the preface
IU South Bend’s official student newspaper
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Meet the SGA presidential candidates Lee Cohen
Hailey Hennessy By DANIELLE MILLER Staff Writer dnaxe@umail.iu.edu
By MANDI STEFFEY Staff Writer asteffey@indiana.edu
Lowell Ritter is one of the three candidates vying for the title of SGA president. Ritter is a business major and a resident assistant for IUSB Riverside housing. He is involved with Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, and is currently the SGA Vice President. The Preface made numerous attempts to set up an inteview with Ritter. He did not respond. More information about Ritter and his presidential campaign can be found on his website, www. lowellritter.com. n
The virtual polls will soon open to allow students to vote for the 2013-14 Student Government Association (SGA) members. Hailey Hennessy will be among three hopefuls on the SGA presidential ballot. Hennessy is a junior at IU South Bend majoring in general studies with plans to continue her education towards a Ph.D in sustainability. On April 3, Hennessy received the Women Helping Women: Honoring Student Volunteer Leadership award by the Women’s Philanthropy Council at Indiana University. With her award, she is honoring the Center for a Sustainable Future. Hennessy has served as a senator for the SGA since spring 2011. As a senator she has dealt with many upper-level administrators with whom she has already developed relationships. “I know what it’s like to work with different types of people at IUSB,” she said. “We represent the students but we work face to face with faculty, staff and administrators. You can’t just say what you want changed, there are policies to abide by. If you went in blind you would not know how to do the process in a correct manner.” If elected, Hennessy’s course ofaction is three-fold. “First I want to work with campus police to see what we can do to improve dispatch time from Bloomington to IUSB. If there is an issue on campus like a stolen purse, if you call the police it goes straight to Bloomington and they dispatch to our campus. It takes a long time,” Hennessy said.
“Given the chance to become president of the student body, I would really make sure that the true issues affecting students do not get swept under the carpet,” said Lee Cohen, one of the presidential candidates for the Student Government Association (SGA). Cohen is more than ready to push a few ideas forward if he is elected president by the student body. Fliers around campus for Cohen and the others on his promise a lot—bigger events on campus, better student representation for grade change petitions and a simpler path to graduation. Cohen’s ticket includes Matt Kavanagh for vice president, Ariel Koehler for secretary and Tom Kurzhal for Treasurer. Senators on the ticket include Amanda Bogard, Chaise Cope, Dexter Lanning, Duane McFarland, Justin Chupp, Kawme Ng’andwe, Nick Sheppard Patel, Mandi Bowser and Peter Goldstein. If a student wishes to vote for Cohen as president, they will be voting for the entire ticket made up of this team of individuals. One of Cohen’s biggest reasons for wanting to see changes is that the majority of IU South Bend’s budget is made up by student tuition. One of the biggest grievances campus-wide is that there isn’t enough to do. Cohen said he thinks that if the students are making up most of the budget, there should be more to do on campus. Cohen said events like the Boo To You event put on by the Disney Alumni Association serve a great purpose to students. Nontraditional
INSIDE
Candidates running for Student Government Association (SGA) positions are in the midst of campaigning. There are three students running for SGA president: Lee Cohen, Hailey Hennessy and Lowell Ritter. Twenty-four students are running for a senator position while the treasurer, vice president and secretary positions are uncontested. Elections will be held April 16 & 17 at https://cf.iusb.edu/ sgavote/. Polls open at 12 a.m. on the 16th and close at 11:59 p.m. on the 17th. Once votes are tallied, the newly elected may officially begin their term of office at 12:01 pm on the Friday, one week after final exam week of the spring semester in which they are elected. Hannah Dill is the current SGA president . She will graduate in May and attend law school in the fall. n
Greenlawn paint raises questions 3
Lowell Ritter By CECELIA ROEDER Design Editor cmroeder@iusb.edu
