The Ground Up (a new cigar and coffee shop)

Robert L Francis Jr.
Staff Writer

Unassuming on the outside and warm and friendly on the inside, this is an oasis in a non-smoking world.

With plush leather couches and mahogany wood bar chairs and tables, including a very classy foosball table, the decorum harks back to an age of gentlemen clubs where finely dressed patrons sat sipping their brandy and smoking only the finest cigars. But the ambiance and attitude has more in common with a 60’s beatnik coffee house.

On a stand sits a large brand new LCD screen TV. At the front can be seen the 1967 VOX Beatles sound system with all new speakers. On the other red with gold trim wall, a local artist will be able to display and sell his works for a whole month. A new artist will be chosen each month.

As you enter, you will be greeted by the owners TJ Campbell and Joe Sawyer, who also owns Sawyer’s meats at the farmers market (excellent apple sausage!).

They seem amazingly young at just 21 years old, but they have a lot of business savvy. They decided to open the store together because they work together at Sawyer meats and have a mutual interest in fine quality cigars. They make excellent hosts, being friendly and always open to suggestions. They have created a nice, friendly environment to discuss, study, or just to unwind.

They sell premium high-end handmade cigars ranging from a $1 hand rolled cigar to the $18.25 Cohiba Churchill. If they don’t have the cigar you want, they will buy a box just so you can buy one cigar. Each week, a cigar is chosen as pick of the week and is on sale all that week.

They also sell eight varieties of coffee by the beans: six regular and two decaf.

Coffee of whatever flavor you choose is sold for $1.50 a cup plus all the refills you can handle if you stay in, or $1 for a small, $1.25 for a medium, and $1.50 for a large to go.

There is much happening here. Besides free Internet WIFI and the foosball, there is a different activity each night.

Monday is football on TV, Tuesday is Texas Hold’em poker, Wednesday is going to be hookah night, Thursday is open mic night with poetry and music (acoustic as well as electric guitars and bass, no drums yet) Friday is laid back, Saturday is football, and once a month the Ultimate Fighting Championship on TV.

The Ground Up is open weekdays from 4 to 11 p.m. and Saturday from 4 p.m. to no later than 2 a.m. They are closed on Sunday. They accept cash, debit, or credit. Sorry, Visa and MasterCard only.

Parking is in back or across the street; in front if you have incredible luck.

Richard Diesl Assesses Potawatomi Greenhouse

Terrie Phillips
Campus News Editor

 “It’s part of our heritage,” said Richard Diesl, founder and owner of Glass Garden Builders of Old Lyme, CT. Diesl is an expert in the restoration of Lord and Burnham greenhouses. He travels the country and parts of Canada restoring and building greenhouses.

 Throughout the forum, that was held on Monday August 25 at 4 p.m. in SAC 225, Diesl talked about how much these structures built by Lord and Burnham are a part of our heritage and are irreplaceable.

 The overall assessment for the greenhouse to be in good running condition was about $50,000 to $75,000; this estimate is without the brickwork and pipe work that needs to be done. Diesl said the only things that need to be replaced are some glass pieces and all of the ventilation motors need to be fixed.

 There is some brick work that needs to be done and the heating pipes need to be acid washed. Other than that, Diesl said there was nothing major wrong with the greenhouse.

 Diesl suggested changing how the plants are watered. Going from an automatic system to hand would save money on water. He also suggested turning the heat down to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, “which is actually better for the plants,” he said.

 He also suggested putting in an alarm on the boiler in case it should go out; the alarm would call someone and let them know. Diesl suggested using the growing houses to grow plants to bring in additional revenue. “Exotic plants are going to bring in more money,” said Diesl.

 Diesl said, “this is the first place where someone wants to tear down a Lord and Burnham.” He continued about how these buildings are our heritage and need to be saved. “There will never be another greenhouse like it,” he said, “because they just are not made like that.”

 The greenhouse and conservatories with all the different types of exotic plants is worth in the millions. Diesl estimated without the plants, about 30 to 60 million to tear down.

 The worth of the greenhouse far exceeds the cost of keep the greenhouse running. Diesl made that clear at the meeting. To help the keep the greenhouse, Diesl presented his findings in front of the common council.  The council met later that night at 7 p.m. According to an article written by Jamie Loo, the decision of the budget has been postponed.

 
You can find more information at southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060926/News01/609260324/-1/News/CAT=NEWS01.

 

Enrollment Figures Remain Steady

Terrie Phillips
Campus News Editor

Enrollment at I U South Bend has been steady since 1997.  The numbers staying right around 7,400, this year the numbers are 7,420 with last years being 7,459, a .5% drop. 

Jacqueline Caul, Vice Chancellor, said, “last year we graduated a record number, 1,236.”  Caul said, “this year we have the largest new student enrollment.”  This balances the numbers out and makes up for the large graduating class last year.  This year also held a new record for transfer students and new students, all together there was a total of 1,566 new students including the 572 transfer students. 

