MOVING SOUTH ISU head coach Trent Miles accepts position at Georgia State University; four of ISU’s current coaching staff goes with him
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Indiana State University www.indianastatesman.com Volume 120 Issue 38
IN THIS ISSUE Combating MRSA: Students research bacterial infection JENNIFER SICKING ISU Communications and Marketing
The Caenorhabditis elegans, a small worm called a nematode, scurrying across a Petri dish has helped lead to discoveries about communityassociated MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). “In the last year this organism has killed more people in the United States than AIDS,” said Kathleen Dannelly, an Indiana State University associate professor of biology leading the community-associated MRSA study. “It’s going to get worse.”
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Trent Miles (center) poses with Cheryl Levick, Georgia State athletics director (left) and Georgia State President Mark Becker (right) at a press conference welcoming Miles to the university (Photo courtesy of Georgia State Athletic Media Relations).
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MRSA identifies a staph infection that is unable to be defeated by most penicillinbased drugs. Community-associated MRSA varies from the hospital-related one, which tends to be a more virulent strain picked up by people admitted to hospitals. Community-associated MRSA can cause toxic shock syndrome or blood and bone infections. “They’ve picked up this incredible invasiveness mechanism that we don’t understand at all,” Dannelly said. “It’s frightening what it can do.” A normal staph infection looks like a boil and remains in the skin. With MRSA, in the worst strains, the bacteria can eat down through the flesh to the bone in 36 hours. Dannelly became interested in studying the community-associated MRSA in 2004 when an outbreak infected members of Indiana State University’s football team. Players who received cuts and abrasions during games and practice found themselves diagnosed with MRSA and, in some cases, undergoing surgery for it. Many people unknowingly carry MRSA
on their skin as part of their bacteria and remain uninfected as long as they receive no cuts or scrapes to allow the bacteria to enter the body, Dannelly said. Six years ago, Dannelly and her students conducted a blind sidewalk study, swabbing the noses (MRSA thrives in warm, moist places) of 500 students, faculty and staff. They found that 1 ½ percent carried MRSA bacteria. Five years later, Dannelly and her researchers again conducted the blind study and they found the number of MRSA carriers had grown to 2 percent of the study group. “The people had no idea they were carrying it,” she said. In the meantime, the scurrying nematode, which is only a few millimeters long, helped lead researchers to an interesting discovery. By comparing the genomes of communityassociated MRSA and the staph infection, they found significant differences to investigate. “This organism is so invasive we thought there have to be toxins that we don’t know about,” Dannelly said. After cloning 15 genes, researchers have,
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Anupama Ramalinga, doctoral student, removes tissue cultures for research (Photo courtesy of ISU Communications and Marketing).
thus far, purified six to determine what the proteins do. Researchers have found that MRSA’s different proteins have unique functions such as sticking to human cells or interacting with white blood cells. One project led researchers to a novel toxin that affects the nematode, which eats bacteria and has an immune system and nervous system in its body making it ideal for tests. They put the worm in the Petri dish with the toxin and watched. “When you feed it the toxin it runs to the edge of the Petri dish to try to escape,” Dannelly said. “This toxin kills the worm in eight minutes. It’s really toxic.” Now researchers are testing the toxin on tissue cultures to see how it affects human cells. As doctoral student Anupama Ramalinga worked in the lab among the tissue cultures, she said the toxin only seems to work on human cells, not on other mammals on which she tested it. She studied tissue cultures under the microscope and counted the number of cells so “in the test I know how many cells my protein killed,” she said. Research into MRSA’s affect on humans and its proteins’ roles remain important to figuring out the bacteria and how to stop its advance. “If we don’t know our enemy we can’t defeat them. If we know our enemy, we can come up with new ways to defeat them,” said Ramalinga, from Bangalore, India, who is researching the toxin’s effect on tissue cultures. “This type of research will help us understand the bacteria, why it’s becoming more robust, stronger.” While Ramalinga finishes her research and works with Dannelly to author a paper on the findings, some common practices can help people fight the bacteria. People can take steps against community-associated MRSA and good personal hygiene is the first step. Also, Dannelly said washing with antimicrobial soap and using a disinfectant in the nose can eliminate the microbes that cause the disease. “You can disinfect a person and change their flora,” she said.
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SIRs offer students a voice
Hannah Michaels Reporter
Indiana State students have the opportunity to voice their opinion on the effectiveness of each semester class with the use of Student Instructional Reports (SIRs). “SIRs are to make sure to hold instructors accountable and give the opportunity for students to be able to tell how they thought the instruction went throughout the semester, both with the instructor and the textbook and anything else that they might have done in the class,” Melissa Benningfield, instructor of criminology and criminal justice, said. SIRs at Indiana State University are presented to students at the end of the semester. Students are required to fill in bubbled information on various questions of how well their professor did throughout the course. The professor cannot be presented during the evaluation. The completed SIRs are placed in an envelope and taken to a secretary’s office by an administrative assistant or student. The collected forms are then taken to the testing office. Instructors will be given hard copies of their SIR results after a few weeks once the semester ends, and an electronic copy will be given to the chair of the department. The professor, the chair of the department, and the dean of the college will see the results. SIRs are a common practice among various universities. However, how they are administered among each university may differ. Professors tend to focus on number forty of the SIR which asks students to give an overall rating for the effectiveness of the class, Steve Gruenert, department chairperson and associate professor of educational leadership said. “I would imagine if someone really felt as though they had low scores on certain items, they would try to focus on those items and work with a mentor, another professor or a chair to see if they can do something to change those scores,” Gruenert said. Shayna Otto, senior IT technology
education major, said taking the SIRs seriously is an issue of prioritizing. Whether negative SIR scores result in disciplinary action, she doesn’t believe they have a great impact. “Obviously, you still have problematic professors. I think the reviews and scoring are important for their records. As far as fixing problems, I think that is the laziest way you could fix a problem,” Otto said.
