Protect Yourself

Alma D. Gomez
Staff Writer

Crime is everywhere these days and it seems to get closer to home every single day. Therefore, the question is, what can you do to protect yourself? What would you do if an individual approached you with a weapon and asked for your possessions? Would try to fight them or give in? What would you do if you’re being followed or chased? These scenarios could happen anywhere, including on campus. There have been several reports of students being followed, chased, and robbed. Even though we can’t stop things from happening, we can be prepared. Below are 10 things you can do to protect yourself, courtesy of tbotech.com.

o Avoid traveling at night, but if you do, travel in well-lit areas. Stay away from dark corners, alleys, and entrances to buildings. Always try to walk on the side of the street nearest oncoming traffic.

o Don’t carry large amounts of money you don’t want to lose. One suggestion would be to carry a second wallet containing a few $1 bills and old credit cards. If confronted with a weapon, give the suspect the second wallet meanwhile concentrating on a physical description to give the police.

o Travel in pairs or larger groups, either male or female. An armed robber is less likely to confront two or more than, an individual.

o Remember these people are very observant, so teach yourself to be observant and seek out who’s watching you suspiciously.

o When waiting for a bus or streetcar, select a well-lit area. Aim for a busy stop where more people will be coming and going.

o Don’t hitchhike or accept rides from strangers.

o Avoid shortcuts through deserted areas such as parks, playgrounds, vacant lots, etc.

o Make sure to park in well-lit areas. When entering your car, be very cautious (someone may be hiding inside) or when leaving your car (someone may be waiting).

o If you must get mace or pepper spray, know how to use it.

o If you are being followed, head for an occupied building such as a bar, restaurant, filling station, fire station, etc.

Remember, your life is the most important thing. Therefore, if confronted, cooperate and never assume they’re bluffing, because this could cost you your life. Campus emergency phones are located all around campus. Below is a map of where they are found. They are also located on each floor of the parking garage adjacent to the elevator lobby. Each phone has a blue light and an emergency phone sign. For more information, visit iusb.edu/~sbsafety.  
      
Emergency numbers:

Pay phones
911

All other campus phones
9-911
Campus Security 4239

Off campus
911

Bookstore Outsourcing Update

Adam Gallippo
Student Life Editor

There are no major breaks in whether or not the IUSB bookstore will be outsourced by an outside company.

“We’ve been very busy and have been having meetings nearly everyday,” said Vice Chancellor of Administrative and Fiscal Affairs, Bill O’Donnell. “We should have more information a little later this month.”

The information that O’Donnell spoke of should be ready by February 23 as that is one of the important deadlines for the outsourcing. The February 23 deadline will determine whether or not the outsourcing will be placed on the spring agenda for discussion and review in March.

If the deadline is not met by those in Bloomington than the outsourcing decision will have to wait until the following school year.

Expect an update from the Preface after February 23 to see if the deadline has been met and new developments on the story.

CJA Holds First Open House

Jason Overholt
Staff Writer

On February 8, the Criminal Justice Association held their first open house. It took place in the game room of the SAC.

The meeting was geared toward students in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs who wanted a chance to meet with professionals in the field. The atmosphere was decidedly informal as students, faculty, and professionals played each other in pool and ping pong.

This is a change for the CJA, who in the past held open forums for students to talk with representatives from the mayor’s office, the chief of police, prosecutor’s office, and more. This new format seems to be going well, although some of the details are still being worked out.

“I thought there was going to be food. Next time there should be some food,” said Jessica Jackson, one of the CJA’s newest members.

The CJA held their first softball game in the fall, and would have played putt-putt, but were rained out.

“It was interesting to get some of the teachers, students, and community out in the mud to have fun,” said CJA treasurer Matt Shikany.

The CJA plans to get involved with Habitat for Humanity sometime in April. They hold their meetings in room 2260 at the SAC on the second Monday of every month at 4 p.m. and the third Tuesday of every month at 3 p.m.
 

Next Year’s Campus Theme Keeps Eye on Future

Peggy Trytko
Staff Writer

In light of the recent conclusion of an international panel of scientists that climate change is real and caused largely by human activity, steps are being taken locally to stem the tide of rising seas, rising temperatures, and shifting weather patterns.

The campus theme for 2007-08 is Sustainable Communities, with faculty, staff, and students sounding the call for a livable environment for themselves and generations to come.

The Sustainable Committee met Friday, February 2 to begin the process of planning events for the coming year.

Sustainability is not just about the environment, according to Deborah Marr, Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolution, who opened the meeting. Its reach extends to economics, health, and beyond.

Fifteen people gathered to brainstorm campus events and to think of long-term goals that would build on creating a sustainable environment now. Items considered included transportation, energy, food, materials, water, land use, buildings, and community.

