Time is not always money

By Jayne Spencer, Editor, "IU Home Pages"

Those who think Ebenezer Scrooge first uttered the phrase will have to go back a bit farther. Antiphon, a Greek orator, coined "Time is money" back when a computer was an abacus, some time around 430 B.C.

But Antiphon is not responsible for the more soft-bellied phrases of public discourse, such as "Stop and smell the roses" or "Have a nice day!" (banished, in all its forms, in 2001).

Which brings us to Monday (Jan. 20), a university holiday in league with America's celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When IU trustees voted to make MLK Jr. Day an official university holiday some years ago, they were honoring a truly great man. IU students, faculty and staff have honored that name even further by building it as a day of service and reflection. What has become known as "A Day On Instead of A Day Off" has led to some vital connections between the IU campuses and social service providers in communities throughout Indiana. Time is money? Not always. Sometimes it's far more.

It's apparent that those who participate in Monday events will return to their places of work and study invigorated and full of resolve for a better and fairer life for us all.

Last autumn, United Way of America released some interesting survey results indicating that nearly all Americans had a genuine desire to become more active in their communities, yet were finding it difficult to do so because of heavy work loads. Ninety-seven percent valued the idea of volunteerism, but only 34 percent had actually volunteered in the previous year. Thirty-seven percent said a demanding work schedule was their greatest obstacle to volunteer service. As a result, UWA is planning to create "workplace community labs," with corporate and labor partners, to test new programs that will enable employees to become more engaged in their communities.

In today's IU Home Pages, you'll read about other forms of community engagement. IU Interim President Gerald Bepko wrote in this space Oct. 11 about the formation of a Workforce Attraction and Retention Taskforce by the Indiana Health Industry Forum and the Central Indiana Life Sciences Initiative, and a presentation by Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class. Florida will be speaking at a public lecture next week in Bloomington. His thesis? Communities that are welcoming to the arts and other forms of creativity are the ones that are more likely to flourish economically.

Picture a lantern-lit Kirkwood Avenue, just in front of the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre and within walking distance of the IUB campus. The smell of snow is in the air, it's Jan. 26, and if you bring along a homemade pie, you get free admission to a very special arts event called The Welcome Table. (Read about Arts Week) This upcoming event illustrates the kind of community vitality Florida wrote about in his recent best-seller. I'm bringing a cheesecake to the welcome table. Hope to see you there.

And speaking of cheesecake. Attention! All those who packed on an extra "holiday 10" during winter break have the opportunity to join IU HPER alumnus Gen. Larry Ellis (M.S. 1975), commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (Jan. 22) at Wittenburger Auditorium in Bloomington. The four-star general will talk about life strategies for promoting physical fitness.

Other IU guests this semester: Feminist Gloria Steinem will be visiting IU East, IU South Bend and IU Bloomington. Her first visit is scheduled Feb. 6 in Bloomington, in conjunction with the "Women's Sexualities: Portrayals and Perspectives" conference. Look for more details in our Jan. 31 edition. Scheduled at the incomparable Omnibus Lecture Series at IPFW are Hispanic leader Henry Cisnerso, author Barbara Ehrenreich and satirist P.J. O'Rourke.