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Fri 21 Dec 2007

… if you’re planning for the worst

By Rama Sobhani
Lessons in preparing for a funeral and its aftermath
 
It’s possibly the most unpleasant occurrence anyone will ever have to face, but planning for a funeral ahead of time can make a difficult time a bit less trying. While most people don’t even want to consider the death of loved ones, let alone their own, it’s the unpredictable nature of death that needs attention ahead of time to make things easier on those carrying out last wishes.

And though nuts and bolts like legal proceedings and funeral preparations seem like the last things you’d want to have hanging around your neck after the passing of a loved one, they are the most important things to attend to.                                                                                 

“One of the first things you want to do is consult an attorney that specializes in estate administration or there can be legal consequences,” says William Fawcett, a Bloomington attorney who offers estate services.

Fawcett says the most common problem people run into after a family member dies is not having delineated clearly who gets what. There are a number of ways to designate heirs, including writing a will, establishing a living trust and establishing joint ownership, but Fawcett says each method has drawbacks.

“The method that involves the least professional assistance is naming a beneficiary using a ‘pay on death’ designation,” which he says establishes in writing who property should transfer to upon death.

If there is no beneficiary named, then the local government will have to mail out affidavits to notify each potential heir and that can get expensive, Fawcett says. The cost of postage will be billed to the estate.
 
The most obvious thing to get done is planning the funeral and, again, planning ahead is what those in the industry recommend to avoid unnecessary headaches.

“If people come in ahead of time and plan, the process will be easier and for people who lose a family member, the most common problem we run into is not having their vital stats such as maiden names and other information we need for writing an obituary for the paper,” says Ryan Goss, a funeral director at the Allen Funeral Home. “We advise people to have that stuff written down somewhere.”

Cost is another thing that should be high in people’s considerations and Goss says it’s something that is hard to estimate.

“The average cost is around $7,000 to $8,500, but we have caskets that are $7,000 by itself,” he says.

But a federal law known as the Funeral Act requires funeral homes to present customers with an itemized list of products, services and their cost. This list usually includes prices for preparation of the body, caskets, flowers, burial services and music.

According to Goss, the funeral home will take care of everything except the burial plot in the cemetery.
Useful links
 
 

Customers should be aware that every time they interact with a funeral home, this list must be presented to them by law.

There are a number of places from which to choose burial plots in Bloomington. The city maintains two cemeteries, Rose Hill and White Oak.

Jay Davidson, sexton for the city, oversees the administration of grave plots and makes sure that individual family members are laid where they had requested.

Rose Hill has been around since about 1810, and until recently all the burial plots were sold as family plots, he says. “Everything is sold as single graves now and each one costs $340. It’s usually couples buying sets now.”

Davidson says that Rose Hill is about 70 percent full, so plots are still available.

“If you haven’t done this before, it’s very hard the first time, but if you have to do it again, you’ll be prepared to do it, and I recommend getting as much info as possible beforehand,” he says.

Although not a nuts and bolts part of funeral planning, grief and bereavement counseling may be necessary for some to help deal with emotional aspects of loss.

There are a number of options available to Bloomington residents, including free group counseling at the Bloomington Hospital as a part of the Hospice program.

The adult bereavement groups are held in all but the summer months and are free and open to anyone in the community. In addition to counseling sessions, they feature information and resources including books for those not wishing to attend group sessions.

Sandra Clark is a counselor who maintains a private practice in Bloomington and also provides group counseling for the hospice program. Clark says support from the hospice is primarily available to those who have family members in hospice care, but anyone can get support even if they don’t.

“Grief counseling is not about changing the person, it’s not about fixing anything. It’s about being there with them as they process loss and to figure out how to cope on a daily basis and face responsibilities,” Clark says.

According to Clark, grief counseling spans an average of five sessions with a counselor and the average cost in private practice is around $70 per session. The hospice programs run for six weeks per session and are free of cost.

“Taking really good care of yourself is of the utmost importance. It’s not a time for a life review; really try to take care of yourself. Don’t get in a hurry to make changes, and it usually helps to share grief,” Clark says.
 

Fri 21 Dec 2007

… if you are an international student

By Yolanda Zhang
The challenges and benefits to being an international student at Indiana University
 
When walking across Indiana University’s campus, one can see students from all over the world. There are different clothing styles, ethnicities and languages. Together, the different components help shape the diverse atmosphere that is characteristic of IU.

China is one of three major sources of international students at IU, which makes Chinese students a group that cannot be ignored. They have their own unique characteristics, wants and needs, which can differ from other international students.

Why come to America and IU?

For many years, the United States has been the top destination for Chinese students seeking higher education overseas. Many students are motivated to come here because of the high regard for an American degree and the need for a challenging and fulfilled new life.

”An American master’s degree is a great chance for getting a job,” said Tian Ming, a Chinese graduate student at IU. “Besides, learning and practical experience are not closely correlated in the Chinese educational system. A lot of Chinese students end up doing something that has nothing to do with their major after graduation.”

Although some people may believe that living and studying in a new environment is synonymous with adversity, many Chinese students are far more optimistic.

“I try not to think I’m ‘suffering.’ As a matter of fact, I think studying abroad makes my life fulfilled and allows me the opportunity to experience a totally different life,“ said Cindy Jin, a Chinese graduate student at IU. “I oftentimes imagine that I’m on vacation.“

According to Amy Reyolds, the associate dean for research and graduate studies in the School of Journalism, more and more Chinese students are coming to IU every year. “We have far more Chinese students than any past years,” said Reynolds.

Despite the increasingly large number of Chinese students pursing college degrees, the students continue to face challenges such as financial pressures, language barriers, differing educational systems, cultural differences, lack of transportation, loneliness and the debate over whether or not to stay after graduation.

Financial pressures
 
Attending an American university can be expensive for Chinese students. Tuition is equivalent to approximately $150,000. Because of the high cost, many students tend to enter at the graduate level because they are often able to qualify for assistantships and fellowships.

In addition to tuition, rent and food must also be taken into consideration. To cover these costs, many Chinese students work while enrolled in school.

“Most Chinese students are very hard working, more hard working than other students. They try really hard to find jobs in school,” said Reynolds.

Language barriers
 
Unlike students from Canada or India, where English is their primary language, Chinese students are challenged to speak and read a secondary language upon their arrival at an American university or college.

