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(01/28/09 4:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’m a former student (class of 2002) who was a loyal patron to Pizza Express while in school. As a graduate of the business school and a current MBA student at the University of Chicago, I wanted to pass along to the owner my concern over the proposed new name. From a marketing perspective, Pizza X does not convey a favorable connotation to consumers. It sounds generic or cheap, which conveys low quality. I asked some co-workers who didn’t go to IU what they thought of the name and I didn’t get a single favorable response.My suggestion is to take advantage of the superior talent in the business school and hold a contest to come up with a new name. I agree with the owner that you don’t want the name to deviate too much from the original, but it must be such that it can be trademarked. I’m not advocating simply a naming contest. I propose that it should actually be a formal business case that is ultimately presented to the owner and faculty of the business school. Instead of using the full $75,000 that was budgeted for the promotion, use $25,000 on promotions and offer $10,000 and free pizza for a year to the winner of the naming contest. The contest should be structured using fundamental business analysis, such as independent market research that predicts what the profitability of changing to a particular name would be and why. This contest will save Pizza Express money on their promotion budget, create a buzz on campus as people develop their ideas, utilize some of the best business minds on any college campus for a real-world business case and ultimately should deliver a more appropriate name than Pizza X.Robert CioffiIU alumnus
(12/04/08 5:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If the progression of industries begging the Department of the Treasury for bailouts has left you increasingly unsympathetic, consider these people the icing on the cake: the ones you’ll be indebted to for 20 years after you graduate.In a recent change to the Treasury’s bailout bill, the government has announced that part of the money will be used to guarantee consumer lending in order to stimulate spending in the economy. Among possible candidates were private student lenders, more than 60 of which have, in recent months, ceased offering loans.The possibility has ignited a heated debate among education circles as to whether the decision places the interests of students at heart. Some wonder whether the money could be better placed. And while the Secretary of Education has already indicated that she will bolster federal loans, some feel that private loans should receive no assistance, or that any bailout package given to private lenders should include more stringent guidelines to benefit students.Critics, such as the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, American Association of State Colleges and Universities and half a dozen similar groups recently sent a letter to the Secretary of Treasury urging his department to reconsider. Their concern is understandable – just last year, a massive scandal broke over conflict of interest between university financial aid departments and private lenders, especially notable since it’s many of the same groups implicated in last year’s scandal that are now cheering the Treasury’s decision.The problem is that most students do not borrow from private lenders, and those who do are uniformly advised to exhaust every federal option beforehand. The only possible justification for a bailout of private education lenders would be that society loses potentially educated workers when students cannot borrow the necessary funds to attend school and that private loans would fill that gap. But if the government wants to spend money to fix this problem, it should lend the money itself, not pay failed third parties to make another go of it.Most consumer markets do not have government agencies already established to help subsidize buying, but education is an exception. With the federal loan program in place, the Treasury already has a vehicle to promote higher education, and therefore does not need to bail out private lenders. It does not need to, in essence, pay them to continue trying to earn money.Indeed, the possibility of a bailout would tempt any rational lender into feigning a great deal more helplessness than is accurate – only once it is clear that private lenders have to fend for themselves will they try to fix the mistakes that landed them in hot water.Meanwhile, if some students still need additional funds, even after a possible expansion of the federal loan program, they might the unfortunate choice of attending less expensive schools or finding alternate funds. However, the theory that failed lenders must be propped up to facilitate buying was Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s death sentence, and there comes a point where enough is enough.Uncle Sam can only do so much.
(12/04/08 2:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>WEST LAFAYETTE – Authorities believe that the man found dead behind a Purdue University residence hall was a student who apparently jumped from one of the building’s upper floors.Tippecanoe County Coroner Donna Avolt said Wednesday that the man died from multiple blunt force injuries caused by a “high velocity impact.”Purdue said officials were checking the fingerprints of the deceased man with those of a student believed to be missing in an effort to confirm his identity.A service worker discovered the body at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday near the loading dock of Hawkins Hall on the West Lafayette campus.Hawkins Hall houses graduate students and undergraduate students who are at least 20 years old.
(12/03/08 2:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Tippecanoe County Coroner and the Purdue University Police Department are investigating the death of a man found behind a Purdue University residence hall early Tuesday morning.A service worker discovered the body at 5:20 a.m. Tuesday behind Hawkins Hall, said Jeanne Norberg, spokeswomen for Purdue.The residence hall typically houses graduate students, Norberg said, but she said she does not believe any students saw the body.The man did not have any identification on him.The coroner said it does not appear that foul play was involved, and his death is still being investigated, Norberg said.