One way of bringing the issue of sustainability to the forefront is to make what is invisible to us visible. For example, what happens when you flick that switch to turn on the lights? Where does that power come from?

Fossil fuels: oil, coal, and natural gas are the primary energy sources for the state of Indiana, and most of it powers electricity and transportation, according to InContext, a publication of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, and the Indiana Business Research Center of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

Just in the area of transportation, ideas generated included designating days to bike, walk, or take the bus to work and offering incentives, such as credit for parking passes or parking tickets.

A project for computer science students could be to create a Web site or electronic bulletin board where students can create car pools based on location or class schedules. Then, parking spaces could be reserved for car pools.

Familiarize students with riding the bus by getting Transpo to underwrite excursions to the airport, University Park Mall, Erskine Plaza, or downtown South Bend and posting Transpo bus schedules and routes on the IUSB Web site. Also, in the future, allowing students to show their student ID for fare.

Creating a more sustainable community in many cases requires rethinking of old conventions, such as reducing paper by using Oncourse instead of turning in a five-page, doubled-spaced paper with a cover page.

Some ideas require time and expense, such as upgrading new and existing buildings to be more energy efficient.

Whatever transpires on campus, the Committee would like to see it extended into the community. But the next step is to coordinate ideas and map out what will be doable for next year.

Patricia Dees Retires

Terrie Phillips
Staff Writer

Patricia Dees, Director of Affirmative Action, will be retiring on May 4. She has spent about seven years in this position here at IUSB.
 
According to Dees, her job deals with training faculty and staff on what’s inappropriate and what they do if they feel discriminated. She also deals with complaints and oversees job searches to ensure every one is treated fairly.
 
Before Dees came to IUSB, she taught high school French, German, and English in Baltimore. “I was a linguist in Russian for the Department of Defense. Then I met my husband and got married; we moved to Terre Haute. I taught Russian at Rose Holman Institute of Technology, [then] became Vice President of Academic Affairs,” said Dees.
       
Her husband then received a job here in South Bend. She then became an assistant to the president of St. Mary’s until her job was phased out. “I went to law school and got my J.D. law degree. I clerked for a federal judge for one year,” said Dees.

She became General Console at the Summit Group Company, a consulting company. When they moved their headquarters to Denver, she came to IUSB. 

Dees said she was going to miss the outstanding faculty, the great administration, and the wonderful student body. “I love IUSB and am proud to be retiring from here,” said Dees. 

“My office is proactive in providing the IUSB community with all kinds of training,” said Dees on the subject of what she is most proud of. “[I am proud of] Open Door Policy. My door is always open to help resolve problems. Sometimes it is difficult to figure out who can solve a problem, and if I am not the appropriate person then I will find the appropriate person to resolve it.”

“My goals have been for people to understand what is inappropriate behavior,” said Dees. “That these issues are serious. To understand what their responsibilities are, and to know who their resources are. I deal with very grey issues that can take a long time to figure out.

To the person who will assume her job responsibilities after her retirement, Dees “would suggest that they continue to be proactive with all types of training. That they have an open door policy, try to solve them [issues] as confidentially and timely as possible, to continue to oversee the search and screen process for hiring job candidates.”

Dees’ advice for the students is to “continue to abide by our equal employment opportunities and sexual harassment policies, to follow the procedures laid out in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. Know the university takes this issue very seriously, and will act appropriately if they know about the issue.”

Dees said she is retiring to spend more time with her family, which includes her husband (Harry),her grandchildren (Ryan, Reagan, and Ava), and their parents who are scattered throughout the country. She also wants to spend more time with her parents who live in north central Pennsylvania. 

Dees would like to see IUSB continue what it’s doing. “We are building a bridge to the future. Since I have been here, the SAC was built, our fountain was dedicated, the bridge was dedicated, and now student housing. It’s an exciting place to be right now.”

Dees has worked for 36 years. She said she has had a great career and that it is time to start the next chapter of life. 

Administrators Meet to Hear Admin. Bldg. Renovation Proposal

Robert L. Francis, Jr.
Staff Writer

A group of University administrators met Friday, January 19 to listen to Jack Plennert, R.A. and John C. Mellor, R.A. of the Architecture Design Group (ADG Inc.) outline their proposed plans for the renovation of the Administrative Building.

The proposal was given using large elaborate floor plan cards on which all-new work was shown explaining how space could be more efficiently used. ADG wants to focus people to the center of the building, consolidating workers from each “school” in their own area saying The Gateway to Excellence can meet all the students’ needs and the students don’t get lost. They also explained that by rearranging the rooms, they would give the departments a sense of “identity”.

According to the handout given to attendees by ADG, the proposed new scope of work would be;

1. Replace existing partitions: Except for the existing utility core, demolish the existing partitions and reconfigure the spaces with new steel stud partitions and systems furniture.

