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Fri 21 Dec 2007

… if you want to race in the Little 500

By Robert Schmidt
 
 
The energy from the crowd is palpable and contagious. The writhing throng focuses its energy on riders circling the cinder track. The riders push themselves to go faster and faster, feeding off the crowd’s energy as they race for glory.

 “I can’t describe it. Looking up and having thousands of screaming people cheering for you is like nothing else in the world,” said Zachary Osterman, a third year rider for Sigma Alpha Tau. “It’s one of the greatest experiences of my life.”

Some students in this mass of emotion may wonder if it is possible to enter into that hallowed ring and compete for the crowd’s favor, and the answer is that it couldn’t be easier.

You don’t have to be an elite athlete; you don’t have to have any experience at all, but you do have to be determined and ready to train hard.

“My experience was amazing,” said Ashley Bigg, a second year rider for Alpha Chi Omega. “It was by far the hardest mentally and physically challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

“That’s the beauty of the event — 95 percent of the people that come here have no cycling experience whatsoever … and they can be just as competitive as people that have ridden their whole life,” said Matthew Ewing, assistant director for the Indiana University Student Foundation and the race director of the Little 500.

All riders in the Little 500 have to be undergraduate students attending Indiana University. In order to be eligible to race in the Little 500, a rider must be a full time student for the fall and spring semester in which they will compete with at least a 2.0 grade point average for the respective semesters and a cumulative average of 2.0 or better.

Beyond these qualifications, as long as you have never been professional rider, nothing else is needed to participate in the race.

Getting started

The IU Student Foundation holds a rider “call-out” at the beginning of each semester where new riders can get acquainted with the race. From there, Ewing recommends that students with no prior riding experience go on “Rookie Rides” for a couple of weeks. These rides occur three times a week and are led by members of the riders council, comprised of 16 students that have participated in the Little 500. These rides are designed to get students with no experience acquainted with the bikes and riding.

Buying a road bike is a big commitment, with high-end bikes costing thousands of dollars, but there are many cost-effective alternatives for financially strapped students. The IUSF has a loaner bike program where students can come in and borrow a bike and go out riding. The IUSF gets 12 new bikes each year for the loaner program, and Ewing mentioned that he has known riders who have competed in the Little 500 who have never owned their own bike.

Many teams have equipment for riders to use that has been handed down from previous Little 500 alumni.

“I went out and bought a pair of riding shorts and some gloves, but that’s it,” said Bigg.
 
The Student Recreational Sports Center has many stationary bikes to train on when the weather does not permit outdoor riding. According to Ewing, SRSC has just purchased 30 new stationary bikes and next semester there will be a new class that meets at SRSC twice a week that is specifically geared for Little 500 riders.

With the IUSF and the university doing everything they can to help lessen the financial burden for student riders, the next step would be finding a team to ride with.

Finding a team

The teams in the Little 500 are divided into two main categories: independent and Greek.  According to Ewing, residence hall teams are classified as independent. Originally riders had to live in the hall they rode for, but this rule no longer applies.

“The teams usually break down into three categories,” said Ewing. “You have the teams that are trying to win the race … teams that want to be competitive but also enjoy being part of the event, and they are happy with shooting for a top 15 or a top 20, and then you have the teams that are just trying to qualify and just love to be out there on race day.”

If a rider is in a Greek house or plans to rush, finding a team takes care of itself. Many Greek riders join a house before contemplating riding in the Little 500.

“I pledged the fraternity as a freshman for social reasons and then realized that we had a pretty strong tradition of seven championships,” said David Schweer, a fourth-year rider for Phi Kappa Psi. Phi Kappa Psi finished second in the 2007 Little 500.

“I was already in my fraternity before I even had a thought of riding in the Little 500. After I watched the first race my freshman year, I decided it was something I would love to do,” said Gregory Maves, second-year rider for Delta Tau Delta.

While the Greek teams seem to dominate the landscape, they are not the only option, and the IUSF is available to help place students not in the Greek system with teams. Ewing likes to meet with first-time riders to help them find a team that will be a good fit. He will ask them about their experience, expectations and personality, and then try to find a team that will meet the rider’s competitive abilities and desires.

Training

Only 33 teams qualify for the Little 500, so training hard in the offseason is vital. Almost all teams train for at least nine months. The riders for the more competitive teams will train year ’round.