Most Chinese students learn English in middle school. They receive further training at New Oriental School, which is considered one of the most renowned private language teaching schools in China.

By taking advanced courses in English, students are better prepared for the proficiency examinations, which are required for international students wishing to attend a school in America.

Every year Chinese students continue do well on exams such as the TOEFL and GRE.

However, comprehending the English language is not a “fill in the blank” or a multiple-choice question. It’s much more difficult.

“The good thing is nobody laughs at your accent, but it’s annoying when I can’t articulate what I really want to say in class and get misunderstood by others,” said King Hu, a Chinese student majoring in education at IU. “Sometimes it’s intimidating starting a conversation.  … I’m not sure whether they will understand what I say.”

Differing educational systems
 
Although globalization and technological advancements have made the transition to America smoother, Chinese students still find it difficult to adapt.

Because the American educational system promotes creativity, critical thinking skills and the ability to challenge authority and prevailing paradigms, Chinese students find it challenging. Many times they are required to answer questions they may not fully understand or present arguments they cannot effectively articulate.

“Chinese students are generally very adaptable, but I do have some Chinese students come to me and say that they find it really hard to participate in class like their American classmates,” explained Reynolds.

In China, students rarely engage in dialogue because professors tend to lecture the entire class time. Chinese students must then adjust to the seminar-like settings found in American classrooms.

However, Chinese students often say that the payoff from learning these creative thinking and presentation skills is worth it in the end.

 Cultural differences
Photo by Yolanda Zhang
China is best known for its long history, rich culture and ancient customs.

When Chinese students come to America, they experience a clash of cultures, which can make it hard for them to understand their American peers. Certain language devices tend to pose the most significant problem, specifically tone, sarcasm and clichés.

“People are really friendly and also comparatively simple,” said Tian. “You always hear people saying ‘have a nice day,’ ‘have a nice weekend,’ which you cannot hear in China. But the thing is, it’s hard to get close to Americans. They are just being nice sometimes, and you have nobody to turn to when you are not having a nice day.”

Another problem that Chinese students struggle with are jokes. Because they are mostly told within a specific cultural context, students have a hard time understanding why the joke is so funny.

“I just laugh together with them, although I sometimes have no idea what the point is,” said Sarah Chen, an IU undergraduate student from Hong Kong.

 Transportation
 
For many Chinese students, transportation has been a nightmare because of long lines, scheduling and delays.

“The public transportation is very scarce here,” said Tian. “The interval between two buses is very long — like 20 minutes for weekdays. So if you are one minute late, you’ll wait a long time for another one. And if it’s the weekend, things are 10 times worse.”

Jin agreed. “I used to take the ‘E’ bus to school everyday, but the bus is really slow, and it comes every 25 minutes. I always get up late and miss the bus, so I finally decided to walk to school.”

Yet walking poses its problems as well.

“Walking can be a weird thing anywhere outside of the campus,” said Hu. “Oftentimes I’m the only one walking in the street whenever I go to the grocery [store]. You find nobody to ask for direction. Everybody is in the car.”

Loneliness and relationships
 
When traveling overseas for an extended period of time, Chinese students can sometimes experience emotional issues, which are more subtle and elusive than issues of money and school.

“I’ll overschedule myself to avoid loneliness and emptiness,” said Tian. “Sometimes I’ll call my parents, but I always tell them the good and positive things of my life … because I know they can do nothing to help since we are thousands of miles away from each other.”

For other students, finding “real” friends has posed one of the biggest challenges, along with engaging in small talk. “Once the topic is gone, you’ll have nothing to say,” explained Jin.

Tian agreed. “Sometimes I meet someone at the bus stop, and we kind of have a conversation. But after we get on the bus, the person will take out the iPod and headphones and start listening to music,” he explained. “I wonder maybe it’s because he also feels [that it’s] hard to go deep into any topic with a foreign student.”

At times, the lack of a companion with the same cultural background can also lead to a sense of insecurity and uncertainty.

“I think the sense of certainty and security is very important for me,” said Jin. “I heard that it takes at least five years for any alien in the U.S. to actually get this sense of security and feel totally at ease.”

In addition to loneliness and insecurity, “to-be-continued” relationships are also haunting for some Chinese students.

“I’m not sure whether I still have any boyfriend,” said Carrie Han, an undergraduate Chinese student at IU. “My boyfriend is in Nanking and of course we never break up, but I just feel that he is out of reach.”

Decision to stay or leave
 
The statistics gathered by the Institute for International Education show that during the 2003-2004 academic year, there were 61,765 Chinese students at institutions of higher education in the United States.

Of these students, many have struggled over the question of whether they should stay or leave; however, many are choosing to stay in the United States after earning their degrees.

“I don’t want to return as soon as I get the degree,” said Tian. “I think it’s hard to settle for just returning and getting a job in China. I have a higher expectation for myself since I have gone this far.”

Jin agreed. “I will choose to stay, as long as I can find a job after graduation.”
 

Fri 21 Dec 2007

… you want a cultural experience with your food

By Jingting Zhao
Jingting Zhao
Shanti features Indian cuisine.
If you want to know a place’s culture, the food is a good way to start. Bloomington has all kinds of restaurants from different countries in the world. You can find Greek, Italian, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Chinese food and any other exotic food here. The diversity in food reflects the cultural diversity in this small town. In a way, it reflects the kaleidoscopic scene and multicultural attitude at IU.
 
With nearly 10 percent of its study body international students, Indiana University-Bloomington (IU) is friendly and welcoming to international students. IU enrolled 3,687 international students in 2006. The top five countries of citizenship are South Korea, India, China, Taiwan and Japan. You can find a large number of international students coming from Asian countries and areas. Besides the top five, there are also many students coming from Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Macao.

We often say, “Demand drives supply.” With so many international students, faculty members and visiting scholars at IU, there is a large demand to satisfy the needs of those missing their home countries and ethnic food.

How many Chinese food restaurants are in Bloomington? If you enter “Chinese restaurant in Bloomington, Indiana” into the Internet search engine Google, you will find about 531,000 results. If you narrow down your search results by adding “near IUB” into the key words, you will get 570 results in Google Maps. Together with the brief introduction of the restaurants, you will find their locations, maps and contact information as well.
Jingting Zhao
Chow Bar serves Chinese buffets, sit-down meals and hot bubble tea near the  IU campus.


