indicative of the high degree in which we treat our patients," Williams said. "The remarkable thing about Larry is he's known and respected worldwide for his research, but he still sees a good number of patients and is a great doctor. He spends a lot more time in direct patient care than individuals outside (our department) realize"
(04/27/01 5:38am)
Fifteen minutes before noon Thursday, about 20 concerned individuals gathered at the Sample Gates to protest the April 13 publication of a controversial advertisement in the IDS. As the minutes passed, the group expanded.\nDr. Stephanie Kane, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, joined the group about 10 minutes into the demonstration. Her presence was a testament to the protesters' cry, "This is not a black issue." Kane mingled among those angered by the recent publication of conservative activist David Horowitz's ad "Ten Reasons Why Reparations for Slavery is a Bad Idea -- and Racist Too."\nThe group's demands include diversity training for IDS staff, consultation between the newspaper and IU administrators before publishing "racist material" and a public statement by IU President Myles Brand articulating the University's stance on the issue.\nDeeming the Sample Gates the "focal point of campus," graduate assistant for the Office of Multicultural Affairs Antwuan Wallace said protesters chose the the site because it "welcomes students to campus, and we want to stress the inclusion of all students." \nGraduate student Daisy Rodriguez said her primary hopes for the protest lie in deepening awareness and consciousness of issues surrounding students of color. Thursday's demonstration, she said, was not intended to "blame whites" for the advertisement or for the larger racial issues surrounding its publication. Rather, the protest was envisioned as a "form of education" aimed at improving the racial climate on campus, Rodriguez said.\n"The University has made attempts to encourage racial diversity," Wallace said, "but I'm not sure they've fully engaged all groups. This is not just a black issue -- it affects everyone."\nKane agreed, citing the publication of the Horowitz ad as a "hate speech issue." She said the IDS had a responsibility to create a space to place the ad in context -- one the paper did not fulfill. She suggested articles presenting opposing viewpoints to Horowitz could have ran alongside his content, offering a broader forum for discussion.\nAccording to material distributed by representatives of the Black Graduate Student Association, Horowitz's advertisement "attempts to make a mockery out of the issue of reparations for African-American slavery and oppression."\nFurthermore, the material said Horowitz unfairly depicted blacks as greedy and unpatriotic and "dredged up negative and ancient history."\nProtesters also condemned the ad's alleged inaccuracy, claiming that the IDS "failed to verify the facts claimed by Horowitz," according to a Black Graduate Student Association press release.\n"When whites read (such advertisements), their sense of historical reality becomes distorted," said Marlene Munn, Minority Education Associate and graduate student. \nMunn also questioned the ethical components of the IDS' decision to publish the Horowitz ad.\n"I think the IDS was really trying to put us in a reactionary stance," she said. "It failed to frame discussion around those directly affected by the material's publication."\nA majority of participants concurred with this statement, asserting the IDS should have consulted with various diversity and minority groups on campus prior to publication. \n"Far too often, people fail to consider how their actions affect underrepresented groups," picketer Eric Love, a graduate student, said. "They fail to foresee the ramifications of their actions and the uproar caused by them." \nThe IDS was also criticized for its lack of a racially balanced staff. Such homogeneity, protesters claimed, promotes a better campus environment. \n"Look at the staff," Charlie Nelms, Vice President for Student Development and Diversity, said. "Look at the points-of-view represented on the editorial board. The IDS should strive to sponsor forums for free, open debate (by recruiting) throughout the ranks, from reporters to columnists to editorial staffs."\nIDS editor in chief Brooke Ruivivar said the editorial board is open to any student employed by the newspaper, and that all students, regardless of major or race, are encouraged to apply. But she said no student may be part of the editorial staff unless he or she works for the IDS. \nIDS Publisher David Adams agreed with Ruivivar.\n"We would certainly like to have a more racially diverse staff," Adams said. "We welcome that possibility, because a more diverse staff would bring a whole different variety of life-experiences into decisions concerning what's covered."\nNelms also suggested the IDS invite nationally-renowned scholars or distinguished professors to write opinion columns presenting opposing viewpoints about reparations. Nelms said a newspaper's obligation to the public rests in analysis, not mere acceptance. Such efforts would facilitate a greater exchange of ideas and viewpoints, he said. \n"The issue is lack of acceptance," Nelms said. "The notion that Mr. Horowitz is right to be heard -- I accept that. But the bottom line is morality must always trump legality. The moral aspects (of running such an ad) must be considered, and slavery is immoral"