A new rider shouldn’t feel overwhelmed when training begins, wondering how to train and prepare for the race. Riders have great support systems to help them get the best results. Not only can they get advice from their teammates, but teams also have alumni coaches, student coaches and even trainers who are as focused and determined as the riders.

Ewing says it is not uncommon for a rider to train 20 hours a week, which is a heavy commitment on top of a full course load. A competitive team will train six to seven days a week, supplementing riding with weight training and other aerobic exercise.

Training begins in the fall at a slow and steady pace, building skills and endurance and getting comfortable with your team.

“The beginning of the Little 500 season is mainly base miles; getting long, easy hours on the road,” said Anna Gartner, fourth-year rider for Kappa Kappa Gamma.

“It doesn’t need to be fast, just get used to being back on the bike and enjoy it and avoid getting burnt out from it long before the actual race,” said Maves.

Teams will have optional training over winter break and return to begin heavy training in the spring semester. The spring trainings will shift the focus from long slow rides to sessions devoted to speed.

“Cycling tends to follow running in that in the beginning you need lots of miles. The closer you get to competition, the shorter and faster you try to get,” said Schweer.

When the weather turns in the spring, usually around the middle of February, the cinder track at Bill Armstrong Stadium opens for rookie riders. Rookie riders must participate in rookie week, where riders from the riders council give lessons about track riding. It can be intimidating and scary riding on the track with veteran riders whizzing by, so first-time riders are the only ones allowed on the track during rookie week. This makes it an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with exchanges and pack riding before the veterans begin their track training.
 
Track practice is the most important stage of preparation. Nothing can get a rider ready for the race better than riding in race simulations around the track.

“The race is a pretty fast event. Getting your legs to be able to spin at high RPMs will be important,” said Schweer. “So we start doing specific workouts to train our legs to accomplish this.”

Spring break is the culmination of training, said Bigg. That is when training is the most intense. Most teams go on a Little 500 vacation dedicated solely to training, so students must be prepared to forgo the usual weeklong inebriated beach party that is spring break.

After spring break, the workouts begin to taper off until the race. There are four other events that take place in the four weeks leading up to the actual Little 500: qualifications, individual time trials, Miss-N-Out and team pursuit. Gartner says these events really help a team prepare for race day.

Race day is all about execution. Hundreds of hours of training and sacrifice are focused into a little over two hours of intense excitement. The crowd now cheers for you, urging you to go faster and faster, competing for victory and a place in Little 500 history.

“Hopefully you have had a good night’s sleep,” said Schweer. “Just try and relax and have fun because this is what you have put the countless hours into.”
 
 

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 want a unique volunteer experience

By Kristin Riccardo
PALS Therapeutic Riding Center

If you’re looking for a unique place to volunteer in Bloomington, and you love working with children and animals, then People and Animal Learning Services Inc. (PALS) might be the perfect volunteer opportunity for you. 

Executive director and instructor Fern Bonchek founded PALS in July of 2000, and she said it has been the ideal job for her interests. 

“I’ve ridden horses my entire life, and I’ve always wanted to help people,” Bonchek said. “So it was my way of putting my love for horses and my desire to help people together.”

PALS offers therapeutic horseback riding, hippotherapy (medical therapy on a horse as opposed to learning to horseback ride), and pet encounter therapy to children and adults with physical, learning, cognitive or emotional disabilities. The organization is the only therapeutic riding center in Monroe County and surrounding counties that is accredited as a North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) Premier Accredited Center.

 Volunteer and Horse
Kristin Riccardo
As she gets ready for the next lesson of the evening, Stacey, a PALS volunteer, stops to praise Holly, one of the horses at PALS.
There are many different volunteer opportunities at PALS ranging from administrative work to lead walking.

“Volunteers mainly work in lessons, and they lead horses or they sidewalk riders,” Bonchek said. “We have some volunteers who do administrative stuff and help on committees, but mainly they help around the barn.”

Volunteers are required to be at least 14 years old. All volunteers also go through some training, but prior experience is not required.

The volunteers at PALS seem to enjoy their time there.  Jill Burbank is a junior studying biology at Indiana University. She likes working with children, and she thinks equine-assisted activities can be extremely beneficial to children with disabilities.