“Secondly, I want to help further the sustainability movement on our campus. It’s something that keeps our campus up-to-date and competitive with other schools. It reflects we’re on top of being a responsible campus,” she said. “The third is being the change that our students want to see, being their voice, to stand up and let our opinion be heard by administrators, staff, faculty and student government,” Hennessy said. As a senator Hennessy has served as chair of the Homecoming Committee, SGA Awards Committee, Recycling Committee and the Search and Screen Committee for the Director of Student Life. She has also voted to fund numerous campus events. Hennessy currently works at the gateway administration center, where she has been since September 2011. She feels this has given her a firsthand experience in understanding students’ most common issues on campus. “I work one-on-one with students all the time and hear what dif-
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Street art vs. Graffiti 5
students were able to bring their children to the kid-friendly event, and traditional and on-campus residents were able to get out for a night of free fun. Bigger and better events are at the top of the list on Cohen’s ticket. His ticket’s campaign flier reminds students that the SGA controls “well over half a million dollars” and all of that comes from students. “I’d really like to see bigger things on campus to bring students together,” Cohen said. “There is a need for more things on campus for students to get involved with.” Cohen said he has sympathy for nontraditional students and would push for events that would better suit them. Another problem Cohen sees on campus is the bureaucracy involving petitioning a grade change. The ticket’s campaign promises that student justices will guide students
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South Bend: Hipster town? 7
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The Preface The Preface is the official student newspaper of Indiana University South Bend, published every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters. The Preface receives funding from the Student Government Association and through advertising revenue. The Preface is a student written, edited and designed publication. Editor-in-Chief Sarah Duis Managing Editor Joseph Graf Design Editor Cecelia Roeder Advertising Manager Stephen Kowalski Staff Writers Kelsie Ferguson Andrea Janesheski Izza Jatala Bridget Johnson Taylor Neff Danielle Miller Malory Pecina Lauren Pajakowski Jessica Leigh Schliska Mandi Steffey Sarah Ward Nick Wort Columnists Mandi Steffey Christina Clark Cartoonist Traci Bremer Photographers John Batliner Staff Advisor Ken Klimek Direct all correspondence to: editorpreface@gmail.com Phone: 574-520-4553 The Preface 1700 Mishawaka Ave PO Box 7111 South Bend, IN 46634 Student Activities Center Room 220 Interact with us online: www.iusbpreface.com and facebook.com/IUSBPreface
MEET
The Press
Get to know the Preface staff! Hey everyone! My name is Nicolas Wort (pronounced “Wert,” like what you make when you’re brewing beer, not the gross growth thing that Lemmy from Motörhead has on his face), but I always go by Nick. This is my second year at IUSB. I’m an English
Staff Writer, Nick Wort major, a creative writing minor and a staff writer for The Preface. All of those things pretty much mean I spend all my time writing. When I’m not writing, I like to hang out with friends and relax, your typical human stuff I suppose. I usually spend most days laying around, listening to records and being the coolest person on Earth. I have some really awesome hobbies too, like collecting strange things, playing with Legos, making sad attempts at playing guitar, and going to shows.
O yea, I’m a vegetarian too, which really isn’t all that exciting, but it seems to fascinate some people. After I graduate, I hope to get a job writing somewhere. The ultimate dream would be writing
for a magazine, but that might be a bit of a stretch. I gotta keep my dreams alive though! Well, I think that about concludes this, if you ever see me around campus, come say hi! I’ll be glad to talk to you about pretty much anything. If you never see me and you want to tell me about how awesome/terrible/semiokay my articles are, or even if you just want to send me spam, my email is nickwort123@gmail. com, feel free to email away! n
Columnist, Christina Clark Hi, I’m Christina Clark. This is my first full semester as a writer and columnist for The Preface and I couldn’t be happier about it. I’m currently still a freshman at IUSB, interested in mass communications and hoping to have a concentration in journalism and new media.