(12/02/08 3:59pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Tippecanoe County Coroner and the Purdue University Police Department are investigating the death of a male found behind a University residence hall early Tuesday morning.A service worker discovered the body at 5:20 a.m. today behind Hawkins Hall, said Jeanne Norberg, spokesperson for Purdue University.The residence hall typically houses graduate students, Norberg said. She said she does not think any Purdue students saw the body.The male did not have any identification on him, Norberg said.The coroner told the University it does not appear foul play was involved in the death, Norberg said. The death is still being investigated.
(11/24/08 5:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The faces have come, and mostly gone, for Kyle Taber. The faces of coaches, the faces of players, the faces of countless assistants. But Taber has remained, this 6-foot-8 forward from Evansville that has endured slightly fewer knee surgeries (2) than coaching changes (3). But to say Taber, who put up with so much just to live every Indiana boy’s wildest dream, has gotten to taste true IU basketball tradition wouldn’t be fair. No, for five years of training, rehabilitation, scout-team work and the punchline that comes with being an end-of-game substitute, Taber gets this – a throwaway season Hoosier fans can’t wait to end before it even begins. Surely, the man deserves more than that. After fighting so long to earn respect and playing time, this is his end-game. These are the goodies.Make no mistake, Taber won’t complain. His high school coach says it’s just not in him. “He’s just a throwback (kind of player). He’ll be a great leader for those young guys,” said Brent Chitty, Taber’s coach at Evansville Central. “He’s a positive guy. He doesn’t get down. He never becomes a problem, he’s a solution.”Taber himself admitted he thinks from time to time about his long career at IU, made even longer by all the injury and turnover. Still, he wouldn’t trade a minute, and Chitty said Taber tells him he’s thankful for the entire experience. “I think about it sometimes,” Taber said. “I had a lot of good times the previous four years.”Taber came to IU in 2004 as a walk-on to Mike Davis’ second-to-last Hoosier squad. A knee injury forced him to take a redshirt, and he sat at the end of the bench for most of the next two years. It wasn’t until last year, under then-coach Kelvin Sampson, that Taber finally won a scholarship, and with it more court time as Sampson looked for post players to compliment D.J. White. He became a reliable frontcourt presence, though his numbers (1.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG) remained modest. Then things fell apart. Players started melting away, some to the NBA, others to graduation. Sampson resigned, Dan Dakich took over and was then replaced by Tom Crean. Still more players were shown the door for myriad disciplinary reasons, and suddenly Taber found himself standing alone, like the last soldier defending the Alamo. Only walk-on guard Brett Finkelmeier, who is now Quinn Buckner to Taber’s Kent Benson, remains from last season. Ask Chitty, and he’ll tell you the Hoosiers couldn’t have a better man holding down their fort. “He’s a great kid, hard worker,” Chitty said by phone. “Would do anything for anybody, no doubt about it.”Chitty, who coached both Taber and his brother, called Taber “a rare breed,” the type of player who works hard at every aspect of his game. The coach said in high school, Taber was relentless in his pursuit to get better at his defense, rebounding, post play and all things that typify the quiet frontcourt player. Perhaps it speaks to the kind of person Taber is that Chitty’s favorite memory of one of his prized pupils came when Taber showed rare but warranted emotion when he hit a game-winning shot against Evansville Reitz. Taber scored off a rebound to bring Central within one point, then he grabbed a loose ball and stepped into what Chitty estimated to be a 17-footer – “Nothing but the bottom of the net.”“He was jumping up in the air,” Chitty said. “He was so excited.”To this day, coach and player speak about once a week – usually on Thursdays – and they have lunch when Taber returns to Evansville.Chitty has gotten his former standout’s take on this year’s Hoosiers – full of talent – and Taber’s humility at being the face of a program steeped in history and tradition. Whether humility will allow him to accept that mantle or not, Taber’s focus is squarely set right now on being part of a rebuilding effort that’s starting from the ground up.“This is the thing I can effect now,” Taber said. “You can’t change the past.”But everything, Chitty said, always comes back around to Taber’s character, which the coach said is unmatched by any player he’s ever had. “He is the boy that all moms and dads want their daughter to bring home,” Chitty said with a laugh, but also the confidence that he’s right. Hoosier fans everywhere are bunkered down for a long season marked more often by frustration than success. But Chitty knows Taber, and he knows the fight the forward possesses. Maybe it’s his character, maybe it’s his tenacity, maybe it’s just that he’s put up with too much to let it end so quietly. But one way or another, Chitty expects Taber to go out fighting. “Either you sit on the ropes or you come out swinging,” he said, “and I think Tabe’s gonna come out swinging.”
