Indianapolis is by no means a metropolitan city the size of Chicago, New York or Los Angeles. No one here in Indianapolis will ever claim that it can compete with those cities when it comes to things to do, but this by no means makes Indianapolis a sleepy town as the nickname of “Nap-town” may lead one to believe. Indianapolis is a thriving city with a great dinning, good culture and a fantastic music scene. All any IUPUI student need do is pick up one of the many papers all over campus to discover what Indianapolis offers them. NUVO news weekly and Indy.com are two publications that can be picked up anywhere on campus that both contain a plethora of activities to entertain anyone. Next to you are walking past one of these newsstands here on campus, grab a copy and find something to do this weekend.
One of the great ways to unwind from a busy week is to sit down to watch a little tv, and maybe pop a cold one from the fridge. Depending on your age, you might be reaching for a nice cool can of Coke, or reaching for a can of Coors. Have you ever really wondered how they make that frost-cooled goodness? TCEM-385 Beer and Spirits Management allows students to learn the history behind the ancient art of brewing, as well as teaching students about the social and cultural importance behind the many different types of beer. Prof. Agraviador begins the class by teaching about the history of beer and different types of brewing methods that create the many different types of beer, than later, people in the class get to attend special field trips to several of the smaller micro-breweries around the major metropolitan area. The semester culminates with a final project that requires each student to invent a beer recipe and describe what different ingredients give their beers their own distinctive flavor. Sounds like a really fun class, but ALL MINORS BEWARE!!! You must be 21 years of age or older and their is an $85 fee for the course.
Have you ever been moved to tears by a photograph? Have you ever wondered how photographers can take those amazing pictures that you see all over the place?
The history of our government doesn’t span very far in comparison with nations like England and France. Forged out of years of oppression and tyranny, our fore fathers decided to create a new form of government which they believed allowed more freedom to the citizens. The republic was formed on the general idea that the government should not fear or rule over the people, but that the government was to be controlled by the people. Within the past 200+ years, the United States has been a model for many countries wishing to start anew. Would you like to learn more about our own government that you might not know? Y-103, Introduction to American Politics can help fill in some of the gaps.
Although the class is a lecture class, the volume of information and relevance to everyday life makes the class very educational and possibly entertaining. Given the bending nature of politics, the class can offer multiple opportunities to spark conversation and debate in the blink of an eye. The subject material opens up the door to an infinite amount opportunities see the entire spectrum on topics plaguing or world today. This being an election year, becoming as informed about United States political history and trends is an absolute necessity to a person who wishes to become the best informed voter possible.
On Saturday, April 19, 2008, record stores across the country will ban together to “simultaneously link and act as one with the purpose of celebrating the culture and unique place that they occupy both in their local communities and nationally” with an event called Record Store Day. The meaning behind the holiday? In recent years due to internet downloading and file sharing of music, it has been an uphill battle for many record store chains and independent retailers to stay in business. Eric Levin, the Atlanta owner of the 32-store Alliance of Independent Media Stores, said the campaign was conceived to battle “a perception that record stores are something of a joke, like we are all dinosaurs stuck in the tar.” Some well known musicinas will team up with owners of the stores to participate in this event. Metallica plans to meet and greet fans at a record store called Rasputin’s in California. Steve Earle will be signing autographs in a Charolette North Carolina store. Owners have even enlisted the help of some surprise guest musicinas to act as store clerks and cashiers in support of the event. Moreover, consumers will find many discounts and bargains to be had when they stop by one of the participating music stores. This is the first year for the event, and owners are hoping to attract the lost generation of digital downloaders for many years to come. You will find a list of participating stores at http://www.recordstoreday.com/Venues.html .
Americans live with the common urge to go out and buy the latest greatest gadget. Whether it is i-pod touch nano, fancy food restaurants, or new cars, Americans have to have it. After reading an article from MSN, authored by Karen Datko, about compulsive buying with the market not being very good, different questions arose. Why are Americans so impulsive? Why do they have to have their 5 minute long order at Starbucks every morning? During this time the economy is slowing down, people might have to take a look at their spending pretty closely. Cutting back on coffee and iTunes downloads will eliminate a lot on the monthly credit card bill. Something to think about!
Just recently the national average for a gallon of gasoline has hit another record high. The Morning News on April 7, 2008 sets the new record at an astounding $3.32 per gallon. The broadcast also pointed out the highest gas prices that are located in San Francisco at a devastating price of $3.72. On the other side they reported the cheapest gasoline located in Newark, NJ for $3.03. To take a look back in history the national average for a gallon of gasoline according to the AAA’s fuel Gauge Report based off data from the Oil Price Information Service in 2001 was $1.35. This is nearly one third of the price of gas is now! What a change! Please beware travelers, this annoying pace of climbing gas prices is not expected to drop off any time soon.
According to findings posted by several scientists at Berkely University, there are several factors that change in the average life of the commuter.
First off is air quality. It’s kind of a no-brainer that if someone is walking to school, the expulsions of gas from the surround vehicles such as cars and buses have an adverse effect on the quality of air that immediately surrounds the commuter. What this study also shows, however, is that they also have a bad effect on both the air quality inside schools and homes as well.
Also discussed is the issue of traffic safety. Included in this report is a table that breaks down the injury and mortality rates that are situated with different forms of commuting transportation. On the top of the list: biking. At a staggering 9.6 mortality rate (only beat out by the 13.2 given to teen drivers), biking is overshadowing the second place — walking — by over 5 points.
The New York Times has started a column called “Commuting to School - Riders Tell Their Tales.” Within this column are letters to the editor written about various methods of commuting with a special regard to grade school commuting. One in particular that is fascinating tells the story of a man who had to commute from middle New Jersey all the way to the Upper East Side of Manhattan just to go to a Jewish school.
According to research posted online by the California Air Resources Board, commuting to school via bus may actually have some very negative health implications to its passengers. There were several findings that most bus passengers may not know about, including:
- Self-pollution: A major source for any sort of negative effect on the passengers has to do with the exhaust of the bus actually traveling back in to the cab. For this issue, be sure to leave the windows open! Closed windows increased the Diesel Related Pollutant (DRP) concentration by 2.5 times!
- In the case of a child (assuming that they commute to school by bus for K-12), their risk of cancer, respiratory infections, and asthma all increase due to continuous exposure to bus exhaust.
- The maximum exposure to those in the cabin of the bus happen more during the commute than when the bus is sitting still.
So, for all of those commuters out there that take the bus, let’s hope for some greener buses!
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