Near campus, you can easily find some Chinese restaurants, such as Chow Bar, Lucky Express, Dragon Express, and Great Wall. Not far away from campus, you can also find Chinese Buffet and Sunny Palace near the College Mall.

     Jingting Zhao  
A Chinese buffet in B-town.
There are three types of Chinese restaurants that exist in most areas of the United States — sit-down dining, takeout, and buffets. In Bloomington, the most common types are buffets and takeout. The Chow Bar serves a lunch buffet from Monday through Friday for $6.90 per person, $10.50 on weekends. It also offers sit-down dining for lunch and dinner. On weekends it will offer more dishes, such as fresh crab, shrimp and soymilk. Some Chinese students who tried the more expensive lunch buffet said they have more traditional Chinese dishes there on weekends. Want to try it? The owner of the Chow Bar came from Taiwan about 30 years ago and she serves authentic Taiwan hot bubble tea (pearls tea).
 

“My friends and I like Asian food. I like Chow Bar best because I think it’s more authentic and kind of like close to what we experience as the real Chinese food. We come here for buffets, and we also sometimes come here for dinner with my family."
 

An IU sophomore nursing major, Courtney Amelia Oczkowski enjoys the hot bubble tea and lunch buffet with her friend at Chow Bar. She said, “My friends and I like Asian food. I like this place best because I think it’s more authentic and kind of like close to what we experience as the real Chinese food. We come here for buffets, and we also sometimes come here for dinner with my family. The owner here is really nice. She is the best lady I have ever met. I love her. ” Her favorite dish is ginger chicken and noodles.

Her friend Angela Balmer, an IU sophomore majoring in psychology, said, “I brought my parents, friends, and my boyfriend here. This is a really good place for us. Last year I ate three or four times a week at lunchtime. So I mean it’s definitely my favorite place. My favorite dish here is snow shrimp and fried rice.” 
 
 Jingting Zhao
Fried rice is a staple of U.S. Chinese restaurants.
 
Oczkowski and Balmer’s grandmothers and mothers all come from the Philippines originally. But they were born and grew up in the United States. Both of them are members of the Asian American Students Association and Philippine Students Association at IU. IU has a variety of centers and student associations to better serve diversified students on campus, such as the International Center, La Casa Latino Cultural Center, Asian Culture Center, Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, and Tibetan Cultural Center.

However, it’s difficult to cater to all tastes. An IU faculty member from the Department of Folklore said at Chow Bar, “It’s not so good. I have tried better Chinese restaurants in Bloomington and in Chicago. I think Great Wall is better than Chow Bar. Today we have two friends coming from Mexico and one from Paris. They just arrived and want to try some Chinese food. So we came here because it’s right on campus.”

But his two other friends, also IU faculty members, said they like the buffets served here. Their friends from Mexico said in Spanish, “We like it.” The girl from Paris also thought Chow Bar is much better than any Chinese restaurant she has tried in Paris.

Lucky Express and Dragon Express offer take-out food and sit-down dining. You can call in and pick up your order yourself. They put the food and sauce in a box or pan, so it’s very convenient for customers to take out. The dining décor is simpler than Chow Bar and Great Wall. But they don’t lack fans.
                    
 
          "When I go to Chinese restaurants, I mostly want
   traditional Chinese food. Lucky Express is more 
 authentic."
 
 
An IU faculty member from the Department of Economics, Bill Witte, who was enjoying his food by himself and reading the Wall Street Journal in Lucky Express, said, “Over the years, I ate at a number of other ones. I ate occasionally at East Bloomington Plaza. Some of ones I ate at no longer exist. I also tried the Sunny Palace near the Target.”

He thought Lucky Express is more authentic. “When I go to Chinese restaurants, I mostly want traditional Chinese food. I mostly come here because it’s close to campus. The convenience is a big thing. I can ride my bike here or even walk. I often come here by myself. And my favorite is Szechwan chicken. It’s very hot.”

When asking about his opinion toward some Chinese restaurants putting salad, sushi and fried chicken into the buffets, which is not traditional Chinese food, Witte said, “There is a lot of different kinds of food in Bloomington. But I think there is also a lot of diversity in Chinese food. It doesn’t go the same everywhere for sure. And the restaurants, too. The place like this, you can come in and get served right away. Some of the others are much more standard restaurants with waiters and waitresses.” 

Chinese food is very popular in the United States in recent years. But the Chinese food served in the United States is usually called American Chinese cuisine, which refers to this type of cooking that typically caters to Western tastes and differs significantly from the authentic cuisine of China.


 
You can find lots of Chinese food in the China Town districts in U.S. cities, such as in San Francisco.
Chinese cuisine originated from different regions of China and has become widespread all around the world. No matter whether you travel in New York, Chicago, Tokyo, Paris, or any other parts of the world, you can always find Chinese restaurants in China Town or downtown.

Regional and cultural differences vary greatly among the different regions of China, giving rise to diversified styles of food. There are mainly eight schools of regional cuisines in China: Anhui (Hui), Cantonese (Yue), Fujian (Min), Hunan (Xiang), Jiangsu (Yang), Shandong (Lu), Szechwan (Chuan), and Zhejiang (Zhe). These eight traditions can represent Chinese food in different regions very well and show the highest level of Chinese cuisine to some degree. Each of them is famous for its own special taste and it has quite a strict requirement for cooking techniques, raw materials selection, utensils, and weights and measures. Good chefs can make a big difference, even using the same raw materials. Different ways of preparation, like the length of cooking, can make the flavor totally different.

American Chinese cuisine has a long history in the United States. During the nineteenth century, thousands of Chinese workers came to the western United States to build railroads, dig mines, and perform other types of hard industrial work. The early California “chow chows” were simple restaurants run by Cantonese Chinese to feed their Chinese compatriots. Soon Chinese restaurateurs began to cook for American workmen, altering their dishes not only to satisfy American tastes but also to better avail themselves of local ingredients. Dishes on the menu were often given numbers, and often a roll and butter was offered on the side.


In the process, chefs would invent numerous dishes such as chop suey and General Tso’s Chicken.
As a result, they developed a style of Chinese food not found in China.
The most common dishes that often
appear on American Chinese menus include: sesame chicken, crab Rangoon, chow mein, lo mein, fried rice, Mongolian beef, moo shu pork, fortune cookie, and orange flavor chicken.