(11/21/08 4:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Anybody who has gone on a guided tour of IU has probably heard the Crest story. Yes, IU invented Crest toothpaste. But there’s more.The thing you bite on for a dental X-ray? Invented at IU. Ever complain about Oncourse? IU invented that, too.IU has developed some pretty useful stuff. From medicine to information technology, it’s safe to say Crest toothpaste is not the extent of IU’s contribution to the civilized world.But inventing something isn’t just about coming up with a great idea. There’s a lot of red tape involved, and it’s not cheap.“The patent process takes years,” said Dave Wilhite, business development manager at the IU Research and Technology Corporation in Indianapolis. “When all is said and done, the cost of development could get up to $250,000.”That’s where the IURTC comes in. It helps to facilitate patents for new inventions, as well as licensing those patents to companies that can pay for the development.While they might see between 150 and 200 disclosures of inventions ideas a year, a much smaller number actually reaches the patent application stage. The reason lies in the strict legal criteria that determines what is technically an invention. An invention must be novel, usable and non-obvious to someone in the profession, Wilhite said.“If you have a biochemist with a Ph.D., their invention is going to be non-obvious to a construction worker,” he said. “But it also has to be non-obvious to someone else with a Ph.D. in biochemistry.”The IURTC is a relatively new resource for IU inventors, but IU’s legacy of invention reaches much farther back.The device patients bite on for a dental X-ray is called a Bite-wing film packet, used for interproximal bite-wing examinations, said Susan Crum, managing editor of IU School of Dentistry publications. It was developed in 1925 by IU graduate and former faculty member Howard Raper.The IU School of Dentistry actually enjoyed a long and fruitful history of innovation, Crest toothpaste notwithstanding.“IU has had a major impact on dentistry in a lot of different ways,” said George Stookey, distinguished professor emeritus and former dean of the IU School of Dentistry.Stookey himself helped develop an anti-tartar diet for exotic animals, which is licensed to Purina Mills and is used widely in zoos.IU dentistry researchers also played a crucial role in getting Indiana drinking water fluoridated. Today, not a single town in Indiana has un-fluoridated water, Stookey said.For some people, these inventions could make all the difference in the world.“One invention we’re working with right now is for cancer therapy, and it’s 20 years in the making,” Wilhite said. “It’s a career’s worth of work going into this invention.”
(11/07/08 4:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was a shot of cultural adrenaline. A taste of international identity. A sampling of more countries than you can shake a maraca at.It was the 2008 IU World’s Fare, and it attracted students of all nationalities and backgrounds. Within minutes, the place was packed.“It’s very crowded and loud,” said freshman Andrew Besemer. “But it’s also very neat.”Booths from 22 different international groups were set up throughout the Indiana Memorial Union’s Alumni Hall, but this wasn’t a bland information session. These groups had activities, giveaways and the quintessential item for attracting the college crowd: food.With a valid student ID, students were able to sample eight different dishes from the various booths. While many students showed up for the free dishes, most tried at least something new.“I’ve tried a lot of the different food, and I’ve liked it all,” said freshman Emily McGillem, who originally came to watch the dancing, but eventually gravitated toward the cuisine.Food aside, the fare also boasted performances from eight different international groups. The performances were kicked off by Bembe, an Afro-Puerto Rican drum and dance group.Ken O’Donnell, a first-year graduate student, thinks music is one of the most important aspects of cultural education.“You can only get so much from a poster or from tasting the food,” he said. “A big part of culture and a big part of national identity is the music.”O’Donnell was a student worker at the Beloit College Intercultural Center during his undergraduate years but said he never experienced a multicultural event of this size and scope.“It’s more than I expected,” O’Donnell said. “From what I can see, everyone is really interested in the booths and having fun.”While the sonic atmosphere created by the various international bands and groups was perfect for creating a multicultural vibe, so was the visual aspect.Participants from most groups were dressed in the traditional or classic attire of their respective countries. To look around and see the array of colors and patterns created by this melting pot of international fashion was an educational experience.Spectators were encouraged to do more than just watch, however. During the opening performance by Bembe, one of the dancers made this clear.“This music is meant to be danced to!” he said.The event kicks off International Education Week, a worldwide celebration that emphasizes the importance of international study and cross-cultural education.Besemer thought this was a fitting way to introduce such an important week.“It’s some pretty cool culture,” he said. “If it still exists, I’ll come next year.”