There is also an increase in international students attending IUSB by 2.0%, and a 21.7% of the Hispanic culture, according to the fall semester of the IUSB enrollment summary.  Every ethnicity went up except Caucasian, which is down 2% from last year, but the Caucasian population still exceeds others at 84.4% of the total student body.

There has been an increase in male enrollment by 1%, and a decrease in female enrollment by 1.4%.  But females still dominate the males on campus with males making up only 37.4% and females 62.6%, according the fall semester of the IUSB enrollment summary.  There has been a 13.8% increase in non-residential students.

“Really a good thing [stable enrollment], budgets are not fluctuating,” said Caul. Enrollment is down, but not by much, meaning that budgets are not fluctuating and fees not increasing, and there have been a few records made this year, like new student enrollment and ethnicity enrollment.   

“Dork” on the Screens

Adam Gallippo
Staff Writer

 
Last weekend “Dork of the Rings” was screened at IUSB in Wiekamp Hall room 1001.

The parody affectionately dubbed “one spoof to rule them all” was met with large, receptive audiences. Around 40 people attended the 7 p.m. screening last Saturday alone.

“It was awesome. It was grand. Everyone needs to see it,” said IUSB sophomore Brianne Cone.

Brianne is the sister of Bryce Cone who plays Frudo Buggins in “Dork of the Rings.”

Other students enjoyed the film as well.

“The film was hilarious,” said IUSB freshman Laura Russell. “I really didn’t want to see Bryce (Frudo) in the menthol thong though.”

If you missed the chance to see this film, don’t worry, the Marshmellowship of the Ring has smiled upon you.

Director Tim Richardson and co-writer Michael Kouroubetes will screen the film again this weekend in Wiekamp Hall room 1001.

Here are those times.

October 6th at 7 p.m., October 7th at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and October 8th at 2 p.m. Admission is $5.

For Richardson and Kouroubetes the future looks both bright and busy.

The “Dork” duo is currently working on a script for a Harry Potter spoof.

According to Kouroubetes the Potter parody will cover all the books (pending the release of the final book) and should coincide with the release of the fifth film “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”

“You just have to leave yourself open to the muse and hopefully create something really cool and funny,” said Kouroubetes.

For more information check out www.dorkoftherings.com

 

Finally, Dorms on Campus…Seriously

Adam Gallippo
Student Life Editor

 
On September 22nd the Indiana University Board of Trustees approved the first phase for student housing at IUSB.

According to Kathy Borlik, Associate Director of Public Communications, the project is expected to start March 2007 and be completed June 2008 for the following fall semester.

“It’s quite exciting,” said Borlik. “A lot of work has been done in the last few months to prepare for this.”

The plan for the $20.3 million housing project features a mix of one-bedroom, two-bedroom and four-bedroom apartment style units to house approximately 400 students. The furnished apartments will include full baths, full kitchens with microwaves, dishwashers, stoves and refrigerators. [1]

Study areas, computer access and laundry will also be addressed in the complex.

John Lohman, IUSB junior, is excited about the dorms but feels parking is also a large priority.

“They’ve said they were going to build dorms on campus for the last thousand years or whatever,” said Lohman. “It’s cool that the plan finally went through and everything, but what about the parking issues?”

According to the bulletin from the office of Communications and Marketing, parking for more than 300 cars will be provided. [1]

Borlik believes this housing project will give campus life a needed shot in the arm.

“The new campus housing will lead to more campus activity,” said Borlik. “Adjustments will need to be made, but overall this will change the whole atmosphere of our campus.”

Approval of the housing plan must also be given by the Commission for Higher Education and the State Budget Committee. Both will meet to consider the plan later this fall. [1]

“Expect things to move briskly over the next few months,” said Borlik.

Rumors are already in existence that a second housing project may be pursued by the campus in the future.

 

Sources:

[1] http://www.iusb.edu/~sbocm/sep06/housing.shtml

 

 

Goodbye Student Digests!!

Terrie Phillips
Campus News Editor

As the years progress and time goes by, things that may have once been a good thing, a convenience of sorts, become outdated and not as convenient as previously thought. The perfect example of this would be cell phones and computers. In IU South Bend’s case, this is the outdated system of the student digest. 

What was once considered the best way of communication to the masses is now being replaced by a newer, some may say better, form of communications: the Bulletin Board (BB). Kathy Borlik, associate director of communications, said, “The digest system was aging. This is a better approach; the same function, just different format.”

The BB gives students and staff the option of opting out of getting certain information, students can not opt out of the lobby forum and the main office “because this is the main way students get information regarding classes; for example, fee increases,” said Borlik. 

You can opt out of anything else by going to the IUSB homepage. Click on popular sites, scroll up to the Bulletin Board, log in, click on email notifications, it may ask you to log on again, once you have gone to the next page you can scroll down and uncheck what you do not wish to receive in email., If you have difficulty with any of this, call the IT helpdesk at 520-5555.