“I think that all professors need to be held accountable for the instruction that they give to students and students need a constructive way to vent if they have been displeased with the instruction they have received.” Melissa Benningfield, criminology instructor For pre-tenured professors, SIR results can be added to portfolios to help professors reflect on strengths and weaknesses. Colleges may vary, but SIR results are important in possible tenure, especially within the College of Education. Electronic SIRs were made available last year for professors to create, but they are not mandatory. They are mostly used for students enrolled in distance courses. “I think that all professors need to be held accountable for the instruction that they give to students, and students need a constructive way to vent if they have been displeased with the instruction they have received,” Benningfield said. “I’m sure you could pick that apart and say the instrument we use at the university itself is flawed, but the idea of having the help is a good idea.”
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Indiana State supports local mental health agency, housing initiative Austin Arceo ISU Communications and Marketing A group of Indiana State University seniors provided consulting services to Mental Health America of Vigo County as part of a capstone class that tied together lessons from their four years of coursework in the Scott College of Business. The insights gained from the consulting services helped lead to Mental Health America representatives recently celebrating the opening of the agency’s new building that features 30 one-bedroom apartments for individuals who have a mental illness and are homeless. Indiana State and Mental Health America of Vigo County have teamed up on a number of initiatives that range from ISU students working at the agency to some of the organization’s larger projects. ISU students in the Sycamore Business Advisors capstone course in 2009 conducted a feasibility study for the agency after it opened
Above: YOUnity Village in Terre Haute. Bottom: David Robinson, associate professor of management and codirector of Sycamore Student Ventures at Indiana State University (Photos courtesy of ISU Communications and Marketing).
YOUnity House, a 10-bedroom site that provides housing to individuals suffering from mental illness and who are chronically homeless. Mental Health America borrowed money to build the facility, which led to the nonprofit agency seeking a feasibility study about potential future projects. ISU professor David Robinson “thought it would be a good project for us,” said Heather Sanning, who was part of the student consulting group before graduating in 2009 with a double major in management and business administration. “To hear they actually used it, that was really exciting to know that what we did in that class could’ve been just a grade, but it actually meant something, especially to those who are going to live there.” The students
“The whole housing first philosophy is the key to success. Get people housed, then they can work on improving their lives.” David Robinson, associate professor of management at ISU
ultimately determined that the agency would need more consumers. YOUnity House was occupied to capacity, which facilitated the need to look into another - and much larger -project. “I think it was very helpful that it reiterated some things that we knew needed to happen, but were reluctant to go down that path,” said Myra Wilkey, executive director of Mental Health America of Vigo County, “and it was an outside group saying ‘this is what you really need to do.’”After the 2009 consulting from the ISU students, the agency began the process of creating the 30-apartment YOUnity Village, a supportive housing unit that provides support services on-site. Mental Health America also moved its offices to the building, which includes a computer lab and exercise facility for its tenants. “It is self-sustaining, and there is no debt associated with the project,” Wilkey said. “We knew at the very beginning, we couldn’t have any debt associated with a permanent housing project.” The agency has worked to provide housing so that people can then stabilize other areas of their lives. MHA also provides other forms of assistance to individuals with a mental illness.
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 “It begins to be an anchor for providing safe, supportive housing from which people can begin to stabilize themselves and potentially launch recovery,” Wayne Lindstrom, president and CEO of the national Mental Health America organization, said of supportive housing such as YOUnity Village. “It potentially becomes an anchor in an impoverished community from which the community itself can be redeveloped and offer other kinds of supportive opportunities.” Indiana State students have worked with Mental Health America in other ways. The agency teamed with psychology professor Tom Johnson and sociology professor Tom Steiger on a campaign impacting underage drinking in Terre Haute. Several Indiana State students have also worked at Mental Health America in work-study jobs. Lindsey Hardy, who is a nursing major from Osgood, works for the agency and does a variety of daily tasks with the organization, including helping residents in YOUnity House and YOUnity Village. The job provided Numerous local officials and representatives from Mental Health America of Vigo County commemorate the opening of YOUnity Hardy, who is working on her second Village (Photo courtesy of ISU Communications and Marketing). bachelor’s degree, the opportunity to re-enter the social work field. review to get a quick understanding of how the organization endeavors for housing assistance. “I think that getting students involved at such agencies has evolved. “Housing is the key,” Robinson said. “The whole housing is a crucial step in educating others regarding individuals “We couldn’t do nearly all the work we do without having first philosophy is the key to success. Get people housed with mental illness,” Hardy said. “There is a certain stigma the partnership that we have because it allows us to do then they can work on improving their lives.” attached to those with mental illnesses that needs to be more things,” Wilkey added. “The more people that we The businesslike approach that was used in developing challenged.” have focused on our mission in the community helps us to YOUnity Village has helped ensure that the agency ISU students started working at the agency last year, with provide better services.” maintains resources to provide additional services in the students from different academic backgrounds employed by Some ISU faculty members also work with the agency future. the organization, Wilkey said. Mental Health America has in other ways. David Robinson, ISU associate professor of “We know that there’s the stereotype nationally of who needed a variety of projects done, which the students have management who advised the Sycamore Business Advisors makes up the homeless,” Lindstrom said, “but the reality been able to accomplish. An ISU art major, for instance, students, is president of the agency’s board. He has worked is whether you’re an individual or you’re part of a family, helped to chronicle the Vigo County agency’s 63 year history with the agency on YOUnity Village, which included many of us in this country are only one paycheck away from into a booklet that area residents and stakeholders can touring some sites in Chicago to learn more about similar being homeless.”