(10/29/08 2:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The race for the governor’s mansion has been, perhaps, the most difficult to decide. Unlike so many races in Indiana, voters have been presented with two competent candidates, both capable of executing the executive’s tasks. Moreover, it’s not clear either candidate would do much more than that. Mitch Daniels has not done a despicable job as governor. Most impressively, he has abolished the good-ol’ boy style of management that marked eight years of the Frank O’Bannon and Joseph Kernan administrations. In office, Daniels has professionally transformed more than $600 million of deficit into a substantial surplus. But neither Jill Long Thompson nor Daniels is running on a platform of serious change or upheaval. Rather, each takes a relatively moderate approach likely to appeal to traditional voters. In this hard time and in stagnant Indiana, we would like to hear braver, more ambitious rhetoric from both.While the candidates themselves stand out for their scholastic excellence and professional preparedness – Daniels graduated from Princeton and Georgetown and was an Eli Lilly executive while Long Thompson holds a Ph.D. from IU and served as undersecretary of agriculture in the Clinton administration – their lieutenant governor choices leave much to be desired. Becky Skillman, Daniel’s running mate, is Indiana’s own version of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Skillman has no formal college education and was a small-town bureaucrat and state senator before Daniels noticed her, likely for her local appeal to conservative southern Indiana.Dennie Ray Oxley II, Long Thompson’s running mate, is a small-town teacher and state legislator. He, too, seems to have been chosen for his appeal to the conservative southern portion of the state, even when that puts him at odds with Long Thompson over issues such as abortion and civil unions for same-sex couples. We feel uncomfortable at the prospect of either running mate becoming governor.The economy is lackluster, no place more so than in Indiana, where workers make 11.6 percent less than the national average. Compounding this problem, Indiana suffers from severe brain drain. Each year, one-third of its university graduates leave the state for good.Daniels has succeeded in attracting a number of jobs to Indiana.But Long Thompson’s proposal to target job growth through green technologies and provide additional incentives to employers who create jobs in the state’s most economically distressed communities is a far more holistic and sustainable approach.By ranking counties into three developmental tiers, Long Thompson’s plan will restructure Indiana government to ensure all Hoosiers are given a chance to participate in the 21st Century Scholars Program.Creating a surplus and attracting new employment opportunities have unquestionably made Indiana, as a whole, a better place. But to pursue this growth, the Daniels administration has grossly overlooked the betterment of individual Hoosiers.To give everyone access to a better future, Long Thompson proposes to bring broadband to every community, including under-served urban areas, within the next few years. Most egregiously, Daniels privatized state welfare. Now, those most likely to be unable to access phones or Internet – the elderly, the indigent, the homeless, etc. – must call or go online to claim the support they need to make ends meet. Long Thompson has spoken out against this privatization for what it is – corporate exploitation of the most vulnerable.Daniels hasn’t governed atrociously, and Long Thompson offers much of the same, fundamentally sound approach to governing.However, her greater respect for all Hoosiers, not just corporations, makes her the best choice.
(10/09/08 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It is clear to the eye that IU mixes modern technology with many traditional, aged buildings.Enter the journalism school and you will see rooms full of Apple computers. Walk east through the Sample Gates and you will be surrounded with buildings that date back to the 1820s, brick pathways and bronze statues of some of the most influential figures of our collegiate environment.One of the campus buildings that best displays the contrast between the times is the Kirkwood Observatory, located at the corner of Kirkwood Avenue and Fourth Street.More than 100 years old, the classic observatory, one of about two dozen in the U.S., was built during the “golden age of astronomy,” when researchers transitioned from solely observing the stars to measuring them, said Caty Pilachowski, who is the Daniel Kirkwood chair in astronomy.Originally designed for observing binary stars, the observatory later became available for “teaching, educating and training,” said Tala Monroe, a graduate student and employee at the observatory. The telescope and dome cost about $7,500, which is now equivalent to about $170,000, according to the department Web site. Visitors to the observatory during the last couple of months have been able to see Jupiter and its Galilean moons, along with star clusters, Monroe said. Star clusters are groups of stars that formed together and are gravitationally bound to one another. There are two types: globular, which can be more than 1,000,000 stars viewed at once, and open, which range from a couple dozen to 1,000 stars, Monroe said.Observers often question whether meteor showers will be visible from the observatory, but Monroe said large, open, dark fields are better for seeing them. Because of the observatory’s location near campus and downtown, lights play a factor in visibility.“The light totem at the Art Museum is a real problem for us because it makes the sky even brighter and makes it harder for people to see things with a telescope,” Pilachowski said, laughing. Kirkwood Observatory is free and open to the public Wednesday nights from March through November. Each showing consists of looking at three different objects in the sky, Monroe said. Graduate students alternate shifts and, because their preferences vary, viewers potentially have the chance to observe different objects each week, she added. The objects change considerably over the months, she continued.Going to the observatory is a “refreshing change from normal nightlife,” said Topher Lang, a senior telecommunications major.The workers are informative and offer the public a chance to learn about astronomy, he added.