As a non-traditional student, I started at IUSB in 2007 and left for almost six years before re-pursuing my education. In the mean time I became a licensed esthetician. Coming back to school has been a great experience. When I’m not working, writing, or reading news
sites, I can be found practicing hoop dance, fiddling with my cello or playing with my Corgiterrier mix, Rizzo. When I can get out of town I usually end up in Minnesota at a Renaissance Faire with my boyfriend. n
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Greenlawn gets a new coat Despite its impending demolition, Greenlawn’s interior was painted the week after spring break By NICK WORT Staff Writer nickwort123@gmail.com IU South Bend’s Greenlawn Hall got a new coat of paint recently, even though it’s expected to be torn down within the next two years. “Greenlawn is being repainted because it is going to be utilized for another 18 months and was in need of a little TLC,” said Andrew Krouse, assistant director of facilities management. Though the new paint is a renovation for the building, students shouldn’t expect much else to change in Greenlawn. “A freshening [of Greenlawn] was requested. We are doing as little work in there as possible,” said Michael Prater, director of facilities. Krouse noted that the plans to tear down the building have not changed, and that there are no plans to renovate the building any further. “The proposed date of tear down is determined by a lot of differ-
ent factors,” Krouse said, though both Krouse and Prater noted that the building is expected to be torn down in 18 months. The education classes and the Education Resource Center in Greenlawn will both be moved to IUSB’s new Arts and Education building, which is set to open to students on April 17. After the classes have moved, Greenlawn may become a temporary home for Student Services while that section of the Administration Building is undergoing its own renovations. The painting began after IUSB’s spring break. This date was chosen instead of during spring break because of scheduling conflicts and a lack of available resources, according to Krouse. Students who were interviewed had mixed opinions on the repainting, but generally in favor of the renovations. “I don’t see the point in painting it if they are going to tear it down, but
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ficulties they come across. You have to be like a detective and talk to them to find what problems they’re dealing with in order to send them to the appropriate place,” she said. The theme of Hennessy’s presidential campaign is the student voice. She says that the 12 senators who endorse her offer diversity to the student voice. “They will do a perfect job,” she said. “They do not have the exact same opinions as me but I think we need diversity to accurately represent the student voice. I want to make students feel they made the right choice if I’m president. I do a good job of putting myself in others shoes. I work for them, not myself.” n
every step of the way when it comes to petitioning a grade that a student might deem unfair. The last bullet on the campaign is a simpler path to a diploma. As a student who has experience exploring many different career options, Cohen knows the pains of switching majors and losing credits. “Degree requirements need uniformity. We must reduce ludicrous graduation requirements,” his flier states. “As a ticket, we will push the university for simpler degree requirements, launching students towards their careers.” These three main points, according to Cohen, are the basis of the campaign. “The direction I’d like to take with the SGA is helping individual students more,” Cohen said. “The SGA’s mission should be to help people.” “I think the most important thing, if I win this election, is that as SGA president, I have a mandate to represent the student voice. As head of anything, you begin to accumulate some clout. And I think that clout is
To learn more about the SGA and the role they play in campus life, visit www.iusb.edu/stu-gov
A custodian paints a door frame in Greenlawn Hall a week after spring break. Preface Photo/NICK WORT then there’s also the possibility that it may be postponed,” said Stephanie Tubs, an IUSB student. “You never know what might happen with budgets and everything. I’m sure there was some reason behind what’s important—we can use it to change things,” he said. Cohen also commented on the recent news concerning IUSB possibly switching Monday/Wednesday classes to Monday/Wednesday/ Friday classes. While Cohen said he can’t speak for everyone on his ticket, he does not agree with the possible change. “I know people who drive an hour plus each way to get to school every day,” Cohen said. “And coming in an extra day will cut into students’ budgets. I personally know IUSB students who work 30 hours a week while trying to balance a fulltime school schedule also.” According to Cohen, issues like this will be at the forefront of his radar. “As president, I’d make every effort I can to visibly oppose measures that would detriment the student body as a whole,” said Cohen. Cohen is a 23-year-old general studies major. He has completed internships and programs involving government and politics in Washington D.C. He has been with the SGA as a senator and has worked on the internal budget committee. n
repainting it.” “I think it’s a good thing to spiff it up a little bit,” said Katie Hooper, another IUSB student. “I like to see that they’re trying to keep it a little bit more modern.”