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Statesman editorial
December 21, 2012: Apocalypse or free fall?
Opinions News
Aaron Abel
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As the world ends on Dec. 21, 2012 at exactly 11:11 universal time, lawyer Peter Gersten will jump off of a cliff in Arizona. Gersten is confident that, “a cosmic portal will open in Sedona, Arizona and a leap of faith—from the top of Bell Rock—will propel me through its opening … I fully expect that it will either lead to the next level of this cosmic program; freedom from an imprisoning time-loop; a magical Martian-like bubble; or something equally exotic. Whether a group of onlookers find themselves drenched with Gersten’s resulting splatter remains to be seen—or not, depending—it remains evident that some are taking this 2012 Mayan cycle thing pretty seriously. But let’s take a critical approach to these apocalyptic claims. What better place to start than with NASA? Midway through November, NASA released a frequently asked questions guide to the 2012 apocalyptic predictions titled, “Beyond 2012: Why the World Won’t End.” Answers to seemingly inane, yet common, questions include statements like, “The world will not end in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than four billion years, and credible scientists
worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012,” and “Just as the calendar you have on your kitchen wall does not cease to exist after Dec. 31, the Mayan calendar does not cease to exist on Dec. 21, 2012. This date is the end of the Mayan longcount period but then—just as your calendar begins again on Jan. 1—another long-count period begins for the Mayan calendar.” While we should feel bad for the NASA employee who reluctantly agreed to write this comforting rhetoric, discourse exists within rational circles indicative of a growing global instability. For instance, a study initially completed at MIT some forty years ago predicted that the global economy would collapse by 2030, in which case, “population losses would ensue, and things would generally fall apart.” Interestingly, third party researchers have examined the same study and unanimously agreed that if things didn’t change and human consumption continued at its present rate then a decrease in oil production would ultimately lead to greater death and calamity than many would expect. And speaking of cliffs, with all of the
current talk regarding fiscal failings, perhaps Gersten’s leap isn’t so unlike our own, considering $16 trillion isn’t exactly a realistic hole to climb out of. Aside from economic issues, however, there exists other—probably greater— looming apocalyptic threats. With growing tensions between Israel, the U.S. and Iran it would be naïve to rule out nuclear disaster. Even more likely, according to most scientists, would be an environmental catastrophe due to a continual and irreversible warming of our planet. Whatever the threat, rationally based or not, tensions appear to be growing. And whether or not the pot boils over in the next few decades, it will certainly be interesting to watch. For now, we’ll leave you with what is likely the most rational statement Gersten has ever made: “Most of you will think that I am delusional and that my insane act will certainly result in my death. Death is inevitable—at least nowadays—and 100 years from now it won’t matter whether I died in 2012, 2013 or even 2020.”
Dear Huffington, what final you takin’?
A friend of mine once received a “cheat sheet” on dealing with stress; one of the helpful hints read, “Spend time with nature and children.” This always reminds of the out-of-touch and overly optimistic advice we all receive during finals week. The Huffington Post Brianne recently kicked that dead too and came out Hofmann horse with the “10 ways to beat Write and end-of-semester anxiety.” Here’s what they suggested: Wrong Find a Fuzzy Friend: “There are few things more calming and purely enjoyable than playing with a puppy or kitty,” according to the Huffington Post. But to those of you living on campus or in apartments that don’t allow animals—what are your options?