(10/07/08 1:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I was thrilled to see two articles dealing with the growing attraction of sustainable food in Thursday’s paper. It is good to know that options other than processed, faceless, chain-store chow are available to eaters in Bloomington. While I’m excited by the fact that students are growing more interested in local and sustainable food, we need to make sure that the University gets on board as well. Though IU likes to cultivate a green image, we are currently squeaking by with a C+ sustainability grade. This is at least in part because IU purchases very little food from local vendors (to date, only apples and bagels). Purchasing local food is a direct way to reduce our carbon footprint and support a more ecologically sustainable system of agriculture. As we worry about climate change, there is no reason why our fruit should be shipped an average of 2,000 miles.By buying local, IU would also bolster the Indiana economy in a time of trouble and help ensure a stable future for Hoosiers. As it stands, though, IU’s reliance on multinational food distributors is supporting an industry that exploits farmers around the globe. For example, banana plantation workers in Nicaragua are paid as little as $1 a day to cultivate and harvest the fruit in our cafeterias. We should be aware of where our food comes from and hold IU accountable. Most importantly, though, we should urge IU to make a financial commitment to purchasing local, sustainably produced food. As a member of Students for Sustainable Food, I am working to show that students care what they eat. This is a perfect time to make our voices heard.Alex SmithIU graduate student
(09/19/08 3:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____> What’s that buzz around campus?That would be the Beading Bee.The Beading Bee is a series of workshops designed to teach students about Native American culture through bead work. Becca Riall, chair of the Native American Graduate Student Association, teamed up with Deeksha Nagar, curator of education for the Mathers Museum, to make these events available throughout the semester. They came up with the idea after hosting similar workshops that received a great deal of interest. “Over the summer we hosted a workshop on Native American bead work that was taught by Maryland Cleveland. It was very successful,” Nagar said. “As people were involved it just seemed natural, and we felt there should be a way for people with interest to meet and learn from each other.”People are encouraged to come and participate whether they are beginners or veterans. Nagar said newcomers will be provided with beading kits from First Nations Education and Culture Center. These workshops are very relaxed and informal. “It’s like if you would go over to your neighbor’s house,” Riall said. The first of three workshops was held Thursday night in the office conference room of the Mathers Museum. The turnout was successful as long-time bead worker Cleveland and other skilled bead workers taught the beginners how to hand-make bracelets with intricate patterns. Cleveland taught newcomers her technique. “My grandma taught me Cherokee with no knots, and it can be cut up and won’t come apart,” Cleveland said. Riall and Nagar said beading is a good representation of Native American culture. “Beading is a bonding tool,” Nagar said. “I’m hoping this could be a gathering to form relationships.” She also said beading is a way to reconnect back with the earth and ease the mind. “If you are tired, worried or agitated, just hold a bead,” she said. Sophomore Adara Middleton and junior Shalana Siniard were among the participants at the Beading Bee. Siniard is an experienced bead worker, and she said she enjoys making a variety of things. “Mostly with beading, I’m kind of off to the side with basket weaving,” she said. Middleton has not been beading for very long, although her family has. “My favorite part is just being with my family,” she said.The Beading Bee received its name because Nagar believed there were many similarities between bead working and bees. She said that finished bead work can resemble a bee hive with all the complex and intricate patterns. Nagar said she also believes that bees are hardworking, just like the people who participate in bead work.The next two workshops will be on Oct. 16 and Nov. 20. Both will be in the office conference room of the Mathers Museum. These workshops are open to the public and free. “I really hope that members of this group can come back,” Nagar said.
(09/12/08 3:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Rising fuel prices have forced cuts in the Campus Bus Service routes, frustrating some students who have to make alternative plans, while many don’t even notice a difference. Campus Bus announced in July that all core routes, including A, B, D, E and X, would reduce services by 19 percent this fall, mostly at night and on the weekends. Some students are still learning about the changes.At about 4:30 p.m. Sept. 5, about 30 students were waiting in line for the X bus, even though the route stopped running an hour earlier due to the cuts.Graduate student Dan Shane said on Sept. 3 that the cutback on transportation services has already had an impact on him. Shane rides the bus almost every day, even during the weekends, and said it was already frustrating to ride the bus before the cuts occurred. But that won’t keep students off the bus, he said.“I think more students will be riding it because it costs more to fill up a tank (of gas),” Shane said.Shane said he will probably consider going home earlier or walking about two miles to get home when he misses the bus.In addition to the increasing price of diesel fuel, operations manager for Campus Bus Perry Maull said cuts are needed to meet an increase in wages along with a 10 percent increase in health care for full-time employees. However, the service only had a 2.8 percent revenue increase, he said. Maull said it is hard to say how the reduction of bus service hours has affected students this fall. Sophomore Laura Kyrk said she feels like the bus service has reduced in general. Kyrk said she would like to go study in the library late at night, but because the Campus Bus stops running at 11 p.m., she doesn’t want to risk walking home late. Junior Jessica Bram rides the B bus about three times a week, but still feels the effects of the service cuts. “I feel like they cut back in general,” Bram said. “(There are) not that many buses, and if there is a bus, it’s full.”Instead Bram has to walk, which sometimes leads to her being late to her classes. Others like sophomore Ryan Pritkin have started to look for alternatives to riding the bus at night.Instead of waiting to catch a bus, Pritkin asks friends who have cars to give him a ride. “I know for a fact that I won’t be able to catch a bus (at night),” Pritkin said.For other regulars, the decrease in services has had no effect at all.Senior Curtis Stout said he rides the X bus almost every day and has no complaints about the Campus Bus Service.“I didn’t notice the difference,” Stout said. “It’s good so far, I guess.”Students who are part-time drivers for Campus Bus are feeling the effect of the cuts. Typically, part-time drivers operate the evening and weekend routes, he said. Full-time drivers are still working 40 hours a week, Maull said. The cutbacks might affect workers more during times when students aren’t on campus and bus services are cut even more, such as during holiday breaks. Maull said workers should consider planning their vacations during times when bus cuts are most severe.