“It’s probably [beneficial] because kids are so excited to come every week,” Burbank said. “It’s more of a hobby than a chore.”

Bonchek said equine-assisted activities can be beneficial to anyone, but there are specific ways these activities can help children with disabilities.

“The horse’s walking gait mimics the human walking gait,” Bonchek said. “So for kids who can’t sit up or they can’t balance well, the walking motion of the horse is going to increase their posture and their balance, and their coordination skills.”

Kara Lasher started to volunteer after hearing about PALS from one of her professors. She loves horses, and the program interested her right from the start.

“It’s amazing to see the difference in core body strength,” Lasher said.  “Kids who aren’t able to sit up straight are able to walk out after several lessons.”

Lasher is the stable manager on Tuesday nights.  Her different tasks include making sure volunteers know what they are supposed to be doing, taking care of the horses, making sure the horses get to their lessons on time, helping with the tack [saddles, bridles, etc.], and welcoming riders and parents into the stables.  She also supervises some of the riders as they groom their horses following lessons, helps with administrative work, and writes for the PALS newsletter.

On Friday nights, Lasher “tucks in the horses” for the night and makes sure all 11 are comfortable. The horses have their own page on the PALS website that explains all of their different backgrounds. The site describes the unique personalities of the horses – personalities that can be matched to fit each individual rider. 

Kace Escobedo is another Indiana University student who volunteers at PALS.  She is a junior studying therapeutic recreation and is a pre-physical therapy student, and PALS fits in nicely with her studies. She found out about PALS through her introduction to equine-assisted activities class when Bonchek came to talk to the class.

“It adds a different swing to things,” Escobedo said. “It exposes me to different kinds of therapy.”

She feels there are many benefits not only to children with disabilities but to adults as well.  Escobedo is shadowing other leadwalkers at the moment, but soon she will begin working with Caroline, an adult rider.

“Caroline takes the horse back to groom afterwards,” Escobedo said. “It translates to her life, and helps her learn more responsibility.”

Escobedo said the program has been very interesting to her for personal reasons as well. Her twin brother has cerebral palsy, and she is thinking about trying to get him involved in the program at PALS.

From a parent’s perspective, Susan Schlegel also had good things to say about the program.  She watched from the side of the arena as her two daughters maneuvered their horses around the dusty, oval-shaped ring.

“The staff is great, the volunteers are great – they’re so patient,” Schlegel said. “For them [her daughters], it’s so calming to come here.”

Schlegel adopted the girls, and they have some anxiety-invoked emotional issues. One daughter is a victim of fetal alcohol syndrome. The girls have some issues with depression and ADHD.

Schlegel’s girls have developed a bond with their horses. The horses have helped her girls build confidence, and learning about the care of the horses and the equipment also has been beneficial, Schlegel said.

PALS Rider
                                                              Kristin Riccardo
Piper, a PALS rider, smiles as she works on her balance with horse Cody.
Every year, PALS puts on a 
few fundraisers because it is a non-profit organization. One such fundraiser is a horse show for the riders. Schlegel’s girls participated in the event.

“It was their first fun show,” she said. “To them it was like a real competition.”

Bonchek said that the biggest fundraising event is a wine and beer tasting and silent auction. The volunteers often help with fundraising or coordinating events.
 
Currently, PALS has about 150 volunteers, two full-time staff, and three part-time staff members. However, there are still plenty of opportunities available for interested volunteers.

“I find it kind of creeping into every aspect of my life,” Lasher said. “But the reason that it does is because I love it so much.

“It’s an amazing organization – everybody cares. … It’s a pretty special thing to be a part of.”

* For more information, visit:  http://www.palstherapy.org/about/index.php
 

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 want to get back to nature

By Joshua Levering

Enjoying the Great Outdoors: Balancing Bloomington city life with its natural escapes

Had enough of studying and the Bloomington bar scene? Fret not, fellow city dweller: Bloomington and the surrounding areas have a variety of natural escapes. The following outdoor activities can enhance the experience of living in a culturally active city, and more important, they offer a retreat from Bloomington’s occasionally tepid urban atmosphere.  

Whether you appreciate the peaceful solitude, the challenging adventure, or a new way of viewing nature, there is an abundance of parks and nature preserves throughout the area to cure your urban blues.