2. Upgrade the M/E/P systems:

A. HVAC systems: Replace combination ceiling light/supply (SA) diffusers with separate lights and SA diffusers. Add variable frequency drives to the supply and return fans in the penthouse. Install additional dual duct mixing boxes to address zoning issues.

B. Electrical systems. The electrical systems are outdated having been designed in 1964. In addition to replacing the combination ceiling/light supply, ADG proposed to add additional receptacles for offices and panels and replace service switchboard and electrical distribution panels.

3. Fire protection systems; a fire alarm system and add fire sprinkler system – currently, only the basement is equipped with sprinklers.

4. Replacement of exterior window sash; Replace the glass, gaskets and aluminum stops only (i.e. the aluminum frames will remain in place). Recommend constructing a mock-up. Replacement of sash only will permit work to be accomplished in phases.

5. Replace granite entry stairs and entry doors; the existing stairs are deteriorating and the existing doors are thermally inefficient and in poor shape.

 6. Clean exterior limestone.

ADG then went on to explain the problems of doing the work when the building was occupied which would include a 12-15% premium paid in labor prices as the work would have to be done after hours and on weekends and the loss of productivity for the occupants (stating that the furniture would have to be constantly rearranged, the noise and dust, etc.) would negatively impact quality of work.

On the other hand, the benefits of working on an unoccupied space would make the work both cheaper and faster. ADG then proposed phased work saying that the benefits of this are:

Work could be performed as money becomes available.
The entire staff does not need to be displaced at one time.
The initial phase could begin on either the first or second floor.

The staff may be temporarily displaced while renovation is underway but may still be with the Associates Building.

Using phased work, they should allow approximately 12-14 weeks elapsed time per floor for renovation work saying the deadline is early spring to mid August.

They concluded saying that the renovations would gain 5-10% more space or offices and offered to give the cost, but Chancellor Reck asked them to discuss that at a later time, asking for time to think about the proposals and so that the Vice Chancellors could speak to their people.

Among those in attendance were Chancellor Una Mae Reck, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Alfred J. Guillaume, Jr., Vice Chancellor Dr. Ilene Sheffer, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and Management Jacqueline Caul, Senior Associate University Architect and Director of IUPUI Project Development Gerald “Jerry” Stuff, R.A., and Director of Facilities management Michael A. Prater.

State of the Titans

Jason Overholt
Staff Writer

Despite some setbacks and changes, our two basketball teams seem unafraid. In fact, Titans head coach Micah Shrewsberry and Lady Titans head coach Steven T. Bruce think that the future is bright.

We’re playing pretty good defense,” said Shrewsberry. “We’re moving the ball offensively and enjoy playing against the teams that we have been.” On a list of his team’s assets, Jeremy Herring and Hubert Gentry come near the top. “Our opponents really have to concentrate on Jeremy. He gives us threat on the inside,” he said.

Also of note is Gentry’s Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference statistics. He’s in the top four in almost every category, including the number two spot in scoring. The team in general is leading the conference in field goal and free throw percentages.

“We’re getting good shots and we’re making them, which we weren’t doing so well in the beginning of the year. We’re starting to get a better feel for each other,” said Shrewsberry.

The coach also expressed confidence in his team’s future. “New students and people in the community don’t seem to know a lot about us. We’re kind of an unknown commodity, but as we start to improve ourselves and win games that’s going to change.”

On the other side of the aisle, we have the Lady Titans, who are beginning to thrive despite a tough head coach transition between last March and July. That slack period left them without a coach for about four months, and many of the players left.

“I was a part of the committee that helped hire a new coach, so I felt like a big part of the decision making process,” said Jennifer VanderZanden, who leads the Lady Titans in conference statistics and is second in overall statistics for rebounding. “It was difficult to maintain a positive attitude when the season was approaching and we had no coach and only three players.”

VanderZanden helped to hire Bruce as head coach. She also helped to find the remaining players needed to rebuild the Lady Titans. At present, the team remains small with six eligible players, and three as yet ineligible women that join in practice. This has led to some problems. Exhaustion, injury, and penalty are things that any small team would fear.

The Lady Titans, despite that, seem to be coming together. “We started out and lost our first 12 games; it was a very challenging schedule. As we were learning and growing, we played very challenging games. Since then we’ve won six of our last nine,” said Bruce. “There are talented new players expected to come in for the next year, but that doesn’t mean anyone is giving up on this year. We’re trying to work hard and pull off what people would consider an upset.”

VanderZanden’s opinion about that goal was also clear. “We are a very talented team and feel we can do some damage come tournament time. So keep watching the Lady Titans as they continue to improve.”
.

Women’s Studies Writing Contest

Terrie Phillips
Staff Writer

There is a lot of history when it comes to this town and school; things many of us take for granted like the Women’s Studies writing contest. 
 
