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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

… 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

… if you don’t have a car

By Zeynep Altinay
The small college town of Bloomington, Indiana, offers a variety of options for getting around for those who do not have a car. Whether you are a Bloomington resident, a student, or just a visitor in town, you can select from many means of transportation, including buses, shuttles, bicycles, taxis, carpooling — and even your own feet.
 
Compared to similar cities in Indiana and some other small college towns, Bloomington is considered a pedestrian- and environment-friendly town. However, 74.8 percent of the city population still commutes to work by driving, whereas 8.4 percent walk and 1.7 percent use public transportation, according to 2000 U.S. Census Bureau statistics.
 
Raymond Hess, senior transportation planner for the city, said census statistics are lower than actual statistics in terms of people who use alternative transportation because the census does not include students who live in dormitories. Hess also said that the number of people who take the bus has increased significantly over the past few years.
 
Bus Service
 
There are two types of bus services in Bloomington: the IU Campus Bus and Bloomington Transit.
 
The IU bus service is a fare-free system and provides basic transportation on campus for IU students and Bloomington residents. It travels to all parts of the campus, to downtown Bloomington and to the area’s largest shopping center, the College Mall. The Campus Bus starts operating at 7:30 a.m. and runs as late as 11:30 p.m. on weekdays.
 
The Campus Bus is the primary transportation method for a number of students, whether they live on campus or not. Many students prefer taking the bus to campus because parking on campus is limited by the need for permits and a shortage of spaces. Also, because the bus schedules are shaped around class times, transportation is very convenient for students. Campus buses, however, provide reduced service during the weekends and university break periods, and no service on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day.
 
Bloomington Transit (BT) is the city’s bus service. It costs 75 cents per person and is free for IU students, faculty and staff with a valid university identification card. The main bus terminal is at the corner of Washington and Fourth Streets. BT buses pass their designated stops either every half hour or one hour and do not offer service Sundays, which makes them less convenient for passengers. Although many Bloomington residents like the bus service in Bloomington, they say there is still room for improvement.
 
Edna Collier, a Bloomington resident, takes Bloomington Transit buses and walks to the places she wants to go every day, and she thinks the bus service in Bloomington is good.
 
“The bus service is very good. I can get almost anywhere I want, but I wish buses ran on Sundays too,” Collier said.
 
Raymond Hess said that the revenue earned from passengers and local money is not enough to pay for adding routes. He added that half of the funding comes from the federal government.
 
“It would be nice if buses ran more frequently,” Hess said.
 
An IU student, Jacob Benson, takes the bus every day to school and he said riding the bus can be frustrating at times because of the limited routes and operating hours.
 
“I have been living off-campus for three years now and I ride Bloomington Transit to school every day,” Benson says.
 
Benson says his apartment is not near Campus Bus routes and that is why he rides BT. He says bus schedules are not very convenient for him and he has to walk or call friends for a ride when he cannot catch the bus.
 
“One of my classes goes until 9 p.m. and buses stop running at 8:15 p.m. I walk 15 to 20 minutes to get home when I miss the bus those days,” Benson says.
 
“I usually arrive to school much earlier than my scheduled class times because the bus runs once an hour from where I live,” Benson says.
 
Hess says that BT has submitted an application for federal grants to extend its service until 11 p.m. If BT receives the federal grants, it is going to start providing the expanded service beginning in January 2008. The grant, however, is only for one year, which means that even if BT receives the grant this year, it will still have to reapply for grants for 2009.
 
“Providing additional service and routes based on federal grants is a gamble you take, but we do not have to worry about it until next year,” Hess said.
 
Bloomington also provides a service called Rural Transit throughout the county. Rural Transit services link Bloomington, Ellettsville and Spencer, and make 10 round trips per business day.
 
Airport Shuttle
 
The Indianapolis International Airport is the nearest major airport to Bloomington. The Bloomington Shuttle Service provides non-stop service to Bloomington and Indiana University for $25 per person each way. The shuttle picks up passengers from four different locations in Bloomington nine times a day from 4:40 a.m. to 9:15 p.m.; for the return trip the shuttle travels from the airport to Bloomington nine times a day from 6:40 a.m. to 10:40 p.m.
 
Bikes
                                                                                        Zeynep Altinay
A bike rack on campus.
 
Bicycling has long been a popular activity in Bloomington. Bloomington is one of only 44 communities recognized as bicycle-friendly by the League of American Bicyclists. The town provides a number of bike trails in addition to bike lanes on major streets. IU provides a number of bike racks for students and requires a $5 parking fee on campus for bicycles.
 
There are several places in town where bicycles can be purchased.
 