(04/26/01 5:41am)
With bare legs and long blond hair carelessly strewn over one shoulder, Ann Coulter looks like any other 30-something female professional. Her stance is confident, her dress simple yet sophisticated. She's the type of woman people stop to notice, to admire.\nYet appearances can be deceiving. And Coulter has proven she's much more than a pretty face.\nWhen Coulter assumes her position behind a lectern, a camera or courtroom, people stop to listen. \nTuesday night was no different, as Coulter captivated a standing-room only crowd in Woodburn Hall Room 101. Her speech, subsidized by the IU College Republicans, focused on the divided nature of the current United States Supreme Court. Upon her entrance, people in the packed lecture hall stopped conversations, allowing Coulter's rich, throaty voice to fill the air. \nA Washington, D.C.-based political analyst and attorney, Coulter has been called "the Abbie Hoffman of the Right" because of her clever, sharp attacks on liberal ideology. Her recent book, "High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Case Against Bill Clinton," spent eight weeks atop The New York Times bestseller list in 1998. Dubbed "engaging and straightforward prose" by the Times, Coulter's analysis of Clinton's scandal-ridden administration proved a useful tool for conservative journalists calling for his resignation.\nAfter the completion of her studies at Cornell University and the University of Michigan Law School, Coulter worked as an attorney at the Center for Individual Rights, a conservative, public-interest law firm. She has served as legal counsel to Sen. Spencer Abraham, R-Mich., on the Senate Judiciary Committee and as an attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice.\nIn choosing justice appointees, Coulter said President George W. Bush has found himself in a precarious position. Regardless of party labels, either liberals or conservatives will doubtlessly "get the upper hand," she said. \nThe most controversial issues presented before the Court recently have resulted in 5-4 decisions, pitting justices against one another according to political ideology.\n"It's Dunkirk, not D-Day, for conservatives," Coulter said.\nFor liberals, according to Coulter, the Constitution evolves "in ways they like." Policy disputes are not, for Democrats, determined by the laws set forth in the Constitution\nIn contrast, Coulter defined conservatives as "strict constructionists." Their main concern, she said, lies in interpreting the Constitution, not adhering to whims of "left-wing rainbow groups." \nCoulter cited the Civil War amendments of the Constitution as one such example. The amendments and accompanying statutes, she said, clearly prohibit government discrimination on the basis of race. Liberals, she claimed, twist the phrase to allow discrimination "against disfavored races" in contrast to conservatives, who take that statement at face value. \nOne more "bad appointment" to the bench, Coulter said, would result in "preposterous racial discrimination according to principles of criminal law."\nCoulter also addressed free speech, noting the Supreme Court pays little attention to pornographic or blasphemous material. Rather, political speech is met with suspicion and skepticism, she said. \n"Today it's easier to pander obscenity than engage in political speech," Coulter said. "With virtually no consultation and unlimited funds, you can make videos of the 'Debbie Does Dallas' variety, yet current campaign finance laws prohibit you from exercising your right to free speech if it exceeds $2000."\nUnless Bush can "sneak another Clarence Thomas or Antonin Scalia" past the United States Senate, Americans might face more sanctions on political speech, Coulter said.\nIU College Republicans treasurer Willie Sutherland, a senior, said the Bloomington community was instrumental in orchestrating the event. The IU Student Association donated $1,500 to help bring Coulter to campus. Young America's Foundation, an outreach group of the conservative movement, provided $2,000.\nCollege Republicans raised the remaining funds. Its principal benefit, a dinner with Monroe County Republicans, brought Rep. John Hostettler (R-8th) to Bloomington and raised nearly $1,000. \nSophomore Josh Claybourn lauded Coulter's "fiery, passionate" speaking style, noting her ability to "draw a good crowd."\n"She's young, and her message is relevant," said Claybourn, College Republicans secretary. \nSutherland said he agreed. \n"She really knows how to get to the point," he said. "She's able to show why liberals are wrong, and her conservative message is just resounding"
(04/19/01 4:18am)