And besides that, kitties and puppies are adorable and fun, but they’re also destructive and selfish. Have you ever tried to do anything in your home with a cat around? A cat doesn’t care what you’ve got on the agenda; it is cuddle time all the time. It doesn’t matter that you’re working on a final paper worth 25 percent of your grade or that you’re cramming for a class you haven’t attended all semester. Giving a cat 15 minutes of your undivided attention is like negotiating with terrorists. And puppies? They’ll just chew and poop all over your academic career. If you truly want that kind of distraction, the crows and squirrels on campus serve the same purpose without the commitment. Run: It’s 4 a.m. in the library the morning of your history final. While that third pack of Skittles seemed like a good idea at the time, your sugar high, much like that hope
you once had of actually passing the test, has come plummeting down. And what goes better with fatigue and a tummy full of liquefied rainbow-coated failure than a nice, long jog. Bake a healthy breakfast treat: The Huffington Post suggested baking some “healthy, nutrient-packed pumpkin chia-seed muffins.” So dust off that pumpkin chia-seed muffin mix you all have tucked between your Ramen and peanut butter stockpile, everyone. Or you could go to Denny’s. It’s close to campus and they won’t piss off everyone in your residential hall by the setting off the fire alarm on (just your luck) the coldest day of the year. Talk it out: Talking about my stress to other students going through the same thing means I’m going to have to listen to their sob stories at some point. No.
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 Clean your desk: This is when I started suspecting that a parent wrote this list. The desk will end up tidy, yes, but only because I’m taking my rage out on everything in my path. And shouldn’t my desk be clean already? Shouldn’t that be advised before I start the most important week of my semester? Create a detailed calendar: For this one, our parental, ultra-hip college consultant from the Huffington Post said you should document all exam dates, paper deadlines and “anything else in your life you need to make time for.” This probably should have been done at the beginning of the semester. And making a calendar during your mental collapse is going to do one of two things: either it’ll create the illusion that you’re organized (without actually making the massive amount of crap you have to do disappear) or it’ll make you realize that you had more to do than you originally thought, further perpetuating your meltdown. Perform an act of kindness: “If you have a little free time on a Saturday afternoon, spend an hour volunteering at a homeless
shelter,” read the Huffingpost article. “A simple act like reading your little sister a bedtime story or helping your mom unload groceries can have the same effect.” Volunteering at a homeless shelter will put your problems into perspective, make someone’s life a little better and allow you to see how good you’ve got it. But let’s be honest here, you’re not studying on a Saturday afternoon anyway or at any other time during the weekend, for that matter. You’re likely catching up on the sleep you’ve been missing the week before. As for the second half of that tip: I don’t know about you, but by the time I’ve made it to finals, I’ve been reading all week. The last thing I want to do is indulge my thankless, spoiled little sister by telling tales of time-traveling cows or whatever kids are into these days. Sweat it out: Didn’t we cover this with running already? The Huffington Post apparently thinks that whatever you lack in intelligence, you make up for in girth. You’re probably too fat to hold that pencil during your final, you fatty mclardy pants.
Take a social media break: This one’s especially laughable. Don’t kid yourself, everyone. Once you’re on Facebook, you’re stuck there. Log out, block it, do whatever you think will cure your addiction, but it won’t work. Don’t even bother. Listen to music: This was probably the most practical and relevant piece of advice on the entire list. Unfortunately, I had to sift through a long-winded chore list to get to it. What bothers me the most about lists like the once mentioned throughout this column is that it completely sidesteps what any honest person would tell you. That would normally be permissible if we were talking about any other time of the year, but this is finals week. Finals week is the black hole in your galaxy of a college career; it’s a merciless vacuum, sucking the life right out of you. Fluffy critters won’t survive it and pumpkin muffins will be snatched by the void and devoured. If you want more realistic help, check out my column on Friday.
Did I miss the bus?
As I approach my last semester of undergraduate studies, one question is undoubtedly becoming more prominent: what are your future plans? I remain startled by the question (despite its frequency), and again realize that I don’t have a plan. I don’t know where I am going to Richelle decamp, I don’t know who I will Kimble be intertwining lives with, nor do I know what I will do with my Socially newfound bachelor’s degree. Awkward What I do know is that the thought of finding a career and nesting into a routine frightens me far more than pursuing my future without a specific direction. I’d rather live with spontaneity than project the next ten years of my life. In a personal sense, I feel free. In the sphere of society, I feel atypical, strange and extremely behind. Women in their third decade of life are constantly fretting about marriage, children and wealth, exclaiming their need to settle and find stability. And although I find these things appealing, and something I hope to conquer eventually, I don’t have the urgency that other females my age tend to acquire. And I certainly haven’t obtained the urgency that shallow individuals, striving for personal wealth and a booming career, use to drive
their daily actions. Where has the generation of women gone who have blossomed during the third wave of feminism and exhibit independence, post-modern and transnational elements, and rejects the traditional gender binary? Where is the embrace of empowerment and the rejection of traditional partner reliance? Is it, perhaps, that people just haven’t escaped the mundane frequently enough for their growth of wonder to expand? Are people so close-minded that they haven’t yet accepted that it is okay to go against the grain? The good news: according to study done by the Pew Research Center, is that the number of newly wed adults annually continues to decline. In 2008, four and a half million Americans got married, whereas in 2011, 4.2 million were wedded. The number of women willing to raise a child on their own, the number of women working outside the home, the number of same sex marriage couples starting families and the number of women deciding not to have children is also on the rise. This shows that there are, indeed, individuals who find happiness by their own guidance, not societal satisfaction. The bad news: although social trends are altering, the Pew Research Center revealed that 68 percent of those surveyed either rejected or were strongly skeptical of the developing trends. Sixty-one percent
of the rejecters actually claim that it is harmful for mothers to not work at home. It seems that there will continue to be a small percentage of the population who share my values. Unfortunately, the majority of our nation is still not open to altering the fast paced, structured life that dominates. Perhaps I am jaded from personal encounters; I’ve seen marriages crumble, mothers unfurl and careers become extinct. Though, I am fortunate enough to have the example of my parents, who have worked together to climb the societal ladder and raise four stunning children (if I don’t say so myself), all while maintaining their marriage for 21 years. My spirit for love and success surely hasn’t died. I’m not suggesting that everyone should live his or her life without a partner or become single parents, nor am I saying that a family and financial stability isn’t one of my personal aspirations. What I am suggesting, however, is to s-l-o-w down. Rushing won’t make you more in love, nor will it fatten your account. But what slowing down will do, unarguably, is broaden your perspective and mind, and increase your intelligence, self-reliance and confidence. All of this can be achieved through the notion of experience. These are all qualities necessary in order to be successful. And it seems logical to me to exercise these and make them as strong as possible prior to jumping into the American Dream.