Bicycle Garage Inc. is in downtown Bloomington. Bicycle Garage workers said that late summer and early fall are the busiest seasons for bike sales, when prices usually range between $250 and $1,000. Bicycle Garage workers say that there has been an increase in the number of people who ride bikes in town. However, they also say that the number can increase even more if the city of Bloomington finishes the bike paths that are currently under construction. Hess says that the city has been working on its three major bike paths, which are Bloomington Rail Trail, Clear Creek Trail and downtown B-Line Trail. Hess added that the city of Bloomington received grants to buy the property where it can begin building bike lanes.
 
“We will begin constructing phase one in the downtown area in March 2008,” Hess said.
 
Hess says that once the construction of the three major bike lanes is completed, there will be a 7-mile bike path, which will better link neighborhoods to each other.
 
“My crystal ball is cloudy; I cannot tell when the projects will be completed,” Hess said.
 
Hess also emphasized that although many cities do not set aside money for alternative transportation, the city of Bloomington has been saving $500,000 each year since 2002 to implement the project.
 
Walking
 
Bloomington’s downtown and older neighborhoods have a compact urban form, which provides destinations that are in close proximity to one another. Because major employment and commercial areas are clustered in the town, it encourages people to walk to get to campus, stores, work and other destinations. The City of Bloomington, however, is still aiming to improve its pedestrian routes. There are seven high priority projects on city government’s agenda to improve its side paths, and six of these projects are already in construction phase.
 
Bloomington downtown offers a number of restaurants, shops, entertainment, and businesses all in walking distance. If you are in Bloomington downtown, you can walk down Kirkwood Avenue, also known as Fifth Street, that starts from the IU Sample Gates and continues until Rose Hill Cemetery. There are more than a dozen restaurants on Kirkwood, including cafes, bars, pizza places and other type of food places. Peoples Park is at the intersection of Kirkwood and Dunn Streets for those looking for recreation.
 
The Square is where College Avenue, Walnut Street, Kirkwood Avenue and Sixth Street intersect. If you are walking by The Square, you can stop by The Fountain Square Mall to shop, or check out Howard’s Bookstore and many other shops around The Square. College Avenue is one of the major streets in Bloomington. Some of the important buildings on this two-mile street are the Justice Building, Graham Plaza and Bloomington Convention Center.  
 
 
 
 
National averages indicate that bicyclists will commute approximately 3 miles in 15 minutes and pedestrians 1 mile in a 10-15 minute walk to reach their destination.
 
Important transportation numbers:
Taxi Service
Yellow Cab Co.: 339-9744
Bus Service
Bloomington Transit: 336-7433
IU Campus Bus: 855-8384
Rural Transit: 876-1079
Car Rental Agencies
Ace Rent-A-Car: 336-1501
All-Ways Rent-A-Car: 800-214-4501
Budget Car Rental: 800-527-7000
Campus Auto Rental: 961-9358
Enterprise: 336-1018
National: 339-3443
Limousines
Classic Touch: 339-7269/ 800-319-0082
Round-trip to Indianapolis
Signature Limousine: 332-6004/ 800-589-6004
Indy Connection: 800-589-6004
One way to Indianapolis Airport or one way from Indianapolis Airport
Charter Services
Bloomington Shuttle Service: 332-6004/ 800-589-6004
Bloomington to Indianapolis
Star of Indiana: 876-7851
 
 
 

Fri 21 Dec 2007

… if you accidentally get pregnant

By Kristin McFarland
From Rachel on Friends and Miranda on Sex and the City to Katherine Heigl recently getting Knocked Up, unplanned pregnancy keeps getting sexier, funnier and more romantic.

But real life is no romantic comedy, and finding yourself unexpectedly pregnant can be frightening. Fortunately, Bloomington offers many options for women with all beliefs.

“This is probably one of the most difficult, momentous decisions a woman has to make in her life if she finds herself in that situation,” said Kathryn Brown, health and sexuality educator at the Indiana University Health Center.

But there are many places available to help you walk through the options and the steps available when you learn you are pregnant. The IU Health Center provides pregnancy testing, counseling through CAPS, and can refer you to other local services. Planned Parenthood provides pregnancy testing, counseling, abortion, obstetrical treatment, and adoption services. The Crisis Pregnancy Center offers free pregnancy testing, informal counseling and emotional support, medical referrals, material support, and even a maternity home with space available for anyone. Your spiritual center or faith path also can offer you emotional and spiritual guidance and support.

Deciding What to Do

Even if you are completely undecided, the first thing you should do is take care of yourself.