“Dr. Patricia NcNeal, the [former] Director of Women’s Studies, started the contest in 1994,” said Director of Women’s Studies Rebecca Torstrick. “At that time, New Views on Gender was starting and there was a high school writing contest. She felt it would help with submissions.”
 
“Any undergraduate, male or female, can submit to the contest,” said Torstrick. Since 1988, there has been an all IU Undergraduate Women’s Studies Conference. At the conference, students from all IU campuses unite at one campus to do research and present creative presentation. 
 
The deadline has been moved up from previous years. “We used to get submissions at the end of the Spring Semester. We moved the deadline forward to allow the Fall Semester students the chance to get feedback on their work from their professors,” said Torstrick. It allows students who do work for class to get feedback from their professors and have time to rewrite their work. 
 
“I think it [the writing contest] is a great opportunity for people to work on their writing. It also looks good on a résumé to have won a writing contest; it demonstrates to the employer that you can write,” Torstrick said.
 
The people who won the contest are recognized in May, around graduation time on Honors Night. The winning pieces of work will also be published in New Views on Gender. The judges for the contest will consist of two faculty members from Humanities and two faculty members from Social and Behavioral Sciences. 

Gervais brings the funny in DVD release of HBO series Extras

Steve Lotter
Staff Writer

If you haven’t been introduced to Ricky Gervais yet, please allow me the honor of doing so.First, there was The Office. Not the one with Steve Carrell, but the original cubicle comedy set in jolly old England. Gervais played David Brent, the boss from hell, precursor to Carrell’s own bad boss, Michael Scott. The show was a hit internationally garnering media attention and Golden Globe wins for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Ricky Gervais) and Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy.
 
The show lasted two seasons worth of 12 episodes and a Christmas Special. Rather than milk the concept for all it was worth, Gervais, instead, decided to ship the show to America. Since then, Gervais has been acting as executive producer for the American version, writing episodes of The Simpsons and creating buzz of his own for his latest journey into the realm of comedy, the aptly titled Extras.
 
In Extras, Gervais adapts his middleman approach to comedic style to portray the lovable loser, Andy Millman, an out-of-work film actor who settles for coveted roles such as “guard #3” and “henchman #5.” You get it right? He’s an extra or as the show’s tag line puts it “a man with small parts.”
 
Although funny, Gervais never reaches that level of awkwardness that made him famous in The Office, but then again this show is not a lame attempt to recapture the spirit of his former show either. Gervais is joined by a new cast of talented British comedic actors including Ashley Jensen who plays Andy’s friend who’s also an extra and Stephen Merchant who plays Andy’s bumbling agent who can’t seem to find Andy his break in the business.
 
The show’s bread and butter come from the multiple guest stars that play themselves and have fun parodying their own celebrity. In the first season of Extras, you get Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Stiller, Patrick Stewart, Kate Winslet, Les Dennis, and Ross Kemp. In the Ben Stiller episode, Stiller plays himself as a maniacal film director who unleashes a classic tongue lashing on Gervais’ character that has to be seen to believe.
 
The program’s debut on DVD is welcomed as it received critical acclaim following its first season on HBO. In the set, you get all six half hour long episodes and extra features including deleted scenes, outtakes, and behind the scenes documentaries.  If you temper your expectations a bit, you might be pleasantly surprised with Extras. I definitely recommend renting it first if you aren’t already a fan of Gervais’ work or just checking out the second season now airing on HBO every Sunday at 10 p.m.

America Returns

Val Schweisberger
Staff Writer

If someone would’ve told me that, one day, Ryan Adams and Ben Kweller would be collaborating with 1970s soft rock group America, I would have laughed out loud.

Obscure minds like these have no business working with those responsible for “Sister Golden Hair” and “A Horse with No Name,” or so I’d have thought.

Then I heard about Here and Now, America’s 2007 comeback album that includes collaborations with alternative minds like James Iha and Adam Schlesinger, according to Stephen Thomas Erlewine of All Music Guide. The album includes fresh America material as well as covers by contemporary bands. It is comprised of 2 discs of easy, melodic, soft rock that will please fans of the band’s early work and new listeners accustomed to the music of Kweller and Adams. 

America, consisting of Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek, and Gerry Beckley, has won a Grammy and gone platinum several times over. Their music helped shape the 70s, and influenced some truly great minds. Their latest effort is not a departure from their classic material.

Songs like “Chasing the Rainbow” and “Always Love” evoke feelings of familiarity in olds fans, and tend to please audiences more than critics. However, Here and Now is of the same quality as America’s early work. It’s no better, it’s no worse. The only real difference is the input from unexpected artists, and even that sounds familiar.

All in all, Here and Now is worth a listen. It sounds good and gets stuck your head, just like the old stuff. America is as good as they always were, and this time they get some help from great contemporary minds. What else can you ask for?