(09/10/08 3:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU School of Informatics says students have nothing to worry about after a recent study done by New York University Stern School of Business and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania found that 8 percent of information technology workers surveyed have experienced offshore-related displacement.In the study, titled “Jobs Beyond Borders,” more than 6,700 workers across the U.S. were surveyed along with more than 3,000 hiring managers and human resources professionals. Though computer programmers and software developers have the jobs that are most likely to be outsourced, the study shows older workers are more likely to lose their jobs than younger workers.At IU, administrators are not concerned.“Offshore outsourcing is a reality; however, sometimes people hear that and they think jobs are going away. But in the whole picture, the technology economy is robust,” said Jeremy Podany, director of career services at the IU School of Informatics. “I have way more jobs than I have students. Last year, coming through our office, we had three jobs for every one student.”As one of the smaller schools on campus, Podany said the School of Informatics has the second-largest job fair. Its job fair on Tuesday will have between 75 and 80 companies in attendance, Podany said. That’s a lot of companies, considering there are only 395 undergraduates in the School of Informatics, said Dennis Groth, associate dean for undergraduate studies for the School of Informatics.“The big problem I have right now is helping the students negotiate multiple offers,” Podany said.By January of their senior year, about 50 percent of students in the School of Informatics will be offered jobs, Podany said. By graduation, 72 percent will have accepted an employment offer or acceptance to graduate school.Many companies also use internships as a hiring path for companies, Groth said.“We’re looking at ways to engage students in professional experience at an earlier age,” he said. “The job search almost begins as a freshman in this particular area. That’s not true in other areas.”Junior Kelsey Yost had an internship last summer where she was a quality insurance tester and ran software for companies. She said the company offered to hire her after graduation.“I got it through the career Web site for the School of Informatics,” Yost said. “The professors are a ton of help. They know there’s a lot of jobs out there. There’s a lot of connections to be made. Several of my professors in the past worked for Microsoft.”Senior Jessica Falkenthal believes her expertise in IT will carry her a long way, and she’s not too concerned with offshore outsourcing.“I feel prepared with my IT training to apply for any job I want to pursue,” she said. “It’s constantly growing. I don’t feel it’s something my classmates should be worried about.”Falkenthal has worked as an intern for the National 4-H Council since the summer after her sophomore year. After her internship, they offered her a job after graduation, and she works about 20 hours a week for them during the school year.Robert Schnabel, dean of the IU School of Informatics, also said the more sophisticated technology is less likely to be outsourced.“In general, the ones more likely to be outsourced are the ones that are commodities,” Schnabel said. “The ones that are less likely are the ones with a high level of skill and a combined expertise and understanding of what that company does.”Groth believes the misconception of IT comes from the aspect that many people don’t understand what IT jobs entail. It’s more than just a job in front of a computer, he said.“It’s an issue of perception,” Groth said. “You have to work with people. You spend more time away from the computer than by it. All the interesting problems require realms and problem solving. It’s something we’re working very hard on to show what it really is.”
(08/28/08 2:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The intersection of 17th Street and Fee Lane is just one area in Bloomington that has been a headache for drivers during the summer months.The city of Bloomington and IU have worked together to fix the area in time for the fall semester. These major upgrades were seen by the state of Indiana as necessary to the improvement of the busy road. This intersection and these roads are extremely vital and are high traffic areas to the IU campus and many pedestrians, said Daniel Lopez, communications director for the city of Bloomington. The construction, which began immediately after IU’s graduation ceremonies in May, was overdue for many upgrades, said Susie Johnson of the Public Works department for the City of Bloomington. “The road curve has been taken out, we’ve added pedestrian friendly improvements such as side paths and upgrades to the traffic signals,” she said. “So, we’re really making some very significant improvements.” The construction has been ongoing all summer and is expected to be finished by Sept. 13, according to the project contract.“The project was awarded by INDOT in the amount of $692,116.06. The city of Bloomington’s portion will be 10 percent of that amount,” Johnson said. IU has also partnered with the city to ensure construction goes smoothly and that traffic problems remain low especially during the busy move-in week. The road which many people rely on was opened and all construction was stopped for Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. “Our government was able to work out an agreement with IU and the project manager to open up the road for move-in and the football game,” Lopez said.All construction and construction workers will be gone and the road will be cleared so it is completely accessible to the high traffic of people moving in and commuting to the bypass. IU Police Department officer Clint Holmstrom said he was glad 17th Street and Fee Lane were opened up for the move in process. Holmstrom, located outside of Briscoe Quad, was one of the many IUPD officers designated to direct traffic outside of the residence halls Wednesday. “If the road wasn’t open, I’d say there would be a lot more confusion and congestion,” he said. “Big time.”Indianapolis resident and parent of a son moving into Briscoe Quad, Dave Gillyan, was appreciative of the police directors. “I was very glad they had police at the intersections,” he said. “It would have been a lot worse otherwise.” Johnson said she expects the project to be finished before the expected end date and that stopping construction for these few days only delayed the project a little. “It’s nice we opened up the road, especially for those people that have never been here before and aren’t sure of which ways to go,” she said.
