Lafayette News

LAFAYETTE, Ind. - More than a thousand people from all over the country and the world will be making their way to the City of Lafayette for the week.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Democratic Congressman Joe Donnelly is courting Tippecanoe County voters, in his campaign for a Senate seat this year.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Financial aid administrators from Purdue and Ivy Tech are hoping their help will make applying for financial aid easier on hundreds of students.

A little more than three years ago, Suman Maity moved to West Lafayette from his home in Kolkata, India, to study ecological sciences and engineering at Purdue University. But trying circumstances -- stress, loneliness and two car accidents -- prompted Maity to seek answers outside the lab. At a house of worship. He walked away from his first accident in 2009 on Interstate 70, but another one, this time on Interstate 65 in August 2010, shook him up. 'I had a little bit of concussion and laceration ... but this experience actually changed me,' said the 27-year-old, who graduated in December and now is working as a research scientist at Purdue. 'I came out alive. I was unsure what to do with my life at that point in time. After the two accidents, I could've been dead, but I was not.' A friend referred Maity to Paul Briggs, the campus pastor at Kossuth Street Baptist Church in Lafayette, where Maity has been attending services since November 2010. 'You cannot live in isolation,' he said. 'You need some type of friends or family. The (Briggs) family is very helpful in treating you as a friend.' Aside from terrifying accidents, just relocating to a foreign world rife with differences can be difficult for international students. Some, like Maity, find comfort in local worship centers. These spiritual houses help foreign students find community by welcoming them or creating an environment that feels just like home. The story of a spiritual community embracing foreign students plays itself out often in Greater Lafayette, thanks to Purdue boasting one of the largest international student populations in the country. The university's total international enrollment ranks second among U.S. public institutions, second in the Big Ten and fourth in the nation, according to the university's Fall 2011 International Student and Scholar Enrollment and Statistical Report. This school year, 7,934 students -- 20 percent of the total 39,637 undergraduate, graduate and professional students at Purdue University -- are international. Numbers increasing Some places of worship are seeing their international student populations grow, too. Purdue's international student population has grown 68.9 percent in the past 10 years, increasing from 4,695 to 7,934 last year. Pastor Tom He of Greater Lafayette Chinese Alliance Church said he has seen the international student population increase since he became pastor in 2004. About 80 people, including students and residents, attended the church in 2004, but now about 140 people attend on a given Sunday. More than 50 percent of his congregation are international students. Most are from mainland China; some are from Taiwan, Hong Kong or Malaysia. 'There is an emptiness in students' hearts,' He said. 'That is what we have witnessed in the last eight years. I think Chinese students are more interested in the Gospel.' Father Patrick Baikauskas, director of campus ministry at St. Thomas Aquinas in West Lafayette said the international student population has grown significantly during the last five years. 'Purdue is doing so much with respect to attracting Asians to the campus, and we are responding to their spiritual needs,' he said. An integrated community Houses of worship use a variety of ways to try to meet the needs of international students. Kossuth Street Baptist aims to integrate prospective followers into Sunday services and other activities. 'We want to see people from every spectrum, poor to rich, black and white, national and international,' Briggs said. 'We're growing at that. It's never a finished product. It's something you work at.' He said between 30 and 50 international students from Purdue attend Sunday services. Most are from China, India and Malaysia. About 15 years ago, only a few international students attended, he said. In addition to offering Bible study sessions, the church offers parenting and English language classes. Even though he is new to the community, Maity said he never felt like an outsider at his church. 'I didn't sense an invisible glass wall,' he said. 'As an outsider, some societies will be mean to you. But others won't be mean -- they will just avoid you. It's not like discrimination. It's like avoidance. You get this feeling that you are not welcome here. I don't see that in this church.' 'Here, I feel like I'm just normal' Baikauskas said the church tries to integrate and accommodate international students at the same time, depending on their needs. For instance, the church has about 100 Korean Catholics who attend, including students, faculty and family members, and about 60 Indonesian students. Both groups have their own Bible studies and social groups. The Korean Catholics have a separate Mass, in Korean, at the church. 'What they want is not so much to set themselves apart but to be integrated into our parish,' Baikauskas said. 'These are all students who are receiving their course instruction in English. They want to be part of the English-speaking congregation. We do everything we can in accommodating them.' Once comfortable in the church, the students integrate into the larger parish on their own. That technique worked for Bella Handojo, a junior at Purdue. But before Handojo arrived in the United States, she was drenched in tears at the airport in her home city of Jakarta, Indonesia. Handojo didn't want to trade the tropical weather, the familiar food and city life for the foreign world awaiting her. In the three years since her arrival, Handojo has become acclimated to her new surroundings, especially due to her church. Handojo sings in the choir at St. Thomas Aquinas, attends daily Mass and has met other students from Indonesia at the church. 'I think the church has a lot to do with me not being homesick anymore,' the 19-year-old said. 'This is probably the only place I would call home here. I feel so strange on the outside. Here, I feel like I'm just normal.' Sylvia Swandono, an Indonesian professional student at Purdue, agreed. Swandono moved to West Lafayette in 2006. Soon after her arrival, she started attending Masses at St. Thomas Aquinas and quickly became involved in other activities, such as choir. 'Even though everything else is different ... Mass is the same,' the 23-year-old said. 'It reminds me of home. A Catholic Mass is the same all over the world. It's another community. I can hang on to something like that.''The culture suits me better' Equipped with food, language and faces that strike a familiar chord, some worship centers simply provide a place that feels like home in a foreign world. Hillel at Purdue is one of those places. About five of the 50 students who regularly attend religious services at Hillel come from all over the world -- Israel, Colombia, Panama, Great Britain and Turkey, director Philip Schlossberg said. At Hillel, the students find common ground. 'It really doesn't matter what stream of Judaism you practice, there are certain things that are the same all around the world,' Schlossberg said. 'Hebrew is generally part of the religious services. If you go to services in your home country there will be a little bit of Hebrew that sounds familiar. (Also) Jewish food doesn't change from country to country. There are different additions (but) the basic food is always the same.' Common language makes the Greater Lafayette Chinese Alliance Church feel familiar. The church holds a bilingual service in Mandarin and English every Sunday. For Purdue senior William Tao, the cultural transition from Wuxi, China, to West Lafayette was almost seamless because both communities are small and quiet, he said. The most difficult aspect was leaving his family. 'They didn't want me to leave,' the 23-year-old said. 'They still want me to come home every year. For me, it's difficult too.' But the church in West Lafayette has become his adopted family. 'I treat everybody as a family member here. I know they love me, and I love them too. I get guidance from the mentors in Bible study group and from the pastor. 'I feel like going to a church where the spoken language is my mother language makes more sense. The culture suits me better.'