From a passive stroll through a shady, quiet city park to engaging nature from new and exhilarating heights, or mysterious depths, the natural diversity of Bloomington’s landscape showcases both ends of nature’s spectrum.
 
Where to begin…

Newcomers to the area have probably heard about the majestic beauty of Brown Country State Park or the ‘fun in the sun’ that is waiting to be had on the waters of the Lake Monroe State Reservoir. However, the lesser known gems of the natural world should not be overlooked.  

                          Joshua Levering

Click here for an interactive Bloomington City Parks map

 
Angie Smith, the natural resources coordinator for Bloomington Parks and Recreation, said, “We try to promote our lesser known parks because people tend to flock to the ones they know and love.”

Just remember, the larger parks mentioned above can be overcrowded during peak seasons and induce the feeling of being stuck in the Wal-Mart checkout line. This effect can easily be reversed by hiking through a serene forest devoid of tourists.

If you do not have the time to spend a whole day at a larger state park, Smith said “there are more than 20 miles of hiking trails in our parks around the community and an old growth forest [Latimer Woods] right behind the mall.”

Some residents forget about these nearby nature areas.  “Sometimes just taking a walk down the street can get you back to nature,” Smith said.

The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department does a tremendous job of keeping its parks clean and preserved for its citizens. In fact, the department’s website proudly states that earlier this year its efforts were “honored with the highest recognition an agency can receive when it was presented with the Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management by the National Recreation and Park Association.”  

Bloomington’s Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for maintaining and overseeing operations for nearly 30 city parks and nature preserves. Most of these are city parks that contain playgrounds, basketball courts, shelter houses, and hiking trails. However, there are a few areas outside the developed city that are merely overseen by the department and require little interaction, offering a true escape from the noisy city.
 
                        Joshua Levering
Waterfall at Leonard Springs Nature Park.
Leonard Springs Nature Park is about four miles southwest of the city and is more than 90 acres of wooded, natural environment.  The park is home to two natural springs, a wetlands area, rock formations, small caves, and a dense forest. This nature park offers miles of trails for hiking pleasure and is a great place to find personal solitude and freedom from your daily duties. It is likely to hike here and not encounter another human being.

If you do not want to leave the city, there is a 10-acre plot of old-growth forest named Latimer Woods with a short hiking trail nestled behind the College Mall. This area is being preserved for hiking and educational purposes, and based on the age of the large trees, it is like taking a step back in time.

Lake Lemon and Riddle Point Park, off Highway 45 in the northeast portion of Monroe County, offer a public beach, picnic areas, fishing, nature trails, and many educational nature demonstrations. There is also a great bird watching preserve, Little Africa, located within the park.

“It is important for the public to gain an appreciation for our natural resources,” said Scott McWhorter, lake biologist for the Lake Lemon Conservancy District. He also cautioned about the overcrowded effects of the larger parks in the area “Wildlife flee at the presence of too many people … some larger parks have been made to be convenient for people but discouraging for wildlife.”

In order to obtain a rewarding view of wildlife, McWhorter said, “come to Lake Lemon early in the morning when there is less disturbance. … Bald eagles, Canada geese, beavers, and white tailed deer can be easily spotted.”
 
With a little help from my friends …

If you desire to get away and soak up the natural beauty of the area but lack the motivation, there are several groups that are willing to get you motivated and excited about outdoor recreation.

For starters, Indiana University Outdoor Adventures, based in the Indiana Memorial Union, gets students and faculty involved in a wide variety of excursions.  Supervised trips range from daily to weeklong adventures and incorporate activities such as hiking, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, and backpacking trips.

David Calvin is the program coordinator for IU Outdoor Adventures (IUOA) and also teaches at the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation and the Department of Recreation and Park Administration at Indiana University.  Calvin said, “Students are usually hesitant to try something new in the outdoors … but afterwards almost everyone is happy with their experiences.”

IUOA focuses on getting students out of the classroom to learn about their environments and their own abilities with firsthand experiences in the wild.

“I enjoyed being pushed past my comfort zone. … I never would have imagined that I could survive three days without showering,” said IU junior Michelle Crouch.