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ISU student helps bridge cultural divide between U.S. and Pakistan
Austin Areco ISU Communications and Marketing Staff
Features News
Richelle Kimble 812-237-4102 812-237-4102 ISU-statesmanfeatures@ ISU-statesmannews@ mail.indstate.edu mail.indstate.edu
Upcoming Events Wednesday BFA/BS Senior Exhibition University Art Gallery 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Flutio Recital Recital Hall 5 p.m. Thursday Keyboard Recital Recital Hall 4:30 p.m. BFA/BS Senior Exhibition University Art Gallery 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
As Indiana State University student Farzana Shaheen introduced herself to an audience of Terre Haute residents, she told basic facts about her native country that were newfound details to people of a culture halfway around the world. Though Shaheen is a college student, her role as teacher is one of the primary reasons why she is at ISU. Shaheen is attending Indiana State this semester as part of the Global Undergraduate Exchange (Global UGRADPakistan) Program, which is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. In addition to taking classes at ISU, the computer engineering technology major also acts as cultural ambassador of Pakistan, teaching people in the United States about the Pakistani people and culture. She also is learning about Americans and the country’s culture so that she can inform people in Pakistan about life in the U.S. “The UGRAD program is famous in Pakistan for undergraduate students because this program continues to exchange students between developing countries and the U.S.,” said Shaheen, who added that the goal of the program is “to initiate the communication between people of Pakistan and people of the U.S., just to remove the stereotypes about people” from each country. Students in the program also perform community service and interact with Americans not only on campus, but in the community. Before starting classes at ISU, Shaheen met a host family in Terre Haute, who
introduced her to other area residents and some common American traditions. “It was a great experience, because they were the first people who accepted me coming to the U.S., and they were so friendly to me,” said Shaheen, who is also a software engineer student at the Islamabad campus of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology. “They treated me like I was part of their family, so I am in contact with them. They call me for dinners and for different celebrations. They are part of my family now.” Indiana State applied to be a host institution in the program. The university had several different requirements to meet to host a UGRAD-Pakistan student, said Zachariah Mathew, associate director of the ISU Office of International Programs and Services. The office worked with the College of Technology, which includes the computer engineering technology program Shaheen is studying. “Different departments on campus have different roles to play,” Mathew said, “and we all come together.” Once at Indiana State, Shaheen learned that life in the United States is different than some of the stereotypes she had learned while living in Pakistan. She had heard, for example, that Americans are unfriendly and that they do not talk much. Instead, she was impressed by the hospitality people extended. She met many people who are “accepting of people of other cultures without any hesitation.” “My mind was totally changed” from stereotypes, Shaheen said. “Things that
were seen in just one angle are totally different because we don’t look for all the background,” she added, comparing her experience as seeing a whole photo, rather than just looking at merely small part of it. Yet she also learned about some of the stereotypes that some Americans have of Pakistan. On multiple occasions, when she told
people she is from Pakistan, she received many questions about terrorism. She has even heard assumptions form some Americans who think that people in Pakistan do not have basic technological items such as cars.
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In her exchange program, Farzana Shaheen acts as cultural ambassador of Pakistan, teaching people in the United States about the Pakistani people and culture (Photo courtesy of ISU Communications and Marketing).
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 People were also surprised to learn that not all Muslim women dress in clothing that covers them from head to toe, Shaheen said. Some Americans are also surprised to learn that, in Pakistan, women work in every career field. “It’s totally different, because Pakistan is a liberal country,” Shaheen said. “People of the U.S. and people of Pakistan, we are the same.” While she interacts with Indiana State students on daily basis, she also has given presentations to different groups. She recently gave several presentations to Terre Haute residents who were part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at ISU. Her first presentation was an overview about Pakistan, and for the second class meeting, she had a discussion and answered questions posed to her by members of the class. “The basic goal of mine to coming to the U.S. was to bridge the people of the U.S. and Pakistan because we have many stereotypes about each other,” Shaheen said. “I just want to learn the culture of the U.S. and what the reality is behind these things.”
