IU Students Off to India

Beginning on Friday (1 August), Indiana University's Kelley School of Business will again take a group of honors students to India.

This year, the school reports that there's a blog about the trip at Kelley Takes You to Incredible India.

This is the third time in three years that Kelley has taken students to India. The students' itinerary will include a tour of the Maruti/Suzuki auto production facility at Gurgaon. They'll also visit business process operations in Mahindra City near Chennai, see micro financing in action at a rural village and see historical and cultural sites such as the Taj Mahal (pictured) in Agra.

Goshen Connects with Ontario

Ontario-based Vigor Clean Tech today announced its acquisition of a 50% stake in Lucid Energy Technologies LLC in Goshen, reports Inside INdiana Business.

Lucid is a global company which designs, engineers, and sells hydrokinetic power generation systems. Lucid’s headquarters will remain in Goshen, with a branch office in San Antonio, Tex., and a new satellite office in Kitchener, Ontario.

Vigor will share ownership of Lucid with the company’s long-standing partner, GCK Technology, Inc.

Turkey Latest Market for Brightpoint

Plainfield-based Brightpoint Inc. has started operations in Turkey, reports Inside INdiana Business.

It is one of the first foreign distributors to establish a presence in the expanding Turkish wireless market.

Strassenfest This Weekend in Jasper

Head south to Jasper for the annual German-American Strassenfest this weekend.

It's 31 July through 3 August with traditional events and activities, carnival rides, 32 booths and games were spread over several locations, with major events on and near the square in the very heart of Jasper.

The Strassenfest is a celebration of Jasper's German Heritage.

According to reports on the event's website, Jasper's colors are black, red and gold -- saluting not only this Hoosier German town but also the country of origin of the vast majority of its citizens -- and Jasper's Sister City, Pfaffenweiler, where many families, after two world wars, once again are in touch with relatives and namesakes.

Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival

Macbeth and more comes to South Bend next month with the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival.

"Wicked Will: Shakespeare and the Supernatural" is the title of the presentation on 4 August. It's a collection of silly and scary vignettes that explore Shakespeare's interest in the supernatural -- and it's appropriate for children.

Macbeth, the shortest and "most ferocious" of Shakespeare's tragedies, plays 19-24 and 26-31 August.

For more information and to buy tickets, go to the website, send an email or call 574:631-BARD.

Mayor Ballard and International Connections

The Indianapolis Star reported this morning (in that "Just One Minute" box on the front of the Metro Section) that Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard had named Ricardo Gambetta to head the city's Latino Advisory Council.

Except that Gambetta, who headed up Latino Affairs for former Mayor Bart Peterson, moved to Washington, D.C., several months ago.

So...we don't know who heads up Indy's Latino Advisory Council yet. There's no active link on the mayor's Office of International & Cultural Affairs page for the Latino Affairs heading.

And, there aren't any details available either for the Chinese Festival scheduled for 13 September. The city's website says "information coming soon".

Here's Gambetta's email to NCI:
Washington DC, July 25, 2008
Dear Friends:
I have just learned about today’s newspaper story in which is it reported that I will be leading Mayor Ballard’s new Latino Advisory group.
I just want to clarify that the story of my return to Indianapolis is untrue. I have been and will continue to work for the National League of Cities leading a new Immigrant Integration project in cities and towns across the country.
It is work that I greatly enjoy.
While I miss my friends in Indianapolis, I am not returning at this time and I have no idea who is going to head the Mayor Ballard’s new Latino Advisory group or going to serve as members. Whoever it is, I wish them the best in working for and supporting the community that all of us love and respect.
And if you are ever in Washington, DC, look me up !
Regards
Ricardo Gambetta
Manager,
Immigrant Integration,Inclusive Communities Programs.
Center for Municipal Programs and Resources
National League of Cities.
1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W
Washington, DC 20004
Ph: (202)626-3153
Fax:(202)626-3043
Email:gambetta@nlc.org
www.nlc.org


UPDATE (Monday, 28 July):
The Mayor's office has deep-sixed the original link. Here's all we know about the Chinese Festival. (Hint: not much.)

Pierogi Fest This Weekend in Whiting

Historic downtown Whiting salutes the town's Eastern European heritage with its thirteenth annual Pierogi Fest this weekend.

Friday through Sunday, look for polka bands, international dancers, beer garden, Arts & Craft show, ethnic food vendors, Polka Parade, Kids' Kourt, "more pierogies than there are in Warsaw", Mr. Pierogi and his dancing Pieroguettes.

For information, see the website or call 219:659-0292.

INSIDER TIP:
Bring a cooler so you can take home some frozen pierogies!

Canadian Brass Plays at IU Next Month

The Canadian Brass quintet, will perform at 8 p.m. 3 August at the Musical Arts Center on the Bloomington campus of Indiana University. Tickets are $20 ($10 for students).

Canadian Brass -- which was formed nearly 40 years ago in Toronto, Ontario -- is known as much for its charming personality and rapport with audiences as it is for the Baroque music that has become its trademark. From formal classical concerts to music punctuated by lively dialogue and theatrical effects, the "fabulous five" are now more relevant than ever as they travel the world mentoring the next generation of brass performers.