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A body pulled Friday afternoon from the South Fork of the Wildcat Creek near Monitor has been identified as that of Kerry Dunsmore, 43, of Lafayette, who had been missing for more than two weeks. The Tippecanoe County Coroner's office conducted an autopsy Saturday. Matt Tholen, a conservation officer with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, said a retired police officer canoeing on the creek spotted the body in 2 to 3 feet of water early Friday afternoon and called the DNR. Authorities believe Dunsmore committed suicide by walking into the creek. Her husband had reported her missing on Jan. 26, and her vehicle, purse and cellphone were found at a Wildcat Creek public access site off Indiana 26 near Monitor later that day. The body was recovered by two DNR Search and Rescue Divers on Friday afternoon. A 3-year-old Indianapolis boy was killed in a two-vehicle crash shortly after 7:30 p.m. Friday on Interstate 74 in Fountain County. Light snow was falling and blowing at the time, creating a slick roadway. Authorities said the speed of travel, considering the conditions, was thought to be a contributing cause. Indiana State Police said a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Deishay Scott, 18, of Indianapolis, was headed west on I-74 when it ran off the road and through the median. When the vehicle entered the eastbound lanes, it was struck on the passenger side by a 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Annette Suess, 46, of Illinois. Ra-Shawn Kennedy, riding in the vehicle driven by Scott, was pronounced dead at the scene of a broken neck. The police report said child restraints were not in use. Scott suffered cuts and complained of chest pains. Another passenger in his vehicle, Shalanda Reynolds, 32, of Indianapolis, suffered a broken pelvis. Suess received a head injury and collapsed lung in the crash, according to police. A total of five people were taken to St. Elizabeth Health hospital in Crawfordsville for treatment of injuries. Some were later transferred to hospitals in Indianapolis. A husband and wife in Fowler were arrested Friday evening on charges of manufacturing methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a child learning center, maintaining a common nuisance and neglect of a dependent. Following a two-month investigation, the Fowler Police Department arrested Nicholas R. Randolph, 31, and Carrie A. Randolph, 34, in their home at 205 E. Fourth St. Authorities said they discovered several items commonly used to manufacture methamphetamine during the search. Along with the arrests of the two adults, an elementary school-age child was removed from the home and placed in the custody of the Indiana Department of Child Services.

