Thurs., Aug. 21, 2014

Page 1

THURSDAY, AUG. 21, 2014

IDS INDIANA DAILY STUDENT | IDSNEWS.COM

Weekend gives partying safety tips, page 7

IU adds depth with commit From IDS reports

Sworn to serve By Emily Ernsberger | emelerns@indiana.edu | @emilyernsberger

State history was made in downtown Indianapolis earlier this week. Justice Loretta Rush was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court Monday in the Supreme Court Law Library, which she called in her swearing-in ceremony “a jewel in our beautiful Statehouse.” An IU alumna, she is the first woman to serve as chief justice of the state’s highest court and the second woman to ever serve on the bench. Rush was appointed as the 108th justice of the Indiana Supreme Court by then-Gov. Mitch Daniels in September 2012. She is the most recently appointed justice on the court, but addressing her fellow justices at the ceremony, she reminds them that she is still “only one vote.” Originally from Pennsylvania, Rush received her undergraduate degree from Purdue University and graduated from the IU Maurer School of Law in 1983. She serves on the school’s Board of Visitors. Before being chosen to serve on the state’s highest court, Rush was the juvenile court judge in Tippecanoe County. Many of her 20 court opinions she wrote as an associate justice dealt with juvenile cases. Rush’s historical appointment has left many thankful for her representation of women in the legal system.

“She is the first female chief, and it’s a court that has not had enough women on it,” said Charles Geyh, professor at the Maurer School of Law. “The Indiana Bar is terrific and is full of women who have not found their way onto the court.” However, Geyh said her newfound place in Indiana history should not overshadow her prior accomplishments. “There is some political significance of her being the first woman, and it’s not to say she isn’t a symbol,” Geyh said. “She’s a whole lot more than a symbol. She is a competent judge who deserves this.” Eighteen other states have women currently serving as chief justices of their supreme courts. To be appointed chief justice, SEE JUSTICE, PAGE 3

IU added to its frontcourt depth with a late roster addition Wednesday morning, with 6-foot-7 forward Emmitt Holt’s commitment to the program. Holt, who was originally a member of the 2015 class, reclassified to the 2014 class in order to graduate in May. He intended to attend prep school for a year before playing in college but reopened his recruitment this summer. “My parents always told me that the worst feeling in life is to look back and say ‘I wonder’ because once doors close it’s rare they are reopened,” Holt said via Twitter on Wednesday morning. “Today I would like to announce that I have committed to Indiana University.” While Holt’s addition gives IU Coach Tom Crean another body in his team’s weakest area – the post – the move might create a problem for Crean next season. The Hoosiers now have no scholarships left to offer for the 2015-16 season, barring any player departures. In his final season at Webster Schroeder (N.Y.), Holt averaged 19.8 points, 14.6 rebounds and 5 blocks per game and was named a finalist for New York’s Mr. Basketball award. He chose IU over Drexel, Duquesne, Hofstra and Vermont, among others. Alden Woods

2014 IU basketball freshmen James Blackmon Jr. 6-foot-3, 180 pound guard Robert Johnson 6-foot-3, 180 pound guard Max Hoetzal 6-foot-7, 210 pound forward Tim Priller 6-foot-9, 210 pound forward COURTESY PHOTOS

Justice Loretta Rush was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court on Monday in the Supreme Court Law Library.