The Chinese menu will nearly always feature a “hot” option in deference to the Szechwan and Hunan traditions. Catering to American health concerns, restaurants also now frequently offer dishes that are steamed instead of fried in oil and vegetarian options. Chinese food has a reputation for high levels of MSG (monosodium glutamate) to enhance the flavor. Because the belief that MSG is harmful to some people is a popular conception, market forces and customer demand have encouraged many restaurants to offer “MSG Free” or “No MSG” menus. The dread MSG is far less prevalent now.

Another interesting food in Chinese restaurants in the United States is the fortune cookie, which does not originate from China. The fortune cookie is a crisp cookie made from flour, sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk, which is baked around a fortune, a piece of paper with words of faux wisdom or vague prophecy. Unique to the United States and Canada, it is usually served with Chinese food as a dessert. The message inside may also include a list of lucky numbers and a Chinese phrase with translation. Despite conventional wisdom, the cookies were invented in California.  
 
                              Jingting Zhao                                            
A fortune cookie …                                                  
   Jingting Zhao
… broken with words of vague prophecy and a list of lucky numbers.
 
 

Fri 21 Dec 2007

… if you are in town for a week

By Maria Karapetyan
Whether you are visiting friends or family, sniffing around the town to decide if you want to study at Indiana University, or you just happen to be passing by, there are plenty of things to do, places to see and foods to try in Bloomington.
    
Bloomington is a small town with a big-city atmosphere thanks to the variety of music and art shows, international cuisines and a vibrant, welcoming social scene. You can submerge yourself into a high-power wild week in a college town, spend your week relaxing and discovering the city’s cultural life – or you can satisfy your eclectic taste by enjoying a little bit of both.
    
Here are a few Bloomington highlights from the city residents themselves

When you are hungry…

A fresh cup of coffee and in-house boiled bagels with a variety of “smears” at the Bloomington Bagel Company on Dunn Street provide an energizing way to start off a day in town. The café also offers sandwiches, salads and pastries. There are seasonal specials, such as pumpkin or cranberry and walnut bagels.

Miss your morning cereal? Cereal Barn & Peanut Butter Café provides more than 20 different cereal brand names and “freshly ground peanut butter sandwiches” as well as a friendly and relaxed atmosphere where you can read your morning newspaper or make plans for the day in the city.
 
The Uptown Café off the city’s Square offers a wide range of breakfast and brunch meals, including its specialty — cottage-cheese pancakes. You might even catch jazz music during a weekend brunch.

Looking for a quick bite, business lunch or a relaxing mid-afternoon meal? Take a walk on Fourth Street and you will come across ethnic food restaurants featuring Asian, Middle Eastern and European cuisines with lunch specials and buffets. Almost all of them are family-owned and operated, and some owners, like the one at Turkish restaurant Anatolia, wouldn’t mind sharing their recipes with you or taking you on a kitchen tour. If you are a health nut in a hurry — Bloomingfoods Market and Deli on Sixth Street is the place to get freshly made sandwiches (including vegetarian and vegan options), sushi and salads to go.
 
Trulli Flatbread, entrance on Kirkwood
Maria Karapetyan
Trulli Flatbread on Kirkwood Avenue.
After a busy day around the town, a hearty dinner is a good way to replenish your energy and/or take a break before diving into Bloomington’s nightlife. For an informal dinner, try award-winning pizza at Mother Bear’s on Third Street. If you prefer to have wine with your pizza, Trulli on Kirkwood, a restaurant specializing in flatbreads with a wide selection of local and regional wines, is a good choice. For a dinner by a fireplace in a more sophisticated setting, with a variety of meat, seafood and delicious desserts on the menu, Scholars Inn Gourmet Café & Wine Bar on College Avenue is your pick.

“For a hearty vegetarian or vegan meal, try Roots on the Square,” suggests Elizabeth Andrews, a Bloomington resident and a contributing writer for Bloom magazine.

And, of course, you can always wander back to Fourth Street to try that restaurant you walked by earlier while slowing down to catch the smells of baking bread, roasting peppers and basil.

 Museums, art galleries and such…

Both the city of Bloomington and Indiana University boast a number of museums and art galleries featuring historical, local, regional and international art collections and much more.

The School of Fine Arts Gallery at IU offers free admission to collections of contemporary American artists, including faculty and students’ works. The gallery hosts frequent lectures and tours open to the general public.

The Kinsey Institute Gallery, open on weekdays from 2 till 4 p.m., includes collections of artwork, photographs and books on the institute’s nationally renowned research on sex, gender and reproduction. The gallery often hosts temporary exhibits.
    
Bloomington residents suggest you put Oliver Winery on your list of places to go during your visit. Only a couple of miles away from the city, the winery offers free daily tasting and tours of its wine-making facilities. “The area is gorgeous, with a lake and a forest, so it’s nice to buy some wine and cheese and have a little picnic out there.  Good for showing parents and others of legal drinking age,” says Lori DesRochers, an IU student.

By Hand Gallery inside Fountain Square Mall showcases paintings, unique works made of glass, wood and clay – all by local artisans. You can browse the gallery for “one-of-a-kind” pieces of jewelry, home décor and, yes, you can also find bags and purses made of genuine leather.

If you don’t mind getting up early in the morning every now and then, check out Bloomington Farmers’ Market on Saturdays. The market is a "feast for the senses," both for serious grocery shoppers and one-time visitors, thanks to the smells of locally-grown tomatoes, smoked meat and freshly baked pastries, displays of arts and crafts and live music in the background. Farmers chat with each other and know their regular customers, and everyone else enjoys the communal atmosphere in Showers Common, at Eighth and Morton streets. The market opens every Saturday morning at 7 a.m. from April through November.  
    
“It’s very laid-back and you can just stroll around and see what’s going on.  It’s probably the best way to get to know people from Bloomington.  Also, for just a few bucks you can get a grilled sausage, a pair of tamales, or some fresh baked bread for your lunch,” says DesRochers.

Want more culture?

Explore Tibetan and Buddhist traditions at the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center in the southeastern part of Bloomington. Check out the monastery, traditional Tibetan Stupas and the center’s Cultural Building, which holds a library of Tibetan books and displays the Tibetan Butter Sculpture. Every so often, His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself visits the center and gives public teachings (for a price) in Bloomington.
    