While too late to be included in Rebecca Ryan's assessment of Lafayette, a bold show of life drawing opens this week at downtown Lafayette gallery Something Special. About 40 drawings and paintings concentrating on the human form make up 'Figuratively Speaking -- the Human Body as Metaphor.' Some are sketches while others are finished works from longtime local artists Susan Doster, James Werner, Grace Benedict, Steve Massa and Stacy Bogan, who organized the exhibition. More than half of the pieces are nudes. 'Figuratively Speaking' opens Friday and runs through March 31 at Something Special, 916 Main St. An opening reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. As reported in Wednesday's Journal & Courier, Ryan of Next Generation Consulting in Madison, Wis., was hired by Greater Lafayette Commerce to develop a report on 'From Good to Great: Making Greater Lafayette a Community of Choice.' The perceived conservatism of Greater Lafayette had to have been a hanging specter throughout the study. 'Figuratively Speaking' would have scored well in Ryan's findings for its daring nature -- at least for Lafayette -- at its expert renderings of the human body. Bogan invited the other four artists to show recent life drawing and painting not for the daring aspects, however. Most of the artists in 'Figuratively speaking' are instructors and believe a mastering of life drawing is essential for any artist. 'Whether you do landscape or abstract, you have to start with the figure first,' said Benedict, who teaches life drawing at Purdue University. 'The figure teaches the artist about form and composition. It all begins with life drawing.' The three artists have different approaches to drawing the body. Werner's viewpoint on the figure goes back to the old masters thousands of years ago. He combines the old teachings with a painterly approach in which the body can be produced on paper while using a series of values. Benedict uses a more linear style and adheres to the 'planar analysis' in which the human form can be broken down to a series of geometric shapes. In her teachings, Doster uses the metaphor of an ant crawling on the body and all of the curves and lines it must travel as a way to approach a model's figure on a page. By coincidence, the artists use some of the same models. Benedict said an artist can get attached to a model and develop a connection. Sometimes works are more expressive with certain models, she said. Werner's 'Atom and Eve' began in 2002 with a figure painting of a female. The pose proved problematic by itself. After several years of back and forth, Werner developed a Biblical and science theme with 'Atom' wrapped up in DNA strands while Eve contemplates the apple. The figure study was turned into a finished painting. 'Figuratively Speaking' is an important show for art students and for the Greater Lafayette art community. 'Life drawing studies put us all on the same level,' Benedict said. 'Trying to understand the figure puts us all on common ground.' 'It's the naked truth,' Werner quipped. Brouk is the arts and entertainment reporter for the Journal & Courier. He can be reached at tbrouk@jconline.com.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Valentine's Day is just a couple of days away. A A A While some people are busy planning a romantic evening with their significant other, some Lafayette businesses are just plain busy.

The Lafayette Police Department will be offering its Citizen's Police Academy this spring to provide Lafayette residents with an informed understanding of the inner workings of police department. 'Our main focus is to provide citizens with information about how their police department works,' said Lt. Brad Bishop. 'We want to educate the public as much as possible.' The Citizen's Police Academy is held biannually by the Lafayette Police Department as a free service to the public. According to Police Chief Don Roush, the department wants a broad spectrum of people to attend the sessions. Roush said that the academy was established more than 20 years ago with the goals of educating the public and opening up communication between citizens and the police. 'We work for the city and want the community to know what we do,' he said. The upcoming academy consists of weekly meetings for six weeks beginning March 1 and concluding April 5. The two-hour evening sessions cover three to four topics every class and will be held at the Lafayette Police Training Center. According to Bishop, the presentations will be conducted by personnel from the police department and will cover a range of subjects. Roush will talk about the administrative side of the police department and discuss the police department's strategy for serving Lafayette. Other topics covered include laws of arrest, use of force, the K-9 division, CSI detectives, and narcotics. Bishop said that participants are encouraged to ride along with a police officer during the course of the academy. The academy will conclude with a graduation ceremony on April 5. Roush hopes to see the police department's volunteer program expand as a result of Lafayette residents attending the Citizen's Academy.

