IU School of Liberal Arts

In The News - November 2011

News Categories: Anthropology | Centers | Faculty and Staff | General News | History | Museum Studies | Philanthropic Studies | Political Science | Religious Studies | Research | Sociology

Experts from Liberal Arts departments and centers are regularly cited in the local, national, and international media. A selection from online sources provides a sampling of the types of issues and kinds of research Liberal Arts faculty are called upon to talk about in the public sphere. Also included is general Liberal Arts news covered by the media.

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Kennington Common, the Occupy Movement & the Freedom of Assembly

History Workshop Online, November 3, 2011
Jason Kelly, Professor of British History, writes about the historical development of the park and the effects this development had on the working class.  This event represents a time when “the enhancement of public space functioned as a way to suppress popular dissent.”  Kelly connects this event to the current Occupy Movement, and believes the lessons from the 1800’s will resonate with activists and supporters. [Article]

 

Ballard Leads Poll: Analyst Questions Results

Indy’s News Center, November 3, 2011
Brian Vargus, Professor of Political Science, comments on a poll developed by Franklin College showing Mayor Greg Ballard with a double-digit lead over opponent, Melina Kennedy. Vargus explains that the study was problematic because it did not show how the researchers established the participants status as registered voters or how likely the participants would be to vote. [Article]

 

Race has Become Divisive Issue in Mayoral Campaign

The Indianapolis Star, November 3, 2011
Brian Vargus, Professor of Political Science, offered his insights on the importance of the African American vote in the Indianapolis Mayoral campaing.  [Article]

 

Lake Institute Receives Major Donation

Inside Indiana Business, November 3, 2011
The Lake Institute of Faith & Giving, part of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University has received a $1.5 million endowment gift, The Karen Lake Buttrey Directorship, from an anonymous donor.  The Lake Institute is the only university-based institute dedicated to understanding philanthropy and faith.  Patrick Rooney, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy, believes this gift will create “new knowledge about faith and philanthropy, and to help faith communities and donors increase the impact of giving.”  [Article]

 

Cracker Pie, Kresge and Comet: A History of Coffee in Washtenaw County

Annarbor.com, November 4, 2011
Paul Mullins, Chair of the Anthropology Department, is referenced in this article for his well-known book, Glazed America:  the History of the Doughnut.  Mullins explains in the book that in the 1950s, numerous doughnut shops opened up along commuter routes, causing a boom in sales and making pastries a popular commuter food. [Article]

 

GOP Campaign Prompts Critics of the Mormon Faith

The Indianapolis Star, November 6, 2011
The Mormon Church has received special attention in recent months following a statement from a Baptist pastor who called the Mormon faith a “cult religion.”  Jan Shipps, Professor Emerita of History and Religious Studies, offers her views of the Mormon religion, pointing out that it is one of the fastest growing religions in our country.  [Article]

 

Negative Campaign Ads Could Affect Voter News Story

The IndyChannel, November7, 2011
Political analysts say that negative advertising campaign could have a negative effect on voter turnout.  Aaron Dusso, Political Science Professor, states that “potential voters are more likely to skip the polls if they see a negative ad after they’ve chosen a candidate.” Dusso explains that negative campaign ads can cause voters to become frustrated and angry with the campaign process. [Article]

 

Mayoral Election Outcome Could Hinge on Turnout

Indianapolis Business Journal, November, 7, 2011
The fate of the mayoral and City-County Council candidates for Tuesday’s election may come down to turnout in a few districts, including southern Marion county and Center Township. Brian Vargus, Professor of Political Science, states that the Democrats have a bigger base of voters, but the question is, whether or not they will vote.  Vargus agrees that a large group of Independent voters could tip the balance, however, he believes that party-based voting will drive turnout for the election, just as it does for national elections.  [Article]

 

Outsider Appeal, Moderate Stance Helped Ballard Win

The Indiana Business Journal, November 9, 2011
Newly re-elected Indianapolis Republican Mayor, Greg Ballard, maintained his appeal as a government outsider, drawing enough Democratic support to secure him a second term. Brian Vargus, Political Science Professor, agrees Ballard did a decent job given financial limitations.  Vargus also attributed Ballard’s “public outsider” appeal to the fact that Ballard only entered public office in 2007.  [Article]

 

Four More Years: Ballard Wins Second Term as Indy Mayor

The Indianapolis Star, November 9, 2011
With the victory of a second term as Indianapolis Mayor, Greg Ballard is faced with a split government.  Brian Vargus, Professor of Political Science, predicts arguments on anything to do with city involvement. Margaret Ferguson, Professor of Political Science, expects Ballard to maintain control over his agenda, but to make changes in his approach.  She continued to say that Ballard is in a stronger position to set the agenda than individual members of the City-County Council, which does not mean that Democratic control will deter his agenda. [Article]

 

Democrats Win Control Indianapolis Council

The IndyChannel, November 9, 2011
After the November Mayoral elections, the Indianapolis government is divided.  The Democratic party gained control of the City-Council office, which may cause conflict in the following issues: the addition of police officers, a more rigorous smoking ban, a regional transit plan, and balancing the budget.  Brian Vargus, Political Science Professor, states that although the relationship between these offices may not be a friendly one, compromise will be a necessary solution.  [Article]

 

How ugly did it get?