Leo R. Dowling International Center on Jordan Avenue hosts Friday Noon Concerts featuring classical, traditional and other music performances by international students and guests. Various international groups and student associations feature weekly Friday afternoon Coffee Hours at different locations on campus. Check the International Center’s website for exact locations. This is a great opportunity to learn about different cultures and sometimes hidden traditions in an informal and friendly setting, where you can ask questions and chat into the night with people from all over the world.

What about classical music?

The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music offers performances by world-class musicians all year ’round and hosts a Summer Music Festival, featuring various types of music, including early music and jazz. Famous conductors, guest artists, IU faculty and students perform during the festival. You can catch solo and ensemble recitals by faculty and students almost every evening at Ford, Auer or Recital Hall for free.
    
“The one thing I like visiting friends to do when they are here is go hear an IU School of Music recital, concert, or production, preferably an opera. The school puts on some ridiculous number of performances each year, and there are always a dozen things to see or hear every week. The best way to find out what’s going on is to look at Prelude on their website the week your friends or family are visiting,” says David Bricker, a Bloomington resident.

And when night falls…    

Monday through Saturday, the Bloomington social scene invites you to a variety of shows and specials. Here are a few picks:

MONDAY: Get a good laugh, American food and drink specials at Bear’s Place on Third Street, a national Top 10 stand-up comedy spot, as ranked by USA Today.
    
Sing to the oldies and modern hits or listen to others while they embarrass themselves or show off their musical talents at Bluebird’s karaoke night on Walnut Street.

TUESDAY: Enjoy Irish music at the Runcible Spoon, a student and city residents’ favorite eatery on Fourth Street. They serve a hearty breakfast throughout the day.
    
Catch blues jams featuring local and regional musicians at the Players Pub at no cover charge. You can get food and play pool there as well.

WEDNESDAY: Alternative music at Bear’s Place, jazz at Tutto Bene Wine Café and dancing to Appalachian fiddle at the Harmony School gymnasium on Second Street are among your choices to spend a fun evening in town.

THURSDAY: An evening of martinis at the Scholars Inn is always an option to enjoy Thursday in Bloomington. Take your pick – chocolate, apple, peach or pomegranate flavors – all at a special price. Live piano at Malibu Grill on the Square is another choice.  

FRIDAY: Named after French jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, Café Django, an Asian fusion restaurant on Grant Street, offers live jazz performances in a cozy atmosphere.

Many other cafes, bars and restaurants that have already been mentioned also have weekend feature performances. You can check their calendar of events and guest appearances on their websites.

SATURDAY: Didn’t get a chance to sing karaoke on Monday night? Get to the Office Lounge on Third Street. You can enjoy food, drinks and a good time at this Bloomington “veteran” tavern without paying a cover charge.
    
Don’t forget to check with the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Kirkwood Avenue for their concert series and events held on different nights each week.

Want to know more?

For more information, reviews and ideas for discovering Bloomington, check the Bloomington Visitors Center website for the calendar of events both on the IU campus and in the Bloomington community. Also, make sure to pick up free copies of Bloom magazine and IU’s Weekend listings (and, no, it is not a “student’s guide to town”).
 

Fri 21 Dec 2007

… if you identify with the GLBT community

By Abby Tonsing
flag

 
New in Bloomington and identify with the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community? Wondering what the state of Indiana can possibly offer its GLBT citizens?
 
Fear not. Bloomington’s actually considered a friendly hub in the Midwest for the queer community. Traveling to Indianapolis, Chicago or even Columbus, Ohio isn’t necessary to meet new people, discover new resources, find plenty of fun and become an active member of Bloomington’s GLBT community.
 
Still skeptical?
 
The July/August 2005 issue of “The Out Traveler” magazine reported, “Whether you’re gay, straight, or somewhere in between, Bloomington offers something rarely found in this country: a small town with a bold history of openness and acceptance.” 
 
Start your queer quest on campus
 
For those on campus, a good start to discovering Bloomington’s GLBT community and resources might be to stop by Indiana University’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student Support Services at 705 E. Seventh St. The office operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but is closed during the university’s observed holidays and days off.
 
The office’s mission is to “… provide information, support, mentoring, and counseling to members of the IU campus and the larger community. We seek to do that through networking, collaborating, education, and outreach in an attempt to create a climate where all members of the community are encouraged to promote and defend diversity.”
 
The GLBT SSS office also offers a GLBT library, complete with more than 3,000 books, periodicals, CDs, movies and other materials to facilitate research and entertainment.
 
According to the library’s Web site, the library’s materials have been reorganized and reclassified. Books are now organized by subject, and are further subdivided into gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender categories.
 
Fiction books are also categorized by genre, and bisexual and transgender literature now have their own categories.
 
For those struggling through the coming out process, stressing out with school or searching for a sympathetic ear, the GLBT SSS office houses a counseling services center, the Counselor’s Corner.
 
Practicum and intern counselor John Loveland conducts intake sessions for those seeking individual, couples or group counseling. From there, regular appointments are scheduled and counseling is formulated to suit each client’s individual health needs.
 
Whereas the GLBT counseling services are available to anyone, priority goes to IU students, explained Loveland, who often has a waitlist for his services. In the instance of a long waitlist, those interested in counseling are referred to other counseling options. Counseling at the GLBT SSS is free.
 
“Counseling at the GLBT office is first and foremost GLBT friendly,” Loveland said. “There are a great number of resources at our fingertips … that allow myself to provide up-to-date, accurate, and well-researched information to clients, as well as create a general atmosphere of acceptance. I am also able to offer specialized perspectives on issues that are culturally sensitive to the unique issues of the GLBT community…”
 
Further expanding on the queer community in Bloomington, GLBT SSS schedules social events and programming and sponsors student groups.
 
Past events include visits from comedian Margaret Cho and Olympic diver Greg Louganis.
 
GLBT SSS sponsors the following active campus groups: Bi-Chat, Queerying Gender, Crossroads, Girls Like Us, the Hoosier Rights Campaign, OUT and the Lambda Law Society.
 
The office also houses celebrations for National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11 each year.
 