When a girl goes to Planned Parenthood in Bloomington, “We always encourage that until they have made a firm decision about what they want to do, they start decreasing their alcohol intake, decreasing smoking if they smoke, trying to make sure that they get enough rest, and taking prenatal vitamins,” said Larisa Niles-Carnes, local peer education coordinator and center assistant.

The decision about which path to take with your pregnancy should center on your life and values: do you want to continue the pregnancy, should you give the baby up for adoption, or should you have an abortion? All three of these options exist in Bloomington.

“The first thing I would do is ask a lot of questions. What do you want to do? Have you thought about what kind of decision you want to make?” said Kathryn Brown, health educator at the IU Health Center. “It’s got to be the woman’s decision. No one else can make that decision for her.”

Brown suggests that women project themselves into their future and try to imagine what their life will be after they have the baby or an abortion. She says that they should consider issues like financial support, housing, school, and what they would like to do with their future.

“One of the things that I really focus on with the girls in counseling is to make sure that they get to a point where they make a decision that’s not based on fear or pressure,” said Angie Harris, client services director at the Crisis Pregnancy Center.

Although all centers recommend that women talk with their partners, family members, trusted friends, spiritual leaders, or professional counselors, they also emphasize that women must make the choice for themselves.

Abortion

If you can’t see pregnancy or parenthood in your near future, Planned Parenthood performs vacuum aspiration abortions from six to 12 weeks into the pregnancy for $400 and medical abortions from six to eight weeks for $500.

When you visit Planned Parenthood, an educator will walk you through all three of the options available to you, giving you the details for each, Niles-Carnes said, including the specific medical details of each type of abortion offered.

According to Indiana law (Indiana Code 16-34-2), you must sign a voluntary consent form and wait 18 hours before you can have the procedure performed. You must also have an in-person counseling session in which you will be informed of the age of and details about the fetus, your other options, the possible side effects of an abortion, and government financial support available if you choose to have the baby.

“What I know from all my research is that for most women who have abortions – and there are always exceptions to this – there’s usually an overall feeling of relief,” Brown said. “Usually the women who have regret or are depressed after having an abortion are conflicted going in or they’re getting pressure from someone else.”

All agencies stressed that you must make the choice that is best for you and your future.

Post-abortion counseling services are available on a case-by-case basis through CAPS at the IU Health Center, recommendations from Planned Parenthood, at the Crisis Pregnancy Center, and – most likely – at your center of worship.

Adoption

Planned Parenthood works with the Independent Adoption Center in Indianapolis. Kathy Wilkerson, the branch director and an open adoption counselor, usually travels to Bloomington on Mondays to meet with potential birth parents considering adoption.

“You have to look at all the options, and you have to look at what your plan is for the future and how does adoption and a child fit into that,” Wilkerson said. “We focus a lot on the emotions of making an adoption plan, the permanency of the adoption plan, and the reassurance that contact will continue when the birth parents are ready for that.”

The Independent Adoption Center is a national adoption agency that arranges open adoptions, in which birth parents and adoptive parents can individually arrange the level of contact desired. “A lot of prospective birth parents don’t probably know the level of openness we allow,” said Wilkerson. “You can have the level of contact that you want with the baby after the placement.”

Birth parents are not required to hire an attorney, nor do they pay any fees to the adoption agency. Occasionally, adoptive parents will pay for pre-natal expenses and medical care. The agency provides counseling for choosing an adoptive family and an adoption plan. It also performs all the legal services except for finalization, for which the adoptive parents must hire a lawyer.

“If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to call and ask, whether it’s our agency or another agency or an attorney, because there are a lot of different things to think about,” Wilkerson said. “Just talking with someone about all those options is probably going to be one of the most helpful things that you can do.”

Becoming a Parent

While most IU students are not in as comfortable a position for raising a child as Rachel or Miranda, deciding to keep your baby does not have to be as terrifying as it may seem.

If you have support from your family and community, it becomes much easier.

“Single parenthood is difficult at any stage, but when you’re very young at it, it’s very challenging,” said Father Richard Litzau, at St. Paul Catholic Center. “But the first thing I would do is tell [a girl] not to be scared. She’s not in this alone, obviously.”

If you have one, a religious center will provide counseling and guidance in a supportive atmosphere.

“We don’t really ask any questions; it’s not really about a judgment situation,” Litzau said. “For us it really is a ministry to somebody in the parish who has a specific need, and as a group we just kind of enfold that person. We refer them to the places they need to be referred to, but if what they really need is just some emotional support and someplace to just be, we offer that.”

Litzau also said that most religious communities will react in the same way, and that even if they cannot provide financial support, they will welcome anyone in need as a family member.