More information on the status of Greenlawn and all of IUSB’s buildings can be found by contacting facilities management through their website at iusb.edu/facilities. n
F Sudoku Corner
Solution on page 4
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Dental hygiene & school of nursing to host free health fair
Dental Hygienists from IUSB Photo courtesy of Indiana University South Bend Dental Hygiene Program By LAUREN PAJAKOWSKI Staff Writer lpajakow@gmail.com The First Annual Community Health Day is coming to IU South Bend on April 13. Hosted by the dental hygiene program and the school of nursing, this free community event will offer numerous services to the public while giving dental hygiene and nursing students a chance to practice their skills. “We’ve always done community
outreach,” said Dental Education Program Director Kristyn Quimby. “But this is the first time we’ve really wanted to do something here, do something unique and do something big like this. This is also one of the first times nursing and dental have paired together.” The dental hygiene program will offer a wide variety of dental services including exams, x-rays and cancer screenings. The school of nursing will offer blood pressure screenings and BMI and weight as-
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sessments. “Honestly one of the best thing about it is it’s open to the public and we’re providing free services that are worth quite a bit of money and were going to help save patients in need this expense,” Quimby said. “Another great part about what we’re going to do on the dental side is those patients are going to leave with their x-rays. We’ll have a copy to keep here but we’re going to give them a copy so if we do find cavities by the dentists that are
Sudoku solution
volunteering, they can take those xrays to a referral dentist for further treatment. We will have referral packets of dentists in the area who are aware of what we’re doing and willing to accept patients.” There will also be a spit-drive for the bone-marrow registry, heath education by the St. Joseph County Health Department and an opportunity to donate blood. “I just want to stress how important oral health is,” Quimby said. “The mouth is the gateway to the rest of the body and there are so many things we can detect in the mouth that affect everything else and sometimes we’re the first line of defense. That’s where we know our community has been really hard hit, with the loss of dental insurance with the loss of jobs. Dentistry is expensive, so if we can just take a little bit of the burden by doing the x-rays, the diagnosis, and the referrals at least patients can then prioritize their dental needs.” The health fair will take place on April 13 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Riverside Hall on Northside Blvd. The event is open to all ages. There will also be activities for children, promotional give-aways and information from community partners. Tents will be set up in Riverside Hall parking lot for patients to check in upon arrival. Patients are encouraged to park in the adjacent North Side Hall parking lot. n
The Dental Hygiene Program will offer: • Dental exams • Dental x-rays (panoramic and cavity detecting bite-wings) • Dental sealants • Fluoride varnish treatments • Oral cancer exams • Periodontal screenings (gum tissue health) • Referrals to local health professionals for follow up care The School of Nursing will offer:
• Blood pressure screenings • BMI and weight assessments
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Keep South Bend beautiful: Street art vs. graffiti We all know that “art” is a relative term, but what about street art? It is far more controversial than anything done on a personal canvas. Our city officials say that they support art. What I think they mean is that they support covering trees downtown with yarn, and parties where you learn to do the same painting as everyone else whilst guzzling wine. While I appreciate the skill it takes to make a tree cozy, I also like to see street art. A well-done piece of street art can be inspiring, and South Bend has had its share of outstanding art. The first piece that comes to mind is the 8-bit Mario and goombas that were on the bridge at Northside Blvd. It was my introduction to street art outside of the bubblelettered tags that rode by on trains. When they were covered up, I wondered who had the heart or was getting paid to slather on the boring, white paint. As it turns out, there is a program called the Graffiti Abatement
Program. The Parks Department website exclaims, “Help keep South Bend Beautiful!” South Bend residents are encouraged to pick up supplies and clean the graffiti themselves if they feel compelled. In my neighborhood, there was a small piece of art applied to a sign.