Follow the rainbow to a pint of beer
uncle e's taps
Abby Tonsing
          Some of the many beers patrons can sample at
      Uncle Elizabeth’s.     
.

Moving away from campus, for thirsty members of the GLBT community and its allies, there’s only one gay bar left in town. In the last two years, all of the other gay bars in town, including Bullwinkle’s, Willie Joe’s and The Other Bar, have closed their doors. Only one remains, slinging drinks out and proud, Uncle Elizabeth’s.
 
Open every day of the year except Christmas, Uncle Elizabeth’s is a full-service bar, offering eight beers on tap, 25 different bottled beers, wine and liquor. Uncle Elizabeth’s offers drink specials five days a week, excluding Fridays and Saturdays.
 
The bar is open from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, it’s open from 2 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Uncle Elizabeth’s can be reached at 812-331-0060.
 
Steve Keith opened Uncle Elizabeth’s, 502 N. Morton St., more than 10 years ago.
 
“At the time people were saying how much Bloomington really needed another bar. … It’s good for the community,” Keith said of his reasons for opening a gay bar.
 
When Keith, formerly in the jewelry business, purchased a liquor license and opened his bar, there were two other gay bars in town. Now, Keith’s business is the last gay bar standing.
 
For local sports fans, Keith notes that IU basketball games and Indianapolis Colts football games are featured on the bar’s big screen television.
 
Uncle Elizabeth’s gets a significant amount of traffic from out-of-town visitors as well, thanks to listings in guides from the Damorn Company, which has published GLBT travel books and other periodicals since 1964.
 
“Lately, they’ve been shocked that there’s only one bar,” Keith said of out-of-town patrons visiting Bloomington. “Usually they come in and they find it very comfortable, very homey. Almost everyone says it reminds them of a bar from home.”
 
Homey appears to be an appropriate way to describe the décor of Uncle Elizabeth’s. Pictures of pop culture icons, like Marilyn Monroe, hang on the wood paneled interior. The cozy bar seats 10. 
 
hangin
Abby Tonsing
Friends Ben Tokarski, 27, Katie Bowman,  26, and Liz Campbell-Rike, 35, enjoy beers and a good laugh at Uncle Elizabeth’s.
In spring 2008, Keith plans to move Uncle Elizabeth’s to a new, larger location, to accommodate patrons with a spacious dance floor. In the proposed new building twice the size of the bar’s current location, Keith also hopes to start hosting drag shows.
 
Regardless of the upcoming move, the original mission statement of Uncle Elizabeth’s will remain the same:
 
“From day one, we’ve always said that everybody’s welcome here – men, women, gay, straight, bisexual, in-between, questioning, confused, you know, pick one. Everybody’s welcome. We just demand that everybody respect everybody else,” Keith said.
 
IU art student Eric Durhan, 22, agrees with the sentiment that all are welcome at Uncle Elizabeth’s.
 
“What I like about Uncle Elizabeth’s is that everyone’s welcome. I’ve never seen anyone not enjoying themselves there, gay or straight,” Durhan said. Durhan plans to graduate in December with the bachelor in fine arts degree.
 
Ladies, strike new friendship with SPARKS
 
For lesbians looking to mingle with other women in the spirit of bowling fun and holiday festivity, look no further than the SPARKS group.
 
Organized in the summer of 1988 by Carolyn VandeWiele and a group of friends, the SPARKS group at its height consisted of more than 100 members.
 
The group used to host an annual Valentine’s Day dance, a Halloween party and a softball league. The group also used to gather several times a year for informative sessions on issues facing the lesbian community, such as financial planning and legal assistance. Now, SPARKS is more of a social networking group for professional lesbians.
 
Whereas a lot of the SPARKS social events have fallen by the wayside because of busy schedules, the group still hosts its annual holiday dinner and a bowling league.
 
“For a while, things were kind of dead on the social scene for the nonbar crowd, but things seem to be picking up again,” VandeWiele said. “These things often run in cycles.”
 
Consisting of about 40 women, the SPARKS bowling league is now in its 15th year. Bowlers hit the lanes for two eight-week sessions, starting in October and ending in March.
 
The 20th annual SPARKS holiday dinner for lesbians and their friends was slated for Monday, Dec. 10, at Affairs of the Sun Catering at 111 W. Fourth St.
 
VandeWiele can be contacted at blueroom1@insightbb.com or 812-320-9920.
 
Be out on the airwaves with "bloomingOUT"
Abby Tonsing
Host of "bloomingOUT" Helen Harrell and Victor Kinzer sift through the show’s news.
 
VandeWiele, as president of the board at community radio station WFHB-FM, would certainly point members of the GLBT community to “bloomingOUT,” the state’s only radio show that specifically addresses GLBT issues.
 
Hosted by Helen Harrell, co-founder of the Bloomington chapter of Pride at Work, and Victor Kinzer, who works at the GLBT SSS library, the radio show airs weekly from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays.
 
On the local radio dial, WFHB’s “bloomingOUT” can be found at 91.3 FM and 98.1 FM in Bloomington, 100.7 FM in Nashville and 106.3 FM in Ellettsville. WFHB also streams live online at www.wfhb.org.
 
Show segments include Queer His/Herstory, Critical Inqueery, Transformation Station, The Bi Connection and The Heart of Polyamory, among others. The radio show also features interviews, live music performances and a calendar of events.
 
WFHB News Director Chad Carrothers explains “bloomingOUT” is a crucial component of the station’s programming:
 
"When WFHB launched its local news initiative five years ago a GLBT public affairs show was at the top of my list. I created ‘bloomingOUT’ to fill a clear need in the community. The Bloomington Beacon gay newspaper had folded and there was a void, a deafening silence of voices from the queer community, a complete lack of media access for this segment of the population. The late beloved IU Chancellor Herman B. Wells once said that WFHB helps different segments of our community learn about each other and grow, and ‘bloomingOUT’ perfectly embraces this philosophy of open dialogue. It’s empowering."
 
WFHB Station Manager Markus Lowe expands on Carrothers’ points.
 
“I think the show is great from an informational and educational standpoint. Simply getting the word out to people on where those in the gay community can go for events, [information] sessions, lectures … is a very important function. Some people just don’t know where to go or how to get involved, and they remain isolated. ‘bloomingOUT’ provides the information that is relevant and necessary to maintain a healthy gay community, free from fear, stigma and oppression.”
 