(08/27/08 2:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As students are welcomed back to IU, ready to settle into their usual Bloomington routine, I find myself having a harder time readjusting than in years past. It’s not because I’m having some sort of existential crises or anything, but because I haven’t been back to Bloomington in more than nine months. In December, I left IU to go home to Chicago, and I boarded a plane to Cairo, Egypt, a month later. My homecoming was slightly disheartening, to say the least. The excitement of being home after four and a half months was muted by how different America was when I left. The last tank of gas I pumped into my car in January cost me $2.72 a gallon. The first one I pumped into my car in June cost me $4.28. Food prices had gone up, quantities had gone down. In the last month alone I watched three “special reports” on various news channels chronicling once-middle-class families being forced to turn to food pantries. Add to that the tension in the air over the 2008 election. I arrived back in the states just as the Clinton and Obama saga was drawing to a long overdue, awkward close. The end result is that we now have a decrepit Bush-Lite Republican candidate and a Democratic candidate who styles himself “A New Hope,” possibly as the result of watching too much Star Wars. I get the vibe I’m not the only one somewhat put off by this year’s election options. To say the least, I was not thrilled with the state of the union when I came home. But then I thought of my time in Egypt. The same problems affecting us hit Egypt (and the rest of the world), too. But might I venture to say it hit them harder. If a prosperous nation like America can be hit by the international food crises, imagine the effects on a country like Egypt, where 40 percent of people live at or below the poverty level. And unlike the American people, Egyptians have a harder time speaking out. While I was in Egypt, I personally witnessed a peaceful pre-planned workers’ strike quashed by riot police, complete with university students being arrested for holding picket signs. In Hosni Mubarak’s dictatorship, there is little or no room for expressing discontent. Makes our complaints about Bush and company pale in comparison, doesn’t it? While young IU graduates might have a harder time finding a job that meets their expectations in this recession economy, Egypt’s youth have to spend years waiting to get married because they can’t find jobs. If they do find jobs, they often don’t pay enough for a young couple to even be able to move into their own apartment. So sure, I didn’t like the way I found America when I came back from overseas. But my time abroad did make me realize – at least here we have the freedom to speak out and take action.
(05/28/08 10:27pm)
Until recently, things were looking bad for students trying to find money for college. These days, credit is notoriously hard to come by, and the market for student loans is no exception. Many companies were thinking of getting out of the market. \nLast week, however, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings outlined an industry-rescue plan to encourage lenders to stay in the program. The bill, recently approved in the Senate, allows the Secretary of Education to purchase student loans issued by companies. This guarantees loans in order to provide more capital for people to go to college. Since this announcement was made, many lenders have decided to return to the program. For many creditors, this agreement was what convinced them to stay in the market. \nThis proposal seems to be well-intentioned, and has the potential to greatly benefit individuals by allowing them to fund a college diploma that they could obtain no other way. In general, it is inarguable that society benefits from a greater number of educated citizens. Having lenders who had previously dropped out return to the program is also a relief to students in the middle of their college careers who will not be left scrambling to find new lenders.\nThere’s also another bonus: Graduates who are less burdened by debt are more likely to pursue what they excel at and enjoy, rather than what’s simply profitable. Society benefits from a myriad of careers that, although not financially lucrative, nevertheless require extensive training and education. The more expensive society makes it for people to graduate college, the less residual benefit it sees. Someone with $80,000 worth of debt to pay down would have a hard time looking into a career as a teacher or social worker, even if that’s what they would otherwise want to do. \nOn the other hand, there are potential problems with these loan guarantees that may be overlooked. The education secretary will be required to purchase any loans presented to the department by private lenders. Lenders will therefore be likely to hand over to the government the borrowers it believes least likely to be able to pay back. The potential for lenders to engage in what is called “moral hazard” seems too familiar to the sort of risky lending that got our entire economy into trouble in the first place. \nClearly, there has to be balance. The government’s interest is in an educated population, not a profitable climate for loans. To that effect, there are other measures to be taken. Perhaps money allocated toward buying and securing loans could instead be better distributed as grants or scholarships specifically geared to those interested in pursuing service-minded careers. Students who plan to graduate into lucrative professions should be less worried by the high prices of loans, as borrowing money for college will simply allow them to make a great deal more after they graduate. Government bailouts are never popular, and while legislators argue that their hand was forced before, here there seems to have been considerably more options – ones that were overlooked.