The internationally renowned quintet includes hornist and I.U. Jacobs School of Music faculty member Jeff Nelsen.

Click here for a complete list of Summer Music Festival performances and further information.

It's Swiss Days at Berne This Weekend

Discover Switzerland in Indiana during Swiss Days at Berne 24-26 July.

On the schedule are polka dancing, children's activities, factory tours, quilt show, steintoss, horse pulling contest, craft vendors, sidewalk sales, parade, musical entertainment on the downtown stage and high school auditorium, sports competitions and Swiss foods. (That's the Hank Haller Band in the photo.)

New in 2008: champion yo-yo performer and showcase open to all performing with locally made wooden, Amish yo-yos. Swiss Days Furniture Frenzy back by popular demand for second year with $1,000 grand prize.

More information on the website, or call 260:589-8080.

Cummins Splits with Fiat

Columbus-based Cummins, Inc. has disposed of its one-third interest in the European Energy Alliance (EEA), according to a report by Inside INdiana Business.

The joint venture was formed in 1996 by Cummins and Fiat Group units New Holland and Iveco.

Cine Latino Debuts at IMA in September

"Cine Latino: films from Latin America" includes four Thursday evening screenings in the DeBoest Lecture Hall of the Indianapolis Museum of Art featuring films from Latin America. All are in Spanish or Portuguese with English subtitles.

Here's the lineup for the 6:30 p.m. showings, for which tickets are $5 each:

4 September: "Golope de Estadio / Time Out"
(Colombia, 1999, 120 mins., dir. Sergio Cabrera)
As the nation teeters on the brink of civil war, most citizens are mesmerized by a championship soccer match. This includes a pilot whose excitement about Columbia scoring a goal causes him to crash into an American-owned oil tower at the center of a standoff between Colombian military guards and insurgent guerrilla forces. Golpe de Estadio is a scathing political and social satire of all the parties involved in one nation’s seemingly insurmountable problems. Shown in collaboration with Sociedad Amigos de Colombia.

11 September: "Eu Tu Eles / Me You Them"
(Brazil, 2000, 104 mins., dir. Andrucha Waddington (pictured))
Waddington’s gently ironic and seductively picturesque tale of female empowerment centers on an impoverished mother of four children by four different fathers. Based on a true story, Waddington explores how her heroine navigates an intensely patriarchal environment, as three of the fathers end up sharing a house with the mother and children. Shown in collaboration with the Association of International Women.

18 September: "La Zona / The Zone"
(Mexico, 2007, 97 mins., dir. Rodrigo Plá)
When an electrical storm disables security for a wealthy private community, three teenage boys from the slums sneak in with a plan to rob the homes and make a quick getaway. A bungled robbery results in the death of two of the teens, a security guard and a woman. While the third teen hides, the community declares martial law to prevent losing its privacy and protection. At once a taut thriller and a portrait of a society willing to give up its own humanity in the name of security, La Zona won the De Laurentis Award at the Venice International Film Festival and the International Critics’ Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

25 September: "Encarnación / Erni"
(Argentina, 2007, 93 mins., dir. Anahí Berneri)
Encarnación (Erni) is a fiercely independent woman. The former pin-up model and showgirl, now in her fifties and happily single, still has enough sex appeal and determination to keep her career going despite the passage of time. But when she receives an invitation to her favorite niece’s 15th birthday party, Erni puts herself to a harder test: returning to the small town she left behind. Encarnación won the Innovation Award at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. Shown in collaboration with the Association of International Women.

Marian's Haberski Receives Fulbright Award

Dr. Raymond J. Haberski Jr. (pictured), associate professor of history and director of the Honors Program at Marian College, has been named the Danish Distinguished Chair in American Studies through the Fulbright Scholar Program.

The Marian news bureau reports that during the 2008-09 academic year, he will teach courses at the Center for the Study of the Americas at Copenhagen Business School and further his research on U.S. intellectual and cultural history.

Haberski has taught at Marian College since 2000 and written three books that use American movie culture to explore how mass culture has changed assumptions about what constitutes art (It’s Only a Movie, 2001), how culture becomes controversial (Freedom to Offend, 2007), and why free speech protection for movies is significant (The Miracle Case, 2008).

UIndy Basketball Star Named MVP in Poland

Former University of Indianapolis superstar David Logan (pictured) was recently named the Most Valuable Player of Poland's Dominet Banke Ekstraliga basketball league, reports the UIndy news bureau.

His phenomenal campaign, which also included an All-Star team nod, was highlighted by his team's advancement to the Finals, where it eventually fell to five-time defending champion Prokom Trefl Sopot.

The 6-1 guard has spent three years playing professionally in Europe. He originally signed with Edimes Pavia in the Italian League, averaging 17.1 points per game in 12 contests with the club. He then went on to Ramat-Hasharon in Turkey, where he played in 22 contests and averaged 15.4 points per game. He has played in Poland the past two seasons, playing for Polphamra-Pakmet Starogard before his stint with the Turow squad.