Department website, one argument in favor of the program is that gang-related graffiti is a way that gangs claim turf. This is true and worth noting, but Mario and Mega Man are not gang affiliated the last time I checked. It seems to me that the abundance of gang tags have been neglected in favor of covering the art. I had hopes that the emphasis of the program was covering gang-related work quickly to curb related violence. Most recently, CAD pieces were everywhere. The work was incredible. All of the pieces were clearly labors of love, not invoking gang violence. If you passed by the large-scale Boba Fett downtown, did you think that you should become a bounty hunter or did you have a good chuckle? City Officials did not think it was Boba Fett: street art or unightly grafitti? funny. Instead of cleaning Photo courtesy of CAD gang tags, the priority was getting rid of Boba. Again, there are many views on The work was of Audrey Hepburn and “Don’t Stop Believin’” signs what counts as art and what is vanand JFK connected at the midsec- were still there. dalism. Some business owners and tion in a mirror image over the horWe thought that it must have citizens are not bothered by street izontal axis. My mom and I got a been stolen because it was so good art while others see it simply as kick out of it, and were surprised to and hoped that this was not the defacement. Regardless, Code Ensee the sign (post and all) removed result of the Graffiti Abatement forcement gets the final word. n from the road. Even more surpris- Program. ing was that the “Speed Limit 420” According to a link on the Parks
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By BRIDGET JOHNSON Staff Writer baj4@umail.iu.edu
IUSB Adventures
Illustrated by Traci Bremer
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What I really learned from IUSB Part II: Between the Blackouts By JOSEPH GRAF Managing Editor jograf@umail.iu.edu Where I last left off on the tale of my collegiate experience, I was a good student with a focused mindset proud of myself for what I was doing with my time in college. At least, that’s how it appeared to my professors and most people that didn’t know me very well. In reality, I was skating by without really trying nearly as hard as most of the class was, and still maintaining an above 3.0 GPA while doing it. Don’t tell your professors, but I’m about to give you a few tips on how to be a slacker and still pass your classes. The number one rule for a lazy college student is to study one thing - the class syllabus. Full of directions of things you must do to pass, for a slacker the syllabus is actually your best friend. It tells you which days you absolutely need to show up to class and which ones you can afford to miss. It also lists your assignments and how much of your final grade they’re worth. By doing some simple math, you can figure out if an assignment is even worth the effort of completing. Finally, don’t purchase any text-
books. No, seriously. At least wait until after the first week of classes and then only purchase textbooks for the classes that you know you will actually need them in. If you don’t refer to the textbook within the first two classes, chances are you aren’t going to during the rest of the semester either. I myself have only purchased one textbook since freshman year and I estimate I have saved a couple thousand dollars. Alright, now that I probably just pissed off all the people who work so hard to get you to take your education seriously, let me tell you about what I ended up doing with all the time and money I saved. I partied. I mean really partied. A lot. For the record, this was something I had been doing for long before I got into college, and even if didn’t go to IUSB, I probably would have partied anyway. But
I subscribed to the idea that if there was any time in my life that I should be crazy and immature and drink to unbelievable amount of excess, this was my last chance. After graduation, it’s just called alcoholism. During my junior year, I moved into an apartment at Northside Terrace right next to IUSB. If you don’t know what those are, they are those ugly green five story buildings east of the Northside Hall parking lot. I don’t recommend anyone to live there, as they are dirty and run down, and their management is completely absent from the property nearly all week long. The leasing company that owns them is based out of Indianapolis, so no one really checks up or cares what is going on in them. As bad as they were for a living situation, they were perfect for throwing huge parties. None of the other tenants cared when I had 50 people packed into my apartment, overflowing into the halls, with music blaring until 5 a.m. every weekend. I was surprised they never even called the cops to report a noise complaint. I guess that’s because half of them ended up coming over to join us. I had so many parties that my apartment began to build a reputation as the default place to go on the weekends if there wasn’t something else going on. I didn’t even try to invite people. If I told the right three or four people that I was having beer pong at my house, about ten times that many showed