HIKING ESSENTIALS
 
- Comfortable Boots/Shoes
- Light clothing, wear layers
- Water, juice, sports drinks
- Mixed nuts, granola bars, dry cereal
- Hard candy (I prefer Jolly Ranchers)
- Sunglasses, Hat
- Most Important - Allow       yourself to enjoy the hike!!!
Another local group, Bloomington Hikers, is an informal group that sets up hikes for all abilities and ages every weekend regardless of rain, sleet, or snow. In fact, wind is the only factor for consideration when cancelling a hike because of the danger of falling tree limbs. The hikes are led by a variety of experienced trail leaders, including Fred Hamson, who also volunteers with the Hoosier Hikers Council.  

“The weekend hikes are very relaxed and aimed at getting individuals in the Bloomington community excited about their environment. … It is a great way to start your weekend and clear your mind from the busy schedules of the work week,” Hamson said.

Who doesn’t need this after a long week of studying, typing papers, or being cooped up in an office cubicle?

For those interested in a more intense approach for fleeing the city and discovering the wonders of nature, there are some very exciting options in the Bloomington area.

The Wapehani Mountain Bike Park is south of Second Street on Weimer Road.  The secluded 43-acre patch of woods has roughly five miles of dirt trails for your mountain biking pleasure.  Wapehani was established in 1990 and is also the first mountain bike park in the state.
 
Need a new perspective on nature?
 
If you are comfortable with extreme heights, Vencel Balloons, Inc. is an advertising company that also uses its hot-air balloons for flight tours over the dense forests of Monroe and Brown counties. Flight tourists are given a view of the natural world that few will ever experience.  The balloon tours run from March through December on the weekends and cost about $200 per person.

Photo courtesy of Boilerblues.com
            Photo courtesy of Boilerblues.com
Hoosier National Forest in autumn.
A representative from Vencel said, “The price might make it costly for the average student, but don’t forget us on your birthday or at Christmas time. … The sights during the autumn season are unbelievable.”

If braving the heights above Bloomington is not your idea of a fun or relaxing time, then consider going underground with Bluespring Caverns Boat Tours. Located in nearby Bedford, the tour takes you on an expedition of America’s longest underground river as you glide through subterranean caverns and witness rare species of blind fish native only to these caverns. 
 
With a wide variety of natural adventures to explore, the Bloomington area is unique. Whether you enjoy a leisurely stroll in a well-kept city park, a jostling mountain bike ride through the rolling, wooded hills, or an airborne tour of Monroe County’s vibrant forests, there is always something to take you away from the hectic city.

Smith emphasized the importance of “having places to get back to reality and harmonize with nature” as a vital piece of living a healthy life.  “As more people realize the resources right around the corner, they’ll be able to get back to nature and away from their computer and television screens,” said Smith.

So remember, when the concrete jungle and obnoxious pedestrians of the city begin to annoy you, look for a natural retreat and enjoy Bloomington’s beautiful and plentiful outdoor getaways.
 

Fri 21 Dec 2007

… if you want to adopt a dog or cat

By Nikki McAtee

There’s a lot to think about when bringing a non-tax deductible dependent into your home but also a lot of love in return. 

The decision to adopt a dog or cat should not be taken lightly. It’s easy to walk into a pet shop or shelter, look into the eyes of a cat or dog and fall immediately in love. Many Indiana University students bring home a lovable companion but fail to think about what happens after graduation or the time needed to care for a dog or cat.

“There are just as many students that have been bad parents as good ones,” said Muff Johnson, a volunteer at the Bloomington Animal Shelter.

Before making the decision to adopt you need to consider your lifestyle, living situation, finances, and the next 10 to 20 years of your life. If you decide that adoption is not for you but love animals, the Bloomington Animal Shelter is always looking for volunteers. Many students volunteer or just play with the animals at pet shops and shelters on a regular basis.

“I’ve had a lot of students that come and play all through school and come back to buy a puppy when they are ready,” said Karene Kidwell, co-owner of Delilah’s Pet Shop at 17th and Walnut streets.

So you really do want to adopt, where do you start?

                   Nikki McAtee
Alfonso, a kitten recently adopted from the shelter.
There are a few ways to go about adopting a dog or cat in Bloomington. The most common are contacting a breeder, going to a pet shop or visiting the Bloomington Animal Shelter.

The easiest way to find a breeder is to look through the classifieds section of the newspapers in southern Indiana. The drawback of adopting directly from a breeder is that the cat or dog will most likely cost over $100 and there will probably be some travel involved to get to the breeder. The huge benefit, however, is that you know where the cat or dog is coming from, which can play a great role in the behavior and health of your pet.