If you are not so fortunate as to have a stable home, need-based options other than government agencies are still available. The Crisis Pregnancy Center will help you find doctors and get on Medicaid if you need it, and it staffs childbirth educators who will attend doctor appointments with you and coach you during labor.

The Crisis Pregnancy Center offers material support through its “baby bucks” program, in which you earn points through “doing positive things,” like attending parenting classes or family resource activities through the center. The points can then be used to buy items ranging from diapers and baby food to cribs and car seats.

The Crisis Pregnancy Center also works with the Hannah House, a maternity home with facilities to house up to eight women and their babies anytime during pregnancy and up to six months after the baby is born.

“The focus here is really on growing and developing as a parent and as a person,” Harris said. “We do life skills training, parenting classes. We also have free childbirth classes and free parenting classes. There is structure, but it’s definitely not a feel of a shelter, it’s definitely more of a home.”

The classes and services of the Crisis Pregnancy Center are available to anyone in the community, not just residents of the Hannah House.
 
No matter your choice, you can turn to any of the above agencies and centers for help or advice. Talk to your loved ones, take time to weigh your pros and cons, but in the end, be sure to make the choice that will ensure you the brightest future.
 
Links
Planned Parenthood: http://www.plannedparenthood.org
IU Health Center: http://www.indiana.edu/~health/index.shtml
Independent Adoption Center: http://www.adoptionhelp.org/
Crisis Pregnancy Center: http://www.cpcbloomington.org/
 

Fri 21 Dec 2007

… if you want to join the military

By Colin Bishop
 
STUDENT SOLDIERS: ROTC Recruiting at IU
 
On a crisp autumn evening in late November, Army Lt. Col. Eric Arnold slowly walks the drill field, keeping a brisk pace on his cell phone and an occasional eye on his battalion of cadets. With the sun low in the sky, the cadets rotate through a series of battlefield exercises, clad in Army fatigues and carrying dummy M-16s.

Arnold lets his senior cadets run the show. He and the other instructors linger on the edge of the field and drift periodically throughout the battalion. For two hours once a week, older cadets walk younger ones through a dress rehearsal for war. They spit tobacco and keep the atmosphere light. The mood is calm and quiet and relaxed on the field; there is no red-faced Full Metal Jacket style drill sergeant screaming orders and breaking spirits. As one company officer said, “this isn’t the old Army.” Arnold and the other instructors joke and swap stories on the sidelines. Talk is of newborn babies, college soccer, and time served in Bosnia.

The young people gathered at this cross country track east of the Indiana University campus represent the future of Army leadership. They are the young men and women of Bison Battalion, many of whom will one day lead other young soldiers into harm’s way. The cadets are college students enrolled in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), an avenue to officership in the armed forces. Each branch of the armed forces also operates an officer training school, which typically allow enrollees to become commissioned officers after several months of instruction.
 
The ROTC is one of a handful of training programs for military officers. The Army, Navy, and Air Force operate ROTC programs, and the major U.S. military academies also train officers to serve in the armed forces. Students enrolled in the Army ROTC programs are known as cadets until they graduate, when most will be commissioned as second lieutenants. All receive some sort of financial aid package. Cadets in the ROTC program agree to serve four years on active duty once they finish college, or six years as reserves.
 
Bucking a National Trend

While war continues in Iraq and Afghanistan and debate rages at home, military recruiting has suffered nationwide. Across the country, the armed forces are having trouble enlisting well-qualified young men and women. Increasingly desperate for new soldiers, the Army has granted a record number of waivers to recruits with criminal histories. One in five Army recruits this year never finished high school. ROTC programs on many college campuses are falling short of their graduation goals. But at Indiana University, the Army ROTC program is alive and well.

While the armed services have had increasing difficulty meeting recruiting goals since the Iraq war began in March 2003, the Army ROTC program also saw a decline in enrollment in the years after the war began. Arnold said that trend has begun reversing itself, with a rise in ROTC enrollment back to the pre-war numbers. And throughout the years of the war, the ROTC branch at IU has remained steady with around 100 cadets enrolled each year.
 

Maj. Todd Tinius is in charge of recruiting for the ROTC program at IU. While he said that “it would be a lie to say the war has no impact on recruiting efforts,” he added that the ROTC program at IU has been successful in meeting its recruiting and graduation goals in the years since Sept. 11.