Recent autopsy reports indicate alcohol contributed to the death of freshman Berkley Branson Saturday. Branson was fatally injured after reportedly exiting a moving vehicle driven by Matthew Willett of Evansville.\nVanderburgh County Coroner Donald Erk said alcohol was involved in the accident, which occurred on a rural Evansville road early Saturday morning. \nHe attributed Branson's death to lacerations of the liver caused by blunt force trauma suffered when Willett's truck ran over her midsection. \nAccording to a statement by the sheriff's department to the Evansville Courier, Branson's blood-alcohol content was .26, almost three times the legal limit.\n While Erk could not disclose Branson's blood-alcohol content, he said he could not dispute the Courier's statement.\n "It's just one of those situations (in which) alcohol obviously played a part," Erk said. "The bottom line is if she hadn't been drinking, she may not have jumped out of the vehicle."\nWillett's blood-alcohol level was .08, under the legal driving limit of .10 mandated by Indiana state law. No charges have been filed against him. \n Lieutenant Stephen Bequette of the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Department confirmed Branson had been drinking, but would not comment further. \n Bequette said the case will be turned over to the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor's Office for review early next week. \n Erk said he believes some sort of charge will be filed against Willett, although the decision to do so rests upon the county prosecutor.\nVanderburgh County Prosecuting Attorney Stanley Levco could not be reached for comment.
(04/18/01 5:48am)
Editor's Note: This story corrects misinformation contained in the article, "Meeting advocates activism," in the April 4 edition of the IDS.\n"Meet here for gay sex," read the sentence scrawled across a residence hall message board. The statement offended some residents, and they sought redress. The incident was brought before the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Anti-Harassment Team, which served as an intermediary between individuals and offered plausible courses of action.\nEleven years ago, no such outlet existed. Though a similar group existed to assist in racially motivated incidents of discrimination, homosexuals on campus had virtually no means with which to report harassment. \nThe Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Anti-Harassment Team was established in January 1990 by the dean of students and the dean of women's affairs. The Gender Incidents Team was formed in the fall of 2000. \nThe teams have two purposes, according to their mission statement -- to assist and support students and to document information about incidents involving discrimination.\nThe Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Anti-Harassment Team, which meets weekly, deals with issues ranging from hate crimes to sexual harassment incidents and handles about 100 cases each semester, said Doug Bauder, coordinator of the offices of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Student Support Services. \nIt consists of faculty and staff possessing expertise in "diversity issues and conflict resolution," Bauder said. \nStudents can contact the team in a variety of ways. An incident report form can be completed and brought to the Office of Student Ethics and Anti-Harassment Programs, 705 E. Seventh St. Gender-related incidents can be addressed by calling 855-3849 or by e-mailing sexism@indiana.edu. Race-related incidents can be directed to reportit@indiana.edu or 855-4463. \nAfter an incident is brought before the team, options for action are debated while a team member contacts the individual who filed the report. The individual meets with members of the team to decide how to pursue the issue, team member Pamela Huggins said.\nPossible courses of action, according to the GLBT Web site, include mediation, educational intervention or referral to external campus offices. These offices include the campus judicial system, the Affirmative Action Office or an appropriate academic department. Students can also file academic complaints or pursue legal recompense, either through campus or community police, attorneys or the Human Rights Commission, Huggins said. \nAfter all intervention, a file is created in which results are detailed and evaluated. These files are then closed, although follow-up options remain for the individual who reported the incident.\nHuggins said that students should not be afraid to report incidents of harassment, and that case proceedings are held in confidence. \n"We want students to report in order to react conscientiously to educate offenders, support victims and, overall, make IU an inclusive and respecting community," Huggins said.\nBill Shipton, co-chairman of both teams, said the collection of data is important, even if nothing can be done about the incident.\n"We know that there are significant numbers of homosexual students on the IU campus," Shipton said. "Unfortunately, we live in a society where homophobia is real, and there needs to be a place for those students to report incidents involving discrimination and harassment.\n"Even if it's an incident where nothing can be done, it's important to collect data about incidents that occur"