(05/28/08 10:26pm)
Until recently, things were looking bad for students trying to find money for college. These days, credit is notoriously hard to come by, and the market for student loans is no exception. Many companies were thinking of getting out of the market. \nLast week, however, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings outlined an industry-rescue plan to encourage lenders to stay in the program. The bill, recently approved in the Senate, allows the Secretary of Education to purchase student loans issued by companies. This guarantees loans in order to provide more capital for people to go to college. Since this announcement was made, many lenders have decided to return to the program. For many creditors, this agreement was what convinced them to stay in the market. \nThis proposal seems to be well-intentioned, and has the potential to greatly benefit individuals by allowing them to fund a college diploma that they could obtain no other way. In general, it is inarguable that society benefits from a greater number of educated citizens. Having lenders who had previously dropped out return to the program is also a relief to students in the middle of their college careers who will not be left scrambling to find new lenders.\nThere’s also another bonus: Graduates who are less burdened by debt are more likely to pursue what they excel at and enjoy, rather than what’s simply profitable. Society benefits from a myriad of careers that, although not financially lucrative, nevertheless require extensive training and education. The more expensive society makes it for people to graduate college, the less residual benefit it sees. Someone with $80,000 worth of debt to pay down would have a hard time looking into a career as a teacher or social worker, even if that’s what they would otherwise want to do. \nOn the other hand, there are potential problems with these loan guarantees that may be overlooked. The education secretary will be required to purchase any loans presented to the department by private lenders. Lenders will therefore be likely to hand over to the government the borrowers it believes least likely to be able to pay back. The potential for lenders to engage in what is called “moral hazard” seems too familiar to the sort of risky lending that got our entire economy into trouble in the first place. \nClearly, there has to be balance. The government’s interest is in an educated population, not a profitable climate for loans. To that effect, there are other measures to be taken. Perhaps money allocated toward buying and securing loans could instead be better distributed as grants or scholarships specifically geared to those interested in pursuing service-minded careers. Students who plan to graduate into lucrative professions should be less worried by the high prices of loans, as borrowing money for college will simply allow them to make a great deal more after they graduate. Government bailouts are never popular, and while legislators argue that their hand was forced before, here there seems to have been considerably more options – ones that were overlooked.
(05/28/08 10:26pm)
Until recently, things were looking bad for students trying to find money for college. These days, credit is notoriously hard to come by, and the market for student loans is no exception. Many companies were thinking of getting out of the market. \nLast week, however, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings outlined an industry-rescue plan to encourage lenders to stay in the program. The bill, recently approved in the Senate, allows the Secretary of Education to purchase student loans issued by companies. This guarantees loans in order to provide more capital for people to go to college. Since this announcement was made, many lenders have decided to return to the program. For many creditors, this agreement was what convinced them to stay in the market. \nThis proposal seems to be well-intentioned, and has the potential to greatly benefit individuals by allowing them to fund a college diploma that they could obtain no other way. In general, it is inarguable that society benefits from a greater number of educated citizens. Having lenders who had previously dropped out return to the program is also a relief to students in the middle of their college careers who will not be left scrambling to find new lenders.\nThere’s also another bonus: Graduates who are less burdened by debt are more likely to pursue what they excel at and enjoy, rather than what’s simply profitable. Society benefits from a myriad of careers that, although not financially lucrative, nevertheless require extensive training and education. The more expensive society makes it for people to graduate college, the less residual benefit it sees. Someone with $80,000 worth of debt to pay down would have a hard time looking into a career as a teacher or social worker, even if that’s what they would otherwise want to do. \nOn the other hand, there are potential problems with these loan guarantees that may be overlooked. The education secretary will be required to purchase any loans presented to the department by private lenders. Lenders will therefore be likely to hand over to the government the borrowers it believes least likely to be able to pay back. The potential for lenders to engage in what is called “moral hazard” seems too familiar to the sort of risky lending that got our entire economy into trouble in the first place. \nClearly, there has to be balance. The government’s interest is in an educated population, not a profitable climate for loans. To that effect, there are other measures to be taken. Perhaps money allocated toward buying and securing loans could instead be better distributed as grants or scholarships specifically geared to those interested in pursuing service-minded careers. Students who plan to graduate into lucrative professions should be less worried by the high prices of loans, as borrowing money for college will simply allow them to make a great deal more after they graduate. Government bailouts are never popular, and while legislators argue that their hand was forced before, here there seems to have been considerably more options – ones that were overlooked.
(05/14/08 10:15pm)
Hey folks,