                         Nikki McAtee
Lola, a beagle and Japanese chin mix adopted from Delilah’s Pet Shop.
The next way to go adopt a cat or dog is to visit the local pet shops. There are two pet shops in Bloomington: Delilah’s Pet Shop and Pass Pets. Pass Pets chose not to comment; the store is in the College Mall. Delilah’s Pet Shop has been in business for 21 years. Delilah’s prides itself on selling healthy high quality animals.

“We work hard trying to keep them healthy,” said Kidwell. Kidwell follows strict guidelines, when deciding what animals to sell. She only buys from individual breeders and gets them at 8 weeks old, unlike many brokerages that sell at 6 weeks. “They have a lot to learn from their mother at that time. … I refuse to buy from brokerages,” said Kidwell. Most of the cats and dogs in Delilah’s Pet Shop sell for between $100 and $800, because many come directly from local breeders

 If you decide you want to adopt an older dog or just don’t want to pay breeder and pet shop prices, then the Bloomington Animal Shelter may be the place for you. Dogs and cats 5 years and younger are $75, while cats and dogs 5 years and older cost $55.

The shelter has been in business since 1968 and has about 5,200 adoptable animals a year. To adopt a cat or dog, you must first fill out an application and meet with an adoption counselor. The counselor will talk about any concerns you may have in caring for a pet, your long-term plans, and what training options are correct for you.

This rule was put in place “so people don’t choose an animal that is inappropriate for their lifestyle,” said Johnson, who has been with the shelter since 1990. “You can get a good sense talking to people,” said Johnson when discussing the counseling process. The shelter also works with local landlords and will call your landlord to make sure you are able to have pets.

                                    Nikki McAtee
These two dogs are waiting to be adopted today at the Bloomington Animal Shelter.

 

For many, the Bloomington Animal Shelter has been an excellent choice. Kate Lee, an IU law student, recently adopted a dog from the shelter. “They helped us find dogs with the right personality to a get along with the dog we already own,” said Lee.

In order to determine what would be the best fit for all members of her family, the shelter allowed Lee to bring in her dog and introduce him to potential playmates.

You have your pet, what now?  

After adopting your pet, you may have many concerns. “How do I get this thing to quit peeing on the carpet? Will it destroy all my furniture? Does it ever sleep for more than two hours straight?” There are many ways to get help, from your local vet to the hundreds of books written about owning pets to the “doggy day cares” and supply stores around town.  

The first stop to make after adopting your pet should be to your local veterinarian. “It makes sense to have an adoption [be] contingent on a post adoption checkup,” said Dr. Mary Alice Cox of the Bloomington Veterinary Hospital. Bloomington Veterinary Hospital has been open for about 34 years and Cox, along with veterinarian Dr. Jim Koch, have owned the practice for 19 years.

The hospital serves dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, and even reptiles. Before adopting, Cox suggested that “it is reasonable to check with a veterinarian prior to adoption to ask what expenses to expect for preventative health care.” The main expenses to worry about are spaying and neutering, which is usually free if you adopt from a shelter, heart worm medication for dogs, and flea and tick medication for both dogs and cats. The larger the animal, the more the medication usually costs.

After you have a healthy pet, the next thing to think about is behavior and a daily routine. There are places to take your dog during the day if you feel it won’t get the attention it needs. There are a few “doggy day care” facilities around town. These places are often cage-free, allow your dog to socialize with other dogs and go outside to use the bathroom when he or she needs to. Lee sends her dogs to day care “for a play day whenever they need more attention than we can give them, like during exams.”

There are also a variety of stores that sell supplies for your pet. Many of these places also offer grooming and training services. James Hardy, the manager of PetCo, located on East Third Street, describes PetCo as a place where “the animals really do come first.”

“We have an amazing trainer here, and programs for dogs of all ages,” said Hardy. PetCo and other supply stores also offer a wide range of merchandise for your pet.

Owning a pet is hard work, but it can be an amazingly rewarding experience. “You have to do more than just think with your heart when owning a puppy,” said Kidwell. Pet owners today have many resources available to them, including, shelters, veterinarians, and pet supply shops. If you’re willing to dedicate the necessary time and money to your pet, chances are you will have a lovable companion for a long time.
 

Other Information:

 

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