up. I was pretty lax about who I let in my apartment, which in hindsight I don’t advise. I tried to make it a point to introduce myself to anyone I hadn’t seen before, but most of the time I was drunk and I’m already horrible at remembering names while sober. It didn’t help that each weekend there were more and more random people than the last. Some nights there would be more complete strangers in my home than people that I considered friends. Then things started to seem off. I was getting calls from random girls I never had remembered meeting, but the only thing they ever asked about was if I was throwing a party that night. Then my friends and people that I tried to be cool with started doing the same thing. I got to the point where people would hit me up constantly, but the only thing they wanted was my parties. If I didn’t throw one, people either begged or got upset at me. I started to realize that all the popularity I had been receiving from my lifestyle was not founded on real friendships. These people didn’t care about me, and even the ones that I had been friends with for years now seemed to only care about finding somewhere to drink and get rowdy at. So to find who my real friends were, I stopped throwing parties completely. Soon after, 99% of people stopped talking to me. And I actu-
ally loved it. The whole idea of being popular and well-liked by everyone was blurred with the reality of people just wanting something from me. In fact, the more I thought about it, I realized that nearly everyone I had met since high school only wanted to hang out if I was providing something. This was one of the most important lessons I ever learned, and it made me realize that I needed to distance myself from those people. Most of them weren’t even doing anything with their own lives, and being used by them was actually holding me back and bringing me down. I didn’t want to be that person anymore. I had a handful of true friends left, and I have become super close with a few of them ever since my enlightenment. I still go out and drink every once in a while, but I never have placed importance on it. As fun as it was at the time, I was ready to grow up, and regain focus on the future. Of course, my future probably required more focus at that time than any time in my life before. I was about to start my senior year of college, a feat that I never had envisioned myself achieving. But I wasn’t done yet. In reality, it was just another beginning. If you want to know the most valuable concepts that I have acquired during college, pick up next week’s issue of the Preface to read Part III: The Un-Epic Conclusion.n
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Wednesday, April 10
South Bend has “hipster appeal?” Well, maybe.
christina clark By CHRISTINA CLARK Columnist christinalee1788@gmail.com South Bend. It’s a city most of us love to hate. Chances are your parents moved here for work long ago and that is how you ended up around the area. Maybe your family has a long line of northern Hoosiers, or quite possibly you ended up here by mistake. Personally, I’ve struggled with a love-hate relationship with this city for a long time. My friends who’ve left have all let me know about this whole, big, wide world that may as well be constructed out of gold. I go visit, and the streets do seem to be paved in golden bricks in certain cities (some even studded with dia-
“South Bend has even progressed so far as to allow an art gallery that includes a tattoo artist and a body piercer. Bringing a taste of alternative culture to the heart of the city is really telling about the shift in what is socially acceptable in the area.” monds). But having stuck around for most of my life (take away vacations and an eight month stint in a beauty school in Kokomo, which might I add, did not have golden streets), I have a lot of experience loving and hating this city. At the moment, I’ve come across lots of reasons to love the city, even as I cannot wait for a vacation over the summer to see different sites. I laughed when the South Bend Tribune ran a story last summer about South Bend’s “hipster appeal.” But now, as much as the term “hipster” might not be the most “hip” way to put it, is it possibly be-
coming true? Having moved downtown in the past few months, I’m more aware of what is going downtown and in the local community. It is actually quite impressive. In moving downtown, I’ve realized there are more people who enjoy an active lifestyle than I realized when I was living in a more suburban part of town. The bike lanes and sidewalks actually have users, and it is now easy to find a bike rack in the city. Also, an often forgotten opportunity over the summer is the chance to shoot rapids in the East Race waterway, where Olympic trials have been held in the past. There are lots of local artists to be found during Downtown South Bend’s First Fridays, along with local shows and shops. The State Theater has had so many changes lately it is really set to be going places. South Bend has even progressed so far as to allow an art gallery that includes a tattoo artist and a body piercer. Bringing a taste of alternative culture to the heart of the city is really telling about the shift in what is socially acceptable in the area. Local breweries popping up (or growing in popularity), coffee shops having longer hours and hosting more musical guests, and restaurant weeks have brought visitors into the city throughout certain time periods when most people have no other reason to visit. Do all of these things mean that South Bend now has “hipster appeal?” No, but it sure brings out the younger set and the young at heart. Around a year ago South Bend was dubbed one of the nation’s “dying cities” by a national magazine. Maybe the pot shot from reality is what the city needed to realize its potential, as the recovery from “The Great Recession” continues. Rising from the ashes might be a new artistic, aesthetically appreciative community. I guess if we’re all stuck here, we may as well keep our creative juices flowing and make the best of it. n