The College of Technology was interested in hosting a student from the International Research and Exchanges (IREX), which administers the UGRAD-Pakistan program, to provide American students with some international perspective, said Robert English, associate dean of the College of Technology. He has worked with the
“The basic goal of mine to coming to the U.S. was to bridge the people of the U.S. and Pakistan because we have many stereotypes about each other.” Farzana Shaheen, ISU exchange student and computer technology major
Office of International Programs and Services on having the college serve as a host for the program, particularly for American students who do not have experience studying abroad. “This is one of those win-win situations,” English said. “It’s such a positive thing because through IREX, you get some of the best international students, and it helps our classes, because we need more international students. “The whole intention is to make our students more globally minded, for them to better understand the wonderful opportunities out there, and to look at life with a much wider angle of lens,” he added. Shaheen has been involved with a variety of different organizations. She has worked with several groups that promote and encourage girls and women to establish career goals and attain an education. She also is a member of the Pakistan Girls Guide Association, which is dedicated to empowering girls and women “working as the agents of change to build a better
world,” according to the group’s mission on its website. Shaheen hopes to work on international efforts promoting equality for women. She wants to empower women throughout the world, as there are many people around the world who are suffering, she said. As part of her studies at Indiana State, she also wants to cultivate relationships with the hopes that more Pakistani students will be able to study abroad, including at Indiana State, as they could then learn about life in the United States. “Once I go back home I’ll tell them about my experience, the culture, and the people of the U.S.,” Shaheen said. “They will get to know about what the reality behind it is.”More information on IREX, which administers the UGRADPakistan program, can be found at: www.irex.org. For more information on the Pakistan Girls Guide Association, visit: http://www.pgga.org.pk/.
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Indiana State designated campus center for interior design organization Austin Areco ISU Communications and Marketing Staff The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) has designated Indiana State University as a campus center. Indiana State’s interior design program is just one of two such campus center programs in the state, said Mary Sterling, associate professor in the department of built environment in the ISU College of Technology. Stephanie Kreps, a sophomore interior design major from Richmond who is the student representative for IIDA at Indiana State, e-mailed a professional member at the organization’s headquarters
in Chicago. The person replied that she was looking forward to seeing ISU’s application to become a campus center. After discussing the e-mail with Sterling, Kreps began the application process. “It does give students more opportunities to get involved, but the thing about the campus center is it’s not just for interior design students,” Kreps said. “Anyone at ISU, anyone in the whole community can get involved in events that are held by the campus center.” The designation allows for interior
design professionals who are also IIDA members to learn about the students and program at Indiana State, Sterling said. “The biggest advantage for them would be an opportunity to educate future designers, and have a preview of who will be graduating and therefore who might be available for an internship experience, or who might be seeking full-time employment,” the professor added. The IIDA represents interior design professionals in commercial design, which includes health care, historic preservation
and restoration, commercial office and hospitality, Sterling said. The organization is beneficial because it also provides working professionals with continuing education opportunities, she added. Interior design students anticipate hosting speakers and taking advantage of IIDA programs as a result of the new campus center designation, said Megan Edwards, junior interior design major from Bedford. She is the president of the Indiana State chapter of Interior Designers Embrace Amplification, the umbrella organization of students in the program that also includes IIDA. “I think it’s going to be really great for the interior design program because even on campus, a lot of people don’t know what a good program we have,” Edwards said. Interior design students have the opportunity to be a part of several professional organizations, though IIDA might get a more attention when first-year students majoring in interior design review potential programs to join early next year. “It’s a really competitive field,” Kreps said, “so any opportunity to meet professionals is always a good thing.”
“I think it’s going to be really great for the interior design program because even on campus, a lot of people don’t know what a good program we have.” Megan Edwards, junior interior design major An Indiana State University interior design student giving a presentation. ISU has been designated as a campus center by the International Interior Design Association (Photo courtesy of ISU Communications and Marketing).
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Briefs Sparkettes to hold dance benefit The ISU Sparkette Dance Team is pairing with A+ All Star Productions/ School of the Dance to ring in the holiday spirit and lend a helping hand to 14th and Chestnut Community Center Saturday, Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. on Indiana State University’s campus. The performance will take place at ISU’s Center for Health and Human Performance, located on the corner of 5th and Chestnut Streets. The price of admission is a new, unwrapped toy, canned food item or monetary donation. These donations to 14th and Chestnut Community Center will be distributed
to children and families in need in the Vigo County community. 14th & Chestnut Community Center’s Mission aims to partner with and provide ministry to the community in order to assist with a variety of spiritual, physical and education needs. This benefit performance will feature holiday songs and performers of all ages from across the community. Special guests include Indiana State University athletes, Sycamore Sam and a North Pole visitor—Santa Claus himself and will be available after the performance for pictures and autographs.
Theater 101 plays to perform As the semester draws to a close, the ISU Theater Department is preparing to present the Theater 101 Plays. This event is the culmination of an entire semester of work by the beginning theater students. The performance will involve plays written, directed and acted by students in the Theater 101 class. For many this will be their first performance in the college atmosphere. “I’m really excited to see my own work being performed. This class really opened my eyes to the world of theater, said freshman theater major Jessica Hall. Hall will have the play she wrote, as
well as one she directed, performed. “All of the students seem really excited to finally perform. They’ve been working hard all semester. They’re ready to see all of the work pay off,” said Trevor Hanson, senior theater major and teaching assistant for the class. The Theater 101 plays will take place one night only on Friday, Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the New Theater on the ISU campus. For more information, call 2373334 or e-mail thanson2@sycamores. indstate.edu.