The Indianapolis Star, November 9, 2011
Mayoral campaign staffers offered no apologies for the negative attacks used in their campaigns, citing the competitiveness of the race.  Many people believed this year’s mayoral race was the worst and most expensive, but Brian Vargus, Political Science Professor, recalls plenty of nastier elections in the past, both locally and nationally.  [Article]

 

Republicans Trumpet Party’s Tuesday Wins, say Party now has Majority of Indiana Mayors

The Republic, November 9, 2011
Indiana Republicans captured the majority of the State’s mayoral offices in November 2011.  Brian Vargus, Political Science Professor, said the Republican wins “were more about voter discontentment than an embrace of the Republican candidates, because many voters are unhappy with the nation’s direction.”  He continues to assert that people need to see new faces in office, and want to start seeing results. These Republican wins will give the Republican Party a local platform for next year’s Presidential election. [Article]

 

Could Right-to-Work Backfire on Republicans

The IndyChannel, November 11, 2011
Indiana Republicans will push ahead with a new bill called “right-to-work,” but what happened in Ohio may cause some to rethink their strategy.  In Ohio, voters repealed a new law that Governor John Kasich had advocated to reduce the collective bargaining rights of public sector employees.  Margaret Ferguson, Professor of Political Science, says, “Indiana Republicans should learn from the Ohio vote, which saw most non-union demographic segments rejecting the governor’s law.”  [Article]

 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Coming to Indy

Indy’s News Center, November 11, 2011
Spirit and Place Festival is a project of The Polis Center in the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI, which promotes enduring change and civic engagement.  One of the events at the 2011 festival featured basketball legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on health and wellness.  [Article]

 

Revamped Council’s Goals may be Limited by Fiscal Realities

The Indianapolis Star, November 12, 2011
The Democrats who will be leading the City-County Council for the next four years intend to focus on issues of interest to minority citizens, but their options are limited due to shrinking tax collections and tight budgets. Brian Vargus, Professor of Political Science, has some important questions about how the council members will pursue this goal.  Vargus agrees that the “new voices in the City-County Council could add much needed changes in perspective,” but asks, “where is the money going to come from?” [Article]

 

Mike Pence Seen as Early Favorite in Governor’s Race

Indiana Public Media, November 14, 2011
n about two months, Indiana Governor candidates will begin campaigning.  Many political analysts identify Republican Congressman Mike Pence as the favorite Republican candidate for governor of Indiana, but others think it will be a close race.  Professor of Political Science, Brian Vargus, predicts that Pence will not emerge the victor. [Article]

 

Butler Holds Reception for Confucius Institute

The Butler Collegian, November 15, 2011
Butler University celebrated its partnership with the Confucius Institute, part of IUPUI, with a reception featuring speeches from both schools.  The Confucius Institute recently donated over 1,300 books, DVDs and other instructional materials to Butler University to give more opportunities to teach the Chinese culture, language, and more. [Article]

 

People: Worth a Closer Look 

Indianapolis Women Magazine, November Issue 2011
Lori Phillips, Wikipedian-in-Residence at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, and current graduate student in Museum Studies at IUPUI, answers questions regarding her work with Wikipedia and museums.  Phillips explains that a wikipedian-in-residence “works with an institution, such as library or museum, and coordinates collaborative projects between the institution and the Wikipedian community. The main goal of the job is to find and organize the institution’s content so the Wikipedian community can edit then incorporate the context globally.” [Article]

 

Rural Residents More Prepared than Urban Residents

WLFI.com, November 22, 2011
A recent online survey, conducted by the Survey Research Center at IUPUI and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, shows people who live in rural areas are 12% more prepared to deal with disasters, than those living in urban areas.  The Indiana Department of Homeland Security hopes this survey will emphasize the importance of being prepared and encourage a focus on areas that need more encouragement.  A second survey assessed how public safety officials perceive the preparedness of their citizens.  In this survey, only 24% of public safety officials believed their community to be adequately prepared for a disaster. [Article] This survey was also featured in The Republic from Columbus, IN, and the Indianapolis Star.

 

Modern DNA Testing Answers Questions about Thousand-year-old Bones

Courier-Journal.com, November 22, 2011
In 1941, Indiana archaeologist, Glenn Black, found a single grave where two infants were buried together nearly a thousand years ago at the Angel Mounds State Historic Site in Evansville, IN.  Black believed that these two infants were conjoined twins.  Charla Marshall, Adjunct Professor of Anthropology, led a team of researchers at IU Bloomington’s Molecular Biology Institute using a DNA sequencing system to determine if the two infants were, in fact, conjoined twins.  They found that the two infants were not conjoined twins, and that they were not related, disproving the common archaeological assumption about the infrequent mortuary practices of co-burials.  [Article]

 

Chronic Disease May Up Out-of-Pocket Cost for Insured

U.S. News, November 29, 2011
A new study, about how health care plans are designed, was conducted by Anne Beeson Royalty, Professor of Economics, and two colleagues.  The study found that due to higher prescription drug copayments, those with chronic illness may pay more out-of-pocket than those without chronic illness, even if the individual has a health care plan.  Royalty states that the difference is not in different types of health care plans, but rather in the different types of services: “Prescription drugs are covered less generously.” [Article]

 

Eating as Spiritual Practice: Locavangelism in America Today

Religion in American History, November 25, 2011
Rachel Wheeler, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, posted a blog on the Religion in American History discussing food, sustainability, and religious sensibilities in contemporary America.  She suggests that the latest sustainable food practice movement “has gained substantial momentum among two groups who rarely care to be associated with each other: evangelical Christians and secular liberals,” and suggests that “this convergence offers some hope…that the chasm between right and left [may be] bridgeable.”  [Article]

Published on: December 09, 2011