Jeremiah April 7-foot, 235 pound center Emmitt Holt 6-foot-7, 230 pound forward

Veterans to receive Comedy Attic to present previous tuition breaks under SNL performer Brooks Wheelan new federal law By Alexis Daily

aledaily@indiana.edu

By Lindsay Moore liramoor@indiana.edu | @liramoor

Students in military service may be eligible for a tuition break next fall as a result of the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act. President Obama’s signature earlier this month means veteran students will enjoy instate tuition at public universities, according to the act. Currently, IU students serving or who have been discharged within a year receive in-state tuition, said Margaret Baechtold, director of IU Veterans Support Services. This is based on Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 177, which was passed in summer 2013. Both the new and old laws provide the same tuition break: no matter if a veteran goes to an out of state or in-state school, if they meet the requirements, they only pay in-state tuition. “As an institution, IU has been fairly supportive of this legislation and is certainly supportive of military and veteran students on campus,” Baechtold said. “Administration at the campus and the university level have always wanted to look out for this population in particular.” The new federal Veteran’s Access to Care Act will widen the window for qualifying students. Servicemen

and women may not still be serving, but they can qualify if they’ve been discharged within three years of their enrollment date. The Indiana act also differs from the federal act in who receives these tuition breaks. The state law assists serving Indiana National Guard members and all military veterans but does not extend to family members, Baechtold said. To be eligible under the federal law, veterans must be using either the Montgomery GI Bill, which took effect after the Vietnam War, or the post-Sept. 11 GI Bill. If the GI Bill benefits are currently being extended to a spouse or family member, then the tuition break will also be extended under the new law. During the 2013-14 school year, only 16 veterans in all seven IU campuses received this tuition break, Baechtold said. Of the 516 veteran students at IU-Bloomington, only six of them benefited from the state law. Although it only reaches a fraction of the veteran population, these tuition breaks add up to at least a $22,000 difference per year. “I don’t think there should be any limitations for a veteran as far as where he goes to school,” said Micah Hazlip, IU sophomore and Air Force veteran. “I think it’s put in the law for a good reason. I definitely support it.”

Former “Saturday Night Live” actor Brooks Wheelan said he decided to come to Bloomington because he heard the Comedy Attic was a cool place to perform. “In Bloomington, I just want to straight up chill,” he said. “The shows have been off the chain so far.” “It wasn’t a matter of if Brooks would come, but when he would come,” said Jared Thompson, owner of the Comedy Attic. “The hardest part is convincing the comedians who have preconceived notions about the Midwest to come to Bloomington. Once they’ve performed here, it’s easy to re-book them in the future.” Thompson said he watched a clip of Wheelan’s stand-up before the actor joined the “Saturday Night Live” cast in 2013. Wheelan’s well thought-out jokes drew him to the comedian. “He is an extremely gifted standup comic, but he is also very good at sketch comedy and improv,” Thompson said. “You would expect him to be more like other comedians his own age, but he’s much more sophisticated.” Wheelan was added to the Saturday Night Live cast in 2013 but was dropped after one season. After SNL, Wheelan has been working on stand-up and improv acts on a variety of platforms, including TV shows

COURTESY PHOTO

and the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. After seeing Wheelan live at Bonnaroo this year, senior Blair Heidenreich said she is excited to see Wheelan perform. Heidenreich has worked with Midnight Snack Comedy, a student comedy troupe at IU, since her freshman year. “I love that he’s continuing with his comedy career even though he was recently let go by SNL,” Heidenreich said. “A lot of comedians face a lot of rejection, and I think it’s an amazing inspiration to see someone continue with their passion of comedy.” Thompson said they show clips of Wheelan’s stand-up before other shows to build excitement for his upcoming performances. He said Wheelan has an original perspective, especially for a younger person. “Brooks fits in perfectly to what

we do here at the Comedy Attic,” Thompson said. “He gives a snapshot of stand-up around the country, and his stage presence is very unique.” According to “Ten Places Where Comedy Is King,” a USA Today article published Jan. 11 of this year, the Comedy Attic was named one of the 10 best comedy clubs in the country. “We’ve put so much time and effort into this place, spending 10 hours a day for three months fixing the place up before it opened,” he said. “It was so humbling to be recognized, and it just makes us want to try harder and to continue moving forward.” Wheelan performs at 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Friday, and 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $8 for students and $12 for general admission and are open to anyone 17 and older. Doors open one hour prior to the start time.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.