Summer music festivals sure to keep you busy By MANDI STEFFEY Columnist asteffey@indiana.edu The school year is drawing to a close and summer is just out of reach. If you’re like me, summer concerts are a must. Outdoor concerts are great for a lot of reasons. They’re usually cheaper, you get to spend the whole day outside, and many of them are weekend-long festivals where you can bring your own beer and camp. I plan to hit up a number of music festivals this summer. You just can’t beat some fun in the sun while getting down to some cheap, awesome live music. Here are a few festivals in the area you can take your inner hippie to this summer. ROCK ON THE RANGE (May 17-19, Columbus, Ohio, $89, camping available) — The 90s kid in me is excited for this one. Soundgarden and Alice in Chains among others are headlining. If I end up going to Rock on the Range, my first priority is to see Smashing Pumpkins. Nothing sounds better than blissing out to “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” barefoot in a sundress. Other than these three bands,
Mandi Steffey though, this festival isn’t quite my taste. ELECTRIC DAISY CARNIVAL CHICAGO (May 24-26, Chicago, $175 for three-day pass, camping available) — Get ready to rave. The Electric Daisy Carnival is a multi-sensory experience. Loud techno music, bright lights, and “something funny” being passed around in the audience to enhance the experience. While this one’s a bit expensive, it’s usually a huge event. This year, they plan to have state-ofthe-art lighting and sound design, large-scale art installations, interactive circus and theatrical performances and plenty of fan participation. Featured artists include Above
& Beyond, Arty and DJ Tiesto SUMMER CAMP (May 2426, Chillicothe, Illinois, $135-165, camping available) — This conflicts with the Electric Daisy Carnival, but in my opinion, it’s way cooler. It’s a huge jam fest with really awesome bands. Moe., Umphree’s McGee, and Zed’s Dead will be playing. I’m trying everything in my power to go to this. It should be a hoot. If you plan to go, expect to see a lot of white people with dreadlocks. There are so many more festivals that are being held in the Midwest. If music’s your thing and you have around $200 to spend on a weekend getaway, music festivals are the destination for you. See you there! n
You could be at a concert like this right here in the Midwest! Photo courtesy of emilydickinsonridesabmx at Flickr
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Spring BFA Art Exhibitions feature graduating artists Artist profile: Sarah Cukrowicz By CHRISTINA CLARK Staff Writer christinalee1788@gmail.com At the end of every semester, students graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts display their finest work around campus and in exhibitions. One of those artists is Sarah Cukrowicz, whose art is on display in the fifth floor atrium of the Schurz Library. “My work is driven by the desire to explore possibilities, create atmosphere and convey emotion,” reads Cukrowicz’s artist’s statement next to her work. “I question the traditional choices of material, surface, color and texture to express reality.” “I really love color, so I tend towards mediums that allow me to express this,” Cukrowicz said. “I prefer working in oils, because of the richness of color and the illusion of depth that the more transparent colors can help create. I also like working wet paint into wet paint,
which is more difficult to do with acrylic.” However, she is not bound by just one medium. “I also really enjoy silk screening because of its flexibility. It’s really well suited to making decisions and changes on the fly,” she said. “In some ways prints are considered less precious than drawings or paintings, because of the multiples…I find that they allow me more ‘do-overs’ when I’m trying to realize my artistic vision.” Finding value in IUSB’s art program, Cukrowicz grew as an artist through instructors that aided and challenged her. “Some of my instructors have been tremendously supportive in allowing me opportunities to explore and find my own artistic voice while simultaneously growing and stretching my skills.” Finding much value in what the instructors have to share, she talks about the “wealth of knowledge” that instructors have to share, if only you can find “who and what to ask.” The future has already begun for Cukrowicz—she’s submitted a couple of works into local juried competitions, though she won’t receive the results until May.