The West Lafayette space that formerly held Nick's will get a lot funnier. Jester's will open March 1, boasting a sports bar and comedy club concept. The space at 402 Brown St. in the Levee held Nick's for decades. Nick's was a longtime host of the Comedy Caravan series, which brought in such talent as Rosie O'Donnell, Paula Poundstone and Sinbad before they were stars. It was briefly home to Riverside Sports Bar & Music Center as well. John Payne, general manager of Jester's, was a manager of Crackers Comedy Clubs in Indianapolis for five years. He has broken away from Crackers, bringing his comic contacts with him. Payne is promoting a safe -- and funny -- environment. Past incidents, including a 2007 stabbing and a 2010 shooting outside the club, have tarnished the venue's reputation. 'We're definitely going to have security and bouncers,' Payne said. 'We're not going to let it get out of hand.' Starting March 1, Jester's will be open Thursday through Saturday. Comedy sets will start at 7:30 and 10 p.m. An open mic will give lesser known funnymen and funnywomen the stage at 10 p.m. Thursdays. After midnight, Payne plans to have live music on Thursdays and Fridays, and DJs on Saturdays. Jester's will close at 3 a.m. each night. Payne said he will bring in regional comedians, many of whom are familiar faces at Crackers. Jester's will have a full bar and offer 'limited' food. Payne said two or three pool tables will be in the house as well as popular video games, such as 'Golden Tee' and 'Big Buck Hunter.' Payne plans to open six or seven days a week at the beginning of Purdue University's fall semester. Besides the signage, renovations inside the club include separating the front bar from the showroom. Access to the bar will be free; cover charges will be required for most shows. Also, Jester's will be for those age 21 and older. Nick's and Riverside flirted with all-ages and 18-and-up at times. The opening of a comedy club is good news for Abby Chew. The young local comic hopes to perform there as soon as possible. Chew made her standup comedy debut at Crackers in Indy last year. 'It will be great to have stage time close,' Chew said. 'I also have contacts with many comedians in the Indianapolis area that would be excited to find a new spot to do their work.' The timing of Jester's opening comes on the heels of a packed standup comedy show in January at the Black Sparrow in downtown Lafayette. Chew joined fellow Lafayette comic John Cessna and Bloomington jokemen Tom Brady and Mat Alano-Martin that night. However, at least two Black Sparrows can fit inside Jester's, a much larger venue. 'We had a huge crowd and a lot of laughs at our comedy night at the Black Sparrow,' Chew said. 'I hope this is indicative of what the success of Jester's will be.' Cessna shares Chew's enthusiasm. He points to the recent monthly comedy series at Knickerbocker Saloon and the formation of the Purdue Comedy Club as other signs that there is a market for stand-up comedy in Greater Lafayette. 'I hope with a central location and a team committed to bringing in national talent, the scene will only grow from there,' Cessna said. 'I think Nick's is a fantastic room. It's large enough, has facilities for food and drink, ample parking, walking from campus and downtown, and in general should be an ideal location to bring folks in. 'I don't anticipate encountering any of its past difficulties. Comics are usually scared of knives.'

Drawing or painting from a live unclothed model is built into the historical fabric of serious studio art study. Whether it is on the student level at a university or local level with a small group of artists, figure studies aid the artist in eye-hand coordination, as well as realizing proper human physical proportions. Something Special of Lafayette has mounted a figurative exhibit featuring five local artists. The work of Grace Benedict, Stacy Bogan, Susan Doster, Steve Massa and James Werner includes graphite, charcoal, pastel, colored pencil, oils and ceramic sculpture. Show themes run from full figure nude studies to lovely clothed three-quarter length figurative paintings and drawings. Stacy Bogan has added another dimension to her well-known portrait-making talents by introducing us to her ceramic portrait sculpture. Benedict continues to explore the human form in her extremely precise academic style, utilizing colored pencils in an expert fashion. Steve Massa's work differs from the group in his free and loose approach to line and color application. James Werner presents a high quality product from his 'Alla Prima' or direct painting process. Doster illustrates a delicate individualized approach to her figures and portraits. Due to some of the content in this classic exhibit certain sections of our art-viewing audience might be reluctant to examine the work. All the artwork in this show represents each artist's attempt at achieving the graceful lines of the human body and well as the individual differences found in the human form. I found myself revisiting Doster's lovely pencil work. Her portrait studies show intelligence and personality of subject. The delicacy and assuredness of her line application demonstrates the Doster's extreme knowledge of human anatomy as well as her ability to render likeness. The personality of her sitter has been captured along with their physical grace. Contributing columnist Tom Shafer provides insight about interesting art exhibits throughout the Greater Lafayette community. He can be reached at orieshafer@hotmail.com.

A female body pulled early Friday afternoon from the Wildcat Creek is likely that of Kerry Dunsmore, a Lafayette woman who has been missing since Jan.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Two Republican candidates are running to unseat the longtime Democratic State Representative in District 27, Sheila Klinker.

The roof on the Brothers N Others Pub and Grille in Lafayette is charred and collapsed on one side from a fire this morning.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Catholic Church is showing its muscle against the federal health care policy mandating religious organizations to include birth control coverage in their health plans.

Indiana private dormitory developer Trinitas Ventures LLC has dropped its plans to build a $35 million project in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Hundreds of jobs are ready to open with new manufacturers coming to town.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Indiana will be one of ten pioneer states freed from following the rules of Federal No Child Left Behind legislation.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Last year, a student came to Mayflower Mill Elementary School with an e-reader, but was in the middle of reading a book.A Mayflower Mill had a policy of not allowing electronic devices to be used during school hours.A After Mayflower reviewing and altering the policy, teacher Gina Boyd got the idea to write a grant to obtain the ... (more)

LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A local realtor is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity to build a home for an injured Marine and his family.