MEMORY

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The professor would often sit in on their rehearsals, she said, eager to provide positive affirmations of what she and her co-directors did well and offer “words of wisdom” to help them improve.

“All of the little things he said, all of the pieces of advice he gave me — it all became very important once I became the one doing it,” she said.

Pederson said Dobosiewicz was an “inspiration” to her not just as a director and professor but also as a person.

“He’s probably the greatest reason why I stuck with [theatre education] in college and as a profession,” she said.

Hb 1608

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Rhonda Miller, president of Purple for Parents of Indiana, and supporter of HB 1608 and other, similar proposed legislation, said inappropriate discussions on sexuality are occurring in the classroom.

“We know lawmakers, as well as our attorney general , have been receiving massive amounts of complaints from parents from all corners of our state about the inappropriate material that teachers are indeed using in classrooms. We’ve had parents reach out to us telling us their children have even been forced to read inappropriate material … in class,” Miller said via email.

The Daily News verified with the attorney general, and the press secretary said they have received some complaints but could not provide an exact number.

When it comes to LGBTQ+ students being represented in stories and the classroom, she said one segment of children shouldn’t be prioritized over others, and it creates division.

“Schools should be no place for these ideologies,” she said via email. “[Teachers] need to stick to teaching reading, writing, math, science and leave sexual and social issues to parents.”

She also said those who claim this bill will hurt LGBTQ+ students are using a tactic to create an emotional reaction, rather than placing the blame on teachers and schools whom she believes are the ones actually harming students solutions we can for them.”

Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, author of HB 1608, was unable to give a full interview by the time of publication but did provide some explanation for why she feels this legislation is necessary.

For students like Kimp who have children, highquality child care can give them the peace of mind to focus on their studies and their future.

“I’m going to do what I can to make sure … he’s taken care of by people who are trained and know what they’re doing, and as long as he’s safe and taken care of, I can go to class and focus on what I have to do to maintain what we have,” Kimp said.

Contact Alex Bracken with comments via email at ajbracken@bsu.edu or on Twitter @alexbracken_

McNab is currently working with the Ball State Foundation to fund an endowment in his partner’s name, an initiative he started in response to Dobosiewicz’s unexpected death, he said. The endowment will provide scholarship funds annually to qualifying students who are pursuing a career in theatre education.

Although this initiative is in its beginning stages, McNab said he wants the scholarship to be available for the next academic year, so Dobosiewicz’s current students may have a chance to benefit from the endowment, which will be funded by the late professor’s money as well as public donations.

“It’s a way to, in perpetuity, remember what he did … for theatre education and in the theatre department here,” McNab said. “I thought it would be a nice way of preserving his legacy.”

Contact Miguel Naranjo via email at miguel. naranjo@bsu.edu or on Twitter @naranjo678.

“Our children can’t even read at grade level and instead our schools are focusing on matters of sexual nature which should be left to parents. It’s not the school’s job to discuss these personal

“House Bill 1608 would empower Hoosier parents by promoting transparency between parents and schools and reinforcing that they’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to introducing sensitive topics to their children,” she said via text through her press secretary. “The bill would simply prohibit instruction on human sexuality in kindergarten through third grade. It would also ensure parents are involved in decisions to refer to their children by names that are inconsistent with their biological sex. This is common sense legislation to support parents’ fundamental rights.”

Rep. Sue Errington, D-Muncie, said unless there is an outcry from the public, the bill will likely pass. She also said people are “smart to be worried” about this bill becoming a slippery slope for other legislation.

“There’s some kind of national effort going on to raise this as an issue too,” Errington said. “I mean, it’s very punitive, and transgender kids especially are vulnerable to this type of bullying because that’s what it is. It is state-sponsored bullying.” matters with children,” Miller said.

When kids ask questions, Errington said, people can be sensitive, but people should give them honest answers.

Miller said she is a bigger proponent of SB 413, another bill sent to committee this legislative session. SB 413 prevents schools and outside vendors working with schools to discuss gender and sexual orientation in grades K-12. It also states schools must notify parents if a student at the school uses a bathroom opposite of their biological sex.

“Schools are no place for sexual discussions. [Schools] can’t even effectively teach the basics. Just look at our test scores. Taxpayers deserve better from the millions of dollars spent on education and schools need to leave sexual and social issues to parents,” Miller said.

“There are kids in the classroom that are not just like some of the other kids,” she said, “And if you’re a teacher, you are there for all your students, not just those that fit a mold that this legislation is designed to promote.”

The Daily News contacted the American Family Association for Indiana for this article but no response was received prior to publication.

For more information on specific bills and the legislative session, visit the Indiana General Assembly website.

Contact Elissa Maudlin with comments at editor@bsudailynews.com or on Twitter @ejmaudlin.