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Panthers gain new members among their ranks Sports
Thomas Beeler 812-237-4102 ISU-statesmansports@ mail.indstate.edu
Upcoming Events Women’s Basketball Friday at Hulman Center. vs. Illinois (Chicago) at 7:05 p.m.
Men’s Basketball Saturday at Morehead, Ky. vs. Morehead State at 2 p.m.
Track and Field Friday at Charleston, Ill. vs. Eastern Illinois at 4 p.m.
Thomas Beeler Sports Editor Trent Miles, former head football coach, left the Indiana State football program last week to take over the head coaching position at Georgia State. Along with Miles, coaches Harold Etheridge (offensive coordinator/offensive line), Jesse Minter (defensive coordinator/secondary), Shannon Jackson (assistance head coach/ defensive line) and PJ Volker (recruiting coordinator/linebackers) all traveled with Miles down to Georgia State. Wide Receivers coach Steve Watson also resigned from the ISU program Tuesday. Miles began his career here in 2007 and turned the program around. He concluded his time here with a 20-36 overall record and 14-26 Missouri Valley Football Conference play. He has put together a team that has had three consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1967-69. Ron Prettyman, Indiana State athletics director, described Miles as a dynamic leader and role model for the young men in the football program. Prettyman said, he was a terrific member of the Sycamore family for the five years. Upon leaving the program Miles was recently honored as the 2012 American Football Coach Association Region Four Coach of the Year. In 2010, he earned this award along being a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year and Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year awards. “Miles took over Indiana State when it was in dire straits. The program had gone 1-32 in the three years prior to his arrival. Miles arrival to ISU when they had very little in the way of resources and Former ISU head football coach Trent Miles holds Georgia infrastructure, quite frankly, if Miles hadn’t taken the challenge of State’s Panthers football after accepting his new position rebuilding his alma mater ISU might have given up football,” said (Photo courtesy of Georgia State Athletic Media Relations). Cheryl Levick, Georgia State athletic director. “In this business you can’t fear change, it’s part of the landscape,” Staying apart of the NCAA division I program, Miles joins the Prettyman said. “It’s now my responsibility, as the gate keeper of Georgia State Panther with a fresh can of paint. Georgia’s athletic Sycamore athletics to do my programs were just inducted into the Sun Belt conference “It’s now my responsibility, as the gate keeper due diligence and bring the right person will take some this past April. The Panthers level of continuity to the things of Sycamore athletics to do my do delegates and finished their season 1-10, home 0-6 and 1-4 away. They bring the right person will take some level of we already do well, also bring some new and creative ideas were 1-7 in their conference. “It might take days and it continuity to the things we already do well, also that will move our program might that weeks, but I am bring some new and creative ideas that will move forward.” Pretty said that ISU athletics committed to finding the right received, around, 15 phone person to lead this program our program forward.” calls and resumes that night for the next several years,” Miles committed to Georgia Prettyman said. “I plegde my and they expect many more complete commitment to this Ron Prettyman, Indiana State athletics director interested people to begin to task until we accomplish it.” surface with the next few days. Prettyman said during a press conference that he is looking The search for a new head coach is not being rushed because of forward to the upcoming search. He said he and this university the importance of the matter. There isn’t of right now a deadline has made a huge commitment to this program to provides an opportunity for success and to represent ISU, the community of for the hire. Terre Haute, the state and the region well.
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Men’s track and field looking for another MVC indoor title
Craig Padgett Reporter
The Indiana State men’s track and field team will look to the 2012-2013 indoor track season with the expectations of earning the indoor Missouri Valley Conference championship title. Last year the team was runner-up in a tight battle with Southern Illinois. They will return this season with many talented athletes after losing some key members. “Hopefully the team’s expectations should be first getting into the mindset of becoming a team, and also getting ready to compete, as a team to win the team title,” said senior weight thrower Brandon Pounds. The Sycamores will have athletes in nearly every event that will be competing for all conference honors as well as individual championships. Pounds is recognized as a national caliber athlete and should bode well in a traditionally very strong conference. He was second in the weight throw a year ago. Junior Chris Field should prove to be a strong competitor in the shot put and weight throw, finishing seventh in the shot put in the indoor MVC championship and fourth during the outdoor championship. Others to highlight are junior Maurice Lyke, who was indoor MVC champion in the long jump and All-MVC in the triple jump, and senior Bobby Webb was fourth a year ago in the high jump. “Being [runners up] a year ago hopefully will make the team hungry to work hard,” Pounds said. “A lot of people last year had injuries that came at a difficult time but that is why the team is important, to have someone ready to step up and compete.” “This year we are going into the season with the mentality that nothing is handed over for free and last year was a painful example of how that crown can slip through your hands at the drop of a hat,” Webb said. In the sprints senior Justin Baxtron should be near the top of the 60 and 200 meter dash races. He was fifth in the 60 meter and second in the 200 a year ago. Junior hurdler Greggmar Swift should be competing for All-American honors after a season last year concluding at the Olympic games in London, Eng. Lyke will join Swift in the hurdles.