Pink Lady, oil on canvas by graduating artist Sarah Cukrowicz Preface Photo/CHRISTINA CLARK “I want to complete my [Masters of Fine Arts], and then I’d also like to do graduate studies in painting conservation and restoration.” “In all my works, no matter the medium, I strive to stretch beyond
tradition while creating a tangible mood and atmosphere that invites the viewer to create their own version of the story within,” her artist statement closes. More student art exhibitions are
on display in the East Lounge of Northside Hall from April 11-20. The fifth floor atrium of the Schurz Library will continue to feature other artists’ work throughout the semester. n
Watch the Game of Thrones It ain’t safe in Westeros, watch the throne
By CECELIA ROEDER Design Editor cmroeder@iusb.edu It’s a story good enough to dethrone vampires. HBO’s announcement last Monday that their highly rated fantasy saga Game of Thrones (GOT) would continue into a fourth season was no surprise. Strong international DVD sales, a plethora of domestic illegal downloads, a diverse cast, twisting storylines and magnificent filmography puts GOT on the road to knock the vampire saga True Blood aside as most popular HBO show of all time. Love for George R. R. Martin’s novels-turned-prime-time premium series is running at an all-time high. Season three premiered on March 31, to much anticipation, and a heavy promotional campaign. Faces of the cast and a shadowy dragon showed up on buses, in subways, on skyscrapers and even on a two-page spread in the New York Times. It appears to have paid off. TorrentFreak, a popular site for downloads of questionable legal-
ity, reported that the Sunday night premiere set a new record. More than 163,000 people simultaneously shared a single torrent, beating a 2008 record for the show Heroes. GOT is already famous for being the most illegally downloaded TV show in all history. How did the first episode of this season pan out for critics? Many praised “Valar Morghulis,” the title of the first episode. Some, like the New York Times’ Mike Hale felt that the premiere was a bit overhyped, and felt the story-telling method was too similar to other HBO shows. However, Hale has the snobbery and fuss of the Times to live up to. Did the premiere live up to the hype, or was the bar set too high? I, for one, thought “Valar Morghulis” was an excellent way to get back into Westeros. While we didn’t get to see too much in depth of any of the characters, the premiere did a good job of catching us back up on what’s going on. Joffrey’s got a girlfriend and future queen who might actually help him keep the throne while his
mother Cersei simmers in jealousy behind the limelight. Tyrion Lannister continues to struggle to serve a family who shows him no gratitude. Robb Stark arrives at Harrenhal sullenly, and still hasn’t forgiven his mother for freeing Jaime Lannister last season. Sansa looks visibly older in the capital, surrounded by danger and intrigue. I have a feeling this Stark will be the one who knows her way around court, if she lives that long. Daenerys Targaryen is still across the sea, looking to build an army to retake her father’s throne. In the north, both the Night’s Watch and Jon Snow, who has gone undercover with the wildlings, look to combat the return of the White Walkers. Stannis Baratheon retreated back to his castle and inside his mind after naval defeat last season, and his companion Melisandre looks to be even more lethal than ever. I did miss hearing about what’s going on with Arya and her brothers Bran and Rickon. Both are on the run, and I’m sure they’ll have
Game of Thrones is the tale of the battle for the Iron Throne Preface art/CECELIA ROEDER interesting adventures. Also missing were Jaime and his captor Brienne, but I have no doubt they’ll have plenty more screen time in upcoming episodes. GOT is popular among fans for many reasons. The strength of the story lies in realistic characters, who can be good or bad, according to your perspective. Everybody’s fight-
ing for themselves, which is something people can relate to. Best of all, we get to watch the War of the Five Kings from our own perspective, and not that of the victor. GOT appears poised for their best season yet. If the numbers or my words don’t prove it for you, turn on your TV and find out why. n