AUDIO SLIDE SHOW: click on the photo to see an audio slide show of Major Todd Tinius talking about his efforts as director of recruiting for IU ROTC during wartime (pops in new window)

 
Tinius estimates that only around a quarter of all ROTC programs nationwide are able to meet their annual officer commission goals, which are set by the Defense Department. These goals define the number of ready-for-duty officers that each program is expected to produce in a year. The target for the IU ROTC program in 2008 is to graduate 14 officers; Tinius anticipates that 19 cadets will graduate from the program this coming spring.
 
The Reality of Military Life

Cadets know that in a time of war there is a strong likelihood that they will see action. Yet for most cadets, that doesn’t seem to be a concern. Junior fine arts major Daniel Hankins said that the war in Iraq “didn’t really have any bearing at all” on his decision to enroll in the ROTC program, because he was going to join ROTC regardless of the war. He said that most cadets share his view that war comes with the territory for a prospective Army officer. “Ask anybody around here,” Hankins said. “It’s just another part of life.”
 


Tinius said that the ROTC recruiters are up front about the realities that cadets will likely spend time in a war zone. He said that most cadets are well aware of the obligations that come with military service. “We’re successful at being able to commission [officers] in spite of an unpopular war,” Tinius said.
 

 
Arnold, who is also professor of military science at IU, said that because of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the typical student enrolled in ROTC has changed.
 
“Physically, they’re stronger than we were,” Arnold said. He enrolled in ROTC in 1987, while he was a student at James Madison University. Back then, many students joined the Cold War-era Army ROTC with the expectation of whiling away their service time drinking beer on bases fronting the Iron Curtain. Now, the cadets are different. “They’re more focused,” Arnold said. “War will do that. You’ve really got to want it, because you’re going to serve in combat.”

Capt. Jason Brady, assistant professor of military science at IU, graduated from IU in 1996. He was in the ROTC program during his undergraduate years and said that today’s ROTC is different than the one he knew a decade ago.
 
“The focus has definitely changed,” Brady said. Physical fitness is stressed more than in the past, with today’s cadets expected to meet for physical training three times a week at six in the morning. Classroom time has also increased, with a concentration on leadership skills.
Motivating Factors

Junior general studies major Brett Kirby joined ROTC to become a better leader. As an enlisted man with the Fourth Infantry in Iraq, he said that he saw first hand the need for officers to be both strong leaders and good soldiers. “If you have one person that is not a good soldier,” Kirby said, “even though he may be in charge, he sets the wrong example.”
 
Kirby initially enlisted in the Army during high school when he said he was looking for structure, direction, and security with the military. And, as he puts it matter-of-factly, “it’s a four-year job that it’s almost impossible to get fired from.”

Many of the cadets in the ROTC program at Indiana University cite the same set of factors drawing them into life in the military — patriotism, family who served in the military, the promise of steady work, and the discipline and leadership skills that they expect from the Army. And then there’s the money.

The ROTC scholarships can provide nearly $100,000 of financial aid to students over the course of their undergraduate education. But the money isn’t always a primary concern. “I have many cadets from extremely wealthy families,” Arnold said. “The financial concern for most cadets is secondary.” He said that many ROTC cadets enroll in the program because of an interest in serving their country and tasting the life of adventure that many young people expect from the Army, regardless of whether or not they expect to go to war.

Joining Up Despite the “Influencers”

Parents and other adults with sway over young people have tended to view military service with increasing skepticism. Army recruiters infamously have referred to this potentially threatening cadre of concerned parents, teachers, coaches and other mentors as “influencers,” an obstacle that has collectively presented a challenge to recruiters nationwide. They’re a group that has become increasingly vocal during wartime. Arnold said that with potential cadet recruits, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are a consideration, “but more often than not it’s their parents that are most concerned.”

Back on the practice field, the younger cadets sit on the cold turf in small groups, listening to the upper class cadets explain how to operate as officers under enemy fire. For now, the cadets of Bison Battalion are still students first, with the reality of active duty military life at least a few years away. In another week they’ll be dismissed for winter break, with ample free time to spend with friends and influencers alike.
 
 
Related:
  • For their overall active-duty force, the Army had targeted 80,000 new recruits for the fiscal year 2007, which ended on Sept. 30. As the largest branch of the military, the Army is expected to recruit the largest number of new soldiers each year — an incoming group that is equal to nearly half the size of the entire Marine Corps. You can find a complete list of military recruiting numbers for 2007 here.
  • More recruits are entering the armed forces without a high school diploma, and 18 percent of recruits last year needed a waiver for past criminal activity.
  • Junior military reserve programs (JROTC) have expanded across the nation. In Chicago public schools, about 1,800 students attend school at five public military-style academies.
  • Amidst much debate, A JROTC program at a public high school in San Francisco is being terminated after a 90-year run.