Junior hurdlers Greggmar Swift and Duane Brown soaring over hurdles at last year’s Indiana University meet (Photo courtesy of ISU Communications and Marketing).
“We have some fantastic sprinters and hurdlers on this team. Greggmar spent much of the summer racing overseas, in Barbados and in Mexico after the NCAA Championships and I think he will have big expectations going into this year,” head coach John McNichols. “Lyke will be right there as one of the top hurdlers in the conference.” A slew of middle distance runners should dominate the 400 and 800 meter races, as well as the 4x400 relay. This includes juniors Max Tuttle, Jonathan Jackson, Kevin Piraino and Brad Adams. “Being [runners up] last year hurt bad but just went to show us that we weren’t unbeatable. If anything, it was a reminder that every point is a struggle and that even one can change the course of the meet,” said Tuttle. “We’ll use that to our advantage this year, and running with a chip on our shoulder may be what gets us back to indoor supremacy.” On the distance side will be seniors Dustin Betz and Albaro Escalera, as well as cross-country national qualifying freshman John Mascari.
“Dustin Betz is in incredible shape this year and I expect big things from him. For John [Mascari] the sky is the limit for what can do this season, we will also have our number four man sophomore Taylor Head ready to step up,” said McNichols. “There will be some great middle distance guys like Adams and senior Corey Hahn who should do well, as well as our middle distance guys like Tuttle and Jackson who could run well at 400, 600, or 800 as well as the 4x400.” The Sycamores will start their season at Eastern Illinois this Friday, with the meet starting at 3 p.m. Central Standard Time/ 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. “We are not entitled to win the championship this year because of our defending champion team, Webb said. “We are entitled to bring home the indoor and outdoor championship crowns because of the work that everybody has put in everyday and throughout this season since this past summer. I have never seen a group want something more badly, than to win conference and have a good showing at the NCAA National Championship meets.”
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Sophomore Carmelia Stewart maintaining her position at the Indiana University meet last year (Photo of courtesy ISU Communication and Marketing).
Women’s track and field trains hard for higher MVC position Craig Padgett Reporter The Indiana State women’s track and field team will be heading into the 2012-2013 indoor track season with memories of a fifth place finish at the Missouri Valley Conference meet just a year ago, but bring back many of those same athletes. The only exception is this time around they are a year older in their experiences and fitness. “This team has grown a lot in the past year and our goal is to move into the top three of the MVC,” Head coach Angie Martin said. “We have a very tough conference meet every year but I believe the women on this team have the right attitude to fight for a top spot.” The team has the perfect combination of talented athletes up front, who very well could be competing deep into March at the NCAA meet, coupled with a group of talented individuals to take those crucial scoring spots in an always competitive MVC meet. The field events will produce a few of those national caliber athletes from senior throwers Felisha Johnson and
Mary Theisen. Johnson being a former NCAA indoor national champion in the weight throw she has seen a wide array of experience on the national level throwing at ISU. Theisen has experience at the NCAA level her first year at Indiana State and before transferring from Winona State. She earned fourth place at the MVC champion in the shot put last indoor season. Before becoming a Sycamore she was the Division II national champion in the discus. They should prove to be a force in the weight throw and shot put come this March. Also in the field, senior pole-vaulter Nicole Hope, who competed at the 2012 NCAA indoor national championship earning the second team All-American honors finish 13th. Also fellow pole vaulter, senior Richelle Kimble, will continue to excel nationally in an event Indiana State has found much success with over the last few years. Jumping in the long and triple jump events for the Sycamores will be senior Shalesa Smith, who holds the third best leap in school history in the triple jump with 40’ 6.25” and placed fifth in the MVC outdoor championship. Along with Smith will be returning sophomores Carmelia Stewart, India Williams and Kaisha Martin. On the track will be middle distance 800-meter specialist, senior Leeann Michl. Senior Stacia Weatherford should handle the short sprints and hurdles, and those two will be joined by senior Macey Black and junior Shelby
Higginbottom, who should form one of the 4 x 400 meter relay teams. In the distance, look for allconference steeplechase runner Kalli Dalton and cross country all-conference runner, Jessica Zangmeister to make a splash in events ranging from the mile to 5,000 meters. “Even though we had a lot of positive outcomes during last season, we were not satisfied with our 5th place finish at conference,” said Dalton. “We have a strong team this year with the combination of returners and new members. Ultimately, we want to improve our finish at the conference meet and prove what kind of team we are.” The first meet for the Sycamores will take place this Friday at Eastern Illinois beginning at 3 p.m. “Each year this meet is a bit of a tester for our team.” Coach Martin said, “We spend all fall training and it is very exciting to have the chance to see how far you have come since stepping on campus in August.” Eastern Illinois always has a deep team and contends for their conference title year in and year out. Our goal is to come out of the dual meet with a win.”
“This team has grown a lot in the past year and our goal is to move into the top three of the MVC.”
Angela Martin, head women’s track and field coach
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