Considering that “bloomingOUT” is spearheaded by volunteers at the community radio station, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities available to assist the show.
 
“bloomingOUT” is currently seeking a board operator, correspondent, segment producer, music director, marketing director, underwriting director and archivist. IU students can receive internship credits for their volunteer work at the station.
 
For even more GLBT community events in Bloomington, check out the Web site
www.visitgaybloomington.com.
 
At this site, IU’s GLBT Alumni Association and the annual PRIDE Film Festival, among other attractions, are highlighted.
 
Get out. Be proud. And explore all Bloomington has to offer the GLBT community.
 

Fri 21 Dec 2007

… if you are a wine virgin

By Emily Wilson
Courtesy of oliverwinery.com
Do you like beef ‘n cheddars or baked salmon?  If you are curious what type of wine you might like, this is a key question you should ask yourself.

“Compare it to food — what kind of food they like tells a lot,” says Bobby Wallace, corporate wine director of Big Red Liquors in Bloomington.

Jose Zayas, a 23-year-old musician, started to enjoy wine because he loves to cook.  The first time he tried wine it wasn’t that great, he says, but he’s kept at it. Now, he even collects dessert wines.

“There are so many varieties, so wine can go with any meal,” Zayas says.
 
No cork necessary

Wine is an alcohol made from fermented grapes and has long had a haughty reputation. The wine industry has cultivated a pompous attitude, Wallace says.

Essentially, wine drinkers seem a bit stuffy.  With websites like winespectator.com, where most people featured on the site are over 40, it’s understandable that younger generations might feel more comfortable with a bottle of Budweiser than a bottle of 1997 vintage port.

However, Wallace wants to change wine’s conceited image.

“We try to make people comfortable.  For some reason there’s a stigma that you should know everything about wine when you walk in the store,” Wallace says.
 
For those afraid of corkscrews, there are new screw-cap options (and the ever-popular wine in a box) that keep wine just as fresh and delicious, but are user friendly.
 
At Big Red, you don’t have to lift a finger to find the wine of your dreams. All you have to do is answer a couple of questions.

“We can guess a palate,” says Bobby DerOhanian, wine manager at Big Red Liquors.

But do you have to spend 30 bucks on one bottle?  No, it’s easy to enjoy fine wine on a tight budget. There are plenty of great wines under $10, DerOhanian says.

Wallace just wants wine to be more approachable. Big Red does free wine tastings every Saturday from 12-5 p.m., and it even has a new system in the works that will allow it to serve wine on tap. Take that, beer drinkers.

While Big Red offers an astounding variety of wines from Australian Sauvignon Blanc to French Burgundy, Bloomington’s own Oliver Winery specializes in good ol’ Hoosier libations.
 
The local buzz

The winery offers an impressive collection of wines all made on location at its property off of State Road 37. 

“Indiana isn’t typically thought of as wine country, but we can grow some pretty great wines out here,” says Amanda Lemasters, a shift manager at Oliver Winery.

Inside the rustic wine shop, Lemasters gives daily wine tastings.  At only 23 years old, she has quickly learned the ins and outs of the wine business after taking a job at Oliver Winery two years ago.
 
“As I started working around wines I became more interested in learning about them.  It’s fun!” she says.

Like the guys at Big Red, Lemasters will walk you through the wine-tasting process.  She carefully explains the five “S”s: see, swirl, smell, sip and savor.
 
Then, she says that wine tastings start with dry wines and end with sweet wines.

With the drier wines, Lemasters uses words like “fruit forward.” These are just fancy ways of saying that a wine’s flavor mimics the taste of certain fruits. The sweeter wines she compares to candy. The 2006 Catawba, a wine made of grapes from the Oliver vineyard, tastes like Jolly Ranchers, she says. The Soft Red tastes like Welch’s grape juice — with a kick.  None of that really matters, though.

“When people are talking about what’s in the wine, it’s all really relative. It just helps differentiate the types of wines. Everyone picks up different things,” says Lemasters.

Dry wines might be the primo choice for many wine aficionados, but sweeter wines are crowd favorites. In Indiana, the top three selling wines are all sweet wines that come from Oliver: the Soft Red, followed by the Soft Rosé, and then the Soft White.  

Lemasters figures that sweet wines are more popular because growing up people tend to drink syrupy sodas and eat loads of candy. It’s easier to gravitate toward sweeter wines because “that’s what we grew up with.”

Allegra Montanari, 19, is just that type of person.  She rarely drinks wine except sometimes when at home with her parents, and when she does partake she prefers sweet, red wines.

“I like the pungency of red wine and I like it sweet because I think it should be sipped. I can’t drink wine with meals yet,” she says.
 
A drink a day keeps the doctor away

If you are still unimpressed by wine, consider its health benefits.
For Your Information
 
Wineries
 
Oliver Winery
8024 N. State Road 37
Bloomington, IN 47404
(812) 876-5800 or (800) 25-TASTE
 
Butler Winery
6200 E. Robinson Road
Bloomington, IN 47408
(812) 332-6660
 
Liquor Stores
 
Big Red Liquors
418 North College Avenue
(812) 339-7345
 
Wine Bars
 
Tutto Bene
213 South Rogers Street
Bloomington, IN 47404
(812) 330-1060
 
Scholar’s Inn
717 North College Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47404
(812) 332-1892 or (800) 765-3466


A glass of wine a day “has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and slow the progression of neurological degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease,” according to Joy Bauer, a registered dietician and contributor to Today on NBC.

In her article “Raise a glass! Wine’s health benefits,” Bauer also emphasizes that moderation is key in order to enjoy the health benefits of wine. Men should not have more than two glasses of wine per day. And, sorry, women, you cannot have more than one glass a day.  

And if you want to see a difference in your heart, don’t reach for the white wine. Red wines have a higher level of reservatrol, a phyto-chemical, which helps thin the blood and prevent plaque from clogging arteries.

Lemasters is excited about wine’s health benefits and wants more twenty-somethings to discover wine.

Before she began working at Oliver, Lemasters was a beer drinker. Then she liked sweet wines. Now, she has a broad appreciation for all wines and understands why people might be nervous about trying wine for the first time.