(04/16/01 5:38am)
Accompanying her parents to football and basketball games, Berkley Branson fell in love with IU at a young age. \nStrolling around campus and into various buildings and sorority houses with her parents, both alumni, proved fascinating to the ambitious youngster.\nIt was an easy decision to attend IU, and she entered IU in the fall of 2000 as an education major. \nOn a recent trip home to her hometown of Evansville, the fair-haired freshman told her mother she wanted to be an English teacher. She described how she planned to challenge students; she detailed her desire to interest and engage her pupils in the works of Shakespeare. \nThe former high school soccer standout told her father, a former Little 500 rider, that she wanted to pledge a sorority so she, too, could pedal across the finish line at Bill Armstrong Stadium. \nBut those dreams were shattered early Saturday morning.\nShe was pronounced dead at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville after she reportedly exited a moving pickup truck and was crushed by its rear tires. Evansville Deputy Coroner Annie Groves told the Evansville Courier Sunday that Branson might have exited the vehicle during an argument with the driver, 19-year-old Matthew C. Willett of Evansville. \nAccording to the coroner's report, Branson and Willett had been drinking, but Willett's blood-alcohol level was beneath the state legal limit. Willett was not arrested. \nAdopted at 3 months old, Branson was her parents' only child. Her father remembered her as "always smiling, always giggling." Describing his daughter as loyal and dedicated to her family, Malcolm Branson said his daughter always knew her importance in the lives of her grandparents, and she never failed to call, write or visit them, even while at IU. \nHer days at F.J. Reitz High School in Evansville were marked by success, both in and out of the classroom. In addition to maintaining positions as senior class secretary and features editor of the school newspaper, Branson was a Student Council representative, National Honor Society member and captain of the varsity soccer team. \nJeremy Wolfe, Branson's former coach, met Sunday with members of the 2000 varsity team to discuss the tragedy. Though some players remained close to home after graduation, former teammates flew in from as far as Arizona to pay tribute to the player Wolfe called "a real motivator."\n"She was a tremendous asset for Reitz High School and our soccer program," Wolfe told the Courier Sunday. "It's hard to believe she's not here anymore."\nBranson also possessed a great love for the craft of writing, a passion shared by her mother. \n"She was an excellent writer and deep and caring person," Malcolm Branson said. "She was always thinking of ways to make people feel better about themselves."\nSophomore Andy Shoulders also spoke highly of Branson's selfless character. Though a childhood playmate of Branson, he said he hadn't seen her since their days shared on a preschool playground. Their friendship was rekindled, Shoulders said, while living in Teter Quad this year.\nDuring Shoulders' fraternity pledgeship, he said Branson would often forgo a party to sit with him while he worked at his house. \n"She had a great personality," Shoulders said. "She was always willing to put something down to help someone else. Just the fact that she would forget about partying to sit and talk and listen … I've lost a great friend, and I'm going to miss her a lot"
(04/11/01 4:39am)
Connersville, Ind., is a sleepy town. Beside a smattering of bed-and-breakfasts and the annual citywide fish fry, not much leaves the Fayette county seat, located 110 miles from Bloomington.\nThat is, until Bob Guttman.\nRecognized by his parents as "studious but fun," Guttman spent his boyhood throwing wild pitches in Little League games and traveling to his family's summer cabin on Crooked Lake, Mich. \nNow, almost half a decade later, the "Bob" has been replaced with "Robert." No longer does the baseball-crazed Little Leaguer traipse the streets of Connersville, home to 26,000 Hoosiers and the nation's first high school band.\nToday, the IU alumnus resides in a Virginia townhouse, minutes from the nation's capital and worlds away from his birthplace and the former Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity house, his Bloomington home for three years. Now, the 54-year-old Guttman fills his days grilling prominent diplomats and authorities on political and economic issues facing the European Union.\nHe returned to campus Tuesday to present an award he founded to give something back to the University he loves.\nHe said he realized how he could contribute to success in IU's international studies programs -- by sponsoring, under the financial auspices of his magazine, an essay contest awarding $500 to the best commentary on contemporary European issues. \nThe winning essay was chosen by a panel of four judges, including Guttman.\nGuttman presented the award Tuesday in the Oak Room of the Indiana Memorial Union. He also presented his new book, "Europe and the New Century: Visions of an Emerging Superpower." \nThe book focuses on the changing face of Europe and outlines Guttman's perceptions of what struggles the continent will face in coming decades.