The Indianapolis native compiled 2,352 points in his fabulous career at UIndy.

Purdue Hosts Students from Chinese Partner Universities

A group of students from four of China's top universities arrived Sunday (13 July) at Purdue University in West Lafayette to learn about American life and culture as part of an experimental summer program, reports the Purdue news bureau.

The 26 students are from four of Purdue's top Chinese partner institutions -- Tsinghua University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Ningbo University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Riall W. Nolan, associate provost and dean of international programs, is overseeing the program, which is being offered for the first time.

The three-week program ending 2 August will cover a wide variety of topics, including the economic system, politics, legal system, recreational activities, health care, industry, education, religion, agriculture, popular culture, mass communication, fine arts, family life, food and nonprofit organizations.

Valparaiso University's International Triple Play

First:

Three spring graduates of Valparaiso University’s French program will spend the next year teaching in French schools after being accepted into a selective government-sponsored teaching program, reports the Valpo News Bureau

Emily Peters, a French and biology major from Merrillville; Barrett Ludy, a French and Spanish major from Fremont; and Taylor Steinbruegge, a French and television-radio communication major from Florissant, Mo., will travel to France in September to begin the teaching assistantship program.

The program, sponsored by France’s Ministry of Education and the Cultural Services, places recent Americans graduate in primary and secondary schools where they teach English and help French students practice their conversation skills.

Second:

The dean of Valparaiso University’s School of Law will help the Republic of Georgia begin a major reform of its legal education system this month, playing a consultative role in a gathering of the country’s law educators, judges and attorneys, reports the news bureau.

Jay Conison, vice chair of the American Bar Association committee that is responsible for the accreditation of law schools in the United States, recently was invited to help organize a two-day conference that aims to strengthen the rule of law and the legal education system in Georgia.

Third:

Fourteen Chinese college professors will begin an advanced English program at Valparaiso University this week, reports Inside INdiana Business.

The professors are from Zhejiang University of Technology, the partner university for Valparaiso's Confucius Institute.

The teachers, who arrive tomorrow, will tour houses with two local real estate brokers, visit Fair Oaks Farm to learn about agriculture's significance in U.S. culture and meet with Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas to hear about the nation's system of participatory government.

Emmis Unit Teams with Canadian Broadcaster

The interactive unit of Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications Corporation is partnering with a Canadian broadcaster, according to Inside INdiana Business.

Emmis Interactive Inc., has announced it is providing services for 20 radio stations owned by Corus Entertainment.

NCI Site is Offline

Alas!

The Nationalities Council's site is offline because...it's hosted on the server of the College of Liberal Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis...which is shut down because the air conditioning at IUPUI is shut down...because workers at the construction site for the new JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis sliced through the chilled water pipe serving the IUPUI campus!

The site probably won't be operational until sometime next week.

Friedman Talks at Purdue on 19 September

Purdue University reports that Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Thomas L. Friedman, the foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times, will speak at Purdue on 19 September about his upcoming book Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution - and How It Can Renew America.

Friedman, whose talk will begin at 7 p.m. in the Elliott Hall of Music on the West Lafayette dampus, has reported on the current Middle East conflicts, the end of the Cold War, U.S. domestic politics and foreign policy, international economics, and the worldwide impact of the terrorist threat.

The speech is free and open to the public, but tickets are required in order to reserve a seat. Tickets can be picked up at the Elliott Hall of Music after 25 August.

Polish Academy of Sciences Honors IUPUI Prof

The Polish Academy of Sciences held an international conference on dynamical systems last week in honor of Michal Misiurewicz (pictured).

The professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis is one of the world's leading researchers in the field of dynamical systems, reports the IUPUI News Bureau.

The conference, held 30 June - 5 July in Bedlewo, Poland, brought together participants from more than 50 universities in 20 countries. Dynamical systems is the study of change, ranging from the regular motion of a planet's orbit around the sun to the chaotic long term behavior of weather models.

Misiurewicz received his doctorate in 1974 from Warsaw University and taught there until 1990. He came to IUPUI in 1992.

Kolbe Moves to Global and Community Health Slot

The School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) at Indiana University has appointed internationally-known public health expert Lloyd Kolbe (right) to the new post of associate dean for global and community health, reports Inside INdiana Business.

IU says it is a move to enhance its expanding global health initiatives. The School of HPER has several international initiatives such as student and faculty exchanges and research collaborations. Kolbe says IU is positioned to become a global university to help solve problems such as key health threats.

Iraqi College Students Will Come to Indiana

Indiana's Manchester College will host one of several Iraqi students being brought to the United States next school year by a group of educators and activists in the U.S. and the Mideast, reports the Associated Press.

The Iraqi Student Project, founded last year, will bring about 20 Iraqi students to 15 American universities to continue their educations.

Three other Indiana institutions -- Holy Cross College and St. Mary's College in South Bend and the University of Evansville -- also are participating.

About 7 percent of Manchester's 1,070 students are from abroad.