“People are apprehensive who don’t know anything about wine. I really like those kinds of customers. I like to introduce people to wine. It’s a clean slate, like snow that’s never been walked on,” she says.

Essentially, all you need in order to become a wine enthusiast is to try it — and find someone who knows something about it.

“If you have an open mind then it’s almost impossible to not find a wine they would like,” she says.
 
 
A Quick Taste of Wine Terms
 
  
BOUQUET
Near synonym for "aroma". Term generally restricted to description of odors from poured bottled wines.		 HERBACEOUS
Adjective used in description of wine with taste and aroma of herbs, (usually undefined).
CRISP
Wine has definite but pleasing tartness, acidity. Generally used to describe white wines only.		 OXIDIZED
Powerful, attack aroma. Usually denotes high level of acidity, alcohol and/or other flavor faults.
CORKED
Wine has unpleasant taste/smell. Reason is thought to be chemical changes in the wine caused by inadequately sterilized cork stopper inserted at bottling source.
 
 
 
 
  Courtesy of www.vino.com
 
                                                                                 
                                                      
 

Fri 21 Dec 2007

… if you want to be on the radio

By January Jones
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Some days you show up at WFHB to discover something you didn’t know you needed. That’s actually why I started volunteering there. I needed more music.
 
I really have never been able to afford my music consumption habits. I also have never been one to download music. I am afraid The Man will get me. But, one day in the spring of 2004 I walked in the studio downtown on Fourth Street and signed up for the "Mixology" class. I was scared. I didn’t know anyone there, but I had this need.

I remember discovering WFHB on the radio dial in my concrete block dorm room in 1997. Slightly fuzzy, but cool music poured from the speakers — if I didn’t move the dial too far. At the time I never thought I wanted to be on the radio.

But if I had wanted to, I could have gone to community radio station WFHB or the Indiana University student radio station, WIUX.  So if you want to be on the radio in Bloomington, there are actually options. That makes this town unique. We have vibrant, community based media that rely on people for support and participation.
 
WFHB was the first community radio station in Indiana. The station was founded in 1975, but didn’t make it to the airwaves until 1993. That’s how hard it is to start a grass-roots, nonprofit, noncommercial radio station. Now people can just walk in and become part of an accepting and diverse radio community.
 
It takes more than 200 volunteers to keep the station running 24 hours, 7 days a week. What you hear on-air is only a fraction of the work that it takes to produce radio. You can get involved even if you cringe at the sound of your own voice. There are only four paid staff positions, so they need volunteers for everything from the board of directors to answering the phones.

WFHB News Director Chad Carrothers says WFHB is always accepting fresh faces and new voices. Community radio allows anyone to get involved. Some of the volunteers are students from IU who receive credit for their work. But he says the majority are "…regular folks with no prior broadcasting experience." Carrothers says, "WFHB puts the public in pubic radio. Literally."
WFHB’s Chad Carrothers and daily local news anchor Scott Weddle work out a miscommunication.

Since starting the news department at WFHB, Carrothers has increased the public affairs programing substantially. Today, the station has dedicated primetime programs for Hispanic residents, the African-American community and the GLBT community. The station airs important meetings and lectures in edited versions on "Standing Room Only." They do in-depth coverage during local elections, exploring the candidates and issues.
 
Carrothers believes community radio is really about political and cultural empowerment. He says, "Our model of operation shatters the glass wall that traditionally separated passive consumers from those who control the airwaves. We are grounded in the assertion that publically owned airwaves should be controlled by the public."

He says new volunteers are sometimes shocked at just how real the experience at WFHB is. "We put volunteers directly into the field as reporters and producers. Nobody fetches coffee or makes copies. Within days or even hours they realize that community radio is an effective tool for making a difference in the world or just in our own backyard. It’s empowering."

Catie Kosinski volunteered at WFHB as a desk jockey when she was in high school. After a stint on college radio in Greencastle, Indiana, she came back to WFHB and Bloomington. She now has two shows at the station and is a "super sub," picking up on-air shifts when needed. She says, "It’s easy to take community radio for granted, but its services to the community can’t really be measured in quantifiable ways."
 
She agrees with Carrothers about radio’s empowerment potential. "Radio inspires, educates, and influences change." She believes in the station’s mission to create community dialogues. "Everyone, regardless of cultural background, socioeconomic status, race, gender, whatever,  has something to say and something to add to the community."

She says beyond her love of music, she wanted to be on the radio again to do something positive with her dad. "He got divorced a few years ago, and I wanted to spend more time doing father/daughter things with him. He was influential in my love of jazz music and there was a jazz show in need of a DJ at the time." Recently, her 80-year-old grandpa came to see her at the station. "He got to hear two of my shows. I got to say hello to him over the air." The experience of radio has created a new way for Kosinski to be close to her family. "I didn’t play sports and wasn’t involved in team activities, but being on the radio gives me something to share."
 
Eleanor Lissitzyn spent most of her summer at WFHB in the 12-by-8-foot room the news department calls home.
Eleanor Lissitzyn is an undergrad at IU. She had never worked with WIUX student radio, but got involved with WFHB through a service learning course. She has stayed involved because she loves the environment and variety of people. Lissitzyn is also "really grateful for the experience. As a journalism major, it is great to come in, write a story, and get it aired on the radio that night." She says it has also helped her feel like she is part of the community, not just a student passing through. "I didn’t start at WFHB wanting to be on the radio. Now, I love the medium."

Station manager for WIUX Craig Shank loves radio because it is "an integral part of life." He says, "Radio, at its heart, is really two things: immediate and local." He believes that noncommericial radio like WIUX and WFHB "provides audiences with unique content that is free of advertising and is a real experience — rather than just something to put on in the background." Each semester WIUX has a call-out meeting. Interested students fill out applications about their availability, experience and musical program interests. Shank and station board members create a new schedule, matching up students with on-air needs.
 
"At this point, we have roughly 100 applicants every year," he says.

Thousands of students have been involved since the first incarnation of IU student radio in 1962. He says WIUX has changed his life. "I have no idea what I would be doing if it weren’t for the station. I have met some amazing people. …"

Ph.D. student Paul Rohwer is a wannabe. He has never done anything on the radio but wants a show on WIUX for his last semester of school. "I wanna share the music I love to the outer limits of Bloomingtonian rock. According to WIUX, that’s a 15-mile radius, plus the Internet."