\nRoy Gardner, chancellor's professor of economics and West European studies, said Guttman's award is a testament to the strength of IU's relationship with alumni. \n"We always like validation from alumni who have gone on to successful careers in exactly what they studied at the undergraduate level," Gardner said. "Guttman is, in effect and by example, promoting confidence for success in our graduates -- and that's a valuable thing."\nAs editor in chief of the Washington, D.C.-based Europe magazine, Guttman's lifestyle clashes with the quiet days spent in his childhood home and at IU. \nSince graduating in 1968 with degrees in history and political science, Guttman's career has carried him from positions as an economist with the U.S. Department of Commerce to press secretary on Capitol Hill. Over the years, the desire to give back to his alma mater intensified, he said.\nMeanwhile, word of his accomplishments carried back to Bloomington.\nGuttman jumped at the chance to appear on campus in April 2000 as the keynote speaker for Model European Union, when asked by Andrea Ciccarelli, French and Italian department chair.\nThe homecoming proved therapeutic for the overworked editor. For two days, he immersed himself in rediscovering the University. He said the experience forced him to confront IU's influence on his professional endeavors.\nThe son of self-made entrepreneurs, Guttman could have opted to remain in Connersville to manage his family's furniture store. Part of IU's seduction stemmed from the prominence of the business school; Guttman originally envisioned a career in management or finance. But one professor changed that.\nRobert Ferrell, a distinguished professor emeritus of history, stands apart to Guttman as "considerably the greatest influence" in his interest in diplomatic affairs. The author of 50 books on American and European history, including 10 on the life of former President Harry Truman, Ferrell "demanded nothing less than excellence" from his students, a standard Guttman said he strives to uphold.\n"I did indeed hold Bob to a high standard of dedication to his studies," Ferrell said. "Yet I did so precisely because I saw in him a potential rare in undergraduates. I wanted to challenge that."\nAnd challenge he did, Guttman said. \n"Professor Ferrell took me aside and said, 'Look, business isn't for you,'" Guttman said. "He said, 'You have potential to excel in this. You just have to work for it.' So I did. I've never worked quite so hard, in fact, to prove myself." \nThe memory of that encounter never left Guttman. \nApplying the work ethic originating from his experiences at IU, he completed graduate study in international relations and economics with honors at American University in Washington, D.C. He then began working as an economist for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Throughout the 1970s, he assisted Democratic candidates with their presidential campaigns. \n"I helped George McGovern lose twice," Guttman said, laughing. "After Jimmy Carter crushed him in the polls in '76, I decided it was time to move away from any direct involvement in politics -- for a while, at least."\nHe chose to write about contemporary political issues instead. \nIn 1979, Guttman founded Political Profiles, a publishing house dedicated to the creation of a nonpartisan political magazine. A year later, Guttman's company achieved that goal. Political Profiles, an impartial journal chronicling up-and-coming politicians and candidates, premiered in 1980, selling thousands of copies across the United States\nFour years later, at the pinnacle of Profile's success, CNN offered Guttman a position as a political analyst on the weekly program "Inside Politics." He also appeared regularly as a political consultant on "Larry King Live" and had his own Saturday morning commentary on National Public Radio.\nIn 1989, with the success of Political Profiles waning, Guttman accepted Europe magazine's offer for the position of editor in chief. Regarded as the "official magazine of the European Union," Europe was looking for "someone to shed a fresh perspective on the pressing issues surrounding the European continent," according to the magazine's publisher, Willy Helin. \nGuttman has surpassed those expectations. \nIn 1992, he launched the Russian edition of Europe and began writing for the European Union magazine in Tokyo. He contributes to Europe's publications in Milan, Copenhagen, Prague, Tokyo, Berlin and Rome. \nReflecting on these successes after his homecoming last year, Guttman noted the dominant influence his undergraduate experience afforded him. \nBasing his decision to establish the award partially on dwindling interest in western Europe on college campuses, Guttman said "it's nice to see universities like IU attempting to preserve the tradition of European study. Indiana's programs influenced my career tremendously, and I'd like to think I can give back to that somehow, to perpetuate the study of European politics"
